Lower Schoolupper School

FAMILY

HANDBOOK

Lower SchoolUpper School

35 Baker Street140 Russett Road

West Roxbury, MA 02130West Roxbury, MA 02130

(617) 635-8060(617) 635-6855

Trees

I think that I shall never see

A poem as lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast;

A tree that looks at god all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only god can make a tree.

--Joyce Kilmer

(1913)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE5

Contact Information & Hours of Operation7

Student Demographics8

Kilmer School Staff 9

Leadership Team & Admin Roles 11

MISSION & VISION STATEMENTS 17

ACADEMICS

Curriculum 20

Homework 21

Testing (need to add specific schedule and test definitions and stakes) 21

Student Support: How We Help Struggling Students21

Students with Disabilities 21

LOGISTICS

Visiting the School 25

Arrival and Dismissal 27

Recess 28

Bus Transportation 28 Attendance 29

Health Services and Policies 30

Holiday Policy and Classroom Celebrations18

Student Conduct 28

Before/After School Child Care26

Website 27

Holiday Policy & Classroom Celebrations 35

Electronic Devices 27

Class Assignments 30

Home/school communicstion 29

FAMILY INVOLVEMENT

Parent Council 30

Volunteering 31

CORI Check31

Contributions 32

GOVERNANCE/SCHOOL-BASED MANAGEMENT

& SHARED DECISION-MAKING33

Instructional Leadership Team (ILT)

School Site Council

Parent Council

Quality School Improvement Plan (QSIP)

IMPORTANT KILMER POLICIES

Policy on Bullying 35

Wellness Policy36

Dress Code 34

Holiday Policy 36 School-level Discipline 37

NEED TO ADD

1)The specific testing schedule with explanation of tests

2)Health/Sex ed specific by grade

3)Wellness policy for this year (includes language about GLSEN approved last year)

4)Permit for school use

5)Communication non PDF

A Message from Principal Cramer

Dear Kilmer Community,

This Handbook is meant to help acclimate you to the policies and practices that are specific to our Kilmer Community. This document is intended to be a supplement to the policies created by the office of our Superintendent, that are published each year in the BPS Guide to Families. That guide presents district-wide protocols and expectations for students and families. I find that the following topics are commonly referenced in theKilmer Community:

1)Attendance

2)Cell Phone Policy

3)Behavior/Code of Conduct

4)Transportation and consequences of negative behavior

All of the stakeholders in the Kilmer Community have helped to develop the Kilmer Vision. It is an exciting endeavor that would transform the Kilmer from being rigorous and competitive school and adding a dynamic and engaging component where students are not only prepared for standardized test, but they are prepared for a 21st century, global society. We have just completed year one of living out this vision and have been incredibly successful in improving the level of student engagement at the school. In four more years, we will be able to say that the Kilmer is suited to the development of students who will be active participants and learners in our society.

Cooperative learning structures will be so embedded that students effortless and fluidly move furniture and themselves into various formations. So engaging is this learning, that you will hear students in any common area discussing this new information. They will run home to tell their siblings or parents about a concept they discovered, a theme that they noticed occurred in two pieces of literature, a math problem they solved in their head and shared with their cooperative learning group, a connection another student made to their thinking.

Over the next 4 years, we will strive to be able to say that the teaching and learning at the Kilmer is:

*Rigorous and engaging

*Planned with 21st learning styles in mind

*Developed with astrong social justice focus

*Invested inexperiential learning for all students

At the Kilmer we are committed to inclusivity. Currently, we have a highly effective inclusion strand of classes, where students with special needs and students without identified needs are integrated into one classroom. This classroom has a highly qualified and dual-certified teacher as well as two Para-professionals.

Our plan is to continue to add classrooms to each grade level OR possibly become an entire inclusion school, where every classroom is one with a dual certified teacher and a mixture of students with learning needs and styles.

We also have a Highly Specialized Program for Students with Severe Needs for students with Autism. This program is highly effective and provides ample inclusive opportunities for all of our students.

The inclusion classrooms and inclusion opportunities have been at the heart of what it means to be a real community.

Empathy, Respect and Responsibility, are our established core values.

