At CMS, Bulldog PRIDE means our staff and students model “P.R.I.D.E.” at all times, and in all locations. Here are the expectations for the main locations around campus:

General Policies –P.R.I.D.E.

Sunnyvale School Board Policy

The Governing Board believes that appropriate dress and grooming contribute to a productive learning environment. The Board expects students to wear clothing that is suitable for the school activities in which they participate. Students shall not wear clothing that presents a health or safety hazard or is likely to cause a substantial disruption to the educational program. (cf. 4119.22/4219.22/4319.22 - Dress and Grooming)

Students shall not be prohibited from dressing in a manner consistent with their gender identity or gender expression or with their religious or cultural observance (cf. 5145.3 - Nondiscrimination/Harassment) (cf. 5145.7 - Sexual Harassment).

The dress code shall not be enforced in a manner that discriminates against a particular viewpoint or results in a disproportionate application of the dress code based on students' gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, household income, or body type or size. (cf. 0410 - Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities) (cf. 0415 - Equity) (cf. 5145.2 - Freedom of Speech/Expression)

Dress Code 

Columbia Middle School expects that all students will dress in a way that is appropriate for the school day or for any school-sponsored event. Student dress choices should respect the district’s intent to sustain a community that is inclusive of a diverse range of identities. The primary responsibility for a student’s attire resides with the student and their parent(s) or guardian(s). The school district is responsible for seeing that student attire does not interfere with the health or safety of any student, that student attire does not contribute to a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for any student, and that dress code enforcement does not reinforce or increase marginalization or oppression of any group based on race, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural observance, household income, or body type/size.

Allowable Dress & Grooming

●    Students must wear clothing including both a shirt with pants or skirt, or the equivalent, and shoes.
●    Shirts, tops, and dresses must have fabric in the front and on the sides (students should not wear clothing that reveals their full stomach, full back or full thigh).
●    Clothing must cover undergarments (waistbands and bra straps excluded)
●    Fabric covering all private parts must not be see-through.
●    Hats and other headwear must allow the face to be visible and not interfere with the line of sight of any student or staff. Hoodies must allow the student’s face and ears to be visible to staff.
●    Clothing must be suitable for all scheduled classroom activities, including physical education, science labs, wood shop, and other activities where unique hazards exist.
●    Specialized courses may require specialized attire, such as sports uniforms or safety gear.

Non-Allowable Dress & Grooming

●    Clothing may not depict, advertise or advocate the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other controlled substances.
●    Clothing may not depict pornography, nudity or sexual acts.
●    Clothing may not use or depict hate speech targeting groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation or any other protected groups.
●    Clothing, including gang identifiers, must not threaten the health or safety of any other student or staff members.
●    If the student’s attire or grooming threatens the health or safety of any other person, then discipline for dress or grooming violations should be consistent with discipline policies for similar              violations.

Electronics

In accordance with district policy:  

1. Students are permitted to possess cell phones on campus. However, devices must be turned off and not visible during the school day (7:40-3:19pm for Zero Period Students; 8:34am-3:19pm). 
2. Failure of a student to adhere to the guidelines will result in progressive disciplinary action, which may include, but is not limited to, confiscation, parent contact and detention. (Note: Any student who refuses to give his/her electronics to a staff member upon request may be referred to an administrator for defiance).
3. Students who bring electronic devices to school do so at their own risk. The school and/or district is not responsible for lost or stolen electronics, even if the item is stolen/lost after being confiscated.     
4. No student shall be prohibited from possessing or using an electronic device that is determined by a licensed physician to be essential for the health of the student and use of which is limited to purposes related to the health of the student. 
In the event that a student must get in contact with a parent or guardian, he/she should ask the teacher to use the classroom phone or go to the main office to make the call, rather than using his/her cell phone. 

Headphones/Airpods/Beats

Students may not wear headphones/AirPods/beats or other Bluetooth devices throughout the school day (7:40-3:19pm for Zero Period Students; 8:34am-3:19pm). The only exception is if a student uses the headphones for educational purposes under their teacher’s supervision. If a student is caught wearing any type of headphones throughout the day, we will assume that they are violating the district cell phone policy, and their phones and headphones will be confiscated. Once again, the school and/or district is not responsible for lost or stolen electronics, even if the item is stolen/lost after being confiscated.

Bicycles/Scooters/Skateboards

1.    Bicycles must be secured at designated areas before school (bicycles need to be locked in the bike corral.
2.    Bicycles, scooters, and skateboards must be walked onto campus. 
3.    Students who violate this policy may have their bike/scooter/skateboard confiscated and returned to them at the end of the day. Repeat violations will result in further consequences, including parent contact.
4.    Students who bring bicycles/skateboards/scooters to school do so at their own risk. The school and/or district is not responsible for lost or stolen electronics, even if confiscated.

