Pierce Middle School

8th Grade Washington DC
Parent Meeting:

On Monday, November 3rd, Pierce 8th grade parents who will be sending their student to our nation's capitol will meet in the auditorium at 7:00PM. Corporate Travel, Mr. Benz and I will be available to review the itinerary and answer questions before the departure date of Wednesday, November 5th.

 

Monday's start Differently during Meap:

Please note that there will be no late start on
Mondays, October 13th, 20th and 27th.  Thanks to our PTO for providing some MEAP treats on the mornings of the testing days for students.

 

 

Cool event to attend:

FALL FUN NIGHT

Friday, October 24

7:00 –9:00 PM

 Short day of school:

HALF DAY

Friday, October 31

Students in school

8:25-11:33 AM

 

On behalf of the entire John D. Pierce Middle School staff

“Thank you for attending
Back-to-School Night last month."

 By now all parents should have received their family password to review the on-line gradebook and their child's grades. If you were unable to attend BTSN, your password was mailed to your home.

 

Pierce teachers also provide parents with a "week in preview" of upcoming classwork in every class. Just logon to www.gpschools.org/pierce and click on the Homework Tab and the grade (6, 7 or 8) of your student and you will find up to date activity in every class. Just look for their respective teacher's name. The site is updated every Monday by 5:00 PM.

 

Promoting Safety First:
A great number of Pierce students are enjoying the great fall weather by riding their bikes to school. In addition to being good exercise, I would like to draw your attention to a safety concern. There is always a lot of traffic surrounding our school each morning and at dismissal. I am amazed at the number of students who do not wear a bike helmet. I realize that some may think it is not "cool" to wear a helmet. However, accidents and head injuries are a reality for cyclists and that's not "cool" either! There is plenty of room in your child's locker for a bike helmet. Thanks for your attention to this matter and your insistence that your child ride to school with appropriate protection. This would also include a bike lock for the security of their bike.

 

 

Hallway Behavior:

Students are expected to “Stay to the Right” to allow for smooth passing in the hallways.  A “No Bodily Contact” rule will be enforced throughout the school day.  Students who violate these guidelines will be “ticketed” by staff members and assigned disciplinary consequences. 

 

Dress Code: 

Generally, students must dress in clothing that is modest and appropriately sized.  For details on the dress code, please refer to your student’s planner.  Students who report for school dressed inappropriately will be required to change clothes before reporting to class.  Students who repeatedly violate the dress code will be assigned disciplinary consequences.

 

Cell Phones and MP3 Players: 

All electronic devices must be turned off and kept out of sight throughout the school day.  Cell phones or MP3 players found in class or in the hallways will be confiscated and parents will be contacted.

 

Before and After School Supervision: 

Tuesday through Friday, the building opens at 8:15 AM.  On Monday, the doors open at 9:00 AM.  Students are not to be in the building before opening unless given permission by an administrator or staff member.  Students are expected to leave the building each day by 3:30 PM, unless they are participating in a school sponsored activity.  Pierce students are not allowed on the Defer campus, or on the sidewalks around Defer, until Defer’s school day ends at 3:38 PM.

 

Bullying: 

We take a “zero tolerance” stance against bullying and encourage students to report all incidents of verbal, physical or relational bullying.  If your student is the victim of, or a witness to, an incident of bullying, please encourage him/her to report it to any adult in the building.  If your student does not wish to report it, please do so yourself.

 

Attendance: 

Absences should be called in before 9:00 AM on the day of the absence.  Absences that are school related or unavoidable such as illness, extreme family emergency or necessary medical appointments will be recorded as excused.  Absences that are not school-related, are not authorized by the school in advance, or are not accepted by the school as necessary and unavoidable will be recorded as unexcused.  If a student accumulates an excessive number of unexcused absences, a referral will be made to the Wayne County Erase Truancy program. 

 

Tardies: 

Students are expected to arrive at class on time.  Students who arrive at class after the tardy bell has rung will be marked “Tardy”.  If a student accumulates 5 tardies in a semester, he/she will be assigned one hour of after school detention.  Additional tardies will be penalized according to the guidelines found in the student planner.  Students who have been assigned disciplinary consequences for tardiness will be notified in writing during their sixth hour classes.  Parents will receive a copy of this notice in the mail.

 

In School Separation (ISS): 

On occasion, students may be assigned an in-school separation as a consequence for disruptive behavior or other violations of school guidelines.  This year, ISS will be held on a regular basis at Brownell Middle School.  Parents will be responsible for student transportation to and from the ISS center at Brownell. 

 

Academics and Advisory (A2): 

Throughout the first quarter, our A2 program will emphasize study skills.  The activities presented are designed to help students understand what study skills are and learn how to apply them to their everyday activities.  Topics will include time management, organization, project planning, listening, note-taking and studying for tests.  Beginning in the second quarter, students who meet eligibility requirements will be placed in their choice of A2 activities.

 

At Pierce we take pride in the exemplary behavior of our students and will continue to uphold high behavioral and academic expectations for all.  If you have any questions regarding our standard policies and procedures, please do hesitate to contact Judy Gaffrey at (313) 432-4711.

 

 

Recent Updates

 

 Updated October 09, 2008 | Pierce Middle School, Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan | pierce@gpschools.org