Wooddale High School
2016-2017
Student Handbook
Dr. Otis Clayton, Jr., Principal
Administration
Dr. Shadrich Moore
Mr. Terryl Saffold
Dear Parents/Guardians:
I want to take this opportunity to welcome you and your children to
Wooddale High School. Wooddale High is a special place for me as I
enter into my second year as Principal of Wooddale High School.
We have challenges ahead of us but I am sure we can meet them
together and work out solutions that will enhance our students to further
their education and provide an opportunity for a great future.
Our mission, vision and beliefs are simple. Wooddale High engages,
equips, and empowers all students with the knowledge to become
productive citizens in a global society. We hope you will share these
beliefs and help us strive for a successful 2016-2017 school year.
We are looking forward to a great year at Wooddale High. Thank you
for being part of it. Remember We are Wooddale! We are Proud!
Respectfully,
Otis Clayton Jr.
Principal
Wooddale High School
Wooddale High School’s Vision
Students choose College Prep/ Vocation, join a club or sport, and volunteer 10
Hours (minimum) a year beginning in 10th grade.
Our culture is College and Work Ready. Students dress in School Gear, Uniform,
or Professional Attire that reflects their Vocation. They arrive on time and are
engaged in tasks aligned to CCR standards.
Teachers are appreciated and excited about the opportunity to shape the lives of a
young person. They meet with all stakeholders to communicate success and
overcome challenges.
Students see value in the education they acquire, they develop skills to lead in their
chosen education path, and they respect the school at all times.
Wooddale High School’s Mission
Wooddale High is a school that equips, engages, empower all students to become
productive citizens in a global society. We lead in the areas of STEM
(Aerospace/Aviation) and Hospitality Tourism by competing in state and national
tournaments. Wooddale High is the educational beacon for Southeast
Memphis/Parkway Village that guides all students to post-secondary school
options that will qualify them for the career they choose upon graduation.
Wooddale High School
Student
Expectations
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Be on Time
Be Respectful
Be Prepared
Be Engaged
Be in Uniform
Uniforms
WHS school color is red. Students may wear solid red or white Polo-style or dress style. Students
can wear solid khaki, navy or black pants, shorts or skirts. Students may wear Wooddale
paraphernalia every day. Pants must fit at the waist and not be oversized or undersized (e.g.,
baggy pants, sagging pants, tights, or pants made of spandex are prohibited.). If belts are worn
they must be fitted and put through belt loops. Shirts, blouses, and dresses must have sleeves and
must completely cover the abdomen, back, shoulders. Shirts or tops must cover the waistband of
pants, shorts, or skirts with no midriff visible. Low-cut blouses, shirts, or tops or extremely tight
tops, tube tops, or any top that exposes cleavage are prohibited. Shirts must be tucked on the
inside unless they are made to be worn over pants or skirts.
All standardized dress/uniform clothing must be plain or have an insignia no larger than a
quarter. Light jackets, vests, shirts, sweaters, sweat shirts, and cardigans are permitted as items
that may be worn over the uniform top. They must be white, tan, navy blue, black or official
school colors. Head apparel (such as hoods, hats, etc.) must not be worn inside the school
building, except for religious or medical reasons (see Individual Exemptions from Certain Dress
Code Requirements or from Standardized Dress/Uniforms).
Footwear is required and must be safe and appropriate for indoor and outdoor physical activity.
(No Athletic Flip Flops). Shoes may not have heels higher than one and one-half (1.5) inches.
Shoes with rollers/wheels are prohibited. Athletic shoes, sandals with straps on the heel, and
boots are permitted. Skirts must be at or below the knee.
Prohibited items include: (1) denim, (2) large, long and/or heavy chains; (3) studded or chained
accessories; (4) sunglasses, except for health purposes; (5) sleepwear, pajamas, and/or blankets;
(6) skin-tight outer materials such as spandex; (7) No head scarfs or Satin Bonnets. The school
administration reserves the right to determine whether the student’s attire is within the limits of
decency, modesty, and safety.