Items Not Allowed on School Grounds

Items that are disruptive and/or can cause a safety hazard do not belong at school. Our main responsibility is to provide an environment that is safe and conducive to learning. The following is a list of items that are prohibited on school grounds:

•    All weapons or devices that may be used to harm others. This includes wallet chains, toy guns, tools, etc.
•    Matches, lighters, firecrackers, or fireworks
•    All controlled substances such as tobacco, drugs, or alcohol
•    Laser pointers 
•    Aerosol spray cans, hairspray, spray cologne/perfume, etc. 
•    Curling irons / straightening irons 
•    Mopeds, or any motorized vehicle
•    Any object that can be used to squirt water 
•    Sharpies or Permanent Markers
•    Chewing Gum
•    Any item that causes a distraction or disruption in the classroom 

Finding Unsafe Objects 

Students might find unsafe objects (weapons, drugs, etc.) on the way to or from school or on campus. Students should not pick up any unsafe object. Students should leave the object where it was found and immediately tell any staff member so that an adult can take care of the situation. Students who do not follow this process will be held to the appropriate disciplinary action (usually suspension and/or expulsion) for having unsafe or inappropriate items, even if they found them on the way to or from school, or on campus. 

No buying, selling or trading items on campus (non-school sponsored) 

Students may not bring items to school (including food) for the purpose of selling or trading them on campus. Depending on the value and/or the quantity of items being sold, bought or traded, consequences may include confiscation of item(s), parent contact and/or detention.

Academic Honesty 

This policy has been developed to promote independent learning and critical thinking. Students need to do their own work. Cheating is an obstacle to learning and hinders the development of values regarding honesty and personal integrity. Cheating on an exam/quiz or on homework (copying, etc.) may result in a reduction in grade or no grade on the assignment. An Assistant Principal will be notified and the teacher will call the parents. The teacher will contact the parent regarding any cheating incident. 

Cheating is defined as not doing one's own work. Examples include - but are not limited to:

• Copying homework or classwork
• Use of crib notes, sheets, answer sheets, etc. 
• Use of calculator when not allowed 
• Looking at someone else's paper or talking during a test
• Copying or cutting & pasting from the internet 
• Giving test information to another student, or allowing another student to copy your work 

The teacher’s professional judgment will determine whether cheating has occurred. If a teacher suspects that a cheating incident has occurred, the teacher must first investigate in order to verify the charge. The student must have the opportunity to respond to the charge. If, after these steps, the teacher can verify that cheating has taken place, the teacher will notify the parent by telephone and document the call. The teacher will notify the assistant principal, written or verbal, of the action taken and the date of parent notification.

Bullying / Harassment 

Bullying is more than name-calling or negative physical contact. Sometimes friends will claim that they are “just joking” or “just fooling around”. It is important to understand that this is never an excuse for making another student feel powerless. 

1. Physical bullying is where a student uses physical force to hurt another student by hitting, pushing, shoving, kicking,   pinching or holding them down. Physical bullying also includes taking or breaking a student’s belongings, stealing, or extorting money.

2. Verbal bullying is when a student uses words to hurt another student. This includes threatening, taunting, intimidating,  insulting, sarcasm, name-calling, teasing, slurs, graffiti, put-downs, and ridicule. It also includes hostile gestures such as making faces, staring, giving the evil eye, eye rolling, and spitting. 

3. Relational bullying occurs when students disrupt another student’s peer relationships through leaving them  out, gossiping, whispering, and spreading rumors. It includes when students turn their back on another student, giving them the silent treatment, ostracizing, or scapegoating.

4. Cyberbullying refers to the use of cellphones, text messages, e-mails, instant messages, web blogs, or postings to bully another student in any of the ways described above. Examples of cyberbullying are sending threatening or insulting messages by phone and email, and spreading destructive rumors. 

5. Harassment is the delivery of disrespectful messages in any format related to gender, ethnicity, sex, socio-economic status, race, religion, disability, physical features, or any other protected class. 

Bullying and harassment seriously disrupt the learning environment. Students engaged in bullying/harassing behavior may be subject to suspension, expulsion, and/or criminal prosecution. 

Behavior Interventions 

Students who do not follow the school expectations will receive interventions ranging from warnings to expulsion. A list of possible interventions includes:

• Verbal Warning
• Parent Contact 
• Teacher/Parent/Student Conference 
• Teacher detention 
• Counseling Referral 
• CICO (Check-In/Check-Out) 
• Conflict Resolution 
• Conference with School Administrators 
• School Service/Campus Clean-up 
• Behavior Contracts 
• Detention 
• Modified Schedule / Day 
• In-house Suspension 
• Suspension (1-5 days) 
• Expulsion Recommendation 

Note: Students may be interviewed by “sworn peace officers” (police officer, deputy sheriffs, District Attorney’s office) or other approved county agencies (Department of Family and Child Services) without parental consent or without a parent present. 

Counseling Services 

We are fortunate to have counseling provided on-site, offering services such as “Teen Talk”, Group Counseling and Individual Counseling.  Students may be referred for counseling services by a staff member, parent/guardian, or a student may self-refer. Once referred, students are assessed by a member of our counseling staff to determine if counseling is an appropriate intervention and, if so, to match the student to the appropriate form of counseling. Students or staff may also request a “check-in” with a counselor – a one-time meeting if a student is having a difficult day. Counselors may meet with the student no more than twice without parental consent, unless there is a safety concern that needs immediate attention. The contents of all counseling sessions are protected by counselor – client confidentiality, unless the student shares information that falls under the mandated reporting guidelines.