All students must adhere to the uniform policy as follows:

K-5th grade - Burgundy school shirt with school logo(Jays Uniform Store)
Boys - Khaki pants & must wear a belt - pants must fit on the waist
Girls - Khaki pants,skorts, skirt or jumper dress.
Black shoes
Black Sneakers are allowed on Gym Days Only

Grades 6-8 - Navy blue school shirt with school logo(Jays Uniform Store)
Boys - Khaki pants & must wear a belt - pants must fit on the waist
Girls - Khaki pants,skorts, skirt or jumper dress.
Black shoes
Black Sneakers are allowed on Gym Days Only

Attendance Regulations
Golden Door Charter School

Regular attendance by all students in the Public/Charter Schools of New Jersey is a well established, long standing State Policy
(N.J.S.A. 18A-38:25, 26) that has been repeatedly upheld by the courts of the State as well as by the Supreme Court of the United States.

Regular attendance is fundamental to the academic achievement of students. The self-discipline and sense of responsibility students acquire
clearly relate to post elementary and high school experiences in the world of work or in additional educational endeavors.
The Golden Door Charter School places high value on student attendance and requires high standards for its students.

Attendance is required for all Golden Door students during the days and hours the school is in session. It is expected that each student be in
full attendance in all classes and reports to all classes on time.

All student absences, except those that are exempt from the policy, are classified as “chargeable” absences. These chargeable absences
are applied toward the maximum number of chargeable absences that a student may have for the year.

Chargeable absence:
A student may not exceed a total of 20 chargeable absences for a full academic year.

The teacher is responsible for record keeping of the daily period attendance.

The Notification Process:
A) The warning letter
The classroom teacher will generate a form letter that he/she will mail to the home of the student informing the parent/guardian
of excessive absences. The teacher will keep a copy of the letter and also send a copy to the administration. This warning will
state that because of excessive absences, their son/daughter is in danger of failing.

B) Phone Call to Parent/Guardian:
A phone call will be made to the parent/guardian of the student alerting them that because of their child’s excessive absences,
he/she is in danger of failing.

C) Administrator & Parent Conference
If the excessive absences persist after the phone communication has been made, the Administration will require the parent
come in for a conference regarding the excessive absences. The parent will be given a second in danger of failing notice to sign.

D) Denial of Promotion
Once the Administration has exhausted all of the above precautions, notices and warnings and the student continues to maintain
excessive absences having reached the twentieth chargeable absence, he/she will be retained in their current grade for the upcoming
school year.

Absences that are exempt from the Attendance Policy (not chargeable) include the following:

1. Post Elementary School Visits- Students will be allowed 5 days in the eight grade in order to visit high schools of interest.
Written verification from the institution will be required. The verification must include the date of visit and must be signed by
the appropriate school official.
2. Field Trips- which are out of school as approved by the administration.
3. Personal Observance of Recognized Religious Holiday(s) as published by the New Jersey Department of Education.
4. Death in the immediate family, which includes a parent or guardian, sibling, grandparent, and others at the discretion of the
administration.
5. Bedside/Home instruction
6. Administrative excuse with required documentation, which includes, but is not limited to, the following:
a. Chronic illness with written verification from a physician, which should be registered in the nurse’s office by September 15th
of the academic year or within three weeks of the diagnosis. In the event that verification of the chronic illness is not provided
within the time limits set forth above, it must be provided promptly after the first absence caused by the chronic illness.
b. Court appearance with written documentation from the court.
c. Suspension from school.

Classified Students are expected to adhere to the same attendance regulations as general education students unless otherwise
specified in the student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Any additional exception would be determined by the child study team
in consultation with the school administration.

In accordance with Governor McGreevey’s “anti-bullying” requirements for all N.J. Schools (N.J. S.A. 18A: 37-13)

Providing a safe school environment for our students is of the utmost importance for the Golden Door Charter School. Bullying is one particularly troubling aspect of student misbehavior that endangers school safety. Bullying, which is the repeated abuse of a student over time by other students, can take many forms including any combination of verbal, physical and psychological abuse. All of which are unacceptable here at the Golden Door.

The consequences of bullying are far-reaching and cause poor behavior to manifest and worsen. Some students who observe the type of behavior and see it go unchallenged, are likely to copy this anti-social behavior.

We recognize that bullies are often children who have been bullied themselves. We also realize that there are a number of other reasons children may be inclined to bully. They may see it as a way of being popular, or making themselves look tougher. Others may be jealous of the person they are bullying. Yet others may see this as a victory in the power struggle that exists among peers in school. Nevertheless, bullying and being bullied are clear indicators that something is wrong, and children who experience either need help.

DEFINITIONS
Bullying can take many forms. These are often interrelated and include, but not limited to the following:

· Physical bullying: including hitting, kicking, tripping, punching, spitting, stealing or damaging belongings.
· Verbal bullying: including name calling, put downs, insulting, teasing, threatening, sexual harassment, racist remarks
· Psychological bullying: including spreading rumors, dirty looks, stalking, isolating someone by preventing others from befriending them, hiding possessions, ignoring , ostracizing, alienating, writing nasty things about them.

