Jessie Whaley MaxwellElementary School

Home of the Dolphins!

Staff Policies and Procedures2009-2010

GENERAL INFORMATIONACCIDENTS, ILLNESS REPORTS-CHILDREN

In the event of minor injuries to students, teachers are asked to administer basic first aid, (bandages, soap and water, rest, TLC, etc.). If students complain of illness or are not feeling well, allow them to take a break or put their head down. Observe students for signs of genuine illness. When necessary, send students to the health office with a completed health referral form. If the teacher feels strongly that the parent needs to be called or the student needs to go home, please note this on the health referral form or advise the office. Students may not contact parents directly about accidents, injuries or illness. It is required that teachers use rubber gloves when working with students who are bleeding, vomiting, etc. Contact the nurse or office personnel for supplies and additional information to assure your personal safety. Any time a student is sent to the office, send a completed Health Referral form.

A student with a more serious illness or injury should be referred to the clinic immediately. Parents will be notified as necessary. An accident report form may need to be completed and returned to the office by any staff member who witnesses an accident.

ACCIDENT REPORTS-STAFF

Employee accidents must be reported immediately to the principal or office staff. Failure to report an injury may result in the loss of benefits and compensation to an injured employee. In order to qualify for Workers Compensation, you must report an accident within 48 hours.

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL

Morning Pick up students from the playground: 8:10am Begin instruction: 8:15am

*Any student who arrives at the classroom door after 8:15 will be considered tardy and must return to the office for a pass.

Teachers are expected to greet children at the designated area in the morning and after lunch. Teachers must arrive to greet children before the bell rings. Additionally, teachers are to escort students during transition times. Students must be dropped off and picked up on time for Specials classes. Paraprofessionals are not to escort groups of children or dismiss children unless administration has been notified. All classes are to be dismissed promptly at 3:00 p.m. Teachers will escort all students out the designated door and release them on Dillon Street or in the Load & Go area. Students who participate in the after school programs need to exit the building with the classroom teacher and then re-enter the building through

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the front doors to quickly make their way to the assigned locations. All other students must leave the school grounds immediately.

ATTENDANCE- STAFF

All staff members are expected to enter the main doors by 7:30 and to check-in at the office to pick-up keys and check mailboxes. Staff may leave at 3:30 after checking-out and returning classroom keys to the lock box. It is imperative that check-in and check-out is followed diligently. For the benefit of our children and our professional learning community, it is imperative that we all respect the integrity of the workday and adhere to these times. If you must vary your workday, please make arrangements with the principal and obtain approval to deviate from the normal schedule.

Teacher AbsencesThe Denver Public Schools utilizes the Substitute Employee Management System (SEMS), for reporting illness and emergencies. Call or log on to SEMS as soon as you know you will be absent. You must know your district ID number in order to use the system, which can be found by logging into Lawson. After you have called SEMS, call the school with the SEMS job number. If you do not plan to return the next day, call the school by 1:00 p.m. so we may attempt to retain the substitute for the following day. It presents a hardship for other staff members and negatively impacts student achievement when there is not a sub, so please make every effort to ensure that you have contacted a sub.

Personal or other types of leave of absence must be requested as early as possible. Appropriate forms must be completed and signed by the principal prior to the leave being taken. These forms are located on the counter below the staff mailboxes. If the forms are not available, please inform Ms. Ford.

To request a specific substitute: Phone the substitute and confirm availability. Please use the Maxwell

Preferred Substitute list first. Log on to SEMS (tip sheet available in the office). Follow prompts. You

may also call SEMS at 720-423-3231. You will need the substitute’s ID number if you call SEMS.

Write down the job number and give it to the secretary.

Substitute TeachersYou must maintain a detailed substitute plan for your classroom along with a detailed classroom ritual and routine write up. This is to be kept in the office. The contents for this Emergency Substitute Plan are found behind the Substitute Tab. All teachers must have their Emergency Sub Plans completed and turned in to Ms. Ford by Monday, August 31, 2009.

