Governor’s School Inclement Weather Policy



Welcome to Governor’s School!

This challenging, technology-infused program uses both an individual and a team approach to immerse you in the amazing fields of mathematics, science, and research!

The innovative, family atmosphere is a wonderful complement to the purposeful and focused curriculum, providing you a unique opportunity to meet new people while energizing your academic skills!

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August, 5, 2020

Dear Students and Parents:

It is with much excitement that I welcome you to the nineteenth year for the Piedmont Governor’s School for Mathematics, Science and Technology (PGSMST). This year’s opening of our school is the culmination of much hard work by many individuals in each of the four divisions that our school serves. Thanks to these individuals, each of you will be a member of a community of learners who explore the interconnectedness among mathematics, science, and technology through real-world applications.

The PGSMST staff and faculty have been busy preparing for this coming year. Everyone is working diligently to provide you with challenging educational opportunities in a college atmosphere with fellow students who are striving to prepare for their futures. We truly believe that their opportunities will be unlimited!

In this handbook you will find important information concerning policies and procedures. Please take the time to carefully read this handbook. As we progress through this year, we may find it necessary to revise existing policies or implement new ones as the need arises.

The PGSMST staff and faculty trust that your time here will be a very rewarding part of your educational career and wish all students a successful school year.

Sincerely,

Mr. Joshua Bocock

Director

Table of Contents

PGSMST PHCC Instructional Team 4

PGSMST IALR Instructional Team 5

Piedmont Governor’s School Directory 6

PGSMST Mission Statement & Goals 7

PGSMST PHCC Calendar 8

PGSMST IALR Calendar 9

PGSMST Policies 10

Inclement Weather 10

Delayed Opening 10

Base School 10

PGSMST Delayed Opening – Two Hours 10

Class Schedules 10

PGSMST Attendance 10-11

Daily Attendance 11

Student Absences 11

Arriving Late/Tardy Policy 11

Leaving Early 11

Academic Policies 12

Grading Scale 12

Use of “Incomplete” as a Grade 12

Reporting Grades 12

Semester Exam Policy 13

Semester Grades 13

Criteria for Successful Completion of the PGSMST Program 13

Junior Year 13

Senior Year 13

Exit Policy 13

End-of-Year Academic Deficiency Exit 14

Recommendation Requests 14

Textbook Loan and Purchase 14

Field Trips 14-15

Safety and Breakage (Science Lab) 15

Student Code of Conduct and Discipline Policy 15

Academic Integrity 15

Plagiarism/Cheating 15-16

Possession of Electronic Devices 16

Physical Display of Affection 16

Dress Regulations 16

Drugs/alcohol/weapons/explosives/assault-related offenses 16-17

Non-drug/alcohol/weapons/explosives/assault-related offenses 17-18

Insubordination/Open Defiance 18

Administering of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications 18

SOL Test Statement 18

Technology Policy 18-20

Published Student Information 20

PGSMST PHCC Site Instructional Team

Mr. Joshua Bocock: Director

● jbocock@patrickhenry.edu

• Room 119 West Hall (PHCC Campus)

• (276) 656-0328, ext. 1

Mrs. Deloris East: Administrative Assistant

• Room 115 West Hall (PHCC Campus)

• deast@patrickhenry.edu

• (276) 656-0328, ext. 2 Fax (276) 656-0329

Mrs. Jenny Whittaker: Calculus I and II, Introduction to Statistics

• Room 323 West Hall

• jwhittaker@patrickhenry.edu

• (276) 656-0328, ext.3

Mr. Jason Gibson: Anatomy

• Room 312 West Hall

• jgibson@patrickhenry.edu

• (276) 656-0242

Mrs. Shannon Harrell: PreCalculus with Trigonometry, Statistics I and II

• Room 323 West Hall

• sharrell@patrickhenry.edu

• (276) 656-0328, ext. 4

Mrs. Samantha Spencer: Research 11, Research 12

• Room 114 West Hall

• sspencer@

• (276) 656-0328, ext. 7

Ms. Shannon King: Chemistry, Physics, Forensic Science

• Room 308 West Hall

• sking@patrickhenry.edu

• (276) 656-0328, ext. 6

Mrs. Kelly Oakes: Biology

• Room 308 West Hall

• koakes@dcc.vccs.edu

• (276) 656-0328, ext. 5

Mrs. Sandy Phillips: ITE

• Room 317 West Hall

• sphillips@patrickhenry.edu

• (276) 656-032

PGSMST IALR Site Instructional Team

Mr. Joshua Bocock: Director

• jbocock@patrickhenry.edu

• Room 119 West Hall (PHCC Campus)

