School of Environmental Studies

We are excited you have decided to join our community. At the School of Environmental Studies, our school vision is to be "a thoughtful community of leaders engaging with others to create a sustainable world." Please use the information below as a resource for a successful school year.

All SES courses will have a Schoology page that students are required to interact with regularly. Parents are encouraged to also monitor these pages. In addition to having general course information, parents can access the gradebook for that class, as well. For support accessing Schoology as a parent, click the Schoology icon.

Every student is issued a district-owned iPad for academic purposes. There are basic district expectations that every student should be aware of which can be found here. Resources for parents regarding iPad usage can be found here.

Additionally, there are expectations that are specific to the SES community regarding iPad use. They are:

• All students will label their charging cord and brick with their name.

• All students will bring their iPad fully charged EVERY DAY.

• All students will use their iPads for learning. Cell phones are not an alternative device for iPads.

• Staff will work to set up charging stations in classrooms and houses.

SES is “a community of leaders engaging with others to create a sustainable world.” In order to be optimally engaged, we are aligning with other schools across the nation (and within ISD 196) and helping students create boundaries around their cell phone use.

For the 24-25 school year:

• Students may bring their cellphones to school

• Students will be expected to put their phones in the area designated by the teacher (either in a locked case or a phone caddy, depending on the circumstances of the classroom) during class time

• Students will get their phones back for designated phone breaks and at the end of each class, as well as lunch

• Students will not take their phones with them if they leave class to use the restrooms, go to the nurse, etc.

• Students who use their cell phone to monitor a medical condition (i.e. diabetes, epilepsy) will work with the school nurse and administration to create an individual health plan to address their needs.

• Please contact the principal if there is a different essential reason that your student needs their phone in class during academic time.

• If a student violates cell phone expectations, parents will be notified and the office may collect their phone and keep it until the end of the school day. Repeated issues could result in more significant consequences.

Many students at SES elect to have a Study Hall during their school day. We value these opportunities for students because it is a time for them to get caught up on work they may be behind on, learn about what they missed when they were absent, work with peers on group projects, etc. In order to ensure Study Halls are used as productively as possible, we ask that students:

• Make a to do list for that block in their planners/on a post-it after attendance has been taken.

• For students who have Study Hall in House, students who wish to work with others will remain in the centrum. Pods are reserved for individual work.

• Students need to be seated on chairs (no floors).

• Each study hall will have a sign in/sign out list kept in a central location. Students will sign out for all reasons, including the bathroom.

• If students are done with work, students should consider some of the following possible activities to use their time well:

• Review grades and assignments in Schoology

• Think through any longer-term assignments and tests and what could be done proactively

• Check out a book from the library.

• Do some service: food waste reduction, collecting lunch trays, cleaning, watering plants, etc.

Block 1: 7:30 – 9:02

Block 2: 9:05 – 10:37

Block 3: 10:40 – 12:12

Lunch 1: 11:40 – 12:05

Lunch 2: 12:15 – 12:40

Block 4: 12:43 – 2:15

*3 minute passing time between each transition.

New Attendance Policy for ISD 196 High Schools

Missing school can impact your child's success. Students who miss more than 10% of school days are more likely to fall behind academically, struggle with social skills, and drop out of school.

Last year, one of every seven District 196 students missed over 10% of school days, which is just two days per month. To address this, we created new systems to support attendance.

It is important to understand the consequences that occur and processes we will follow when students are absent from school. Our goal is, as always, is to ensure that your child has the best opportunity to thrive.

TYPES OF ABSENCES:

• Unexcused: An unexcused absence occurs when a student is absent without school approval.
  * If an absence is not reported, it will be deemed “unexcused” after 48 hours.
  

• Excused: Illness, medical/dental appointments during school hours, and pre-planned absences.
  * Absences due to illness are excused for up to 10 days. A doctor’s note is required after 10 absences due to illness.
  

• Exempt: School-authorized absences detailed in District 196 Attendance Policy.
  

WHEN YOUR STUDENT NEEDS TO BE ABSENT:

You must report all absences:

1. Report all absences online (student ID and birth date required) and

2. message cocurricular coaches/advisors to let them know your student will be absent.

Stay on track:

• Check Schoology for homework updates.

• Communicate with teachers and classmates to make up for missed work.

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES :

When your student has unexcused absences from ANY SINGLE CLASS PERIOD, families will receive an automated phone call and students may receive a school-based consequence.

