Parent and Student Handbook
If your child will be absent or requires an early dismissal, please contact the Student Life Office at (615) 590-6037 or andrew.park@jp2hs.org or the receptionist at shanon.baldini@jp2hs.org.
- School Leadership
- School Overview
- Daily Schedule and Attendance Policy
- Academic and Graduation Requirements
- Academic Expectations and Policies
- Grade Reporting and Policies
- School Counseling Services
- Philosophy of Student Life / Disciplinary Policies
- Campus Ministry
- Extracurricular Activities / Student Life
- Parents
- Inclement Weather
- Appendix A: Weekly Schedule
- Appendix B: Technology (Network, Internet, Device use and behaviors)
School Leadership
Head of School's Office
Michael Deely, Head of School - mike.deely@jp2hs.org
- Karen Phillips, Assistant Head of School for Institutional Development - karen.phillips@jp2hs.org
- Andrew Griffith, Assistant Head of School for Academics - andrew.griffith@jp2hs.org
- Laura Thigpen, Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations - laura.thigpen@jp2hs.org
- Lori Jones, Executive Assistant to the Head of School - lori.jones@jp2hs.org
Academics
Andrew Griffith, Assistant Head of School for Academics - andrew.griffith@jp2hs.org
- Jennifer Dye, Director of Innovation – jennifer.dye@jp2hs.org
- Josh Mauthe, Technology Coordinator – josh.mauthe@jp2hs.org
- Emily Mills, Director of Campus Ministry – emily.mills@jp2hs.org
- Fr. Andrew Forsythe, Chaplain – fr.forsythe@jp2hs.org
- Karen Brown, Registrar – karen.brown@jp2hs.org
- Mary Brahos, School Counselor – mary.brahos@jp2hs.org
- Kelly Hogan, School Counselor – kelly.hogan@jp2hs.org
- Kim Shaver, Director of Student Support – kim.shaver@jp2hs.org
- Casey Raybourne, Director of Knights Success Program – casey.raybourne@jp2hs.org
- Kyle Reynolds, Academics Assistant - kyle.reynolds@jp2hs.org
Student Life
Rachel Grisard, Director of Student Life and Houses – rachel.harrison@jp2hs.org
- Andrew Park, Assistant for Student Life and Campus Ministry - andrew.park@jp2hs.org
- Steve Cleek, Security Officer – steve.cleek@jp2hs.org
- Susan Snyder, School Nurse – susan.snyder@jp2hs.org
Athletics
John Dempsey, Athletic Director - john.dempsey@jp2hs.org
- Brian Sneed, Assistant Athletic Director - brian.sneed@jp2hs.org
- Dana Hanson, Athletic Associate - dana.hanson@jp2hs.org
- Jason Everhardt, Athletic Trainer - jason.everhardt@jp2hs.org
- All coaching staff
Finance and Operations
Laura Thigpen, Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations - laura.thigpen@jp2hs.org
- Betsy Pierpaoli, Controller – betsy.pierpaoli@jp2hs.org
- Vicki Dorr, Business Office Associate – vicki.dorr@jp2hs.org
- Dan Singelyn, Director of Technology – dan.singelyn@jp2hs.org
- Dustin Papendick, Director of Facilities – dustin.papendick@jp2hs.org
- Don Forczek, Maintenance Associate – don.forczek@jp2hs.org
- Buddy Jacobs, Transportation Coordinator - buddy.jacobs@jp2hs.org
- Shanon Baldini, Receptionist – shanon.baldini@jp2hs.org
Admissions and Advancement
Michelle Barber, Dean of Admissions and Advancement - michelle.barber@jp2hs.org
- Charles Wade, Director of Admissions - charles.wade@jp2hs.org
- Pat Kennedy - Admissions Officer - pat.kennedy@jp2hs.org
- Justin Geisinger, Admissions Associate - justin.geisinger@jp2hs.org
- Jennifer Smith, Director of Marketing - jennifer.smith@jp2hs.org
School Overview
Dear Students,
I welcome you to Pope John Paul II High School, one of the finest Catholic high schools in the country. In our short history we have accomplished so much and have gained considerable praise for our Innov8 program, which has redefined the role of STEM/STREAM programs and internships in Catholic education. We always seek to provide our students and their families with the best education possible grounded in our love for, and faith in, God. Our teachers, coaches, staff, board trustees, parents, and diocesan leaders are partners in a great mission that helps transform the lives of our students so they can have a positive influence on God’s world. We thank you for being part of this great school and we are looking forward to making every day at JPII a great day to be a Knight.
Our handbook outlines our curriculum, our program, and our policies. It is a tool to show you the possibilities of seeking new challenges, taking risks, and trying new things. A good education teaches you how to overcome obstacles and not avoid them. At JPII we help and support students to go “beyond themselves” and be part of something bigger. Our policies help us live within a community to make it better. Take time to go through the handbook and understand our community so you may thrive here, and find joy in your time as a Knight.
May God bless you throughout the year and know you always have my support.
Sincerely in Christ,
Michael A. Deely, Head of School
History
Pope John Paul II High School was founded in 2002 by the diocese of Nashville under Bishop Edward Kmiec, now the retired bishop of Buffalo, NY. We opened that year with two grades, ninth and tenth, and added an additional grade each year, becoming a full 9-12 school in 2004-2005. The majority of the student body lives in Sumner or Davidson counties, but there is a strong regional draw, with students hailing from ten different counties, fifty-six different zip codes, and two states. Mr. Hans Broekman was the school’s first head of school and led the school until 2008, followed by Mr. Faustin Weber from 2008-2015, and is now led by Mr. Mike Deely. The school is currently comprised of eighty-five full time faculty and staff, with approximately 574 students.
Mission Statement
Inspired by Faith, Pope John Paul II High School prepares students to be strong in mind, body, character, and spirit for lives of learning and service according to the Gospel.
THE KNIGHTS' QUEST
Questing for faith and wisdom
Understanding responsibility to community
Embracing excellence
Seeking balance in academics, arts, and athletics
Trusting God's Plan for You
School Philosophy
High school is a time of discovery, a chance for students to explore their talents and find out what they truly enjoy doing. We hope students will embrace our school’s Renaissance ideal. We want them to become scholars and people of faith dedicated to the service of others. But we also want them to develop their talents as musicians, artists, orators, thespians, and athletes. We believe when students strive toward excellence in these many areas, they will flourish and live truly happy lives.
Parent-School Partnership
Parents are the primary educators of their children. The school seeks to work in partnership with parents to make the education of their child comprehensive, effective, and inspiring. Parents are encouraged to take an active interest in the progress of their children. They are encouraged to approach faculty members, staff members, or administrators directly by telephone, email, or by appointment. If you have a concern, the first point of contact should be the faculty member or school counselor. If this contact is unsatisfactory or if the parent’s concerns are more general, parents should make contact with the appropriate administrator. General matters of an academic nature should be referred to the Assistant Head of School for Academics. General matters relating to Student Life should be referred to the Director of Student Life.
Because parents are the primary educators, a constructive working relationship between the school and a student's parent or guardian is essential to the accomplishment of the educational mission of Pope John Paul II High School. The school reserves the right to terminate or not renew a student's enrollment contract if the school reasonably concludes that the actions of a parent or guardian makes a positive and constructive relationship impossible or otherwise seriously interferes with the accomplishment of the educational aspirations of the school.
Admissions Policy
Pope John Paul II High School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, nationality, ethnic origin, or gender. Though our first priority is to serve the Catholic community, we welcome students and families of all Christian faiths, united as we are in service to the gospel of Jesus Christ, as well as those from other faith traditions. In these matters, we take inspiration from our namesake, Saint John Paul II, who said:
It is absolutely clear that ecumenism, the movement promoting Christian unity, is not just some sort of "appendix" which is added to the Church's traditional activity. Rather, ecumenism is an organic part of her life and work, and consequently must pervade all that she is and does; it must be like the fruit borne by a healthy and flourishing tree, which grows to its full stature. (John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint, 1995) and
“(Inter-religious dialogue) is often a source of great joy and encouragement. It leads us to discover how God is at work in the minds and hearts of people and indeed in their rites and customs. “ (John Paul II, address to Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, 2001).
Pope John Paul II High School has a competitive admissions process and cannot accept all applicants. We strive to be clear in our admissions process about the qualities and characteristics that we expect of future Knights. First and foremost we seek candidates who value and are committed to the mission of a Catholic school, which means they have a willingness to engage in spiritual growth, understand the teachings of the Catholic Church, and have an openness to living in a community of prayer, service, and discipleship to Jesus Christ. In evaluating applicants, the Admissions office seeks students who have the prerequisite skills to succeed in a college preparatory program, which it determines by an assessment of their prior academic record, recommendations of teachers, a placement test and personal interviews. There exists a wide diversity of academic talent, supported by academic offerings, which allow students to choose between Advanced Placement/Honors courses and College Preparatory selections, depending on aptitude and work ethic. Students must be supported and respectful of others and understand that our rules, policies, and expectations are essential to being successful at the school. Ultimately we desire candidates who seek to understand their God-given gifts and want to push themselves everyday to seek excellence in all that they do with a goal to live a life of service, leadership, and love of all humankind.
Financial Aid
We recognize that the full cost of tuition at Pope John Paul II High School is beyond the means of some outstanding students and families. In order to make JPII affordable to as broad a range of families as possible, the school provides assistance to students with demonstrated need. A separate application for financial aid is necessary and is reviewed by the Financial Aid Committee, which is independent of the Admissions Committee.
Pope John Paul II High School 's admissions decisions are "need-blind". The Admissions Committee makes acceptance decisions well before the financial aid process begins, such that aid requests are not a factor in admissions decisions. At the same time, parents must be realistic in understanding that JPII only awards partial financial assistance and that the responsibility for affording JPII rests primarily with the family.
Daily Schedule and Attendance Policy
The daily schedule at Pope John Paul II High School is structured around an eight-period course load. The schedule provides several advantages. In allowing students to take seven classes each year, the schedule provides exposure to a broad core curriculum, leaves room to take additional electives in AP courses and the arts, and offers opportunities to take non-traditional innovative courses in the eighth period. Due to COVID 19 protocols, Mass takes place on a rotating basis during Theology classes. The Innov8 period allows students full participation in advancement elective courses, STREAM based classes, internships, athletics, and leadership opportunities.
Attendance Policies
Absences
Daily attendance is both a school and a state requirement. We will maintain live and virtual classes during the pandemic and under the conditions impacted by the pandemic. Students will still need to attend classes daily, but parents have the choice to have their students attend school in-person or virtually. Parents must confirm the decision to participate virtually with Mr. Reynolds at kyle.reynolds@jp2hs.org.
Absence Policy and Extenuating Circumstances
If a student misses more than eight class periods in a single course or eight days in a single semester, he or she may be subject to the absence policies outlined below. Unless the absences fall under the excused absence category below, all absences will count towards the absence total each semester.
After a student misses four or more class periods in a given course, the Student Life office will send communication to the student and family outlining the school’s absence policies. Additionally, the Student Life office will inform the relevant teacher, counselor, and academic dean how many classes the student has missed and explain any extenuating circumstance that may have impacted these absence numbers.
If a student misses eight class periods over the course of a semester in a given course or if a student has an extended absence that results in major missing work, it will initiate an Academic Review from the Student Support Team who will review the student’s academic progress and create a make-up schedule for that student across all courses after communicating with teachers. Since Innov8 courses meet fewer times, the attendance policy outlined below will be initiated after four Innov8 absences in a given trimester. Students should prioritize attendance in these classes, as the project nature of the courses makes it difficult to simulate outside of class.
If students are able to complete all work—major and minor assignments—for a given course within the time period created by the academic support team, there will be no adjustments to the grade in a given course.
If, however, the absences or extenuating circumstances require modifications of the expectations other students in the course are expected to meet, the Academic Dean may make adjustments to the grade or the level of the course in accordance with the following general guidelines.
Although teachers have discretion over what make-up work is considered essential for course progress, they should use the following guidelines as a general principle:
- Teachers may decide the minimal requirements necessary to pass a given unit in a course; however, students must complete all major assignments. If teachers waive more than half of the assignments required of other students in a given unit, the maximum score a student can receive for the cumulative total of assignments in a unit is 70%. Teachers may waive a few assignments (e.g., a reading quiz, a class discussion), but major changes in expectations from those of other students will result in the minimum passing grade (70%).
- The student must also complete major assignments in a manner that is consistent with how the teacher defines minimal competency. If a student has not completed the major assessments with a quality that is acceptable to the teacher, the teacher may then assign a CRS for the student to revise the assignment. If the assignment still does not reach minimal competency, the grade for that unit will be the given score on a major assessment or the average scores of the major assessments in a given unit up to a maximum of 70%.
- If a teacher waives more than half of minor assignments for more than one unit in a given semester, the student will receive a standard level credit for that course.
- In order to receive course credit/pass a class, students must complete all major assessments for the course level.
- If the extenuating circumstances or the length of absence makes it impracticable for a student to complete an assignment as originally assigned (e.g., reading a novel to write a paper, completing a lab, etc.), the teacher can create a modified assignment (e.g., writing a paper on a short story, a lab report based on another student’s data, an extra major assessment based on the current unit of study); however, as is the case if exceptions have been made to course requirements as outlined above, the maximum grade that student can receive for that unit of study is 70%.
- If the extended absence or extenuating circumstances are such that a student cannot make up the major assessments while completing current coursework, the student may take an incomplete in order to finish other coursework.
- If the extended absence creates a situation in which the normal tutorial meetings of teachers cannot make-up the work, the school will recommend outside tutors to help make-up the missed content.
- Additionally, the academic support team may recommend that a student withdraw from the school if his or her circumstances prevent successful completion of curricular requirements.
If a student has a physical injury (e.g., a concussion, surgery, etc.) that has an impact on the ability to complete academic assignments, the Academic Review board will use the above guidelines to create a make-up plan for the student. If a student returns to athletic practices/games (e.g., in the event of a concussion), he or she is no longer eligible to receive academic accommodations that were provided during the recovery period.
Students who miss eight days or the equivalent number of hours in a given semester will be ineligible for all extra-curricular activities or school related events that require absences from classes until they make-up all academic requirements. The Student Life office is responsible for communicating this information to coaches, club sponsors, and the leaders of school activities.
If a student misses more than eight days (or the equivalent in hours missed), they must obtain a doctor’s note to excuse future absences without a grade penalty. For those courses in which a student misses more than eight classes without a doctor’s note to account for the absence, the academic support team may recommend a five-point penalty for each course in which a student has missed more than eight classes for each additional day missed.
If a student has missed 12 days or the equivalent number of hours over the course of a semester, the Absence Committee will meet to consider whether the student’s excessive absences combined with missing work endanger the student’s ability to meet course requirements. Except in rare circumstances, students whose absences position them to be unable to complete required course work will be asked to withdraw from JPII for the remainder of the semester; however, if a student leaves in good academic standing prior to the absences and is able to obtain necessary credits elsewhere, that student will be allowed to re-enroll the following semester.
Concussion Protocol and Academic Accommodations
- Accommodations will be permitted on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the school nurse and athletic trainer. Physician's recommendations will be considered, with the final determination made by the school nurse and athletic trainer. The nurse will disseminate information in weekly email regarding health updates.
- Accommodations will continue until cleared by JPII’s athletic trainer. Students must meet with the athletic trainer at the start of each week to reassess continuing in the concussion protocol. Alternatively, physicians on follow up appointments may recommend that students remain in the concussion protocol.
