Handbook pamphlet 2016 2017

1. Program PERIOD

TIME

1

8:20-9:10

2

9:10-10:00

3

10:05-10:55

4 5

11:00-11:50 11:55-12:45

6

12:50-1:40

7

1:45-2:35

Dismissal

2:40

HALF DAY

HALF DAY

LUNCH

SCHEDULE

LUNCH TIME

1st,2nd, and 4th K, 3rd, and 5th

10:45-11:05 11:10-11:40

1st, 2nd and 4th K, 3rd and 5th

No school program (cluster, funded, etc.) may be cancelled or changed without the permission of a supervisor. Please check your mailbox daily for any schedule changes. Prep periods will begin on the first day of school.

Teachers who lose a prep period are to inform the Payroll Secretary, Mrs. Bongiorno.

2. Announcements Daily and weekly announcements will be made every morning at 9:00 a.m.

Opening exercises will be heard each morning over the P.A. system (excluding testing days).

3. Line Up Teachers should actively supervise their lines at all times. Students must be taught to walk quietly in line to and from the classrooms. Passing to and from classrooms should be orderly and quiet so as not to disturb the classrooms in session. Designate line leaders at the front of the line so that you can actively oversee the children. Have the lines advance to predetermined pausing points until you signal the line leaders to continue.

4. Smoking Smoking is prohibited in the entire school area as well as the main entrance.

This includes, but is not limited to restrooms, hallways, lounges and offices.

Each employee is entitled to a smoke free environment in the workplace.

5. Beverages Staff members should not carry beverages of any kind in the hallways of our school, especially when escorting students. This is clearly a safety and health concern. Staff members may not eat or drink during instructional time.

6. Viewing of Video Tapes Video tapes can be used occasionally in support of prior and ensuing instruction. No “PG,” “PG-13,” “R,” or “X,” rated movies are to be shown at any time, in any location of the school. All videos must have a rating of “G” in order to be viewed.

7. Parking There is no staff parking in the schoolyard. The lot across the street is privately owned and there is a monthly fee charged by the owner. Please do not park there under any circumstances without authorization. If you have an interest in parking there, please put your name on the waiting list.

8. School Office Please remember that the Main Office is a place of business that reflects the decorum of the entire building. It is requested that teachers do not congregate in the main office. It is difficult for the secretarial staff to work efficiently unless we provide them with a business-like atmosphere.

Secretaries are often engaged in completing tasks and meeting deadlines; please do not disturb them unnecessarily. Please refrain from sending monitors to the office requesting your mail, copies, or delivering forms.

Please take care of these tasks during your prep, or at the start or end of the day.

9. Telephones Telephones are to be used for business use only. School phones and cell phones are not to be used during instructional time. Whenever school secretaries receive incoming calls, messages are forwarded directly to your voice mail. PLEASE BE SURE TO SET UP YOUR VOICE MAIL with an appropriate greeting including your name. Instructions for setting up voice mail is attached. The password is usually your room number. If you do not have access to a phone, secretaries will place messages in your mailbox. In the event of an emergency call, you will be contacted immediately. If an urgent call is awaited, please notify a secretary (ext. 1210, 1211, 1212, 1213). Please make certain that all cell phone ringers are turned off during the school day.

10. Record Keeping Completion of ATS forms, record forms, report cards, medical forms, permission slips, class profile sheets, funded programs documentation and working class lists are important responsibilities and should be completed in a timely fashion. Emergency home contact records should be maintained for children and staff. These records are kept in the Main Office and should be reviewed and updated periodically.

11. Blank Forms

Incident forms, accident forms, trip permission slips, trip lunch forms, PPT/Intervention Team Data forms, reimbursement forms, etc. will be available online. These forms can be accessed through the staff handbook.

12. Report Cards and Cumulative Record Cards These are official documents and special care should be taken to ensure that the information written or typed on these documents is accurate and correct.

White-out should not be used on report cards or cumulative records. If a correction or change of a rating is required, a line should be drawn through the rating and a new rating should be entered and signed by the teacher.

Please keep a log in your record tin to sign cumulative records out and back in as they are requested from staff members.

13. Emergency Contact Cards The classroom teacher is responsible for sending updated address, telephone numbers and emergency contacts to the main office. The classroom teacher needs to periodically check emergency home contact cards to be sure that the home address, telephone number and parent’s work and cell phone numbers are included. PLEASE BE SURE THAT PARENT HAS SIGNED THE BACK OF THE EMERGENCY CARD BEFORE SENDING IT TO THE OFFICE. Special medical needs should be noted. Every child must have at least three numbers on file.

