Building Protocols

We encourage all students to participate in the Pierce athletic program.  Sports offered at Pierce are:

  • Cross Country
  • Track
  • Wrestling
  • Boys' Basketball (tryouts)
  • Girls' Basketball (tryouts)
  • Football
  • Girls' Volleyball (tryouts)
  • Sideline Cheer and Competitive Cheer (United)
  • Dance (United)
  • Swim (United)
  • Bowling (United)

Students interested in athletics at Pierce must have a current MHSAA sports physical form, completed and signed by the physician and parent, on file in Final Forms before the student will be allowed to participate, including participation in tryouts and practices.  A current-year physical is one given on or after April 15 of the previous school year.  MHSAA sports physical forms are available in the office and on our website.

Arrival

  • Wing doors unlock at 7:45 a.m. for student entry
  • Wing doors are locked at 8:00 a.m.
  • After 8:00 a.m. students must enter through the main entrance 

Tardy Procedure

  • Students who arrive late must sign in at the main office and then go to class
  • The teacher enters the tardy into MiStar
  • Students receive consequences (detention, escort to class, etc.) when reaching 5, 10, 15, or more tardies
  • Parents/legal guardians should excuse student tardiness by calling our 24-hour attendance line at 248-674-1144

Absences

  • Parents/legal guardians should excuse student absences by calling our 24-hour attendance line at 248-674-1144
  • To exempt an absence, a doctor, dental, or orthodontist note must be provided
  • Parent/legal guardian will be contacted when student has excessive absences

At Pierce, we follow the 3 B's - Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe.

Classrooms

  • Be Respectful
    • Listen actively to teachers and classmates
    • Use polite language and a calm tone
    • Respect the learning environment and diverse perspectives
  • Be Responsible
    • Bring all materials to class
    • Complete assignments on time
    • Participate actively and care for classroom items
  • Be Safe
    • Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself
    • Follow all classroom rules for movement and activities
    • Use materials as instructed
    • Report unsafe conditions


Restrooms

  • Be Respectful
    • Clean up after yourself
    • Respect privacy and quiet
    • Flush and wash
  • Be Responsible
    • Report maintenance issues
    • Use only what you need
    • Throw away trash
    • Go and return promptly
  • Be Safe
    • Keep hands and feet to yourself
    • Walk carefully and keep the floor dry
    • Report concerns and don't tamper with fixtures


Offices

  • Be Respectful
    • Speak quietly and politely to staff and students
    • Wait patiently for your turn
    • Follow all staff instructions
    • Help keep the office tidy
  • Be Responsible
    • Understand your office task
    • Have all needed items ready
    • Finish tasks quickly
    • Return to class promptly
  • Be Safe
    • Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself
    • Report emergencies or safety concerns to staff immediately


Cafeterias

  • Be Respectful
    • Use a quiet, polite voice
    • Clean up your space and throw away trash
    • Respect others' space and property
    • Wait patiently in line
  • Be Responsible
    • Keep your food to yourself
    • Listen to staff instructions
    • Clean up messes and report spills right away
  • Be Safe
    • Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself
    • Walk inside and on paved areas
    • Report injuries or unsafe behavior to staff immediately
    • Stay in designated areas


Before/After School

  • Be Respectful
    • Speak quietly and politely to staff and students
    • Respect school and personal property
    • Follow all staff directions
    • Throw trash in bins
  • Be Responsible
    • Arrive on time and go directly to your designated area
    • Leave promptly after dismissal unless supervised
    • Have all necessary items ready
  • Be Safe
    • Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself
    • Walk on school grounds and in parking lots
    • Stay in designated areas
    • Report suspicious activity or unsafe situations to staff immediately


Hallways

  • Be Respectful
    • Use a quiet, polite voice
    • Keep hands and feet to yourself
    • Be patient in crowded spaces
    • Throw trash in bins
  • Be Responsible
    • Stay to the right
    • Go directly to your destination without stopping or blocking
    • Report messes or concerns to staff
  • Be Safe
    • Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself
    • Walk, don't run
    • Stay to the right
    • Report unsafe behavior or emergencies
    • Never open an exterior door for anyone


Digital Citizenship

  • Be Respectful
    • Be kind online
    • Protect privacy (yours and others')
    • Post thoughtfully
  • Be Responsible
    • Protect accounts (keep passwords secret, log out)
    • Use appropriate sites and apps for school
    • Care for all school technology
  • Be Safe
    • Prevent intentional damage to district equipment
    • Only use your own device
    • Use devices and materials proper to avoid damage