- The goal is to limit the amount of school time a student will miss and the number of assignments missed.
- When a student is removed from concussion protocol, the student meets with his/her counselor to create a plan to make up missed work.
Concussion Guidelines for Parents
- Students should not drive while in the concussion protocol.
- Students should have limited access to phones, computers, and television since these activities cause concussion symptoms to worsen.
- Students should have limited physical activity while in the concussion protocol.
- Families are encouraged to use audio books or PDF readers if reading is creating concentration issues for students.
- Students should not participate in major extra-curricular activities to provide time for rest, which helps the brain recover more quickly.
- Accommodations are provided for a maximum of four weeks before a meeting with the Student Support Team to discuss potential alternative options for academic support.
Concussion Accommodations for Students
- Rest in the nurse’s office when excused from classroom activity.
- Extended time on in-class major assessments.
- Supplemental notes from peers.
- Checks for understanding.
- Subtle cues for attention/focus.
- Breaks when necessary.
- Alternative assessments to technology assignments when possible. Students should only minimally use electronic devices while in the concussion protocol.
- Placement in study hall instead of those classes (strength, band, chorus, active theater classes, etc.) where physical activity or noises may exacerbate concussion symptoms while in the concussion protocol. Students will not receive grade penalties in these classes while in the concussion protocol.
- Students may not attend sports practices while in the concussion protocol.
Accommodations are provided for a maximum of four weeks before a meeting with the Student Support Team to discuss potential alternative options, including using guidelines outlined in the attendance and extenuating circumstance policies outlined above.
Excused Absences
Field trips for educational purposes enhance the learning process. For that reason, school sponsored field trips, approved college day visits, checkouts or absences for athletic events or other activities of rare circumstance that the school has pre-approved do not generally count toward days missed if the procedures below are correctly followed (see below). Even so, if a student is not meeting their educational commitments in a class, the Administration reserves the right to veto this activity. Commitment to one’s studies is a prerequisite for other activities.
With pre-approval from the office of Student Life, juniors and seniors may take two college visit days per year that do not count toward the absence policy. The school, however, encourages families to visit colleges during school breaks.
Procedures for Absence or Tardy
If a student is going to be absent or tardy for any reason, we ask the parents to call the Student Life office (615-822-2375 ex. 6037) by 8:00 a.m. Upon return to school, the student must bring a signed note from his or her parent to the Student Life office. If the absence or tardy is due to a doctor’s appointment, we require that students bring notes from the doctor to avoid some of the grade penalties involved with excessive absences outlined above.
During COVID-19 operations, students arriving at school between 7:50 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. must enter through the chapel doors for an admittance slip. Students arriving after 8:15 a.m. must check in at the main office.
During non-COVID-19 operations, students arriving at school anytime after 7:55 a.m. are required to check in at the main office. They must have a note from the office before going to class. Students who are not in their assigned location by 7:55 a.m. will be marked tardy unexcused and will be assigned a detention, unless they present a parent or medical note to the Student Life office the following day. Students will receive a detention for each unexcused tardy.
Students are permitted five (5) excused tardies with a parent note, unless a doctor’s note is provided. After ten (10) tardies, students will be assigned detentions for each tardy.
Athletic Participation: Students must be in class no later than 10:00 a.m. in order to participate in an athletic practice or game. The only exception to this rule is if the student brings in an official medical note from his or her physician, dentist, or medical provider. Students arriving from a medical appointment must be in school before 12:00 p.m. to be eligible to participate in a game or practice.
While on Campus
No student may leave the campus during the academic day without the permission of the Student Life office. Students who violate this policy are liable for suspension.
During the academic day students that drive to school may not return to their cars without permission from the Director of Student Life or staff from the Student Life office.
During COVID operations, students will not be allowed to enter the school building until 7:15 AM each morning. Students may not congregate in the parking lot but should enter the building as soon as they exit their cars. Students should make sure they allow enough time to proceed through the temperature check station and make it to class before the tardy bell. Students will be allowed to gather before school in designated areas, including the gyms, dining hall, and library. Masks must be worn at all times. Students will report to classrooms at 7:45 AM.
Under normal operations, students are allowed to have lunch and congregate in the courtyard immediately in front of the school. All other outside areas of the campus are off-limits for students from 7:55 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. unless accompanied by faculty.
School Related Absence Policy
Students who are absent from school for school-related activities such as academic competitions or performances, co-curricular activities, field trips, or athletic competitions for an entire class period or more are responsible for work missed and must make up work in a timely manner as designated by their teachers. Students may only attend school related-events if they are in compliance with school attendance policies and are not on academic probation.
College Day Visits
We believe students should visit colleges before committing to schools and encourage families to take these trips with their children. As much as possible, we ask that these be planned so that as little school is missed as possible. This was the original purpose of “Fall Break”—for seniors to visit schools without falling behind. Even so, we allow two missed days per year (with extensions if visiting a far away school):
1. Parents should write the Student Life office and request the college day visit, noting the school and dates.
2. Students should bring back a written verification of the visit by an appropriate college official in the administration office.
3. As with any planned absence, students should consult with their teachers prior to the absence from class and arrange to complete all missed work.
Early Dismissals
Any student who needs to leave school during the academic day for an appointment must submit a note to the Student Life office from the parent/guardian, explaining the reason for Early Dismissal by 7:55 a.m. that day. At the appointed dismissal time, students should report to the main (front) office and sign out. If the student is leaving for a medical or dental appointment, he or she should bring a note from the provider the next day. Non-essential early dismissals are strongly discouraged.
If a student faces an illness during the school day, he or she must first see the nurse in order to leave school during the school day. Balancing the health needs of students with prioritizing that the student attend classes, the school nurse must sign off on a student leaving school during the school day. If the issue relates to mental health (e.g., anxiety attacks, depression, self-harm, etc.), the student should see a counselor before being signed out to leave during the school day.
If the student is leaving for a doctor’s appointment, physical therapy, emotional therapy, etc., he or she should bring a note from the relevant health professional to account for the absence.
If a student will miss school time due to familial obligations (e.g., a sibling’s graduation, a family trip, etc.), he or she must seek prior approval for the absence/early dismissal at least 24 hours prior to the dismissal.
Failure to present proper documentation or gaining prior approval for absences may result in Student Life consequences ranging from detentions, Saturday school, or being placed on the Academic Probation list depending on the frequency and severity of the situation.
After School Attendance
Students are permitted to stay on campus after school if they are involved in a school-sponsored activity, waiting for a bus, or are studying in the Library. Due to our COVID-19 protocols, we ask parents to pick up their students as soon as possible after school. The Library closes at 5:45 p.m. daily. Students must leave campus if they are not participating in a supervised activity. At 5:30 p.m. all students will be asked to leave the building and the doors will be locked unless they are part of a supervised activity. Parents should pick up their students no later than 5:30 p.m. unless they are involved in a supervised activity.
Parents should note that the designated faculty supervisor leaves at 5:45 p.m. daily. A faculty or staff member does not permit students on campus after school in the gyms, weight rooms, or art rooms without supervision.
Attendance Policies due to Inclement Weather or Factors Impacting School
School Closing
Pope John Paul II High School follows its own policies regarding school closings for inclement weather. For the timeliest information, check the school’s web page. Remember that JPII students are from ten different counties, so what may look safe from one person’s home may not be safe in other counties. Though safety will be our ultimate concern in decisions to close, parents are the primary decision-makers for their children. In the event a parent delays sending a child to JPII for reasons of weather and sends a note to the school with an explanation, JPII will regard this as an excused tardy.
Because of distance and geography, there are occasions when the Clarksville or Bowling Green bus will be canceled and students who ride that bus will be excused*, while the remainder of the student body is required to attend school that day.
*When school is in session, but students are impacted by weather, they will be expected to participate in class via virtual learning for the day(s) they cannot get to school.
Late Opening
On some occasions, the school will open late due to weather, or other factors. Check the school’s web page for start time.
Early Closing
On rare occasions, if a serious storm is impending around dismissal time, the school may decide to close early. When the school does so, we will send out an email to all parents and post on our web page. Student drivers will be permitted to leave immediately. It is important that parents of student drivers discuss early closing situations and agree where students should go in these circumstances. Administration is not able to check on every student driver and must assume that student drivers who leave, do so with their parents’ permission.
Emergency Drills
Fire, severe weather, and school lockdown drills will be conducted during the school day at the discretion of the Administration. Students are expected to respond in a quiet and orderly fashion according to these guidelines.
- Fire Drills will be held routinely, without prior notification. The alarm is a loud, high frequency beeping sound that is distinctive, OR an announcement is made “This is a fire drill”. Students are to leave the building in an orderly fashion to designated safe areas. Teachers will direct students to the correct locations. Students may return once the school gives the all-clear signal.
- For Severe Weather/Tornado Drills, an announcement will be made that,“This is a tornado drill”. Students are routed to hallways in designated areas and asked to assume a crouched position facing the wall and to await further instructions. No students may use the bathrooms or be allowed to move away from direct supervision until the drills are over.
- For Safety/School Lock-Down Drills, there will be an announcement over the intercom that says, “This is a school lock-down drill”. We follow the Run, Hide, Secure/Fight method. (RUN) In a true emergency, such as a violent incident, we expect that students should safely exit the building (Run) if capable. Students should then go to the designated safe areas. (HIDE) If students cannot safely exit the building, we expect them to go to a locked down secure room (Hide). Generally this will be the classroom they are in or the nearest room where those who hide inside can lock the door. Students should move away from the doors and windows and remain quiet. If the incident is during class time, teachers will lock the classroom door. If students are out of class for any reason, they will go immediately to the nearest classroom, whether it is his or her classroom or not. Coaches have designated locker-room areas to channel students and lock doors for gym and weight-lifting classes. If the incident occurs outside of class time, all students should go to the nearest classroom. Students in or near the cafeteria should go to the school auditorium quickly, where doors will be secured. While in classrooms, students should sit under windows, away from line of sight from the outside, and away from doors. Students should be quiet, awaiting further instructions. No cellphones are to be out or used during this process. An announcement will declare when conditions are “safe” to return to normalcy. (SECURE/FIGHT) Students may be directed to barricade the door or defend themselves in the (Secure/Fight) scenario. We have partnered with state and local law enforcement to train our faculty, staff, and students in these procedures.
Visitors
During COVI-19 operations, visitors should not come to campus unless requested or approved by a JPII administrator, counselor, or staff member.
All visitors, including parents, must check in at the main office upon arrival on campus. Visitors will be issued a Visitor’s Pass on a lanyard, which they must wear while on campus and return to the main office upon departure. We ask, however, that no visitors come to the school during exam weeks or when other schools are out of school for inclement weather. “Shadow” visitors should check in to the Admissions office at the beginning of the day. *For safety reasons, students should not open the outside doors to any person.
We encourage students to communicate with the Admissions office to invite a friend who may be interested in enrolling at JPII. These are called “Shadow” days. A student who wishes to bring a friend to the school must adhere to certain procedures, including our COVID-19 safety protocols. The JPII student’s parent must notify the school 24 hours in advance that their son or daughter wishes to bring a guest to school. A school representative will confirm the request. The day of the visit, the JPII student should report to the main office to receive a Visitor’s Pass for his or her guest. The guest should return to the main office to check out prior to leaving the JPII campus.
Students should be courteous and polite to all visitors and report to any teacher any person who does not have a Visitor’s Pass. Students should provide directions and answer questions for visitors when asked.
In an effort to maintain safety and order, we do not allow visitors to come to school to have lunch with their friends unless they are part of a Shadow day. Alumni are welcome to visit but only during the lunch hour and not class time. Alumni will be given a special alumni badge to wear while on campus. Visiting alumni must be registered in the Alumni Portal of our database with update contact information.
Academic and Graduation Requirements
Accreditation
Pope John Paul II High School is fully accredited by the Cognia and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools/Advanced Ed.
Academic Program
The academic program at Pope John Paul II High School is committed to instructing students in core disciplines of learning during each of the four years in high school. Our teaching schedule and requirements for graduation reflect this commitment. For each year of attendance at JPII, students will complete eight classes for one credit each (either graded or Pass/Fail) and Christian Service Internship of .25 credits (8.25 credits/yr.). Students will be limited to taking one class Pass/Fail in the regular seven-period rotation and an additional Innov8 class for Pass/Fail credit during the sophomore, junior and senior years. For the departments where four credits are required for graduation, students must take a core course in the department each year. The following distribution of courses is required for graduation from Pope John Paul II High School:
- English (4 credits)
- Fine Arts (2 credits)
- Theology (4 credits*)
- Foreign Language (2 credits**)
- Mathematics (4 credits)
- Physical Education/Wellness (1 credit)
- Science (3 credits)
- Social Studies (3 credits)
- Christian Service Internship (1 credit*)
- Innov8 Courses (3 credits)
- Elective courses (6 credits)
TOTAL: 33 credits
* Theology and service requirements for transfer students in years prior to enrollment at Pope John Paul II High School will be waived.
** The general foreign language requirement for students at JPII is that all students must take two consecutive years of the same foreign language. Exceptional circumstances of international/transfer students will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students are encouraged to take at least three years of foreign language if it is an advantage for applications to their desired university.
Students must earn 8.25 credits per year to advance to the next grade level. Students may not repeat a grade level or retake a course during a subsequent school year. For those who fail classes, the credit must be restored at JPII in our summer school credit restoration program in order to be eligible to advance to the next year at JPII.
Transfer Credits
Transfer credits from accredited institutions are accepted as proof of satisfactory completion of coursework up until the point of transfer. However, due to differences between schools in the weighting of grades and the types of courses that schools offer, the grade point average of transfer students will be based solely on grades earned in courses taken at Pope John Paul II High School. Transcripts documenting credits from other institutions will be sent to colleges along with the JPII transcript.
Transfer students who have spent two or more years at Pope John Paul II High School will be eligible for consideration for valedictorian if the grade point average earned at Pope John Paul II High School computes at the top of the class. A student who has attended Pope John Paul II High School for fewer than four semesters is not eligible for consideration for valedictorian, salutatorian, or honors graduate status.
Academic Deficiencies
A yearly average of 70 or higher constitutes passing. Yearly grades are computed by averaging both semester grades. Students who fail fewer than three classes must successfully complete JPII’s summer credit restoration program in order to be re-enrolled at JPII in the subsequent year. Satisfactory effort and performance must be demonstrated during the summer school sessions, as indicated by a passing grade. Students whose semester average falls below passing in three or more classes may be asked to leave JPII at either the mid-year or year’s end, as indicated by the student’s overall performance.
In addition, students who fail the second semester of any course will be required to attend summer school, regardless of whether the yearly average in the course computes to an average above 70%.
Summer School (Credit Restoration)
Students who earn a grade below 70 (0-69) in a class in any given semester will have the opportunity through an independent online program with tutorial support to restore that credit to a C- (see GPA/transcript section of handbook). Students who earn a D (60-69) range grade in any semester will be given the option to take a summer school/credit recovery course in no more than three semesters. Students in the F (0-59) range grade will be required to attend summer school to matriculate to the following grade level. Based on a review by members of the administration, students may be asked to leave the school based on a combination of following the Academic Probation guidelines and two or more grades below 70.
