WELCOME TOPPER Families

In accordance with LAPS Policy 4002 adults are expected to serve as positive role models. Demonstration of appropriate behavior by adults, including parents and guardians, while on the LAHS campus is expected. Confrontation, intimidation, and/or threats to LAHS staff members will result in removal from campus and/or further disciplinary action (NM 30-20-13).

The purpose of any computer utilization is to enhance the educational experience. All students and staff are required to have a signed district Technology Agreement on file. Use of computers is a privilege and not a right. Inappropriate use will result in the cancellation of those privileges. LAHS administration will determine what is inappropriate use and that decision will be final. Inappropriate use will result in the closing of an account at any time or by removal from a computer-based class.

Ethical Use of Technology Board Policy 6144R

LAHS may be allowed to distribute printed literature on campus. The distribution may not include materials that are obscene, libelous or disruptive to the educational environment. The following guidelines must be followed:

• All materials must be approved by the Assistant Superintendent and/or the Activities Director prior to distribution;
• Distribution is only from 7:30-7:50 am and 3:10-3:30 pm;
• Students will be responsible for any litter as a result of their distribution;
• Students must obey all school rules while distributing materials and will not ask students to take any literature against their will.

In order to increase student safety and to reduce the risk of accidents, students and parents will not be able to enter the Smith parking lot from Diamond Drive from 7:30 am to 7:45 am, as it is reserved for school buses. Students should use the entrance-off Orange Street. We recommend parents to drop their students off the Sullivan Field parking lot.

Please do not drop students off at the faculty parking lot behind the Auxiliary Gym or its access drive off Canyon Road. 

Checking Students Out of School:  If arrangements have not been made in advance with attendance to pick up a student from school, the parent or guardian must come into the school and have a driver’s license or a picture ID that verifies his or her identity as a custodial parent in order to check the student out of school.

Should an emergency or disaster situation ever arise in our area while school is in session, we want you to be aware that the schools have made preparations to respond effectively to such situations. In fact, public schools in New Mexico are built to meet stringent construction standards, and they may be safer than your own home in the event of a disaster.

Should we have a major disaster during school hours, your student(s) will be cared for at this school. Los Alamos Public Schools have detailed emergency response plans, which have been formulated to respond to a major catastrophe. While the specific details of these plans cannot be made public, we will provide any information necessary for your emergency planning needs and peace of mind, in case of an emergency. After you have thoughtfully reviewed this process, please sit with your child(ren) and help them to understand that it is necessary for them to follow the directions of any school personnel in times of an emergency drill or actual emergency situation. The safety of all depends on all personnel and students treating drills and emergency directions with serious respect.

Your cooperation is necessary in any emergency:

1. Do not telephone. You can receive updated information through an emergency communication system, provided by the school district and Los Alamos County. Telephone lines may be needed for emergency communication.
2. In the event of a serious emergency, students will be kept at their schools until they can be picked up by an identified, responsible adult who has been listed as such on a LAPS emergency card, which is required to be completed by parents/guardians at the beginning of each school year. Please be sure you consider the following criteria when you authorize another person to pick up your child at school:
   • S/He is 18 years of age or
   • S/He is usually home during the
   • S/He could walk to school, if
   • S/He is known to your
   • S/He is both aware and able to assume this

During an extreme emergency, students will be released at designated reunion sites, to be identified by the Incident Commander and located on school campuses. Please instruct your student to remain at the school until you or your designee arrives.

3. Turn your radio to AM 1610 for emergency If students are to be kept at school, radio stations will be notified. If electrical service is not affected, information will be relayed via LAPS to the radio and television broadcast media. In addition, information regarding day-to-day school operations will be available by accessing our website, or subscribing to our E-Alerts web-based system. All sites have hotline numbers, which will be updated.
4. In the event that any emergency takes place during the time that students expect to be transported to or from school:
   • If students are on the bus at the time, they will be kept on the bus, and the driver will ask for assistance through radio contact with the school and district
   • Any child who is home waiting for the bus will not be picked up and remains the responsibility of the parent or
   • In any situation, if the student’s bus does not arrive at the stop within fifteen (15) minutes, the student should return
   • In the event that an emergency occurs in the afternoon, the driver will make every attempt to continue delivering the students to their homes. Should road conditions prevent the driver from delivering students to their home or to school in the morning, the students will be delivered to the nearest district site, and that site’s personnel will communicate with home school personnel to inform them of the students’
5. In case of a hazardous release event (i.e. chemical spill) near the school area, Shelter procedures will be implemented to provide “in place” All students and staff will clear the fields, report to their rooms, and all efforts will be made to prevent outside air from entering the classrooms during the emergency. “Shelter-In-Place” signs will be placed in classroom windows or hung outside classroom doors during a drill or emergency. Students arriving at school during a Shelter drill or event should report to the school office or to a previously designated area at the school because classrooms will be inaccessible. When the dangerous incident has subsided, an “all clear” signal will be given.

