Student Handbook

2015­2016

Augsburg Fairview Academy

2504 Columbus Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55404

612­333­1614 www.afa.tc

The Augsburg Fairview Academy Mission & Vision

Mission

Augsburg Fairview Academy invites young adults from diverse communities to prepare for college, career, and life. We support

students facing educational barriers to achieve these goals through an intense program of rigorous study and real­world connections to health

care, education, and other human services.

Vision Augsburg Fairview Academy supports, motivates, and challenges high school students to achieve not only academic success but the habits of

mind and body that will give them happiness, satisfaction, and wellness for the rest of their lives.

AFA School­Wide Goals for Students

1. Students will improve reading and math proficiencies by 1.5 years during the school year. 2. Student attendance will increase by 10% from 2015­2016. 3. Students will build a community based on caring, helping, and respect among themselves and the adults at AFA. 4. All students will engage in rigorous, relevant, and meaningful service learning projects.

Circle of Courage

Augsburg Fairview Academy follows the principles of the Circle of Courage. The Circle of Courage is a pictorial conceptual framework that represents our beliefs in working with young people. The philosophy behind the Circle of Courage was created by Reclaiming Youth International, a group of educators dedicated to finding the best methods of working with youth. The Circle of Courage melds Western psychology with wisdom from the world's indigenous cultures. Our teachers at AFA are trained in Circle of Courage techniques such as Response Ability Pathways (R.A.P.), Person Brain, Life Space Crisis Intervention (L.S.C.I), and Developmental Audit. Each of these helps the adults in school to be more attuned to the needs of students. We do not believe that punishment is the most effective way to change behavior in the long­run. We believe that building mentoring relationships is the best way to help young people make healthy and productive decisions. The Circle of Courage consists of four major developmental areas: Independence, Belonging, Mastery, and Generosity. We work with students to bring out their natural abilities and develop new strengths in these four areas. Our aim is to help each young person have a strong foundation in all four of these areas when they leave Augsburg Fairview Academy and go on to college.

Stay In Touch with AFA! You can stay up to date on all of the events happening at Augsburg Fairview Academy, as well as make sure that you know right away about school closings due to weather by connecting with us online: 1. Check your AFA email regularly. All students are assigned a school email account ending @afa.tc. This account should be used for all school­related email, and it is linked to Google Documents/Sites/Calendar, which you will also use for school. Please ask your teachers or other staff if you need help with this. 2. Bookmark our website: afa.tc and the portal page for PowerSchool: start.afa.tc

3. Friend us on Facebook: Facebook.com/AugsburgFairviewAcademy

4. Follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/AFA_Minneapolis

School Schedule The first day of school is Tuesday, September 8th, 2015, and the last day of school is Friday, June 3rd, 2016. School starts each day at 8:45 am and ends each day at 3:25 pm. Class is in session Monday­Thursday. On Fridays, AFA offers elective classes in which students have a chance to learn and build new skills and earn extra credits. The schedule on Fridays is from 10:00 am­2:00 pm, with a 25 minute break for lunch. Students can also work independently, meet with teachers, or receive tutoring help. If students do not have classwork, they are not required to attend. There are a few Fridays a year when classes are mandatory and scheduled as usual. Daily Schedule Advisory: 8:45­9:15 (Breakfast) 2nd Period: 9:15­10:10 3rd Period: 10:13­11:08 4th Period: 11:11­12:06 LUNCH: 12:06­12:31 5th Period: 12:35­1:30 6th Period: 1:33­2:27 7th Period: 2:30­3:25 Meals Breakfast is served from 8:45­9:15 am during Advisory. Lunch is served from 12:06­12:31 pm in the cafeteria. Students may eat the hot lunch provided, or bring lunch from home, but they may not order food to be delivered to the school, and they may not eat off campus. Snacks are brought to 7th hour classrooms beginning October 1, 2015. Food to take home may also be available upon request. Please see the Social Work Department for more information. Bag lunches are provided on Fridays. Please note that breakfast will not be served on Fridays except for those few Fridays that are mandatory. *In order to receive meals at AFA, students will need to complete an application for Education Benefits (to be returned to Mr. Jugasek). School Calendar A school calendar is included at the end of this handbook. Please note: Augsburg Fairview Academy is not part of the Minneapolis Public Schools system. We have our own unique school calendar that is not the same as Minneapolis Public Schools' calendar.

