Part A: Brookside Student Handbook

Welcome to the Brookside Academy Programs!

The main purpose of this handbook is to acquaint you, the student, with the organization of our program. It is intended to help you and should you be confused by any of its contents, please contact any faculty member. 

Experience has shown that the best guarantee of accomplishing a job successfully is to start it in the right way. Undefined goals, inefficient methods, and wasted hours are often key factors in failing to complete a task. Therefore, it is important to observe these guidelines in order to make the school year a success, for us as individuals and for the entire student body. Asterisks (*) used throughout the handbook indicate Cambridge-Isanti School Board Policies. 

All School District policies referenced in this handbook are located on the district website under the heading About Us.

Please refer to the Policy Manual linked above for all policies. Some of the legislative changes for 2023-24 include but are not limited to the following:

Prohibit Prone Restraint An employee of the district shall not use prone restraint or inflict any form of physical harm that restricts or impairs a pupil’s ability to breathe, communicate distress, or places pressure on pupil’s head, throat, neck, chest, lungs, sternum, diaphragm, back, or abdomen, or results in straddling a pupil’s torso.

Tobacco Free Schools: A limited exception to the tobacco prohibition exists for adult members of an Indian tribe, as defined under Minnesota law, who may light tobacco on school district property as a part of a traditional Indian spiritual or cultural ceremony.An American Indian student may carry a medicine pouch containing loose tobacco intended as observance of traditional spiritual or cultural practices. An Indian is a person who is a member of an Indian tribe as defined under Minnesota law.

Discipline Complaint Procedure Students, parents and other guardians, and school staff may file a complaint and seek corrective action when the requirements of the Minnesota Pupil Fair Dismissal Act, including the implementation of the local behavior and discipline policies, are not being implemented appropriately or are being discriminately applied. Complaints should be filed with the Director of Administrative Services at (763) 689-6235.

Brookside Academy

District Mission Statement

The mission of Cambridge-Isanti Schools, in partnership with our community, is to Educate, Empower and Inspire EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY to achieve their full potential.

Quality Education Meeting Individual Needs

Brookside Academy provides quality education that meets the unique needs of our students in a setting that allows students to learn and grow.

• Respectful Relationships
• Student Support
• Academic Relevance

By demonstrating respectful relationships toward themselves and others, students will set and accomplish their goals. Staff will assess all students’ emotional, social and behavioral supports needed. All students will be provided a comprehensive education based on relevancy and best practices which will give them skills and abilities to compete in an ever-changing world.

We believe that each student can have success in our program!
Programs use the following beliefs in the Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies (PBIS) to support students’ individualized goal(s). Students have a Continual Learning Plan (CLP) with “Growth Goals” that the student, advisor and parent/guardian develop for each school year

The purpose of Implementing PBIS at Brookside Academy is to:
Have a sense of community in our school and beyond
Raise student academic achievement
Increase positive behavior
Be consistent with all students
Data driven decisions

5 Traits of Character Education

• Respect: Respect means recognizing the value of people, property, the environment and yourself.
• Compassion: Compassion is caring about how others feel and doing kind and thoughtful deeds for people.
• Responsibility: Responsibility is being dependable and accountable for your words and actions.
• Honesty: Honesty is being truthful.
• Self-Discipline: Self-discipline is making good choices and having control over your thoughts and actions.

Program Descriptions

Brookside Academy

Brookside Academy is a setting IV special education program that serves students in grades Kindergarten-Transition with all disability areas. Our goal is to provide an educational environment that meets the unique needs of our students in a setting that allows students to learn and grow. Students are placed into classrooms based on grade and level of need. Students benefit from small class size, high staff to student ratio, customized learning plans and a variety of programming environments.

Enrollment

Students are referred to Brookside Academy by their home school. The decision to move a student to Brookside Academy is made by the student's IEP team after behavioral interventions at the home school or center-based program have proven unsuccessful.

PBIS

One of the foremost advances in schoolwide discipline is the emphasis on schoolwide systems of support that include proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments. Instead of using a piecemeal approach of individual behavioral management plans, a continuum of positive behavior support for all students within a school is implemented in areas including the classroom and non-classroom settings (such as hallways, buses, and restrooms). Positive behavior support is an application of a behaviorally-based systems approach to enhance the capacity of schools, families, and communities to design effective environments that improve the link between research-validated practices and the environments in which teaching and learning occurs. Attention is focused on creating and sustaining Tier 1 supports (universal), Tier 2 supports (targeted group), and Tier 3 supports (individual) systems of support that improve lifestyle results (personal, health, social, family, work, recreation) for all children and youth by making targeted behaviors less effective, efficient, and relevant, and desired behavior more functional.

