Page 24 - Atlanta Public Schools 2022/2023 Student Handbook + Planner

GO Teams include nine to 11 voting members and the school
principal. Each team consists of three elected parents/guardians, three elected non-supervisory instructional staff, two appointed community members, one appointed swing seat, and two appointed students (high schools only). For more information about GO Teams, please visit apsstrongschools.com.
Homeless Children And Youth
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act ensures educational rights for children and youth experiencing homelessness. The primary goal is educational stability. The Act defines homeless students as those who:
• Lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;
• Share the housing of other persons (doubled-up) due to the
loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; live in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; live in emergency or transitional shelters;
• Have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
students receiving dialysis or radiation/chemotherapy; or students with other serious health conditions). Students must be enrolled in an APS institution in order to receive HHB instruction. For additional information, contact the counselor at the local school for forms and information.
My Backpack
MyBackPack is the APS Student Portal. The Department of Instructional Technology is excited to offer a unique 21st century learning space for every enrolled student.. MyBackPack is accessible from any device and provides students with access to digital learning tools, e-books, secure email, cloud storage, and the complete Microsoft Office Suite.
Parents and students can access MyBackPack at https://mybackpack. apsk12.org. Students should enter their APS student computer login. For questions or concerns please email: mybackpak@aps.k12.org.
Health & Safety
Safety And Security
The Office of Safety and Security works in collaboration with staff, parents/guardians, communities, and community partners to ensure
that safety and security measures meet the unique needs of the
Atlanta Public Schools’ learning environment. The Office of Safety and Security includes a police department managed by a chief of police,
an emergency management unit led by an emergency management coordinator, and a security operations department managed by a security operations director. The police department is composed of school resource officers (SRO) who philosophically align with the district’s social-emotional learning approach, and the national TRIAD model in which law enforcement officers are viewed as an extension of school support. The SROs are assigned to middle and high schools to support students, staff, and parents/guardians. For additional information contact the Office of Safety and Security, 130 Trinity Avenue Police Precinct, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, Phone 404-802-2000.
School Counselors
The school counselor provides a safe, nurturing environment to foster a trusting relationship with students. Parental/guardians permission is not required for students to see the counselor or to participate in classroom instructional activities. In this confidential relationship, students can explore their feelings and experiences in hopes of finding a meaningful, positive solution to their personal issues. In many cases, the school counselor works on problem solving, decision-making, and goal setting with the student.
In addition to the above tasks, middle and high school counselors
also help with student advisement and planning for career pathways. Parents/guardians, students, teachers, or any staff member can initiate a referral to meet with the school counselor. School counselors do not take the place of private therapists and cannot provide long-term therapy for students. For additional information, contact your school counselor or the Coordinator of School Counseling, Maria Grovner, 130 Trinity Avenue SW, 6th Floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, Phone 404-802-2642.
School Health Services
The School Health Services Program provides coordinated district health initiatives and school-based nursing services to ensure delivery of quality, individualized support for students. Services provided by
• Live in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings;
• Are migratory and live in the conditions set forth in items 2, 3, and 4 above.
Homeless students have certain educational rights and can: enroll without delay in school (zoned or school of origin) without proof of residency or permanent address, immunization, school records, or other documents or while documentation is being obtained; choose between the local school where they are living or the school last attended before becoming homeless, when requested by the parent/ guardian and determined by the district to be feasible and in the student’s best interest; attend school and participate in school programs with children who are not homeless; and receive all the school services available to other students including transportation services, special educational services where applicable, and other supportive services (food, housing, clothing, ect.).
To be considered eligible, to enroll, and for more information regarding homeless education services, contact the school social worker or the Homeless Liaison, Sana Ali at sana.ali@atlanta.k12.ga.us or 404- 802-2245. For additional guidance, please refer to Policy JBC(1) and Administrative Regulation JBC(1)-R(1).
Home Schooling Attendance Reporting
Parents/guardians wishing to establish or continue utilizing the home school program must complete and submit a declaration of intent form
to the Georgia Department of Education. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to obtain and file a new declaration of intent each year. To submit an online declaration of intent form or for more information regarding home school programs, contact the GaDOE at 404-463-7891 or visit http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/ Pages/Home-Schools.aspx
Hospital Homebound
Hospital Homebound (HHB) instruction is designed to provide continuity of educational services between the classroom and home or health care facility for students enrolled in Atlanta Public Schools whose medical needs, either physical and/or psychiatric, do not allow school attendance for a limited period of time. HHB instruction may be used to supplement the classroom program for students with health impairments whose conditions may interfere with regular school attendance (e.g., pregnancy,
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