Regular, uninterrupted attendance is an essential ingredient in the learning process. Students should plan to attend school for as many periods as possible, even on days they have doctor’s appointments, court appearances, and DMV appointments.

Procedure for Absences

When students are absent, the parent or guardian must call the Front Office (615-472-5200) by 9 a.m. on the day of the absence. The parent/guardian will send a signed note to the Attendance Office the day following the absence that includes 1) the student’s first and last name, 2) the date of absence, 3) the reason for absence, 4) the phone number of the parent, and 5) the parent’s signature. We cannot accept parent notes by email.

Excused Absences

Excused absences will be granted for the following:

• Illness: A medical doctor’s note may be required.
• Illness of immediate family member that requires absence of the student: A medical doctor’s note may be required.
• Death of an immediate family member.
• Religious holiday that is regularly observed by persons of the student’s faith: A note from the religious leader may be required.
• Doctor appointment: Medical Doctor’s note must be provided. Parent notes will not be accepted. The doctor’s office can fax a note to Student Services at 615-472-5211.
• Court appearance: Court document must show the date and time required.
• DMV visit to obtain driving permit or license: Show license or permit upon return. It is encouraged to complete and return to school within 2 hours.

No other absences will be excused without prior principal approval.

Per WCS Procedure, after 8 excused absences during the school year, no absence will be excused without a medical doctor’s note. Absences due to NHS field trips, school athletics, and pre-approved college visits do not count toward the total of eight excused absences.

Seniors who are exempt from their exams will also be exempt from their study period. Seniors who are exempt from their exams are excused for absence during the exam.

College Visits

Seniors may tour prospective post-secondary institutions during the school year for no more than four days per year. The student must bring documentation from the post-secondary institution indicating that the student visited. The visit will be considered as a field trip for attendance purposes. In order for our students to take full advantage of this privilege, the Post Secondary Field Trip Form needs to be completed and returned to the attendance office within three school days following the student’s visit. Students are responsible for all work missed and expected to check online platforms for missed assignments.

9th-11th graders may request to go on a college trip, but it will not count as a field trip. It will be counted as one of the allotted excused absences. Students may not exceed a total of 8 excused absences for the year without a medical note.

Field Trips

Field trips will not count as absences, but students will be responsible for making up all work. It is at the discretion of the students’ teachers whether missed work will be made up prior to the trip or upon the day of return to school.

Exams and Holidays

Please note that special circumstances apply for holidays, PSAT, ACT, TNReady and semester exams. A doctor’s note will be required for all illnesses the day immediately before and the day immediately after holidays, school scheduled breaks, PSAT, ACT, TNReady and semester exams, as well as each day of exam week.

Early Dismissals

Early dismissals will be granted for the same reasons as excused absences. Early dismissals by email or phone are not accepted.

Procedure for early dismissal:

1. Provide a signed, written notice from a parent (note or fax needs parent signature) to Student Services before going to the first class of the day;
2. Pick up Early Dismissal slip from attendance office later in the day.
3. Sign out in the attendance office at the time for the departure from school;
4. Sign in if returning to school the same day; and
5. Show medical note, if applicable, upon return to school.

An early dismissal note must include the Student’s Name (First and Last), Date & Time of Dismissal, Reason for Dismissal, Phone Number where Parent/Guardian can be reached, and a parent signature. If parents call with an unexpected appointment or other serious reason for early dismissal beyond 11:00 a.m., the attendance secretary must receive a fax (472-5221) prior to students leaving or the parent must come in at the time of departure and show a photo ID to sign students out.

Dismissal Due to Illness

Students that become ill during the school day must receive permission from the teacher to go to the school nurse. If it is recommended that the student checks out, contact with a parent/guardian by the school nurse is required before students are released. Students will not be dismissed through the Front Office with a parent phone call or email. The school nurse must be contacted directly or parents must come into the school and check out the student. If the student contacts a parent and makes arrangements for dismissal prior to being seen in the clinic, the school nurse will not excuse the student’s dismissal or absence from school. The parent will have to provide an excuse note for attendance to review and determine whether the absence is excused. If the school nurse determines that the student does not have health issues that require an excused early dismissal, the parent must follow the early dismissal policy for the school to allow the student to leave.