The summer school courses are designed to be completed independently. In both making up work and building skills from an entire semester requires a significant outlay of students' time. In general, a student should plan to work for about 50 hours per semester per course; however, mastery tests and skills that students develop throughout the school year help reduce the material students are required to retake. To help students throughout this process, they can schedule up to eight hours per semester included in the summer school fee. Students can reserve additional hours of tutoring help at the cost of $25 per hour if they can make arrangements mutually agreed upon with the tutor. Beyond completion of all assigned units in the course, the tutors, in conjunction with the relevant department chair, will communicate the standards students must achieve to earn a 70% in that course. Students who fail to complete summer school will not re-enroll at Pope John Paul II High School for the following school year.
Although these online courses are designed to be completed independently to provide flexibility in the summer for students and families, students must hit benchmarks to continue this independent work. For each semester of summer work, students must complete 25% of the course by June 15; 50% by June 30; 75% by July 15; the entire course, including the exam, by course Registration. Students who have not met these benchmarks will be required to report to school to complete summer school coursework from 9:00-12:00 Monday-Thursday until they have hit these benchmarks. As above, a student's failure to complete the course or make progress throughout the summer will prevent them from re-enrolling at Pope John Paul II High School for the following school year.
Schedule Changes
When registering for classes in the spring prior to the next academic year, students should carefully consider the appropriate classes that will produce the proper balance of challenge and success. If mistakes have been made in course selections, students should notify the Assistant Head of School for Academics or Registrar prior to the end of the first week of classes. Schedule changes requested after the first week of the new academic year must be initiated by the teacher and approved by the Assistant Head of School for Academics.
Academic Expectations and Policies
Philosophy of Curriculum and Teaching
At Pope John Paul II High School, the academic program is centered on intellectual growth that acknowledges and incorporates all essential aspects of the person – the spiritual, social, creative, and physical. Challenging coursework designed to prepare students to confidently pursue further academic life is drawn from each of the following academic disciplines: English/Language Arts, Fine Arts, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Theology. The theology and religious education components of the curriculum are central in the program as each of the other disciplines reflects its connection to the life of faith. Contributing further to the comprehensive development of each student are the fine arts and his or her accompanying productions and performances, which encourage creativity and expression. Athletic participation promotes action and leadership. Co-curricular activities develop the intellectual, leadership and social skills which students translate into service, while the Library and technical resources enhance self-expression and communication skills. Seen as an interlocking network of courses, activities, events and resources, the academic program fosters the development of the whole person.
More important than the sum of its courses or activities, the program at JPII centers on the relationship between the teacher and the learner. The climate established by this relationship is designed to foster learner involvement, engagement, curiosity and passion. Catholic educator, Jacques Maritain, suggests that every individual possesses an “inner vitality”. Like Maritain, we believe that the teacher supports and strengthens that vitality through the quality of interactions with the student. In our goal of developing lifelong learners, we recognize that the caring guidance of teachers who are as devoted to the student as to the subjects they teach is essential if education is true to the pursuit of truth and wisdom.
Moreover, we remember that ‘the learner’ is an individual who possesses a particular collection of talents, abilities and concerns. Guided by our belief that “Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all have the same nature and the same origin…all enjoy an equal dignity”, we translate this value into our program. The program, while common to all students in its goal to offer elements essential to college preparation, individualizes the challenge according to distinct talents and interests.
Academic Course Levels
The program seeks to provide academic coursework, which challenges a broad range of talents and areas of strength and is designed for all graduates to be eligible to attend college. To this end, coursework is offered at several levels of challenge: College Preparatory, Honors, and Advanced Placement.
- College Preparatory – Coursework at this level requires a variety of study skills and learning habits. Independence in completing daily assignments, accomplishing individual projects and understanding the major concepts of content is expected. Students must display sufficient motivation to complete tasks. Competent performance at each level of the critical thinking hierarchy will be strengthened in order to ensure that students are well prepared to meet the academic demands of college.
- Honors – Coursework at this level requires that students demonstrate a higher degree of self-direction and performance. They will manage more extensive projects and reading outside of class. Both a faster pace and frequent demands for higher-level thinking and problem solving are expected. Students will be expected to demonstrate greater knowledge and analytical criticism in all areas of assessment.
- Advanced Placement – Work on the advanced placement level is comparable to college level work. College-level textbooks, outside reading, various types of research projects and presentations, as well as rapid pacing, establish rigorous academic demands. Regular demonstration of higher-level cognitive skills and wider command of the content must be demonstrated in all academic activities of the class. Students are instructed in both the content and skill areas particular to the College Board AP examinations for the course. Sitting for the National AP Examination in May is a requirement for completion of the course.
Exam Policy
At the end of each semester, comprehensive final assessments are administered in each class. Students who expect to be successful in college must know how to prepare for and pass a comprehensive exam. Each teacher will prepare and administer an exam at a designated day and time (as specified on a schedule published by the Dean of Studies each term). Students must sit for the full length of the exam – no early dismissals will be granted. Suggested exam time for College Preparatory and Honors courses is two hours and for the Advanced Placement level, three hours.
Senior Exam Exemption Policy
Seniors who have achieved a minimum average of 80 in a course for the second semester may be granted exemption from the second semester exam in that subject. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors must take all exams scheduled.
Homework
Homework is essential to success at JPII. College bound students must develop study techniques and discipline to do work on their own.
Homework is assigned daily in amounts that reflect the level of difficulty and demand of the course. At Honors levels, daily homework will be more challenging but manageable as all teachers consider the range of both academic and extra-curricular demands placed on their students. Extended assignments and projects will be assigned over longer periods of time, which allow students to break up the work into reasonable daily segments.
In addition to the quantity of homework that a student completes, the quality of the product will also be monitored. Clear expectations of the product’s physical appearance and basic guidelines for acceptable quality are presented to the students early in the academic year and adhered to throughout the year. Since homework constitutes a significant assessment tool in most classes, students are held accountable for its quality and appropriate consequences are assigned if it fails to meet acceptable standards.
Library Hours of Operation
Library hours are 7:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. During COVID-19 operations, all students must practice social distancing and wear masks or face shields while in the library.
Tutoring (office hours)
During COVID-19 operations, tutorials will occur before and after school Monday through Thursday according to the published schedule.
During normal operations, the academic departments at JPII offer free tutoring for their students during the common lunch every day. In addition, teachers may make individual arrangements with students to receive help before school in the morning or in the afternoon. Students who are struggling in their classes are encouraged to seek extra help. Though tutorials are not “required” as a matter of general school policy, teachers may require individual students to attend certain tutorials in order to make up missing work or remediate misunderstandings.
Academic Probation Policy
The goal of Academic Probation is to ensure that students gain the support that they need to be successful academically while also helping students learn accountability. A grade report is run each Friday, starting the third week of each semester to determine academic status for the following week and the level of support provided to the student. All students will begin each school year (semester one) Academically Clear. However, students with two or more grades below 70 will begin semester two on academic probation. To scale the consequences and level of support to student needs, students fall into four categories concerning the probation process.
- Academically Clear: Students maintain grades of 70 or above in all or all but one of their classes. If students have concerns or need additional support, we encourage them to reach out to their teachers or counselor.
- Academic Concern: Students are temporarily placed on the Academic Concern list if they have either (a) two to three D's (60-69) range grades or (b) one or more F's (0-59) range grades. After either two consecutive weeks or three weeks within a semester, a student moves from Academic Concern to Academic Probation (see below). Students on the Academic Concern list will be contacted by the Director of Student Life and Houses to evaluate the need for additional support and the family being contacted concerning probation policies by a member of the staff of the Assistant Head of School for Academics. Note, if a student's grades (e.g., four or more D's and F's or two or more F's) exceed the criteria for Academic Concern, that student will be Academically Ineligible.
- Academic Probation: Students on academic probation will meet with the Student Support Coordinator or a School Counselor to create a contract to determine the conditions of remaining eligible for extracurricular activities. This contract is an Academic Support Plan, and the length of each contract will last for four weeks. The contract will be signed by the student, the student's parent(s)/guardians, the Student Support Coordinator, the student's School Counselor, and the Assistant Head of School for Academics. Students will choose the personalized contract, including meetings with teachers, counselors, and targets for work completion and adjustments in study habits. The Student Support Coordinator will evaluate whether students have met their commitments weekly to determine whether they remain on Academic Probation or are placed on the Academic Ineligibility list. As Academic Probation aims to develop strong academic habits and learn to access support networks, students remain on Academic Probation for the contract's duration. If a student does not meet the terms of their contract, he or she will be placed on the Academic Ineligibility list; however, after the contract ends, the student will either be offered another contract to maintain eligibility or, hopefully, work their way towards Academically Clear.
- Academic Ineligibility: Students are placed on the Academic Ineligibility list if they have two or more F's (0-59) or a combination of 4 or more D's (60-69) or F (0-59) range grades. Additionally, students who did not meet the terms of their contract (Academic Support Plan) while on Academic Probation will be placed on the Academic Ineligibility list. For at least two weeks, students who are Academically Ineligible cannot participate in extracurricular activities outside of school hours or participate in activities that remove them from class. Those students who are Ineligible will either have meetings (e.g., with a counselor or teacher) or attend study halls. Academically Ineligible students will be required to attend four before or after school tutorials per week assigned by the School Counselor. To be removed from Academic Ineligibility after the mandatory two-week period, students must raise their grades to have no more than one F and no more than three grades in the D/F range (only one of which can be in the F range). Students removed from the Ineligibility list will be placed back on Academic Probation with a new contract/Academic Support Plan.
Grade Reporting and Policies
Grade Reporting
Official grade reporting will occur on a semester basis and ‘frozen’ on the Report Card tab of the Veracross reporting system. Since student progress in any class may be monitored on a daily basis through the Parent Portal on Veracross, official grade reports will be printed and mailed only upon request. Semester Grades in each full credit class will be assigned at the end of the term. Final grades in the course will be computed by averaging the two semester grades. Both semester and final course grades will be posted on the transcript. For half credit courses, the semester grade is complete in itself.
Weighted /Un-weighted Grading Scale
Students are encouraged to take courses that challenge and demand expansion of their talents and skills. In recognition of the more rigorous demands made of students who pursue advanced level coursework, we reward the effort with the calculation of a weighted GPA and numeric average. Grades earned in Honors or Advanced Placement classes will be assigned additional points for purposes of computing weighted GPA. Three points will be added to the numeric average of grades earned in Honors classes while five points will be added to those earned in Advanced Placement courses. While quarterly grade reports will reflect only un-weighted numeric course averages, student transcripts will indicate un-weighted numeric averages, weighted, and un-weighted GPAs.
JPII GPA Calculations
Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated each semester based on the grades students earn at the end of each semester. 80% of each semester grade is based on assessments throughout the semester and 20% for semester exams. On the transcript, numerical grades are converted to letter grades based on the conversions below. In the college application process, JPII generates three GPA points. The first is the unweighted 4.0 GPA scale, e.g., without weights added for Honors and Advanced Placement courses. The second is the weighted GPA, with +.3 quality points being added for Honors courses and +.5 quality points added for AP courses. For Hope Scholarship eligibility, the school also creates a converted Tennessee Uniform Grading Policy GPA.
Students who earn a D (60-69) range grade in any semester will be given the option to take a summer school/credit restoration course in no more than three semesters. Students in the F-range grade will be required to attend summer school to matriculate to the following grade level. Based on a review by members of the administration, students may be asked to leave the school based on a combination of following the Academic Probation guidelines and three or more grades below 70.
College Preparatory Program
- 4.0 (A): 93-100
- 3.7 (A-): 90-92
- 3.4 (B+): 87-89
- 3.0 (B): 83-86
- 2.7 (B-): 80-82
- 2.4 (C+): 77-79
- 2.0 (C): 73-76
- 1.7 (C-): 70-72
- 1.4 (D+): 67-69
- 1.0 (D): 63-66
- .7 (D-): 60-62
- 0.0 (F): 59 and below
Honors Courses (+.3)
- 4.3 (A): 93-100
- 4.0 (A-): 90-92
- 3.7 (B+): 87-89
- 3.3 (B): 83-86
- 3.0 (B-): 80-82
- 2.7 (C+): 77-79
- 2.3 (C): 73-76
- 2.0 (C-): 70-72
- 1.7 (D+): 67-69
- 1.3 (D): 63-66
- 1.0 (D-): 60-62
- 0.0 (F): 59 and below
Advanced Placement (+.5)
For the Class of 2021 and future JPII classes
- 4.5 (A): 93-100
- 4.2 (A-): 90-92
- 3.9 (B+): 87-89
- 3.5 (B): 83-86
- 3.2 (B-): 80-82
- 2.9 (C+): 77-79
- 2.5 (C): 73-76
- 2.2 (C-): 70-72
- 1.9 (D+): 67-69
- 1.5 (D): 63-66
- 1.2 (D-): 60-62
- 0.0 (F): 59 and below
Tennessee Lottery GPA
For purposes of qualifying for the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) programs, transcripts are created that have both the JPII grading scale and the Tennessee Uniform Grading Policy (TUGP). This JPII and TUGP GPAs may differ due to the lack of differentiation of the TUGP grading scale. This complies with the opinion set forth by the state Attorney General and the requirements of the Tennessee General Assembly in creating the TELS.
Class Rank
Except to determine valedictorian and salutatorian, JPII does not rank students. Increasingly, schools are abandoning a ranking system that encourages the type of competition among students that undermines a cooperative and supportive classroom climate. Such systems either encourage students to take courses for the wrong reasons or discourage students from taking more challenging courses over concern about damage to class rank. Decile groupings will be made available to colleges along with both the un-weighted and weighted GPAs. This will provide information about a student’s academic status and relative place in class without accentuating the negative aspects of the ranking system.
Faculty and Head of School’s Lists
The Assistant Head of School for Academics publishes a Faculty List and a Head of School’s List at the end of each semester to recognize outstanding scholarship. Students who earn grades at ‘A’ level in all but one of their core classes and ‘B’ level in the remaining class will be named to the Faculty List. Students achieving ‘A’s in each core class will be named to the Head of School's List.
School Counseling Services
The mission of Pope John Paul II High School’s school counseling department is to provide a comprehensive counseling program addressing the academic, college/career, and personal/social development of all students. Services include individual counseling, academic support, college planning, and student and family advocacy. Our goal is to promote a commitment to health, personal, academic, and spiritual growth, and to aid students in becoming responsible, culturally aware, and productive members of society. Our mission and our goal will be supported and further strengthened by consultation with teachers, staff, administrators, parents, and community advocates.
Counseling Office Structure and Contact Information
Pope John Paul II High School has a comprehensive counseling team consisting of two full-time certified academic counselors and a student support coordinator. Students are assigned to a primary counselor based on the House System. To access these assignments and each counselor’s contact information, please visit the School Counseling section of the JPII website.
The counselors provide many services to students and parents, including personal/social counseling, academic support, college and post-secondary planning, wellness programming, and student and family advocacy. The student support coordinator helps students and parents dealing with more challenging personal issues that impact wellness and academic success. The School Counseling office is located across from the Student Life office on the main academic hallway. Students and parents are welcome to schedule counseling appointments in person, by email, or by phone. In addition, parents and faculty/staff have access to a confidential online referral form that is submitted directly to the counseling office. This form can be found on the School Counseling section of the JPII website.
Counseling Office Services
Individual Counseling and Group Counseling
Academic Advising and College and Career Planning
Community Education Programs
Comprehensive Student Wellness Support
Comprehensive Community Wellness Support
Student and Family Advocacy
Crisis Counseling
PSAT, PreACT, and AP Testing
Academic Support
Academic support starts in the classroom, but many – if not most – students benefit from additional support outside the classroom. In a rigorous academic environment, counselors can provide continued monitoring of progress, conversations around growth with students and families, and continued provision of resources for success as necessary. We believe academic success is part of a comprehensive approach to student development.