In the case of a county-wide evacuation, which would include the schools, that evacuation would proceed in accordance with the protocols established in the Los Alamos County Emergency Operations Plan. Please access the County’s website for this county-wide evacuation plan.

Parental Roles in Emergency Preparedness

• Discuss the Standard Response Protocol with your child(ren)
• Please make sure to update your student’s school emergency Call or come by the school to update. Remember to update again when necessary.
• Sign up for E-Alerts on the school and district You’ll be notified by email whenever an emergency results in a delay, cancellation, or early dismissal.
• As part of your family plan, know your student’s Please check the accuracy of this schedule with your child.
• Parents with students currently taking emergency medication (i.e. medication for diabetes, seizures, anaphylaxis, asthma, etc.), please provide the nurse with a three-day supply of medication in a prescription container that is clearly marked with your child’s name and Please include doctor’s orders for the prescription and parental permission for a dispensation of the medication and any special storage instructions.
• Notify and provide the school with the special dietary needs of your

You might want to think about having your student have a change of clothes and personal hygiene articles (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, contact lens kit) in their locker.

Please discuss these matters with your immediate family. Planning ahead will help alleviate concern during emergencies.

Approval and scheduling for fundraising activities must be granted five working days prior to the activity by the Activities Director.

• All monies collected must be deposited DAILY with the bookkeeper or the sponsor is responsible for reimbursement of lost/stolen funds.
• Deposits must be receipted and deposited daily.
• Failure to comply with the fiscal management will result in forfeiture of fundraising opportunities and penalties for the sponsor.

Application for Fundraisers

Lockers will be provided upon request. Any student can request a locker. Lockers are the property of LAHS. They may be opened and searched by school administrators and their designees for reasonable suspicion or in an emergency situation. LAHS does not assume responsibility for any lost, stolen, or damaged items that are not secured. Students should keep all lockers locked and not to share lockers or combinations.

Because of the importance of instructional time, classes are not interrupted. Students will be called to the main office by the PA system at the end of the period or taken a note in emergency situations. Parents should only attempt to contact a student via the student’s cell phone before school, during lunch, and after school, not during the instructional school day, even if the student has an unsupervised period on campus.

In the interest of instructional time, LAHS requests that gifts and flowers for special occasions, including but not limited to Valentine’s Days and birthdays, not be delivered to school. The school is not responsible for any losses.

Please visit Communication Devices for information about bringing cell phones and other electronic signaling devices to school

Nurse’s Contact Information:
Leanne Hick  •  505-663-2530
l.hick@laschools.net

Link to Health and Wellness page

Student Parking
There are limited numbers of student parking spaces on the LAHS campus. Only current seniors and juniors who have purchased parking permits from LAHS will be allowed to park in the spaces located in front of Smith Auditorium and Griffith Gymnasium. All other students must park across the street in Sullivan Field parking lot.

Visitor Parking
There is visitor parking in the Smith Parking Lot along Diamond Dr. and along the curb except during the restricted times posted. During school hours, the rest of the parking in the Smith Parking Lot is reserved for seniors with permits.

Staff Parking
Parking behind A, C, D, and H wings is reserved for staff with permits.

Parking Policy
Students may not park on local streets, in the Denver Steels area, in the Catholic Church parking lot, in L-wing, or in the commercial lots across the street. Those parking off campus in unauthorized spots will be subject to towing / ticketing by the police. It is the students’ responsibility to find a legal place to park.

Skateboard Parking Restrictions: Students who use skateboards or scooters to and from school as a mode of transportation must “park” their vehicles in their assigned locker during the instructional portion of the school day. Bike racks are available on campus. Skateboards and scooters may be left in the main office.

Automobile Parking Restrictions:
Students are expected to comply with the parking regulations outlined in the parking contract.

• Students are responsible for paying all parking fines. Fines are payable to the Bookkeeper. Failure to pay tickets by the end of each semester may result in withholding of grades and transcripts, removal from athletic/ school activities, and/or revoking of parking privileges.
• The LAHS school property is alcohol, weapons, drug, and tobacco free. Use or possession of any of the above in any vehicle parked on campus is prohibited and will result in consequences per LAPS policies 5129 and 5154.
• LAHS is not responsible for damages sustained by any vehicle while parked on school property.
• Students are encouraged to keep their cars locked.
• Use of an unauthorized (counterfeit) parking permit will result in confiscation of the permit and loss of parking privileges for the remainder of the year.
• If a parking permit is no longer needed, a student must return the permit to administration.
• There will be no refunds on parking permits.
• Students must park in their assigned spaces. Staff and visitor spaces are for staff and visitors only. Any car parked in any space not assigned to that student by LAHS will be towed at the owner’s expense.
• On-campus handicapped parking is available to students with special needs. Speak to the office to make arrangements that best fit your schedule.
• Students will observe safe driving practices at all times while on campus.