Substitute teacher plans are a guide for a substitute teacher to continue instruction, productivity, and learning in the event the regular teacher must be absent. Therefore, since it is an expectation that a copy of your lesson

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plans always be available in the office. It is also an expectation that at least some type of skeletal plan remain on your desk before you leave campus each day. In the event that you have to be out and take your original plans home with you, instruction will continue for the students based on the information in the skeletal plan, and the detailed information found in the substitute tab.

Remind students that cooperation and completed class work is expected with the substitutes. When you return to work, you are to complete the back of the “Substitute Teacher’s Summary Report” and return it to Ms. Ford. Be sure to let Ms. Ford know if there are substitutes who should be added or deleted from our list of preferred substitutes.

Paraprofessional AbsencesCall the school and leave a message with Ms. Ford by 7:00 a.m. When possible, call the classroom teacher. Special Education Paraprofessionals will enter their substitute request through the SEMS system.

ATTENDANCE- STUDENT

Reporting Absences Attendance will be taken everyday by 8:30 a.m. using Infinite Campus. During the day, the office is to be notified immediately if a student's

whereabouts or attendance is in question. After the 8:15 bell, students must report to the main office and pick up

a tardy pass. Students may not be admitted to class without this pass. Do not allow parents to bring a child to class without permission from the office.

Students who are to be dismissed early will be notified by a call from the main office and must be signed out by a parent or authorized guardian. Do not allow parents to excuse a student from class without permission from the office.

Attendance Tracking After 10 “Unexcused” absences, tardies or early dismissals, a filing

with the Denver Juvenile Court may be initiated. A letter will be sent to parents whose child has had 10, or more,

absences, tardies or early dismissals. This letter will be sent from the office. A record of these letters will be kept.

Each student’s attendance record will be reviewed quarterly.

BUILDING AND CLASSROOM CARE

Please impress upon students that the custodial staff works diligently to make our building clean and maintain its attractive appearance. It is everyone's responsibility to help keep the building in excellent condition. It is expected that classrooms will be safe, neat, orderly, and visually appealing. Make clean-up a part of the daily routine before lunch and before dismissal each day. This includes cleaning up trash and other items from the floor and

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putting the chairs on the table for vacuuming. Each classroom should present an environment that encourages and displays the learning process and the talents of our students. What is being taught should be evident in all classrooms. If you use another area of the building (atrium, auditorium, library, gym etc.), please return the area to its original condition.

CALENDAR (Building Master Calendar)

The building calendar is located in the office behind Rebecca Ford. All activities to be added to the calendar must be approved by administrators. There will be no guarantee of space, coverage or support if activities are not listed on this calendar.

CHILD ABUSE

Please report any signs of physical abuse to the office immediately. It is the responsibility of the classroom teacher to document what has been observed and the dialogue that has occurred with the student. If the nurse, social worker, or principal are not available, request a form from the office and complete it immediately. Document the time you call the Abuse Hotline, and the name of the person with whom you spoke. The standard for reporting is the suspicion of abuse not the proof. You should in no way launch your own investigation such as inquiring of the child or the parent.

CLASSROOM RESOURCES

Students will be responsible for textbooks and library books if they are lost or damaged. Fines will be imposed on students as appropriate, for textbooks and library books that are lost or damaged. Notification will be given to students and parents about the textbook policy. The teacher will inventory all textbooks and classroom resource books at the end of the school year. Classroom libraries are the property of Maxwell and it is expected that all books assigned to specific classrooms will remain in the rooms at the end of the year.

COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS AND COMMUNITY

Friday FoldersFriday Folders will be a primary vehicle for communicating with parents. Friday folders will go home with students every Friday and students will return them promptly every Monday. All correspondence from the office will be collected throughout the week and put into teacher mailboxes by noon on Thursday. Teachers will need to pick up correspondence from the office each week and send it home on the left side of the Friday Folder, unless it needs to

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return to school then use the right side of the folder. Parents may also send correspondence back to the teachers via the Friday Folder.