3 UNEXCUSED ABSENCES for Earth/Sky Classes and/or

5 UNEXCUSED ABSENCES for House and Career Development classes= Administrative Intervention

• Student meets with school staff to address issues.

• Parents/guardians are notified and offered resources to help.
  

5 UNEXCUSED ABSENCES for Earth/Sky Classes and/or

7 UNEXCUSED ABSENCES for House and Career Development classes= Collaborative Development

• Student and parent/guardian meet with school staff to discuss ways to prevent additional absences.

• Consequences may include detention, in-school suspension, and/or loss of privileges.

• Referral is made to the Dakota County Truancy Reduction Program, as required by state law.
  

7 UNEXCUSED ABSENCES for Earth/Sky Classes and/or

10 UNEXCUSED ABSENCES for House and Career Development classes= Final Measures

• Students may receive a "No Credit" (NC) or an "F" depending on performance in the class. Opportunities are available to restore credit.

• Absences due to illness are excused for up to ten days. A doctor’s note is required AFTER 10 absences due to illness.

WHY ATTENDANCE MATTERS

Regular attendance helps students enjoy school more and feel connected to their community. It also boosts academic performance and enhances social skills.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS

• Achieve higher grades

• Increase the chance of graduating

• Participate in hands-on, collaborative learning

• Access better academic support

SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL SKILLS

• Form friendships

• Develop emotional skills such as empathy, patience, confidence, and teamwork

• Enhance communication skills

HELP YOUR STUDENT SUCCEED

• Encourage showing up on time to every class period each day.

• Maintain routines, limit technology, ensure good sleep.

• Avoid appointments during the school day, whenever possible.

• Encourage participation in school activities.

• Talk with your school to learn about support options

For the 24-25 school year, the school day starts at 7:30am. Students are expected to be seated in class at that time each day. The front and back doors to the school are unlocked until that time. If a student arrives at school after 7:30am, they can only enter the building through our front doors. Once they enter the front entryway, they will need to use the doorbell that is located on the wall to notify the attendance desk they are here. The door will be opened for the student and they MUST report directly to the attendance desk:

• The student will be given a pass to go to class

• Their attendance will be changed from “absent” to “tardy” in the system

• Their tardy will be recorded. Students who get three tardies in one trimester to the same class will be given lunch detention. If the issue persists, further intervention, including parent meetings, or In School Suspension are possible

• Please note, students who arrive to any class more than 45 minutes late will be marked ABSENT (not tardy) to their class

Students who take classes at their home high schools during the day may need to leave early or arrive late to/from classes at SES. This is approved and students will not be marked tardy in these instances. However, they must discuss the need for an altered schedule with the teacher whose class they are missing. Together, there will be an agreement about the student's unique circumstances. Students are then expected to follow those agreed upon time frames and could be marked tardy if they deviate from them

• The school day is from 7:30am-2:15pm daily.
• The building opens each day at 7:10am, when teachers and office staff start their work day.
• If a student needs to be dropped to school prior to 7:10am, they will have access to the front entryway between the two sets of front doors starting at 6:40am. This area is heated/air conditioned, has outlets for charging devices, and a few benches/chairs to sit on while they wait.
• If a student is staying in the building after school ends at 2:15, they must be in the Forum area unless they have a prearranged meeting/activity with a teacher.
• All students must leave the building by 3:10pm, when teachers' work days ends.
• If a student needs to stay at school past 3:10pm, they are welcome to wait in the entryway of the building.

Drop-off and pick-up can be busy times at SES. To ensure everyone’s safety, please follow these guidelines when transporting your child to or from school:

• The lane that runs directly in front of the school is designated for buses ONLY in the mornings and afternoons
• Parents should drop their student off in the inner loop in the parking lot area (see map)
• When walking from a car to the building, students should NEVER walk between buses. Instead, they should walk behind the last bus and use the sidewalk that runs along the front of the building.

• Like all District196 schools, SES has a school breakfast/lunch program which provides free meals to all students.
  