All Dismissals

• All students who leave for any of the above reasons must sign out with the attendance secretary. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.
• All attendance requirements also pertain to eighteen year old students.
• Students may not excuse themselves from school.
• Only a parent or guardian can sign a student out.

Late Arrival to School

Any student who arrives late to school will enter through the front office and sign in. Students found in the school without complying with the above procedure will be subject to a discipline referral. Every student must have a doctor’s note or a written note from the parent stating the reasoning for the late arrival. Students may have 5 parent notes to excuse tardiness to school. After 5 parent notes, a doctor’s note will be required. If a student signs in without a note the tardiness will be considered unexcused and the student will be assigned a disciplinary consequence. All late arrivals will be treated as tardies. Car trouble or traffic are not excused if the 5 notes have already been used. A note stating “Personal Reasons” will require more information.

Students at NHS hare expected to: 

1. Arrive to class on time.
2. Arrive prepared for class with all materials necessary for class that day.
3. Stay attentive to the task at hand until dismissed by the teacher.
4. Show respect and consideration for others.
5. Demonstrate care and consideration for school property and the property of others.

Each teacher is able to establish the rules and procedures for his or her classroom.  Students are expected to observe those rules and to respond promptly to the direction of the teacher.

Consequences of Inappropriate Behavior

If students violate the rules of Nolensville High School, consequences will likely follow. The specific consequences will be determined on the basis of the individual student and on the severity and/or frequency of the offense. Progressive consequences are used and may include detention, Friday school, in-school or out-of-school suspension, referral to the Alternative Learning Center, and/or a juvenile court petition. Administrators collaborate and work hard to ensure consistency in similar cases.  Parents will be notified of any suspensions.

Detention

Detention is held on Wednesdays and Fridays from 3:00 -4:00 pm.  The sole activity permitted during detention is quiet study. Students failing to bring materials with which to study or work will not be admitted. All school rules apply during detention, including those regarding electronic devices, headwear, and food & drinks.

Failure to report to detention will warrant further disciplinary action by an administrator.

Friday School

Students may be assigned a Friday School by an administrator for instances of inappropriate behavior or for failure to serve detention. Friday School will be held weekly from 3:00 – 5:00 pm on Fridays in the Detention Supervisor’s classroom. The sole activity permitted during Friday School is quiet study; students failing to bring materials with which to study or work will not be admitted. All school rules apply during Friday School, including those regarding electronic devices, headwear, and food & drinks.

Failure to report to Friday School will result in disciplinary action such as two Friday schools.

In-School Suspension (ISS)

ISS may be assigned by an administrator for actions described in this guidebook. If students are given a day of ISS, they must report to the ISS no later than 7:40 am and remain there until 2:47 pm. Students must silently study or complete homework. All school rules apply in ISS. Students may not use electronic devices unless needed for an assignment and unless directly supervised. Students may not wear hats, caps, or hoods. No food or drinks allowed besides lunch. Students must eat lunch in ISS.  No sleeping is allowed. In addition, students will leave the room only during specified restroom breaks. Students must complete all assigned course work.

Failure to comply with any of these provisions will result in a parent conference and an extension of the ISS assignment or further consequences.

Note: Students are not allowed to participate in any extracurricular or athletics activities until they have completed their time in ISS.

Specific Guidelines and Regulations for Behavior

The following list of specific rules is not intended to be all-inclusive. Students will be subject to disciplinary action any time a behavior is disruptive, illegal, or inconsiderate of others. The specific consequences will be assigned by an assistant principal in a consistent manner and in accordance with the policies outlined in this guidebook.

Balcony

No students will throw or drop OR pretend to throw or drop objects, liquid, or spit over the balcony.

Classroom Concerns

The following procedure is followed to resolve classroom concerns: The first step is always to contact the teacher directly; contact via e-mail is recommended. If you are unable to resolve the issue with the classroom teacher, you may contact the grade level assistant principal.

Conduct on School Buses

The Director of Schools or the principal may suspend the right and privilege of transportation from any student attending the Williamson County Schools to whom transportation is provided due to misconduct or misbehavior of students travelling to or from school.

Conduct in Assemblies and Pep Rallies

Conduct at assemblies, athletic contests, concerts, pep rallies, etc. should be guided by the principle of consideration for others. 

