All About Amity Middle School Orange
SCHOOL HOURS
Office Hours: 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Student Day: 7:34 a.m. – 2:18 p.m.
CONTACTS
Kathy Burke (Principal) - 203-392-3200
Sal Coppola (Assistant Principal) - 203-392-3200
Suzanne Neubauer (Counselor) - 203-392-2082
Sharon Remigio (Counselor) - 203-392-2083
Jennifer Ford (Counseling Dept. Administrative Asst.) - 203-392-2097
Jennifer Zoppi (Psychologist) - 203-392-2094
Patricia Masella (School Nurse) - 203-392-2096
Claire McVey (Social Worker) - 203-392-3200 x2024
TEAMS
Each team consists of an English, Science, Math, Social Studies, and Spanish teacher. Teaming allows teachers to plan inter-disciplinary units, coordinate activities and fieldtrips, and discuss the progress and needs of students. There are two teams for seventh grade (Teams X and Y) and two teams for eighth grade (Teams S and T). Teams are designed by evenly distributing students according to their elementary schools, ability level, and a balance of male and female students.
HOMEWORK
Students are provided with an agenda pad to keep track of homework assignments. Students are required to use the agenda pad and are encouraged to have a homework buddy.
CONTACT WITH TEACHERS
Teachers may be reached by either sending them an e-mail or calling the school directly and leaving a voice message. Teacher e-mail addresses can be found on our school website. The Amity Regional School District provides parents/guardians of students with access to the PowerSchool system, which provides online access to your child’s academic progress. Parents are able to view children’s class progress reports, standardized test scores, class attendance, discipline history, grades, assignments, schedules, current biographical information, and report cards. Teachers are expected to post grades in a reasonable period of time.
PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES
Parents may schedule conferences online after the 1st and 2nd marking periods. Instructions for scheduling conferences will be sent by email. Please consult our school calendar for specific dates of conferences.
TARDY POLICY
Students who are tardy to school must report to the main office to sign in and get a pass to go to class. An excused tardy is given for illness, doctor’s appointments, or other extenuating circumstances.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Amity schools follow the State of Connecticut Guidelines for excused and unexcused absences. This document is available on the Amity School District website: www.amityregion5.org. A parent or guardian must call the school if their child is going to be absent. If we do not receive a phone call, the main office will call the parent/guardian to verify the absence. If your child is expected to be out more than one day due to illness, you must ALSO contact the nurse’s office at 203-392-2096.
A-F DAYS
Our schedule is a 6-day rotating schedule. The five academic classes (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and World Language) and Life Arts classes meet every day. The full-year electives (Band, Choir, Mandarin Chinese, and Strings) meet on alternating days opposite Physical Education. Eighth grade half-year electives are offered opposite Academic Success. Special Services are incorporated on a rotating basis.
LIFE ARTS
Life Arts classes include Art, Health, General Music, and Technical Education. Students are heterogeneously grouped and are not organized by their academic team. Each class meets for one quarter of the year.
ELECTIVES
Every seventh and eighth grade student will choose from Band, Choir, Mandarin Chinese, and Strings opposite Physical Education.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS PERIOD
Students meet with teachers on their respective teams during the last block of the day (daily for seventh grade and every other day for eighth grade). This time is devoted to Silent Sustained Reading (SSR), Smarter Balanced Assessment preparation, extra help, make-up work, developmental guidance, remediation, library media center research, and team activities.
LOCKERS
Each student is assigned a locker at the beginning of the school year. Combinations are recorded by homeroom teachers. Lockers are for individual use only and must remain closed and locked when not in use.
LUNCH
Students can purchase cheeseburgers, chicken patties, deli subs, pizza, fresh salads, daily specials, chips, water, milk, or juice. Each lunch period is 30 minutes long.
ATHLETICS, CLUBS, AND ACTIVITIES
Amity offers basketball, baseball, cross-country, soccer, softball, track and field, field hockey, and boys' & girls’ volleyball. Students must try out for these sports. Parents/guardians are responsible for picking up their children from school after practices and games. Students are required to have a current physical exam in order to participate in any school sport.
BACKPACKS
Backpacks are used to transport material to and from school. No backpacks are permitted in classrooms or in the hallways during school hours. Many textbooks are available online.
DRESS CODE
Clothing should be clean and in good condition and free of obscenities; lewd or vulgar pictures; sexual references; logos or emblems that advertise or encourage the use of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco products; or slogans, names, and titles which are defamatory. Clothing must not be revealing or distracting. Headgear and sunglasses must be removed at a teacher’s request. No coats are permitted to be worn in class. Hats are to be removed in class at the discretion of teacher rules.
LATE BUSES
Late buses are available for students on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They depart the school between 3:30pm and 4:00pm. Students may stay after school for extra help, detention, clubs, activities, or athletics.
EARLY DISMISSAL
Early dismissal from school requires a written request from a parent or guardian. The note must be brought to the main office at the beginning of the school day. Dismissal is generally for doctor’s appointments and family emergencies. Parents or guardians must come into the office and sign out their child before the student may leave the building.
SUPPORT SERVICES
Support Services personnel are available to parents/guardians and students including: school counselors, school psychologist, student assistance counselor, nurse, special education teachers and paraprofessionals, speech and language pathologist, reading consultants, and administrators. Math and Reading remediation are offered to students based on state and district assessment.
SCHOOL COUNSELORS
There is a school counselor for each grade, who follows the class for two years. The school counselor meets with all students either individually or in groups. Students may request a pass to see their school counselor at any time throughout the year. If it is an emergency, your child may see their school counselor without a pass.