• If a student would like to purchase additioanl items, not included in the free meals, families can put money in a student's account by going to PayPams.com. Instructions to set up an account are here.
• While breakfast and lunch are now free for all students, families are still encouraged to apply for educational benefits. Here is the link to the application. Educational benefits can help support students in a variety of ways beyond school lunches.
• To preview the lunch menu, click here
• Students are welcome to bring a lunch from home. We encourage the use of reusable containers and silverware when possible
• All students are encouraged to participate in SES' "Support the Sort" program. We ask students to try to reduce the amount thrown in the landfill by considering the following:
• first, only take or bring the amount of food you want to eat
• second, consider sharing any unopened leftovers that have not been opened by using our share table
• next, compost what you can. At SES we can compost any fruit or vegetable
• recycle what packaging you are able to
• what's left goes in the landfill
• SES encourages students to get some fresh air and consider eating outside at lunchtime. We are NOT an open campus. Students may only eat in the designated areas. Leaving those areas (including going to cars or the parking lot areas) without permission will result in revocation of the privilege to eat outdoors
• If students prefer to eat indoors, the Forum is the only approved area. Students must stay in their approved lunchtime area until the bell rings. No one should be leaving early to go to House, the Art Room, or any other classroom area.
• The only restrooms that are approved for use during lunchtime are the ones on the main level. No student should be using the upstairs bathrooms during lunchtime.
• Students are NOT allowed to order carry out food to be delivered during the school day
• Of course, we expect everyone to be respectful members of the SES community by cleaning up after themselves (the table space they used, pushing in their chair, sorting their waste, wiping down the microwave, etc)

The SES vision statement is: "A thoughtful community of leaders engaging with others to create a sustainable world." Sometimes students make choices that are not as thoughtful as they would have wished. When these instances happen, SES refers to the districtwide Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook for guidance on how to handle the situation. There may be occasions when the use of other interventions to repair the harm are an options, such as:

• Detention- SES has detention during lunch (before and after school options can also be arranged). If a student is issued a lunch detention, they are expected to report to the front office at the start of lunch to check in and turn in their phone. They will then be excused to get a lunch, if needed. They are expected to eat and work on homework quietly for the rest of their lunch hour. It is NOT the office's responsibility to remind students they have lunch detention. Students who are late or do not show up to lunch detention will be issued additional consequences.

• In School Suspension (ISS)- Students may be assigned the consequence of spending their school day (or a portion of it) in ISS. In this case, parents will be notified and a student will sign a contract, agreeing to the expectations associated with ISS

• Out of School Suspension- Some situations require a student be assigned out of school suspension time. Parents will be notified and paperwork will be sent home. Students who have been suspended out of school are not allowed on school grounds at any time for the duration of their suspension. It is the student's responsibility to check Schoology and keep up with missed course work while they are out. If they have questions about an assignment, it is their responsibility to contact their teacher(s).

At SES we believe layering real world, thoughtful experiences on top of rigorous academic work is what deepens learning. Therefore, our faculty strives to get students out of our building. This could mean bringing them across the street to Lebanon Hills Park, walking to the MN Zoo, or exploring our own 12 acre campus. Outside learning is possibility everyday; so students can store walking shoes and outdoor gear in their Pods.

Additionally, there are times when leaving our campus is the best way to facilitate learning for students. In these cases teachers may have students ride a school bus to a location and permission slips and other pertinent information will be sent to families. Another way we are able to get students to important off-site places is through carpooling. Since SES students are all in grades 11 and 12, many students are able to help drive their peers local places as part of planned course work.

In order for this type of learning to be successful, parents/guardians need to sign consent. That form needs to be completed annually and can be found here. If a family decides carpooling is not right for them, they can indicate that on the form as well.

SES is fortunate to partner with the four comprehensive high schools in ISD 196: Apple Valley, Eagan, Eastview, and Rosemount. Students who attend SES are able to take a class at their home high school if that course is not offered at SES (the most common examples are: Choir, Band, and World Language classes). When this is the right fit for a student, they must work with Administration to create a schedule that accommodates both their home high school class and their SES classes. These circumstances are unique to each student, but here are some general guidelines:

• Students are permitted to leave/arrive to SES a few minutes early or late to accommodate traveling time to/from their home high schools. Typically this is about 10-15 minutes but should be communicated directly with the teacher whose class they are missing.
• Students are only permitted to go directly to and/or from school to school. They are NOT allowed to stop for food, gas, to pick up others, etc.
• SES parking passes ARE accepted at home high schools- students do NOT need to purchase one at each school

SES will do drills for the situations mentioned above one time per trimester on a designated “Safety Day.” We will have an altered schedule on these days and will devote the time needed to ensure students understand what to do in case of an emergency.

Should there ever be an emergency event at SES, please rest assured that our first priority is to keep every student safe. Please understand that calling the school or your student may not be the safest, most efficient way to get information. Instead, the District Office will work with us to communicate to families using automated calls and emails.