2012-2013
Parent Handbook
North Ridgeville City Schools
Early ChildhoodLearningCenter
Operating at:
Fields Sweet Elementary
8540 Root Road
North Ridgeville, OH 44039
Office/Attendance: 440-353-1184
Mrs. Andrea M. Vance
Principal
Revised 2/01/2012
Table of Contents
Philosophy...... 2-3
Parent Involvement Policy...... 3-4
Parent Information for Title I...... 4-5
Program Descriptions...... 5-6
General Information
Hours of Operation...... 6
School Fees/Preschool Tuition...... 6
Money Management...... 6
Attendance Procedures...... 7
Absences...... 7
Attendance Program Policy...... 7-8
Tardy Policy...... 9
Early Pick-Up Policy...... 9
Transportation Changes...... 9
School Bus Conduct Rules...... 9-10
Bus Discipline Procedures...... 10
School Closing...... 10
Changes at Home...... 10
Reporting and Grading System...... 10-11
Intervention Policy...... 11
Gifted Identification...... 11
Parent/Teacher Communication...... 11
Conferences...... 11
PTA...... 11-12
School Supplies...... 12
Snacks...... 12
Classroom Roster...... 12
Staff Member/Child Ratio...... 12
Behavior Management/Discipline Policy...... 12-13
Student Behavior and Conduct...... 13-14
Search and Seizure...... 14
Student Assault Upon a Student, Teacher or Staff Member...... 14
Student Conduct (Zero Tolerance)...... 14-15
Communicable Disease Procedures...... 15-16
Management of an Ill Child...... 16
Health & Safety Procedures...... 16-17
Inspection Reports...... 17
Complaint Procedures...... 17-18
Administration of Medication...... 18
Procedures for Soiled Clothing/Toileting/Accidents...... 18-19
Bullying, Harassment and Intimidation...... 19
Anti-Hazing...... 19
Sexual Harassment...... 19
Dress Code...... 20
Electronic Devices/Video Taping and Picture Devices...... 20
Computer Policy...... 20
School Visitation...... 21
Student Code of Conduct...... 21-25
Equal Educational Opportunities...... 25
Welcome to the North Ridgeville City Schools
Early ChildhoodLearningCenter
PHILOSOPHY OF NORTH RIDGEVILLE
EARLY CHILDHOODLEARNINGCENTER
The following beliefs provide the philosophical basis for comprehensive, coordinated, community-based and family-centered services offered through the program. These beliefs guide us in the development of desired outcomes for both the children and families we serve.
All children, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability are first andforemost children.
All children with disabilities are full members of our community and should be provided with the array of support needed to enable them to participate in the life of the community to the extent possible and chosen.
All children and families are valued as unique persons with individual patterns and timing of growth and development, as well as varied degrees of need. Therefore, the program options we provide will respect these differences.
It is believed that children with special needs benefit from quality interventionservices. It is believed that early childhood services should help children develop a secure foundation of skills, attitude and habits in order to prepare them for their next environment.
It is believed that a continuum of program options is necessary to providefor the needs of all children and their families.
It is believed that parents have both the right and responsibility to share in decisions about their child’s care and education.
Parents are valued as the most important teachers of children. It is acknowledged that children learn best when their parents are actively involved.
It is believed that development in one area stimulates development and learning in other areas.
It is believed that neither maturity nor environmental variables alone accountfor the development and growth of the child.
It is believed that by embedding the teaching of specific goals and objectivesinto a child’s self-selected or play activities, motivational problems will beeliminated and the events themselves will be naturally reinforcing.
It is believed that ongoing teacher/parent observations and recordings arevaluable tools in the planning process.
It is believed that by researching and using “best practices” in the areas of both Early Childhood and Special Education, we will continue to enrich ourcurrent program.
Keeping those beliefs in mind, we have chosen the following goals to guide our program operations.
1. Developmentally appropriate, multicultural and nonsexist experiences, programs and materials will be provided in keeping with the respect given to the child and family. Experiences will be provided for children to attain self respect and a better understanding of their own unique strengths and disabilities, where appropriate.
2. A variety of program options will be designed to meet the diverse and unique needs of the children and families we serve. These options will include, but will not be limited to itinerant and center-based services.
3. Family involvement at all levels will be valued. Plans for family involvement will reflect appropriate family issues and concerns.
4. The program will be developed to meet each child’s adaptive, aesthetic, cognitive, communicative, sensory motor and social emotional needs. No one area will be addressed in an isolated manner unless deemed necessary due to individual student needs.
5. Due to the effect of environmental variables, the interactions between the child and the environment will always be considered. Based on this knowledge, service providers will attempt to create the environment in such a way that children will learn from active exploration and play guided by an adult facilitator.