• (276) 656-0328, ext. 1

Mrs. Deloris East: Administrative Assistant

• deast@patrickhenry.edu

• Room 115 West Hall (PHCC Compass)

• (276) 656-0328, ext. 2

Mrs. Ashley Gravett: Statistics I & II, PreCalculus with Trig., Statistical Research

• adavis@dcc.vccs.edu or agravett @

• Room 220 IALR

• (434) 766-6736

Mrs. Janel Hauser: English

• jhauser@

• Room 223 IALR

• (434) 766-6640

Mr. Brian Harrold: Calculus I & II

• bharrold@

• Room 216 IALR

• (434) 766-6647

Ms. Katherine Long: Research

• klong@

• Room 229 IALR

• (434) 766-6654

Mrs. Kelly Oakes: Biology, Anatomy

• koakes@dcc.vccs.edu

• Room

• (434) 766-6638

Mrs. Susan Propst: Chemistry, Physics

• spropst@dcc.vccs.edu

• Room 222 IALR

• (434) 766-6768

PIEDMONT GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL FOR MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Governance/Administrative Information/Faculty and Staff

PARTICIPATING SCHOOL Danville City

DIVISIONS: Henry County

Martinsville City

Pittsylvania County

REGIONAL OFFICE: P.O. Box 984

Martinsville, VA 24114-0984

Telephone: (276) 656-0328

Email: deast@patrickhenry.edu

EXECUTIVE BOARD: – Danville City

Mrs. Sandy Strayer - Henry County

Ms. Zeb Talley - Martinsville City

Dr. Mark Jones - Pittsylvania County

GOVERNING BOARD: Mr. TyQuan Graves - Danville City

Mr. Ben Gravely - Henry County

Mrs. Yvonne Givens – Martinsville City

Mr. George Henderson,

Pittsylvania County, chairperson

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS: Danville City-1st Thursday

Henry County-1st Thursday

Martinsville City-1st Monday

Pittsylvania County-2nd Tuesday

FISCAL AGENT: Henry County

DIRECTOR: Mr. Joshua Bocock

ADMINISTRATIVE Mrs. Deloris S. East

ASSISTANT:

Approved by:

VIRGINIA BOARD OF EDUCATION

Dr. James Lane

707 E. Main Street, 11th Floor

Richmond, VA 23219

VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Dr. Donna Poland

707 E. Main Street, 11th Floor

Richmond, VA 23219

PGSMST FACULTY and STAFF 2020-2021

PHCC Site IALR Site

Jenny Whittaker-Mathematics Janel Hauser-English 11, 12

Deloris S. East-Administrative Assistant Ashley Gravett-Mathematics

Shannon Harrell-Mathematics Katherine Long-Research 11, 12

Samantha Spencer-Research Brian Harrold- Mathematics

Jason Gibson-Science Kelly Oakes-Science

Shannon King-Science Susan Propst-Science

Kelly Oakes-Science

Sandy Philips-ITE

Mission Statement

The mission of the Piedmont Governor’s School for Mathematics, Science, and Technology is to provide a challenging, project-driven, research-based curriculum in a technology-infused environment. The school is designed for academically gifted, highly motivated, and high achieving eleventh (11th) and twelfth (12th) grade students from Danville City, Henry County, Martinsville City, and Pittsylvania County school divisions.

Goals:

•To provide qualified participants with educational experiences that promote interest in and develop skills related to mathematics, science, and technology through research-based projects;

•To provide hands-on, project-based interdisciplinary learning challenges in a laboratory setting that will develop students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork and presentation skills;

•To provide an environment that fosters a broad exchange of ideas that promotes social, ethical, and personal growth through interaction among students with diverse educational and cultural backgrounds;

•To offer a well-defined curriculum that facilitates the transition from high school to college;

•To promote the applicability of mathematics, science, and technology to the real world environment;

•To empower staff, students, and parents to be actively involved in a collaborative interdisciplinary process; and

•To serve as a resource for schools and communities.

