2023 - 2024
VBMS Student Handbook
Van Buren Addendum
APS Student Handbook is linked on the cover. This is a document meant to clarify any additional requirements that
may be specific to the Van Buren Middle School community. With that in mind, the Handbook is not going to be
officially printed, so that it can remain a living document. In issues of conflict with this addendum and the APS
Handbook, the district handbook takes precedence.
700 Louisiana Blvd.SE,Albuquerque, NM 87108
Web: vanburen.aps.edu
Twitter: @VBMS_Falcons
Instagram: @vbmsfalcons
Phone: (505)268-3833
VBMS Student Handbook 2023 - 2024
“RIGOR IS OUR MIDDLE NAME”
2023 - 2024
Principal: San Juan Mendoza x 26803
Assistant Principal: Derek Kostelecky x 26805
Assistant Principal: Laura Valdez x 26813
Restorative Practice Coordinator: Tonia Padilla x 8675309
Community School Coordinator: Amanda Carbajal x 26863
Family Liaison: Barbara Sanchez x 26850
VBMS Vision and Mission
Our Vision:
At Van Buren Middle School, every student attains high levels of academic achievement in an environment
that is engaging, safe, & effective at meeting students’ holistic needs. Students, families, staff & community
partners have equal voice & are proud to be a member of the Falcon Family.
Our Mission:
Together we prepare students for their academic futures by achieving grade level standards through high
expectations, rigorous courses, and support to achieve.
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VBMS Student Handbook 2023 - 2024
District Initiatives
OUR “WHY?”
Student outcomes have remained stagnant at APS and we have to do things differently:
● Inequities in student outcomes vary within and across zones and by student demographics.
● Lack of coherent vision and follow through to support district expectations.
● Lack of instructional rigor and inconsistent academic expectations across schools and classrooms.
● Challenges with coordination and communication.
OUR “WHAT?”
Implementation of new district goals and guardrails.
OUR “HOW?”
District strategic priorities and implementation of 4DX strategy to achieve our district’s goals.
DISTRICT STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
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VBMS Student Handbook 2023 - 2024
APSGoogle Calendar VBMS Student Calendar
Bell Schedules 2023 - 2024
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VBMS Student Handbook 2023 - 2024
Bus Route Information
Bus routes are now available for parents on mybusstop
Student Go / No Go Zones
For safety reasons, and to make sure that our focus while we are at school is the classroom, the
following guidelines are offered as a way to be aware of Go / No Go spaces.
Before School (Before 9:10): Go - Cafeteria and Blacktop
No Go - Hallways, Classrooms
During School (9:15 - 4:15): Go - Assigned Classroom
No Go - Anywhere outside of your assigned class without a pass
During Lunch (12:03 - 1:28): Go - Cafeteria, Library, Blacktop
No Go - Hallways, Classrooms, West Lawn
After School (After 4:15): Go - Extra Curricular Activities (sports, clubs, etc)
No Go - Classrooms, Hallways
Bathroom Procedures
1. Hallway bathrooms locked before school, unlocked at 9:30
○ Cafeteria bathroom open before school
2. Students have an eHallpass and larger physical pass
3. No passes first and last 10 minutes of a class
4. One bathroom pass per classroom at a time from a classroom (per teacher)
5. 2 bathrooms open each day (6th and 7th grade)
Student Cell Phones
VBMS Instructional Council adopted the following policy in May 2023:
Electronic devices including cell phones/earbuds/headphones/personal electronics
MUST BE TURNED OFF AND PUT IN BAGS FROM THE FIRST BELL at 9:15am UNTIL
THE LAST BELL at 4:15pm.
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VBMS Student Handbook 2023 - 2024
● Student cell phone use will be allowed only before and after the regular school hours 9:15 am - 4:15
pm.
● Phones should not be visible (for instance, in their hands, in back pockets, out on desk).
● Phones must be turned off during school hours.
● Text messaging, social media use, google chat, listening to music, and/ or game usage are prohibited.
If a student refuses to put the device in their backpack/away and out of use/sight, or uses phone for
non-instructional, or non-teacher-led and unapproved use, the Teacher will utilize three Interventions: Below
are some examples (Please also refer to the Behavior Flow Chart for other options if needed/wanted)
1. Ask student to place phone at teacher desk
2. Advise student of parent contact and document in Synergy
3. Ask for Restorative Practice Coordinator support
Three Interventions might be in one class period, over a couple days or longer. That is why it is important to
note Interventions In the Student Contact Log. You may use these notes for your Violation Report (copy/paste)
if you end up sending one to Admin.