Student Conduct Guidelines Below are the basic guidelines for student behavior in the classrooms. 1. Be a respectful, engaged student.

­No cell phone use (unless the teacher says otherwise). *Continued cell phone use after 2 reminders will result in a Tier 2 intervention, and a meeting with the Lead Teacher. ­Stay awake ­Use safe language ­Participate in classwork

2. 10/10 Rule

­No exit within the first 10 minutes of class, and no exit/entry within the last 10 minutes of class. This ensures that all students receive complete, uninterrupted instruction.

3. Use Passes ­If you need to leave class (bathroom, water, etc.), request a pass from your teacher. Have the appropriate

pass to be in the hallways. Safe Language AFA students are expected to use safe and inclusive language. Swearing, and language that harasses or demeans, including racial or ethnic slurs, slurs related to sex, sexual orientation, ability (e.g. the “r­word”) and gender will not be tolerated at AFA, as well as language that alludes to drug or alcohol use or gang affiliation. Attendance Consistent attendance is necessary to be successful at Augsburg Fairview Academy. Teachers take attendance each period during the first 5 minutes of every class. Students will be marked “present” if they are in class at the beginning of the period, “tardy” if they are late for class, or “absent” if they are not present in class during the entire period. Students who are not at school by 9:15 am will be identified each day. The student and parent/guardian will be called, sent a text message, or emailed to inquire about the absence. Every attempt will be made by Augsburg Fairview Academy’s attendance department and staff to help each student attend school each day. If a student will be absent, the parent or guardian (or the adult student) must do one of the following:

­ Call the school attendance office at 612­333­1614 to report the absence ­ Call the attendance team leader at 612­806­5307 ­ Deliver a note to the Augsburg Fairview Academy office to report the absence

If a student must leave school, the parent or guardian (or the adult student) must do one of the following:

­ Call the attendance office at 612­333­1614 prior to the student leaving. ­ Provide a written and signed note indicating the reason for leaving and the duration of the time missed.

When approved by the Lead Teacher, the attendance office will provide the student with a pass to leave the building, and the student will present the pass to the front desk when he or she signs out. The attendance team will mark the missed period(s) as an excused absence. The student will be responsible for making up any missed work. If the student returns the same day, he or she must present the pass to the front desk staff, and sign in when returning. If a student does not arrive to school by 12:20pm (without a note or call of excuse), he or she will not be permitted into the building that day. If a student leaves without permission, he or she will not be permitted back that day.

Academics Credits ­Students must earn 22 credits to graduate from Augsburg Fairview Academy. ­1 credit = 1 full year class in a particular subject, so students can generally earn about 8.5 credits per year at AFA. ­ Students must receive a passing grade (a D or higher) in order to earn credit. ­Every school has a different credit system, so upon transferring to AFA, the Lead Teacher will work with the student and his or her transcript to determine how to translate credits that the student has received from a former school. Graduation Requirements ­Complete Minnesota state graduation assessment requirements. ­Successfully complete 22 credits, separated into the following categories: English: 4 credits Social Studies: 3.5 credits (Required: U.S. History, Geography, World History, Government/Citizenship, Economics. Students at AFA may also take Ojibwe and/or Dakota Studies.) Science: 3 credits (Required: Biology and Chemistry) Math: 3 credits (Required: Algebra, Algebra 2, Geometry) Arts: 1 credit (AFA students can take Art, Ojibwe Studies, Dakota Studies, or an approved community art experience) Electives: 7.5 credits (Required: Health & Wellness and Fitness for Life. Additional AFA options: Ojibwe Studies, Dakota Studies, College and Career Readiness, Yoga, Art, Bike Shop, additional Math, English, Social Studies, and Science classes beyond the required credits, and any additional elective course offered on Fridays. Through the Workforce Program, students at AFA can also complete elective credits by working a part­time job, volunteering, or participating in any approved community or skill­building program.) * AFA Seniors may participate in the annual graduation ceremony if they have accomplished all of the following: ­Completed a minimum of 20 credits ­Taken the GRAD reading, writing, and math exams OR the ACT ­Developed a graduation plan with the Lead Teacher in order to complete their remaining 2 credits during summer school ­Enrolled in a summer school program

