Wilton Manors Elementary

Wilton Manors Elementary

IB World School

Faculty/ Staff Handbook

2015-2016

Melissa Holtz, Principal

Sheneka Blue, Assistant Principal

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Wilton Manors Elementary School is for all students to develop intercultural understanding and respect through intellectual rigor and high academic standards in a safe and secure learning environment.

ATTENDANCE

It is the responsibility of the teacher to notify Sub Central to arrange a substitute. If you know prior to your absence, please notify the substitute coordinator.

Teachers are requested to keep plan books, grade books and necessary materials needed by a substitute readily available.

ALL TEACHER NEED TO PREPARE TWO WEEKS OF EMERGENCY SUB PLANS. THESE PLANS SHOULD BE REVIEWED BY TEAM LEADERS AND THEN PLACED IN A DESIGNATED AREA IN THE CLASSROOM AND CLEARLY LABELED BY SEPTEMBER 5TH.

Sick leave is provided for your personal illness or that of your immediate family. It should be used with the greatest of care since we are allowed only ten days per year cumulative. Six days for personal reasons are available as part of the ten days sick leave.

Teachers desiring to leave school early must request permission from an administrator and sign out on the cards at the substitute coordinatorʼs desk.

Questions regarding sick leave days, salary or employment status should be given to the payroll processor. If at any time during the school year a change in address, telephone number occurs, please make the change on ESS and notify the payroll processor.

When a faculty meeting or group meeting is missed, it is the teacher’s responsibility to obtain the agenda from their Team Leader and become knowledgeable about the information given in the meeting.

Teachers should arrive on school campus by 7:40 a.m. If there is a problem please contact the payroll processor as soon as possible after arriving late and sign in with her.

A work or planning period is provided for teachers from 7:40 a.m to 8:25 a.m. and one hour during the school day. County regulations require a seven and one half workday for teaching personnel.

Wednesday mornings and two other planning periods should be reserved for professional meetings within the building during the week. These include, but are not limited to staff and committee meeting. Do not schedule any other appointments on these scheduled times. Review the school calendar to prevent conflict. It is advisable to check the school calendar on First Class and read the Monday Message to keep apprised of the school calendar.

ACCIDENTS

When a child appears to be injured, or has been involved in any type of accident, make the child comfortable and call the appropriate person. Any hazardous condition should be reported to the office. The "Emergency Response Team" Code Blue is used for medical emergencies. DO NOT MOVE THE CHILD.

WHEN A CHILD IS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THE TEACHER MUST REPORT IT TO THE OFFICE AND MUST COMPLETE A"STUDENT ACCIDENT REPORT FORM". THIS FORM IS COMPLETED TO PROTECT YOU IN ANY FUTURE LEGAL ACTION. THE STAFF MEMBER ON DUTY AT THE TIME AND LOCATION OF THE ACCIDENT WILL SIGN THE ACCIDENT REPORT AS THE WITNESS.

All school related accidents/injuries to staff members or volunteers must be reported to the office immediately. Failure to do so may result in the inability to acquire Workman's Compensation, insurance, etc.

ACTIVITIES

All activities must have approval form administration prior to planning. This includes activities during the school day, after school, and on weekends. Please note the following requirements for giving a program during the school year. All major activity dates are to be approved by administration. When this request has been approved, the activity will be placed on the Master Calendar by administration.

Notify the head custodian of your needs.

Notify the cafeteria, media, etc. of usage of the facility.

Assemblies should be educational and should include follow-up activities in the classroom.

ADULTS ON CAMPUS

All adults who have business on campus arerequired by board policy to report to the officeupon entering the campus. The visitor mustpresent photo ID and be entered into the STARsystem. This applies to visitors, tutors, volunteers,etc. If visitors come to your classroom without apass, send them to the office to obtain a visitor’spass. Any unidentified person on campus shouldbe called into the office immediately.If you open a locked door to admit a person tocampus, you “own” that person until they leavecampus or report to the main office.

ANIMALS/PETS AT SCHOOL

Animals/pets must not be kept in classroomsor brought to school by students, parents, orstaff members. The State Department ofEducation and our Department of Safety andRisk Management are quite specific about restrictions, which require that animals may beused in a classroom only when such is directlyrelated to a specific educational objective andcourse of study. Fish, baby chicks, and antfarms may be exceptions to these restrictionswith administrative approval.

BOOKKEEPING

There will be no refunds available for teachersto make their own purchases and seek reimbursement. Requests for supplies or materials may bemade at any time to the principal or throughyour Team Leader and will be granted ordenied based on the available funds. When general supplies are needed for yourclassroom, a requisition form is available inthe office and should be completed and givento the office manager.

BUILDING EVACUATION DRILL

At least one building evacuation drill will beconducted each month. The signal for evacuating the building will be thefire alarm. Unless an announcement has beenmade to the effect that maintenance employeesare working on the fire alarm, all students andstaff are to evacuate immediately at the signal. Students are to move quickly (no running) andwithout talking along the designated route to theappropriate destination.