Social Skill Instruction and Behavior Support

• Social Skill instruction will be explicitly taught through a variety methods based on each student's unique needs. All students will be enrolled in a specific type of social skill curriculum. Foundational components to social skill instruction will be understanding strengths, weaknesses, discovering coping strategies, using coping strategies and being provided with feedback through a variety of methods. Not only will social skills be explicitly taught, but they will also be incorporated and taught in real life learning environments and experiences. Students will be provided behavior support through research driven approaches. If a student is demonstrating a concerning behavior staff will assist through co-regulation to better assist them in processing their current situation.

Academics

• Academic programming will be individualized to the student's current needs and supported through their IEP. When appropriate, academic materials and programming will be aligned with Cambridge-Isanti school district curriculum.Students will be provided with more frequent feedback, guidance and support when compared to the general education setting as a result of the smaller class sizes and larger amount of staffing.

Transition Services

• Secondary Transition Planning is the process of preparing students for life after high school and includes planning for postsecondary education or training, employment, and independent living. While at Brookside Academy, students’ transition plans and services will be guided by their Individual Education Plans “IEP” which includes community agencies.

Reintegration to Mainstream

• Reintegration is something many parents eagerly anticipate. At the same time, students may approach reintegration with excitement, anxiety or fear at the prospect of returning to their home schools - the places where they faced tough educational or emotional challenges. Keeping that in mind, Brookside Academy places a high priority on supporting our students and their families, our teachers and mainstream school staff during the reintegration process. It is a process that begins with assurances that your child is ready to return to his or her school, with support from parents and teachers and the Reintegration Team at Brookside Academy. Our students often return to their home school on a part-time basis, spending part of their day there, and part at Brookside Academy where they can continue to be supported by special education teachers, social workers and other service providers. This practice gives the Reintegration Team a way to maintain close contact with your child, while also being your child's bridge to new teachers, who need to learn about his or her learning style.

Student Supports

Brookside Academy uses a Multi-tiered System of Supports alongside our Tiered Interventions & Behavior Responses.

Chemical Health Specialist

Chemical Health Specialist will provide an on-site resource specifically supporting students, families or friends that have current or past challenges with substance abuse. The goal of the Chemical Health Specialist will be to support students and families with specific resources surrounding substance abuse.

Student Support Room

The Student Support Room is our student support area for both academic and behavior intervention. Students will have to complete a “Feedback Form” which will help them correct their own behavior and make a plan for the remainder of the specified time. A staff support person is available to assist the student as needed.

School-Linked Mental Health Worker

Referrals and supports, regardless of insurance status, are available in cooperation with Lighthouse Child & Family Services, LLC. Accessing therapeutic counseling services on the school site is now an option for families. A signed consent is required.

School Social Worker

A licensed School Social Worker is available daily to support staff, students and families in various life struggles. Responsibilities include: truancy recommendations, student and family support resources, outside agency referrals, and testing coordination.

School Resource Officer (SRO)

The SRO will assist in prevention education and specific law-related educational topics for students, families and staff. The primary focus is supporting a safe and secure educational environment.

Student Support Team (SST)

The SST will assist staff in recommending academic, behavior or program modifications needed for students to meet their identified goals. Intervention Contracts will be used by students needing this support.

Mandated Reporters

Brookside Academy staff are mandated reporters. If any staff suspects or hears that a child has been physically or sexually abused, he/she is required to contact Family Services Child Protection staff within 24 hours after receiving information.

Rules and Regulations

Academic Calendar

Brookside Academy will follow the Cambridge-Isanti School District calendar and grades will be given in a trimester format.

Grading

Students will receive report cards at the end of each trimester. While at Brookside Academy students will earn credits based on grades and hours completed. Individuals who will be provided report cards include parents and IEP team members. Grades earned at Brookside Academy are transferred to the student’s transcript at his/her home school. The transcript is maintained within the district the student resides. Brookside Academy credit hours accumulate to graduation and are applied to the requirements of the home school.

Graduation Requirements

Graduation requirements will be determined by the student home district credit policy and the IEP team.

Video Taping

Brookside Academy may use videotaping for the purposes of data collection, documentation of progress and consultation with one or more of the Brookside Academy (e.g. Behavior, Occupational or Physical Therapy) or to provide behavioral feedback to students and the student’s team members. The videotape will only be used for the above purposes and not distributed to any other agency or persons without express written consent of the parent/guardian.

Restrictive Procedures Plan

A student with an IEP may be removed in accordance with this policy regardless of whether the student’s conduct would create an emergency. If the school district seeks to remove a student with an IEP from school grounds under this policy due to behaviors that constitute an emergency and the student’s IEP, IIIP, or behavior intervention plan authorizes the use of one or more restrictive procedures, the crisis team may employ those restrictive procedures, in addition to any reasonable force that may be necessary, to facilitate the student’s removal from school grounds, as long as the crisis team members who are implementing the restrictive procedures have received the training required by Minn. Stat § 125A.0942, Subd. 5, and otherwise comply with the requirements of § 125A.0942.