Grading Scale Students receive grades on assignments and in their classes overall according to the following percentages: A = 93% A­ = 90% B+ = 88% B = 83% B­ = 80% C+ = 78% C = 70% D = 60% F = 0.0% G.P.A. ­Stands for “Grade Point Average”, the average of all of the grades that a student is receiving so far. ­It is calculated for each student at the end of every quarter. Below are the points for each grade: A = 4.0 A­ = 3.67 B+ = 3.33 B = 3.0 B­ = 2.67 C+ = 2.33 C = 2.0 D = 1.0 F = 0.0 Progress Reporting Report cards and progress reports will be sent home 8 times during the school year, during the following weeks: 10/15/2015 11/2/2015 12/11/2015 1/25/2016 2/29/2016 4/14/2016 5/2/2016 6/13/2016 Parents, students, and teachers will meet to discuss student success on the following dates: ­Thursday, October 22nd, 2015 ­Thursday, February 25th, 2016 Both sessions will include a community meal and time for academic conferencing.

Academic Honesty Policy AFA is dedicated to the highest academic and moral standards. Cheating or plagiarizing others’ work is not permitted. Cheating = copying someone’s work or letting someone copy your work, talking about answers during quizzes and tests, completing work for another student or allowing another student to complete work for you. Plagiarism = presenting someone else’s work as your own without citing the source. ALEKS ALEKS is an online learning program used by the Math Department to provide students with math curriculum that matches student ability. Student math ability is determined by the STAR Math assessment tool taken the first week of school, and 6­8 times throughout the school year. Tutoring Students can receive one­on­one academic tutoring during AFA’s after school program every Monday through Thursday (or any time arranged with a specific teacher), or from 10­2 pm on Fridays, only by appointment with a specific teacher. RtI Program Response to Intervention (RtI) is a system of monitoring academic progress and providing appropriate interventions. Every six weeks, students take short, ungraded tests (on the Renaissance Place RtI website) in order to measure reading and math grade levels and to monitor progress. If students need extra help, an academic intervention plan will be devised, and students will be provided with the help they need.

Special AFA Offerings Indian Education Program Augsburg Fairview Academy is committed to providing the Native youth of the Twin Cities with a school that will meet their unique educational and culturally related academic needs, while preparing them to attend post­secondary education and become our future leaders. Dakota and Ojibwe Studies Classes AFA offers a Dakota Studies class and an Ojibwe studies class for one period each school day. The classes include instruction in Art, Culture, History & Language, and are open to all students regardless of race. Native American Family Involvement Day Parents & Guardians of AFA students are invited to meet with staff, attend class with their student(s), and listen to a presenter during the school day. After school, students, families and community members will enjoy a meal while listening to a presenter. They are encouraged to express their views concerning all aspects of American Indian Education and the educational needs of the American Indian students enrolled at Augsburg Fairview Academy. Native American College Fair AFA hosts a Native American College Fair during Native American Heritage Month. The fair is free and open to the public, and students, families and community members are encouraged to attend. Attendees speak with representatives from a wide variety of post­secondary institutions, job training programs, and community programs. They learn about college life, courses, and admission and financial aid requirements. Field Trips Students participate in culturally relevant field trips throughout the year. Native American Presenter Series Augsburg Fairview Academy hosts a Native American Presenter Series four times a year during the school day. Presenters speak to the students and staff about Native American history, culture, and current issues within the Native community. Parents are welcomed to attend these presentations. Indian Education Parent Committee The Augsburg Fairview Academy Indian Education Parent Committee provides students, families and community members with the opportunity to express their views concerning all aspects of American Indian Education and the educational needs of the American Indian students enrolled at Augsburg Fairview Academy. Native American Resource Library Augsburg Fairview Academy has developed a Native American Resource Library. Our library includes books, DVDs, and curriculum. Staff are able to use the library to incorporate Native History & Culture into their classes and learn more about Native Americans on their own. Students are able to check out books to read on their own and for classwork. Annual Augsburg Fairview Academy Powwow The goal of our Powwow is to promote a sense of unity among the communities served by AFA through cultural sharing, and to develop intercultural awareness among students, parents, and staff. In planning a Powwow our students develop their leadership skills and social skills. Staff Development and Conference Opportunities Augsburg Fairview Academy staff participate in book studies; attend the MIEA Conference and the Overcoming Racism Conference. Staff also participate in 5 Staff Developments throughout the school year.