Conduct in the Classroom

Behavior which interferes with instruction is a serious violation of the Code of Conduct. The teacher has the right and responsibility to retain order in the classroom. The severity of the consequence will depend on the extent of this disruption.

Contraband Card Playing/Money Games

Card playing or any games involving money are not allowed at any time during the school day.

Disruption of the Normal School Day

Students shall not continuously and/or intentionally do anything that will interfere with the normal operation of the school.

Dress Code

The minimum standards for acceptable clothing during the school day are as follows, as described in WCS Board Policy 6.310

• Tops of shoulders must have a minimum of a 1-inch strap unless otherwise covered by an opaque top garment. 
• Skin and undergarments must be covered with opaque clothing from the underarm to mid-thigh. Mid-thigh is defined as the mid-point between the waist and mid-knee. 
• All pants, trousers, shorts and skirts must be held at the waist.
• Leggings and other compression-style garments may be worn so long as an opaque top garment covers the private body parts.
• Hats may be worn in buildings with the permission of building administration. 
• Appropriate shoes are required. 
• Any type of clothing, apparel or accessory, including that which denotes such students’ membership in or affiliation with any gang associated with criminal activities is not permitted (TCA 49-6-4215).
• Any apparel or dress that advertises or promotes products or activity prohibited by law or by the Board of Education is prohibited (e.g., profanity, illustrations, or suggestive language, etc).
• Student uniforms related to student extra-curricular activities (band, cheerleading, dance, sports team, etc.) must be in compliance with this policy during the academic day.
• Any apparel or dress that is potentially disruptive to the learning environment or educational process is not permitted.
• Any apparel or dress that is dangerous to the health or safety of students or the lawful, peaceful operation of the school is not permitted

Administrators and teachers shall enforce the dress code policy. The principal or his/her designee shall be the final judge as to compliance with the dress code. The student will not be allowed to return to class until the dress code violation is corrected.

The weighted GPA will be calculated on all course work using the Williamson County Grading Scale. GPA will also be calculated using the Tennessee Uniform Grading Scale for Lottery/Hope Scholarship purposes. Both the Williamson County weighted GPA and the Tennessee Uniform GPA will appear on the transcript. Williamson County Schools will not rank students numerically.

For the purposes of honors recognition WCS will use the following Latin System:

• Summa Cum Laude: 4.25 GPA and above
• Magna Cum Laude: 4.00-4.24 GPA
• Cum Laude: 3.75-3.99 GPA

Valedictorian and Salutatorian will be chosen using the following criteria:

1. Student must qualify for the highest Latin System honor awarded in the respective school.
2. Student must sit for the AP exam for every course in which enrolled and must achieve a score of 3 or above on 75% of AP exams taken.
3. Student will participate in at least 20 hours of community service above and beyond any other community service required by other organizations. Students must provide documentation of the completed community service hours and documentation of the completed community service hours required by other organizations to their counselor.

In the event multiple students meet the aforementioned criteria, then the highest achieved ACT composite controls.

Pass By Averaging

The averaging policy for certain courses allows students to pass even though they failed the first semester. If a student fails the first semester (grade is below a 70) but earns a second semester grade high enough that both semester grades can average to a 70 or higher (ex. First semester Algebra I grade was a 66, but second semester grade is a 74), credit can be awarded for the full year. This is possible in math, world language, chemistry, physics, and accounting. Credit will not be given when the second semester grade is the failing grade.

Course Auditing

To audit means to take a class for no credit. Usually, students audit the first semester of a full year course when in the previous year they passed the first semester but failed the 2nd semester. This practice allows students to be ready to take the 2nd semester for credit and be successful. Students are required to complete all work, including tests and the semester exam. Letter grades are recorded on the transcript. Because Williamson County Board Policy requires that each student be enrolled in six, for credit classes, an audited course must take the place of a study hall.

Credit Recovery

Credit Recovery is an opportunity for students to complete coursework in order to receive credit for a course previously failed. To be eligible for Credit Recovery, students must have earned a grade of 50% or higher in the failed course. Upon admittance to the Credit Recovery program, students will keep a notebook of required materials and will need to master all Credit Recovery modules for that course. The grades for each mastered module will be averaged to compile a credit recovery grade. To receive credit for a course, students must achieve a 70% or higher on all the required coursework. The course will be added to the transcript as a pass/fail grade and will have CR listed on the transcript. It will not alter the original failing transcript grade. Students interested in Credit Recovery should speak to their school counselor. There is a $50 fee per semester course for Credit Recovery and $25 for ALEKS.