Personal and Social Support
Students in school are not just classroom learners but developing individuals. School counseling is built on the belief that schools should care for the development of the whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, physical, and social/emotional well-being. The counseling department at Pope John Paul II High School provides a safe space for students to explore developing self-confidence, a sense of belonging to the school environment, habits of lifelong learning, and personal autonomy.
Wellness Program
Pope John Paul II High School has a wellness program that addresses student support on an individual and community-wide level. A Student Support Team (SST) consists of representation from counseling, student life, academic affairs, campus ministry, accommodations, athletic training, admissions, and the school nurse. The SST meets every other week to discuss and create an action plan for individual students identified as potentially needing additional academic and/or personal/social support.
The second component is wellness programming for the entire school community. Examples of previous wellness programming include a school wide wellness week, an all school assembly on mental health and adolescents, and a student and parent program on cyber awareness and safety. These programs seek to educate students, parents, and faculty/staff on various topics currently impacting the health and wellbeing of our school community.
College and Post-Secondary Planning Support
The School Counseling office at Pope John Paul II High School offers various college and post-secondary planning services to students and parents. These services include counseling meetings with individual students, counseling meetings with families, grade level assemblies and classroom meetings, evening and weekend programs for students and parents, individual visits with college representatives, and a school wide college fair. It is common during a school year, for the counseling department to host the following programs related to the college and post-secondary planning process:
- Mock admission exercise for senior students
- Two College Application Saturday Programs for senior students
- Recommendation Letter Writing Workshop for Teachers
- College/Post-Secondary Information Night Program for Twelfth Grade Parents
- College/Post-Secondary Information Night Program for Eleventh Grade Parents
- College/Post-Secondary Information Night Program for Ninth and Tenth Grade Parents
- School wide College Fair - over 140 colleges represented
- Individual meetings with college admission representatives
- Paying for College: Information on the Financial Aid and Scholarship Process
- Transitioning to College: A Discussion With a Panel of JPII Alumni - program for senior students
- College Workshop for Junior Students and Parents - workshops led by college admission professionals on a variety of topics related to the college search and application process
- College/Post-Secondary Decision Day Celebration for senior students
The School Counseling office will send, by request of the student, academic records and letters of recommendation to accredited institutions and organizations and their representatives for the purposes of students being evaluated for admission or scholarships. Confidential letters of recommendation for scholarship and admission are considered to be the property of the author, not the student, and may be rescinded at any time. If there are specific institutions or organizations a family does not want records released to, they should notify the School Counseling office, in writing, of the specific omission requests.
Outside Referral Process
The school counselors at Pope John Paul II High School adhere to the American School Counselor Association’s position on confidentiality. School counselors believe that the relationship between students and their school counselor requires an atmosphere of trust and confidentiality. Students must trust their counselor in order to enter into a meaningful and honest dialogue with them. However, students will be informed that exceptions to confidentiality exist in which counselors must inform others of information they obtained in the counseling relationship in order to prevent serious harm to themselves, to others, or if it is legally required. The school counseling department at JPII recognizes the primary obligation for confidentiality is to the student; however, that obligation must be balanced with an understanding of the family or guardian’s legal and inherent right to be the guiding voice in their children’s life.
If a student expresses a desire to cause harm to him/herself or to others, the school counselor will inform the student that confidentiality must be broken. The counselor and student will contact the student’s parents or legal guardians to make them aware of the situation. The counselor will provide the parents or legal guardians with a list of outside resources and agencies that can further assess the student’s situation and recommend appropriate treatment. If appropriate, school administrators, such as the Head of School, Assistant Head of School for Academics, and Dean of Students will be notified so that they can help establish a system of support for the student.
If a student is working with a mental health professional outside of school, such as a psychologist, physician, counselor, and/or social worker, it is often beneficial for the student’s primary counselor to serve as a liaison between the school and the outside resource/agency. In order for this communication to begin, the consent of a parent or legal guardian is required. If parental/guardian consent is granted, the counselor may consult with outside professionals in order to establish a support network that extends both inside and outside of school.
If a student reports that harm is being done to them, i.e., physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and/or psychological harm, the counselor will file a report with the Department of Children’s Services.
Philosophy of Student Life / Disciplinary Policies
Pope John Paul II High School intends to create a Catholic culture that fosters and develops a sense of morality, responsibility, and social consciousness within a supportive, cooperative Christian community. Any analysis of the human condition reveals a need for moral reflection to develop the cognitive side of character, the part of our moral selves that goes beyond individual autonomy and subjective feelings. To develop empathy and caring, students need first hand experience performing caring actions and following a school philosophy that makes service a priority. To enhance moral character, Pope John Paul II High School hopes to go beyond fixed moral virtues like honesty and emphasize emotional maturity, self-esteem, perseverance, and a sense of duty. In a community that promotes values and character, mature students are able to identify and resist the powerful phenomenon of peer pressure and follow their own path. They have the strength and empathy to respond to others in distress and are able to confront perpetrators who taunt or harass fellow students. Good character is also dependent on self-control and curbed self-indulgence. The practice of genuine openness to the truth can keep prejudice, self-righteousness, anger, and arrogance outside Pope John Paul II High School.
Philosophy of Discipline
The preeminent goal of Catholic education is to partner with parents to develop virtuous students who live a Christ-centered life where love of God, oneself and one’s name make our school a safe, secure, and kind community. Aspiring to participate in that broader goal, Pope John Paul II High School’s program of discipline is designed to form and educate students, rather than simply punish. Disciplinary infractions are opportunities for growth. We believe that we first create a safe and healthy environment by selecting students through the admissions process who have a demonstrated history of good behavior and parents who have the same goals and commitments to wellness as the rest of our JPII community. We introduce the disciplinary policies from day one to our students and attempt to be consistent and clear in our enforcement from day one. We try to identify problems early and to use our Student Support Team, which includes our administrators, counseling, and spiritual leaders to help work with students who are struggling to comply. We also engage the parents early in the process if we are trying to correct mistakes or change a negative pattern of behavior. Finally, we believe in seeking outside resources from mental health professionals and other community resources that can help us solve problems before more disciplinary actions occur
The administration reserves the right to expel immediately any student who poses a threat to the health and safety of any student, including to the student himself, or whose conduct has been so egregious that immediate removal from the school community is needed to protect the community and/or the reputation of the school.
Community
The Pope John Paul II High School approach to community centers on fellowship and family. This communal focus demands that we treat as morally wrong any action by any individual or group that violates the moral foundation of the community. To achieve solidarity, the school stresses building relationships on the principles pertaining to work, physical space, kinship, spirituality, and shared values. The school provides a moral environment that emphasizes charity and empathy and keeps them in the forefront of everyone’s consciousness. Through practice a value becomes a virtue, allowing students to go beyond intellectual awareness and integrate the personal habits of thinking, feeling, and acting for the benefit of the whole school community.
Kinship
The development of kinship in a school community means allowing students to broaden friendships by getting acquainted with new persons with different backgrounds, experiences, and ideas. There is also a need for young people to find acceptance, recognition, belonging, and status in social groups. Students learn kinship by living it. They need to interact, form relationships, work out problems, and grow as a group. Pope John Paul II High School is dedicated to providing positive social interactions in school, enabling students to learn from firsthand experience the lessons of fair play, cooperation, forgiveness, and dignity. The Catholic tradition promotes the common good. Students need to feel membership in and responsibility to the school community.
Service
To promote Christian action and empathy, students participate in community service projects. By acknowledging the responsibilities of a Christian life together, students are able to go beyond their private interests and create solidarity with those in crisis. Together, students can examine the issues of race, poverty, and aging within the context of the Church’s social teachings. The interactive participation of all individuals in service and other activities establishes that each student has something to contribute. Collectively, students can improve face-to-face communication, learn to listen respectfully, and take part in group decision-making.
Work
Pope John Paul II High School seeks to establish the moral importance of hard work. Students learn the value of hard work and the ability to delay gratification for the purpose of obtaining future goals. Also students develop the notion of valuing the opportunity to learn, making a commitment to excellence and being persistent when faced with possible failure. It is only when a student is challenged that he or she is able to grow as an individual and as a community.
To foster the virtue of hard work, Pope John Paul II High School emphasizes a learning community that celebrates student successes, values people, develops individual talents, and promotes diligence and the practice of self-discipline.
Disciplinary Actions
The school recognizes that students are learning accountability to others and that our rules guide them in proper living. Violations of the rules lead to accountability and forgiveness but the two are not separate. Students can be forgiven, reconciled to those harmed, and given a chance to learn from mistakes, but they also must be accountable and held to consequences. We recognize that there are minor and major infractions and in kind we have consequences appropriate to the mistake. Disciplinary infractions will result in the following consequences as deemed appropriate by the Administration:
Minor Disciplinary Actions: Consists of actions that are in violation of school policies but not of a nature that violates laws, harm to self or others, or requires removal from the school. The consequences for these actions generally consist of warning or detention.
- Minor disciplinary actions will result in an after-school detention (see below).
- Teachers or staff will issue detentions and a written copy will be given to the student and to the Student Life office.
- Student Life will track detentions and keep the Counseling office informed in order to identify patterns in student behavior.
Detention
- Students are required to attend detention from 3:15 - 4:00 p.m. All detentions are served Tuesday and Thursday.
- Failure to attend will result in a major disciplinary action (see below). Detentions take priority over all extra-curricular activities, except previously scheduled games.
- Saturday detentions may be assigned for repeated behaviors or behavior deemed serious but not requiring a suspension. Students for Saturday detentions will receive notice from the Student Life office and be required to attend either a two-hour or four-hour detention starting at 8:00 a.m. in the Student Life office.
- During detentions students may either be required to sit quietly in a room and not do homework or they may have the option to help with recycling or cleaning the campus.
Violations that will result in a Detention
Attendance: Truancy (absent from class), excessive tardiness, or absences.
Behavior: Disrespect towards a peer or staff, dress code violations, use of cellphone during school hours, leaving backpacks unattended, profanity/foul language, public displays of affection, littering inside or outside of the building or disrespect towards school property, disruptive behavior during class, Mass, or an assembly.
Safety: Being in an unauthorized or unsupervised area, opening secure doors to let someone in from the outside or propping doors open, non-compliance with emergency procedures or drills, failing to wear ones ID and school lanyard, rough housing.
Major Disciplinary Actions: Consists of actions that are in violation of school policies, and potentially violate civil law, harm to self or others, and may require removal from the school. The consequences for these actions generally consist of suspension, probation, or expulsion. A disciplinary review board, consisting of academic leadership, student life leadership, and counselors will review the circumstances subject to all major disciplinary action.
- In-School Suspension: Students will be assigned to report to the Student Life office for the entire school day.
- Assigned if there is a concern that a student could not be properly supervised outside of school or for other reasons as determined by the Dean of Student Life.
- Reserved for major disciplinary infractions that are not reported to colleges.
- Out-of-School Suspension: Students may not come to school until a day identified by the Dean of Student Life
- Assigned for a violation that requires a student to be separated from others at the school or is of a nature that is serious. During the time of the suspension the Administration determines if a student can return to school or if further investigation is needed.
- Students must declare any suspension to a postsecondary institution, when requested on an admission application. The school requires counselors to report suspensions on college application materials. A review by the Administration will determine if there is a reason not to report the suspension to colleges.
Violations that will result in a Suspension
Attendance: Excessive tardiness after warnings to correct the problem, truancy.
Behavior: Cheating, excessive detentions, excessive dress code detentions, gambling, lying, possession of tobacco or a vape, racist or sexist comments or behavior, smoking or vaping, theft, unauthorized audio or visual recording of others, vandalism.
Safety: Bullying, cyber bullying, fighting, hazing, threatening harm to others in person/via others/ and through technology or social media.
- Probation:
- Students are notified that any further disciplinary infraction will result in expulsion.
- Expulsion:
- Students who have demonstrated behavior or taken action that seriously threatens the safety of themselves or others, and is clearly in conflict with the mission of the school, will have to leave the school immediately. Students will not be allowed to reapply to Pope John Paul II High School unless there has been a review by the Administration that allows for reapplication in the future.
Violations that will result in Expulsion
- Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at school, at a school event off campus, fighting or the threat of violence, possession of alcohol, drugs, drug paraphernalia, serious disrespect towards school officials or law enforcement, sexual harassment, racist actions, repeated Veritas violations, failure to comply with counseling and or probation recommendations, violation of probation, failure to comply with school safety directions.
- Parent behavior that is threatening or harassing can lead to the removal of a student from the school but not listed as expulsion.
Disciplinary and Behavior Issues (By Category and Alphabetically)
Academic Integrity
Pope John Paul II seeks to foster the development of people of character who live out the lessons from the gospel and learn to make moral decisions. In academics, students are expected to complete their work with integrity and honesty. Student grades and assignments are expected to reflect his or her own work, and dishonest means of attempting to earn credit will result in serious consequences.
Consequences for cheating, plagiarism, or any form of academic dishonesty will include but are not limited to receiving a zero on the assignment and a referral to the Director of Student Life and the Disciplinary Review Board. Multiple referrals or more serious violations of the academic integrity policy will result in a hearing by the Disciplinary Review Board to discuss further consequences, including suspension and Student Life probation. Suspensions due to academic dishonesty will be reported to colleges. Egregious violations or patterns of uncorrected behavior may result in dismissal from Pope John Paul II High School. If a dismissal is a potential consequence, the Disciplinary Review Board will invite the Head of School and hear from the student and a parent or guardian before making a recommendation to the Head of School. The Head of School may dismiss students from the school for violations of the Academic Integrity policy or other school policy breaches.
Although not an exhaustive list, the below are examples of academic dishonesty that will not be tolerated at JPII:
- Copying any part of someone else's homework, quiz, test, or any assignment designated as individual work and/or knowingly allowing another student(s) to copy answers on assessments.
- Using any sources not authorized by the teacher during an assessment (e.g., homework, lab, quiz, test, or other assignments).
- Submitting work from another student or allowing another student to submit one's work in their name.
- Stealing tests, quizzes, answer keys, or any assignment belonging to another student or teacher.
- Continuing to work on a quiz or test after being instructed to stop.
- Attempting to cheat (e.g., possession of unauthorized notes or resources on a quiz or test).
- Falsifying grades and/or altering assignments with the intention of resubmitting assignments for an improved grade.
- Committing an act that is dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent to achieve academic success.
- Plagiarism or using someone else's ideas or words as if they are your own. Plagiarism includes verbatim copying without acknowledgment or citation, paraphrasing another's work or ideas, combining multiple uncited sources to present the ideas as one's own, or using public domain resources intended to aid with cheating.
Disciplinary Review Board
The Disciplinary Review Board is an advisory committee to the Head of School. The board consists of a committee of the Assistant Head of School for Academics, the Dean of Students, the Director of Student Life and Houses, select teachers, and a counselor. The board's purpose is to review serious disciplinary issues and provide different perspectives to help the Head of School make a just decision consistent with the Catholic mission of Pope John Paul II High School. The Disciplinary Review Board deliberates and makes recommendations to the Head of School on serious disciplinary and honor code infractions. Although each incident will be reviewed individually, the Disciplinary Review Board will take into account prior incidents in providing guidance on consequences.