Teachers are to take the attendanceroster/plan book with the class and check theclass attendance during the evacuation drill.

The signal for returning to the school facility willbe the program bell. Students are to return to theclassroom quietly. The school's performance on the drill, includingthe time, weather, etc. will be reported to theSafety Department, as required.

Assemblies

Discipline and maintaining student behavior duringassemblies is the teacher’s responsibility.

Please use the seating arrangement as follows:

1. Your class should enter the cafeteria in a singleline and proceed to designated area.
2. Students should not walk on material, but inareas between material.
3. Students should sit as quietly as possible intwo rows with the center of the cafeteriaremaining open.
4. Chairs will be available for teachers to sit nearthe wall or center aisle.
5. Dismissal at the conclusion of the assembly:
6. Students will stand at teacher’s directionand exit the cafeteria in a lineutilizing all three doors.
7. Student Council officers should remain to roll upmaterial and return to classroom.

BUS

Arrival - Students will be arriving at approximately 8:00 a.m. Coverage will be needed to help the students go directly to the cafeteria. Bus students will be dismissed from the cafeteria at 8:20 a.m.

All faculty-staff must be on duty or in their classes for supervision of students.

Dismissal - All Head Start students are dismissed at 2:30 p.m. K students are released at 2:45 p.m. All remaining students are dismissed at 2:50 p.m.

Behavior - Discuss with the students proper bus conduct and safety procedures. Noise, not sitting in seats, and eating on the bus are some continued misconduct that will not be tolerated.

Cafeteria Procedures

Classes are to come in quietly through assigned doors, at the assigned time, single file. Before leaving the classroom, table cleaners and sweepers should be designated.

Wholesome, well-balanced lunches are served each school day in our cafeteria. Children may bring their lunch, or purchase a school lunch. Lunch may be purchased by the week in advance or on a daily basis.

Classes are to sit at assigned tables. Good table manners and correct cafeteria procedure should be part of the classroom health program.

Children should not reenter the kitchen after they have been served. Help them develop responsibility for remembering to pick up their trays, and leave the area clean for the next group. Dismissal from the table should be orderly with one side of each table assigned to remain and check the cleanliness of table, and check around the area for trash. Teachers will line up their classes for dismissal from the cafeteria. Students should discard trays in trash in an orderly fashion, picking up fallen items. Students should use the rest room in their classrooms before coming to the cafeteria. Please instruct your class that the children are to stay in their seats at all times unless instructed by cafeteria personnel to move to another area.

Students requesting free lunch must have a completed the online lunch application. A computer is available in the front office for parents that do not have access at home. Approval will be based upon information on the application. The applications are processed by the Food & Nutrition Department and all parent inquires should be referred there.

In the event a class will not be present at any lunch hour, inform the cafeteria manager in advance. A two week advance notice is mandatory for any fieldtrips.

CHANGE OF NAME/ADDRESSES

If you have any changes in your name, address,etc., please see the office secretary to changeour records. Employees will need to go ontoESS to change their address/phone number forthe county. If a name needs to be changed,please notify the Benefits & Payroll departmentsand include your updated Social Security card.

CHILDREN OF STAFF MEMBERS

Staff members who have children must beresponsible for supervision of the childrenbefore and after class hours. Children must not be given free access to theschool. Children must remain in theindividual staff member's classroom or in theaftercare program (BASH). The computer lab,media center, and other such areas are alsooff-limits. Children should not pass through or work inthe staff lounges, staff work rooms or officeareas where confidential conversations maytake place. All rules and regulations that apply to thestudent body also apply to children of staffmembers. The above restrictions may be lifted withPrincipal permission or Designee.

CLASS INTERRUPTIONS

Under no circumstances should ateacher send a child out of the classroomwithout a proper pass indicating aparticular designation such as the clinic,restroom, etc.

Students are not to be allowed to enteranother teacher's class without a note orpass from the teacher. Do not permitstudents to leave your room without thepass needed for the occasion. When sending students to the front office,please send a note as children tend toforget the purpose of their trip when theyget to the office.

CLINIC PROCEDURES

Be sure that any child sent to the clinic hasthe appropriate pass. The pass enablesoffice staff to immediately identify thestudent and the nature of the student visit. Clinic passes can be found in the metalcabinet next to the workroom.

COLLABORATED PLANNING

According to the International Baccalaureate Organization PYP standards, teachers are expected to have collaborated planning on a weekly basis throughout the school year.

COLLECTION OF MONEY

Wilton Manors Elementary is a member of the Business Support Center. Please adhere to all guidelines regarding money collection and fieldtrips. Please see Nancy Graves or Maria Regnifo for specific guidelines and procedures.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND INFESTATIONS

The School Board policy states that students infected with any communicable disease or infestation or suspected of being infected with a communicable disease or infestation shall not be permitted to attend school. This policy shall also apply to students having outbreak infestations of a communicable disease, as outlined by the Coordinated Health Services Department. Students having such communicable diseases or infestations shall be excluded from school, according to the rules of this policy, until shown, by examination, to be free of infection or infestation. A complete explanation of the rules can be found in the policy handbook located in the administration offices.

