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1987-1988 | 1988-1989 | 1989-1990 | 1990-1991 | 1991-1992 | 1992-1993 | 1993-1994 | 1994-1995 | 1995-1996 | 1997-1998 | 1998-1999 | 1999-2000 | 2000-2001 | 2001-2002 | 2002-2003 | 2003-2004 | 2004-2005
1987-1988
1-87 Study Hall Bill
Each teacher will be given the option to conduct his or her study
hall in a classroom if that teacher's assigned room is available and
will accommodate the enrollment of that particular study hall and
students form canceled classes. The house secretary will be provided
a list of study hall rooms.
2-87 Final Exam Bill
The final examination grade for each course shall appear on the final
report card of the year.
3-87 Community Service Bill
4-87 Outdoor Eating Bill (See Bill 2-96 for a revised version of this bill passed in 1996.)
5-87 Skate boarding Bill
Skateboards may not be used anywhere on school grounds from 7:30 A.M.
to 3:00 P.M. Students who use skateboards to get to and from school
may carry them on campus to lockers or other proper storage
locations. Violators will have skateboards confiscated. First offense
- through the end of the school day. Second offense - through the end
of the week. Third offense - through the end of the school year.
6-87 Anti-Litter Bill
Whereas, litter detracts from the physical appearance of Lexington
High School and demands unnecessary expenditure of time and energy on
the part of the custodial staff; and whereas, litter further suggests
disrespect for the educational mission of the high school;
Therefore, the student-faculty Senate urges every member of the high
school community to strive to keep the high school litter-free.
The Senate requests the assistant principal for student affairs, in
conjunction with the assistant principal for buildings and facilities
and the Senate school climate committee, to organize an anti-litter
campaign and to recommend to the senate a program that in the future
would substantially reduce this litter. The Senate requests that the
assistant principal for student affairs report back to the Senate
within three Senate meetings on his plans for an anti-litter campaign
and the process of the anti-litter program.
1988-1989
1-88 Parliamentarian Bill
Mr. George Southwick will be appointed as the Senate Parliamentarian
for one year.
2-88 Substitute Parking Lot Bill
3-88 Quadrangle Bill
4-88 Board of Appeals
The Board of Appeals will consist of six student members, two
seniors, two juniors, one sophomore, one freshman, and three faculty
members, all elected for a one-year term. Elections will be held at
the same time as the Senate elections. A member of the Senate may not
be a member of the Board of Appeals.
The Board of Appeals will elect a chairperson and a secretary from
its members.
At least five members must hear a case. If a member has a conflict of
interest on an issue, that member must abstain from participation in
that case. A quorum of five is necessary for action.
The procedures will be as follows:
1989-1990
1-89 The "Educated Voter Bill"
2-89 Aluminum Can Recycling Bill
The Marriott Corporation shall:
The High School, in conjunction with the distributorship of origin
through whom it maintains machines in the main office and the locker
room areas shall:
***No person or persons shall be prevented by any
proscription in this bill from securing a financial benefit from the
redemption of cans from any machines maintained at Lexington High
School.
3-89 Eighth Grade Senate Bill
[Replaced by the 1992 Freshman Assembly Bill]
4-89 Poster Bill
Students and faculty may post publicity posters for school or club
related event and meetings on interior brick and concrete walls and
on sections of lockers throughout the LHS campus. Such notices are to
be hung with masking tape. Those who put up the posters will be
responsible for their removal after the event. Posters must be
approved by the activity's faculty advisor and/or student activities
coordinator. Said advisor will ensure that only a reasonable amount
of posters will be posted. All possible efforts will be made to
recycle the posters.
5-89 Class Service Project Bill
Beginning in the Academic year 1990-1991, all class councils at
Lexington High School shall be required to sponsor at least one event
over the course of each academic year organized specifically for the
purpose of contributing to a community service effort.
The activity that each class chooses as its community service project
must be approved by the community service coordinator. No student may
claim or credit any work done on a class sponsored project or event
for their community service graduation requirement.
The Social Action Committee of the Senate shall monitor each class
council annually to ensure that this requirement is fulfilled.
6-89 Student Schedule Bill
Requirements for Graduation shall not be added once students make
their course selections for their freshmen year unless mandated by
the State Department of Education or by Individual Education Plan
(through the Special Needs Department).
Any additions in the graduation requirements can be made only for
incoming classes. This bill shall take effect March 1, 1990.
7-89 Homeroom Announcement Bill (This
bill has been replaced by Bill 2-98)
The Senate Communications Committee shall work in conjunction with
Ms. Wendy Thompson and members of the Lexington News Exchange to hold
auditions and select a student or students to read the announcements
during homeroom.
8-89 Book Collection Bill
All teachers in a course with a final exam must allow the students to
keep all texts for which they will be responsible. Students who fail
to return texts on the day of the exam will receive an incomplete,
pending the fulfillment of their obligations. This policy shall be
included in all class expectations.
9-89 Graduation Bill
The Senior Class Council may invite graduation speakers consisting of
the Class President as Master of Ceremonies, two student speakers, a
faculty speaker, and a guest speaker. Student speakers shall be
chosen by a graduation committee designated by the class council.
The Senior Class Council shall designate a separate committee made up
of two students and two faculty members to review speeches before
graduation with the speakers. Such review shall be mandatory.
The Senior Class Council will design and organize the Graduation.
Having tailored the graduation ceremony to their mutual liking, the
Senior Class Council and the Assistant Principal for Special Services
will present the project to the Principal for final approval.
10-89 Sense of the Senate (Not a
bill)
The sense of the Senate regarding the exclusivity of X-block is that
scheduling meetings during this time stands to infringe upon the
integrity of the Senate as a governing power.
The constitution states in article IV, section 3 that:
C. The scheduling of practices, rehearsals, and other required
meetings is strictly prohibited during Senate meeting times.
E. No teacher shall be assigned any involuntary professional duty
while the Senate is in session.
It is the feeling of the Senate that, in order to protect the
integrity of the Senate, clarification of Article IV, Section 3 C is
necessary. Therefore we have stated that:
Any activity, extra-help or make-up session, detention,
practice, rehearsal, or meeting which is regularly scheduled and/or
offered only during X-block is considered in violation of the
Constitution.
11-89 Snow Day Resolution
In order to ensure the safety of students and staff, decisions
regarding school cancellations should be made based on the latest
weather information and forecasts, road conditions in neighboring
towns, and the Department of Public Works' assurance of cleared
roads, sidewalks, and school parking lots.
1990 - 1991
1-90 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
The LHS Constitution was amended so that Article VIII, Section 3
shall have the following language added to it under new sections B
and C:
B. The activities listed below shall be allowed to take place during
X-Block, provided that these activities are not held exclusively
during X-Block, and that no student shall be excluded from an
activity because of his/her involvement in the LHS Senate. Students
and faculty who are not members of the LHS Senate shall also be free
to attend Senate meetings at any time in lieu of club meetings or
other activities without penalty.
Allowed Activities:
- Tutoring sessions, make-up work, make-up tests or quizzes.
- Extra-curricular clubs, activities and organizations.