Disciplinary Probation
Minor infractions (see Philosophy of Student Life/Disciplinary Policies in the handbook) are handled by individual faculty and staff, who report these infractions to the Student Life Office. A student may be placed on probation by the Director of Student Life and Houses for accumulated infractions of school rules and regulations. If the improvement of behavior is not evident, the student will be brought before the Disciplinary Review Board to make recommendations on suspension or potential dismissal to the Head of School.
Suspension
Suspension is used only for serious reasons or a pattern of behavior, as addressed in Disciplinary Probation above. For suspensions, the student will be interviewed by a member of the Disciplinary Review Committee and informed of the decision. The Head of School reserves the right to call a meeting of the Disciplinary Review Board for advice on decisions. Parent(s) or guardian(s) are initially informed by the Dean of Students or Director of Student Life and Houses by a phone call and then by a suspension letter and its consequences. The Student Life Office may request a conference with the parent/guardian before a student can return to class. Students must make up all of the work missed due to the suspension; however, late penalties apply to all work missed due to that suspension. Suspensions, including the offense's nature, may be reported by Pope John Paul II High School as part of the post-secondary application process.
Dismissal
If a student commits a serious disciplinary offense liable to dismissal, he or she, along with the parents or guardians, will attend the Disciplinary Review Board hearing. The committee will discuss the offense with the student and hear from the parents or guardians. Upon conclusion of the meeting, the board deliberates and makes recommendations to the Head of School concerning a course of disciplinary action based on the evidence and testimony given during the meeting. The decision may be accepted or rejected by the Head of School, who will be the final arbiter.
Attendance
- Excessive Tardiness: See attendance policy.
- Truancy: Attendance at school is not just a school policy, but also a state requirement. Students who miss school without an excuse are truant and those who help them miss school are complicit in the violation. Truancy can include missing even one class, particularly if neither the school nor a parent is aware of or has excused the absence.
Behavior
- Backpacks: For iPad protection students must keep their iPads secured in their backpack. Leaving backpacks unattended poses a serious risk for damage or theft of the iPad and a safety concern in the hallways. Students will lock their backpack in their lockers, keep it on their person, or with them in the classroom. *During COVID protocols, students are not assigned lockers; therefore, backpacks will be kept on the person.
- Cheating: Students who borrow without permissions, copy, or use aid to gain academic advantage are guilty of cheating. See ACADEMIC INTEGRITY above.
- Cellphone Use: As a 1:1 school, we have eliminated the “need” for a cellphone during school hours. There are to be no cellphones out from 7:55 a.m.-3:10 p.m. Cellphones should be stored in the student’s locker (backpack during COVID protocols) and the ringer turned off. Cellphones are not to be carried on the person. Any phone that is out during the day will be confiscated and brought to the Student Life office and the student will receive a detention. If a student violates this policy three times in a semester the student will receive an in-house suspension. Parents are not to call, text, or email their child during the academic day. For emergency and critical situations, parents can contact the school office at 615-822-2375 and press five to leave a message to be relayed to the student.
- Cursing: We believe words reflect character. Therefore, cursing and profanity should not be used in public settings.
- Disrespect towards a peer or teacher: We are more than a school; we are a family. We believe that you must love your neighbor as yourself – our rules imply that we live a Christ-centered life. Being mean, disrespectful, or rude to anyone at school is not acceptable. This also applies to our opponents at games. We may cheer and banter with our rivals, but we will not do so in a manner that is counter to who we are as a Catholic school. At games our cheerleaders and our Blue Man Group will help cheer with spirit and with sportsmanship.
- Disruptive behavior during class or Mass: Prayer and learning are the two most important things we do as a community at JPII. No student should distract others from prayer or learning. During prayer and Mass students are to be attentive. Sleeping, interrupting others, or showing any irreverence are forms of disruptive behavior. While in the classroom students should not lead the teacher off topic from their lesson plan or interrupt other students. Faculty may choose to dismiss a student from class for disruptive behavior in order to maintain order and safety. If a student is dismissed from class for any reason, he or she must report immediately to the Student Life office.
- Dress Code violation: See Uniform Guidelines Infractions.
- Drugs, Tobacco, and Alcohol: It is illegal for minors to possess, use, or sell drugs, tobacco, or alcohol. Drug paraphernalia is also not allowed. The school has the ability to conduct random drug testing on any student (see drug-testing policy). Our primary concern is the student’s risk of addiction, legal sanctions, or danger to health from the use of drugs, tobacco or alcohol. We are here to assist families with these issues if they are open to our help. However, we will issue consequences related to the cooperation of the student and the parent. Vaping is a growing concern and is also prohibited. Addiction to tobacco has long-term consequences and we treat the use of tobacco as a violation of the larger policy.
- Littering or disrespecting school property: Our school is a special place and something we should take pride in and keep immaculate. Every student must take ownership of making JPII look great. Students must clean up after themselves at lunch; our custodial staff is here to help us maintain the campus but not here to clean up things we can manage ourselves. Desks in classrooms as well as chairs in the library and the dining hall should all be returned to their appropriate place. Parking spots in the lots are the responsibility of the driver - no trash should be left behind. Locker rooms must be kept orderly and teams must keep their lockers and their busses clean as part of their commitment to the team and the school. Students should not lie down on the couches, sit on the arms of the chairs, or put their feet on the furniture.
- Public displays of affection: We strive to build healthy relationships amongst our students. However, we expect modesty and appropriate displays of affection during school hours. This includes appropriate dancing at school dances.
- Vandalism: Any damage to JPII property or the property of anyone in the larger community is unacceptable. Even what might seem like minor forms of fun such as toilet papering and egging can cause property damage. Damage or disrespect to property is a serious disciplinary issue and will be addressed.
- Unauthorized audio or visual recording of others: As members of a community, the respect for privacy is important. In today’s world it is easy to record the actions of others, but we do not have the right to share the words or actions of others without their permission or at minimum make them aware that an event is considered public. The Administration realizes that much is beyond its control. Any social media posts during school hours have limitations. In particular, students should not take another student’s device and post something that implies the owner of the device posted the material himself. False postings or postings of individuals who are unaware of the posting can be damaging, devastating, and can have long-term consequences. This policy supports Administration’s commitment to teach digital citizenship.
Safety
- Failure to comply with COVID-19 safety protocols: Due to the demands of keeping all of our students, faculty, staff, and family members safe, following these protocols is paramount to protecting our community. Wearing a mask or face shield, complying with hygiene procedures, social distancing expectations, and other protocols is required.
- Being in unauthorized or unsupervised areas: When parents are not present, we assume the role of “in loco parentis”, meaning we supervise our students as if we are in the parental role. Parents should know that when their student is at JPII, they are protected and behaving as a parent expects. Students are always to be supervised by adults and are not permitted in areas of the school where there is no supervision. Locker rooms are to be locked (with the exception of PE class time and during athletic events) and student entry is prohibited. Classrooms are only open to students when the teacher is present. Students are not allowed in the parking lot or other outside areas during the school day.
- Bullying, Cyber bullying and Harassment: Bullying is the deliberate attempt to denigrate, intimidate, or embarrass another student. Bullying can be verbal, emotional, or psychological. It can be done through direct taunting, through spreading vicious rumors, or through social media sites. Bullying is the exact opposite of the behavior and action that Pope John Paul II High School espouses. It is a very serious infringement of the standards of community living and will not be tolerated. Students who see bullying, or are victims of bullying, should tell a trusted adult in the building. Parents are encouraged to immediately report incidents of bullying to the Dean of Students involving their own or other students. The situation will be investigated and dealt with discreetly and tactfully with the intent of stopping the bullying behavior, but not revealing the person who reported it. Those who bully others are liable for suspension or expulsion. Students have the first responsibility to stop bullying. Bullies typically need an audience to impress. Never underestimate the power of one or two voices. When one student tells the bully to stop what he or she is doing, statistics show that the bullying stops almost 50% of the time. When two students do so, the bullying stops nearly 100% of the time.
- Fighting: Physical violence is unacceptable at JPII. Students will have differences, but we teach them skills and have ample resources, including our staff, to exclude the need for violence to resolve any problem at school. Students who feel threatened can anonymously report a concern in order to avoid violence or the use of force to protect them.
- Non-compliance with safety procedures and emergency drills: Safety is of the utmost importance. Students must treat all drills as real-life events and follow all safety rules. Students are issued a school photo ID and lanyard, which is to be worn around the neck at all times. IDs are not to be worn in any other fashion. Students will use their IDs to enter the door by the chapel. IDs will not work on any other doors. If a student loses their ID, they must report it to the Student Life office immediately. Students are not allowed to open, prop open, or try to unlock any other door in the building. All doors except the chapel door are exits only. In order to help maintain our safety protocols, students are to report anyone not wearing their ID and lanyard to staff.
- Racial Harassment: Racial harassment is any activity of a racial nature that is offensive or unwelcome to a reasonable, prudent person, which may consist of racial comments or physical intimidation. Incidents of racial harassment should be reported to the Head of School, Dean of Students, or school nurse who will treat the matter in a professional and sensitive manner.
- Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment is any activity of a sexual nature that is offensive or unwelcome to a person, and may consist of requests to perform sexual acts, subtle pressures to perform sexual acts, unwanted touching, and in certain circumstances, lewd comments and gestures. Incidents of sexual harassment, whether they be in person, online, or through social media will be treated with the same degree of seriousness. All incidents should be reported to the Head of School, Dean of Students, or school nurse who will treat the matter in a professional and sensitive manner. The Head of School will offer the student whatever help a student may need and set in motion the procedures dictated by Diocesan policies and civil law.
- Theft: We respect the property of others. No student shall steal anything from his or her fellow students or from the school. “Buying” from others without their permission is stealing. Students should report a theft immediately to the Student Life office so an investigation can take place. To avoid theft, students should act responsibly by locking items in their locker, not sharing their locker combination, and labeling items with their name.
- Threatening to harm oneself or others: Pope John Paul II High School must be a place that is not only safe, but feels safe. No one should ever be concerned for his or her physical safety or the safety of others. Any threat of violence will be taken serious and students should report, and may report anonymously, any concern about potential violence. A student who threatens to harm others or does harm others will be immediately removed from the campus. Administration will contact law enforcement as necessary to assess the threat, report a crime, or to seek guidance in settling a conflict. Outside professional counseling will be used to determine if a student is a threat to themself or others. *Social media postings are taken just as serious as verbal or physical threats made directly.
- Weapons: Pope John Paul II High School does not allow students to bring any weapon onto campus. Students are not allowed to bring any of the following to school: guns (including air guns, paintball guns, and fake or toy weapons), knives (including pocket knives and Swiss Army knives), ammo, fireworks, pepper spray, Tasers, or explosives. Depending on the severity and circumstances, students are liable for expulsion and/or may be turned over to local law enforcement.
Other Student Life Directives
Off Campus Behavior
The school has responsibility for the student during published hours, and the parents have responsibility for their children outside of those hours. In the event the school learns of off campus behavior, including actions that involve social media, that is private or public in nature and harmful to the health or safety of the student, the school will notify the parents, who will handle the matter as they see fit. If, however, a student’s off campus activity is public in nature and reflects poorly on Pope John Paul II High School, the school will take disciplinary action that in its estimation is proportionate to the damage done to the school in the eyes of the community.
In a similar manner, as an adult community we share responsibility for each other’s children and so should communicate issues of concern about other’s children with their parents. We should be receptive and appreciative of such calls. However, we are sovereign over our own children alone and therefore cannot substitute our judgment for other parents (as would be the case, for example, if a parent decided to host a party which involved drinking, even if that parent went through the precaution of “taking away keys”). Parents who knowingly allow another family’s children to participate in illegal or immoral activities while under their jurisdiction violate a trust among our families and may be asked to withdraw their children from our school.
All school field trips and school-sponsored activities are under the school’s jurisdiction independent of location.
Food and Drink in Hallways/Cafeteria Behavior
Students are expected to follow basic rules of decorum and good dining etiquette when eating or drinking in the dinning hall or courtyard. All students are responsible for clearing trays and leftover food/non-food items. A classroom teacher responsible for those particular students must authorize any food in the classroom. Students are expected to declare all food and drink items to teller for payment before passing through the cash wrap area. Students are prohibited from eating or drinking any items until they have been paid for. Failure to do so is treated as theft and the student will be liable for expulsion. Attempting to conceal food and/or drink items (in pockets, bags, etc.) to avoid paying is considered theft and the student will be liable for expulsion.
Drug and Alcohol Policy
Pope John Paul II High School does not tolerate the use, possession, distribution, procurement or production of illicit substances and the paraphernalia associated with illicit substances. Illicit substances include herbal incense products, which are smoked to produce a drug-like “high” whether or not such products are legal. Note that vapor cigarettes are deemed prohibited on our campus because they can be used as devises to inhale illicit substances.
Likewise, JPII does not tolerate the use, possession, procurement or distribution of alcohol. Abuses and alleged abuses of this policy, in order to protect privacy, will be reviewed by the Administration only. Any student who uses or possesses drugs or alcohol on campus or the extended campus will be liable for expulsion.
In order to help students to say NO to drugs and drug use, the school reserves the right to drug test students from time to time. The policies regarding such testing are provided below.
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The school nurse or an administrator at the discretion of the Administration will administer a drug screening test or a saliva test for use of alcohol. Student gender will determine whether a male or female administrator supervises the test. Payment for such testing will be billed to the respective parents/guardians in the event that a student tests positive for drug or alcohol use.
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The school Administration considers the results of such testing as confidential and limited to the Administration including school counselor and the parents/guardians. Parents/guardians will only be notified if there is a positive result or other irregularity within the test.
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Any student who admits to drug or alcohol abuse before testing and who commits to stop completely his or her use will need to undergo an evaluation by a health professional. The school has established a working relationship with Cumberland Heights who can do assessment and understands and works with the school process and the parents. The student must commit to attend a certified counseling program or classes recommended by the health professional before he or she will be eligible to return to school. Parents/guardians will be involved in this process and will be responsible for any treatment recommendations.
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Any student who tests positive for drug use or alcohol without admitting it before hand will be liable for expulsion.
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Students are not permitted to carry or store any medication, including over-the-counter products. The school nurse will store and administer all medications required during school hours except inhalers and EpiPens, which may be student carried with a physician order on file. Any prescription medication to be administered during school hours must follow the school’s Health Policy.
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The Administration reserves the right to random alcohol testing at all school dances.
Inspections
The school, operating in loco parentis, reserves the right to inspect and search book bags, lockers, cars and personal property of students on the JPII campus.
General Locker Policy
During COVID operations, school lockers will not be assigned. A student can request a locker assignment through the Student Life office.
Under normal operations, each student will be issued a school locker. It is important that students keep their lockers clean and orderly. This entails leaving no open food or drink in their lockers. [Students are expected to keep all valuables (wallets, purses, phones, iPads, money, etc.) locked inside their locker or on their person.]
Athletic Locker/Dressing Room Policy
Students in PE or Strength and Conditioning classes are required to change in the designated locker room. Students are encouraged to bring any valuables they have to their teacher for safekeeping during class. Students should not leave any valuables in the locker room when unattended, both during the school day and after school. Students should not leave any belongings in the PE changing room. Items left in the changing room will be turned in to Lost and Found. Each in-season sport will be assigned a locker room for their use during their season.
Cellphones and cameras are strictly prohibited in locker/dressing rooms. Under no circumstances should pictures of any kind be taken in these rooms.