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GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY

In the event of inclement weather, students at both sites should listen to local radio and television stations for the official closing of Henry County/Pittsylvania County Schools. The Governor’s School administration will not issue a separate weather bulletin but will post closing or delay notices on the Governor’s School website. Students are advised not to call the Governor’s School office for information regarding closings.

If a student’s base school has a snow/inclement weather day when the Governor’s School is open, the student is not expected to attend Governor’s School classes. Students SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL to the Governor’s School when the school officials in their area close schools due to hazardous weather conditions.

The Governor’s School faculty will provide students with guidelines for home activities during weather days. The faculty will also work with students when they return to school so class work can be completed.

If inclement weather begins during Governor’s School class hours, students will be dismissed at the discretion of the Director. Students using school division transportation services will be dismissed when the vehicles arrive at Governor’s School.

DELAYED OPENING

Base School

If Henry County schools are delayed one hour, Governor’s School at the PHCC site will open one hour late. If Pittsylvania County schools are delayed one hour, Governor’s School at the IALR site will open one hour late.

PGSMST Delayed Opening (Two Hours)

If Henry County schools are delayed two hours, Governor’s School classes will be cancelled at the PHCC site. If Pittsylvania County schools are delayed two hours, Governor’s School classes at the IALR site will be cancelled.

CLASS SCHEDULES

Piedmont Governor’s School classes begin at 7:45 a.m. and end at 10.55 a.m. at the PHCC site. Classes at the IALR site begin at 7:45 a.m. and end at 11:00 a.m.

PGSMST ATTENDANCE POLICY

Daily Attendance

Each day during students’ first Governor’s School class, the faculty members will take attendance. The Governor’s School’s attendance coordinator will maintain a list of all absences and early dismissals for each student. This list will be faxed or e-mailed to the base schools on a daily basis as required by law.

STUDENT ABSENCES

Students and parents/guardians or other persons having control of school-age students will comply with the state laws on compulsory school attendance (Virginia Section 22.1-254). Since the academic pace at the Governor’s School is accelerated, it is important that student absences be kept to a minimum. When a student is absent, a parent or guardian must call the PGSMST main office at Patrick Henry Community College stating that the student will be absent and the reason for the absence. Within 24 hours of the student’s return to PGSMST, a note must be received from the parent or guardian stating a valid reason for the student’s absence. The following will be considered excused absences from PGSMST: 

1. Illness (Parent must initiate contact with school administration each day of an absence. A doctor’s note may be required when absences have become excessive.)

2. Death in the family

3. Medical appointments (must be confirmed with a note from the doctor)

4. Court proceedings (statement from court required)

5. Religious observances

6. Participation in a student activity that is confirmed with the base school. 

7. College visits (students are given a max of two and must be approved ahead of time)

8. Emergencies (as determined by the Director on a case by case basis)

Arriving Late/Tardy Policy

PHCC site students arriving late to Governor’s School should report to Mrs. East before reporting to their first class. IALR site students arriving late to Governor’s School should report directly to their class. If a student has two (2) unexcused tardies during a semester, a parent will be contacted by the Director or Administrative Assistant before the student will be allowed to report to class. When a student reaches three (3) unexcused tardies during a semester, the student’s driving privileges will be revoked for two (2) weeks. If a student reaches four (4) unexcused tardies during a semester, a parent will be contacted and the student’s driving privileges will be revoked for the remainder of the semester or for a time to be decided by the Director if the semester is almost over. If driving privileges are revoked, the student is expected to report to his/her base school in order to ride the bus to the Governor’s School or may be brought to the Governor’s School on time by a parent.

Leaving Early

Early dismissals MUST be prearranged. An explanatory note signed by the student’s parent/guardian must be approved by the Director or Administrative Assistant before a student may leave the campus. PHCC site students are required to SIGN OUT in the Governor’s School office (room 115 West Hall) prior to leaving. IALR site students are required to SIGN OUT with their teacher. If a student becomes ill during Governor’s School hours, his parent/guardian will be contacted by school officials before the student can be dismissed. Students are not permitted to leave Governor’s School before their scheduled departure unless the above procedure is followed. Disciplinary actions will be taken if a student leaves campus for any reason prior to scheduled departure. It is the student’s responsibility to follow these procedures.