- Other activities arranged by administrators, faculty members or students
C. The activities below shall not be
allowed during X-Block under any circumstances
- Required athletic practices or games
- Required musical rehearsals or presentations
- Required exams, contests, debates, or other academic competitions
- Required staff meetings or other professional obligations
2-90 Issues-Based Election Bill
Candidates for Senate, class offices and class council will each
write a short paragraph before the election. It will summarize what a
candidate plans to do if elected and his/her views on issues
concerning LHS. These paragraphs will be typed and distributed in
home rooms to the proper constituencies.
3-90 Mandatory Assembly Bill
During the school year, if the administration and/or a particular
department head or teacher wishes to make an assembly mandatory to
all students of a particular grade or grades, they must first obtain
the consent of the Student-Faculty Senate. Consent of the Senate
shall be by majority vote. Teachers will retain the right to take
their classes to a non-mandatory assembly. Students whose class as a
whole is not attending an assembly retain the privilege of attending
as an optional in-school field trip.
The high school administration retains the right to call a mandatory
assembly in emergency and extraordinary circumstances when convening
a meeting of the Senate is not feasible or would be logistically
impossible.
Mandatory assemblies should be held to further
some generally goal accepted social or educational goal. The decision
concerning these goals should be made by a broader group than the
high school administration. Many teachers and students have objected
repeatedly to certain mandatory assemblies without results. They feel
that their voices have not been heard.
Non-mandatory assemblies which last two or more blocks can be treated
as optional field trips.
"Administration" as used in this bill is intended to include both the
high school administration and those at the central office.
4-90 Outdoor Eating Area Bill
5-90 Revised Substitute Bill
Exclusively senior classes may be canceled by the classroom teacher
provided that:
This process will be implemented for one semester, after which time a
committee comprised of representatives of the LHS Senate, the
principal, and the assistant principals shall meet to determine the
future and possible expansion of this program.
This bill provides the opportunity to test the
idea of canceling classes rather than having substitutes. It is
believed that this bill will save significant money for the Lexington
school system, and avoid the unproductive use of time that
substitutes can cause.
6-90 Substitute Evaluation Bill
(repealed: Bill 6-96)
At least once during the school year, a substitute shall be evaluated
following a substitution day. The evaluation will consist of a report
from the classes the substitute taught in the form of a responsive
questionnaire, and a report from the absent teacher as to how well
the substitute fulfilled the teacher's plans. Upon completion, these
documents will be forwarded to the office of the principal for
review. This information shall be used as a basis for the continuing
employment of that particular substitute.
The Senate recommends that permanent substitutes, or those who are
hired on a regular basis by the system, also be evaluated by an
assistant principal at least once a year.
The current system of reviewing substitutes calls
for a teacher who is unhappy with a substitute's performance to
report it to the main office.This system will compel students and
teachers to evaluate a substitute in a more complete fashion. It is
the hope of the Senate that this bill will improve the process for
hiring quality substitutes.
7-90 Enforcement Resolution
The Senate resolves that the administration should more vigilantly
enforce and communicate policies passed by the Senate to the school
community.
The Senate has passed numerous bills that have not
been enforced by the administration, the proper agent for
enforcement. This lack of enforcement has, in all likelihood,
diminished the importance and power of the Senate in the eyes of the
school community. More importantly, the policies the Senate has
created have not been implemented.
8-90 Poster Bill
Students and faculty may post publicity posters for school or club
related events and meetings on interior brick and concrete walls and
on the end sections of lockers throughout the LHS campus. Such
notices are to be hung with Scotch or masking tape only. Those who
put up the posters will be responsible for their removal within one
school week after the event. Posters must be approved by the
activity's faculty advisor and/or by the student activities
coordinator. Said advisor will insure that only a reasonable amount
of posters will be hung. All possible efforts will be made to recycle
the posters.
1991-1992
1-91 Substitute Bill
Exclusively senior classes may be canceled by the teacher provided
that: 1. the teacher feels that the student's time would be more
productively employed elsewhere, and 2. an assignment is left for the
students.
Special circumstances involving mixed classes may be granted
exceptions by the principal.
2-91 Flag Salute Bill
No teacher shall compel or prevent any of his or her students from
standing to salute the flag or from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance
to the flag.
3-91 Attendance Bill
4-91 Public Opinion Bill
The School Climate Committee of the Senate will create a system that
will allow for the general opinion of the student body to be
expressed to the Senate. This system will consist of random polling
of homerooms representing all four grades in the high school. Polling
will take place when the Senate requests information on a given
topic. School Climate Committee members will run the polling, and
results will be given at the following week's meeting.
5-91 Oversight Committee Bill
A standing committee shall be established to monitor the
implementation, enforcement, and efficacy of policies passed by the
Senate. This committee, the Oversight Committee, shall make periodic
reports to the Senate concerning the status of said policies.
6-91 Enforcement Resolution
The Student/ Faculty Senate relies upon the Lexington High School
administration to implement and enforce the policies that the Senate
passes. Although this work is usually done in good faith, the
administration has occasionally been lax in fulfilling its
responsibility. Therefore, the Senate feels compelled to direct the
administration's attention and that of the school community at large
to the following bills, some of which have never been enforced,
others of which demand renewed and constant vigilance. The Senate
asks that these policies receive the attention that they merit:
7-91 Green Volunteers Bill
A voluntary group of students, the Green Volunteers, shall be
established to encourage students eating outside to recycle and
dispose of their trash in the appropriate bins. The students who
participate in this activity shall receive community service credit
by having a form signed at each lunch in which they participate in
this activity. The monitoring faculty member shall sign the students'
forms which are to be supervised by the assistant principal for
student affairs. The students shall receive one hour of community
service credit for every five lunches they monitor.
8-91 The Condom Bill
Should Condoms be made available at no expense to the school
system, they shall be offered free of charge to any Lexington High
School students. A receptacle containing condoms and a packet of
educational material shall be placed in the nurse's office in an
easily accessible location. When obtaining condoms in said office,
students shall not be required to interact with the nurse or any
other person.
1992-1993
1-92 The Freshman Assembly Bill
Within the first full week of school each year there will be a
mandatory assembly for all freshmen to educate them about school
government positions. Two members of the Senate, a Board of Appeals
Representative, a School Committee representative, and two Class
Council members will speak about their positions at this time. These
speakers will be upper class persons who currently hold offices in
these organizations. These groups will be comprised of seniors
whenever possible.
2-92 The Attendance Bill
Students will be allowed until 2:25 the next day following
notification from a house secretary or building administrator of an
alleged unexcused absence to submit an acceptable letter of excuse.
Upon submission of this letter, the absence will be fully
excused.
3-92 Snack Bar Resolution
4-92 Revised Community Service Bill
3-92 Attendance Bill (amended
3.14.97)
1993-1994
1-93 Freshmen Assembly Bill:
The freshmen assembly to educate students about school government
positions will be during A-Block on Thursday of the first full week
of classes in September.
The format will consist of five (5 minute) presentations:
5 minutes for Senate
5 minutes for Class Council
5 minutes for School Committee Representative
5 minutes for Site-Based Council Representative
5 minutes for Board of Appeals
The responsibility for the assembly will fall to the Senate Elections
Committee which will organize and select speakers. This planning and
selection should take place the previous spring so the assembly will
be ready to go upon return in the fall.
