Written and compiled by
Jean M. Pillsbury
Summer 2016
Table of Contents:
Page
Principal’s Letter 4
Principal Vision 5
Core Values 5
MSAD/RSU #54 Philosophy of Education 5-6
Code of Conduct 6-7
Accident Reports 7
Attendance and Tardy Procedures (Student) 8
Bomb Threat Procedure 9
Book Orders 10
Budget 10
Building Evacuation Guide 10-11
Busing and Dismissal Precautions 11
Cellular Phones 12
Classroom Safety 12
Cleaning Procedures 12-13
Communicable Diseases and Lice 13
Communication 13
Confidentiality 13-14
Cumulative Records 14
Curriculums 15
Discipline 15
Discipline on the Playground 15-16
Playground Rules 16-17
Dismissing a Student 17
Dress Code: Students & Staff 17-18
Early Release Days 18
Field Trips 18
Fire Drills and Procedures 19
Letters to Parents and/or Community Members 19-20
Lockdown Drills 20
Library Books & Use of the Library 21
Maintenance Problems and Concerns 21
Nurse/Office Visits 21
Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) 22
Parent Involvement in School Programs 22
Placement of Students 22-23
Plan Books 23
Referral for Special Services (including 504) 23-27
Report Cards and Parent Conferences 28-29
Retention 29
Response to Intervention (RTI) 29-30
Staff Attendance 30
Staff Meetings 30
Student Health Concerns 30 - 31
Student Information 31
Substitute Teachers 31
Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect 32
Supplies 32
Telephone and Fax Use by Staff Members 32
Visitor Policy 32
Work Day 32
Work Ethic 33
Working Together as Professionals (Norms of Collaboration) 33
August 2016
Dear Bloomfield Elementary Staff Members,
Summer is a time of reflection and planning for me. I strive to learn from the successes and challenges of each school year. Your end of the year feedback supplied me with honest perceptions of our school and my leadership practices. My priority continues to be collaborating with you to create a learning environment in which every individual feels safe, significant and engaged.
My goal in creating this handbook is explicitly placing in writing my expectations for our work as an adult community as well as how I would like to see our adult community accomplish the work.
Many of the items contained within this handbook may change over time, as all things do. I will make an effort to keep this resource as current as possible. Keep this resource accessible for substitute teachers.
I look forward to learning with and from you!
Respectfully,
Jean M. Pillsbury
Principal
Bloomfield Elementary School
Principal Vision
Each individual learning and growing to their fullest potential in a safe, nurturing and joyful setting.
It is important to me that Bloomfield looks, sounds and feels safe to all who enter. The community looks safe when people are: smiling, doing hard work together, playing organized activities outside, happily eating with friends and walking safely inside. The community looks safe when: student work fills the hallways, values and expectations are celebrated visually, the building is clean and well organized, the office always has a person present and the playground is supervised by adults vigilantly scanning and intervening. The community sounds safe when there are: friendly greetings, kind and respectful words, specific reinforcement and respectful voices. The community feels safe when: students and adults are comfortable to take risks with their learning, when there are clear expectations and logical consequences, and the environment is free of bullying.
Core Values
Three core values will be taught, reinforced and celebrated throughout the school year including: Kindness, Respect, and Responsibility. When these values are practiced by all members of our community safety will result.
M.S.A.D. #54
Philosophy of Education
We, the board of education of M.S.A.D. #54, believe that the education of our children is the responsibility of the parents, teachers, and the community. We believe that the purpose of education is to encourage the educational growth of each child to achieve his/her social, cultural, physical, and intellectual potential now and in the future.
It is our aim to encourage all students to learn by example, direct teaching, and participation so that they will develop the self-respect and confidence that a good education brings.
We support the practices of democratic tradition in our school in order to acquire an awareness and appreciation of the rights and privileges of all citizens guaranteed by our form of government.
Code of Conduct*
Rules are set for two reasons:
1. To insure an environment conducive to learning
2. To provide a safe setting for all individuals.
Rules:
We show respect for self, others and their belongings including:
Taking turns
Keeping hands and bodies in our own space
Using kind words
Working and playing nicely together
Cooperating and sharing
Using inside voices
We take responsibility for our actions and behavior:
Following adult directions
Allowing teachers to teach without disruption
Walking quietly in school
Playing by the rules of the playground including using equipment safely:
Slide on your bottom with your feet in front of you when you get off the slide
Swing on your bottom with feet in front of you
Get off the swing only after it has come to a stop
Walk while at the top of the equipment
Taking care of our playground by putting toys away
Keeping our school clean and neat
Taking 3 deep breaths when mad, sad or frustrated
Using words to solve problems
Asking an adult for help when needed
We show kindness:
Including others in our work and play
Sharing
Saying kind words
Using hands for helping
Smiling
Asking others to play
Helping
What happens when students are still learning the rules?
Logical Consequences:
When students do not follow the code of conduct outlined above logical consequences may include: reminders, redirection, classroom time-out, buddy teacher time-out, time-out with principal or designee, loss of privilege, reparation (“you broke it, you fix it”), problem-solving conference, letter to parent, phone call to parent, meeting with parent, teacher, and principal, and/or referral to the Response to Intervention Team (RTI). For children who repeatedly experience difficulty following school/classroom rules, the RTI team may recommend the completion of a functional behavior assessment, and, if warranted, the development of an individual behavior support plan.
Accident Reports
Student Injury:
When a student is injured, however minor the injury may be, the staff member in charge or, present or first noticed, shall file an accident report with the office; a copy shall be forwarded by the secretary to the Superintendent’s Office. If a child reports an accident s/he had on the playground, you need to check with the child to make sure it was reported to the teacher on duty. If you did not actually see the accident, and no other staff member did, you still need to complete the form by gathering as much information as possible. An accident report form is located in the office filing cabinet under the title, accident.