14. Parent Outreach/Student Anecdotal Journals Each teacher will receive a notebook that for the purpose of recording all telephone call, emails, letters, and conferences. Also, concerns about particular children and teacher interventions should be recorded.

15. Trip Information Grade supervisor must approve all trips with trip proposals. They should be given to the supervisor one month in advance.   

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Trips must be aligned with grade level curriculum to enhance student experience and learning opportunities .

Inform parents well in advance of the proposed trip including the date, time, place, and nature of the proposed trip.

Secure consent slips for each child for each trip. No child is to be sent to the main office on the day of a trip to call parents for consent. Verbal consent is NOT acceptable. If the teacher wishes, the teacher may call a child’s parent and have that parent come to the school to complete a consent form.

Collect money for the trip from each student who is attending. Unless 90% or more of the class is going, the trip should be cancelled. Leaving a large number of children behind is inappropriate. Please see C. Zito a week in advance to exchange cash for a check, if necessary.

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After all appointments are made, arrangements should be made for transportation.

If you need bag lunches, please complete Change in Lunch Procedure form and submit to kitchen one week in advance of the trip indicating the number of lunches required. Note: this form should also be completed if your class will be eating in school and you want lunches saved for your class.

Children who are not going on a trip may be placed in other classrooms. A Trip Form must be completed and left in the general office and with your grade supervisor prior to leaving the building. That Trip Form must indicate names of absentees and classes assigned to students not going on trip.

The office MUST be notified of any change in trip arrangements (i.e. cancellations, date change, change in classes going, etc.) Revisions are to be given to the Grade Supervisor.

If you have reason to cancel a trip, please call the bus company and cancel the bus.

Lessons on safety and proper behavior should be given prior to the trip.

Teachers are required to take attendance numerous times during the course of the trip day, i.e. prior to boarding the bus and again on the bus, before leaving the school and at the trip site. Staff is to remain at the trip site until all children are accounted for. The school Principal is to be notified of any unexpected incidents that occur during a trip.

Lessons prior and subsequent to the trip will enhance the experiences of all participants.

All teachers will be requested to read and sign a receipt for Chancellor’s Regulations A-670 and Special Circular #4 (procedures to be used for trips) before the grade supervisor approves their trip.

16. Committees Many school decisions are made by consensus. School committees are becoming more common and have proven to be very effective. Some of the school-based committees at P.S. 16 are: Curriculum Team, School Leadership Team, Safety Committee, P.P.T. and Academic Intervention Team.

If you are interested in participating in any committee, please notify your supervisor. Your input is always appreciated.

The School Leadership Team will meet regularly to discuss school versions and policies, to discuss matters of budget and plans for the implementation of the Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP). All constituencies of P.S. 16 will be represented on this team. Sub-committees will be formed during the year.

Your participation is strongly encouraged.

17. Goals In order to establish high standards, we much establish goals and objectives.

The goals of the Chancellor and the Region will be incorporated into our

school goals. School goals will be established as part of our CEP. 18. General Response Protocol (GRP) The General Response Protocol (GRP) has been designed) to provide all schools with the direction they will take when an emergency incident occurs. At its core is the use of common language to identify the initial measures all school communities will take until first responders arrive. In every incident, school administrators will need to assess the unique circumstances that will affect how the GRP is implemented. Each protocol has specific staff and student actions that are unique to each response. In the event that a student or staff member identifies the initial threat, calling 911 and administration is required. Numbers 19, 20, 21 and 22 will outline in more detail the drills and responsibilities.

There are members of the BRT Team which include the Principal, APs, BRT Leader, Assembly Point Coordinator, Special Needs Coordinator, Incident Assessors, Emergency Officers, and Recorders Then there are BRT members (volunteers) who will help support the team in certain situations. We have Floor Wardens for all 4 floors, and approximately 2 searchers per floor.

19. Lockdown (Soft/Hard) Soft Lockdown implies that there is no identified imminent danger to the sweep teams. Administrative teams, Building Response Teams, and School Safety Agents will mobilize to the designated command post for further direction. Hard Lockdown implies that imminent danger is known and NO ONE will engage in any building sweep activity. All individuals, including School Safety Agents will take appropriate lockdown action and await the arrival of first responders.

“Attention: We are now in Soft/Hard Lockdown. Take proper action.”

(Repeated twice over the PA system.)

Students are trained to: 1. Move out of sight and maintain silence.

Teachers are trained to: 1.Check the hallway outside of their classrooms for students, lock classroom doors, and turn the lights off.