6. Whenever possible, training of specific goals and objectives will be embedded into the child’s play. Trust, social interaction and play are seen as the foundation on which children develop problem solving skills, language and self esteem. Play will be emphasized over direct instruction.
7. Curriculum planning will reflect the individual needs of the child and family as determined through multi-method evaluation and ongoing observations and recordings.
8. A developmentally appropriate curriculum has been adopted which stresses curricular content comprised of functional skills which permit children to negotiate their physical and social environment in an independent manner. Functional skills will be addressed only as they are developmentally appropriate. Best practices in Early Childhood and Special Education will assist in the decision making regarding program changes.
Parent Involvement Policy
Parent involvement is very important and is encouraged in a variety of ways. Teachers are encouraged to have ongoing communication with parents via phone calls, emails, newsletters, communication notebooks, progress reports on a trimester basis, and home visits as appropriate.
Parents are encouraged to join PTA, to attend orientation night, and parent/teacher conferences. From time to time parents may have the opportunity to participate in scheduled field trips or special classroom events and celebrations.
Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s teacher if they are interested in observing, sharing a special skill or talent, or helping out in the classroom. Parents can be classroom helpers even without having to come in to the school building. There are many opportunities to support classroom instruction and provide assistance to your child’s teacher from home.
Parents are required to sign in and obtain a visitor’s badge from the office any time they have need to spend time in the classroom or school building during the student school day. This is critical for the safety of our students and staff.
Parent Information for Title I
Notice of Right to Know Teacher Qualifications
The North RidgevilleEducationCenter, LearNorthElementary School, LibertyElementary School, and WilcoxElementary School all receive federal funding through Title I. These funds are used to provide supplemental instruction to students who are in need of assistance in the area of reading, and on occasion in the area of mathematics. Our goal is to provide early intervention to struggling readers, so our Title I services are targeted to students in need in Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade.
Parents, you have the right to know about the teaching qualifications of your child’s classroom teacher in a school receiving Title I funds. We are pleased to report that all teachers in the North Ridgeville City Schools in Title I funded buildings have met the Ohio teacher licensing criteria for their respective grade level and subject area. The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires that any local school district receiving Title I funds must notify parents that they may ask about the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teacher.
These qualifications include:
- Whether the teacher has met the Ohio teacher licensing criteria for the grade level and subject area in which the teacher provides your child instruction.
- Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or temporary status that waives state licensing requirements.
- The undergraduate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate degree or certification (such as National Board Certification) held by the teacher and the field of discipline of certification or degree.
- Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.
Parents may ask for this information by sending a letter of request to the Office of the Superintendent, North RidgevilleCitySchools, 5490 Mills Creek Lane, North Ridgeville, Ohio44039. Be sure to include the following information with your request: child’s full name, parent/guardian’s full name, address, and teacher’s name.
Program Descriptions
The North Ridgeville Early Childhood Program sees as our primary objective: child change and family support. In order to facilitate the mastery of these objectives, we have designed a service delivery approach which offers the child a continuum of services including center based and itinerant options. Itinerant services may be delivered in the home or child care program which meets specific requirements. Based on the information acquired during the initial intake and assessment process, the family, in consultation with the rest of the team, selects the option that most closely matches the child and family needs. The strengths and needs of each child and family shall provide the basis for making decisions regarding placement in the least restrictive environment. All options will reflect developmentally appropriate and individually appropriate activities.
Our Itinerant-Based Program is designed to see the child and family or caretaker a minimum of 4 hours per month at their home or preschool. The objectives for each visit are taken directly from the child’s Individual Education Plan. The teacher provides feedback and encouragement to the caregiver as well as suggests and models other alternative teaching techniques. New objectives may be introduced based on individual needs. Other activities or concerns of the caregiver can be discussed.
Our Center-Based Program has a curriculum which includes experiences in the following developmental domains: adaptive, aesthetic, cognitive, communication, sensory motor, and social emotional behavior. However, the program also stresses instruction on specific objectives outlined in the child’s Individual Education Plan. The center-based program follows a prearranged schedule, but is flexible when appropriate. Parents are encouraged to become involved in center-based services through observation, field trips, parent meetings, conferences, etc.
OurTypically Developing Peer Program is designed to have typically-developing children in the preschool classrooms to model appropriate language and social skills for children with special needs of varying degrees. Peers are included in field trips and will need to bring their own snacks.
The guidelines for this program are as follows:
1. Your child must be 3years old by June 1st.
2. Your child must be potty trained – no pull-ups.
3.Your child would attend Monday through Thursday for either an a.m. or p.m. session.
4. There is a fee for attending, which needs to be paid for at the beginning of the school year.
5. You will need to transport your child to/from the preschool program.
General Information
Hours of Operation
The center-based program operates four (4) days per week, Monday through Thursday. There are morning and afternoon sessions, with a full-day session for students with intensive needs as needed. Parents need to be aware that weather will impact bus arrival and the start time of classes. Safety is always a concern. Please allow plenty of time so the classroom aides can help in the entry of the student into the building.