Lost, Found, and Misplaced Items
Though Pope John Paul II High School assumes no responsibility for students’ personal property or possessions, we do keep a Lost and Found in the Student Life office. All items found in the school building or on school grounds should be given to the staff in the Student Life office. Unclaimed items are eventually donated to charity.
Parking Policy
A student driving to school must obtain a Parking Permit to park on campus. Students wishing to secure a permit must submit a photocopy of their driver’s license, and complete a Parking Permit Form, which includes Parental Consent and Inclement Weather Plan to the Registrar’s office.
Students must display their Parking Permit on the rear view mirror and must park only in the designated Student Parking Lot. Students are not allowed to park in the Faculty Parking Area or the Front Visitor Parking Area. Students without the proper paperwork and Parking Permit are given a verbal notice and a written notice. On the third notice the car will be towed at the student’s expense.
Parking Lot Safety
Students and Parents are asked to follow posted directional signs at all times. The speed limit on school roads is 15 miles an hours. Failure to follow guidelines can result in a student’s campus driving privileges being revoked and for more serious driving infractions local law enforcement can be contacted. Students are accountable to keep their parking lot clean of trash. Students can be transferred to the lower field to park for special events. Students may not change for practices at the lower parking lot, play music from their car, and loiter before or after school.
Permits will be renewed and reviewed annually and may be revoked at any time for speeding or reckless driving, or other violations.
Pregnancy
Pope John Paul II High School teaches its students to view their sexuality as an awesome and wonderful gift from God. We teach our students to integrate their sexuality in a life of love, commitment, dignity, self-awareness, and moral goodness. This teaching includes abstaining from sexual activity outside of marriage. In the event that a student becomes pregnant, her parents must contact the school nurse or an administrator at Pope John Paul II High School as soon as it is known.
Failure to make this report will result in dismissal from Pope John Paul II High School. Students involved, male and female, who wish to remain at JPII, must agree to participate in pregnancy counseling provided by Catholic Social Services. In addition, the school must receive written notice from medical personnel on an on-going basis that the mother is fit and healthy enough for school. Finally, the students must remain circumspect with the pregnancy, not drawing unnecessary attention to it while at school or school functions. Under these conditions, students involved in a pregnancy may be able to continue their education at JPII for a time, but the Head of School will make the final call after careful consideration of all the specifics of the situation and consultation with those involved.
A student who chooses to be a primary caregiver and take primary financial and legal responsibility for a child may not continue at Pope John Paul II High School. Married students also may not continue at Pope John Paul II High School.
Because of the school’s absolute commitment to the value and dignity of every human life from conception, a student who procures an abortion or has been involved in a decision to have an abortion will not be permitted to remain at Pope John Paul II High School.
Restricted Area Policy
Restricted locations during the school day are: parking lots, unsupervised classrooms, PE locker rooms except if they are in their PE class, wooded areas, streets and paths surrounding the campus, and other areas with signs indicating no student access.
Tobacco or Nicotine Products
The possession, use, or distribution of tobacco and tobacco device/products in any form is prohibited while the student is on campus and/or under the jurisdiction of Pope John Paul II High School. In addition, students found to have in their possession smoking paraphernalia (i.e., matches, lighter, cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, vape machines, chewing tobacco, etc.) will also be considered in violation of the tobacco policy and result in major disciplinary action.
Uniform Guidelines
All required uniform items must be purchased at Mills Uniform store or online at www.millwear.com. Uniforms from our previous vendor, Parker Uniform, are only approved for returning students.
Identification cards: IDs are to be worn on the appropriate house lanyard around the student’s neck. IDs must be worn for the entire duration of a student being in the building, including after school hours. Students may remove their lanyards for PE classes, sports, or when deemed appropriate by a teacher (i.e., labs). Students are required to have their ID when buying lunch. Students who do not wear their IDs will be issued a detention; if this occurs three times in a semester a student will then be issued a Saturday detention. Wearing an ID is a measure of security and will be treated with the utmost importance.
Mask or Face Shield (during COVID protocols): All students must wear a mask or face shield unless given direction by a faculty or staff member that they can remove it and follow safe physical distancing. Masks or Face Shields should not have any offensive symbols, words, or decorations.
Dress for Men
- Socks: Socks must be worn at all times and must be solid color in white, black, or navy.
- Pants: Men (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors) may wear khaki pants purchased at Mills Uniform. Senior men may also wear blue pants purchased at Mills Uniform.
- Belt: Leather belt in black or brown. Buckle should be no more than 2.5 inches in diameter. Parents will be notified of any belt and/or buckle deemed inappropriate in size or design.
- Shoes: Athletic shoes are an option as of 2019-2020. Students may choose any brand of athletic shoe in gray, black, blue, or white ONLY. The design of the shoe cannot include any other colors but may be a combination of these colors, i.e., black Nike with a white logo. Converse shoes are considered an athletic shoe. Sperry’s will remain an option.
- Shirts: Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors have the option of wearing a navy blue polo and seniors have the option of wearing a gray or navy blue polo. The polo is available in short-sleeved and sold in the Armory. Students may wear the polo any school day except on Mass days. *During COVID operations, boys are not required to wear an Oxford on Mass days. Oxfords (blue or white) purchased at Mills Uniform are also an option. Men are required to wear solid color white, cream-colored, or school gray undergarments under their oxfords with no logos other than a JPII logo on the undershirts. Oxford shirts should be completely tucked in and the small buttons on the collar (the wings) should be buttoned at all times.
- Ties: *During COVID operations, boys are not required to wear a tie at any time. Boys must wear their school tie on all Mass days. It is advised that they store a tie in their lockers. The Student Life office will not offer replacement ties. Students may purchase an official JPII tie from the Armory. Ties should be tied in the style of a necktie, not a bow tie, and should be pulled up snugly to cover the top button of the Oxford. If a tie is lost or damaged the student will be required to purchase a new tie through the Armory.
- Outerwear: Any JPII outerwear (with or without a hood) sold through the Armory or BSN for a JPII team/club/program may be worn any day.
Dress for Women
- Socks: Socks must be worn at all times and must be solid color in white, black, or navy. The socks may be crew or knee high.
- Skirts: The Mills Uniform skirt must be no more than six inches above the knee. This measurement is taken when the student is kneeling erect on the floor. The measurement is taken from the floor to the bottom of the skirt. Parents are responsible for making sure skirts are in compliance per the measurement above.
- Pants: Women (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors) may wear khaki pants purchased at Mills Uniform.
- Belt: Leather belt in black or brown. Buckle should be no more than 2.5 inches in diameter. Parents will be notified of any belt and/or buckle deemed inappropriate in size or design.
- Shoes: Athletic shoes are an option as of 2019-2020. Students may choose any brand of athletic shoe in gray, black, blue, or white ONLY. The design of the shoe cannot include any other colors but may be a combination of these colors, i.e., black Nike with a white logo. Converse shoes are considered an athletic shoe. Sperry’s will remain an option.
- Shirt: Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors have the option of wearing a navy blue polo and seniors have the option of wearing a gray or navy blue polo. The polo is available in short-sleeved and sold in the Armory. Students may wear the polo any school day except on Mass days. *During COVID operations, boys are not required to wear a tie at any time. Oxfords (blue or white) purchased at Mills Uniform are also an option. Women are required to wear solid color white, cream-colored, or school gray undergarments under their oxfords. Shirts should be completely tucked in and the small buttons on the collar (the wings) should be buttoned at all times.
- Outerwear: Any JPII outerwear (with or without a hood) sold through the Armory or BSN for a JPII team/club/program may be worn any day.
- Tights: If a female student wishes to wear tights or leggings underneath her skirt for additional warmth, the tights or leggings must be solid black or navy. No other color or pattern is allowed. Jeggings and other similar garments are not allowed. Students must always wear socks with their tights or leggings.
Uniform Exception
Injury: If a student has sustained an injury and requires an alteration to the standard uniform, the student must first seek approval from the Director of Student Life. Any exception to the school uniform will be based on the injury, limitations, and the student’s need.
Jewelry
- Men may wear one earring per ear.
- Women may wear up to two earrings per ear.
- Excepting the above, all facial piercings and spacers are prohibited.
Wireless Earbuds
- Students may not wear wireless earbuds or earphones during the day except with the permission of the teacher.
Hair
- Men and women's hair coloring must appear natural and may have highlights.
- Men's hair must not touch below the collar and must be trimmed above the eyebrows. The hair on the side ear area and sideburns must be groomed. Men's hair should not be tied by a band or in a bun.
- Mohawks and "Faux Hawks" are not permitted.
- Carving of words, symbols, logos etc. into a student’s hair is not permitted.
- Administration reserves the right to require a haircut at any time even if the hair meets current hair length standards. This is to ensure that hair is not too unruly and has a presentable, groomed appearance.
- Men should be clean-shaven at all times. The nurse has razors and shaving cream available.
Hats
- Students are not permitted to carry or wear hats in the school building at any time.
Tattoos
- Students are not permitted to have visible tattoos.
Labeling
- We recommend labeling student clothing with student names in case the clothing is lost.
Uniform Guidelines Infractions
Students may be required to shave, tuck in shirts, etc. for immediately correctable violations. Students without a tie will receive a borrowed tie for the day and will be issued a detention. The Student Life office has the option to hold a student’s cellphone or car keys until the tie is returned at the end of the day.
Detentions for Uniform Infractions
Teachers will issue a carbon copy detention form and one copy will remain with the teacher, one will be handed to the student, and one will be forwarded to the Student Life office.
1 – 4 violations = Detention by teacher
5 violations = Student Life will give a Saturday detention
6 violation = Parent conference
Beyond that can be suspension and probation
Distribution of Printed Materials
Students who wish to distribute or post printed materials or notices on school bulletin boards must first request and receive approval from the Director of Student Life. Approved notices should never be taped to windows.
School Publicity Policy
In order to promote our students and school in the community, from time to time Pope John Paul II High School will use students' images and/or names and/or art work in publicity press releases, school publications, website news stories or videos about the school. All such materials will be reviewed by the Administration of the school for appropriateness prior to promotion. Pope John Paul II High School jealously protects the privacy rights of its students or likenesses of its students, including student directory data, for the purpose of promoting the interests of external commercial vendors, unless in rare cases, prior written permission is obtained from both the parents and the school Administration.
Campus Ministry
The purpose of Campus Ministry at Pope John Paul II High School is to bring students closer to God through prayer, service, and faith development. The office of Campus Ministry strives to provide students with opportunities to learn more about their faith through interactions with their classmates, teachers, faith leaders, and the wider community. The holistic student will be able to utilize the Campus Ministry office to build a greater relationship with God that complements their academic and extracurricular activities. Ultimately, service and faith are at the heart of the Gospel message and Pope John Paul II’s mission; as such they are necessary for the development of young men and women of character. The office of Campus Ministry is here to foster the growth of servant leadership and faith among all students, no matter the student’s individual background or future vocation.
Class Retreats:
Retreats are a fundamental aspect of the student experience at Pope John Paul II High School. They are designed to meet the diverse developmental and faith needs of our students. The freshmen, sophomore, and junior classes participate in one required retreat during the school year, which take place off campus over the course of a regular school day, and are centered around a common theme. The senior class participates in a required overnight retreat that takes place on campus as a culmination of their previous formative retreat experiences and functions as preparation for living as men and women of faith in the world. Along with class retreats, students will participate in a day of service retreat each year.
These days are meant to provide our students with a necessary “pause” from the demands of their school day, and allow them to enter more deeply into a relationship with God and their classmates in an engaging and reflective manner. Retreats also offer a way for our students to engage in leadership and community building throughout the course of the retreat. Faculty is also actively involved in each retreat day and provides positive examples of servant leadership to our students, in addition to their commitment and time in the classroom. The importance of these retreat days cannot be understated, as they create their bonds that tie our community together as one Body in Christ, as brothers and sisters sent out to share the message of the Gospel to all.
Retreat Themes by Year:
Freshmen: “Our encounter with Christ...sets us on the right path.” - St. John Paul II
Focus on Foundations
Sophomores: “Each one of us belongs to a great family…” - St. John Paul II
Focus on Community
Juniors: “Be generous...in the service of your brothers and sisters.” - St. John Paul II
Focus on Servant Leadership
Seniors: “The future is in your heart and in your hands.” - St. John Paul II
Focus on Discipleship
Prayer:
There are multiple opportunities available for students to participate in an active prayer life at Pope John Paul II High School. All students attend Mass once a week as a celebration of our community, united in the Spirit as One Body in Christ. Daily Mass is available in the chapel for all who would like to celebrate the liturgy. An on site Chaplain is present to meet any spiritual needs, including daily Confession and Adoration. Students also have the option to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation twice a year, during the Advent and Lenten liturgical seasons. As these Sacraments are tangible expressions of God’s grace in our life, it is pivotal for our school community that we provide the ability to receive the Sacraments as often as possible.
Service:
To love and to serve others is the core of Christian community and fellowship. “Just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve” (Mt 20:28), so too are we called to fulfill our duty of loving both God and neighbor by practicing the works of mercy and cultivating responsibility to care for those around us, especially those in greatest need. The goal of the service program is to provide students with the experiences and tools to become other-oriented in a world that is increasingly more self-oriented; by doing so, each student can become more like Christ who is the ultimate model of love and self-giving. Knowing that Pope John Paul II High School does not exist in a bubble, it is of utmost importance to engage with the greater Nashville community through acts of love and service.
The Campus Ministry office exists in part to provide the school community with opportunities to practice service ministry throughout the year. These opportunities serve to educate students about the social injustices and disparities which exist in our community, challenge our students to grow in relationship and solidarity with people who are in great need, and respond to God’s call of self-giving love.
To cultivate each student as a minister of Christ, all students must complete a service requirement every school year. Each grade level is required to do a minimum of five hours of service at a pre-approved non-profit organization; ideally this organization aligns with the service theme for the students’ grade. The remainder of the required hours may be completed at a non-profit organization, church, or in service to Pope John Paul II High School (outside of the normal school day hours). The purpose of focusing on a service theme for each grade is to foster a culture of discussion and reflection so that service learning is not an isolated event for each student; rather, the shared experience works to provide a foundation in class for students to share their experiences and discuss them in larger context. By the end of four years, each student graduate with at least four different service experiences that broaden the scope of material and spiritual poverty to the JPII graduate.
To summarize:
1. Five hours of every year’s service requirement must be completed at a pre-approved non-profit that ideally aligns with the service theme of the student’s grade level.
2. All other hours must be completed at a pre-approved non-profit organization, church, or in service to Pope John Paul II High School (outside of the regular school day).
3. To guarantee that hours will be approved, students with questions about service must speak to the Service Coordinator before undertaking the service.