Attendance

The Brookside Academy staff believes that regular attendance is directly related to success in academic work, benefits students socially, provides opportunity for important communication among students and teachers, and establishes regular habits of dependability important to future success. The following attendance policy recognizes that class attendance is a joint responsibility of the student, parent/guardian, teacher and administrator.

Attendance Policy

Students should be in school every day; a missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn. The primary rationale for student attendance is the relationship between student attendance and student achievement. The general policy of the school district on Student Attendance is Policy 503.

A child under the age of 17 is considered “habitually truant” if they are absent from school without a lawful excuse for one or more periods on seven (7) school days. Parental notification is required by Minnesota statute and Child in Need of Protection services through the county attorney may intervene.

The school attendance line is 763-552-6258. Absences may also be reported via Skyward Family Access on the Attendance tab.

School District 911 Policies and Procedures

Minnesota State Statute requires that children attend school. For students under the age of 12, it is presumed that it is a parental responsibility to ensure the child’s attendance. Between the ages of 12 through the 17th year, it is primarily the student’s responsibility to get to school on a daily basis. A student is required to attend school each and every day and each and every class period. If a student misses a school day or part of a day, for legitimate reasons, a parent or guardian must notify the school.

Examples of excused absences include:

• Illness
• Medical or mental health appointments
• Religious holidays
• Family emergencies
• Dental appointments
• Vacations
• Suspensions
• School sponsored activities

Unexcused absences are any other reason than listed above are also considered an unexcused absence if the school is not notified of the reason for a student’s absence.

Examples of unexcused absences include:

• Missed the bus
• Overslept
• Bus suspension
• Needed at home
• Babysitting
• Work
• Alarm did not go off
• Helping friends or family
• Shopping
• Vacations that are not pre-approved
• Leaving school without permission

If a student is absent without lawful excuse on three or more days, or any part of the school day, they are considered truant. Truancy is a violation of Minnesota State Law.

The parents, school, and community are all partners in working towards the goal of school attendance and educational success. The Law is “designed to provide a continuum of intervention and services to support families and children in school and combating truancy and educational neglect.”

When a student has had three unexcused absences, the school will begin the initial interventions. The school is legally required to notify the parent or guardian that the child is a “continuing truant” under the law after three unexcused absences. A letter will be sent outlining potential legal consequences as well as recommended action for the parent. At this point, parents are strongly encouraged to attend a school conference with their child. If the student has seven unexcused absences, he/she is considered “habitually truant”. The school is required to report to Isanti County Family Services or Isanti County Court Services that the student is in violation of the compulsory attendance laws.

If a child’s absences reach 10 or more days for any reason the school reserves the right to require a note from a physician specifically stating that the child is too ill to attend school for that day.

Emergencies

Students who become ill or injured during school are to report the ailment to their teacher. If the illness or injury is prolonged or severe, school personnel will attempt to contact parents/guardians. If a student must go home, the parent/guardian is to make arrangements to pick up the child and have a place for him/her to go.

If an emergency exists, an immediate attempt will be made to contact parents/guardians, but if warranted, students will be taken to the nearest hospital or clinic while parents/guardians are being contacted. It is very important to keep your emergency information updated. If the parent/ guardian cannot be reached a representative of the school will act as an agent to consent to the giving of any and all medical, dental, hospital, or surgical care to the student.

Drills and Procedures

State law requires five lockdown drills, one severe weather drill and five fire drills per school calendar year. Maps with emergency evacuation procedures are posted in each classroom. During an emergency, students are to walk quickly to a secure location leaving all items behind.

Fire Drill

Don't panic! When the fire alarm sounds, all persons in the building must evacuate the premises. The students and staff should be at least 100 feet from the building. All classroom and office doors are to be closed and locked. When leaving the building, the teacher will lead the class out the nearest and safest exit. The teacher should make sure that all students have left the building. The teacher and class may return to the building when the all clear is given.

Lockdown Drill

Student safety is of primary concern during lockdowns, therefore, students are expected to respond immediately to staff direction during drills. Drills are conducted with little disruption to the school day.

Tornado Drill

If a tornado warning is received, all staff will accompany their students to the designated tornado area. The teacher and class may return to the classroom when the all clear has been given.

Student Insurance

The Riverside Academy Programs do not provide any type of health or accident insurance for injuries that occur at school. Since children are particularly susceptible to injuries, the district encourages parents/guardians to review personal health accident insurance programs to determine if coverage is adequate.