Any student not dressed in accordance with the policy shall be directed to correct the violation or
receive a consequence. Repeat offenders shall be subject to additional measures which include
parent conferences, in-school suspension, and out-of-school suspensions as described in the
District-wide discipline policy.
Student Accounting: Pupil Accounting Procedures.
1. Opening of School. The tardy bell will ring at 7:15 a.m.
2. Homeroom Accounting. At the close of the homeroom period or 7:30 a.m. on nonhomeroom days, any pupil not present will be marked absent in Pearson SMS. Any pupil
reporting to homeroom or first block after the beginning of the scheduled period will be
marked tardy in Pearson SMS by the teacher of record for that period.
3. Daily Check-In Procedures. Any pupil reporting to school after 7:30 a.m. must be
accompanied by a parent in order to check in through the school’s attendance office
and receive an admit before reporting to class.
4. Daily Attendance Report Marking. Parental notes for excused absences should be
submitted by the student to be signed, recorded, and updated from unexcused to excused
absence in the teacher’s grade book within two (2) school days upon student’s return. It
is the responsibility of the student to submit the excused note with all of his/her teachers’
signatures to the attendance office at the end of the school day. Return the signed
attendance note to the student!!!!
Note: Students absent while representing the school in a school sponsored activity ARE NOT
to be marked absent in Pearson SMS. Classes missed as a result of the activity will be marked as
an absence in the teacher’s grade book. These students shall be entitled to all rights afforded by
an excused absence. TCA 49-6-3007
5. Daily “check-out” procedures. A student who becomes ill at school or is granted
dismissal from school for any reason, must check out through the Attendance Office.
After notifying the parent or guardian, the student will be issued a dismissal slip, and his /
her name will be placed on the “check-out” list with the time of dismissal. Time less than
this will be shown as an absence on the daily attendance report. No student will be
allowed to checkout AFTER 1:45 pm.
6. Class Period Pupil Accounting. Each teacher should check the class roll within the first
five (5) minutes of the class period and record absences in the grade book and in Pearson
SMS.
7. Tardiness. Homeroom and classroom teachers should contact parents of students after
their third tardy. After five cumulative tardie the office will issue a mandatory parent
conference.
Tardy Procedure for Students
Homeroom and classroom teachers should contact parents of
students after their third tardy. After five cumulative tardies,
the office will issue a mandatory parent conference.
TARDY TO SCHOOL - Students are expected to report to school
and be in class by 7:15 a.m. daily. Any pupil not present after the
morning tardy to school bell has rung will be marked absent in
Pearson SMS. Any pupil reporting to class after the beginning of
the scheduled period will be marked tardy in Pearson SMS by the
teacher. A parent must accompany students checking in after 7:30
a.m. Students checking in after 7:30 a.m. without a parent will
receive a parent conference. After receiving two (2) parent
conferences, the child will receive a suspension. Late check-ins are
considered unexcused with the exception of formal documentation
of the following: doctor, dentist, court, death in the immediate
family or other circumstances at the discretion of the
administration.
TARDY TO CLASS – Students are expected to be on time to all
classes. Students have five (5) minutes to travel from one class to
the next. Students who arrive late to class are considered
insubordinate to school policy. In order to maintain a safe
environment and harmonious class transitions, the administration
will issue a parent conference for insubordination. Students that
are late must report to the Student Services Office. On the third
tardy and for each tardy thereafter, students will be issued a
suspension. This progressive discipline process is replicated each
semester.
Cell Phones
Cell phones have become a hindrance to student learning and
students are expected to be in students’ car or locker. Students
who are caught with their cell phone will have their phone
confiscated. Progressive discipline will occur for future offenses
as outlined in SCS Code of Conduct.
In-School Suspensions (ISS)
ISS can be issued at the discretion of the Principal or
Assistant Principal up to ten days and can be cleared
following a personal conference with the parent or legal
guardian of the pupil involved. During the period of ISS,
the student will be isolated from the normal school
climate. All assignments completed during ISS will be
graded by issuing teacher.