Freshman |
Sophomore |
Junior |
Senior |
|
Retreat Theme |
Foundations |
Community |
Servant Leader |
Discipleship |
Service Requirements and Theme |
15 hours
5 hours must come from a pre-approved non-profit organization
Feed the hungry |
20 hours
5 hours must come from a pre-approved non-profit organization
Give drink to the thirsty |
25 hours
5 hours must come from a pre-approved non-profit organization
Shelter the homeless |
25 hours
5 hours must come from a pre-approved non-profit organization
Visit the sick and elderly |
“Darkness can only be scattered by light; hatred can only be conquered by love." - Pope John Paul II
Pre-approved non-profit organizations where past students have served:
Bethesda Center
Best Buddies
Bridge Ministry Warehouse
Buddy Ball Special Needs Athletic Club of Clarksville
Buddy Break at St. Stephen Catholic Church/Our Lady of the Lake
ByFaith Farm
Catholic Charities - Second Harvest Food Truck
Children Are People
Children's Jail Ministry of Gallatin
Christian Women's Job Corps
Cottage Cove Urban Ministries
Dismas House
Down Syndrome Association of Middle TN
Gigi's Playhouse
Good Neighbor Mission and Crisis Center
Goodlettsville Help Center
Grace Church of the Nazarene Urban Garden
Grace Church of the Nazarene - City of Refuge
Grace House
Habitat for Humanity - RESTORE
Haiti180
Hands on Nashville
Hendersonville Samaritan Center
Hope Center Thrift Store
Jason Foundation
Joelton Hope Center
Literacy Center of Middle TN
The Little Pantry That Could
Loaves and Fishes Nashville
LP Pencil Foundation
Manna Cafe
Mid Cumberland Community Action Agency
Mount Juliet Help Center
Nashville Dolphins
Nashville Food Project
Nashville Rescue Mission
Nations Ministry Center for Refugees
New Beginnings Therapeutic Riding
New Spring Thrift Store
Open Table
Paradise Ranch
Portland CARES
Project C.U.R.E.
Project Connect
Room in the Inn - Campus for Human Development
Safe Haven Family Shelter
Salvation Army Nashville
Salvus Center
Second Harvest Food Bank
Shalom Zone of Gallatin
Shower the People
Shower Up
Sign Club of Hendersonville
Southern STARRS, Inc
St. Luke's Community House
St. Vincent de Paul
Saddle Up!
Sumner County Food Bank
Thriftsmart
Top Button
Turnip Green Creative Reuse
Unlocked
VFW Food Bank
Youth Life Learning Center
*Other non-profits chosen must align with values of the Catholic Church and be pre-approved by the Service Coordinator.
Extracurricular Activities / Student Life
Athletic Offerings
Pope John Paul II High School offers the following sports activities: Football, Basketball, Lacrosse, Wrestling, Cross Country, Track, Baseball, Softball, Soccer, Tennis, Swimming, Golf, Cheerleading, Volleyball, Bowling, Ice Hockey, Dance, Club Archery, and Club & Skeet Shooting (in partnership with Nashville Row).
Clubs and Activities
Pope John Paul II High School offers a full complement of activities outside athletics designed to appeal to a broad spectrum of interests. A sampling of those activities includes the following: Student Government, Drama, Band, Yearbook, Newspaper, Model United Nations, Youth Legislature, Math Team, Dance, musical and dramatic variety productions.
House System
The House System at Pope John Paul II High School was formed in January 2003, to maintain close bonds among students, build relations between students and faculty, promote school spirit, and foster student leadership, responsibility, and accountability. The student body and faculty are divided into six Houses, each named after a Pope: The House of Gregory the Great, The House of Leo XIII, The House of Peter, The House of John XXIII, The House of Clement and The House of Pius IX. The Houses are intramural, student-led organizations that provide leadership opportunities, community service, intramural competition, and student induction and orientation. Each House is a balanced mix of seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. Each House has developed its own unique traditions, coats of arms, Latin motto, and activities.
Each House elects its own student leadership. Under the guidance of the Director of Houses, and with the support of faculty Advisors, each House Council is responsible for organizing and running House meetings, activities, and competitions, and serving as part of the School Council. Each House Council is composed of a House President (senior), a senior rep, a Vice President (Junior), a Junior Rep, and two sophomore reps. From this group, a School President and Vice President are elected (both seniors). The School Council’s duties include supervising all aspects of the House System, organizing Homecoming and Coming Home festivities, organizing all Friday school assemblies, and serving as a liaison between the student body and the Administration. The Director of Houses helps facilitate and support this student-run, student-designed system, and advises the School Council. Serving on the School Council is considered an honor and a privilege. All members of the School Council are expected to fulfill their specific officer duties and serve as models for their classmates by meeting three basic standards:
- School Council members must attend School Council meetings to properly represent their classmates. Missing more than three meetings for a reason other than school absence will result in removal from the School Council.
- School Council members must uphold the Veritas promise to serve as examples of honorable behavior for their classmates. Earning a Veritas violation, once elected, could result in removal from House Council, at the discretion of the Director of Houses and Head of School.
- School Council members must earn a weighted 3.0 GPA and earn no more than two failing grades per quarter to demonstrate that their School Council duties do not impact their academic responsibilities. Failure to do so for one quarter will result in probation status. Failure to do so two consecutive quarters will result in removal from the School Council.
Student Health Center
The Student Health Center provides health services to currently enrolled students. The school nurse is available from 7:45 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. each day. The Student Health Center offers nursing care and triage for acute and chronic illness, early detection of illness, health counseling and teaching, healthcare procedures and treatments, assistance with administration of prescribed medication and treatments, First Aid medical care and treatments, administration of non-prescription medications (Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Tums, Halls cough drops, and Benadryl) and crisis intervention. The school nurse initiates referrals to parents, school counselors, community health resources, and community mental health professionals for appropriate care as needed.
Immunizations
The state’s immunization requirements follow the current schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Required immunizations for children attending high school must be documented on the Official Immunization Certificate. See chart below as to requirements for immunization in the State of Tennessee:
Children with medical or religious exemption to Immunization requirements
Students are required to have their health examinations and proof of immunization in accordance with the regulations of the Tennessee Department of Education and the Tennessee Department of Health. The Diocese of Nashville accepts exemptions for legitimate health concerns but not for religious reasons. This exemption is only granted upon presentation to the particular school of administration of written documentation from qualified physicians or medical experts that the health of the child is endangered by the immunization. All exemptions are at the discretion of the school's administrator, with the advice and counsel of the Catholic Schools office. Any questions regarding exemptions will be refereed to the Head of School.
Annual Physicals
Annual physicals are required for all students. Students must have an annual physical completed by July 31st of the upcoming school year, and it is important the physicals are valid for the entire school year. To assist families and to keep costs down, it is customary for the school to arrange free physicals through the generosity of local doctors and nurses in late May or early June for the following school year. Free physicals are determined on a yearly basis. We encourage ALL students to make use of this service when available.
Consent for School Nurse Services and Medical History
Pope John Paul II High School is concerned about the health, safety, and well-being of our students. For the school health staff to stay informed and to support and promote the safety and well being of our students, students must complete JPII Permission and Consent forms through www.dragonflymax.com, which permits the school nurse to treat the student for services ranging from basic First Aid to emergency care, and administration of stocked over-the-counter medications. The School Health Center will supply Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Tums and Benadryl on an as needed basis and at the discretion of the school nurse. These forms give the nurse medical/legal consent and provide important information in case of a medical emergency. These forms need to be renewed annually.
Illness and Injury
If a student becomes ill or is injured at school, students are advised to go to the School Health Center to be evaluated by the school nurse. The school nurse will assess the student, and if necessary contact the parent/legal guardian and advise disposition. The school nurse will care for the student in the interim. In the event the injury or illness requires emergency medical care, the school nurse will activate Emergency Medical Services and notify the parent/legal guardian immediately.
In most situations, JPII prefers students to come to school however, here are a few guidelines to help the parent/legal guardian in deciding when to keep your student at home: If your student has a fever > 100.0 F, diarrhea not caused by diet or medications, vomiting, or been diagnosed with the flu, you will need to keep your student at home for 24 hours AFTER symptoms resolve. If a student has been diagnosed with a contagious condition such as, conjunctivitis (pink eye), Mononucleosis, MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus), impetigo, chickenpox, shingles etc., the student will require a medical release statement from his/her licensed healthcare provider in order to return to school.
Medications Administration (Prescription or Non-Prescription)
Authorization for self-administration and assistance with self-administration of medications, prescription and non-prescription, form HS003 must be obtained annually and when changes occur submitted through www.dragonflymax.com. In all instances where prescription and non-prescription medications not stocked buy the Student Health Center (i.e., cold or allergy medications) are to be administered (assisted self-administered or staff administered) during school hours, on field trips, or retreats, the following is required:
For prescription medications to be administered during school hours, the medication must be in the original container and labeled correctly. Form HS003 (prescription medication or non-prescription medication taken for longer than ten days) must be filled out and signed from the prescribing Licensed Healthcare Provider that identifies and contains the following:
- The name of the drug and dose.
- Approximate time it is to be taken.
- The diagnosis or reason the medication is needed.
- A list of adverse effects that may be reasonably expected.
- Contraindications to administering the medication.
- The ability of the student to competently self-administer the medication(s).
- Prescribing Licensed Healthcare Provider Signature, date, and phone number.
- Parent/legal guardian and student signature and date.
For non-prescription medications (not stocked by School Health Center i.e., cold or allergy medications) to be administered during school hours, the medication must be in the original container and labeled correctly. Form HS003 must be filled out and signed by the parent/legal guardian that identifies and contains the following:
- The name of the drug and dose.
- Approximate time it is to be taken.
- The reason the medication is needed.
- Start date and discontinue date (if > than ten days, must be filled out by licensed healthcare provider).
- The ability of the student to competently self-administer the medication(s).
- Special instructions and handling.
- Parent/legal guardian and student signature and date.
Whenever possible, the parent/legal guardian should hand-deliver prescription or non-prescription medications to the School Health Center. The school nurse or head of school reserves the right to require parents to bring in medications as necessary. For controlled substances, school office personnel shall verify the amount of medication delivered by counting individual units of medication in the presence of either the adult who delivers it or another school personnel. The school nurse shall document the amount of medication in the student’s medication record in Veracross. The amount of medication and initials of personnel who verified medication count shall be documented in Veracross. Controlled substances shall be stored in a locked drawer in the School Health Center.
Any school personnel (employee, volunteer, or designee) authorized by the head of school or school nurse to assist with self-administration or administer medication to students will be provided appropriate instruction approved by Tennessee Department of Health and Education and the Catholic Diocese of Nashville and will be supervised by the school nurse. Determining which individuals should be responsible for medication administration will be the joint responsibility of the head of school and the school nurse.
School personnel (school nurse, employee, volunteer, or designee) authorized by the headmaster or school nurse to assist with self-administration or administer medication to students shall see that the medication is given within one hour before or after the time specified by parent and practitioner.
An individual Medication Record will be established in Veracross for each student which will include date, time, dosage, initials of individual dispensing medication, extension or disruption of medication, any changes, description of reactions experienced by the student or errors made in the administration of the medication by student or staff. Medication and treatment documentation in Veracross are part of the student’s record. An accurate and confidential system, in accordance with FERPA and HIPAA regulations, of record keeping will be recorded in Veracross each time a medication is dispensed.
Annual authorization for prescription and non-prescription medications will be valid for students attending summer school. Narcotic pain medications will not be administered during school hours, and students cannot be under the influence of narcotic pain medication while at school. ALL prescription and non-prescription medications will be kept in the School Health Center. Students are NEVER ALLOWED TO SELF-CARRY ANY MEDICATIONS with the exception of Insulin, Glucagon, EpiPens, and Inhalers.
Parents
Parent-School Partnership
Parents are the primary educators of their children. The school seeks to work in partnership with parents to make the education of their child comprehensive, effective, and inspiring.
Parents are encouraged to take an active interest in the progress of their children. They are encouraged to approach faculty members, staff members or administrators directly by telephone, email or by appointment. The first point of contact should be the faculty member or advisor concerned and related to the particular concern. If this contact is unsatisfactory or if the parent’s concerns are more general, parents should make contact with the appropriate administrator. General matters of an academic nature should be referred to the Assistant Head of School for Academics. General matters relating to Student Life should be referred to the Director of Student Life.
Because parents are the primary educators, a constructive working relationship between the School and a student's parent or guardian is essential to the accomplishment of the educational mission of Pope John Paul II High School. The school reserves the right to terminate or not renew a student's enrollment contract if the school reasonably concludes that the actions of a parent or guardian makes a positive and constructive relationship impossible or otherwise seriously interferes with the accomplishment of the educational aspirations of the school.
Political Advertising
Pope John Paul II High School is a 501(c)(3) organization. 501(c)(3) organizations cannot participate in or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements) and political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office. JPII cannot permit any campaigning in any form at any event on its property or at an event sponsored by JPII.
Inclement Weather
School Closing
Pope John Paul II High School follows an independent policy regarding school closings for inclement weather. The most important priority for these decisions is the safety of students. However, because JPII draws students from 10 different counties, there may be occasions where conditions are safe in Hendersonville, and the school opens, but conditions are unsafe in the outlying counties. Parents must make the final decision whether or not to send their child to school; if a child misses school or is late for class due to inclement weather, parents need to send a note explaining the reason, and the absence or tardy will be excused.
Because of distance and geography, there are occasions when the Clarksville or Bowling Green buses will be canceled and students who ride those buses excused* while the remainder of the student body is required to attend. We will try to keep these days to an absolute minimum.
*When school is in session, but students are impacted by weather, they will be expected to participate in class via virtual learning for the day(s) they cannot get to school.
The fastest way to find out if we are closing is to check the website's front page and social media. If there is no news, we are not closing. You may also watch for closings, early closings, or late openings on Channels 2, 4, 5, and Fox 17 News. Our first action will be to send a text via School Messenger to parents who have signed up for the service.
Early Closing for Inclement Weather
Pope John Paul II High School follows an independent policy on early closing, i.e., closing after school has already begun. When the school closes early, student drivers will be permitted to leave immediately. It is therefore imperative that parents of student drivers discuss early closing situations and agree on the best course of action before the day of the early closing. The school administration is not able to "check on" every student driver and must assume that student drivers that leave do so with their parents' permission.
Weather Station Links:
Appendix A: Weekly Schedule
Appendix B: Technology (Network, Internet, Device use and behaviors)
Computer Network and Internet Access
Disclaimer. The Internet is a worldwide network of computers that contains millions of pages of information. Users are cautioned that many of these pages include offensive, sexually explicit, and inappropriate material. In general, it is difficult to avoid at least some contact with this material while using the Internet. Even innocuous search requests may lead to sites with highly offensive content. Additionally, having an email address on the Internet may lead to receipt of unsolicited email containing offensive content. Users accessing the Internet do so at their own risk and Pope John Paul II High School and the Diocese of Nashville is not responsible for material viewed or downloaded by Users from the Internet. To minimize these risks, your use of the Internet at Pope John Paul II High School is governed by the following policy:
Permitted Use of Internet and Pope John Paul II High School Computer Network.
The computer network is the property of Pope John Paul II High School ("JPII") and is to be used for legitimate educational purposes. Users are provided access to the computer network to assist them in the performance of their academic pursuits. Additionally, students ("Users") may also be provided with access to the Internet through the computer network. All Users have a responsibility to use the school's computer resources and the Internet in an academic, lawful and ethical manner. Abuse of the computer network or the Internet, may result in disciplinary action, including possible expulsion, and civil and/or criminal liability.
Computer Network Use Limitations
Prohibited Activities. Without prior written permission from the school Administration, JPII's computer network may not be used to disseminate, view or store commercial or personal advertisements, solicitations, promotions, destructive code (e.g., viruses, Trojan horse programs, etc.) or any other unauthorized materials. Occasional limited appropriate personal use of the computer is permitted if such use does not a.) Interfere with the User's or any other student's work; b.) Have an undue effect on the computer or Pope John Paul II High School network's performance; c.) Or violate any other policies, provisions, guidelines or standards of this agreement or any other of Pope John Paul II High School. Further, at all times Users are responsible for the professional, ethical and lawful use of the computer system. Personal use of the computer is a privilege that may be revoked at any time.