POLICY
We recognize that the causes of bullying are varied. Home and/or environment, individual temperament, and social context are factors that contribute to the bullying problem. Much bullying occurs without the knowledge of teachers and parents, and many victims (targets) are reluctant to tell adults of their problem with bullying. With this in mind we will consider bullying as a “non-negotiable. The following behavior procedures will be strictly enforced.

* 1st offense:

1.) Student sent to the office
2.) Parent notified
3.) 1-3 day suspension or longer, depending the severity of the
offense
4.) Mandatory meeting with the parent/guardian, student and
administrator

* 2nd offense:

1.) Student sent to the office
2.) Parent notified
3.) 3-5 day suspension or longer, depending on the severity of the
offense
4.) Mandatory meeting with the parent/guardian, student and
administrator
5.) a “no-contact” contract will be established
6.) Restitution will be established

* 3rd offense:

1.) Student sent to the office
2.) Parent notified
3.) 5-10 day suspension or longer, depending on the severity of the
offense
4.) Notification of the issue to the Child Study Team
5.) Notification of the behavior to the Board of Trustees; possible
recommendation for expulsion

In order to achieve academic excellence, the learning process must not be compromised during the school day. Constant classroom disruptions make it impossible for our teachers to teach and our students to learn effectively. Therefore, disruptions must be kept to a minimum and students must be fully aware of the expectations at all times. Our system ensures that the student is aware and in control at all times, regardless of the situation. It builds accountability by giving students responsibility for the behavioral choices they make.

History:

Our Middle School model behavior model was adopted after several behavior programs were researched and tried. Because our school population is so unique, one specific program was unable to properly address the School’s behavioral needs. Therefore, our program was designed with our School’s specific needs in mind, using aspects of existing, successful behavior programs. In addition, this combination is similar to the School’s K-5 behavior model, thus providing much needed consistency throughout the school.

Description of Level System:

Level One: GOLD PIN STATUS

All students begin the School year on level one. Each student is given an information folder during the first week of school. In this folder, several forms must be reviewed and signed by both parents and students. The folder includes:
· Student behavior agreement
· Parent contract of support
· Guidelines for activities
· Student self interest survey

Note: All activities for the monthly activity calendar are taken from student suggestions.

Once the folder is completed and reviewed by the A.D., the student is given a gold lapel pin to be worn each day. The pin entitles the student to take advantage of the following privileges:
o Participation in activities listed on monthly activity calendar
o Your “star” posted on the bulletin board
o Lunch in the mall once per month
o Surprise activities periodically
o One homework pass per month
o Lunch with Lopez: students are allowed to eat lunch in the Ado’s office
o “N.U.T.” card day (No uniform today) once per month

Level Two: YELLOW BAND

In order to drop to a yellow band, a student would have to be reminded AT LEAST THREE times during one class period to modify an unacceptable behavior. Initially, a “reminder” is given. This can be in the form of a nonverbal or verbal reminder. At this time, the teacher redirects the student and the interaction is ended on a positive note. If the behavior is noticed again, a “physical warning” is given to the student in the form of a “Behavior Tracking Sheet” which is placed on the corner of the student’s desk. If the behavior improves, the blank slip is given back to the teacher at the end of class. If the behavior continues, the slip is collected and filled out and sent to the A.D. along with the student’s gold pin. A yellow band (friendship bracelet) is then given to the student. Once the A.D. receives the behavior slip and the gold pin, a calendar is posted letting the student know the exact date they will get their pin back (10 school days). Teachers are instructed to provide ongoing feedback to students throughout the class period. Proximity is important and teachers are reminded to focus their efforts on teaching and acknowledging the positive interactions in the class.

Students with yellow bands are encouraged and still have access to some school privileges (these to be decided by the A.D.). Once the 10 days ends, the student brings the A.D. their calendar and receives their gold pin.

Level three: BLUE BAND

If a student is on level two and is still experiencing difficulty in the class, he/she is given a blue band. Students on level three have no extra privileges and must complete school community service for a period of three hours per week. Daily meetings with the A.D. are mandatory and parents of these students are contacted by phone.

CONTRACT:

There are a few students who need the extra attention during periods throughout the school year. These are students who cannot seem to achieve the behavior standards of the school on a consistent basis. Those students are given the option of a positive behavior contract. The A.D. meets with the student discussing the issues the student is experiencing. Both the student and the A.D then decide upon a contract. Once on contract, the student “checks in” with the A.D. three times per day. The parent is aware of the contract and encouraged to call the school periodically to check the student’s status. The contract period is usually ten school days. However, the student is given the option of extending the time period.

Feedback:

The A.D. meets with the middle school teachers every Monday for feedback on what aspects of the program are successful and which are not. In addition, the A.D. meets with the entire middle school Monday afternoon to discuss school issues, issues that the teachers are noticing, gold pin activities and future privileges. There is also a portion of every meeting that allows the students to express issues that they are experiencing in school.

Results:

The program is in its third year of implementation and it proves to be increasingly more successful each passing year. The School’s office referrals continue to drop slightly each year; however the serious incidents (as reported to EVVRS) are minimal.

We are very proud of the Behavior program and its effect it is having on our students. In addition to maintaining order in our building at all times, this program is furthering our efforts to ensure that our students clearly understand that self management is the cornerstone they will need to build a solid foundation for future success.

• Fighting (playing or otherwise)
• Serious Disruption of class
• Defiance/Insubordination
• Illegal Activity