Social Work Programs/Groups AFA has a robust social work program, which helps to connect students with services throughout the community. By working with the social workers, students can pursue resources including affordable housing, chemical treatment programs, legal services, counseling services, and food assistance programs. Groups The social work team also facilitates support groups that meet weekly during the school day. Each group focuses on a particular theme (e.g. LGBT, Native Students, gender), and provides the students with a safe, supportive, confidential space to share their thoughts and feelings, work through difficult issues, and express support for one another. Hope Club The social work department also leads the Hope Club, which is a student group that was designed to help meet the needs of AFA students and others in the surrounding community. The Hope Club’s biggest project was creating and maintaining the Hope Closets, which provide food, toiletries, and clothing for AFA students as needed. Partnership with First Universalist AFA partners with a local church, First Universalist to offer our students more resources and connections to our community. Volunteers from First Universalist assist in classrooms, do individual academic tutoring, and manage donations and organization of the Hope Closets. Student Council A group of students meet once a week to plan events and work on projects that benefit the students, school, and community. Staff advisors offer guidance and support for the group. Workforce Program Many students at AFA have part­time jobs, volunteer, and/or participate in skill­building and community programs. We encourage students to gain this real­world experience as they prepare for adult life and pursue post­secondary education and careers. Therefore, students can earn course credit for participation in any approved extracurricular experience. The Workforce Coordinator can also help students to get connected with jobs and programs. Family Nights, Speakers, Events AFA sponsors regular events throughout the year including Family Nights, when students and their families can enjoy a meal and activities at the school. We also invite speakers to discuss various topics, and host career and resource fairs where community organizations offer information to our students about potential careers, activities, and services that they can pursue. Other events take place throughout the year including field trips and a school Powwow!

Resources/Other Laptops Personal laptops or tablets are not necessary at AFA because each classroom has a laptop available to each student to use during teacher led instruction time. Laptops will be assigned by the adult staff member in the classroom. Please remember that these expensive items can be lost or stolen, so use them responsibly and return them to their cart when not in use. Students may not leave the classroom with their assigned laptop. Inappropriate laptop use will result in the loss of laptop privileges. Students in good academic standing (at least 85% attendance or at least 3.2 GPA) are able to sign a contract which allows them to rent school laptops for use at home. They also receive a hotspot device to provide them with internet access. PowerSchool PowerSchool is the system we use for student records. Students have access to their current grades and attendance information at any time via the student portal. Parents have access to the same information at any time via the parent portal. Log in to PowerSchool at http://afa­tc.powerschool.com Lockers Each student will be assigned a locker and a lock. Lockers should be used only by the student it has been assigned to. 121A.72 SCHOOL LOCKER POLICY Subdivision 1 Policy It is the policy of the state of Minnesota that: “School lockers are the property of the school district. At no time does the school district relinquish its exclusive control of lockers provided for the convenience of students. Inspection of the interior of lockers may be conducted by school authorities for any reason at any time, without notice, without student consent, and without a search warrant. The personal possessions of students within a school locker may be searched only when school authorities have a reasonable suspicion that the search will uncover evidence of a violation of law or school rules. As soon as predictable after the search of a student’s personal possessions, the school authorities must provide notice of the search to students whose lockers were searched unless disclosure would impede an ongoing investigation by police or school officials.” Personal Property AFA is not responsible for any lost or stolen property. Please leave any valuables at home.