Buses

  • Be Respectful
    • Speak quietly and politely
    • Keep hands and feet to yourself, respecting personal space
    • Be polite to the driver and follow instructions
    • Keep the bus clean
  • Be Responsible
    • Follow the bus driver's instructions
    • Stay seated and facing forward
    • Keep the aisle clear of bags and feet
  • Be Safe
    • Wait safely at the bus stop
    • Board/exit carefully without pushing
    • Keep all body parts inside
    • Report issues to staff
  • The Code of Conduct is available on our website.
  • Students should take time to read and understand information in the Code of Conduct.
  • Students should recognize the consequences of their language, dress, manners, and actions toward each other and school staff.
  • A teacher has the authority to suspend a student from a particular class, subject or activity for up to one day.
  • Building administrators may issue short-term suspensions, not to exceed 10 days.  Building administrators may issue long-term suspensions or expulsions with approval from appropriate director.
  • Administration reserves the ability to suspend during/pending an investigation involving a violation of the Student Code of Conduct, but for not more than 10 school days.
  • The Code of Conduct applies to the following student situations:
    • When students are traveling to or from school or a school-sponsored activity, including bus transportation and bus stops.
    • When students are in or on property of the school district.
    • When students are in attendance at any school-sponsored activity, regardless of location.
    • When students are using school telecommunication networks, accounts, or other services.  May also include personal communication devices, telecommunication and social media.
    • A student's disciplinary situation may warrant suspension from his/her current program placement and referral to another program at the discretion of the administrator.
    • Regardless of date of incident or location, where the result of a student's conduct would create a substantial risk of disruption to the educational process or threaten the safety and welfare of students or staff.

We offer a variety of ways to stay informed about every aspect of the middle school experience.

  • MiStar Parent Portal and MiStar Student Portal allows parents and students to view grades-to-date, report cards, transcripts, assignments, missing assignments, attendance, emergency contact information, classroom news and school news, and more.
  • Email - Every staff member has an email address.  You may access email addresses for your child's teachers in MiStar Parent Portal by clicking on the teacher name in the student schedule.
  • Weekly Updates are emailed to parents and posted to our website and Facebook pages.
  • Weekly Calendars are included in the Weekly Updates.
  • Pierce and Pierce Athletic Facebook pages include a variety of information.


Webpages


Know Your Counselor

You may contact your child's counselor by calling the school office or by email.  

  • Mr. Tunnicliff - students with last names beginning A-I
  • Mrs. Noble - students with last names beginning J-Sm
  • Mrs. Taplin - students with last names beginning Sn-Z


Schedule Changes

  • First priority for schedule changes are for students who have an incomplete schedule or do not have four core classes.  (Core classes are Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies.)
  • All schedule change requests must be submitted on the Principal Communication-Request to Change Schedule form and require a parent signature.
  • Schedule change requests will not be honored for a specific teacher or to be in class or lunch with a friend.
  • Students are to report to classes as scheduled until they receive a new schedule from the office.


Our goal is to offer an environment that is conducive to learning.  We are an educational institution, preparing our children for life-long learning and the world of work.  With this in mind, we work hard to establish an atmosphere that is respectful to all, encourages work, is safe and does not distract from the learning process.  Our dress code policy is aligned with these goals.

The school has a right to ask a student to change his/her dress or personal grooming habits if it is deemed inappropriate or disruptive to the educational environment.  Repeat violations of the dress and grooming code shall be considered defiance of authority and may result in disciplinary action as described in the Student Code of Conduct.  Administrators will make the final determination as to what constitutes appropriate attire.

Dress Code Excerpts

  • Shirts must go below the top of the pants at the waist.
  • Tops with thin shoulder straps must have straps the width of three fingers without having to combine other thin-strapped tops with it.
  • Students wearing leggings, jeggings, yoga, or any other thin, tight-fitting pants must wear a top that reaches mid-thigh (or finger-tip length).
  • Pants/shorts/skirts must be worn at the waist.
  • Shorts/skirts must fall midway between the knee and thigh when seated.  The general rule is they must be finger-tip length.
  • Pajamas, pajama pants, loungewear, or other sleepwear is prohibited.
  • Jeans and shorts with tears and holes that reveal excessive amounts of skin are not allowed.
  • Clothing can not be worn that displays alcohol, drugs, sex, violence, or inappropriate language.
  • Headgear of any kind, including hats, caps, scarves, do-rags, stocking caps, bandanas, etc., are prohibited.

The complete Dress Code is available on our website.