2-93 Senior Final Exam Bill
Final exams for senior courses will be administered during the last
week of senior classes. The testing format will be the same as the
format used for administering final exams for non-senior courses.
Exam sessions will be one and one half hours in length. There will be
two regular exam sessions on each of three days. Each exam session
will be reserved for exams in a specific subject area/department. Two
sessions will be devoted to foreign language courses to accommodate
those students enrolled in two foreign language courses. Students who
miss an exam due to an excused absence may make up that exam during
and additional afternoon session on one of the three exam days or at
a time agreed upon by teacher and student.
3-93 Condom Availability Program Committee
Bill
The Senate will form and oversee a committee open to both Senators
and non-Senators to coordinate the condom availability program at
LHS. Responsibilities for this committee will include:
4-93 Community Service Program Revision
Bill
1994-1995
1-94 Special Senate Day Bill
(This bill was replaced by the Revised Special Senate Day Bill -
4-95)
2-94 Non Senator Minutes Bill
The information supplied to senators before Senate meetings should at
the same time be made available to non-Senators. This will be
accomplished by making available a reasonable number of copies of
that information in a specified area of the Student Activities
Center.
3-94 Homeroom Announcement Bill
Every Tuesday during homeroom announcements, time will be provided
for the Senate's agenda and other important information concerning
the following day's Senate meeting to be read.
4-94 Search and Seizure Bill
At the beginning of the academic year, the administration will
hand out a detailed outline of their search and seizure policy to the
student population which will also appear in the Student
Handbook.
5-94 Referendum Bill
I. Every year, students and certified staff members will be
allowed to put referenda questions on the ballot during the spring
elections. Any Lexington High School student or certified staff
member may request the placing of a referendum question on the ballot
once the author has obtained the signed endorsement of 15% of the
entire student body and one (1) certified staff member for every ten
(10) student signatures.
II. Definition of signed endorsement:
A. The signed endorsement of 15% of the student body will be obtained
in the form of a petition, which clearly displays the exact wording
of the referendum.
B. The signed endorsement of one (1) certified staff member for every
ten (10) student student signatures on the petition described in Part
II Section A will be obtained by a third petition phrased exactly the
same as the described in Part II Section A.
III. The petitions for referenda must be submitted to the Elections
Committee at least 30 school days prior to the scheduled date of the
spring elections.
IV. The Elections Committee will be responsible for checking the
signatures on the petitions. The Elections Committee will be
responsible for presenting the petitions to the author, the Student
Activities Center and the Student Library.
V. The referendum questions must not:
A. Contradict State of Federal law.
B. Interfere with the allotment of school department funds.
C. Interfere with collective bargaining agreements.
D. Impinge upon individual administrative and teacher evaluation.
E. Impinge upon individual teacher's course organization and
evaluation of students.
VI. A referendum question must first be submitted to Senate in
the form of a bill, and be voted down, before it can be placed on the
ballot.
VII. The Elections Committee will be responsible for tallying the
votes and presenting the results to the author, to the school and to
the School Committee.
VIII. The Elections Committee will be responsible for providing
accurate information concerning the actual number of students in the
percentages above (Part II Section A) to any interested student. All
percentages will be rounded up to the nearest whole number.
IX. Voting procedure
A. The entire student body will vote on the referendum during the
spring elections.
B. The entire certified staff will vote on the referendum during the
same vote used to choose staff senators.
C. The two votes will be separate. Both the student body and the
certified staff must pass the referendum separately for the
referendum to pass.
X. Informed voters
A. The Elections Committee will explore methods that will allow
supporters and opposers of each referendum question to speak before
members of the school community, electronically or otherwise. Any
method chosen will be subject to final approval by the whole Senate
body.
B. The Elections Committee will see that the author of each
referendum question is given the opportunity to write a statement is
distributed to all students, and among all certified staff
members.
C. The Elections Committee will see that one space for every
supporting statement is provided for an opposing statement. The
Elections Committee will be responsible for choosing which statements
would be distributed if more than one are submitted.
D. The Elections Committee will be able to set reasonable and equal
limits for the length of the statements.
E. The Musket will be asked to feature both an explanation of all
referenda questions and pro and con arguments.
XI. Copies of the approved petitions described in Part II Sections A
and B must be displayed in the Student Activities Center and in the
school library until the referendum question has been voted on both
by students and certified staff.
XII. If the referendum is passed according to Part IX Section C, then
the referendum question will go to the School Committee. If the
School Committee does not accept the passed referendum, it will not
become school policy.
6-94 School Rules Bill
Every rule or policy regarding or relevant to Lexington High School
must be displayed in the Student Activities Center and the school
library.
7-94 Clean Rubbish up Day Bill
The Lexington High School Student/Faculty Senate will sponsor an
annual advertised, school-wide clean up hour during X block every
last Wednesday in March. The target of the clean-up hour, organized
by the Executive Committee of the Senate, will be to clean up outdoor
areas that are frequently used and frequently littered. The Senate
will meet in "field trip" form outside. Attendance will be taken by
the secretary of the senate in a headquarters decided on by the
Executive Committee.
8-94 Proctoring Bill
During final exams period, teachers will be given the option of
not being assigned to proctor during the session their own exams are
being taken.
9-94 Closing Outdoor Eating Area Bill
The Senate will close the outdoor eating area between ABC and DEF
buildings for the week of Monday, November 14, 1994.
10-94 Junior Substitute Bill
In the event a teacher is absent, classes consisting of exclusively
seniors and juniors may be cancelled by the teacher provided that: 1.
the teacher feels that the students' time would be more productively
employed elsewhere, and 2. an assignment is left for the students. If
the absence extends beyond two days, substitute coverage and plans
should be provided.
1995-1996
1-95 Election Reform Bill
The Senate Standing Committee on Student Elections will oversee
the running of (a) voting center(s). Students who wish to participate
in the elections must state their student ID number. Once identified
they will then have their name crossed off a list of all the student
in the school to prevent ballot box stuffing and repeat voting. The
student will then fill out a scantron ballot and place it in the
ballot box marked for their class.
The voting center will open 45 minutes prior to the beginning of
classes and will close 45 minutes after the end of classes on student
election day. Announcements will be made during the day to remind
students to vote. Elections for each class will be held separately.
Students are not permitted to monitor the elections for their own
class.
2-95 Revisions Bill
A copy of any revised bills that are currently being discussed
will be included with the pending amendments with the minutes for the
next meeting. After a bill is passed, a revised copy will be included
with the minutes for the next meeting.
3-95 "Bills List" Bill
All Senators will have an updated copy of all bills passed by the
Senate by the start of each school year. A copy of all bills updated
yearly will also be available in the Student Activities Center.
4-95 Revised Special Senate Day Bill
5-95 Repeal of Substitute Evaluation Bill
(See 6-90)
6-95 Course Selection Bill
Student signatures should be required on course selection
sheets.
7-95 High School Add Drop Policy Bill
(2/28/96)
I. Students will be allowed to drop or add a class only within
the first four weeks of a term, or semester (for semester courses),
except under one of the following conditions:
a. Both teacher and student agree that the course has been too difficult or too easy for the student and a change of levels is both warranted and requested.
b. The student has a medical reason for lightening or modifying his/her schedule.
c. The student has a scheduling conflict.