Illegal Copying. Users may not illegally copy material protected under copyright law or make that material available to others for copying. Users are responsible for complying with copyright law and applicable licenses that may apply to software, files, graphics, documents, messages, and other material you wish to download or copy. Users may not agree to a license or download any material for which a registration fee is charged without first obtaining the express written permission of the school Administration.
Communication of Trade Secrets. Unless expressly authorized to do so, the User is prohibited from sending, transmitting, or otherwise distributing proprietary information, data, trade secrets or other confidential information belonging to Pope John Paul II High School. Unauthorized dissemination of such material may result in severe disciplinary action as well as substantial civil and criminal penalties under state and federal Economic Espionage laws.
Duty Not to Waste or Damage Computer Resources
Accessing the Internet.
To ensure security and avoid the spread of viruses, Users accessing the Internet through a computer attached to Pope John Paul II High School's network must do so through an approved Internet firewall or other security device. Bypassing the school's computer network security by accessing the Internet directly by modem or other means is strictly prohibited unless the computer you are using is not connected to the school's network.
Frivolous Use. Computer resources are not unlimited. Network bandwidth and storage capacity have finite limits, and all Users connected to the network have a responsibility to conserve these resources. As such, the User must not deliberately perform acts that waste computer resources or unfairly monopolize resources to the exclusion of others. These acts include, but are not limited to, sending mass mailings or chain letters, spending excessive amounts of time on the Internet, playing games, engaging in online chat groups, uploading or downloading large files, accessing streaming audio and/or video files, or otherwise creating unnecessary loads on network traffic associated with non-educational-related uses of the Internet.
No Expectation of Privacy. Students are given access to iPads, computers, and Internet access to assist them in the performance of their academic pursuits. Students should have no expectation of privacy in anything they create, store, send or receive using Pope John Paul II High School's computer equipment. The computer network is the property of Pope John Paul II High School and may be used only for purposes approved by the school Administration.
Waiver of privacy rights. User expressly waives any right of privacy in anything they create, store, send or receive using Pope John Paul II High School's computer equipment or Internet access. User consents to allow school personnel access to and review of all materials created, stored, sent or received by User through any school network or Internet connection. The school has the right to monitor and log any and all aspects of its computer system including, but not limited to, monitoring Internet sites visited by Users, monitoring chat and newsgroups, monitoring file downloads, and all communications sent and received by Users.
Blocking sites with inappropriate content. Pope John Paul II High School has the right to utilize software that makes it possible to identify and block access to Internet sites containing sexually explicit or other material deemed inappropriate in school.
Technology Responsible Use Policy
The purpose of this policy is to educate students on the responsible use and expectations when using the various forms of technology on and off campus. Allowing students to utilize technology during the educational process is a means for enhancing each student’s overall learning experience. Our goal is to provide a safe, appropriate, and effective learning environment for all at the school.
The Responsible Use Policy includes all forms of technology, such as, but not limited to: iPad, laptops, cameras, cellphones, texting, messaging, email, chat, instant-messaging, gaming, and social networking sites. Due to continuous advancement in technology, Pope John Paul II High School reserves the right to add to the policy throughout the school year as deemed necessary.
Violating any portion of the Responsible Use Policy may result in disciplinary consequences, including suspension or expulsion from Pope John Paul II High School and/or legal action. Pope John Paul II High School will cooperate with law enforcement in any investigation related to any potentially illegal activities conducted through our network. The school reserves the right to apply disciplinary consequences for computer-related activities conducted off-campus if such activity adversely affects the safety or well being of students or other members of our school community or constitutes behavior embarrassing to the school. Students and parents should report threats of violence or harm in cyberspace to law enforcement immediately.
Privacy and Online Behavior
- Students will not share passwords or use anyone else’s passwords.
- Students will not impersonate another’s identity.
- Students will be ethical and respect the privacy of others.
- Students understand that Pope John Paul II High School has the right to look at any data, email, logs, or files that exist on the network or on an individual device without the prior consent of the system’s user. In addition, Pope John Paul II High School reserves the right to confiscate and search a student’s electronic device to ensure compliance with the Responsible Use Policy and school policy as outlined in the Student Handbook.
- Students will not submit, publish or display any defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, racially offensive, or illegal material.
- Students will not encourage the use of a controlled substance, alcohol, or tobacco.
Recording Sound/Taking Pictures
Students will not make and/or post photo, audio, or video recordings of another student or Pope John Paul II High School employee/volunteer without specific permission from the individual being recorded and the supervising teacher.
Any use of cameras in restrooms or the locker room, regardless of intent, will be treated as a serious violation.
Unacceptable Uses of Electronic Devices through Network or Internet
Violating any state or federal law or municipal ordinances, such as:
- Accessing or transmitting pornography of any kind, obscene depictions, harmful materials that encourage others to violate the law, confidential information, or copyrighted materials.
- Criminal activities that can be punished under law.
- Selling or purchasing illegal items or substances.
- Spamming; spreading viruses.
- Causing harm to others or damage to their property, such as: using profane, abusive, or impolite language; threatening, harassing, or making damaging or false statements about others, or accessing, transmitting, or downloading offensive, harassing or disparaging materials.
- Deleting, copying, modifying, or forging other Users’ names, emails, files, or data; disguising one’s identity, impersonating other Users, or sending anonymous email.
- Damaging computer equipment, files, data, or the network in any way, including intentionally accessing, transmitting or downloading computer viruses or other harmful files or programs, or disrupting any computer system performance.
- Accessing Social Media during school hours without the specific instruction of a teacher or staff member.
- Playing games on devices during school hours.
- Using the network or Internet in any manner that violates any school policy.
Any unauthorized technology used for the purpose of bypassing security systems, including Internet filtering is not permitted. This includes the use of “shh”, proxy-bypass software, remote desktop sessions, anonymizing websites/software and other technologies.
Responsible Device Use Policy For Specific Technology
General Purpose and Intent of the school issued iPads and Laptops Responsible Use Policy
Members of the Pope John Paul II High School community will use iPads and Laptops as assigned and approved by the faculty, staff, and/or Administration, along with all other electronic communication and computing devices, in a responsible, ethical, and legal manner at all times. Students may receive permission for their own devices but the following policy is specific to school equipment. Student devices are accountable to the Internet usage rules and to use on campus but access to the device is through parent consultation and permission. Technological resources, including iPads, Laptops, and other technology, at Pope John Paul II High School are provided for the purpose of supporting the mission and holistic educational experience of the school. Pope John Paul II High School’s goal in providing these resources is to promote educational excellence by facilitating learning through creative thinking, resource sharing, scholarship, research, and communication. Use of these technologies is a privilege that carries responsibilities and behavioral expectations consistent with all school rules and policies, including but not limited to those stated in the Student Handbook.
Specific iPad or Laptop Responsible Use Policy
- Any viewing, sharing or transmission of iPad or Laptop material containing inappropriate content, offensive language, derogatory rumors/gossip, or other content not in keeping with Pope John Paul II High School’s mission or philosophy is strictly prohibited.
- Any iPad or Laptop use, whether or not utilizing the school’s network, which could pose a risk of physical or mental harm to anyone is prohibited.
- Any iPad or Laptop use, whether or not utilizing the school’s network, which could pose a risk of property loss is prohibited.
- While on the campus, iPad or Laptop may only be connected to the Internet using access provided by Pope John Paul II High School.
- Students will not share their passwords, addresses, or other personal information on the Internet without the authorization of a school representative.
- Students have no privacy rights in the use of their iPads or Laptop. All iPad and Laptop activity, including communications, Internet history, or other uses, are subject to monitoring by Pope John Paul II High School. School representatives may inspect and, if they deem necessary, confiscate, any student’s iPad or Laptop.
- Certain Internet materials may not be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author or copyright holder. It is the student’s responsibility to respect and adhere to all copyright, trademark, and other intellectual rights and trade secrets laws.
- The Pope John Paul II High School network may not be accessed without authorization. This includes, but is not limited to, accessing the network using any account other than a student’s own.
- Students are solely responsible for the care and safekeeping of the device they are using according to the JPII iPad orientation. Any loss or damage (outside of reasonable wear and tear), regardless of the cause, will be the strict financial responsibility of the students and parents. Students must immediately report damage or loss, including theft, to Pope John Paul II High School. Students are not permitted to repair, alter, modify or replace any device without express authorization from the school.
- In consideration for using devices provided by Pope John Paul II High School each student and his or her parent or legal guardian agrees not to sue and hereby releases, waives, discharges, holds harmless, indemnifies, and defends Pope John Paul II High School and the Diocese of Nashville, as well as their respective employees, personnel, staff, volunteers, agents, directors, affiliates, and representatives, from any and all liability, losses, damages, claims, actions, and causes of action of every nature for any and all known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, bodily or personal injuries, property damage, or other loss, whether claimed by the student, parent, legal representative, or any third party, relating in any way to the use of the devices furnished by Pope John Paul II High School to the student.
- When using the school’s devices, we strongly encourages students to consider whether their electronic communications and other uses of the devices may be regarded as offensive, hurtful, or otherwise inappropriate by others.
- Violations of any portion of this Responsible Use Policy may result in disciplinary measure against the student up to and including expulsion.
- The use of the iPad or Laptop is for educational purposes. Students are not allowed to download or use apps or websites for any other purpose. Any non-essential apps, video, etc. can be deleted to make space for classroom use.
- The iPad used as a Face Time, video camera, still camera, or audio recording can only be done with the permission of the instructor.
The JPII Student iPad
- The iPad and charging cable issued to the student are the property of Pope John Paul II High School. As such, employees of JPII can access iPads at any time.
- All students may use only the JPII issued iPad in school. No personal devices are acceptable.
- Students will come with fully charged iPad to school every day.
- Students will have a case on the iPad at all times.
- Students will have a stylus available in each class (we do not currently require smart styli).
- Students will have headphones for the iPad available in each class.
- Students should use JPII Apple ID on iPads.
- With limited storage space, students’ work should be backed up to iCloud and Google Drive.
- Students and parents who have concerns about text content being shared between students via mobile devices may send or bring evidence (screenshots) of the activity to school administration.
Uniform Guidelines
All required uniform items must be purchased at Mills Uniform store or online at www.millwear.com. Uniforms from our previous vendor, Parker Uniform, are only approved for returning students.
Identification cards: IDs are to be worn on the appropriate house lanyard around the student’s neck. IDs must be worn for the entire duration of a student being in the building, including after school hours. Students may remove their lanyards for PE classes, sports, or when deemed appropriate by a teacher (i.e. Labs). Students are required to have their ID when buying lunch. Students who do not wear their IDs will be issued a detention; if this occurs three times in a semester a student will then be issued a Saturday detention. Wearing an ID is a measure of security and will be treated with the utmost importance.
Virtual Learning: Students must be in their school uniform while attending virtual class and fully visible on the screen (no black screens and the camera must be on the student's face). Students must be sitting at an appropriate location (i.e., a desk or table). Students may not attend class via Google Meets from the bed.
Mask or Face Shield: All students must wear a mask or face shield unless given direction by a faculty or staff member that they can remove it and follow safe physical distancing. Masks or Face Shields should not have any offensive symbols, words, or decorations.
Dress for Men
- Socks: Socks must be worn at all times and must be solid color in white, black, or navy.
- Pants: Men (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors) may wear khaki pants purchased at Mills Uniform. Senior men may also wear blue pants purchased at Mills Uniform.
- Belt: Leather belt in black or brown. Buckle should be no more than 2.5 inches in diameter. Parents will be notified of any belt and/or buckle deemed inappropriate in size or design.
- Shoes: Athletic shoes are an option as of 2019-2020. Students may choose any brand of athletic shoe in gray, black, blue, or white ONLY. The design of the shoe cannot include any other colors but may be a combination of these colors, i.e., black Nike with a white logo. Converse shoes are considered an athletic shoe. Sperry’s will remain an option.
- Shirts: Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors have the option of wearing a navy blue polo and seniors have the option of wearing a gray or navy blue polo. The polo is available in short-sleeved and sold in the Armory. Students may wear the polo any school day except on Mass days. During COVID operations, Oxfords are not required on Mass days. Oxfords (blue or white) purchased at Mills Uniform are also an option. Men are required to wear solid color white, cream-colored, or school gray undergarments under their oxfords with no logos other than a JPII logo on the undershirts. Oxford shirts should be completely tucked in and the small buttons on the collar (the wings) should be buttoned at all times.
- Ties: *During COVID operations, boys are not required to wear a tie at any time. Boys must wear their school tie on all Mass days. It is advised that they store a tie in their lockers. The Student Life office will not offer replacement ties. Students may purchase an official JPII tie from the Armory. Ties should be tied in the style of a necktie, not a bow tie, and should be pulled up snugly to cover the top button of the oxford. If a tie is lost or damaged the student will be required to purchase a new tie through the Armory.
- Outerwear: Any JPII outerwear (with or without a hood) sold through the Armory or BSN for a JPII team/club/program may be worn any day.
Dress for Women
- Socks: Socks must be worn at all times and must be solid color in white, black, or navy. The socks may be crew or knee high.
- Skirts: The Mills Uniform skirt must be no more than six inches above the knee. This measurement is taken when the student is kneeling erect on the floor. The measurement is taken from the floor to the bottom of the skirt. Parents are responsible for making sure skirts are in compliance per the measurement above.
- Pants: Women (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors) may wear khaki pants purchased at Mills Uniform.
- Belt: Leather belt in black or brown. Buckle should be no more than 2.5 inches in diameter. Parents will be notified of any belt and/or buckle deemed inappropriate in size or design.
- Shoes: Athletic shoes are an option as of 2019-2020. Students may choose any brand of athletic shoe in gray, black, blue, or white ONLY. The design of the shoe cannot include any other colors but may be a combination of these colors, i.e., black Nike with a white logo. Converse shoes are considered an athletic shoe. Sperry’s will remain an option.
- Shirt: Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors have the option of wearing a navy blue polo and seniors have the option of wearing a gray or navy blue polo. The polo is available in short-sleeved and sold in the Armory. Students may wear the polo any school day except on Mass days. During COVID operations, Oxfords are not required on Mass days. Oxfords (blue or white) purchased at Mills Uniform are also an option. Women are required to wear solid color white, cream-colored, or school gray undergarments under their oxfords. Shirts should be completely tucked in and the small buttons on the collar (the wings) should be buttoned at all times.
- Outerwear: Any JPII outerwear (with or without a hood) sold through the Armory or BSN for a JPII team/club/program may be worn any day.
- Tights: If a female student wishes to wear tights or leggings underneath her skirt for additional warmth, the tights or leggings must be solid black or navy. No other color or pattern is allowed. Jeggings and other similar garments are not allowed. Students must always wear socks with their tights or leggings.
Hair
- Men and women’s hair coloring must appear natural and may have highlights
- Mohawks and “Faux Hawks” are not permitted.
- Carving of words, symbols, logos etc. into a student’s hair is not permitted.
- Men’s hair must not touch below the collar and must be trimmed above the eyebrows. The hair on the side ear area and sideburns must be groomed. Administration reserves the right to require a haircut at any time even if the hair meets current hair length standards. This is to ensure that hair is not too unruly and has a presentable, groomed appearance.
- Men should be clean-shaven at all times. The nurse has razors and shaving cream available.