ACADEMIC POLICIES

Admission to the Piedmont Governor’s School is by application and acceptance. All applicants are made aware of the curriculum offered as described in the Piedmont Governor’s School’s policies, literature, and correspondence. Students are not permitted to opt out of certain courses, since the courses in the two-year program are predetermined and sequential, and must be completed by all students in the program.

Grading Scale

Academic progress for Piedmont Governor’s School students will be reported according to the following numeric scale:

A – Excellent (90-100)

B – Above average (80-89)

C – Average (70-79)

D – Below average (60-69)

F – Failure (0-59)

I – incomplete*

*All incomplete grades must be updated to numeric grades within four weeks of the end of the marking period. Incomplete grades will be given only under extenuating circumstances, such as prolonged illness.

Use of “Incomplete” as a Grade

In order to avoid confusion and miscommunication among parents, students, and instructors, we will use the following strategy governing the use of an “I”:

• The use of an incomplete on interim report cards must be cleared directly with the Director.

• The instructor will correspond in writing with the parents regarding the reason(s) for the grade and the timeline for resolution.

• The timeline for resolving the incomplete will be no more than (2) two working days. Exceptions to this must be approved by the Director.

Reporting Grades

All Governor’s School students’ grades will be reported to their respective high schools at the end of each six-week period, according to the Governor’s School calendar for 2020-2021.

Semester Exam Policy

All students are expected to take semester exams on the day scheduled. Only in a rare case, such as illness confirmed by a physician or a death in the family, will a make-up examination be allowed. All exceptions to the examination schedule must be approved ahead of time by the Director. If a student does not report for a semester examination due to an emergency, the Governor’s School office must be notified on the day of the exam by the student’s parent/guardian. Failure to follow this policy may result in a grade of zero (0) for the exam.

Semester Grades

The three six weeks’ numerical grades and the semester exam will be weighted 25% each toward the semester grade.

Criteria for Successful Completion of the PGSMST Program

To receive a certificate of successful completion of the requirements of the Governor’s School program, a student who enrolls as a junior must earn a passing grade both semesters in each of the following courses. A student who enrolls as a senior must earn passing grades both semesters of the senior year in the senior courses listed below.

Junior Year

Junior Math Course

Junior Science Course

Research/Introduction to Statistics

Technology (PHCC site only)

English 11 (IALR site only)

Senior Year

Senior Math Courses

Senior Science Courses

Senior Research

English 12 (IALR site only)

Exit Policy

1. No student will be allowed to withdraw from the Governor’s School until the Director receives a written notice from the parent stating the reason for the student’s withdrawal. A copy of the letter from the parent, along with a letter from the Director, will be sent to the Superintendent’s office for approval of the withdrawal from Governor’s School.

2. If the student is allowed to withdraw, a copy of the letter from the Superintendent’s office given the student permission to withdraw, will be forwarded to the division’s liaison, Director of Governor’s, and the base school Principal.

3. If the student is allowed to withdraw before the end of the school year, school division policy will dictate the disposition of grades received at Governor’s School

End-Of-Year Academic Deficiency Exit

1. At the end of the first semester of the junior year, any student with less than a 2.0 un-weighted GPA for Governor’s School dual enrolled classes will receive an academic warning.

2. At the end of the second semester of the junior year, any student who does not successfully complete all junior courses or who has less than a 2.0 unweighted GPA for Governor’s School classes, will receive a letter of non-placement at Governor’s School for the senior year.

RECOMMENDATION REQUESTS

During the year many students will need faculty recommendations for special programs, awards, scholarships, colleges, and employment. In order to accommodate students’ recommendations promptly and properly, faculty ask that students complete a short Recommendation Request form. The student will include:

1) complete address and name of person or committee

2) updated resume

3) deadline to be met

4) special instructions or description about the request

It is the student’s responsibility to give the faculty members at least two weeks’ notice for recommendation requests. Students requesting less than two weeks processing time cannot be guaranteed prompt service!! A short profile of the Governor’s School and a PGSMST course description will be included with each recommendation to ensure that the persons reviewing student credentials will understand the scope and philosophy of the school. Recommendations can be beneficial!