II. There will be no lateral transfers unless
there is a scheduling conflict or if there is a mutually perceived
conflict between the teacher and the student.
III. Students will not be allowed to officially drop a class unless
all books and other course materials are returned to the teacher of
the course being dropped.
IV. A student should not be allowed to add or drop a class unless a
consultation is first made among the teachers involved, the
department head/coordinator and the student's guidance counselor.
V. A teacher will not allow a student to enter his/her classroom
unless the student produces a form signed by the teacher of the
course being dropped, the teacher of the course being added, the
department head/coordinator and the student's guidance counselor.
This document should also indicate the current grade of the student
in the course being dropped.
1996-1997
1-96 Parking Bill
2-96 Outdoor Eating Bill (amended version of
4-87)
3-96 Attendance Bill (See Bill 3-92 as
amended 3.14.97)
1997-1998
1-97 Principal's Instructional Council
Bill
One student is elected at large to attend meetings with principal and
teacher representatives every other Thursday from 3:00 to 5:00
p.m.
2-97 Policy Review Bill
I. Any proposed change to the written policy in the Student/Parent
Handbook that fall under the scope and jurisdiction of the Senate
(see Article VI Senate Constitution) must be submitted to the Senate
for review prior to becoming official written policy.
II. Review will be defined as one of the following:
A. Consideration by the Senate of the proposed change as a bill;
B. Consideration by the Senate of the proposed change as a resolution.
III. Only the adminstration and the School Council
may make changes to the handbook without the approval of teh Senate.
However, these parties must submit such changes.
3-97 Student Announcement Bill
The Senate Communications Committee shall accept applications and
hold auditions for the selection of two students who will read the
morning announcements. Based on these auditions, the student body
will vote during the next available homeroom period. The Senate
Communications Committee will be in charge of the ballot distribution
and counting process. The Senate Communications Committee reserves
the right to dismiss announcers that are not fulfilling their
duties.
* [7-89 Homeroom Announcement Bill
The Senate Communications Committee shall work in conjunction with
Ms. Wendy Thompson and members of the Lexington News Exchange to hold
auditions and select a student or students to read the announcements
during homeroom.]
4-97 Lavatory Bill
Soap, toilet paper, and paper towels will be available in all
lavatories at Lexington High School.
People should be able to wash their hands after
using the lavatories. Lack of soap, toilet paper, and paper towels
poses significant hygiene and health problems.
5-97 Policy Review Bill
I. Any proposed changes to the written policy in the Student/Parent
Handbook the fall under the scope and jurisdiction of the Senate (see
Article VI Senate Constitution) must be submitted to the Senate
review prior to becoming official written policy.
II. Review will be defined as one of the following:
A. Consideration by the Senate of the proposed change as a bill;
B. Consideration by the Senate of the proposed change as a resolution.
III. Only the administration and the School
Council may make changes to the handbook without the approval of the
Senate. However, these parties must submit such changes to the Senate
before they can become policy. Such a submission will be reviewed in
the Senate as a resolution. The Senate reserves the right to amend,
alter, or rescind such policies in the form of a bill.
IV. The Senate, if it chooses to discuss a proposed change as a
resolution by a majority, will have only two meetings to discuss and
vote on the resolution. A proposed change that is either ignored by
the Senate or not voted on within tow Senate meetings may become
policy.
Senate was created to act as a voice for the
students and faculty in the school community. While it is important
for school administrator to maintain the ability to crate school
policy, the opinions of students and faculty members reflected by the
Senate should be heard before decisions are made. Because of the
existence of other policy-making bodies, the Senate is often left
out, or is left to discuss extraneous issues and not focus on
concrete proposals for policy change. This bill facilitates
communication through policy and allows for an official record of
Senate opinions on all school decisions. In addition, this bill
creates a precedent for interaction between the Senate and the School
Council concerning issues that originate form the Council.
Principal's Note The term 'policy' in this bill refers to legislative
policy, not executive procedure. It will be up to the administration
to decide whether the changes they initiate are in fact policies
which must be reviewed by the Senate or merely executive revisions.
It should also be noted that the areas with which the Senate is
constituted to be involved or has been involved by practice may serve
as a guideline for such as decision.
6-97 Extracurricular Activities
Substance Use Policy Bill
1. Students are strictly prohibited from actions involving drugs and
alcohol during school hours or on school property or at any
school-sponsored activity or event. Such prohibited activities
include but are not limited to: a. Attempting to purchase b. Using or
have used c. Possession d. Intention or attempting to sell or
distribute e. Selling or distributing f. Possession of drug
paraphernalia.
2. For purposes of this policy alcohol and drugs include not only
alcohol, controlled substances as defined in Mass. Gen. Laws, Ch.
(4C(including but not limited to marijuana, cocaine and heroin), but
also restricted drugs which are misused; steroids; and products
misused for the purposes of mind altering effects (aerosols,
solvents, etc.)
3. Students who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary
action up to and including expulsion as set fourth in Discipline -
School Guidelines.
4. The school will cooperate fully with the police to deal with
violations of the law on school property.
5. In addition to the rules and regulations outlined in this policy
governing all students at Lexington High School, students
participating in interscholastic sports will be responsible to the
rules and regulations of the MIAA.
6. Students who are suspected of being under the influence of a
substance or in possession of a substance on school grounds will be
referred to the Asst. Principal and in some cases to the school nurse
for assessment. If the situation warrants, parents will be notified
and requested to take the student home. Provisions related to search
and seizure and student discipline will also be followed. 7. If any
of the above regulations are violated either in school or outside of
school, the student will be referred to the Student Assistance Team.
However, the school is only allowed to take disciplinary action
against students for violations on school grounds or school sponsored
activities.
1. Any policy that attempts to govern Lexington
High School students should only be concerned with the governing of
students on school grounds, thus the current policy is the school
overstepping its jurisdiction of students.
2. It is the school's primary objective to educate students, not
punish students. This policy undermines the educational integrity of
the school in that it is not the school's responsibility to control,
enforce or attempt to provide repercussions for events that occur
outside of school or school related functions.
3. The current policy has created a double jeopardy issue in that
there are both legal and academic penalties for actions in one's
personal life outside of school.
4. As the current policy is now stated, it is unclear what
constitutes a ìviolationî off-campus.
5. Academic and extracurricular competency have no connection with
responsibility in students personal decision making. Until the
personal decision making on the students' part, or lack thereof,
enters into the extracurricular circle there should be no penalties
of this nature [as stated in the current policy] imposed by
the school.
7-97 Revised Aluminum Can Recycling Bill
The food service provider shall:
1. Provide receptacles adjacent to every soft drink machine for which it has sole vendorship rights at Lexington High School. A separate receptacle shall be provided in and around outside eating areas for the non-deposit juice cans and for the five cent deposit soda and juice cans and bottles.
2. Provide receptacles in and around outside eating areas for purposes of collecting used soft drink cans.
3. Gather all cans and bottles on a regular basis at a centralized location to be mutually agreed upon by the food service provider and the distributor of origin, or LexRecycle (Lex. DPW) for purposes of collecting used soft drink cans.