Curriculum Night

  • Curriculum Night is held in the fall.  Parents have the opportunity to meet each of their child's teachers.  Teachers will present their goals, classroom expectations and curriculum content.

Parent Teacher Conferences

  • Parent Teacher Conferences are held in the fall and spring each school year.  Conferences allow parents the opportunity to conference with each of their child's teachers.
  • In addition to these evening conferences, every teacher has a planning period each school day to allow parents the opportunity to talk with teachers throughout the year.
  • Emailing teachers is also an effective way of communication throughout the school  year.

Sporting Events / Concerts

  • A variety of sporting events are held throughout the school year.  Athletic schedules are included in our Weekly Updates.
  • Band and Orchestra concerts are held throughout the school year.  Concert dates are included in our Weekly Updates.

Hallway Behavior

The safety of all students is a major concern.  To maintain a safe environment for all students, the following hallway behaviors will not be tolerated:

  • Pushing
  • Shoving
  • Running
  • Hitting
  • Bullying
  • Horseplay
  • Any other behaviors that could cause injury to others


Hall Passes

  • Students are expected to have a hall pass any time they are in the hallway while classes are in session.


Passing Time

  • Students have a 4 minute passing time between classes which allows ample time to get from one class to another.



Students and parents may view assignments and missing assignments in MiStar Parent Portal and MiStar Student Portal.

Students may also view their assignments in Google Classroom.

Students are given ample time to make up work upon returning to school.

For the safety and well-being of our students, the following procedures will be followed:


Contacting a Student

  • Must show picture identification
  • Must be listed as the students parent/legal guardian or emergency contact in MiStar


Students Leaving Early

  • The person picking up the student must come to the main entrance door and ring the buzzer.
  • The person picking up must show picture identification.
  • The person picking up must be listed as the students parent/legal guardian or emergency contact in MiStar (including step-parents and siblings).
  • Telephone calls requesting the release of students will not be accepted.


Vaccines Required for School Entry in Michigan

Whenever children are brought into group settings, there is a chance for diseases to spread.  Students must follow state vaccine laws in order to attend school.  These laws are the minimum standard to help prevent disease outbreaks in school settings.  

During disease outbreaks, incompletely vaccinated students may be excluded from school.  Parents and guardians choosing to decline vaccines must obtain a certified non-medical waiver from a local health department. Read more about waivers at www.Michigan.gov/Immunize.  


Requirements for All 7th Graders and 7-18 Year Old Transfer Students

All doses of vaccines must be valid (correct spacing and ages) for school entry purposes.


Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (DTP, DTaP, Tdap)

  • 4 doses diphtheria and tetanus or 3 doses if 1st dose given at or after 1 year of age
  • 1 dose Tdap at 11 years of age or older upon entry into 7th grade or higher

Polio

  • 4 doses or 3 doses if dose 3 was given at or after 4 years of age

Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)

  • 2 doses at or after 12 months of age
    (if the student has not received these vaccines, documented immunity is required)

Hepatitis B

  • 3 doses

Meningococcal Conjugate (MenACWY)

  • 1 dose at 11 years of age or older upon entry into 7th grade or higher

Varicella (Chickenpox)

  • 2 doses at or after 12 months of age, or current lab immunity or history of varicella disease





Lockers are designed to provide an adequate place for outdoor apparel, extra books, etc.  Lockers are secure but are not bank vaults.  They are not designed for storing valuables, therefore we ask that valuables be left at home.

  • All students are issued their own locker.  Sharing of lockers is never a good idea and strongly discouraged.
  • Make sure the locker is closed and locked (spin the lock one full turn) before leaving it.
  • Do not give your combination to anyone for any reason.
  • Lunches are determined by grade level.
  • Students purchase their lunch cafeteria style.  Students may pay the cashier in cash or may pay from their Meal Magic account.  Visit Food and Nutritional Services on the district website for additional information.
  • Students are responsible for cleaning the area they use in the lunchroom and throwing all trash in the receptacle.


Monday & Wednesday

  • 6th grade lunch 11:26-11:53
  • 7th grade lunch 11:57-12:25
  • 8th grade lunch 12:29-12:56

Tuesday & Friday

  • 6th grade lunch 10:41-11:08
  • 7th grade lunch 11:12-11:39
  • 8th grade lunch 11:43-12:11

Thursday

  • 6th grade lunch 10:54-11:17
  • 7th grade lunch 11:26-11:49
  • 8th grade lunch 11:53-12:16


Medications, with few exceptions, should be administered at home.  Most medicines, including antibiotics, can be scheduled to be given before school, after school and/or at bedtime.

