General Information
LVMS ARRIVAL The students arrive at 7:10 A.M. and homeroom begins at 7:30 A.M. If a student arrives after 7:30 A.M., he/she is marked tardy. Please be aware that there is no supervision of students prior to 7:10 A.M. and students should not arrive before this time. All students who RIDE to school by bus or car enter in the upper lobby (gymnasium entrance), door number 2. All students who WALK to school must use all crosswalks and sidewalks to go around the perimeter, adjacent to the football field, to enter through door number 2.
LVMS DISMISSAL On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, dismissal begins at 2:26 P.M. On Wednesdays, dismissal begins at 2:48 P.M. Buses exit the bus lot as soon as they have loaded. Students who walk are dismissed from door number 15 near the practice field. Students who are car pickup are dismissed from door number 13 and are released to the parking lot adjacent to Bell Street. Students are not permitted to be in the school building after school hours without supervision.
REQUEST TO CHANGE STUDENTS DISMISSAL TIME Because we must be accurate in accounting for students at the end of the day, we ask that any change in your child's normal dismissal routine be put in writing and submitted to office personnel by 11:00 a.m. Office personnel must have ample time to record and verify changes, notify the student, and notify the staff members who supervise dismissal.
Early dismissal, notes for walking, and bus pass notes are due to the office before 11:00 A.M. Parents/guardians can also send a picture of a signed note to [email protected].
EXCUSES FOR ABSENCES When a student is absent from school, he/she is required to have a written excuse signed by his/her parent upon return. If a student or parent does not submit the excuse to the school office within three days after his/her return, the absence will be recorded as unexcused.
SCHOOL DELAY/CANCELLATION School delays and cancellations are announced via the Call One System, and on local radio and television stations as soon as the information is available.
VACATIONS A student may be granted one vacation not to exceed five days during the school year. The student must be in good academic standing and meet attendance requirements - a student may not have missed more than 5% of the school year at the time of the vacation request. Requests for exceptions may be reviewed by the school principal. The student's parent or guardian must appear in person at the school to complete a Vacation Request Form. Forms will not be sent home with students. Requests for vacations during the PSSA will not be granted.
HEALTH INFORMATION Pennsylvania State Law requires students to be immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, mumps, measles, hepatitis B, rubella and varicella. This information must be recorded in the school medical records.
It is important that you are aware of the immunization requirements. All students must have fourth polio after their fourth birthday to be compliant. If your child is not compliant he/she may not attend the first day of school. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Davis, our school nurse, at 724-238-6412 extension 507.
All seventh graders must have 1 dose of Meningococcal vaccine and 1 dose of Tdap vaccine. Please give the nurse an updated copy of your child’s immunizations before the first day of school. Students who are not compliant may not attend the first day of school. All seventh graders must have a dental exam and a scoliosis screen. Please return private exam forms to the nurse.
All sixth graders must have a physical exam which may be completed at school. Please return private exam forms to the nurse.
Forms may be obtained from the health office at the middle school or online: Health Services – Health Services – Ligonier Valley School District (lvsd.k12.pa.us).
All prescription and non-prescription medication must have a Physician Recommendation form completed before the nurse is permitted to administer at school.
CARE CLOSET
LVMS has a Care Closet in the nurses office. The closet has a stock of everyday items that our students might need to make their day a little better or things they may need at home but don't have access to. Students will be able to ask to visit the nurse to access the closet at any time. The items will be purchased or obtained through donations, grants, and proceeds from the Ram Café.
Some of the things that may be in the Care Closet include:Deodorant
Shampoo
Conditioner
Combs/Brushes
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Socks
Snacks
Dinners
School Supplies
SCHOOL DANCES Dances are held as an extension of the school’s physical education and Anti-Bullying program. The purpose is to promote physical activity and positive socialization. Dances are held for Ligonier Valley Middle School students only. Guests may not attend. The dances are sponsored by school organizations. There are safety rules in place that govern all dances, including and not limited to the following:
- No student is permitted to leave a dance early unless one of his/her parents comes to the door and requests for him/her to be released.
- If a student is riding home with another parent or sibling, a note should be written and given to one of the chaperones.
- Students should not walk home after dances. There is limited lighting in areas on Bell Street that make it difficult for motorists to see students who may be walking.
- Chaperones may refuse entry to or remove any person from a dance at their discretion.
Students who are absent from school or suspended (in or out of school) on the day of the dance are unable to attend. Students with outstanding detentions may also not attend dances until their obligations are met.
STUDENT ACTIVITY FEE An annual activity fee shall be applied to all students participating in Ligonier Valley School District activities. The payment of the fee permits each student to seek the opportunity to participate in any or all of the extracurricular, club or athletic programs offered by the School District. For programs that require competitive processes among students for final selection, payment of this fee only guarantees a student the opportunity to participate in the selection process.
The non-refundable annual fee is $75 per participant in grades 9-12 and $50 per participant in grades 6-8. Payment of the fee allows the student to enroll in as many activities as they desire. For families with multiple children participating in activities in these grades, there is a cap of $150 per family. This annual fee must be paid by the date established by the building principal. Students enrolling in the school district after the beginning of the school year but before March 15th will be assessed the fee at the time of enrollment. The fee must be paid prior to the first competition (scrimmage or game) for an athlete to be permitted to participate. Payments not received within the previously defined time frame will make the student ineligible to participate. Payment can be made via cash, check, or money order payable to the “Ligonier Valley School District.” The name and grade for each student enrolled should be written on the check or money order. Failure to pay this annual fee by the stated deadline will prevent a student from participating in any extracurricular, club or athletic program until such fee has been paid.
There will be no refunds of the fee regardless of the level or length of participation except for students who do not pass required physical examinations or students who are cut from sports by coaches prior to the first game and that sport is the only activity in which the student is participating.
PROGRESS REPORTS Progress reports are available to parents online through the PowerSchool portal. However, if you would like to receive a progress report by mail or need assistance with PowerSchool, please contact the school office at 724-238-6412.