4. Prominently display on all of its machines a redemption center where any person or persons may return cans and bottles for a financial redemption.
The High School, in conjunction with the distributorship of origin through whom it maintains machines in the locker room areas or any other location shall provide receptacles adjacent to every soft drink machine for which it has sole vendorship responsibility at Lexington High School.
8-97 Vote Count Bill
For every bill or resolution that is passed by the Senate, there will
be a hand vote and the votes will be counted. The secretary will then
publish the results of the vote by number on the copy of the bill or
resolution sent to the principal and on the final copy given to the
Senate and published in the Bills List. If a bill or resolution fails
to pass, the secretary will publish the vote count in the
minutes.
Rationale:
It is important and useful to know what the results of a vote on a
bill or resolution were by number. This way, a reader of the bill or
resolution can have a better sense of the feelings of the Senate
without consulting Senate minutes. The results of the vote can also
help the principal in evaluating the feelings of the Senate when
making a decision to approve or veto a bill or when considering a
resolution.
9-97 Work Service Detention Bill
Students assigned to regular after school detention by the high
school administration may choose to use their detention time to
perform work service in cleaning up the school instead of sitting in
the detention hall.
This option will be available to students providing the following
conditions exist:
1. The students in detention hall choose this option of their own free will. No student assigned detention shall be compelled to perform work service.
2. One of the two teachers assigned to proctor the detention hall volunteers to supervise said work service.
3. Weather conditions permit such service to be performed.
4. This service does not interfere with regular custodial tasks.
5. An outline of necessary services to be performed is provided either by the administration or the custodial staff to the teachers proctoring the detention hall.
Students who agree to perform these tasks shall have their detention time reduced by one half. Therefore, a student with one hour of detention need perform only a half hour of work service to satisfy his/her detention requirement. Those with two hours may perform up to one hour of work service, though no student with one hour of detention need perform only a half hour of work service to satisfy his/her detention requirement. Those with two hours may perform up to one hour of work service, though no student may perform more the one hour of work service on a given day. Any student who chooses this option but then does not fulfill the assigned tasks to the satisfaction of the supervising teacher will have his/her name given to administration for appropriate punishment. Work service shall consist primarily of activities related to cleaning the campus area of LHS either inside and/or outside depending on the weather and the environmental needs of the school. This service may also consist of activities designed to beautify our school environment. Clerical duties or personal services will not qualify as work service in place of detention.
Rationale
- The serious shortage in the custodial staff has left the LHS campus in a deplorable condition in terms of cleanliness. The recent CRUD day was a good example of what student efforts can do to improve our school environment.
- Detention hall is generally a waste of time and student energies there could be utilized in a more productive manner.
- Since each study hall has two staff proctors it is feasible that one could supervise a work crew while the other remains to proctor the detention hall.
10-97 Senate Secretary Bill
The secretary of the senate will keep a notebook of all agendas,
minutes, and passed bills which will be submitted to the (student)
librarian at the end of each school year. The executive committee
will prepare an end of the year report listing the complete text of
all passed bills, including dates of debate, passage, veto/override
if applicable. In the fall the oversight committee will update the
Bill List by adding the bills passed in the previous school
year.
1998-1999
1-98 Principal's Instructional Council
Bill
One student is elected at large to attend meetings with principal and
teacher representatives every other Thursday from 3:00 to 5:00
p.m.
2-98 Student Announcement Bill
The Senate Communications Committee shall accept applications and
hold auditions for the selection of two students who will read the
morning announcements. Based on these auditions, the student body
will vote during the next available homeroom period. The Senate
Communications Committee will be in charge of the ballot distribution
and counting process. The Senate Communications Committee reserves
the right to dismiss announcers that are not fulfilling their
duties.
1. This would replace the outdated Homeroom
Announcement Bill (below).
2. Student body should have a voice in the selection process.
3. Homeroom doesn't meet every morning.
4. LHS News Exchange is no longer involved in
announcements.
(7-89 Homeroom Announcement Bill
The Senate Communications Committee shall work in conjunction with
Ms. Wendy Thompson and members of the Lexington News Exchange to hold
auditions and select a student or students to read the announcements
during homeroom.)
3-98 Policy Review Bill
I. Any proposed changes to the written policy in the
Student/Parent Handbook the fall under the scope and jurisdiction of
the Senate (see Article VI Senate Constitution) must be submitted to
the Senate review prior to becoming official written
policy.
II. Review will be defined as one of the following:
A. Consideration by the Senate of the proposed change as a bill;
B. Consideration by the Senate of the proposed change as a resolution.
III. Only the administration and the School Council may make changes to the handbook without the approval of the Senate. However, these parties must submit such changes to the Senate before they can become policy. Such a submission will be reviewed in the Senate as a resolution. The Senate reserves the right to amend, alter, or rescind such policies in the form of a bill.
IV. The Senate, if it chooses to discuss a proposed change as a resolution by a majority, will have only two meetings to discuss and vote on the resolution. A proposed change that is either ignored by the Senate or not voted on within tow Senate meetings may become policy.
Senate was created to act as a voice for the students and faculty in the school community. While it is important for school administrator to maintain the ability to crate school policy, the opinions of students and faculty members reflected by the Senate should be heard before decisions are made. Because of the existence of other policy-making bodies, the Senate is often left out, or is left to discuss extraneous issues and not focus on concrete proposals for policy change. This bill facilitates communication through policy and allows for an official record of Senate opinions on all school decisions. In addition, this bill creates a precedent for interaction between the Senate and the School Council concerning issues that originate form the Council.
The term "policy" in this bill refers to legislative policy, not executive procedure. It will be up to the administration to decide whether the changes they initiate are in fact policies which must be reviewed by the Senate or merely executive revisions. It should also be noted that the areas with which the Senate is constituted to be involved or has been involved by practice may serve as a guideline for such as decision.
4-98 Extracurricular Activities Substance Use Policy Bill
1. Students are strictly prohibited from actions involving drugs
and alcohol during school hours or on school property or at any
school-sponsored activity or event. Such prohibited activities
include but are not limited to:
a. Attempting to purchase
b. Using or have used
c. Possession
d. Intention or attempting to sell or distribute
e. Selling or distributing
f. Possession of drug paraphernalia.
2. For purposes of this policy alcohol and drugs include not only alcohol, controlled substances as defined in Mass. Gen. Laws, Ch. (4C(including but not limited to marijuana, cocaine and heroin), but also restricted drugs which are misused; steroids; and products misused for the purposes of mind altering effects (aerosols, solvents, etc.)3. Students who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion as set fourth in Discipline - School Guidelines.
4. The school will cooperate fully with the police to deal with violations of the law on school property.
5. In addition to the rules and regulations outlined in this policy governing all students at Lexington High School, students participating in interscholastic sports will be responsible to the rules and regulations of the MIAA.
6. Students who are suspected of being under the influence of a substance or in possession of a substance on school grounds will be referred to the Asst. Principal and in some cases to the school nurse for assessment. If the situation warrants, parents will be notified and requested to take the student home. Provisions related to search and seizure and student discipline will also be followed.