The following courses are available for students to take in Credit Recovery:

Math

• Algebra I (ALEKS)
• Algebra II
• Geometry
• Bridge Math/ SAILS
• Pre-Calculus
• Calculus

English

• English I
• English II
• English III
• English IV

Science

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physical Science
• Physics

Social Studies

• World History
• U.S. History
• Government
• Economics

Other

• Lifetime Wellness
• Spanish I
• Spanish II
• Personal Finance
• Psychology

Report Cards

Report cards grades are reported quarterly, and an online report card is available through Parent Access in Skyward. Numbers, not letters, are used in reporting grades on the report card. The report card may be printed at home if desired. The Calculation of the GPA is determined each semester by dividing the sum of the quality points, including accelerated quality points, by the potential credits. Grade point averages (GPA) are calculated on the following graduated 4-point scale with additional grade point weighting of 0.5 for Honors courses and 1.0 for Advanced Placement (A.P.) courses.

Letter Grade	Numeric Grade Value	Standard	Honors	AP
A	91-100	4	4.5	5
B	81-90	3	3.5	4
C	72-80	2	2.5	3
D	70-71	1	1.5	2
F	0-69	0	0	0

Other Grade Codes

• I = Incomplete
• P/F = Pass/Fail

Tennessee Uniform Grading Scale

The Williamson County Grading Scale is different from the Tennessee Uniform Grading Scale (TN UGPA). The TN UGPA is used to calculate and report a student’s GPA to the State of Tennessee for Hope (Lottery) Scholarship consideration.

• A 93 -100
• B 85 - 92
• C 75 - 84
• D 70 - 74
• F 0 - 69

Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) Courses

For AP courses, teachers will add five (5) points to the fall semester grade and will add 5 points to the spring semester grade only if the AP student takes the AP test. If the student does not take the AP test in the AP class, the teacher will give no additional points to the student’s spring semester grade. For Honors courses and courses resulting in national industry certification, teachers will add three (3) points to each semester grade.

Transcripts

The transcript is a historical document of all courses taken at NHS. Letters, not numbers, are used in reporting grades on the official transcript. All grades, passing and failing are permanently recorded on the transcript. When a course is failed and then repeated in WCS credit recovery, the new grade does not replace the failed grade. The course and grade are added to the transcript and averaged into the cumulative GPA. When a course is failed and repeated in credit recovery, the grade is reflected as D on the transcript.

1.501 Visitors to the Schools

3.500 Food Services Management

4.300 Extracurricular Activities

6.303 Interrogations and Searches

6.400 Promoting Student Welfare

6.405 Medicines

6.709 Student Fees and Fines

Board Policy 6.200 Attendance

6.304 Student Discrimination, Harassment, Bullying, Cyber-Bullying, and Intimidation

6.3041 Title IX & Sexual Harassment

6.309 Zero Tolerance Offenses

6.315 Detention

6.316 Student Suspension/Expulsion

3.400 School Bus Safety/Student Conduct

4.406 Student Access To Electronic Media

6.310 Dress Code

4.600 Report Cards and Grading Systems

4.603 Promotion and Retention

Interscholastic activities in Williamson County Schools are an important part of the overall educational process. The athletic programs offer students expanded learning opportunities including self-discipline, self-esteem and teamwork. Students who participate in extracurricular activities tend to get higher grades, have better attendance and pose fewer discipline problems.

Interscholastic Athletics Board Policy 4.301

Annual Public Notices including FERPA, Child Advocacy Groups Contact Information, Homeless Education, Rights of Children with Disabilities and Parent Responsibilities, Section 504 Notice, State Statutory Rights of Parents and Students, Teacher Information, and the Williamson County Schools Statement of Non-Discrimination can be found on the Annual Public Notices posted to the WCS website.

Williamson County Schools Statement of Non-Discrimination

Williamson County, in compliance with federal and state law, performs a countywide Child Find. Child Find uses screening to find students in both public school or private school located in the geographic region who may need special education services and supports.