Attendance: It is crucial that students attend classes every day. This is particularly important for students with learning disabilities who need continual reinforcement. It truly makes a difference. Being here consistently makes for better comprehension of the material and better grades. The local jurisdictions are also increasing their monitoring of attendance. Please do everything possible to schedule appointments and trips out of town for before and after school or during vacations.
If you bring your student to school, please set a good example by getting your student here in time to be in class and settled by 8:30 am each day. If your student will unavoidably be late or absent, please call or e-mail Casey Jarvis at (202) 944-2210, cjarvis@labschool.org, by 8:30 am to report it to us, or send a note with your student. Without a note or call from a parent, the absence or tardiness will be unexcused.
Lunch: The high school operates a school store that sells a limited number of items for lunch that students may purchase each day. The school store will begin operating on Monday, September 10th. We will offer more healthy alternatives this year. Our drink machines now offer only water and fruit juice. We will not sell soda on campus.
9th grade students are not permitted to leave campus for lunch, so they are
advised to bring a lunch from home or have money to purchase school lunches.
10th – 11th –12th graders are permitted to leave campus to purchase lunch at the
local Safeway or take-out restaurants in the immediate neighborhood. We expect
proper behavior at all times when off campus. Students are not permitted to use
their cars. Off-campus lunch is supervised daily.
Dress Code: What not to wear –
- No tank tops or halter-tops
- No blue jeans or stonewashed blue jeans (jeans of other colors are fine)
- No blue jean skirts
- No clothing that is ripped, torn or shredded
- No clothing (including t-shirts) that depicts alcohol, drugs, sex, or any graphics that the
high school administration determines to be inappropriate
- No clothing that exposes the midriff
- No extremely short shorts or skirts
- No provocative clothing
Please refer to the Parent Handbook, which explains the dress code in detail. To quote from the handbook, "It is up to the Coordinator of each division to use his or her discretion as to which clothing is not acceptable." Help us make this subjective decision easier.
Homework: a part of high school life – not to be a battleground between you and your student. Students must do their own work. Please let your son/daughter be the advocate with his/her teacher on the issues that inevitably arise concerning homework. We expect the students to talk with the teachers as part of the problem-solving process. An important part of being in the high school is assuming responsibility for oneself and one’s learning. Parents, we need your help in getting your children to learn to advocate for themselves. If there is too much homework, too little, or the homework is too hard, the student must speak up. It is the students themselves who can produce change. That way we all are preparing them well for the future. Homework assignments are posted weekly on the website (http://my.labschool.org). If you are having problems with your child taking responsibility for his or her homework, please call me and we will work on this together.
Lunch detention: Students who do not turn in homework will be assigned to lunch detention the following day, unless the student has not been able to understand the homework and has discussed the issue with his or her teacher.
Driving: Students are NOT permitted to drive to school unless I determine that there is a hardship that justifies their driving. Students who are permitted to drive to school may not park on campus and must obey all neighborhood parking signs. Students may use the Lab School’s free shuttle bus service to and from the Tenley and Roslyn metro stations. Please refer to your parent’s handbook for times and locations. We believe this shuttle service provides a convenient and low-cost alternative for students’ commutes and we strongly encourage students to take advantage of this option.