7. If any of the above regulations are violated either in school or outside of school, the student will be referred to the Student Assistance Team. However, the school is only allowed to take disciplinary action against students for violations on school grounds or school sponsored activities.
1. Any policy that attempts to govern Lexington High School students should only be concerned with the governing of students on school grounds, thus the current policy is the school overstepping its jurisdiction of students.
2. It is the school's primary objective to educate students, not punish students. This policy undermines the educational integrity of the school in that it is not the school's responsibility to control, enforce or attempt to provide repercussions for events that occur outside of school or school related functions.
3. The current policy has created a double jeopardy issue in that there are both legal and academic penalties for actions in one's personal life outside of school.
4. As the current policy is now stated, it is unclear what constitutes a "violation" off-campus.
5. Academic and extracurricular competency have no connection with responsibility in students personal decision making. Until the personal decision making on the students' part, or lack thereof, enters into the extracurricular circle there should be no penalties of this nature [as stated in the current policy] imposed by the school.
5-98 Revised Aluminum Can Recycling Bill
The food service provider shall:
1. Provider receptacles adjacent to every soft drink machine for
which it has sole vendorship rights at Lexington High School. A
separate receptacle shall be provided in and around outside eating
areas for the non-deposit juice cans and for the five cent deposit
soda and juice cans and bottles.
2. Provide receptacles in and around outside eating areas for
purposes of collecting used soft drink cans.
3. Gather all cans and bottles on a regular basis at a centralized
location to be mutually agreed upon by the food service provider and
the distributor of origin, or LexRecycle (Lex. DPW) for purposes of
collecting used soft drink cans.
4. Prominently display on all of its machines a redemption center
where any person or persons may return cans and bottles for a
financial redemption. The High School, in conjunction with the
distributorship of origin through whom it maintains machines in the
locker room areas or any other location shall provide receptacles
adjacent to every soft drink machine for which it has sole vendorship
responsibility at Lexington High School.
6-98 Vote Count Bill
For every bill or resolution that is passed by the Senate, there
will be a hand vote and the votes will be counted. The secretary will
then publish the results of the vote by number on the copy of the
bill or resolution sent to the principal and on the final copy given
to the Senate and published in the Bills List. If a bill or
resolution fails to pass, the secretary will publish the vote count
in the minutes.
It is important and useful to know what the results of a vote on a bill or resolution were by number. This way, a reader of the bill or resolution can have a better sense of the feelings of the Senate without consulting Senate minutes. The results of the vote can also help the principal in evaluating the feelings of the Senate when making a decision to approve or veto a bill or when considering a resolution.
7-98 Work Service Detention Bill
Students assigned to regular after school detention by the high
school administration may choose to use their detention time to
perform work service in cleaning up the school instead of sitting in
the detention hall. This option will be available to students
providing the following conditions exist:
1. The students in detention hall choose this option of their own
free will. No student assigned detention shall be compelled to
perform work service.
2. One of the two teachers assigned to proctor the detention hall
volunteers to supervise said work service.
3. Weather conditions permit such service to be performed.
4. This service does not interfere with regular custodial tasks.
5. An outline of necessary services to be performed is provided
either by the administration or the custodial staff to the teachers
proctoring the detention hall.
Students who agree to perform these tasks shall have their detention time reduced by one half. Therefore, a student with one hour of detention need perform only a half hour of work service to satisfy his/her detention requirement. Those with two hours may perform up to one hour of work service, though no student with one hour of detention need perform only a half hour of work service to satisfy his/her detention requirement. Those with two hours may perform up to one hour of work service, though no student may perform more the one hour of work service on a given day. Any student who chooses this option but then does not fulfill the assigned tasks to the satisfaction of the supervising teacher will have his/her name given to administration for appropriate punishment.
Work service shall consist primarily of activities related to cleaning the campus area of LHS either inside and/or outside depending on the weather and the environmental needs of the school. This service may also consist of activities designed to beautify our school environment. Clerical duties or personal services will not qualify as work service in place of detention.
1. The serious shortage in the custodial staff has left the LHS campus in a deplorable condition in terms of cleanliness. The recent CRUD day was a good example of what student efforts can do to improve our school environment.
2. Detention hall is generally a waste of time and student energies there could be utilized in a more productive manner.
3. Since each study hall has two staff proctors it is feasible that one could supervise a work crew while the other remains to proctor the detention hall.
8-98 Senate Secretary Bill
The secretary of the senate will keep a notebook of all agendas,
minutes, and passed bills which will be submitted to the (student)
librarian at the end of each school year.
The executive committee will prepare an end of the year report listing the complete text of all passed bills, including dates of debate, passage, veto/override if applicable. In the fall the oversight committee will update the Bill List by adding the bills passed in the previous school year.
1999-2000
1-99 Lexington High School Honor Code
A core value of an institution that seeks to maintain high moral and ethical standards is the intolerance of cheating in any form. Cheating undermines both the integrity of the perpetrator as well as that of the school. In presenting a code of conduct based on individual integrity and ethics, we aim to create a vision of what we would like our community to be. The Honor Code intends to reduce the level of unhealthy competition in the school by shifting peer pressure away from cheating and toward ethical behavior.
1. The following will be considered cheating*:
a. The willful giving or receiving of an unauthorized, dishonest, or unscrupulous advantage in academic work.
b. The above may be accomplished by any means whatsoever, including, but not limited to, the following: fraud, duress, deception, theft, talking, signs, gestures, copying from another student, unauthorized collaboration, and the unauthorized use of study aids, memoranda, books, electronic programs, data or other information.
c. Attempted Cheating.
2. The following will be considered plagiarism*:
a. Presenting as one's own the words, the work, or the opinions of someone else without prior acknowledgement.
b. Borrowing the sequence of ideas, the arrangement of material, or the pattern of thought of someone else without proper acknowledgement.
3. If a student cheats or plagiarizes, she or he may receive zero for the entire assignment and may not qualify for make up of the assignment subject to the teacher's discretion. The School reserves the right to assign additional penalties based on the severity of the offense up to and including suspension or expulsion.
4. In order to prevent misunderstandings, at the beginning of each course the teacher will clarify what constitutes a violation of the Honor Code in his/her class. This should include an explanation of*:
a. The extent to which collaboration or group participation is permissible in preparing term papers, laboratory exhibits or notebooks, reports of any kind, tests, quizzes, examination, homework or any other work.
b. The extent to which the use of study aids, memoranda, books, data, or other information is permissible to fulfill course requirements.
c. Guidelines on what constitutes plagiarism, including requirements for citing sources.
*Adapted from the George Mason University Honor Code.
2000-2001
Report Card Bill (Passed January 26, 2001)
The printing of report cards shall not contain information regarding the distribution of grades within the classes taken by the student.
Rationale
a. The current system promotes competition between students and fosters a climate of stress.