COMMUNICATION

Teachers are responsible for checkingtheir mailboxes and voicemail three timesdaily -- morning, lunch, and afternoon. E-mail should also be checked daily. Teachers are responsible for checking thestaff bulletin board and electroniccalendar at least once each day. Messages and information from other departments of the School Board are placed on administrative boards in the mail office hallway. Itemsmay not be posted on the staff bulletinboard without administrativeapproval/initials.

CONFERENCES

TEACHERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE 2 CONFERENCES A YEAR – ONE EACH SEMESTER. UPON COMPLETION OF ANY PARENT CONFERENCE/ MEETING, IN COMPLIANCE WITH SENATE BILL 1108, ALL STAFF AND PARENTS MUST COMPLETE BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS DOCUMENT RELATING TO PARENTAL INPUT AND MEETINGS. A COPY OF THIS FORM IS AVAILABLE ON THE WME CAB CONFERENCE.

Teacher-parent conferences are valuable since both the school and the home are involvedin the development of the child. Conferences are for the sole purpose of understandingand helping the child. There should be no conferences during school hours unlessabsolutely necessary and with prior arrangements made for teacher coverage of class.

Conferences can be scheduled at the request of either the teacher or the parent. Pleasenote conference requests on report card, when the form is returned. The best time to schedule a conference is when you need it. Do not wait until a problembecomes serious to seek help in solving it. Phone conferences are acceptable whenpersonal conferences cannot be arranged.

Listed below are several points that can help you plan your conferences:

• Have a purpose.

• Be careful to include some favorable comments.

• If a child is having difficulty, you are seeking help in solving it. Listen and encourage the

parent to help you by giving you information that might be helpful.

• Use language parents can understand.

• Remember that if you know all the answers, you would not need a conference.

• Keep on the subject. Avoid comparisons

• Avoid shifting school responsibility of the teacher.

• Be communicative. The parent should leave with some understanding of the child’s work –

successes and failures.

• Try to evolve a cooperative plan for improving the situation.

Some conferences do not involve a problem. They may be explanatory conferences,during which the teacher attempts to interpret the school program to the parent. Theymay be evaluative conferences in which the parent and the teacher discuss the progressbeing made. There are numerous reasons for conferences. Written records ofconferences should be made on the form provided. Have the parent sign. Turn in yourconference folder with your report cards. File in the cumulative folder at the end of theyear.

Face-to-face contact is much more effective and much less likely to lead tomisunderstanding. A written communication that goes home, on any subject, must firstbe cleared through administration. Stationary is available.

Please be sure all students receive school communications. Emphasize the importance ofsuch notices arriving home. Try to send most papers home in the Home-School communication folder. If a parent-principal-teacher conference would be beneficial, please schedule through theoffice.

CONTACT SPORTS AND EQUIPMENT

Students are not allowed to participate incontact sports at school. Staff membersmust prohibit students from playing football(including "tag"), baseball (with hardball),red rover, murder ball, etc.

Kindergarten and first grade students willuse their designated playground. Primarystudents are not permitted to jump off ofmonkey bars or other equipment. Please seethe section on "Playground" for specifickindergarten/first grade playground rules. Playground equipment may be used onlyafter the PE Coach has instructed students inthe proper use.

COPYING MATERIALS

1. Each teacher will be allotted 2000 copies permonth for the large machine used formultiple copies.

2. All other copiers in the school are to be usedfor 1 or 2 copies only.

3. The copy machine is available for teachers todo their own copying before school,after school, and during teacherplanning time.

4. Office staff will be available to handlemost “emergency” requests.

5. Examine material to be duplicated and remember to use transparencies whenever possible.

6. Use both sides to save paper wheneverpossible.

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

The principal shall share with the teacher the responsibility for maintaining proper school conduct and morale. Teachers are responsible for control and direction of students, except that corporal punishment shall not be used under any circumstances. The use of reasonable force necessary to isolate the disruptive students from the classroom shall not constitute corporal punishment. Administration should be contacted immediately for assistance. Teachers will be supported in any reasonable and proper school board action that they may take.

Additional information on the behavior management of students is contained in the district’s Elementary Code of Student Conduct. Alternate methods for handling discipline problems are presented in “The Solutions Book” which is available to all teachers in the media center and there are additional behavior resources on the WME Cab Conference. Continually work with Team Leaders, Behavior Specialist and administration for strategies to improve discipline.

CORRESPONDENCE

All written communications must besubmitted for administrative approval. Correct spelling and sentence structure areessential. Always be tactful. Good publicrelations will make your job more effectiveand pleasant. Interim reports should bewritten on a professional level. All report cards, interim reports, class letters,and parent correspondence must be reviewedby school administration prior to distribution. School stationary may be used whenappropriate. Material and informationgoing out on school stationary must bereviewed by an administrator prior tosending. After a letter has been approved,e-mail it to the secretary and she will placeit on letterhead for you.