2. Move away from sight and maintain silence.

3. Wait for First Responders to open door, or until hearing the “All Clear” message: “The Lockdown has been lifted”, followed by specific directions.

4. Take attendance and account for missing students by contacting the main office.

20. Evacuation

Be prepared for a fire drill the first week of school. We are mandated to have 12 fire drills per year, 8 by November 30. Be aware of gong signals. Take your working class list and safety folders to all drills. The Folders are to be permanently kept right by the classroom door. Ringing of the fire gong is the usual procedure for a drill. However, staff and students should be aware that alternate procedures might be used in case of malfunctioning going system.

The Fire Drill chart must be completed and posted by the teacher in that room. It must indicate the exit number and route to be followed.

The fire alarm system is the initial alert for staff and students to initiate an evacuation. However, there may be times when the PA system and specific directions will serve as the alert initiating an evacuation. Announcements will begin with “Attention”, followed by specific directions. (Repeated twice over the PA system.)

Students are trained to: 1. Leave belongings behind and form a file line. In cold weather, students should be reminded to take their coats when leaving the classroom.

Teachers are trained to: 1. All teachers are to report immediately to their class during Evacuation drills 2. All lights and doors must be shut Grab evacuation folder (with attendance sheet and Assembly Cards).

3. Lead students to evacuation location as identified on Fire Drill Posters.

ALWAYS LISTEN FOR ADDITIONAL DIRECTIONS. 4. Take attendance and account for students.

5. Report injuries, problems, or missing students to school staff and first responders using Assembly Cards. Green is fine, Red means student/s missing or issue and Red Cross means medical issue **Please note the location of the fire extinguishers in the building. In case of an immediate evacuation, children that are receiving services with out-ofclassroom personnel will remain with those teachers and exit the building.

Teachers must be sure to count the students prior to exiting the building and be sure to note if any student is in the restroom. Students should be made aware that it they are using the restroom, in the event of a fire drill,they are to report to the nearest classroom 21. Shelter-In Shelter-In –“Attention. This is a Shelter-In. Secure all exit doors.”

(Repeated twice over the PA system.)

Students are trained to: 1. Remain inside of the building.

2. Conduct business as usual.

3. Respond to specific staff directions.

Teachers are trained to:

1. Increase situational awareness.

2. Conduct business as usual.

3. The Shelter-In directive will remain in effect until hearing the “All Clear” Message: “The Shelter-In has been lifted”, followed by specific directions. ** Staff should always take identification with you when you leave the building. If the building is in a Shelter-In no one will be allowed in the building and staff will need to report to the nearest DOE site. No one will be allowed to exit the school building during a Shelter-In. 22.

Large Scale Disaster Emergency Procedures A “Code Orange” announcement will indicate a large scale crisis. All teachers and children will report to their rooms immediately. All other personnel will report to the Main Office to receive their assignments. Security will direct parents to the auditorium or Gymnasium/Cafeteria to pick up children.

Staff members will escort children from class to the Auditorium/Cafeteria.

23. Discipline During Drills All teachers are asked to insist on and maintain strict discipline from the sound of the first bell until the very end of the drill.

24. AED/Defibrillator The phrase “Code Blue” with a location indicates that there is an unconscious victim that must be treated immediately by a trained CPR/AED staff member.

If you are faced with this situation, contact the main office immediately. Only supervisors or School Nurse can make a decision regarding the need to call 911.

25.Occurrences - Accident and Incident Procedures When an accident or incident occurs, the person involved is to report the accident and make a written statement before leaving the building when possible, but no later than 24 hours after the incident. The person in charge completes a P.S. 16 Occurrence Fact Sheet (copy attached) and obtains statements from injured and witnesses which must be written on numbered original Written Statement Forms (available in the General Office).

All statements should, if possible, be in the handwriting and words of all persons involve and contain signatures. The custodian and UFT must be apprised of all accidents.

Parents/Guardians must be informed that the child was in an accident, the extent of the injury and if the child is being taken to the hospital.

Parent/guardian or a member of the school staff must accompany children who are sent to the hospital. Every effort must be made to notify the parent;

however, if the parent is not reached, the next contact on the emergency card must be called.

For accidents involving staff, the above procedures must be followed. In addition, the School Payroll secretary must be notified. Accident reports should be completed on the day of the accident or within 24 hours of the accident. The Principal or supervisor-in-charge must be informed of all incidents that occur in or about the school premises and all incidents that occur related to school activities away from school premises.

Other incidents such as, but not limited to: corporal punishment, student-tostudent sexual abuse, harassment, sexual misconduct involving adults with students, child abuse or neglect, serious student accidents, crime incidents and weapon or bomb threats are to be reported in the same manner outlined above. The Principal must be notified immediately of such occurrences.