Students spend enough time and energy trying to figure out where they rank amongst their peers, and stress over the competitive aspects of school and grades enough. We have already abolished class rank; this proposal would be analogous to that with regards to individual classes. Many students have confused achievement with self-esteem. The grades should be taken as they are, as fitting in with the student handbook definition of grades, and not as comparison with other students.
b. The current system helps to create and perpetuate reputations of teachers. Teachers' grading patterns are revealed, which has resulted in the creation of reputations. While granting that these tendencies would eventually become general knowledge anyhow, this provides a sense of factual backing for those assumptions. As such, based on these reputations, students try to get in or out of certain courses based on the relative ease or lack thereof of obtaining a high grade. This creates problems for teachers, students and guidance counselors. Teachers may be doing excellent work in challenging, inspiring, and educating students, but those students who focus on the grade focus on the results rather than the means. Nor are these reputations necessarily correct.
c. The current system leads to incorrect analysis. Each class is a unique entity with its own personality. Regarding the many classes at certain levels, it must be noted that some classes are stronger as a whole than others. For example, a Level I class taught by one teacher may have many A and B grades and no C/D/F grades due to the caliber of students placed into it, while another Level 1 class taught by the same teacher has a high number of B and C grades, with few A or D or F grades. Assignments, tests, essay assignments and the like may all be the same, as is the grading criteria.
d. The current system creates tensions between teachers. Upon being appraised of the grade breakdowns, teachers who are statistically revealed as being "easy graders'" or "hard graders" find themselves at odds with the rest of the teachers in the subject. The simple fact is that there is no standardized grading system, and that each teacher has his or her own requirements and criteria and system for grading. Teachers who give too many high grades may feel pressure from peers to tighten up on their criteria, while those who give few high grades may feel pressure from peers (as well as parents) to be more generous. When one teacher is more stringent or lenient than the rest of the peers, resentment may ensue. (Teachers are people too.)
e. The current system is incompatible with what is written in the Student Handbook. From page 96 of the LHS Handbook 2000-2001:
"We believe that grades should serve several goals:
1. They should record and communicate achievement within an instructional level.
2. They should serve as an incentive for students to work and achieve to their level of ability.
3. They should differentiate among students on some clearly established and educationally meaningful basis."
Clearly the first two items do not lend support to the current system. However, the last one conceivably could be interpreted as doing so. But all that statement does is point out that there is in fact a system of defining what each grade actually means, and in fact the bottom of page 96 and the top of page 97 lay out what the letter grades, as well as "P" and "I", stand for.
Teachers are required to tell students of their grading policies. Teachers are not, however, required to tell students of how many people fit the varying differentiations.
2001-2002
2002-2003
1-02 Student Announcement Bill
Extended announcements of school related activities and events will be presented over the public address system by student announcers each week during home room periods.
Important and time-crucial announcements may still be read in the morning at the beginning of school. Prospective announcers shall audition before, and be chosen by, the Senate Communications Committee.
Rationale
1. Communications about upcoming school activities and events at Lexington High School have reached an all-time low.
2. Home room periods this year have generally proven to be wasted time for students and staff alike.
3. In the interest of brevity, current morning announcements often omit informing students and staff of important school related activities and events. In addition, the announcements still unfairly encroach upon first block classes.
4. Lexington High School ha s long and colorful tradition of student reading announcements over the PA system. (Future student announcers should be encouraged to add some levity and even humor to the announcements.)
2-02 Senate Resolution on Recent Senior Pranks
We, the Lexington High School Student-Faculty Senate, deplore the recent series of senior pranks that have been perpetrated upon the Lexington High School community and specifically upon the privacy of our principal, Dr. Van Seasholes. We understand that there has been a long tradition of senior practical jokes each spring before graduation, but we find this year's actions to be extremely mean spirited. We are particularly upset at those which were directed against Dr. Seasholes seemingly as a result of his taking the necessary disciplinary action to punish the perpetrators of the pranks at the high school. Although the actions of a few should not reflect upon the upstanding behavior of most students at LHS, we believe that the recent pranks cross a serious line and ultimately reflect badly upon the student body as a whole at Lexington High School. Therefore, this resolution is intended to publicly condemn the actions of those students involved.
3-02 Senate Resolution on Approved Bills
It shall be the responsibility of the Senate Communications Committee in conjunction with the Senate Executive Committee to inform all members of the Lexington High School community when a bill has been passed by the Senate and either approved or not disapproved by the Principal. It will likewise be the responsibility of these committees to inform the school community when a bill passed by the Senate has been reinstituted over a principal's disapproval. Full text of such passed bills (with or without the rationale) will be read over the announcements and posted on the bulletin board in the main hall within ten days of its passage. In addition, full text and rationale of each passed bill will be e-mailed via the school-wide server to all staff members within ten days of its passage. In addition, each constituency shall be informed as to exactly when said bill shall officially become school policy.
Rationale
1. Although the Senate Secretary posts Senate meeting minutes on the school e-mail system not all staff members or students read these.
2. The Senate cannot and should not rely solely on the administration to inform members of the school community when a passed bill has instituted or changed a school policy.
3. It will be much easier to enforce a policy change made by the Senate if everyone in the school community is informed of such changes in a timely fashion.
4. Some policy changes made by the Senate have never been fully enforced due to lack of information about those changes.
Letter to the Minuteman regarding the override
6/11/03
At our June 12, 2003 meeting, we, the Lexington High School Student-Faculty Senate, passed the following resolution in response to votersí recent rejection of the tax override.
LHS will be impacted directly by the vote against the override in many ways. Presently, one projected budget cut is the equivalent of three existing teaching positions. Some classes, especially in the foreign language and social studies departments, are already filled to capacity. Losing teachers on top of being unable to hire new ones to meet enrollment increases will greatly affect teachersí workloads and studentsí classroom experiences. Among other cutbacks, LHS will lose a dean, a secretary, and a custodian next year. The physical education and art departments are particularly susceptible to cutbacks, and are likely to lose faculty positions.
Needless to say, the general opinion of the Senate on the vote is negative. We recognize that a tax increase during hard economic times is less than appealing to most voters, but the high quality of its public schools makes Lexington the valued community that it is. The students among us are deeply appreciative of the programs, teachers, administrators, and faculty that make our experience at LHS a valuable one. We regret our townís decision to reduce its support for our school and its faculty.
Sincerely,
The LHS Student-Faculty Senate
Senate Resolution on Approved Bills
It shall be the responsibility of the Senate Communications Committee in conjunction with the Senate Executive Committee to inform all members of the Lexington High School community when a bill has been passed by the Senate and either approved or not disapproved by the Principal. It will likewise be the responsibility of these committees to inform the school community when a bill passed by the Senate has been reinstituted over a principal's disapproval. Full text of such passed bills (with or without the rationale) will be read over the announcements and posted on the bulletin board in the main hall within ten days of its passage. In addition, full text and rationale of each passed bill will be e-mailed via the school-wide server to all staff members within ten days of its passage. In addition, each constituency shall be informed as to exactly when said bill shall officially become school policy.
Rationale
1. Although the Senate Secretary posts Senate meeting minutes on the
school e-mail system not all staff members or students read
these.
2. The Senate cannot and should not rely solely on the administration to inform members of the school community when a passed bill has instituted or changed a school policy.
3. It will be much easier to enforce a policy change made by the Senate if everyone in the school community is informed of such changes in a timely fashion.
4. Some policy changes made by the Senate have never been fully enforced due to lack of information about those changes.
2003-2004
1-03 Committee Attendance Reporting Bill
Commencing with the next scheduled Senate meeting, each committee chair (or designee) will formally report the attendance at the previous committee meeting. These reports of committee attendance will be communicated to the Secretary and placed in the official minutes of the Senate.