Staff Injury:
If you have an accident on the job, it must be reported to me as soon as possible. I will complete a supervisor’s report of injury form and you will be given the employee’s report of injury form. I will contact Tina LaPorte-Schlemmer at the Superintendent’s Office immediately. You will also need to call Tina, at 474-9508 to supply her with all the details. This call needs to be made within 24 hours of the injury. You will acquire a form when the injury is reported to the office.
Attendance and Tardy Procedures
Each day classroom teachers are responsible for reporting attendance and lunch count to the office. Reporting must be accomplished by 8:45 AM. If a student arrives after 8:15 A.M. the child will be marked tardy. The child will be given a late pass. The secretary will enter daily attendance and send out an e-mail to all staff for their information. Please check the accuracy of the attendance report and let the office know if any corrections need to be made. Daily phone calls are made to absent students without excuses. It is imperative that you let the office know immediately if someone arrives late without a pass from the office. Parents are panicked when they receive a phone call from the school stating that their child is absent and they know they put them on the bus. The secretary will provide teachers with the number of absences, for each student, at the end of each trimester.
Please make the school counselor or the principal aware of any student who has a pattern of absences or tardiness. The school counselor and/or principal will follow-up on concerns.
According to Maine law, “A student who is at least 7 years of age and has not completed grade 6 is truant if they have the equivalent of 7 full days of unexcused absences or 5 consecutive school days of unexcused absences during a school year.” There are five excused absences three require prior approval: personal illness, family emergency, appointment with a health professional (prior approval), observance of a recognized religious holiday (prior approval), and a planned absence for a personal or educational purpose (prior approval).
Procedure for Excessive Student Absences
1 Unexcused Absences- Call from principal or school counselor to discuss absences and make plan to improve
3 Consecutive Unexcused Absences or 7 Unexcused Absences- Letter and mandatory meeting with principal or school counselor to discuss truancy laws and develop a written plan of action to correct truancy; notification of superintendent
5 Unexcused Absences- - Letter and mandatory second meeting with principal or school counselor to discuss truancy laws and develop a new written plan of action to correct truancy; Letter from Superintendent alerting parent/guardian to the absences and discussing plan to remedy the situation
7 Unexcused Absences-Letter from the Superintendent through registered mail, and referral to Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and local law enforcement.
If a student is absent five consecutive days or more for illness, notify the principal. The nurse or principal will contact the parents and make them aware of the need for a doctor’s note.
Bomb Threat Procedure
Upon receipt of a bomb threat, the principal (or whoever is considered to be in charge in his/her absence) will complete a threat assessment and shall have the authority to order an evacuation if deemed appropriate. That person will then notify the police department, fire department, and superintendent’s office.
All students and staff will evacuate the building immediately upon order. The signal used for evacuation will be the sounding of the bell and announcement stating, “Please evacuate/leave the building immediately.”
When the superintendent is reached, some variations to the above procedures may be advised. Often additional or certain circumstances make it clear that no danger is present and that the instructional program should not be interrupted.
Please note:
1. In the event no evacuation has taken place, the senior officer of either department, police or fire, may order an evacuation.
2. A search of the premises or building should be conducted under the direction of the senior officer present from either protective department. All police officers and custodians of the building should assist in the search.
3. After a thorough search has been completed and nothing found, reentry could be allowed upon decision of the school official, and the senior officers of the police and fire departments.
4. The decision to dismiss the school sessions and subsequent action taken after the above procedure has been followed is the decision of the Superintendent of Schools. Parents will be informed accordingly using Instant Alert and /or through the media.
5. A thorough investigation of the call should be conducted.
A school system employee who fails to report information or knowledge of a bomb threat or the existence of a bomb on school premises will be subject to discipline up to and including termination of employment.
Instructional time lost as a result of a bomb threat will be rescheduled at the
earliest appropriate (or practical) opportunity, as determined by the
Superintendent in consultation with the Board.
Time lost may be rescheduled on a weekend or vacation day, or after what
would normally be the last day of the school year, except on days when
schools must be closed as required by law.
Book Orders
The handling of cash at school poses a number of problems. In order to avoid these problems, do not accept cash as a means of payment for book clubs. Money orders and checks are acceptable if they are made payable DIRECTLY to the book club. This information is in the Parent/Student handbook and will need to be reinforced by you.
Budget
Budget packages will be given to all classroom teachers in November. Teachers will be asked to complete budget sheets on all items in November. Budget packages will include specific directions and allocations for you to follow.
Building Evacuation Guide
In the event of an unplanned building evacuation (e.g. bomb threat at Bloomfield Elementary), the following procedure should be followed.
Students:
1. Upon dismissal with evacuation signal of the bell and an announcement, ALL students, staff, volunteers, and visitors must first walk to the designated primary evacuation site as in a fire drill, followed by evacuation to the secondary evacuation site, Skowhegan Area Middle School. Students may get their coats and backpacks as they exit their classroom.
2. At Skowhegan Area Middle School, ALL students must remain with the teachers with whom they were in class at the time of dismissal. This applies for the remainder of the day. (Those teachers will take attendance once at the Skowhegan Area Middle School to ensure all students are present.)
3. ALL students who were in lunch at the time of the dismissal are to proceed to their playground room number and meet their classroom teacher. This teacher will be the students’ supervising teacher for the remainder of the day.
4. Unless by specific, prior arrangement and/or administrative approval, all students are expected to remain in attendance for the remainder of the day.
Teachers:
1. Teachers are to gather at the Playground Room # with their students or to wait for their students, if at lunch, recess, library, or physical education.
2. Teachers should have their class attendance register with them and take attendance once their class is reconvened then proceed to the secondary evacuation site, at Skowhegan Area Middle School.