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Academics

Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism

On occasion, students may be tempted to present another student’s work as their own, by various means. Students must perform
their own work. Cheating on assignments or tests is a serious matter and will not be excused. If this occurs in any form, by
supplying or taking material, the student(s) will receive an automatic zero for the assignment or test and may be subject to further
disciplinary action. The student will be required to complete the assignment, or an alternative assignment, outside of class time
and under supervision. Additionally, any student submitting the work of others as their own, in whole or in part, without
appropriately attributing that work to the author, will be subject to the same disciplinary action.

Academic Eligibility for Athletes and Activities

  • All first year ninth grade students are automatically eligible when they arrive at the high school.
  • Students must be enrolled in the equivalent of five full credit classes to participate. A student participant who is failing 2 or more class after each semester will be ineligible until credits are recovered via summer school, or until the next CHSAA regain date (See AD for more information).
  • Eligibility is monitored on a weekly basis and will start after the 3rd full week of classes for each semester. Eligibility will be run every Friday at 2pm. If a student is failing 2 or more classes at the time of the report, they will become ineligible the following Monday for the entire week. They may become eligible again if all failing classes are passing by the following Friday eligibility report. College classes will count towards eligibility.
  • Any student serving suspension will be eligible for practices but NOT for contests during the time of the suspension.
  • Students are required to attend practices.
  • Any student referred to administration for discipline problems may be suspended or removed from their team or activity at the discretion of school administrators and/or the coach in charge.
  • Coaches are afforded the opportunity to have stricter guidelines for eligibility, written out in their individual team contracts.

Academic Supports

Students who are struggling academically can find support through one or more of the following options:

 

  • Before and/or after school time. Teachers are willing and able to work with students beyond the school day. These sessions must be scheduled with the specific teacher in advance.
  • Content Tutoring. Students with failing grades will be scheduled in Content Tutoring sessions to access extra time with and support from teachers. Students with all passing grades can voluntarily attend Content Tutoring sessions with teachers if they have arranged to do so in advance.

Students who continue to struggle will be referred for interventions through the FMHS Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
model.

Chromebooks

Students will be issued Chromebooks for use in school and at home. Students are expected to bring their charged Chromebook to school every day. The document linked below provides students and their parents/guardians with information about taking care of the Chromebook, using it appropriately for school, and being good digital citizens.

Students and their parents/guardians are reminded that use of District Technology is a privilege and not a right and that school authorities may monitor everything done on any District-owned computer, network, or electronic communication device. Inappropriate use of District Technology is subject to disciplinary consequences including, but not limited to, limited, or banned computer use, detentions, suspensions in-school, suspensions from school, a recommendation for Expulsion from school, and/or legal action.


See the Morgan County School District Re-3 Chromebook Policies and Procedures document on the district website for more
information.

Credit Recovery

Students who fail to receive credit in a course may choose to recover credit for the course through one of the following options:

 

  1. The online Edgenuity Program is available for a select number of students and offered within the school day. Students who qualify for the program are scheduled into the Tutorial Center for a regular class period.
  2. Students may choose to reschedule the class during the regular school day if space is available.
  3. FMHS offers a summer credit recovery program if enrollment is sufficient. Summer course offerings are contingent upon available funds. Courses offered will be for credit recovery purposes only and are based on student enrollment and demand.

CLD - Culturally Linguistically Diverse Program

Morgan County School District Re-3 serves the needs of many English language learners. Students may qualify for ELL services if any question on the Home Language Survey is marked as other than English. Students are evaluated using the WIDA online screener (1st grade – 12th grade) to determine language proficiency and initial placement into an ELL program. Instructional programming is designed to support the student’s language proficiency level. Instructional services may include “pull-out” support during which time students participate in instruction delivered by an ELL teacher. “Structured Immersion” in the regular classroom is another means of serving English Language Learners whose needs are better met in this fashion. All instruction is conducted in English with support provided based on individual needs.


Staff members in all buildings are provided information from the ELL teachers outlining each ELL student’s language proficiency. The ELL teacher will also provide appropriate teaching strategies and goals for each ELL student through individual ELD plans. ELL students are tested annually using the WIDA ACCESS test to determine proficiency level and the need for continued ELL services.