Parking Parking passes are not available to students. If a student drives a car to school, they must plan to park in an appropriate spot on the street or use the paid parking ramp across from the school. Students will not receive permission to leave the building to move their cars during school hours. Student IDs Student photos will be taken during the second week of school, and IDs will be created and distributed upon request. MetroPass AFA provides Go­To Cards for the Metro Transit system for all students. This pass provides unlimited rides on the Metro Transit system any time throughout the school­year. If a student loses his or her pass, replacement passes are available in the main office after school, and a replacement fee will be charged. Student Recruitment Bonus Program Current AFA students who refer others to enroll at AFA will be eligible for the Student Recruitment Bonus. For every day that the recruited student attends AFA, the recruiter student receives $1.75. Please see the Recruitment Coordinator if you are interested in learning more. Scheduled Prayer Students should remind teachers before class begins if they will be leaving for unscheduled prayer. The prayer area is located in the Executive Director’s office. Students are asked to please return to class promptly and quietly after prayer. Feeling Sick If students feel ill, they should tell a staff member, and the nurse will assess their needs. If students wish to lie down, they should see the Lead Teacher. If a student is feeling sick before school, the student should refrain from attending school that day, and notify the school as necessary. Off­Limits Areas The following areas are for staff use only: ­The west stairwell ­Staff office areas unless invited in ­Elevator (unless approved due to injury, etc.) ­The District Office

Prohibited Smoking Augsburg Fairview Academy is a smoke­free facility. Smoking (including e­cigarettes), and the use of tobacco is prohibited within line of sight of the school zone, and during school sanctioned events, extending to all facilities whether owned, rented, or leased. (This is outlined in section 120A.05, subdivision 9, 11, 13.) Students seen with tobacco products, including paraphernalia, in or around the school zone, and students suspected of tobacco use in the building will be referred to the Lead Teacher. Students caught a second time will be asked to leave the building for the remainder of the day. Students caught a third time may be suspended for up to 3 days. Alcohol & Drugs Alcohol or drug use, and the possession of alcohol, drugs, paraphernalia, or items displaying alcohol and drugs in or around the school zone, school facilities, or school sanctioned events is prohibited. If a student is suspected of using drugs or alcohol (smell, behavior, paraphernalia, etc.), he or she will be asked to leave the building for the remainder of the day and participate in a parent/guardian conference with student administrators. If this occurs a second time, the student will be suspended for 1 day, participate in a parent/guardian conference with school administrators, and meet with a case manager in the social work department to develop an alcohol and drug cessation plan. If it occurs three or more times, the student will be suspended for 3 days, and participate in a parent/guardian conference with school administrators to determine an appropriate educational setting. If a student is suspected of possession of drugs or alcohol in or around the school zone, the student will be suspended for up to 3 days, during which time an investigation will take place. If a student is suspected of selling drugs or alcohol in or around the school zone, the student will be suspended for up to 5 days, during which time an investigation will take place. If a student is caught selling drugs in or around the school zone, the student will be referred to the Minneapolis Police Department and suspended for up to 10 days, during which time the student may be referred to the school board for an expulsion hearing. Violence Fighting is not tolerated at AFA. If a student believes that someone wants to start a fight, the student should see a teacher, the Lead Teacher, or a school social worker. Verbal or physical threats, bullying, intimidation, violence, and other disruptive behavior is not permitted at AFA. AFA is a gang­free zone. Gang threats, signs, and intimidation will not be tolerated. Engaging in any violent conduct will result in dismissal for the day, and possibly suspension or expulsion.