Displays of Affection
Excessive displays of affection (including but not limited to
kissing, close contact, etc.) at school are not appropriate
behavior and may result in disciplinary action and notification of
parents. According to SCS’ policy, displays of affection may be
seen as sexual harassment.
Morning and Afternoon Procedures
All students are expected to enter in the rear entrance of the
school near the cafeteria. Students are expected to report to class
by 7:15 A.M In the Afternoon students are expected to exit the
building by 2:30 unless they are with a teacher/sponsor. Students
who loiter will receive a discipline consequence.
Lockers
Each student will have the opportunity to be assigned a
locker for which he/she must pay a $4 maintenance fee to
his or her 5th period teacher. No student should give his/her
combination to other students or allow other students to
store belongings in his/her locker.
Lunch Procedures
Students are expected to report to lunch during their assigned
time. Teachers are expected to refrain from having students eat
lunch in their classrooms. Students must remain seated after they
get their lunch. If students elect to not eat lunch they must
remain seated until dismissed for class. Students are permitted to
have a library pass that is obtained from their content area
teacher. They must report directly to the library showing their
pass to staff during their assigned lunch only. OUTSIDE FOOD
IS NOT PERMITTED.
Student Parking
Students driving automobiles to school must park in the
student parking lot north of the gym or in the east parking
lot behind the school. No parking is allowed by the
freshman academy. No one is permitted to return to a car
during the school day. Under no circumstances should
students park in the bus zones or handicapped spaces. All
vehicles driven to school must be registered in accordance
with school parking regulations and a valid parking decal
must be placed in the lower corner of the front windshield
on the driver's side. Parking is on a first come, first served
basis. There is no guarantee of parking space. Parking
registration must be done annually. Decals are $4. After
the first three weeks of school, automobiles parked on
campus without a parking decal may be subject to towing.
Students may not park in areas which are designated
faculty parking.
Grade Point Average (GPA) and Class Rank
The grade point average (GPA) is computed for each student by
using the semester grades for all high school credits earned up until
that point (includes grades received in 8th grade Honors Physical
Science and Honors Algebra I). Each semester letter grade receives
a numerical value as shown on the Quality Points Scale. These
values are then added together and divided by the total number of
grades used. According to SCS Policy, WHS encourages all of our
students to participate in honors and advanced placement courses.
Quality Points Scale
LEVEL
A
Traditional (4)
Honors (6)
5
Adv. Placement (8)
B
4
4
6
C
3
3
5
D
2
1
4
F
1
0
1
0
0
Note: Many colleges and universities disregard the quality
point scale and recalculate GPA based on a 4.0 scale.
Honor Roll
Principal’s Honor Roll: Student has all As, all Es in conduct
Distinguished Honor Roll: Student has GPA of 3.6 or above, with
no N or U in conduct, no Ds or Fs.
Honor Roll: Student has GPA of 3.0 to 3.599 with no N or U in
conduct, no Ds or Fs.
Graduation Requirements
The Tennessee Department of Education has raised standards and aligned graduation
requirements to best prepare students for college and the workforce.
Following the implementation of the Tennessee Diploma Project in 2009, high school students
must complete 22 credits to graduate. They also will be tested in core subject areas with End of
Course exams, part of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP. Their
performance on these exams will factor into their semester grade for the course.
Total Required Credits: 22
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Math: 4 credits, including Algebra I, II, Geometry and a fourth higher level math course
(Students must be enrolled in a mathematics course each school year.)
English: 4 credits
Science: 3 credits, including Biology, Chemistry or Physics, and a third lab course
Social Studies: 3 credits, including U.S. History and Geography, World History and
Geography, U.S. Government and Civics, and Economics
Physical Education and Wellness: 1.5 credits
Personal Finance: 0.5 credits (Three years of JROTC may be substituted for one-half
unit of Personal Finance if the JROTC instructor attends the Personal Finance training.)
