Question:
Hello! I was wondering about Model/Floyd County's polic on students' hair length/style. I read a study revealing that when vision is substantially blocked, like so many of the boys' hair is now, it can actually damage their eyes permanently. Is there a policy about that? There is about hair color, but really this is more important. Their hair can be long, but not obstruct vision. The study said something about with the vision, especially peripheral, being blocked that it deteriorates. I noticed there are quite a few students who would be affected by this policy if there is one. If not, there should be & it should be enforced. I'm alll for expressing personality through appearance, if it's within reason. This is more a health concern that should be addressed. Thanks.

Dr. Plunkett's Answer:
Thank you for your question regarding hair style. As you can imagine, the question of dress and hair style are very emotionally charged issues that can have a large number of interpretations and practices when you are working with 10,000 students in a school system. We try to allow our students and families the opportunity to express their individuality while maintaining an orderly environment for education to take place. We understand that there are many different family values, traditions, and customs that factor into decisions regarding dress and hair style. Religious practices and family finances also factor into these decisions. Our primary concern in everything we do is providing a quality learning environment for our students. We ask our principals and schools to make that the top priority and concern in dealing with any issue in our schools. I have included the policy and the administrative rule that we ask our principals and schools to use when setting their dress codes and procedures. Policy: The Floyd County Board of Education relies on the good judgment, good taste, and dignity of students and school personnel to make appropriate decisions in the matter of proper dress. The local school principal must exercise reason and caution in his/her discretionary judgment regarding a uniform code of dress. When dress standards fail to comply to prescribed broad specified guidelines, the principal or his/her designee, after careful consideration and explanation, has the prerogative to request and require steps necessary to reach conformity with the Board's dress code policy. Generally, in the best interest of all parties concerned, a person who feels that a certain practice in dress and appearance is questionable or unacceptable for school attendance is asked to refrain from it. Administrative Rule related to head coverings and hair: Wearing hats and caps shall be prohibited inside the school building except as may be individually provided in extenuating circumstances. When questions arise, the principal or designee shall determine whether a particular mode of dress or grooming results in interference, disruption, unsafe conditions, or has an indecent or vulgar appearance. In setting our procedures, principals mostly look at how a students dress or manner of grooming impacts the learning atmosphere in the school and if the behavior in question affects the ability of others around a student to learn effectively. In respect to individual health issues that may impact just the student themselves and not others in the school, we rely on the Floyd County Health Department to assist us in those issues. We certainly work with the Health Department to educate our students related to a variety of health issues that may impact them and their health. At this time, hair length around the eyes has not been addressed as a major health issue by our Health Department or local health agencies. I discussed the issue with our Health Department contact yesterday and she was not aware of the study or a health directive from physicians regarding hair length concerns. We will continue to work with the community, our parents and students to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for our students as we make policy decisions related to dress or grooming. We will also continue to provide health information to our students to assist them in making good decisions regarding their personal choices that have an impact on their health. Thank you for your concern for the children of our community.

Question:
Dr. Plunkett, I am curious if you are aware of the plan that Mr. Trevor Hubbard of CHS is planning to move the band out of the band hall, and give it to the cheerleaders? Here is a copy of the email I sent Mr. Hubbard: Mr. Hubbard, Thank you for reading my email and especially for taking the time to respond. I was very happy to hear you had returned to Coosa, knowing that you are Eagle Alumni. I don't doubt that every decision you make on behalf of the school is made with all students interests in mind. However, if this is true, and the band is being removed from the band room, and it is going to be given to the cheerleaders, I don't see how this is benefiting the student body. The band is small, but I do believe it is still a larger group of students and the cheer leading squad. To move the band into a smaller area, and the cheerleaders into a larger area just doesn't seem logical. I'm not sure how much you know about music, and making music, but playing instruments in just any room doesn't work. The band hall was built for the purpose of teaching music. The walls are designed with acoustic properties that keep the sound from echoing and distorting the music as the students learn music and prepare for concert performances in auditoriums that are equipped for the same. The band hall has smaller rooms on the west side of the building that are for sectional practices...such as the flute line, etc.. There are other rooms large enough for storage of uniforms and even rooms for storage of sheet music in filing cabinets, that has been property of the school for many many decades. The instrument storage room, with an exterior exit for loading equipment was planned for that reason. And having the band room detached from the main school building, keeps the "noise" level at a distance from students in academic classes. The location of the band hall is also why when I was in band, that parking lot was turned into the band's practice field. For the reasons I mention, and many more, the band hall was engineered for a band. I am sure that if you look at other schools in the area, state, and throughout the country, the is a lot of planning in building and constructing a band hall. I am not sure where you plan on moving the band, but unless you are planning to build a new facility that is more modern that what exists for the band currently, you are doing a grave disservice to the students in the band program. There is not a location in the school that will function to meet the needs of a band program. I know that you are aware of the numerous awards and recognition that Coosa's band has received over the years...especially in the last 23 years under the direction of Randy Young. Taking away the band room from these students, and placing them in a less appropriate location, while giving their band hall to the cheerleader, or any other group for that matter, would be a slap in the face of the students that work so hard to represent Coosa through music and performances. I hope that your decision has not yet been made, and that you will take into consideration the things that I have mentioned, before making an educated decision that is truly in the best interest of all the students of Coosa High School. I wish you continued success in your position at Coosa, and I know that you will arrive at the right decision. Thank you for you time and attention regarding this matter! Best Regards, M. Chad Watson

