General Operating Procedures

General Information/Procedures
Smoking Policy
P.T.A.
Volunteer Procedures

Pets

General Information/Procedures

Length of Day

The certified staff work day is 8:00 – 3:30. Staff is required to be on site from 8:00 to 3:15 (15 minutes of the day can be worked off site). Staff leaving the building during school hours must notify the office and principal in advance. Staff need to record in and out times on the white board by the mail boxes when leaving early or arriving late.

Dismissal

Students are to leave the school grounds and go directly home each day as soon as they are dismissed. Students are not permitted back on school grounds until 4:00 p.m.

No student may alter home transportation plans without written communication from the parent. Students are not to use the classroom phone to make after-school plans.

All individual student early dismissals must be cleared through the office. Students need to bring a written request from home to leave campus early. Students leaving early must be signed out in the office by a parent/adult.

If for any reason a teacher keeps a student after school, the teacher must:

· Notify the parent by telephone
· Notify the office that a student is staying after school
· Clarify with the parent how the student is to go home and inform the office

Recess

Students are to play outside during recess. There will be few exceptions to the rule. A student may remain inside only if he/she brings a note from his/her parent(s) or a physician and then only for one or two days (unless the classroom teacher makes an exception). If there are concerns in this area, please discuss them with the nurse or health room assistant.

Students are not to be sent to the office to complete class work or homework during recesses unless prior arrangements are made in person with the principal.

Injury

When students are injured or become seriously ill, immediately notify the school office. The Health Room Assistant will help with the child and will contact the parents/guardians. It is the responsibility of the supervising staff member to fill out an Accident Report Form when there is an accident. Accident Report Forms may be obtained in the office. If life threatening immediately call 911.

Staff members must fill out an Accident Report Form if they have been injured. It is important to do this even if the staff member thinks that the injury is not serious.

Students must have a pass to go to the Health Room.

Staff Meetings

Staff meetings are held on Wednesdays. Please do not plan appointments or other meeting on this day. On staff meeting days, certified staff members are required to stay until 3:30. One Wednesday a month the staff meeting will last until 4:00. This extended staff meeting will usually be held on the third Wednesday of each month.

Staff meetings start on time and end on time. Teachers are expected to be at each meeting. Any teacher who will not be at any meeting must talk directly to the principal.

Staff members are required to sign in for all staff meetings for record of attendance. This record will be kept in a folder in the office along with the agenda for the meeting.

Note taking for the meetings will be rotated amongst the staff. Meeting notes will be kept in a folder along with the agenda and sign-in sheet. Staff members are expected to be professionally engaged during staff meetings. Correcting papers or working on other things is not acceptable.

Cumulative Records

Student cumulative records are kept in the file cabinets located in the main office. They are filed by grade level and teacher. A teacher may sign out a student's cum file as needed, however cum files are to be returned to the file cabinet at the end of the day and cum files are never to be removed from the school or left in a classroom overnight. All records that remain with a student throughout his/her school career are contained within the cumulative record folder. When new students enroll at Woodside, office personnel will prepare a cum folder containing the enrollment form and the cum record card. Office personnel will request previous school records as the student enrolls. As these records arrive, they will be placed in the student's cum folder.

The counselor will review the cum folders of all students new to the school.

Academic/Attendance Referrals

Referrals should be made to the Student Success Team, (SST) completion of the Request for Service Form. This process will be reviewed at the beginning of the school year in a staff meeting and is more extensively covered in the Student Support Services section of this handbook. Students who need to be referred to the Evaluation Team must first be reviewed at SST. As appropriate the SST will make referrals to the Evaluation Team.

Discipline Referrals

Playground referrals are written on discipline referral slips. Playground referral slips are FYI only for classroom teachers.

Discipline slips are not to be sent home with the student. Teachers are to provide support for discipline of their students with regard to playground infractions; however, applications of discipline consequences are the responsibility of the playground supervisors or principal. Physical fighting and students who are receiving frequent discipline slips must be referred to the principal.

Students may not be sent from the classroom to the office for discipline purposes without clearly communicating the situation by phone or in writing. Students who are routinely sent to the office for discipline purposes must be referred to the Student Support Team for intervention.

Flag Exercises

According to Everett Public School Policy, the Pledge of Allegiance needs to be recited in classrooms at the beginning of each school day. Students will recite the Pledge over the intercom each morning. This responsibility will rotate.

Cleaning the School Facility

At the close of the school day, students must clean up the classroom. Pencils, crayons, paper, books and other items should be removed from the floor. The chairs should be placed on top of the desks so the custodians can clean the floors. You will receive a schedule of what nights your room will be vacuumed.