Foreign Language: 2 credits (May be waived for students not going to a University to
expand and enhance the elective focus)
Fine Arts: 1 credit (May be waived for students not going to a University to expand and
enhance the elective focus)
Elective Focus: 3 credits consisting of Math and Science, Career and Technical
Education, Fine Arts, Humanities, Advanced Placement (AP) or International
Baccalaureate (IB)
- See more at: https://www.tn.gov/education/topic/graduationrequirements#sthash.Gmifhl2L.dpuf
Optional Program
To remain in the optional program a student must maintain
an average of C or above in each subject per semester.
Optional students who make a first semester D in any
academic subject will not be approved for
renewal/admission; however, final report cards will be
used to determine any status change.
Optional students must be familiar with the requirements
for the program. All graduation requirements must be
taken at the honors levels. In order to be successful at the
college or university level it is strongly recommended that
the optional students complete four (4) years of science
while at Wooddale High School.
Library Procedures
The library will be open for student usage from 7:30 a.m.
to 3:30 p.m. each school day. Students may check out
books for a two-week period. A fine will be assessed on
overdue books. Hourly and daily reserve books must be
returned within the required time period. Students with
outstanding fines at the end of the school year will not
receive report cards until the fines are paid.
Textbook Accountability
Textbooks will be distributed using an automated
library system. Beginning with seniors, students will
receive all textbooks through their English classes.
Students will sign for their textbooks. Students are
responsible for textbooks that are issued to them. Lost
textbooks are governed by Board of Education Policy
#6134, which, in part, states that any lost or damaged
book must be paid for by the student, parent, or guardian.
Any new book must be replaced at 100% of its
replacement price; any used book must be replaced at
75% of its replacement price. Restitution must be made:
(1) before new textbooks are issued; (2) before report
cards or diplomas are issued, or (3) before withdrawals
are granted. Books with missing barcodes will be
considered stolen, and the student will be held to the
above restitution policy. Students must return their
textbooks prior to final exams.
Clearing Suspensions
All suspensions will be cleared on the day stated on the
suspension notice. Suspensions less than 3 days will be
cleared from 6:30 a.m. until 7:00 a.m. Suspensions
may be cleared by an administrator or a designee
Monday through Friday. If a student is suspended for
more than 3 days or has accumulated more than 5
days of Out of School Suspension, the readmission
process must be scheduled with Dr. Moore or Mr.
Saffold. When a student clears a suspension they will be
given a suspension clearance form to present to the
teacher before entering the class. Ms. Lacey will clear the
student’s name from the suspension list. A suspension list
will be provided daily of suspended students. If a teacher
finds a student in their class and their name is also on the
suspension list. The teacher will contact administration to
receive clearance or have the issue investigated.
In general, we ask all stakeholders to acknowledge our
mission, our beliefs, and our vision. We have a great
opportunity to change the culture of Wooddale High
School. We are a school that has three optional programs,
an athletic program that has been successful in all areas, a
fine art program that excels in competitions and a faculty,
staff, and administration that believes in our young people
and wants them to succeed. Please review this handbook
and keep a copy as a reference.
Wooddale High School
Behavior Agreement
Students of Wooddale High are expected to adhere to the policies and procedure of
Shelby County Schools as well as expectations of the school community.
Progressive Discipline for frequent infractions will be addressed as followed.
Tardies- Students are expected to be in class on time and no students should be in
the hall way during the first 10 minutes of class and the last 10 minutes of class.
Students who receive 3 tardies will receive a Mandatory Parent Conference. The
next tardy will result in ISS and the tardies there after will result in suspension.
Cell Phones- Students who refuse to submit their cell phone when asked by an
administrator will receive a 3 day suspension
Uniform Violation- Students are expected to comply with the uniform policy
everyday. Students who are out of uniform will receive a warning and parent
phone call for the 1st offense. The next offense will result in a Mandatory Parent
Conference and subsequent violations will result in suspensions.
You signature indicates that you are aware of the policy and expectations for
students of Wooddale High School.
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PARENT’S NAME
STUDENT’S NAME
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Parent’s Signature
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Student’s Signature