The Morgan County School District Re-3 provides free language assistance for any parent/guardian who requests support in speaking, reading, writing, or comprehending English. The school will provide language assistance for anyone who requests it without question. Please contact the school office for assistance.

Fees and Materials

By Morgan County School District Re-3 policy, students who qualify for free or reduced lunch are exempted from most fees associated with classes. Parents/guardians should notify the FMHS Athletics/Activities Secretary of their status to have students’ fees waived. Fees will be added to student accounts 3 to 4 weeks after the beginning of each semester. Student schedules need to be confirmed prior to adding fees.


Activity Icon on Student ID Card $30.00
(All money from the Activity Icon is used to finance student activities and athletics. We urge all students to support Fort Morgan High School programs by purchasing the icon. Benefits include reduced price or free entrance to home athletic events and activities. Students will be issued an activity icon that must be presented at all events. Students enrolled in band, orchestra, choir, yearbook, and sports must purchase an activity icon.)
Class & ID Fee $10.00
All Agriculture Classes (per class) $40.00 (Does not include additional costs of participating in the program or shop coveralls.)
Ag FFA Dues (per year) $20.00
Ag FFA Jacket Fee $55.00
Art Fee (FOA & Drawing classes) $15.00
Art Fee (Painting & Ceramics classes) $25.00
Art History Class $20.00
Athletic Fee (per sport) $50.00
Drama (Introduction, Intermediate & Advanced) (per class) $10.00
Driver’s Education $350.00
Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS classes per year) $20.00
Industrial Arts -Woods Engineering I (Lumber fee) $10.00($20.00)
Industrial Arts – Woods Engineering II & III (Lumber fee) $10.00($30.00)
Industrial Arts – Woods Engineering IV & V $25.00 (Students pay for costs of materials for individual projects) (All classes per Semester)
Lost ID Card $1.00
Music – Band (per class) $15.00
Music – Orchestra – String & Symphonic (per class) $10.00
Outdoor Education (Field Trip Costs) $5.00 to $20.00
Parking Sticker $1.00
Photography/Photojournalism (per semester) $20.00
Science / Botany $20.00
Science / Zoology I & II $20.00
Science / AP Biology Honors $30.00
Stem 1 (Material Fees) $15.00
Stem 2 (Material Fees) $20.00
Video Production I, II & III (per class) $20.00
Yearbook (Pacemaker) $60.00 (Purchasing a yearbook is optional) (Price goes up to $70 after October 1st)


If a student owes a fine, any payments will go toward the student account in the following order:

  • Past charges/fines
  • Required fees

Students who have not paid fines nor made arrangements with the Athletic /Activities Secretary/Finance, will not be allowed to participate in athletics, dances, school sponsored activities and trips. Students not returning equipment by the date imposed by the coach, teacher, or administrator will be subject to a fine. Fines are determined upon actual cost of equipment. Examples of equipment are band uniforms, football pads, football helmets, and cheerleader uniforms. Exceptions to this will be textbooks which will be fined a late fee of $2.00 per textbook. All fees must be paid prior to graduation.

Grading Policies

  • At Fort Morgan High School, we believe the purpose for scoring student work and reporting those scores as grades is to
  • Provide a measurement of student skills and learning.
  • Give information on students’ mastery of the content of our courses.
  • Indicate where students stand on their paths towards learning goals.
  • Help students understand the role of evaluative feedback as a tool for increasing learning in their lives.
  • Identify areas for reteaching or additional support.
  • Communicate a clear record of high school academic achievement for postsecondary institutions.
  • Based on the philosophy above, we utilize the following practices in reporting student grades:
  • We use two categories--Mastery Work and Practice Work--to determine grades. In most classes, Mastery Work counts as 70% of the grade, and Practice Work counts as 30% of the grade. In some performance-oriented classes, Mastery Work counts as 100% of the grade.
  • We let students know in advance the learning purpose of specific assignments, what assignments will count in their grade, and what those assignments are worth.
  • We give careful consideration to point values of assignments, and how those point values reflect learning priorities.
  • We check for student understanding and provide multiple opportunities for student demonstration of learning. Teachers may reteach content and/or allow reassessment when student learning does not meet expectations, especially on mastery tasks, as per the parameters and expectations communicated in specific course syllabus.
  • We pull grades from Infinite Campus gradebooks on Tuesday mornings to determine eligibility and to assign content tutoring. The first week of eligibility will be a warning week for a student failing 2 or more classes.