Dr. Plunkett's Answer:
Thank you for your interest in our schools and the band program at Coosa High. Please be assured that I am just as committed to having a strong band program at Coosa High. I am, in fact, a former band parent myself so I understand your concerns from that perspective. I talked with Trevor Hubbard, principal of Coosa High School, about the issue. Mr. Hubbard said that the relocation of the band for next year has been discussed with the new band director and the president of the Coosa High Band Boosters and they are not concerned or apposed to the plans. This was a situation of analyzing the facilities available and making a decision that will best serve all students at the school  including the band. Mr. Hubbard did not view this as taking away a space from one student group to give to another. Mr. Hubbard related to me several advantages in the new space for the band. The new band space would be configured a little differently but it is not smaller in overall square footage than the current space. The new band area has all of the acoustic features that the old room had and new carpeting that will be added as well this summer. The room is used by the chorus so it must have good acoustics. The new room has a roll-up door to make it easier to move equipment in and out of the room. The office area is also much better in the new band room. The area has two office spaces instead of the one in the old band area. There is also additional storage available in the new area that was not available in the old band room. The current band room will be used by the cheerleading and wrestling programs at Coosa High. Mr. Hubbard felt that the configuration of that room will be much more conducive to the activities of those two groups. There seems to be additional need for communication about these plans with the band community at Coosa. Mr. Hubbard is working with Deborah Langley, CHS Band Booster President, to arrange a meeting next week with band parents to discuss plans and view the proposed area for the band to use next year. Mr. Hubbard will work with the band parents to provide a learning environment for the students in the band and the band program at Coosa High to thrive. Thank you for expressing your concerns with the band instruction program at Coosa High.

Question:
Could you please tell me if we are making up the two days missed last week due to storms? Thanks, Gary

Dr. Plunkett's Answer:
Thank you for your question. There are a lot of parents and students interested in the same information. We have been in touch with Dr. John Barge, State Superintendent of Schools, about the situation. There are a lot of school systems in the same situation we are in with regard to missed time due to the storms of the past week. Dr. Barge is working with the State Board of Education to help school systems with the missed time. The Floyd County Board of Education will consider a waiver request at the meeting on Tuesday night. If the local board passes the waiver request, the request will be forwarded to the State Board for consideration. The State Board of Education is scheduled to meet later this week. If the State Board approves the waiver, the students and staff at our schools will not have to make up the missed time. I really hate to miss two days, but at this point in the year, make-up options are not going to be an easy thing for anyone. We only have a few Saturdays left and adding days at the end of the school year can be a major disruption in the community. We should know something by the end of the week.

Question:
Firstly, you're doing a great job. Seriously, you are. I'm very impressed. 'Mind a "story" first? Great! :D As you know, it's getting warmer outside. I bought my daughter plastic bottles for water so she could bring some to (Model Elementary) school. I asked her if she wanted one a couple days ago & she said "yes." I went for one I bought & she said she didn't want that kind. She wanted the prefilled kind. I told her the other kind was better since we wash them. The other ones have to be recycled. She said she'd recycle it, but had to bring it home (& would, & did. Gotta love that). My son, in Model Middle, didn't go for washable type. (No surprise ;D) He said it doesn't matter anyway. There are several trash cans. Some for trash, some for recycling. When they're empited, the woman empites the trash into a bigger one & puts the recycle plastic right in there with it. It goes out with the trash. It's great there are bins. I guess they are in both schools, but what's the point if they aren't recycled? It's like saying not to smoke & reaching for a cigarette; eat healthy then choosing burgers & hot dogs. It bothered me. Kids notice plenty, but rarely do they say anything. I'm not out to get anyone in trouble. Just want the kids to do what's right.. Thanks for listening!

