Frequently Asked Questions
What are the school hours at Lance Middle School?
School starts at 8:35am and goes to 3:55pm, Monday through Thursday, and 8:35am – 2:53pm on Fridays.
How do I find out how my student is performing academically?
Contacting the teacher directly is always best – email is available on the staff page. Check Infinite Campus, the online grade book – if you do not have access please contact the Lance Main office for more information. We recommend checking Infinite Campus on a regular basis to check on your child’s academic progress. If you have any questions on assignments or missing work, please contact the teacher directly.
Does my child attend school on the “professional learning ” days?
Your child does not report to school on these days. These days are October 13, December 15, February 16, and March 28.
What is Lightning and BOLT?
Lightning is at the start of the day for announcements, check in with students, and students check out their Chromebooks for the day.
BOLT is like a homeroom for students. It is not a study hall. Teachers have expectations for students during this time, and students are expected to follow the expectations during this time. Teachers use this time to build rapport with students, all students participate in the school-wide supplemental reading program (eSpark or Moby Max), and allow students to have intervention and enrichment time in the content areas, and turn in their Chromebooks at the end of the school day. Students may not take their Chromebooks home with them.
What is the dress code for middle school?
The dress code is different than in elementary school. Review the KUSD dress code policy. Students must wear their school-issued ID at all times, and at after school activities.
What is the Blended Learning Class?
Students have the opportunity to take one of the five languages from Rosetta Stone as an elective choice. Instead of having separate classes for each language, we put all five languages in one class called Blended Learning. The students in Blended Learning will work in computer lab 19b as they independently learn the language of their choice. Students are expected to work on pace when they are in the class, as they will be working independently. Students who are not showing progress and/or keeping pace based on teacher progress monitoring will be removed from this class.
Student E-Mail accounts?
All students are given a KUSD student e-mail account. Parents may opt for their child to not have an e-mail account. If you do not want your child to have a student e-mail account, please contact the principal. Click here for details.
How do I request homework if my child is absent for more than one day?
Please call the office at 359-2240 to request your child’s absent work. The work will be ready by the end of the day if you call in the morning. Students are given the total amount of days absent as a grace period to turn in missed work.
How do I find out if my child has any homework?
Please ask your student to write homework assignments in his/her Assignment notebook, or you can log in to Infinite Campus to check your child’s academic progress. See the Lance website for detailed instructions.
What do I do if my child is absent?
A parent/guardian should call the Lance Main Office in the morning to notify the office that the student will be out ill and for what reason. In the event of an extended planned absence, the parent must send a note to school with the student to bring to the main office. The office will issue the student a “pre-arranged absence request.” The final approval of all absences is determined by the Principal. The work shall be completed within the time allotted. Attendance is an important part of student success – please limit absences!
How can I contact the teachers?
You may call or email the teacher. All staff emails are listed on the “Houses/ Dept.” page on the Lance website. Please call the main office to leave a message for the teacher, as not all teachers have a phone in their classroom. You should expect a response by phone or e-mail within 24 hours.
Who do I call if I have questions about lunch money?
Please call 359-2020 and ask to talk to the Cafeteria Manager. Check out the KUSD Food Service website for lunch menus. Pay for lunches at MySchoolBucks.
Can I bring flowers, gifts, or balloons to my student for their birthday or special occasion?
You may, but they will be kept in the main office until the end of the day for safekeeping, and to not cause any disruption in the classroom.
Can I have food delivered to my student at school?
No. We do not accept food orders to be delivered to students during school hours.
What time should I pick up my student from football games, volleyball games, Socials?
All athletic games end around 6:30pm. Parent pickup for sporting events is at the front of the school. All Socials end at 6:00 pm. Please plan rides accordingly and please arrive on time to pick up your child.
What is the Cell Phone Policy?
We realize that the decision of whether a student is ready to take on cell phone responsibilities is a family matter, we also must have a policy in place. As educators, we see the negative impact of cell phones (social media bullying, inappropriate content looked at and/or shared, videotaping, wasted class time) on a daily basis, and our attempt is purely an effort to create a safe and productive environment for all students.
We have seen too many students (some with zero discipline referrals their entire school career) fall victim to the pitfalls of cell phone misuse. We understand the importance that cell phones play in the daily activities of many of our families, and in society, therefore, we feel a broad, “no cell phones brought to school” policy is not a feasible option. Our cell phone policy will be as follows:
Cell phones will need to be placed in the student’s backpack at the start of the day and remain there until dismissal. If there is an extenuating circumstance, a parent/guardian may ask to discuss that circumstance with an administrator.
Consequences for violating Lance’s cell phone policy
- First offense – the student will be asked to put the phone in backpack
- Second offense – adult holds phone until dismissal time
- Third offense – parent required to pick-up phone
- Fourth offense – Out of School Suspension (OSS)
If a student refuses to follow the steps detailed in 1-3 (not putting the phone away when asked by staff, not handing the phone over to staff when asked) it may result in an OSS.
What is the Tardy Policy?
Tardies to class start over every nine weeks. Tardies will be monitored by the Dean of Students and classroom teacher. This includes tardies to first period. Students must be in the classroom for learning on time.
How do I receive a schedule change for my child?
Schedule changes are not normally done. Once the schedule is set, it is difficult to change students to maintain a balanced class size in classrooms. Students are scheduled into House randomly. We cannot honor House requests due to maintaining a balanced class size in every House. Students request electives toward the end of the school year. These are only requests, and we do our best to see that every student gets at least one of their requests. It may not be their #1 choice. Being in band, choir, or orchestra is an elective request.
Why was my child scheduled into a math and/or reading intervention class?
We review student learning data on a regular basis. If we see that a student is not performing at an expected learning level, we will assign the student to an intervention class based on their learning needs. This time is for students to get extra help in the area they need. Once students are performing at their expected level the student is moved out of the intervention class. These classes are a positive for students, as they can get extra help. The students need to do the assigned work in these classes to see the benefit of the classes.