Handbook

The Cueva Bears are committed to maintaining academic honesty and integrity at all times. This means all work must be your own, and all forms of cheating or plagiarism are strictly prohibited.

• Cheating is any dishonest or unfair act intended to gain an unfair academic advantage. 
• Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else's work. Including that of a human or artificial intelligence, as your own.
• All sources, including books, websites, and AI tools, must be properly and accurately cited. Failing to give credit is considered plagiarism. 
• Use of AI tools is permitted only with the explicit permission of the teacher.
  Your teacher will clearly state when and how AI may be used for specific assignments.

Violations of this policy will result in the following:

1. First Offense:
   • A grade of zero on the assignment with an opportunity to redo the assignment for 50% 
   • Parent/Guardian communication
   • Bear Success Center referral and meeting with teacher, student, admin or dean to address the root causes of any violation of academic integrity
   • May include a referral for counseling and/or academic support
   • Student and teacher will work together to determine date and time of make-up
2. Second Offense:
   • A grade of zero on the assignment with opportunity to redo at teacher discretion
   • Discipline referral
   • Loss of technology privileges (if applicable)
3. Severe or repeated violations:
   • A grade of zero with no opportunity to redo
   • Discipline referral
   • School-level discipline in accordance with APS Academic Integrity policies.

No phone calls are allowed for attendance purposes. The district requires us to have all reports in writing. You must either email the attendance office for partial-day absences or early releases or fill out the form in ParentVUE for full-day absences.

Full-Day Absences: Please log in to your ParentVUE and click the Report Absences icon. These notices go directly to the Attendance Office. If you cannot use this feature, you can email lacuevaattendance@aps.edu.

Late Arrival or Early Release: Please email lacuevaattendance@aps.edu at least one hour before for early release. We have a lot of students who check out early and need enough time to get passes written and delivered so that students can leave at the requested time. You will receive an email back within 15-20 minutes that attendance got your request or an email asking for more information (if needed). Copy and paste the following and provide the needed information:

• Student Name
• ID Number or Birthdate
• Grade Level
• Parent Name and Phone Number
• Reason for dismissal
• If your email does not contain all of this information, it will delay the release of your student from class.

If you need to update your information, you must do so on ParentVue. The new information will come to the office, and we will verify it. This process can take 24-48 hours depending on when you submit it. Please do not submit information and expect it to be updated ten minutes later when you come in to pick up your child. If you have multiple emails, phone numbers, etc., please add all of them to ParentVue so that no matter what email you email from or phone number you provide, it's in the student's file. We cannot release a student if the information does not match. Thank you for understanding that the process may not always be seamless, but we are trying to make sure that all students are being released to someone safe. 

Guidelines for Prohibited Dress

Albuquerque Public Schools shall prohibit student dress that may present a health or safety hazard, violate municipal or state law, or present a potential disruption to the instructional program. The APS Board of Education shall not allow for the imposition of punishment, discrimination, or disparate treatment against a student based on the student's racial identity, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, cultural or religious identity and observances, household income, body size/type or body maturity, or because of the student's use of protective hairstyles or cultural or religious headdresses.

Prohibited clothing and accessories include, but are not limited to:

• obscene or violent language or images
• depictions of alcohol or drugs or other illegal items 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

Hair color, length, and style, including hair coverings or styles related to an individual’s personal, cultural, or religious beliefs cannot be considered for disciplinary action.

Students Not Following School Dress Code

Students are expected to follow the dress code at school. When students do not dress appropriately, the following steps will be followed.

• Offer other clothing options if available
• Call parent/guardian to bring other clothing
• Students could have consequences such as lunch detention, loss of recess, etc.

Student Acceptable Use of Personal Electronic Devices

Student Rights and Responsibilities

1. The student who possesses a personal electronic device shall be solely responsible for its care.

2. Student possession of personal electronic devices on all school campuses, including athletic fields, and school buses, at school-sponsored activities and while the student is under the supervision and control of school district employees shall be permitted. All students may use these devices on campus before school begins and after school ends. In addition, students in high school grades 9-12 may use such devices during their lunch period as determined by the school administration.

3. These devices shall be kept out of sight and powered off or silenced during the school day and during any school-sponsored activity, meeting, or practice held on Albuquerque Public Schools property. The requirement that personal electronic devices be turned off may not apply in the following circumstances when the student obtains prior approval from the principal or his/her designee:

   1. The student or a family member has a special medical circumstance.

   2. The student is using the device for an educational or instructional purpose with the teacher’s permission and supervision. 

   3. The device is used as assistive technology required by a student’s IEP or current 504 plan. 

4. Personal electronic devices shall be permitted on school buses, as authorized by APS Transportation. Use of the personal electronic device will not be permitted if it causes a disruption on the school bus.

5. Student use of personal electronic devices shall be prohibited in areas including, but not limited to, locker rooms, classrooms, bathrooms, and swimming pool areas.

6. Students shall not use personal electronic devices on school property or at a school-sponsored activity to access and/or view internet websites that are otherwise blocked to students at school. Blocked sites include, but are not limited to, social networking sites.

7. Student use of personal electronic devices that disrupt the instructional day may result in disciplinary action and/or confiscation of the personal electronic device. When a personal electronic device is confiscated, it shall only be released and/or returned to the student’s parent/legal guardian. It is the student’s parent/legal guardian’s responsibility to retrieve the device according to school procedures.

Unauthorized Use

Unauthorized use of personal electronic devices includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Possessing, viewing, sending or sharing video or audio information having sexual, violent or threatening content on school grounds, school events or school buses shall be prohibited and may result in disciplinary action and/or confiscation of the personal electronic device.

2. Transmitting school materials for unethical purposes, such as cheating.

3. Any activity that may be in violation of the Albuquerque Public Schools Bullying Prevention policy and procedural directive.

• Students must have a parking pass to park in student parking. Passes can be purchased in the Activities Office with Mrs. Casaus. 
• Senior parking is reserved; please do not park in a space that is not yours. Students entered the lottery, were drawn, and paid for their spot.
  • If a car is in your spot, you can report it to the office. 
• Students can park on Wilshire at their own risk. It is public property.