Tiered Interventions AFA staff expect students to behave appropriately in school (and in their communities), but we recognize that everyone has a bad day. When necessary, AFA staff respond to disruptive, disrespectful, or harmful behavior through tiered responses. The poster below describes the behavior and subsequent responses at each tier.

Augsburg Fairview Academy Faculty and Staff

Administration Ms. Heidi E. Anderson, Interim Executive Director heidi.anderson@afa.tc 612­351­9184 Ms. Sarah Jergenson, Executive Assistant sarah.jergenson@afa.tc 612­806­5334 Mr. Dusty Lee, Interim Lead Teacher dusty.lee@afa.tc 612­351­9178 Ms. Kelsey Nelson, Operations Manager kelsey.nelson@afa.tc 612­351­9176 Ms. Liz Saunby, Indian Education Coordinator, Records Specialist, Recruitment Coordinator & Indian Home School Liaison

liz.saunby@afa.tc 612­294­1016

Support Services Mr. Mohamed Ahmed, Nutrition Services, Somali Cultural Liaison

mohameda@afa.tc 651­333­1614

Mr. Brandon Baity, School Social Worker brandon.baity@afa.tc 612­351­9181 Mr. Eli Balbach, Paraprofessional eli.balbach@afa.tc 612­333­1614 Michelle Fournier, School Social Worker michelle.fournier@afa.tc 612­351­9186 Ms. Nikia Goughnour, Paraprofessional nikia.goughnour@afa.tc 612­333­1614 Mr. Ken Jugasek, Nutrition Services ken.jugasek@afa.tc 612­351­9187 Ms. Rebekah Keller, Paraprofessional rebekah.keller@afa.tc 612­333­1614 Ms. Saoirse McMahon, Social Work Intern saoirse.mcmahon@afa.tc 612­333­1614 Ms. Alex Moen, School Counselor/Workforce Coordinator

alexandra.moen@afa.tc 612­227­9434

Mr. Steve Neumann, Custodial Services steve.neumann@afa.tc 612­333­1614 Mr. Eric Penniston, Social Work Intern eric.penniston@afa.tc 612­333­1614 Mr. Cedric Riley, Paraprofessional cedric.riley@afa.tc 612­333­1614 Mr. Amit Singh, Paraprofessional amit.singh@afa.tc 612­333­1614 Ms. Sandra Smith, Paraprofessional sandra.smith@afa.tc 612­333­1614 Teachers Ms. Sean Clark, Special Education sean.clark@afa.tc 612­351­9185 Max Clark­Vail, Art max.clark­vail@afa.tc 612­351­9192 Mr. Samuel Engel, Special Education sam.axner­engel@afa.tc 612­351­9183 Ms. Anita Gates, Dakota & Ojibwe Studies anita.gates@afa.tc 612­333­1614 Ms. Tara Howard, English tara.howard@afa.tc 612­351­9195 Mr. Ken Jugasek, Health and Wellness ken.jugasek@afa.tc 612­351­9187 Mr. Tom Matuseski, Tech tom.matuseski@afa.tc 612­991­6689

Ms. Alex Moen, College and Career Readiness alexandra.moen@afa.tc 612­227­9434 Ms. Kelsey Nelson, Science kelsey.nelson@afa.tc 612­351­9176 Ms. Jess Niemand, Special Education jess.niemand@afa.tc 612­351­9180 Ms. Robyn Pal­Freeman, English robyn.pal­freeman@afa.tc 612­351­9194 Mr. Luke Sargent, Social Studies luke.sargent@afa.tc 612­351­9199 Mr. Vasileios Serefeas, Science vasileios.serefeas@afa.tc 612­351­9196 Ms. Katie Smith, Math katie.smith@afa.tc 612­806­5317 Ms. Carly Wick, Social Studies carly.wick@afa.tc 612­351­9198 Attendance Department Mr. Mike Pepin, Attendance Coordinator mike.pepin@afa.tc 612­806­5307