Schoolwide Expectations

• Attend school daily in order to acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to be college- and career-ready. 
• Parents, guardians and students are all responsible for making sure students are on time and ready to learn. 
• All students are expected to have a 95% attendance rate or better. 
• Failure to do so may result in truancy court hearing. 
• When a student is absent, parents should call the Attendance Line: 720-424-2770 
• All family travel should only occur on official DPS non-student contact days.

• Students who are late to their classes, 3 or more instances are subject to Saturday School Intervention. 
• Students who fail to attend Saturday School Intervention for any reason lose their lunch and recess for 5 days. 
• School starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. All students should be in their seats and ready for instruction by 8 a.m.
• Elementary students will be admitted into the building at 7:45 a.m. 
• JA students will be admitted to the cafeteria at 7:40 a.m.

All Elementary (ECE-5) students are required to wear a school uniform each and every day.

• If students show up to school without a school uniform, you will receive a phone and will be required to bring them a uniform. 

TOPS:

• Collared shirts (polo, button down shirts or blouses) of any solid color or any official Howell graphic T-shirts are permitted
  • Plain or graphic t-shirts that do not have the Howell design are not permitted
  • Halter tops, tank tops, and thin-strapped tops are not permitted.
• Solid Khaki, Navy Blue, or Maroon Jumpers are permitted
• Only solid Black, Maroon, or Navy Blue sweatshirts/hoodies are permitted, but hoods must be down and cannot be worn while indoors.

BOTTOMS:

• Pants, Jeans, Skirts, Skorts, Jumpers, Capris and Shorts are permitted
• Bottoms must be in a solid Black, Khaki, Navy Blue, or Jean color.
• Denim jeans are permitted to have rips, holes, or frayed sections at the knee or below. 
  • Rips, holes, or frayed sections above the knee are NEVER permitted.
• Pants are defined as having pockets and a zipper. No leggings allowed unless they are worn underneath a skirt, skort, shorts or jumper.
• Bottoms must be free of graphics, decals, embroidery, and logos with the exception of small logos (no bigger than a quarter size)
• Shorts, Skirts, Skorts, and Jumpers shall be no shorter than 3” above the top of the knee when standing.
• Baggy or sagging bottoms are not permitted.

FOOTWEAR:

• Footwear must be worn at all times.
• Tennis shoes or sturdy, form-fitting shoes are recommended.
• Backless, high-healed, or open toe shoes are not permitted.
• Flip flops, Crocs, slippers and shoes with wheels are not permitted.

MISCELLANEOUS:

• Hats, caps, bandanas and other headwear may not be worn during the school day unless for school sponsored activities. *Except for cultural purposes (ex: hijabs)
• Students may not wear dark glasses while inside the school building (face or head) unless prescribed by a medical provider for a known medical condition.

•  If a student violates the dress code and a staff member addresses it, the student will be asked to change or contact parent/guardian to bring a change of clothes and not wear that item again. 

*This dress code does not regulate the exercise of an individual’s sincerely held religious beliefs.

Policy on DRESS CODE:

• Ripped jeans cannot have holes above mid-thigh.
• Students wearing ripped jeans above mid-thigh must have leggings underneath.
• Yoga pants and leggings are permitted.
• Sandals and open toe shoes are permitted
• Crocs are permitted

The following items are NOT permitted:

• Shorts, dresses, skirts or other similar clothing shorter than mid-thigh length
• Sunglasses and/or hats worn inside the building
• Inappropriately sheer, tight or low-cut clothing that bare or expose traditionally private parts of the body (e.g., midriffs, halter tops, backless clothing, tube tops, garments made of fishnet, mesh or similar material, muscle tops, etc.)
• Tank tops or other similar clothing with narrow straps
• Any clothing, paraphernalia, grooming, jewelry, hair coloring, accessories, or body adornments that are or contain any advertisement, symbols, words, slogans, patches, or pictures that:
• Refer to drugs, tobacco, alcohol, or weapons
• Are of a sexual nature
• By virtue of color, arrangement, trademark, or other attribute denote membership in gangs which are associated with drug use, violence, or disruptive behavior
• Are obscene, profane, vulgar, lewd, or legally libelous
• Threaten the safety or welfare of any person
• Promote any activity prohibited by the student code of conduct
• Otherwise disrupt the teaching-learning process
• Slippers
• Shoes with Wheels
• Items which can be considered pajamas or other nightwear may not be worn to school.
• Hats, headbands, sweatbands, bandanas, sunglasses or head coverings of any kind may not be worn during the school day unless for school-sponsored activities. *Except for cultural purposes (ex: hijabs)

Cell phones or any other electronics are not permitted to be used/visible in classrooms or hallways (i.e. iPods/MP3 players, Gameboys, tablets, smart watches, etc.). 

• All headphones/earbuds should not be visible or turned on at any time in the classroom or hallways. 
• If an electronic device is heard or seen in class or hallway, it will be confiscated. 

*The school is not responsible for any lost, stolen, or confiscated electronic devices as students bring the devices at their own risk

*Cell phones may be subject to confiscation in some cases for habitual or discipline reasons and if a student is serving In School Suspension.

Students who participate in unacceptable activity or behavior that negatively affects learning, and/or negatively affects others will participate in the Restorative Intervention process. Participants in the process may include but are not limited to, peers, teachers and other staff members, administrators, parents and community members.

Want to learn more? Check out these resources

• Check out the implementation guide as well as other restorative resources for families
• Denver Post article
• NBC News story on Restorative Practices
• Denver 7’s coverage of Skinner’s restorative work
• Report on Restorative Practices at Skinner entitled “Taking Restorative Practices School-wide: Insights from Three Schools in Denver” by Yolanda Anyon, MSW, Ph.D.

Saturday School is from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Students who fail to attend Saturday School Intervention for any reason lose their lunch and recess for 5 days. Students will go to the cafeteria to get their lunch and then walk to the pass room (intervention room.)

Students must not possess or use alcohol, narcotics, marijuana, legal but unauthorized, or illegal substances on school grounds, in DPS-approved vehicles, at designated school bus stops or at school-sponsored events. There are disciplinary consequences for these misbehaviors.

This will be utilized for inappropriate behavior not listed above, such as insubordination or disrespect for staff, violation of DPS Zero Tolerance for gang activity, drugs, profanity/obscenity directed at a person, bullying, sexual harassment, theft, weapons, fighting, etc.