Do not drop students off prior to the doors opening as staff may not be present to monitor the children’s activities. If you are bringing your child in after normal starting time, you must sign your child in on the clipboard outside the main office.
AM Session:9:10 a.m. – 11:40 a.m.
PM Session:1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Extended Day:9:10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
School Fees/Preschool Tuition
Please find a letter indicating fees charged for the school year and an explanation of these fees in your child’s orientation two-pocket folder.
Money Management
When sending money to school, please send the exact amount or write a check made payable to NORTH RIDGEVILLE CITY SCHOOLS. (A check should never be written to a staff member.) Place the money or check in a SEALED ENVELOPE WITH THE CHILD’S FIRST AND LAST NAME and the purpose for sending the money written on the envelope.
Attendance Procedures
1.The school calendar shall be followed as adopted by the North Ridgeville Board of Education.
2.To comply with the Missing Child Act, a parent is required to call the school to inform the office of the absence by 9:30 a.m. (AM session) or 1:30 p.m. (PM session).
3.If a parent or guardian brings a child to school, the child shall not arrive more than five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled start time and shall be picked up within fifteen (15) minutes of dismissal. Children shall only leave with a parent or person(s) designated on the Release Form. Until school staff becomes familiar with the families of our students, we may ask for a picture I.D. before we release a child.
4.Parents delivering students late or picking them up early from school are required to sign the child in or out on the clipboard outside the main office.
5.Attendance will be taken daily.
Absences
All absences must be reported daily. Please call (440) 353-1184. Be prepared to provide the child’s name, the teacher’s name, and the reason for the absence. If your child has a communicable illness, such as chicken pox, strep throat, pink eye, please let us know. (See also Communicable Disease Procedures and Management of an Ill Child.) Please send a note and/or doctor’s excuse with your child upon his/her return to school explaining the reason for the absence or tardiness.
Regular school attendance is very important. However, a child who is not feeling well at school will not learn. Parents are asked to send children to school only on those days that the child is healthy enough to benefit from the educational experience. The school is limited in its ability to care for sick children.
Attendance Program Policy
Student Absences and Excuses
Grades K-5
- If a student accumulates more than seven days of absence from school per trimester grading period, no further absences will be excused unless a physician’s statement is submitted to justify the need for absence. The principal (K-5) may waive this requirement as authorized approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee upon written request from the parent/guardian.
- It is extremely important that students and parents realize and understand that the seven days of absence per trimester grading period built into this attendance policy are not to be considered as approved days to miss class. These should be thought of as a sick bankto be used only when needed.
- Absences which are the result of illness, truancy, vacation, or family emergency will be counted in this seven-day tally regardless of whether the absences are excused or unexcused. External suspensions will not count in the seven-day limit per trimester grading period. Absences resulting from sponsored activities/functions such as field trips, assemblies, athletic contests, in-school suspensions, observance of recognized religious holidays, and mentorship programs will not count in this tally.
- Following the fifth day of absence per trimester grading period from school, parents will receive a warning letter from the District. A notification letter will be sent from the building administrator to the parents warning them of irregular attendance, possible failure and future referral to the attendance officer of the Lorain County Juvenile Court. This letter should clearly define the district’s attendance policy. This letter should indicate that after seven days per trimester grading period, medical verification is necessary. Medical excuses and/or verification of court appearances must be submitted within five days after the student returns to school.
- After five days of unexcused absences from school per year, referral to the attendance officer may occur at the discretion of the county attendance officer and school district principal or his/her designee.
- A conference with the attendance officer of Lorain County, a school official and the parent shall be scheduled if excessive absence continues.
- Continued irregular attendance at this step may result in other actions as determined by the local Superintendent/designee.
- A court referral for prosecution will be the final step for action to be determined by the Department of Lorain County Juvenile Court.
Summary of Administrative Procedures for Excessive Student Absence
1.Notification letter by the building administrator prior to absence limit
2.Referral to Lorain County Juvenile Court attendance officer
3.Conference with parent, student, county attendance officer and school official
4.Court referral for hearing
All the above administrative procedures should include positive intervention strategies/programs for students, early identification of potential high-risk attendance problems and examining the underlying reasons for irregular attendance in order to make appropriate referrals and appropriate use of guidance and support staff.
Tardy Policy
Please make sure your child arrives here on time. All students arriving late must be signed in at the office upon arrival. If tardiness becomes an issue, the school will have to take further action.
Early Pick-Up Policy
If a student needs to be picked up early, they must have a note, or parents must call the school office, in advance. Since it is disruptive to remove students from classes early, students should only be picked up early under special circumstances - doctor’s appointments or family emergencies. Whenever possible, schedule appointments before or after your child’s regular school day.