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Handbook

Handbook Essentials

Knight Code

Del Norte High School provides a safe and healthy environment conducive to learning. All teachers maintain classroom management plans and consequences and have expectations for student behavior. It is expected that the behavior consequences within the classroom are communicated to students/parents. Interventions will begin at the classroom level and administration referrals will follow when appropriate. The following infractions and subsequent consequences are in effect at Del Norte High School. In addition, all provisions of the APS Student Behavior Handbook will be in force. All consequences for inappropriate behavior are at the discretion of the administrator. All out-of-school suspension will require a parent conference. All In School Suspensions (ISS) will require parent contact.

Download the Del Norte Student Handbook to read more about the Knight Code.

Attendance Policy

The parent/guardian must notify the school each day that the student will be absent, in accordance with the notification procedure established by the school. Del Norte requests that a parent note must be sent to the office excusing the student. The note must include:

  • the student’s full, legal name
  • student ID number
  • parent name and phone number
  • parent signature

Medical or professional appointments should be scheduled outside of the school day whenever possible. Should such an appointment need to be made during school hours, care should be taken to see that recurring appointments do not occur during the same class period.

Parents are encouraged to contact the student’s Counselor in the event of any extended or long term absence (3 or more days). NOTE: Suspension, In School Suspensions (ISS), and KNIGHT Absences are not counted as absences!

Excessive absences may result in the student being suspended from extra-curricular activities.

APS Attendance Guidelines

Regular attendance is a key to school success. Albuquerque Public Schools students can learn only if they are on time and present in all classes daily. The Federal No Child Left Behind Act requires that states, school districts and schools be held accountable for ensuring that all students meet high academic standards. On time and daily attendance is a critical component of this educational process. New Mexico law dictates that:

  • Students between the ages of 5 and 18 years of age are mandated to attend public school, private school, home school or a state institution.
  • Schools will provide intervention strategies that focus on keeping students in school.
  • Habitual truants are reported to appropriate authorities such as the APS Attendance Office, CYFD staff, Juvenile Probation & Parole, District Attorney, Truancy Court, and the State of New Mexico.
  • Consequences in New Mexico law include: license revocation, fines, and loss of New Mexico Works Program monetary assistance.
  • Students receiving financial assistance from the New Mexico Works program must comply with school attendance requirements, or the student’s financial assistance may be removed.

It is understood that sometimes families may need support to help their child be successful. School staff can assist with locating possible resources within the school community.

  • A parent/guardian must notify the school that the student will be absent in accordance with the notification procedure established by the school.
  • A parent/guardian must notify the school each day that a student is signing out before the end of the instructional day in accordance with the notification procedure established by the school.
  • Teachers will take attendance by class period for each instructional day.
  • Absences may be excused for the following reasons with appropriate documentation:
    • Illness (including chronic illness documented on a health plan, IEP or 504 plan)
    • Limited family emergencies; family deaths
    • Medical, health or legal appointments
    • Suspensions
    • Religious commitment
    • College visit
    • Limited extenuating circumstances as approved in advance by the school principal
  • All absences for other reasons are unexcused including:
    • Non-school sponsored activities or trips
    • Family vacations outside of the normally scheduled school breaks
  • In APS, a student is considered “a student in need of early intervention” (truant) at five (5) unexcused absences and a habitual truant at ten (10) unexcused absences in a year.
  • School staff will make an attempt to contact the parent/guardian if the school has not received notification of absences by a parent for three (3) consecutive days.
  • Principals may request additional documentation for excessive excused absences.

Excessive Absences

  • Schools will identify and provide intervention strategies for students with unexcused absences.
  • School-related activities taking students out of school are not included when evaluating excessive absences. A student is not allowed more than ten (10) school-related absences per class per semester.
  • State law requires schools to withdraw a student after ten (10) consecutive days of absence, but only after the school has exhausted its efforts to keep the student in an educational setting through a variety of interventions.
  • Schools may not use out of school suspension or expulsion as punishment for truancy.

Tardy Policy

Del Norte High School expects all students to be on time for all classes. Promptness is an important life-skill that will generalize to post-secondary and employment endeavors. It is all our expectation that students plan accordingly, arrive promptly and prepared. Our goal is to improve overall attendance, grades and graduation rates by creating consequences that do not interfere with instructional time. Alternative consequences should occur for students during “their” time and may include lunch detention, after school detention, Saturday detention all while improving parent communication and accountability from all stakeholders in service of on time behavior.

Tardy *

  • Students who are tardy for class receive consequences according to district guidelines adopted by each school.
  • Consequences for being tardy will be determined by the school administrator. Examples include time in an alternative academic or community service setting (i.e. lunch, after school, Saturday School)
  • Secondary student who misses more than 50% of the class period are considered absent. If excused, parents must notify the school in accordance with the notification procedure established by the school.

Expectations*

Attendance

  • Students are expected to attend school regularly and on time. District policy and state law require daily school attendance for those between 5 and 18, or until graduation from high school.
  • Get your students to school on time every day. (Punctuality and good attendance are family responsibilities.)
  • Keep the school informed of your current contact information by notifying the school of any change of address or numbers.

Students

  • Attend school every day and be on time for every class.

*Taken from APS Student Behavior Handbook

Del Norte’s Consequences for Tardiness

Tardies 1-2

  • Allow into class, verbal warning, record as tardy, classroom consequence

Tardies 3-4

  • Allow into class, verbal warning, record as tardy, classroom consequence, parent contact by teacher documented in Synergy

Tardies 5

  • Allow into class, verbal warning, record as tardy, classroom consequence, parent contact by teacher documented in Synergy, referral for excessive tardies to administration---parent contact by administration, student success contract, 3 days lunch detention Note: Subsequent tardies will require pass from administration staff

Tardies 6-7

  • Parent contact by administration or campus aides to advise of subsequent tardy, contract violation and assigned Saturday School date, pass to return to class

Tardy 8

  • Parent conference scheduled with administration, counseling or truancy prevention specialist to review and amend contract, assign Saturday School date, pass to return to class

Tardy 9

  • Parent contact by administration or campus aides to advise of subsequent tardy, contract violation and assigned Saturday School date, pass to return to class

Tardy 10

  • Parent contact by administration to advise parents of tenth (10) tardy and advise subsequent tardy may result in removal from course, assign Saturday School date, pass to return to class

Dress Code

Please refer to the APS Dress Code Policy at the link below:

https://www.aps.edu/about-us/policies-and-procedural-directives/procedural-directives/j.-students/student-dress

General Guidelines for Prohibited Dress

Albuquerque Public Schools shall prohibit student dress that may present a health or safety hazard, violate municipal or state law, or present a potential disruption to the instructional program. The APS Board of Education shall not allow for the imposition of punishment, discrimination, or disparate treatment against a student based on the student's racial identity, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, cultural or religious identity and observances, household income, body size/type or body maturity or because of the student's use of protective hairstyles or cultural or religious headdresses.

Prohibited clothing and accessories include, but are not limited to:

  • obscene or violent language or images
  • depictions of alcohol or drugs or other illegal item or activity
  • racist content, hate speech, profanity, or pornography
  • accessories that could be considered dangerous or used as a weapon
  • underclothing worn as primary clothing items
  • sheer or see-through clothing
  • swimwear
  • clothing without all sides in the garment

Hair color, length, and style, including hair coverings or styles related to an individual’s personal, cultural, or religious beliefs cannot be considered for disciplinary action.