Mass Written CommunicationAll written communication with parents and community must be submitted to the principal before it is sent out and should be sent in both English and Spanish. A final copy must also be given to the office. A Microsoft Word template for school letterhead and notices is available and should be used.

TelephonesA quick phone call to a parent to share positive information about a student is always appropriate. When calling to discuss an issue of concern, please do so privately. An anecdotal record of all parent contacts including the nature of the contact is to be kept by the classroom teacher. This may be done through IC. It is a non-negotiable expectation that parents be contacted by the teacher before a student is sent to the office for a referral.

ConferencesParent/teacher conferences must be scheduled in advance. Do not take class time for an unscheduled conference. Please maintain this policy for the benefit of everyone in the building. Simply explain to the parent that you are happy to meet with them and in order to give them your full attention, it would be best to arrange a time to meet.

COMMUNICATION WITH STAFF

Good communication is an essential component of a productive, pleasant and efficient workplace. To facilitate communication, please note the following:

Notes from MikelNotes from Mikel is a weekly memo emailed to the Maxwell staff every Monday morning. The purpose of the notes is to cut down on time spent in staff meetings discussing and announcing things that can simply be put in a bulletin. Important information such as announcements, dates and times for meetings and events, reminders of important deadlines, due dates and much more will be included in Notes from Mikel.

The Maxwell Messenger The Maxwell Messenger is a weekly bulletin for the Maxwell staff. The Maxwell Messenger will be sent to you via email each Monday morning. Please refer to the bulletin throughout the week regarding activities and information. If you wish to put anything in the Maxwell Messenger, submit your information to Ms. Ford by Wednesday of each week.

MailboxesCheck your mailbox in the office upon arrival, at your lunch break and after school. If you have received a large package, a note will be placed in your mailbox indicating the location of the item.

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Email E-mail is the primary communication tool used between the office and all teachers. Email MUST be checked daily upon arrival and when you leave. It would also be a good idea to check it mid-day. Daily announcements, phone messages and other important news and documents will be shared via email. Teachers must not check or respond to e-mail during instructional time.

Voice MailAll teachers have access to voice mail and are expected to record and maintain a current greeting. Voice mail MUST be checked daily upon arrival and when you leave. You may consider leaving a message on your voice mail to indicate what time of day you will check your voice mail. Voicemail must not be checked or responded to during instructional time.

Office WhiteboardDaily announcements and staff absences will be posted on the office whiteboard.

Notes on Classroom DoorsIf a class is out of the classroom for activities other than those regularly scheduled, notify the office and leave a note on your classroom door indicating the location of the class and approximate return time.

CONFIDENTIALITY

All information pertaining to students, personnel, or school documents is confidential. Discussions or materials relating to students, personnel or school documents shall be limited to appropriate personnel and areas of the school building that provide necessary privacy. Breaching confidentiality may result in disciplinary action. Do not discuss anything with parents about any child other than their own. Paraprofessionals may relay school related information to parents only with the permission of the homeroom teacher.

CUMULATIVE RECORDS

Cumulative records for each child are kept in the office and are available to teachers at anytime during school hours. Check with the secretary before removing cumulative folders from the office. Cumulative records are to be signed out and are not to be taken from the building. They must be returned to the office before you leave for the day.

DISCIPLINE

All staff members will be familiar with and implement the school discipline policy. For the sake of consistency and due process, use only the school wide

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Positive Behavior Support program. Please prepare appropriate schoolwork for students in In-school Suspension.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Emergency Procedures and Evacuation Locations are listed in a separate document. Teachers should be familiar with and discuss these procedures with students as they apply to their classrooms. Each classroom should practice the evacuation, lock-down, and severe weather drills early in the school year. Fire drills will take place monthly. A lockdown drill will be practiced once each semester.