If three Interventions fail, it is no longer a cell phone issue and may turn into Defiance/General Disruption.
Now the teacher will submit a Violation Report to the Admin. Admin will then proceed as per Code of Conduct
guidelines.
1st Violation Report-If possible, teacher brings the device to Admin; student may pick up at end of the day. If
teacher cannot bring device to the office, an administrator can go pick it up
2nd Violation Report-Same as above, but now the parent must come in and pick up the device
From 2023-24 APS Code of Conduct:
Students shall not use audio or visual recording devices to video, photograph or record fights
or anything that would violate privacy. This is considered a violation of PRIVACY. Students will
NOT post to social media or websites. Any violation may result in the device being confiscated
and may also result in the student’s loss of the privilege of possessing a mobile telephone or
personal electronic device on school property.
For Parents:
If you feel your student(s) needs to carry a cell phone to/from school, the cell phone policy is as follows:
● Student cell phone use will be allowed only before and after the regular school hours. (9:15
a.m.– 4:15 p.m.)
● Phones should not be visible (for instance, in their hands, in back pockets, out on desk).
● Phones must be turned off during school hours.
● Text messaging, social media use, google chat, listening to music, and/ or game usage are
prohibited. .
● PLEASE DO NOT TEXT/CONTACT YOUR STUDENT DURING SCHOOL HOURS. If you need to reach
your child, please call the main office at 268-3833. We will get them the message.
● Cell phone use is only permitted for educational purposes during instructional time
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VBMS Student Handbook 2023 - 2024
From the APS Handbook for Student Success 2023-2024:
16. Audio/Video Recording or Photographs
Students shall not use audio or visual recording devices to video, photograph or record handbook
violations or to violate the privacy of others. This includes posting of inappropriate material on
websites, including video, photographs or audio recording of activities violating school violations, such
as fights, hazing, or other misconduct that occur on the school campus, during the school day or
school sponsored activity. Any violation may result in the device being confiscated and may also
result in the student’s loss of the privilege of possessing a mobile telephone or personal electronic
device on school property.
Consequences/Disposition - Middle/High
Utilize intervention strategies
1st Violation - Up to 3 day Suspension
2nd Violation - Up to 5 days Suspension & Contract
3rd Violation - Up to Long-term Suspension Hearing
-23. Fighting/Public Affray
Unlawful, intentional touching or application of force to another person, when done in a rude,
disrespectful, or angry manner. Two individuals mutually participating in a physical altercation, to
include fighting back. A police report would be written upon request of the parent/victim. Report would
charge “Public Affray”.
Consequences/Disposition - Middle/High
Utilize intervention strategies
1st Violation - Up to 3 day Suspension
2nd Violation - Up to 5 days Suspension & Contract
3rd Violation - Up to Long-term Suspension Hearing
Dress Code
Prohibited clothing and accessories include, but is not limited to:
● obscene or violent language or images
● depictions of alcohol or drugs or other illegal item or activity
● racist content, hate speech, profanity or pornography
● accessories that could be considered dangerous or used
as a weapon
● underclothing worn as primary clothing items
● sheer or see through clothing
● swimwear
● clothing without all sides in the garment
School dress codes are an opportunity for student, family, and community engagement.
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VBMS Student Handbook 2023 - 2024
Students should be alerted to the violation and allowed to fix it. If they do not have clothes to get back
into dress code, they should be sent to the office to make contact with our Community Resources. If
they refuse to adhere to the dress code, family contact should be made by the reporting staff member
and the incident will be documented as Defiance of School Personnel.
APS Student Dress Policy
** Please note that for clothes that are excessively soiled, the school is equipped with a washer
and dryer so that they can be washed and a new set of clothes obtained. Please contact the
Community School Coordinator for assistance.**
Student IDs
Student IDs will be handled by the district, and will be available after pictures have been taken. Once all students have them, to
ensure the safety of the VBMS community, IDs are a mandatory part of the Dress Code.
