Parents & Students
Student Handbook
Absence Excuses
Parental Excuse Form
Please fill out and submit this form within three (3) school days of the student's absence to excuse your child.
In cases of illness, completing this form eliminates the need for you to call.
PLEASE NOTE: This form is not to be used for any other absences, such as doctor/dentist appointments, college visits, court appearances, religious holidays, vacation, etc.
If you have any questions, please the main office.
Content Area Support
Starting Monday, March 7th, C.A.S. will be available for students before and after school through live Google Meets from 7:25 AM - 8:25 AM and 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Monday-Thursday.
Ms. Cady-Poirier will be available to collaborate with students and help them complete their work at this link: https://meet.google.com/ubv-tdvq-ihg
Core Values
We believe...
...students, teachers, staff, administration, parents, and the community are successful in a working environment that fosters collaboration and values mutual support.
...students learn best when lessons have been developed to reflect the various learning styles and multiple intelligences of students while delivering content in a variety of settings.
...students are more successful and gain specific knowledge and skills with appropriate, hands-on, authentic tasks that have been skillfully crafted and modeled by instructional staff.
...everyone performs best in an environment that is safe, nurtures self-worth, and self-confidence, and encourages respectful, positive behaviors.
...students become independent readers and life-long learners through the development of informational literacy and continual library use.
...students perform best when expectations across content areas are focused, clear, consistent, challenging, and require high quality work.
...technology is a learning tool which serves to enhance educational programming.
Digital Citizenship:
At MCSD, we believe this means preparing our students to:
Think critically and evaluate online sources.
Protect themselves from online threats, including bullies and scams.
Get smart about sharing: what, when, and with whom.
Be kind and respectful toward other people and their privacy.
Ask for help from a parent or adult with tricky situations.
Adapted from Be Internet Awesome Parent Letter
DASA Resources and Bullying & Harassment Form
Our Commitment:
Malone Middle School is committed to creating a safe and supportive learning environment for all students, every day! To this end, we have a number of policies and procedures in place to assist students who experience issues that impact their ability to learn and feel safe within the school building. This page has been designed to offer information related to the New York State Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), our role is supporting this legislation, and resources for students and parents regarding bullying and harassment.
Students are encouraged to seek out an adult whenever they feel unsafe, may be a victim of bullying, or witnessed what they feel may be an instance of bullying. The Assistant Principal's office is a great place to obtain an incident form regarding bullying. Students are encouraged to fill out the form in a timely manner and return it to the Assistant Principal's office so that the matter can be investigated.
What is DASA?
The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) was signed into law on September 13, 2010. The goal of the Act is to help secure safe and supportive learning environments for NYS public school students that are free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying on school property, a school bus and/or at a school function. Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying based on a student’s actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender (defined to include gender identity or expression), or sex may be considered a DASA violation and should be reported for investigation.
*Adapted from NYS Dignity Act website
Documentation Items:
Bullying and Harassment Online Form
Please use the above link to access our online Bullying and Harassment form if you are unable to obtain a form from the Assistant Principal's office.
MMS Bullying Report Flowchart for Students
This document explains to both students and parents the process after a student fills out and submits an incident report related to bullying.
MMS DASA Investigation Flowchart
This document sets forth the investigation process that takes place after a bullying and harassment form is submitted to the office.
Distinguishing Bullying From Peer Conflict, Accidents, & Misunderstandings
This document may help parents and students in deciding if an issue would be considered bullying or a peer conflict, accident, or misunderstanding. It is not all-inclusive, but a helpful starting point!
Resources for Parents and Students:
New York State Dignity for All Students Act Webpage
A great resource for the basics of the Dignity Act.
Common Sense Media Parent Concerns
Common Sense Media is the leading source of technology recommendations for both families and schools. Their "Parent Concerns" page gives parents access to up-to-date information and advice on numerous topics related to online safety, including cyberbullying, cellphones, how to deal with inappropriate content, and more. Information and suggestions can be narrowed by age, which is very handy for parents.
Another great resource providing information on bullying and cyberbullying for parents and students funded by the Federal Government.