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"Our greatest glory lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." Author Unknown

"When written in Chinese, the word "crisis" is composed of two charaters - one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity."Author: John F. Kennedy

“The excellence of daily life finally depends not on what we do, but on how we do it.” Author: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

"The reward of a thing well done is to have done it." Author: Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Author: Winston Churchill

Your community Schools may lose certain federal and state funds, if funding is based on attendance rates. This can affect all students.

Children should be able to make decisions but not attending school is not a decision that they are old enough to make without experiencing major consequences that will affect them and the adults around them. Consequently, parents need to regulate decisions about high school attendance and co-regulate any other non-life altering decision their child makes.

To be protected under Section 504, a student must be determined to:
1) have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities;
2) have documentation of such an impairment, and
3) be observed as having such an impairment.

For a student to be eligible for a 504 accommodations plan, the student must meet all three of the criteria. It must be because of this disability that the student is unable to gain equal access and benefit from school programs and services. A medical diagnosis of illness does not automatically qualify a student for services under Section 504. The illness must cause a substantial limitation on the student's ability to learn or other major life function.

Other sources that will be considered, along with the medical diagnosis, include aptitude and achievement tests, teacher recommendations, physical condition, social and cultural background, adaptive behavior, and student’s academic record to account for success or lack thereof in regular education. If the grades achieved by the student substantiate that he/she has the global capacity to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his/her environment, the student may not be protected under Section 504. The grades and promotions are evidence of equal access to educational benefits from school programs and services because the grades are accurately reflecting the student’s educational performance.

Working together makes all the difference.

Any student under Section 504 is expected to make a concerted effort to get to class on time and participate, do classwork and homework promptly. A section 504 only levels the educational field and does not allow for habitual absences and/or habitual tardies – The school laws in North Carolina expect students to be in the classroom. The research has shown that the best student success is attained when students are in the classroom learning.
Under Section 504 Parents are expected to operate:
Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The NCLB highly recommends that shared accountability be amoung administrators, teachers, and parents for high student achievement. Parental involvement works well in the educational setting when the parents use effective practices to improve own children’s academic achievement. It is very important that parents ensure that the student is in school everyday as well as monitor student’s homework habits and completion of homework. Furthermore, it is important for parents to contact your child's teachers if you do not receive progress reports. NCLB strongly recommends that parents get involved in their child's education to find out the child's strenghts and weaknesses. NCLB strongly recommends that parents work together with educatiors to find out how well their child is performing in school academically and otherwise. NCLB strongly recommends that parents communicate with teachers, administrators and counselors to ensure that the student is keeping up with classwork, reports, projects, and homework that needs to be completed along with the dates that the work is to be accomplished.

An intervention will require you, the parents/guardians, to understand the need for solutions and action when your Teen is in academic or other trouble that is keeping him/her from being academically successful. The most effective technique for intervention focuses on the solution(s).

The Intervention Counselor, Staff, Faculty, and the Administrative Team at South Rowan understand that recovery from substance abuse and/or destructive behaviors is a process that starts with the intervention. In some cases such as drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders and in cases where your teen is acting out and needs a behavioral intervention, the school Intervention Counselor will assist you along with your Teen, within the scope of the American School Counseling Ethical and Legal Standards. Fittingly, the Counselor will refer your family to agencies that specialize in these particular areas when the Counselor assess that the situation is better handled by outside counseling. It is your decision to accept or decline referrals.

As parents/guardians, you play an important role in helping to make sure that your Teen gets the education he/she needs and deserves. It is important that you as parents/guardians do not exclude yourself from your Teen’s educational process. For any educational intervention to be successful, you the parents/guardians are responsible for acknowledging the North Carolina’s school laws and Rowan-Salisbury Code of Conduct. Most importantly, North Carolina’s Compulsory Attendance Law -- by ensuring your Teen is in school. Essentially, you are responsible for ensuring your Teen is taking advantage of class instruction as well as after school tutoring provided at South Rowan, and is keeping up with daily classwork and homework.

The Rowan-Salisbury Schools are public institutions and belong to us all. You have the right, indeed the responsibility, to go to your Teen’s school and ask questions. When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, students tend to do better in school, stay in school, and graduate.

In compliance with federal law, the Rowan-Salisbury School System administers all educational programs, employment activities and admissions without discrimination because of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, color, age, military service, disability, or gender, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law.