At the beginning of every school year, each teacher and student will receive a copy of the policy on pupil conduct and attendance. Each student will also receive a copy of the Student Handbook which contains the attendance policy and disciplinary procedures for each school. Students are to take the handbook home so that each parent may have the opportunity to examine its contents. Parents will be asked to sign a statement that they are familiar with the contents of the handbook and the code of pupil conduct.

The aforementioned is a prelude that appears on the front page of the annual Code of Pupil Conduct and Attendance from the Clinton County Board of Education that is given to every student, parent/guardian at the beginning of each school year.

In years past, however, school officials have indicated that actually only a few parents and students actually take the time to review all of the content within the rather lengthy document, but have noted its importance and urge each year that everyone take the time to familiarize themselves with the student’s and parent’s responsibilities and rights while their child is in school.

By knowing up front what the rules and regulations are and what is expected of students to do, and not to do, can make for an easier, more successful school year for everyone involved, not only parents and students, but school staff as well.

The following are some of the important issues that is covered in the Code that will be helpful for all parents, students and staff to have knowledge of at the start of the upcoming school year next month:

Student behavior: drug/alcohol and other controlled substances, with this year also including the policy making all school ‘smoke free’ campuses; corporal punishment (as a last resort) policy and procedures; student dismissal precautions; student responsibilities; parent responsibilities and rights; teacher responsibility and rights; and disciplinary procedures.

The Code also contains information on bus discipline; referrals; policies and procedures on the use of telecommunication devices (cell phones, tablets, etc.); conduct warranting disciplinary action in regards to abuse of telecommunication devices; disorderly conduct which covers a wide range of issues from fighting, to smoking, to possession of weapons, to name a few.

The Code also details suspension and expulsion procedures; search and seizure; parent responsibility for student violations; and grievance procedures.

Student attendance is also broadly covered in the Code of Pupil Conduct and Attendance and deals with issues such as make-up work, excused and unexcused absences and tardies and further deals with the school district’s harassment policies and procedures and suspension or expulsion of exceptional students.

Further, the Code contains policies pertaining to bullying/hazing, sexual harassment; employee reports of criminal activity and retaliation being prohibited.

When the Code of Pupil Conduct and Attendance is sent home to each parent/guardian, they will be required to sign and return an “Access Release and Authorization Form” pertaining to the use of the school district’s electronic equipment (i.e. computers, etc.).

Finally, the Code also provides some information on the school-wide Title I program and expectations and encouragement of parent involvement in their child’s educational activities, with a listing on newtork/internet terms and conditions and electronic email terms and conditions.

The last page of the Code also contains, for parent and student information, a copy of the 2016-17 School Calendar (tentative).

Parents, students and staff are again urged to review the Code of Pupil Conduct and Attendance at the start of the school year and contact school officials with any questions or concerns.

The Code of Pupil Conduct and Attendance, as well as the Student Handbook are put together by a committee of educators, led by Director of Pupil Personnel Julie York and revised each year and in some cases, includes revised laws and provisions either adopted by the legislature or recommended by the Kentucky Department of Education or Kentucky School Boards Association.

Superintendent Charlotte Bernard also stressed the importance of parents and students to review and be familiar with the code, and just as importantly, for students to get familiar and read the Student Handbook they will be given at the start of the school year.

Bernard noted that the student handbook contained valuable information that each student needs to know and that each school may have different guidelines on different issues.

During a principal’s meeting at the superintendent’s office Tuesday morning of this week, each of the four principals stressed the importance of parents to read and understand what is in, not only the Code of Conduct and Attendance, but each school’s Student Handbook to avoid confusion and misunderstanding during the school year.

Clinton County Middle School Principal Teresa Scott said the handbooks are a “live” document that is ongoing and changes from year to year as policies and procedures change. Each principal noted that the handbooks are different at each school,

They also stressed knowing and understanding the attendance policy, as some parents are caught off guard when then are informed about a child’s number of absences or tardies. For example, each student has a total of 10 parent notes for the school year, which counts for both missed days and tardies combined.

Albany Elementary Principal Tim Armstrong said one of his primary concerns with in the area of child custody, noting the school needed updated information on who has custody of a child and contact information readily available. “It’s important for a parent or guardian to make an appointment if there is going to be any changes, primarily for safety of the children and for providing transportation.”

CCHS Principal Stacey Evans also noted that parents have the responsibility of signing the form that says they have read and understand the policies in the Code and Handbook but often times later in the year come in and indicate they weren’t informed of a certain situation–that was, in fact, included in the documents they signed and returned at the start of the school year.

Early Childhood Center Principal Sheldon Harlan said the purpose of the handbook is not to burden parents to make things go smoother throughout the school year. “It’s the district’s way of making things go smoother,” he said, noting the Code of Pupil Conduct and Student Handbook should be used as a reference.

Scott said she knew it was difficult for parents to digest all the information, especially if they have two or three children at two or three different schools, but again stressed that each school has its own policies and guidelines and parents should familiarize themselves with all the information.

All principals also stressed the importance of returning all forms to the school as quickly as possible so the information that is needed pertaining to their child is on file when the school year begins. Evans recommended that all forms should be returned within a week, and some sooner if possible.

Finally, each principal and superintendent Bernard all stressed the importance of school orientation. “I wish we would have 100 percent parent attendance rates during orientation,” Armstrong said.

The high importance of orientation at each school is that most everything is covered, including the need for parents to read and understand the documents that pertain to each school and child and a time when parents can get answers to any of the questions they may have prior to the start of the year.

The following is a listing of orientation dates and times for each school, and parents are highly encouraged to try and attend at some point during the orientation periods:

* Early Childhood Center: Thursday, July 28 at 6 p.m.

* Albany Elementary: Grades one and two, 5-6 p.m.; grades three and four, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

* Clinton County Middle School: 5th grade orientation Tuesday, August 2 at 5 p.m.; Monday, August 1, open orientation for grades six through eight from 4 to 7 p.m.

* Clinton County High School: Freshman orientation Monday, August 1 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and Senior Seminar from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

(All listings of dates and times will also be advertised on the local cable access channel and on Facebook.)