TEXTBOOK LOAN AND PURCHASE

Governor’s School students will be issued textbooks at the beginning of the school year. All students are responsible for saving/storing documents using their Google Drive account linked to their Piedmont Governor’s School email. Graphing calculators will be issued for students to use in their courses.

It is the responsibility of the student to keep his/her textbooks in good condition. Book covers are encouraged. If a textbook and/or calculator is lost, damaged, or contains student’s marks, the student must pay the cost of a new textbook/calculator by the end of the semester.

Students may not write in their textbooks. If a student highlights or writes in a textbook, he/she will be required to purchase the textbook by the end of the year. The textbook price list is posted in the Governor’s School Office.

FIELD TRIPS

Field trips will be an integral part of the applications in the PGSMST curriculum. A base school representative will be contacted when field trips run beyond normal Governor’s school hours. The Field Trip Permission Form on file will cover all trips within the four school division areas. Any trips outside the four-district area will require a separate permission form, which must be signed and returned to PGSMST before the student may participate in the event. Overnight field trips require the Overnight Field Trip Guidelines Form which addresses appropriate conduct. A student is subject to disciplinary action if his/her behavior does not meet PGSMST expectations for student conduct as outlined in this handbook.

Students are expected to dress in business/professional attire for field trips (no sweat shirts, sweat pants, team shirts, etc.) unless faculty advises otherwise. Students are encouraged to ask questions and be courteous to the hosts or hostesses. Future return invitations depend in part on the image we project!

SAFETY & BREAKAGE POLICY

Science Labs

All Governors’ School students will be expected to perform only the laboratory exercises approved by the instructor, who will inform the students of any dangers or safety precautions that need to be considered for a given experiment. Students are expected to report accidents immediately to the nearest instructor so proper measures can be taken. If a student has an open cut, the instructor will follow special procedures.

Individual experimentation must be prearranged and must be done under the supervision of an instructor.

Students are responsible for maintaining the equipment issued to them. If a student does not know how to use certain equipment, it is his/her responsibility to secure proper instructions before proceeding with the task. Also, students must practice appropriate lab skills by cleaning up all materials at the end of the activity.

It is the student’s responsibility to review, on a regular basis, safety rules and guidelines provided by the instructor as well as those posted in labs.

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE POLICY

Each Governor’s School student is responsible for his/her own actions while on school property or under the supervision of Governor’s School faculty members. Conduct codes that are enforced at your base schools are still applicable at PGSMST; in addition, it is important to adhere to the following specific PGSMST rules for conduct:

Academic Integrity

Piedmont Governor’s School will not tolerate any form of dishonesty including cheating, plagiarism, knowingly furnishing false information to the school, forgery, or alteration or use of school documents or instruments of identification with intent to defraud. All students are expected to abide by the honor code and may be required to sign a pledge on their work, such as:

On my honor, I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment.

Plagiarism/Cheating

Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the purpose of improving one’s grade or obtaining course credit, including assisting another student to do so. Typically, such acts occur in relation to examinations, projects, labs, or graded homework. However, it is the intent of this definition that the term “cheating” not be limited to above listed situations only, but that it include any and all actions by a student that are intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means. Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating which consists of the misuse of the published and/or unpublished works of others by misrepresenting the material so used as one’s own work. Penalties for cheating and plagiarism range from a 0 or F on a particular assignment, for the course or expulsion from the school. Plagiarism can include submitting a paper written by someone else as one’s own.

All violations of academic integrity will be reported to each student’s honor organization (BETA, NHS, etc.).

Possession of Electronic Devices

All electronic devices, toys, games, music players, etc. that are not needed at school are to be used only at teacher discretion/with teacher permission and are strictly prohibited during lecture, tests, and collaboration activities. Guidelines regarding cell phone use may vary by teacher and classroom; students are expected to abide by specific classroom policy. Any misuse will be reported to the Director for disciplinary action.