Rationale: Attendance at committee meetings is important and necessary in order for the Senate to properly attend to its responsibilities. Official, public reporting of a SenatorÌs attendance at both Senate and committee meetings provides the electorate the opportunity to have this information. This approach to committee attendance is public, straightforward, easy to administer, and not punitive.
Submitted by P. Bonnet/J. Harper 10/22/03
2-03 Honor Code Reporting And Awareness Bill
Teachers, in consultation with their department heads, will report substantial breaches of the Lexington High School (LHS) Honor Code for which a student incurs academic or disciplinary consequences to the student's dean and counselor. Each incident will be recorded and held in strict confidence by the dean and counselor except when necessary to report to the Board of Appeals.
The accumulation of more than one breach will be interpreted as a pattern of intellectual dishonesty and will result in an automatic one day suspension. Students have the right to appeal this ruling via the Board of Appeals as per the LHS constitution. The Board will determine if the student's record constitutes a pattern of intellectual dishonesty, where a pattern is defined as multiple breaches of the LHS Honor Code. In making its determination the Board will require input from both the reporting teacher(s) and accused student. If the board finds that there is such a pattern, it must recommend disciplinary action. The board will weigh heavily the character of the breaches when deciding what disciplinary action(s) to recommend.
This bill places no limits on the current LHS Honor Code, which allows for individual breaches of the code to be met with the full range of disciplinary consequences, up to and including expulsion.
At the beginning of each school year, in homeroom, every student will be furnished with a printed copy of the LHS Honor code and this bill. Students will be provided adequate time in a supervised environment to read the code and the terms of the reporting bill and ask questions about them. Then each student will be required to sign a form which indicates that he or she has read the code and understands the terms of it and the potential penalties as well a his or her rights of appeal if accused of a violation. This form will not be construed as an acknowledgment by each student that he or she will abide by the code, though it is the school's hope that they will. It will only be a formal certification that they understand the code and the consequences of violating it.
Rationale
Anecdotal evidence suggests that clear breaches of the LHS Honor Code are not incurring official disciplinary action. Additionally, student breaches of the honor code appear to occur with an unsettling frequency.
This bill provides for the collection of quantifiable data on student behavior and allows students with a pattern of intellectual dishonesty to be identified and appropriate action to be taken. Currently, many infractions of thehonor code are handled informally, by providing a zero on the assignment, etc.. this now means that no record of the infraction be taken. Currently, many infractions of the honor code are handled informally, by providing a zero on the assignment, etc. This now means that no record of the infraction exists. Without such a record it is conceivable that one could incur multiple infractions across classes and grade levels.
Acts of intellectual dishonesty adversely affect the entirely of the Lexington community. Therefore, the consequences for such behavior should be appropriately stern.
Although LHS has had an honor code on record for a number of years which is printed in the Student handbook each year, few students really know of its existence, understand the terms of it or have had an opportunity to ask questions about it.
Passage of this bill may result in serious consequences for violating the honor code. Therefore, students should have clear understanding of what is in the code and should formally acknowledge that they have read it and understand what may occur if they violate it.
No honor code can be effective unless that organization which adopts it (in this case the LHS Student Faculty Senate) does everything in its power to inform its constituency of the code's existence and the potential consequences for violating it.
Using the Board of Appeals as the mediating agent in any dispute over a potential honor code violation will serve to give that agency some long overdue power and responsibility.
Students and faculty may place posters for school or club related events and meetings on interior walls and on the end sections of lockers throughout the LHS campus. Such notices are to be hung with masking tape only. Posters must be approved and initialed by the activity's faculty advisor or a dean, who will ensure that only a reasonable number of posters will be hung. All posters must have a date of removal on them unless they refer to a specific event, and posterers are expected to remove posters immediately after the event or on the specified date. All possible efforts will be made to recycle the posters.
It is the Climate Committee's responsibility to designate and maintain an area (or areas) for posters not related to school activities. Posters may be placed in this area by students, faculty and staff, and need no faculty or dean's signature or removal date. It is expected that the community will show good judgment in selecting the quantity and size of posters placed in this area so that all messages can be accommodated.
Rationale:
This bill amends, expands and replaces the 4-89/8-90 Poster
Bill.
Postering is an important right of free speech
which benefits the LHS community. This bill is intended to preserve
that right to the greatest extent possible. It is expected that
posters may be provocative and even offensive to some, but that no
personal attacks will be tolerated.
Passed 4/7/2004
4-03 Homeroom Announcements Bill
Announcements regarding student activities will be posted to the school's electronic communications system. The Communications Committee will appoint moderators to post announcements and designate a faculty member of the committee to be responsible for their content. It is the responsibility of homeroom teachers to ensure that announcements are read or heard by their students.
The Pledge, if read, will be read over the PA during the first minute of homeroom.
When necessary, the administration may still choose to make special announcements over the PA, although this is expected to be kept to a minimum.
Rationale:
This bill eliminates announcements over the PA, except for vital and
timely announcements the administration may choose to make. This
allows homerooms to operate autonomously. Teachers and students may
structure the homeroom period in whatever way they choose, both to
deliver announcements and to carry out all the other activities for
which this time is provided.
This bill replaces the 2-98 Student Announcement Bill and any lost announcement bills passed during the recent Dark Ages
Passed April 14, 2004
A survey conducted after a four week trial period showed that a majority of students and faculty supported a written announcement system.
This bill replaces the 2-98 Student Announcement Bill and any lost announcement bills passed during the recent Dark Ages of Senate Record keeping.
1-04 FirstClass Acceptable Use Committee Formation Act: (Passed December 1, 2004 by voice vote.)
An act to create the FirstClass Acceptable Use Committee.
Lexington High School is in the process of creating school email accounts for the entire student body so that students and faculty can communicate and share conferences within the FirstClass email and conferencing system.
At the earliest possible date following passage of this bill and thereafter at the beginning of each school year the Senate Communications Committee will appoint a body referred to as the FirstClass Acceptable Use Committee. This committee will, at a minimum, consist of one dean, one member of the technology staff, two members of the faculty and three members of the student body. The purpose of this committee is to oversee student use of FirstClass.
Duties will include but are not restricted to:
1. Establishing a timetable and procedure for the initial granting of student accounts.
2. Establishing policies for creating and controlling student and student/faculty conferences.
3. Defining or refining the acceptable use policy.
4. Educating students and faculty on matters of acceptable use.
5. Hearing grievances and ruling on alleged abuses of acceptable use.
6. Referring students to the administration for disciplinary sanctions when appropriate.
7. Working with the administrator of FirstClass for the purpose regulating student access to FirstClass.
The committee's oversight will be restricted to student use of FirstClass and may not rule on acceptable use by the faculty.
Rationale:
• Mandatory formation of such a committee is specified in the grant that funds student access to FirstClass.
• The duties of the committee meet a critical concern of the FirstClass administrator.
©2004. All rights reserved.
This page was created by members of the Oversight Committee
of the Lexington (Massachusetts) High School Senate. Please
address comments or questions to Karen
Girondel