• Student Conduct and Expectations

    Students at OHS are expected to meet the following guidelines:

    • Attend every class, every day, unless excused by parents/guardians or school events.
    • Make it to class on time every period, every day.
    • Treat every student, staff, and community member with respect
    • Talk in class at appropriate levels
    • Follow the reasonable directions of staff members.
    • Follow all policies and guidelines contained in the student handbook.

    Administrative Procedures Regarding Discipline

    Detention, Evening School, Suspension, or Expulsion may be imposed on any student for any school violation depending on the severity and the frequency of the violation.

    Memorandum of Understanding

    The Othello School District and the Police Department of the City of Othello agree to coordinate and cooperate in preventing student criminal acts.  The school will notify parents/guardians and police, when appropriate, of criminal acts on all school district property, equipment, and district-sanctioned events.  The district realizes its role in helping to reduce and eliminate drug/alcohol use by high school students and will continue to work with law enforcement personnel and parents/guardians to achieve this end.

    Search & Seizure

    Student lockers and desks are the property of the Othello School District and are made available for student use.  Student lockers and desks will be subject to inspection for the purpose of school safety and cleanliness.  Individual students, student lockers, student vehicles parked on district property, or student bags/backpacks may be searched at any time a building administrator determines that a reasonable cause exists.

    Academic Integrity, Plagiarism, and Cheating

    Students are expected to produce work that is their own.  The learning that is acquired through completing an assigned task should be a point of pride.  Using work or knowledge that is not your own violates the spirit of education and demonstrates a lack of academic integrity.  Students in violation will be subject to consequences in accordance with the classroom syllabus or policy as well as school discipline.

    Examples of violations include but are not limited to:

    • Copying another’s schoolwork, lab, written work or assessment.
    • Allowing someone to copy you schoolwork, lab, written work or assessment.
    • Plagiarism by copying, summarizing or paraphrasing another’s words or ideas without providing proper citation.

    Student Identification Badges

    Students can purchase a replacement card for $5.00 in the Office from the ASB Secretary.  A $5.00 fine will be placed on the student’s account if the student does not have the money at the time of purchasing an ID.  ID badges are the property of the school and must be carried by students on a daily basis. Any badges that cannot be scanned by the food service or library will need to be replaced at student expense.  ID badges must be scanned in order for students to purchase school breakfast or lunch. Abuse of the student ID policy will be dealt with at the discretion of the administration. 

    Fireworks

    Any student igniting and/or in possession of fireworks on school property may be subject to disciplinary action up to expulsion, depending on severity or damages.

    Electronic Devices

    As the Othello School District moves forward with their 1:1 computer initiative, students at OHS will be provided with their own Chromebook.  As such, the need to use a personal electronic device in school has greatly decreased. Students are expected to use their Chromebook while in class (including for music) and will not use cell phones and other personal electronic devices during instructional time.  Student who are using cell phones and electronic devices without teacher permission can expect to have their cell phone confiscated. Cell phone must be left in the student’s backpack and not on their person during instructional time.

    • 1st Offense – Staff warns student to put the device away.
    • 2nd Offense – Staff confiscates phone and returns phone at the end of the class period.
    • 3rd Offense – Staff confiscates phone and submits phone to main office.  Student may retrieve phone at end of school day.
    • 4th Offense – Staff confiscates phone and submits phone to main office.  Parent may retrieve phone at end of school day.
    • 5th Offense – Staff confiscates phone and submits phone to main office.  Parent may retrieve phone at end of school day.

    **Students who refuse to give a teacher or staff member their cell phone or electronic device will be considered defiant and will be assigned a discipline in accordance with the OHS discipline policy.

    Backpacks, Book Bags, and Lockers

    Students may use or carry backpacks or book bags into classrooms.  Teachers may develop classroom procedures or expectations for where students are to store their backpacks.  The use of a school locker is encouraged but not required.  The Othello School District will not be responsible for any lost, stolen, or damaged backpacks or book bags.  Lockers are assigned by your Huskie Futures teacher and are not to be traded or exchanged. Students are strictly responsible for their own lockers. Immediately notify the main office of damage to your locker. Do not bring valuables to school.  Stickers are not to be placed in or on lockers. If stickers are found on lockers, a $5.00 fine will be assessed.  Lockers are the property of Othello High School and are subject to search at any time with or without prior notice.

    Weapons

    Weapons are defined as, “Any instrument or object possessed or used to inflict harm on another person or to intimidate any person.  Examples include firearms of any kind (operable or inoperable, loaded or unloaded); all types of knives, chains, pipes, razor blades or similar instruments with sharp cutting edges; ice picks, dirks, other pointed instruments (including pencils, pens); nun-cha-ka sticks, brass knuckles; Chinese stars; billy clubs, tear gas guns; electrical weapons or devices (stun guns); BB or pellet guns; explosives or propellants.  Use and/or possession of a weapon on school property will result in suspension or expulsion.  As required by state and federal law, incidents involving firearms will result in the mandatory expulsion.

    OSD Weapons Statement

    The Othello School District also has a no-tolerance policy towards students who make threats to do severe bodily harm. These types of threats will be taken seriously and may also result in expulsion.The Othello School District has a no-tolerance policy toward students who are in any way involved with a weapon on school property or at a school activity. The recommended penalty for possession or involvement with a weapon on school property or at a school activity is expulsion. Expulsion is a state requirement if the weapon is a firearm. Weapons have no place and will not be tolerated in the school environment.

    We have had some instances of students being at school or on school property with toy weapons or with other items that could be construed to be weapons. These include toys that look like guns or other weapons, pellet guns, paintball guns, and variations of knives. These items will be considered weapons and shall result in severe penalties, including expulsion.

    Lunchroom Expectations

    Students may leave campus during their assigned lunch and are expected to attend their next class without being tardy or absent.  Students may lose off-campus privileges due to repeated tardies and/or absences to their immediate class after lunch.  Students are expected to stay out of buildings/parts of buildings that have classes in session during lunch.  Students who disrupt classes in session are subject to Building Discipline Steps.