26. Emergency Contact Cards New emergency cards are to be completed for all students in September (except for new students as those cards are completed at registration) and returned to the office as they are received. Please send home new emergency cards throughout the year when you are advised that there is a new address, phone number or emergency contact. If a parent sends in a note with an updated phone number, please update the emergency card in the main office.

27.School Nurse Children who are ill or injured should be immediately sent to the School Nurse. Please be certain to complete the appropriate form (copy Attached) so that nurse is able to quickly assess the child’s condition.

28.Detaining of Students Students may be detained after school only after obtaining written permission from the parent. Your grade supervisor must also be informed. Never leave individual or small groups of students working alone in a room during your prep, lunchtime, before 8:00 a.m. or after 3:10 p.m. You should never be alone with one student. Students must never be left unsupervised anywhere in the building. Keep your classroom door locked at all times, whether you are in the classroom or not. You must keep your classroom door open at all times.

29. Early Dismissal of Students Parents should notify teachers in writing when they want a student to leave early. The parent or adult designee (indicated on emergency card) must come to school to pick up the child and sign the child out in the Sign-Out

Book in the main office. No child may leave the building, prior to dismissal, unless accompanied by an adult whose name appears on the Blue Emergency Card! All notes and correspondence related to early departure of students must be kept on file in the general office. Parents cannot pick up children from the classroom.

No student can ever be sent home unescorted by a parent or guardian, during the school day. No student can be sent home with a minor child prior to dismissal.

30 .Bathroom Procedures Teachers are reminded that they should not allow students to use the bathrooms before 9:30 a.m. (unless it is an emergency). Students should use the bathrooms prior to going down to lunch. Children must sign out in the Classroom Sign-out Book, and must always carry a pass.

31. Citywide Standards of Disciplinary and Intervention Measures (The Discipline Code) The Discipline Code provides comprehensive guidelines for determining unacceptable behaviors. It provides for:  A range of permissible disciplinary measures  Infractions and assigned levels of severity  Disciplinary and intervention measures This code will determine the consequences of students if infractions occur.

Children will receive a copy of the code and it should be signed and returned and retained in your files.

32. Ladder of Referral for Discipline Situations In every classroom, there are always children whose conduct may be different from what is expected. The classroom teacher is the most significant person ensuring that every student has an opportunity to work in a climate that is conducive to maximizing productivity. The teacher should handle classroom behavior problems that arise. Whenever it becomes necessary to seek help for any child, documentation must be provided. Keep careful anecdotal documentation, especially of chronic misbehavior. Be factual.

Should you seek assistance in disciplining a child, please adhere to the following “Ladder of Referral:”    

Speak to the child privately about the “offending conduct” Contact parent or guardian and inform them of the misconduct (letter, email or phone call).

Implement a goal setting and incentive plan for the child.

Conduct a conference with parent and child; develop a joint Behavior Improvement Plan, if necessary.

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Enlist support – another teacher, Guidance Counselor, Social Worker, member of the Pupil Personnel Team, etc.

Convene a meeting with parent or guardian.

Consult a supervisor.

33. Code of Conduct The School Discipline Code must be distributed and discussed so that each child is aware of his/her responsibilities and the consequences of each action.

Classroom rules and regulations must be discussed, understood, printed, enforced, and reviewed periodically. The Code of Conduct must be sent home for parent and student signatures. This Code of Conduct includes rules for Internet use. Teachers must keep copies of signed agreements on file for each student in his/her class.

34. NYC Department of Education E-Mail Acceptable Use “Acceptable” e-mail activities are those that conform to the purpose, goals, and mission of the DOE and to each user's job duties and responsibilities . Users shall have no right to privacy while using the DOE's internet or e-mail system . E-mail may not be used for personal purposes during working hours, except that users may engage in minimal e-mail activities for personal purposes, such as family correspondence, if the use does not diminish the employee's productivity, work product, or ability to perform services for the DOE. “Unacceptable” use is defined generally as activities using DOE hardware, software, or networks at any time that does not conform to the purpose, goals, and mission of the DOE and to each user's job duties and responsibilities. The following list, although not inclusive, provides some examples of unacceptable uses: 1. Opening unknown e-mail attachments or introducing computer worms or viruses. Users are prohibited from performing any activity that will or may cause the loss or corruption of data or the abnormal use of computing resources (degradation of system/network performance).