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Behavior Processes
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VBMS Student Handbook 2023 - 2024
Free and Appropriate Public Education
Due to the findings and results of the Martinez / Yazzie
Lawsuit, the district is appropriately more focused on
making sure that all students receive FAPE. At the most
basic level, this means keeping students in classrooms
with licensed teachers.
1. In order to support these findings and per MLSS,
SpEd and PBIS advisement, we will be following the
tiered behavioral
interventions model:
2. At VBMS we
use the practices of
Restorative Justice.
This allows students
to reflect on their
actions and work towards repairing the damage done by
negative behaviors. We value the educational environment,
and any actions or behaviors that impede the learning of
others needs to be addressed quickly and intentionally.
3. If we have worked through the process, and arrived at
Intensive Interventions, per district leadership we assign consequences.
Attendance Processes
(9:15 - 9:30): Drop-Off at normal zone and proceed to class
(9:30 and after): Drop-Off and check-in with Office Secretary
Attendance is taken within the first 10 minutes of class.
Tardies
➔ 1st period tardies count (possible exceptions)
➔ Any time after the bell and up to 50% of the class period without a pass (if they miss more than
50% of the class period, they are absent)
➔ Teacher must let the student in (with or without a pass) unless there is a tardy sweep
➔ Teachers will call home for 4 or more tardies in a two week period
➔ If tardies or ditching is consistent for certain periods, student will work with Attendance Social
Worker to develop MLSS plans
➔ Tardy sweeps every day for the first 2 weeks
➔ Incentives through House System
eHallpasses must be generated for students being held after bell
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VBMS Student Handbook 2023 - 2024
Syllabus
Each teacher will be sending home a syllabus for their class within the first two
weeks of school. This has basic information regarding the class like what is
covered, who is teaching and what the expectations are for the class.
Grading
Per APS Grading Memo, July 20, 2023
Our goal is to align our grading practices so they are clear, equitable,
and consistent. A primary
purpose for grading and assessment is to inform and engage APS
families of the academic
progress their child is making, and for them to have a consistent
expectation of how they will be
informed of their child’s progress. To further this goal, we have made
some shifts to provide
greater alignment and consistency throughout the district, and we
want to inform you of the
following minimum grading and assessment strategies, structures, and expectations:
Parent Communication Strategies
In order to inform parents of student progress and increase parent engagement, APS provides:
● Two parent-teacher conferences during the academic school year
● Access to the district’s standardized electronic grade book via ParentVue
● If students are in danger of failing, or not making adequate academic progress, teachers will
proactively notify parents in time for early and appropriate intervention.
● Uniform standardized assessments by grade level
District Structures
● Our district wide academic term and grade reporting model is four quarters/two semesters.
● Grades will be posted and stored at the end of each quarter.
● All secondary gradebooks will be set up to be cumulative for each semester with 90%
reflective of semester coursework and 10% reflective of the end-of-semester final exam
(Teachers shall communicate this in their course syllabi).
● Parent-teacher conferences will take place after academic quarters one and three.
● Assessments will be administered within the required assessment windows.
School-Based Expectations
● All secondary educators must communicate students’ progress to families weekly via the
district electronic gradebook.
● All middle schools and high schools must administer end-of-semester final exams
(this excludes middle school exploratory wheel classes).
● Educators must finalize grades within three days after each quarter, except for the fourth
quarter/semester two when all grades are due by noon on the last day of school.
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VBMS Student Handbook 2023 - 2024
● All federal, state, and district required assessments must be administered to at least 95% of
eligible students.
ALICE Protocols for Emergencies
A Alert - no special codes will be used for announcing an emergency. Administration will be as clear and
concise as possible with instructions and precautions. Please make sure that the Intercom in your room is
clear and loud enough to interrupt normal classroom activities, and listen closely to any information given.
L Lockdown - depending on the situation and the information you have been given, you may need to
barricade the classroom, prepare to evacuate, or resist an intruder.
I Inform - please pass along any information that you may have as a situation is unfolding. This could be
related to actions happening on campus, or your location if you have chosen to evacuate. Make sure to
have administrators' cell phone numbers handy.
C Counter - if the situation is an intruder, it may be necessary to disrupt the thought process of the
intruder and perhaps even injure the intruder to slow their progress.
E Evacuate - creating distance between yourself and the emergency is important, but only if it is safe to do
so. Please listen to instructions when making a decision to evacuate.
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