EXCURSIONS, SPEAKERS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

Excursions are to be an extension of the curriculum and of educational value. They must relate to the appropriate curriculum with academic activities and follow-up. No student is to be excluded as a discipline measure; it might be necessary for you to invite parents of students who you have discipline concerns about. Students not returning permission slips for excursions will remain at Maxwell. Teachers must recruit enough parents to chaperone and to provide adequate supervision of students. If paraprofessionals are needed, administrators must be notified immediately and preferable 24 hours in advance. We can not guarantee last minute arrangements for supervision. Arrangements must be made for students remaining in the building. The office must be notified of the arrangements made for students who do not go on the excursion with the class before you leave. Scholarships may be available for excursions through the principal. Excursions, speakers and events will be discussed, agreed upon and scheduled as a grade level team. Be sure to notify the lunchroom, at least two weeks in advance, if your class will not have their regular lunchtime and / or if you need sack lunches.

Procedures for scheduling excursions: Determine the purpose, location, and date of the excursion. Check the building master calendar, district transportation schedule and

get approval from the principal Transportation requests must be made at least three weeks in

advance and adhere to the times defined by the transportation department. The principal must approve all requests.

The school will pay transportation costs for one excursion per grade level.

FIRE DRILLS

Fire drills will take place monthly. All staff members must follow the Fire Code regulations (separate copy in folder). Keep all fire doors shut. Close & lock doors to all rooms when unoccupied.

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HOMEWORK

Homework may be given to students Monday through Friday. Homework should be meaningful and designed to reinforce skills that have been taught in the class. Teachers should check the work that is turned in and give students appropriate feedback on the work as soon as possible. Parents must give a full day of notice when requesting make-up work.

HOURS

The school day for certified personnel will be from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. The time before school will be used for individual planning, grade level planning, team meetings, staff meetings, parent contacts and committee work. Each teacher will have at least 200 minutes of planning weekly. In addition, teachers will have a 45-minute lunch break each day.

KEYS

Keys are to be picked up and left in the key box in the main office each day. Do not take keys home. It makes it very difficult for a substitute when you take your keys home and it jeopardizes student safety if there is a lockdown situation. Duplication of school keys is not permitted. Your cooperation is essential. Building security depends on our collective ability to be cautious. Lost or missing keys are to be reported to the principal immediately.

LESSON PLANS

Lesson plans are an individual teacher’s instruction guide. Every teacher, as a condition of employment, is required to maintain effective lesson plans related to the approved curriculum for his/her use in daily instruction. Lesson plans must be visible and available at all times and have enough information so that someone can step in and effectively take over your class if the need arises. Support is available for developing effective lesson plans if needed.

If a teacher leaves campus each night with her/his original lesson plans, the expectation is that a copy or alternate skeletal version is lest on the desk in case of an emergency.

MOVIES

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The use for films and videos will be educational in nature and should be kept to a minimum. Do not use animated or feature length films without prior approval from Ms. Royal. Learning objectives and outcomes should be clearly stated on lesson plans when utilizing a movie.

MONEY AND VALUABLES

Do not leave money, class keys, your purse, or any valuables where they are easily accessible as they could be stolen. Take precautions to secure your belongings. Also, stress with your students the importance of not bringing valuables to school. Close and lock your doors when not in the classroom. Report thefts to the office immediately. Money collected from students, parents, or staff for any reason must be receipted daily by Ms. Ford, without exception. A money envelope can be provided by the office.

ORDERING SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS

Basic office supplies and materials can be ordered by sending an email request to Rebecca Ford by Wednesday of each week. Materials are delivered by the office staff on Fridays. Curriculum materials should be requested through the facilitators and administration.

PARENT AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Our parents and community are important resources for us. It is imperative that we listen to their concerns and strive to meet their needs whenever possible. Parents should be informed on a continuing basis, regarding their child’s academic, social, and behavioral progress in school. Positive feedback in the form of notes and telephone calls need to be made to parents on a regular basis. A written record should be kept of all such telephone calls and conferences. A log of communications may be kept in IC under the instruction tab. Our building must be a pleasant, positive place for parents and community to visit. It is our job, as professionals, to maintain a positive school climate. Please strive to make our parents partners in the learning experiences of their children.