All materials must be stored in a safe manner with no heavy boxes or materials stored on top of cabinets. The room must be free of clutter so that the physical environment is safe and pleasant for the students.

Classroom Environment

Staff members are required to create a physically safe classroom environment that is free from clutter and debris. Materials must be stored in a manner that is neat and tidy. Heavy boxes or materials may not be stored on top of cabinets; in case of an earthquake, these items can cause severe injuries. Only 20% of the walls may be covered by paper due to the requirements of the fire department. Lighted candles are prohibited.

Desks and furniture must be arranged so that students can exit with speed and ease in case of an emergency situation.

Couches and other overstuffed furniture are prohibited in classrooms.

All windows to the outside and inside must remain uncovered. Sight lines must be clear to all student areas for ease of supervision.

Due to the rising costs of electricity and the increase in electricity use because of the new computers in the classrooms, all personal coffee makers, refrigerators, microwaves, heaters (etc.) are prohibited.

GRADING

All student grades should remain confidential at all times. Grades should reflect a student’s achievement in a course of study. Behavior (positive or negative) should not be included in the calculation of a grade, but should be reported in the additional comments section of the report card.

Modified Grading

Students served by Special Services, 504 Plans, ELL and others, may qualify for modified grading on assignments, progress reports and report cards. These students will be referred to below as “special needs” students. Guidelines for modified grading will be recommended by the principal and approved by the MDT.

Special needs students who are earning a 4, 3 or 2 without accommodations or modifications should receive the grade in the same manner as any other student.

Special needs students who are earning a grade with accommodations and modifications should receive the grade earned. Such students MUST receive the report card comment, “Work has been modified to meet individual student needs.”

Teachers are encouraged to use additional report card comments as appropriate for all students.

Please refer to Amber S. (Special Ed), Karen M. (ELL) or John L. (504) and individual student IEPs for accommodation and modification suggestions.

Student Dress Code

Staff is expected to enforce the following dress code:

Student dress will be regulated to preserve a beneficial learning environment and to assure the safety and well-being of all students. Dress which presents a health or safety hazard, damages school property, or which creates a material and substantial disruption of the educational process is prohibited as per Everett Public Schools policy 3224.

Students will wear appropriate school attire, including shoes. Appropriate attire shall exclude any type of dress or manner of grooming which school officials reasonably believe would disrupt or interfere with the school environment, activities and/or educational process. School officials will work with students, parents, and teachers to communicate descriptions of dress considered disruptive to the educational process. The following are not permitted:

Attire that shows or displays undergarments: inadequately covers chest/breasts, midriff, buttocks or thighs; displays obscene, sexual, drug, alcohol or tobacco related messages or pictures; or displays gang-related symbolism.

Any clothing that would create, in fact, an atmosphere in which a student, staff member, or other person’s well being is hindered by undue pressure, behavior, intimidation, overt gesture or threat of violence.

Bandanas, headscarves, baseball caps, are prohibited in all buildings. Stocking caps may be worn at recess; however they may not be worn in the classrooms. Baseball caps may be worn to and from school and not at recess.

These standards will be applied in consistent and nondiscriminatory manner. Students who violate these standards will be subject to progressive discipline.

Any student, parent or guardian who is aggrieved by corrective action or discipline for dress code violations may appeal according to procedures in the Student Rights and Responsibilities policy 3200.

Substitutes

You can request a substitute on line, http://subweb.everett.k12.wa.us or you may call the district substitute line at (425)425-252-2894. Please call Woodside each day before 2:30 p.m. if you wish the substitute to continue. In case there are no substitutes available through the district substitute line, individual staff members will be asked to cover classes. Care will be taken to rotate in-building substituting so that no program is impacted more than another.

Confidentiality

Staff members are required to keep information about students confidential. Student grades are not to be shared with people who are not connected to the school or are not members of the student’s immediate family. During Evaluation Team Meetings or other meetings with parents present, the names of students other than the student being discussed are not to be said.

School business or information is expected to stay within the school and is not to be shared with volunteers or members of the community.

Internet, E-Mail, Passwords

Passwords are expected to be professionally worded. Internet access will be denied if unapproved sites are accessed and the district receives immediate notification that an off-limit site was accessed.

E-mail is not private and should be used in a professional manner. Please do not enter into tense responses to other staff members or parents through e-mail as these “conversations” can be forwarded to anyone in or outside of the district. When in doubt about the content of a reply to a parent e-mail, please forward the e-mail and your reply to the principal before sending it to the parent.

Media Instructional Materials

Instructions regarding use of media materials and equipment will come from the teacher/librarian who will coordinate this part of the school program. All equipment must be checked out from the librarian or school secretary. Digital and video camera equipment is to be checked out through the Art/Technology teacher.