Physical Display of Affection

Physical display of affection is unacceptable. Repeated offenses will result in a corrective warning and conference with parents.

Dress Regulation

Students are expected to adhere to the following regulations concerning school dress:

• Students wearing clothing deemed inappropriate or disruptive to the educational process will be disciplined by the Director. These include, but are not limited to, revealing tops, short shorts, clothing that fits so as to reveal a student’s undergarments, and bare midriffs.

• Clothing that displays messages or illustrations of a profane nature or displays advertisements for drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or illegal substances will not be allowed.

• Clothing with pictures or messages that are threatening, racial, or offensive in nature will not be tolerated.

Students violating the dress code will be sent home to change, and absences from classes missed resulting from this action will be unexcused.

Drugs/alcohol/weapons/explosives/assault-related offenses

Students who choose not to comply with school policies or with the local, state, and federal laws pertaining to the sale/possession or distribution of drugs, look-alike drugs, alcohol, weapons, and explosives are subject to disciplinary action and to the consequences of the legal system.

Governor’s School students are not permitted to possess, sell, or consume drugs, look-alike drugs, or alcohol, or possesses weapons, look-alike weapons, or explosives on campus, in school vehicles, at school functions, or on any school-sponsored trips.

Students shall not possess or have on their person, in their vehicle, on school grounds, at school-sponsored functions or extracurricular activities, or on any school bus any weapons and/or explosives. Weapons include firearms, knives, look-alike weapons, laser lights, and other dangerous objects or instruments which could cause injury to another person. Explosives include fireworks, firecrackers, dynamite caps, and other explosive substances or devices. An assault, which is considered an attack on another person involving the intentional hitting, striking, or applying of unwanted force upon another, will cause the offending student(s) to face disciplinary action.

Disciplinary actions which result from a student’s inappropriate behavior will be as follows:

Drug/alcohol/weapons/explosives/assault-related offenses

The student will have a conference with the Director and/or the instructor to discuss the incident in detail. In the event of a violation, the Director will:

1. Notify the superintendent-in-charge and the base school principal and immediately suspend the student from PGSMST.

2. Confiscate the weapons, explosives, drugs, or alcohol and turn them over to the local police department.

3. Notify the parent/guardian by phone and with a follow-up letter describing the offense, the results of the conference with the Director, and the Director’s recommendations to the principal-in-charge.

4. Request the superintendent-in-charge to recommend to the PGSMST Governing Board that the student be permanently dismissed from the Governor’s School.

5. Refer the student to his/her base school officials for counseling and placement.

Non drug/alcohol/weapons/explosives/assault-related offenses

First offense:

Students will have a conference with the Director to identify the problem and the policy in question. The student will be put on probation, and a letter will be sent to the student’s parent/guardian and base school principal explaining the reason for the disciplinary action.

Second offense:

Students will have a conference with the Director. Automatic suspension from PGSMST will occur for a given number of days. The base school principal and parent/guardian will be notified in writing concerning the disciplinary action taken. The student will earn a grade of zero on all missed assignments.

Parents/guardians are encouraged to schedule conferences with the Director at any point during the disciplinary process. Students who are 18 years of age or their parent(s) may appeal a suspension or dismissal to the Director and may appeal the recommendation of the Director to the PGSMST Governing Board.

According to PGSMST Governing Board policy, students who are suspended or expelled from their base schools will be automatically suspended or expelled from the Governor’s School for the duration of the penalty.

Insubordination/Open Defiance

Disruption of the learning process by a student and/or a student’s actions which jeopardize his/her safety or the safety of others will not be tolerated. Students are expected to follow the directives of all adult faculty members in the school if the request is reasonable. A request is reasonable as long as it does not pose the threat of physical danger to the student. Failure to obey a directive is a serious offense and is punishable at the Director’s discretion.

ADMINISTERING OF PRESCRIPTION/OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATIONS

No prescription/over-the-counter medications may be self-administered by a student without adhering to that student’s school division’s policy for administration of these medications. If students need to take such medications during school hours, arrangements must be made. A form, signed by a physician/nurse practitioner and parent(s)/guardian(s), is required allowing self-medication.

Any student needing to take prescription/over-the-counter medications during an overnight field trip must make prior arrangements with the faculty member-in-charge.