We hold each other accountable to these attributes in multiple ways. Sharing these values, further defines what it means to be part of the Kilmer.

Finally, if there is anything I can do to be assistance to you in making this your child’s best school year ever; I encourage you to let me know. I’m looking forward to a great year of rigor, Fodor, engagement, and learning at the Kilmer School!

Sincerely,

Jenna Cramer

Principal

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CONTACT INFORMATION & HOURS OF OPERATION

Email:

Lower School

Front Office Support: TBD

Main Office: (617) 635-8060

Fax: (617) 635-8063

Upper School

Secretary: TBD

Main Office: (617) 635-6855

Fax: (617) 635-6690

Hours of Operation (Both Sites)

Morning Arrival begins at 9:20am

Instruction begins at 9:30am

Afternoon Dismissal is at 3:30pm

Total enrollment / 471 (225 at Lower)
Students with disabilities / 21%
English Language Learners (ELL) / 11%
Classes per grade (general education)K1-6
Grades 7-8 / 2 (one is general education and one inclusion)
1
Student mobility rate:
% of students who moved in or out of the school during the school year / 5.7%
Core academic courses taught by “highly qualified teachers”: those with a bachelor’s degree, full state certification or licensure, and subject matter competency / 97.4%
Student: teacher ratio (# of students per teacher) / 17:1
Languages spoken by staff: / English, Spanish
Uniform policy: No uniform

Student Demographics and Numbers

Staff & ROOM NUMBERS

Teacher / Grade/Assignment / Room Number

Both Sites

Bonnie Paton / COSES Coordinator / 2nd Fl. Office
Janis Maloney / Resource Room / 201
Maureen Smith / Teacher-Leader/ESL / Office
Kathy Simpson / Teacher Leader/ESL / 204
Shannon Wyman / Physical & Health Education / Caf
Elizabeth Williams / Occupational Therapist / 204

Lower School Staffing

Ann Ashford / Speech & Language Therapist / 204
Arndrea Wyche / Kinder 1 (Inclusion) / B01
Jessica Kern / Kinder 1 / B02
Julie O’Rourke / Kinder 0-Kinder 1 (Highly Specialized Strand for Children with Autism) / B03
Aimee Francis / Kinder 2 (Inclusion) / 105
TBD / Kinder 2 / 101
Chuck Roderick / Kinder-2 (Highly Specialized Strand for Children with Autism) / 106
Jessica Butler / Grade 1 / 103
Kathleen Kearnan / Grade 1 / 102
Elizabeth Matlin / Grade 2 / 205
Tara Ettis / Grade 2 (Inclusion) / 206
Paul Kearnan / Grade 3 / 203
Kelly Henderson / Grade 3 / 202
Maria Perez del Pulgar / Science / 100
Nancy Zimbalist, Specialist Teacher Leader / Visual Arts / 104
Katy Moy / Music / 104

Upper School Staffing

Kathy Lundy / Grade 4 / 203
Mary Tricco / Grade 4 / 204
Sylvia Davis-Castro / Grade 5 / 205
Elaine McCabe / Grade 5 / 206
LuAnn Silva / Grade 6 Math / 101
Jim Heffron /

Grade 6-8 History

/ 102
Fernando Cleves / Grade 6-8 Science/Gr. 7 Math / 103/104
Christa Von der Luft / Grade 6 -8 ELA / 104
Ms. Jamie Hirsch (Ms. Jamie) / Mental Health Councilor / Basement Office
TBD / Music / 207/Cafeteria
Shannon Wyman / Physical & Health Education / Basement Office
Maureen McCabe / Occupational Therapy / Basement Office
Speech & Language Therapist / Basement Office
Katelyn Cassidy / Resource Room / Library

SUPPORT STAFF

School Nurse (both sites) – Mrs. Price

Lower School Secretary – Ms. Susie

Lower School Cafeteria Manager – Mrs. Burke

Lower School/Senior Custodian – Mr. John

Lower School Night Custodian – TBA

Upper School Secretary – Mrs. Moore

Upper School Cafeteria Manager – Ms. Hough

Upper School Custodian – Mr. Sean

School Psychologist TBD

Evaluation Team Facilitator Mrs. Paton

NON-BPS ON-SITE PARTNERS

MSPP Primary Project Director – Margaret Hannah

MSPP Counseling Supervisor – Dr. Barbara Miller

Home for Little Wanderers Clinical Psychologist- Joan Murray

YMCA Before/After School Program Site Director – Jonathan Lavely

Leadership Team

At the Kilmer, we have adopted a shared leadership approach to school management. This is a democratic approach that acknowledges that more teacher voice is useful in promoting the academic and social components of the buildings.