Grading Scale

Percentage Grade   Letter Grade   Grade Point  Weighted Grade Point    Grade Expectations
90%-100% A 4.0 5.0 More than expected effort and understanding
80%-89% B 3.0 4.0 Expected effort and understanding
70%-79% C 2.0 3.0 Less than expected
60%-69% D 1.0 2.0 Struggles to understand
Below 60% F 0.0 0.0 Does not understand or has failed to demonstrate understanding

Incomplete Grades

Students receiving an incomplete (“I”) for any course will have up to 4 school days to complete the remaining requirements. After this time, unless prior arrangements have been made with the teacher, the incomplete will change to the grade that the student earned on the final exam. If a student fails to take a final exam for a course, s/he will receive a zero for the final assessment in that class. The zero for the final assessment/exam will affect the overall semester grade for that class. The incomplete (“I”) will be removed from the student’s grade report and the final course grade will be inserted into the grade report in Infinite Campus and will be posted on the final transcript.


If your student is requesting an Early Final for the end of the semester or end of the school year, an Early Final form must be submitted along with the Pre-Planned Absence Form to the main office. Students will need these forms signed by all their teachers, parents, and administration prior to leaving for the absence. If a teacher chooses to have the student take the final exam upon their return, then their current semester grade may show up as “Incomplete”. The student will have until 3 pm on the first Monday of June to make up their missing final. If the student does not make up their final by this date, the students final exam grade will be a zero which will greatly affect their overall semester grade for that course and could result in a failing grade. If the student is making up their finals after the end of the school year, the student must schedule a time with the main office.

Honor Roll

Recognition will be determined two times per scholastic year after the completion of each semester. The grades that will be utilized to determine honor roll will be based on what the student earns during their first semester, and second semester. The two levels of honor roll recognition at Fort Morgan High School are as follows:

  • Alpha Honor Roll, the highest acknowledgement, will be awarded to students who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or above.
  • Academic Scholar will be awarded to students who have earned a 3.0 GPA or above.

Late Work

Late work is any work that was assigned and due and was not handed in on time. Late work will be accepted as communicated in
teachers’ course expectations at the beginning of the course. Late or missing work submitted on an approved extension is still
subject to late work penalties as communicated in class expectations.

Missed Work Due to Absences

Missed word due to absence: Make-up work shall be allowed following an absence with the goal of providing the student an opportunity to keep up with the class and demonstrate their learning and an incentive to attend school. Teachers will communicate their expectations around missed work due to absences in their course syllabi – these expectations may include deadlines and point deductions for missed deadlines. If a student fails to submit work within the parameters of a teacher’s communicated late work policy, the student may receive a score of 0 (zero). The 0 (zero) indicates “no evidence of learning” and means that the student did not take advantage of their opportunity to demonstrate learning.

Pre-Planned absence(s) - Extended projects or work related to assignments are due before the deadline/due date if a student is leaving on an approved school activity or approved exempt absence.

Semester Grades

Students’ semester grades can be viewed through the Parent and Student Portal through Infinite Campus. All grades are considered “In Progress” until the final semester grade is posted after final exams are completed at the end of both semesters, December, and May of each year. Final semester grades will be available for viewing online will Friday, December 20, 2024, and Friday, May 30, 2025.

Textbooks and Materials

Students are responsible for all damages done to their assigned textbooks. Damages include pencil or ink markings, torn covers, broken bindings, bent corners, deliberately torn pages, water, gum, food damages, hi-lighting, etc. Students will be fined according to the severity of the damage. Fines range from $1 to the full price for any textbook that cannot be reissued or is not returned. It is also students’ responsibility to check textbooks carefully for any previous damage which missed being repaired. Any textbooks found to be damaged must be returned to the library within one week from the date the textbook was issued, or the assigned student will be accountable for the damages.

Teachers will inform students what materials are needed for their specific class within the first few days of school. Supplies needed for the first few days are basic materials of notebooks, paper, pencils, pens and charged Chromebooks.