Dr. Plunkett's Answer:
First, thank you so much for your kind words. My primary concern each day is to positively impact the lives of children in our classrooms. Second, what you describe related to recycling in our schools does concern me. Floyd County Schools has been a leader in recycling and going green in an effort to not only save money but to educate our children in taking care of the environment we live in locally and globally. Floyd County Schools was one of the first school systems in the country to implement a system-wide recycling program in the 90s to conserve resources and reduce the amount we contribute to the landfill. Floyd County Schools was also the first K-12 school system in the country to earn CISM Green certification for cleaning our buildings from the ISSA - The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association. We are concerned about using our resources wisely and educating the next generation to do a better job with resource management. It was encouraging to hear that your daughter has such a commitment to recycling. Our school system has a contract with Moriah Industries, a private company started by one of our former teachers who spearheaded our system recycling program many years ago; to collect our recycling and make sure it is disposed of properly. Moriah Industries is dedicated to the efficient use of resources and recycling to preserve our environment. Our systems commitment to recycling is as strong now as when we began our system recycling program over 15 years ago. We must now determine why there is a perception by our students that we do not recycle. If our students are not being taught the importance of recycling through our example of using and reusing resources, we are not being successful in the education component of our program. I have talked with the principal of Model Elementary and Model Middle and both schools are recycling at their facilities. The issue that may be confusing students about recycling may be the manner in which we are now recycling. At one time, we had multiple containers for recyclable material collection in each room and in our hallways. It was very clear to all that we were recycling and exactly what we were recycling. As the technology in the recycling industry has advanced, the need to separate recyclables has gone away. The recycling industry now uses separators to sort the recyclables so that we do not have to use so many containers. We now collect trash in one bin and all recyclables in another. The combination of many items in one container may well take on the appearance of a trash container. The collection bins outside the school also look very similar. You must look closely at the containers to see that one is for garbage and the other is for recyclable material. The items are also picked up by the same type trucks when Moriah Industries collects the items. Moriahs contract calls for them to collect not only the recyclables but also the garbage at each school location. The trucks run on different days to pick-up the items but the same trucks are used for collection. The trucks pick-up garbage only on one run schedule and then on a different day the same trucks will pick-up only recyclables. I can see how this could be confusing to someone who did not know the details of our arrangement with Moriah. Your email has given me pause to consider the perception that we may be giving with the manner in which we collect our recyclable material. I will work with our schools, Moriah Industries, our students and our community to develop a comprehensive communication plan to better inform our school staffs, students and community of our recycling efforts. This should not only help us to achieve our goal of educating the next generation about the benefits of recycling but also help us to improve our recycling efforts. Thank you for your email and for your familys commitment to recycling.

Question:
I KNOW THERE ARE LAWS FOR CHILDREN WITH ADD/ADHD. WHAT PROCESS DO YOU FOLLOW IN REGUARDS TO THE CRCT? THIS IS A RATHER URGENT QUESTION DUE TO THE FACT THE CRCT'S ARE SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK. I LET THE TIME FRAME ESCAPE ME.

Dr. Plunkett's Answer:
Thank you for your question regarding CRCT. There certainly are laws we must follow as a school system when administering the CRCT. The state provides the school system with very strict directions related to the administration of the CRCT to all students. The following is taken directly from the information provided to our school system relative to students taking the CRCT. From CRCT Testing Manual: "Testing accommodations are permissible for students with a current IEP, IAP, or ELL/TPC Plan on file. Regular program students who do not qualify under IDEA or Section 504, including those served by Student Support Teams (SSTs), may not under any circumstances, be granted testing accommodations  to do so is a direct violation of state regulations." If your child has an IEP, IAP or ELL/TPC Plan on file, the normal accommodations provided in those plans will be used when taking the CRCT. In many cases, students with ADD/ADHD do not have an IEP, IAP, or ELL/TPC Plan and do not receive accommodations in the classroom. Unless a child has regular accommodations that are made for testing or instruction in the daily classroom experience, it will be a violation of state regulations to provide any type of accommodation during CRCT testing. If you have questions or special concerns related to your child and the CRCT, please contact your childs teacher or school principal. We certainly want all students to do their very best on the CRCT. We also want to make sure that we strictly adhere to the directions from the state on what we can and cant do in giving the test to our students. Thank you for your question and your concern for your child.