This premise also allows for more accessibility of a leadership team member for parents and teachers.

A parent or teacher can talk to anyone of these team members if an issue arises.

In this way, families, students and teachers are well supported.

Each member has a specified role as described below, but every member will be able to communicate and assist a teacher or parent at anytime.

LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS

Principal, Jenna Cramer

Assistant Principal, Danita Brewster
ESL Teachers/ Teacher Leader Upper School, Maureen Smith

ESL Teachers/ Teacher Leader Upper School, Maureen Smith

Highly Specialized Strand Specialist, Jill Kindorf

ALL Leadership Team Members

*Participate in weekly meetings with a clear agenda and balanced objectives (instructional vs. Managerial/operations)

*Represent staff concerns/successes

*Safety at arrival and dismissal, ensuring that all students are released to families or board buses

*Develop the school operational routines of the school including bus routines, walkers and bus arrival and dismissal *Ensure operational and managerial protocols are being implemented and adhered to (duty schedule, fire drills, contain drills, etc.)

*Ensure that a plan to support students with a social skills curriculum and positive behavioral supports are in place. Responsible for collaborating with classroom teacher when the classroom behavioral system is not meeting the needs of the student.

*Develop a master schedule using ILT priorities

*Oversee the implementation of curriculum

*Maintain school calendar

*Weekly written communication with staff

*Maintain data of student populations and attendance

*Inform the projections of students for budget

*Peer evaluators participating the evaluation and feedback cycle *Co‐plan vehicles for shared leadership including SSC, ILT, CPT and SST *Provide programmatic consultations to teachers

*Participate on the hiring committee

Highly Specialized Strand Teacher Leader, Jill Kinder

Provide case management consultations and act as a liaison with other schools, district, and community‐based providers.

Participate as members of Service Teams, Evaluation Teams, IEP teams as general education teacher and Leadership Team. Provide consultation and professional development to colleagues.

Develop and implement school‐wide and individual safety support plans as necessary.

● Social Skills Specialist providing instruction to groups of student in the highly specialized strand.

● Consult with Program Director to create and implement Behavior Support Plans

● Facilitate and run common planning time for HSS and other grade levels as needed

● Provide ACE curriculum coaching and professionally development to staff members.

●Provide and create ways to engage families of students in the Autism Strand.

●Participate in the Para‐professional Evaluation process as the lead evaluator providing feedback

● MCAS Alt‐ Lead Educator‐ determining eligibility for ALT assessments with team,

● Provide specific support services, appropriate for the students enrolled in a particular strand and other students placed at risk, defined collaboratively by the Principal/Headmaster and OSESS. (i.e. specials)

Principal • Jenna Cramer

Purpose: To serve as the chief administrator of a school in developing and implementing policies, programs, curriculum activities, and budgets in a manner that promotes the educational development of each student and the professional development of each staff member. This includes developing a school plan each year that is based on data with measurable outcomes. This plan should provide coherence for staff PD, community partners, and shared leadership teams (SSC,ILT and SST)

• Reports to Superintendent/Network Superintendent

• Supervises all school personnel, directly and/or indirectly

• General Coordination: ensures that the school program is compatible with the legal, financial and organizational structure of the school system. The principal defines the responsibilities and accountability of staff members and develops plans for interpreting the school program to the community

. • Curriculum Objectives: ensures that instructional objectives for a given subject and/or classroom are developed, and involves the faculty and others in the development of specific curricular objectives to meet the needs of the school program. The principal provides opportunities for staff participation in the school program.

• Establishes Formal Work Relationships: evaluates student progress in the instructional program by means that include the maintaining of up‐to‐date student data. The principal supervises and appraises the performance of the school staff.