If unavoidable, medication will be administered in school according to the School District Medication Policy.  This policy requires the following:

  • The student must turn in a completed Administering Medicines Plan of Care form, signed by parent and physician.
  • If the medication is for allergies, asthma, seizures, diabetes or insect stings, the student must turn in coinciding Plan of Care form, signed by parent and physician.
  • Medication must be provided to the school by parent/legal guardian.
  • Prescription medication container must be labeled by the physician or pharmacist with the student's name, medication name, dosage to be administered and doctor's name.
  • Over-the-counter medication must be in original container.

Waterford School District does not allow middle school students to self-administer medications (with the exception of insulin, glucagon, inhaler).  All medications are to be kept in the main office and dispensed to student by office staff.


Policy

To ensure our students are focused and on task during their instructional time here at Pierce, all personal communication devices including cell phones, smart watches and ear buds/headphones, should be silent and out of sight while students are in a learning environment/classroom from 8:05-3:08 and from 8:05-2:08 on Thursdays.  We encourage students to turn off these devices and store them in their locker during instructional time or will be required to be stored in a classroom caddy.  Cell phones in sight for any reason during class time will be confiscated and sent to the main office.  Cell phones will be permitted to be out during passing times and lunch.

Students are prohibited at all times from using their devices for the following reasons:

  • taking pictures or videos
  • sending or receiving phone calls

Personal electronic devices should never be used in the school restrooms or locker rooms for any reason.

This expectation also applies to any and all other personal electronic devices.

Consequences for not following Electronics Policy

1st violation = Device is confiscated and sent to office, parents are notified, student picks up device at end of day.

2nd violation = Device is confiscated and sent to office, parents are notified, student picks up device at end of day.

3rd violation = Device is confiscated and sent to office, parents are notified, parent must pick up device from office.

4th violation = Device is confiscated and sent to office, parents are notified, parent must pick up device from office.  Student loses all phone privileges for the remainder of semester and must submit devices to office before attending classes.

Safety Drills

  • Fire, tornado, and lock-down/shelter in place drills are performed throughout the school year.
  • Participation in and cooperation during any and all safety drills is expected.


Security

  • All doors will be locked during school hours.
  • Main entrance doors will be unlocked 15 minutes prior to an evening indoor event and locked 30 minutes after the start of the event.
  • Do not open (or prop open) exterior doors - EVER - for any person or reason.  Visitors must enter through the main entrance doors during school hours.
  • Visitors will not be allowed into classrooms, cafeterias or hallway areas during school hours.
  • Students will not be released to individuals who are not listed as a parent/legal guardian or emergency contact in the student's MiStar record.


Building Security

  • Mr. Michael R Williams, School Safety Coordinator
  • Officer Brian Baxa, Police Liaison



Student Hours

  • Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays - 8:05 a.m.-3:08 p.m.
  • Thursdays - 8:05 a.m.-2:08 p.m.


Teacher & Counselor Hours

  • 7:50 a.m.-3:20 p.m.


Main Office Hours

  • 7:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.


Main Office Phones

  • 7:45 a.m.-3:15 p.m.
  • Grades? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Teacher
  • Classes / schedule changes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Counselor
  • Test scores? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teacher
  • Problems in class? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Teacher
  • Problems with another student? . . . . . . . . . . . . . Counselor
  • Socio-emotional well-being? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Counselor
  • Discipline? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Mrs. Cendrowski, Assistant Principal
  • Meal account, free/reduced meals? . . . . . . . . . .  Kitchen staff 248-674-7671
  • Bus number, driver, problems on bus? . . . . . . .  Transportation 248-674-2692
  • Textbooks, locker, planner, fines? . . . . . . . . . . . . Mrs. Oatten, Bookkeeper
  • Attendance - absences or tardiness? . . . . . . . . .  Ms. Zachary, Counseling Secretary
  • Immunizations? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Ms. Zachary, Counseling Secretary
  • MiStar Portal issues/access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Ms. Dupuis, Office Manager
  • Receiving communications from the school? . .  Ms. Dupuis, Office Manager
  • Medications taken during school hours? . . . . . . Ms. Zachary or Ms. Dupuis
  • Athletics? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coaches 
  • 8th grade Washington, D.C. trip and Raffle? . . .  Mrs. Khanuja or Mrs. Mosseri
  • Building security? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Williams, Safety Coordinator
  • Changing my address? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Central Enrollment 248-681-2076
  • Withdrawing my child from school? . . . . . . . . . .  Ms. Dupuis, Office Manager
  • Enrolling my child in school? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Central Enrollment 248-681-2076

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