SOL TEST STATEMENT

Due to changes in SOL testing policy by the Virginia Department of Education, the only students who will take the Chemistry SOL test are those who need it to meet their verified credit requirements for graduation. At the IALR site, all students enrolled in English 11 will take the Reading SOL test.

TECHNOLOGY POLICY

Governor’s School students and staff are fortunate to have available a variety of high-quality, computer-related equipment including computers, printers, scanners, modems, CD-ROM drives, extensive software holdings, graphing-calculator connections, interfacing equipment, 3-D printer, and network access to the Internet. Since this equipment is shared by a large number of individuals, it is important for each person to be respectful of each other’s needs. If everyone follows a few simple guidelines, each person will have maximum access to the computers and related equipment. Students should use common sense and be courteous. If some action on a student’s part would interfere with another individual’s use of the computer equipment, he/she should not do it. A student’s technical ability to alter or misuse a Governor’s School computer in any way does not give the student the right to do so. Strict adherence to a code of ethical standards relating to all aspects of technology use is required of all students. The standards include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Be courteous and respectful of each person’s computer privileges.

2. Do not access any files which belong to other individuals or to the school without permission. This includes files with or without password protection.

3. Do not alter, delete, or “hide” any files which belong to other individuals or the school.

4. Do not add or delete software from the hard disk of a computer without permission of the appropriate instructor. A student should consult with his/her teacher if he/she needs access to additional applications.

5. Applications software and data files are not to be “hidden” in folders or named so they cannot be recognized.

6. The system folder, control panel, and desktop are not to be altered.

7. Computer games are not allowed at the Governor’s School at any time. Do not bring them, play them, or add them to the hard drive of any computer.

8. Copyright restrictions on applications software are to be followed at all times. The school is bound by copyright laws to ensure restricted use of any software applications.

9. Never give passwords to another person or knowingly allow them to be used by someone else for any purpose.

10. Name and e-mail address should be attached to all e-mail correspondence.

11. Sending or forwarding a chain letter is unacceptable use of computer technology.

12. Changes in the physical set-up of any computer are not permitted. Examples include but are not limited to: moving the computer, moving a keyboard, moving/changing a mouse, or disconnecting a computer from the local area network.

13. Do not engage in any illegal activities on the Internet. They are punishable by criminal prosecution. These include, but are not limited to, attempting to break into a password-protected computer, illegal business, or subversive activities.

14. While using the Internet, students may not access, post, or download offensive language or graphics, use the Internet for business or profit, or use the Internet to endorse political candidates or doctrines. Copyright laws also apply to information retrieved from the Internet.

15. Computers may be protected by security software, which assures all users immediate access to available software applications. Students are not to engage in any attempt to bypass the security software.

16. Computer printers are to be used to make one copy of a file. Additional copies should be made using a photocopier. There is a significant cost difference between the two technologies. Internet files can be deceptively large. Users should consider the length of a file before printing.

Teachers are accountable for the responsible use of technology throughout the school. Do not download large sound, movies, or pictures without the permission of a teacher.

Students are reminded that the Acceptable Use Policy of their respective base schools applies while they are at Governor’s school.

Failure to observe this policy will result in recommendation(s) from the faculty for disciplinary action and may result in the student being returned to the base school on a full-time basis. Parents will be involved in any cases which may result in suspension or dismissal from the school. Parents may be liable for damages resulting from student abuse of the system. The Governor’s School will terminate or restrict any person’s access to its computer and technology resources, without prior notice, if such action is necessary to maintain availability, security, and integrity of operations for other users of the resources.

Be sure to talk to a PGSMST staff member about any point in the PGSMST Technology Policy which is not clear. Always remember: ask before doing anything with a PGSMST computer or other piece of technology if there is any question about a possible violation of the policy.

PUBLISHED STUDENT INFORMATION

The Piedmont Governor’s School publishes a variety of information about our school and its activities in local newspapers, the school’s brochure, and/or the school’s web page. We may wish to include a student’s name or photograph in these articles. This information might be published in order to recognize achievement or in conjunction with the display of a student’s work.

If you wish that this information not be published, please notify the Piedmont Governor’s School in writing.

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