• Facilitates Organizational Efficiency: maintains inter‐school system communication and seeks assistance from central office staff to improve performance. The principal maintains good relationships with students, staff, and parents. The principal complies with established lines of authority.

• New Staff and Students: orients and assists new staff and new students and provides opportunities for their input in the school program. • Community: encourages the use of community resources, cooperates with the community in the use of school facilities, interprets the school program for the community, and maintains communication with community members. Collaborates with School Parent Council and establishes relationships with families and community members. • Supplies and Equipment: indirectly manages, directs, and maintains records on the materials, supplies and equipment, which are necessary to carry out the daily school routine. The principal involves the administrative assistant staff in maintaining orders

Assistant Principal, Danita Brewster

●Assist the principal in the overall administration of the school; interpret and enforce school policies and regulations.

●Assist principal in Complying with BPS policy of responding to families within 24 hours

● Assist the principal in planning and implementing a professional development for teachers and staff.

● Assist in coordinating transportation, custodial, cafeteria, and other school support services; help conduct safety inspections and safety drill practice activities.

● Assist in the planning and implementation of a systematic method of supervising the instructional program through the use of learning walks, observations, documentations, and follow‐up conferences.

● Assist teachers in evaluating methods and materials and developing effective learning plans and classroom management techniques.

● Maintain and model high standards of professionalism.

● Perform related work as required.

●Provide substitutes for absent staff daily

● Consult and support additional school community partnerships

● Plan and facilitate weekly CPT meetings at lower school

● Serve as principal in the absence of the regular principal.

● Assist in the reporting and monitoring of student attendance.

● Assist in maintaining discipline throughout the student body; deal with special cases as necessary.

Teacher Leaders

Maureen Smith, Upper

Kathy Simpson, Lower

● Provide ESL Instruction to students in both buildings (Full caseload)

● Testing Coordinator‐ provide data for ordering testing, prepare tests for administration, providing training to teachers regarding test administration, whole school scheduling for testing, administering tests to small groups, pack tests for return.

● New Teacher Developer and mentor to 1st year teachers

● Co‐plan and facilitate teacher professional development

● Language Acquisition Team Facilitator

● Instructional Leadership Team Member

●Student Support Team Member

●Co‐plan and co‐facilitate Common Planning Time as needed

●General coordination and trouble shooting of transportation issues

●Maintain English Language Development folders to be in compliance with Department of Justice regulations.

●Consult with teachers’ lesson planning and instruction and serve as instructional coach if needed.

● Ad hoc trouble shooting and school administration duties

JOYCE KILMER K-8 SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT

The Kilmer is striving to be an engaging and rigorous school. We value the learning minds and theories of our time that celebrates21st century learning. We are invested in social justice and we believe that all students will learn through experience.

We acknowledge that these values for teaching and learning, when implemented, will prepare students not only to be to college and career ready, but for all of the challenges and opportunitiesthat life will bring their way.

Kilmer Vision / Year 1 / Next steps
Engagement and Rigor / *All teachers used a rubric to self- assess their engaging practices
*Teachers used engagement to write their professional practice goal
*We piloted an engaging and rigorous curriculum for reading / Phase 2 of implementing the EL Units
*Teams of teachers from ILT will develop units that align with writing
21sr Century Learning / Chrome books
Astronaut Visit / *1: 1 Project every student in Kilmer upper will receive a tablet to read independent books as well as for guided reading during the day. All guided reading will be through Social Studies- developing the curriculum now
Social Justice / SSIS curriculum / Use Data to support implementation
Experiential Learning / Each grade implemented an experiential learning project / Continue projects

KILMER SCHOOL VISION 2014-2020

Vision: A five-year plan for building a dynamic school

All of the Kilmer stakeholders (parents, teachers& staff, students) had a chance to reflect on this question:

IF YOU HAD A MAGIC WAND, WHAT WOULD THE KILMER LOOK LIKE IN FIVE YEARS?

Their answers were developed into the Kilmer Vision.

VISION SHIFTS

Engaging Practices ANDRigor

21st Century Learning

Social Justice

Experiantial Learning

YEAR 1 2014-15

Focus on Rigor and Engagement through reading

Emphasis on measuring the engagement (teacher evaluation, student climate data, learning walk etc.)