Campus security will issue tickets as follows:

• 1st Offense:  Warning
• 2nd Offense:  The vehicle will be towed at the students’ expense.  LAHS is not responsible for damages incurred while towing.

Unsafe or reckless driving

• 1st Offense:  Parking privileges will be suspended for two weeks.
• 2nd Offense:  Parking privileges will be revoked for the rest of the school year.

Parking in a designated handicapped area

• 1st Offense:  Students may be ticketed by the police department.
• 2nd Offense:  The vehicle will be towed at the students’ expense. LAHS is not responsible for damages incurred while towing.

Any materials posted on the LAHS campus must first be approved and initialed by the Activities Director and/or an administrator. Any material posted but not approved will be removed. No flyers will be placed on car windows. No duct tape will be used. No flyers will be placed on the main lobby front doors, on any windows or glass, or on the green and gold wall striping. Posters and flyers along with tape must be removed by the students and/or groups within 48 hours after the event. Failure(s) to do so will result in future denial of permission to post.

If businesses wish to advertise to either staff or students, approval must be documented with a letter from the district office.

LAPS uses the School Messenger system to notify parents for reasons that impact safety and academic performance of students.

Once your child is enrolled at LAPS, you will be automatically enrolled to receive email notifications from School Messenger. LAPS highly recommends that parents also sign up for text messaging so that they may receive important announcements via text, such as emergency notifications. To sign up for text messaging, please follow these instructions in English or Spanish.

If you have a student in one of our schools, please ensure that your school contact information and emergency contact information is up-to-date.

If you need to make a change to your contact information, please call or visit your school office.

Click here to access the 2021-2022 school supply lists.

We encourage parents to maintain ongoing communication with LAHS staff members.

• When a concern arises, the parent is asked to contact the staff member directly by phone or e-mail to discuss the concern.
• If the concern is not successfully addressed, the next step is to contact the student’s counselor so that the counselor can facilitate a meeting between the parent, student and staff member.
• If the concern is still not successfully addressed, a further step is to contact the staff member’s administrative supervisor in order to schedule a meeting between the parent and the supervisor. Parents will then be encouraged to document their concern in writing.

Should a concern arise, retaliation against the student raising the concern is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

Student and Family Handbook

All students are required to carry I.D.’s.  Students needing a photo I.D. can go to the Main Office to get one. Please check with the receptionist or the attendance clerk. A $5.00 fee will be charged for the replacement of lost I.D. cards. 

Throughout the year teachers hold office hours in their classrooms from 2:40 to 3:10 p.m. to assist students with make-up work and homework problems.

The goals of the TAC are to serve as a site-based advisory council for LAHS, to advise the principal on critical issues that directly impact the needs of all students, to develop broadly based communication mechanisms to enable stakeholders to work together and become a resource for all, to evaluate the site goals and make recommendations for the following year’s goals, and to disseminate information to stakeholder groups.

TAC consists of the following members:

• The LAHS principal
• LAHS parent representatives from each grade level (9,10,11,12) – chosen by parents at the first TAC meeting
• LAHS staff  representatives from each grade level (9,10,11,12) – volunteers solicited by the principal/staff
• A LAHS staff representative from student support services – volunteers solicited by the principal/staff
• One or more student representatives, ideally from each grade level – selected by the student council or recommended by the principal
• One or two community members, one of whom represents the business community
• A District Parent Council (DPC) representative – chosen by the principal

In addition, TAC has three officers:

• Recording secretary – keeps the minutes of all meetings and distributes them to involved parties within 2 weeks of the meeting date, maintains the membership list, and keeps attendance records
• Chair – runs the monthly meetings, ensures issues are appropriate to bring before the committee, and tracks the issues to ensure they are brought to conclusion. The chair works with the principal to create the agenda for each meeting
• Co-chair – fills in for the chair when that person is absent and assists the chair as needed.

All visitors to LAHS are required to register in the Main Office, wear a Topper badge while on campus, and sign out at the main office before leaving. This registration is meant to provide student safety, eliminate educational interruption, and assure orderly completion of educational programs. Those who want to observe classes or meet with staff should arrange their visit 24 hours in advance to ensure that sufficient time is allowed and the visit does not interfere with planned activities.

Unauthorized visitors may be subject to legal action. Students from other schools are not allowed to visit classrooms with friends or relatives. Any student needing legal assistance and advice should contact the School Resource Officer (SRO). Only new students planning to enroll at LAHS may be given permission to visit classes with parents and the permission of an administrator.

PARENTS/ GUARDIAN/ VISITORS
Parents/ guardians and other visitors who arrive on campus are required to check in at the office. They may not go to the classroom to pick up a student nor may they be present in the hallways unless escorted by school personnel by previous arrangement. If a parent /guardian are interested in meeting with a teacher or visiting a classroom during the school day, as a courtesy to the teacher, arrangements must be made at least 24 hours in advance with the teacher and an administrator.