2. Using e-mail services for private commercial or business transactions and any activity meant to foster personal gain.

3. Using your DOE e-mail address to subscribe to websites or other internet services that do not conform to your DOE duties and responsibilities.

4. Conducting non-Department of Education fund raising or public relations activities such as solicitation for religious and political causes or not-forprofit activities.

5. Transmitting threatening, offensive harassing information (messages or images) containing defamatory, abusive, obscene, pornographic, sexually

oriented, racially offensive, or otherwise biased, discriminatory, or illegal material.

6. Attempting to subvert network security, impair functionality of the network, or bypass restrictions set by the network administrators. Assisting others in violating these rules by sharing information or passwords.

7. Distributing "junk" mail, such as chain letters, advertisements, or unauthorized solicitations.

8. Revealing, publicizing, using, or reproducing confidential or proprietary information regarding the DOE including, but not limited to, financial information, databases and/or the information contained therein, computer network access codes, staff or student information and business relationships.

Users should contact their supervisors about questionable e-mail usage.

This e-mail Acceptable Use (EAU) applies to all Department of Education (DOE) employees, temporary employees, consultants, contractors, and anyone given access to e-mail via any DOE electronic device, network, or e-mail service owned, provided or maintained by the DOE . The acceptable uses are an integral part of the DOE Internet Acceptable Use Policy.

Users should call the Help Desk at (718) 935-5100 if they experience any problems with opening documents; believe they may have a computer virus, or encounter questionable material or potential threats to the DOE's internet or email system. ďżź Violation of this e-mail policy may result in disciplinary action.

35. Finances All collection of money, including fund raising requires the approval of the Principal. Collection of money must adhere to rules set by the Department of Education. All money must be sent to a School Secretary on the day of collection prior to the lunch hour. Place the money in an envelope where all pertinent information will be recorded before the money is deposited in the safe. This must be done even if all monies collected for the project have not been turned in by every student. In cases of non-compliance with this directive, personnel involved shall assume liability for theft, loss, or misadventure. NEVER PUT MONEY IN MAILBOXES! Finances (Continued) No money can be collected from students for regular material to be used for class work. Certain selected materials can be ordered by students on a voluntary basis such as Scholastic News, Troll books, Time for Kids, etc.

All expenditures will be made only with prior approval by the Principal on the

official form used for this purpose. No supplies, equipment or material can be ordered directly by any staff member unless a request form has been filled out an approval is granted prior to submitting any orders to vendors. In cases of non-compliance, staff members involved will be financially responsible for unapproved orders. When making approved purchases, please be sure to get the schools Tax Exempt Certificate from Mrs. Zito prior to making purchases. Staff members will not be reimbursed for sales tax. Also, please be sure to send Mrs. Zito all packing slips when orders are received so that vendors may be paid.

36. Teacher’s Choice During the school year, teachers will be a check which may only be spent for instructional supplies. Teachers will be required to submit receipts for all of the expenditures they have made to Mrs. Zito. A circular related to Teacher’s Choice will be issued during the school year. It is important to note that nonconsumable items such as cameras or VCRs that are purchased with Teacher’s Choice money become the property of the school, not the individual.

Distribution of Funds to Program Participants Distribution of funds to employees typically occurs in December, and will vary depending upon how the employee receives his/her paycheck.

Employees Enrolled in Direct Deposit •Employees who receive their pay via direct deposit will receive their funds in their bank accounts on a non-pay day.

Employees NOT Enrolled in Direct Deposit •Employees who have not enrolled in the direct deposit program prior to November 1st will receive their funds on a debit card. These debit cards will be distributed to the employee along with his/her paycheck. **Please check the staff handbook for a detailed link to guidelines and other information related to Teacher’s Choice Funds.

37 .Mailboxes Please personally check your mailboxes at the beginning of the school day, lunchtime, and the end of the school day. It is imperative that mailboxes are checked during the school day as important notices for students are often placed in boxes that must be distributed the same day.

38. Release of Information Please be cautious about completing forms requesting information about students. All requests for information must include a signed release from the parent (the exception is ACS (Administration for Children Services).

Also be careful about releasing information to persons other than parents or legal guardians. The exception would be children who are in foster care. If

you have any question, please check with the office or your supervisor.

39. Computer Service Requests Teachers should complete a COMPUTER REQUEST FORM available on the staff hand book under FORM tab. Please submit your computer service issues to Mrs. Zablocki or Mr. Allen via email or in their mailbox.

40. Classroom Doors: In order to maintain continuity throughout the building and stay in compliance with the new General Response Protocol (GRP) Keep your classroom door locked at all times, whether you are in the classroom or not.

You must keep your classroom door open at all times.