PROFESSIONALISM

As professionals, it is imperative that we serve as models for our students and parents. We should each set goals and strive to meet new levels of

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professional growth. We must communicate with each other on a level that will benefit both the learning and working environment. Each of us must assume our share of responsibility willingly and on our own initiative. Your attitude, tone of voice, and even your attire have an influence on students, parents, and colleagues. Positive attitudes and professional attire will maintain and enhance good staff morale.

Teacher Dress CodeTeachers are required to dress professionally on all student contact days including field trips. Professional attire excludes denim and sweats. Maxwell T- shirts are acceptable.

REIMBURSEMENTS

If reimbursement is expected, staff members should have the principal’s approval prior to purchase. Reimbursements will be for amount shown on original receipt only. Taxes will not be reimbursed. A tax-exempt number is available. Original receipts must be provided.

RELEASE OF STUDENTS

When a student leaves the classroom, s/he must have a classroom pass from the teacher. If a student is to return to the classroom during lunch, s/he must also have a pass. Always ask to see passes of students in the hall or bathroom.

STUDENT MONITORS

Student monitors should be changed frequently so that all students can benefit from the leadership experience. Guidelines for selecting student monitors should be established by grade level and communicated to students and parents in a way that motivates students to become leaders. Teachers should encourage, support, and prepare all students for this leadership opportunity.

STUDENT SAFETY

It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of our students while they are in our care. Children must never be left unattended. Administration cannot support you under any circumstance if an accident occurs to a child and an adult is not present. Pair up with another teacher to assist you when an emergency arises and you need immediate assistance. Should a threatening situation occur, call the office immediately or another teacher. Safety rules for the playground and within the building should be discussed on an ongoing basis with your class.

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STAFF DEVELOPMENT

There will be many opportunities for staff development during the school year. Each staff member is expected to prepare for and participate in staff development. If you need to miss a staff development session, you are still responsible for the information that was covered. You are strongly encouraged to take ownership of your own learning.

SUPERVISION-CLASSROOM

Students are to be under supervision at all times and are the responsibility of certified personnel. DO NOT LEAVE A CLASS UNATTENDED FOR EVEN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. An accident may happen in an instant, and you are liable even if you are not present.

TECHNOLOGY

Technology is very important to the administrative process and instructional program at Maxwell. Technology must be a part of instruction rather than existing in isolation. Therefore, games and “computer free time” should not be the focus of technology use.

If you require computer service, please contact Robin Bashor. Do not load any software onto computers without the approval and guidance of Ms. Bashor.

Internet Use

As stated in Denver Public Schools Board Policy AGAEB, the use of the district's network is a privilege, not a right, and must be treated as such by all users. Inappropriate use may result in a cancellation of this privilege.

The internet is not to be used for personal shopping, research or communication during instructional time.

TELEPHONE CALLS

Phone calls will not be transferred to classrooms during instructional times. Phone messages will be routed to your voice mail or sent to you via e-mail. Parents should have your direct classroom phone number and phones should be set to auto voice mail. Ms. Bashor can help you set this up if needed. If you call a student’s home, leave a message so the parent knows who called. When paging a person, notify the office so the secretaries can direct the returned call to you.

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Cell Phones Cell phones are not to be used by students or staff during instructional time and should not disrupt instruction in any way. Cell phones should be silenced and put away during the school day. If you have special considerations regarding a cell phone, please discuss it with the principal.

VISITORS TO THE BUILDING

All visitors in the building must have a visitor's pass. Do not allow a visitor into your classroom or in the halls unless the office has authorized the visit. This includes parents who regularly volunteer at school. Parents may not go to a classroom directly to get their child. For early dismissal, the parent will have a note from the office, or you will receive a call from the office. If you encounter someone in the hall you do not recognize or without a badge, ask if you can be of assistance. Escort him/her to the office or out the nearest door. Be cautious and courteous. Do not accuse, argue, or attempt to detain an uncooperative person. Notify the office of all unregistered guests. All doors including the main entrance are to be kept locked at all times.

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