Guest Instructors/Speakers

Complete the Instructional Guest Form located in the form section of the on-line handbook. Office staff and principal must be notified of visitors so messages can be relayed and safety concerns addressed. Guests need to check in at the office and wear a Visitor Button.

Conferences

Regular parent-teacher conferences are scheduled twice a year for grades K through 5. Teachers are required to maintain close contact throughout the school year with parents through extra conferences, telephone contacts, classroom visits, and classroom newsletters, etc.

Teachers are to hold one conference for each student during each conference week and are not to schedule two conferences to accommodate divorced parents. Schedule one conference so that both parents hear the same information and do not put the school and the teacher in an adverse situation. The principal or the counselor will be available to attend difficult conferences.

Emergency Procedures

Yellow Emergency Backpacks are to be displayed in a prominent place in each room. Additional procedures are outlined in the Emergency Procedures section of this handbook. Staff must complete a staff emergency card to be filed in the office. A class list and copy of emergency procedures are to be stored in the emergency backpacks located in each classroom. Persons in charge of the students in the classroom are to take the emergency backpacks with them during every emergency drill.

Copy Machines

The copier is located near the library. All staff will be assigned codes for using the copier. You can print copies on the copier directly from your computer and are encouraged to do so (it is far less expensive than your individual printers). A small amount of para-educator time is assigned to do copy projects for teachers. Please put work requests in the large bin in the back workroom allowing plenty of lead-time for completion.

There is a smaller copier located in the workroom off the office and is for office use only. The Risograph machine is located in the workroom and is used only by the para-educators and/or secretary. Do not use the school copy machine for personal use other than one or two copies.

Telephone

Staff members calling within District may dial the 4 digit extension. Dial 9 and the area code to call outside of the district. Calls needing the "SCAN" number must be accessed through the school secretary, The SCAN line may not be used for personal calls.

Parents will receive your classroom phone number and all calls will be sent to your phone during school time. The secretary will not take phone messages. Check your phone messages daily.

Do not use the “office” button on your phone for routine calls to the office. This is the internal “911” button. Make sure that substitutes know how to call the office.

Students may be given permission to use the telephone when it relates to school business. They should not use the phone to arrange after-school plans.

Smoking Policy

The Everett School District has a NO SMOKING policy.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Drug-Free Workplace

In accordance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, as amended, the District prohibits:

1. The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use, of alcohol, a controlled substance, or other intoxicants in the workplace;
2. Reporting to work under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance, or other intoxicants; and
3. Any other manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of alcohol, a controlled substance, or other intoxicants in a manner that is detrimental to the interests of the District.

An employee who is taking a drug or medication, whether or not prescribed by the employee’s physician, that may adversely affect that employee’s ability to perform work in a safe or productive manner is required to report such use to his or her supervisor. This includes drugs or medicine that are known or advertised as possibly affecting judgment, coordination, or any of the senses, including those that may cause drowsiness or dizziness. The supervisor, in conjunction with the District office, will then determine whether the employee can remain at work and whether any work restrictions will be necessary.

“Workplace” for purposes of this policy includes any school building or any school premises; any school-owned vehicle, or any other school-approved vehicle used to transport students to or from school activities; and off-school property during any school-sponsored or school-approved activity, event, or function, such as a field trip or athletic event, where students are under the jurisdiction of the school district.

As a condition of employment, each employee shall notify his or her supervisor of his or her conviction under any criminal drug statute for a violation occurring in the workplace as defined above. Such notification shall be provided no later than five (5) days after such conviction. As a further condition of employment, each employee shall abide by the terms of this policy respecting a drug-free workplace.

An employee who violates the terms of this policy may be suspended, discharged, or nonrenewed in accordance with the provisions of board policy, state law, and/or applicable collective bargaining agreements. The District may also refer the matter for criminal prosecution. In cases where the District in its sole discretion determines that reinstatement of the employee is appropriate, it may require as a condition of eligibility for reinstatement that an employee satisfactorily complete a drug rehabilitation or treatment program approved by the District, at the employee’s expense. Nothing in this policy shall be construed, however, to guarantee reinstatement of any employee who violates this policy; nor does the District accept any financial obligation for treatment or rehabilitation required as a condition of eligibility for reinstatement.

The Superintendent or designee is directed to:

1. Provide a copy of the District’s Drug-Free Workplace statement to new employees;
2. Maintain a drug-free awareness program; and
3. Comply with other specific requirements of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1998, as amended.

The drug-free awareness program shall include: informing employees about the dangers of drug abuse in the workplace; the District’s policy establishing a drug-free workplace; available drug counseling, rehabilitation, and employee assistance programs, if any; and the penalties that may be imposed for drug abuse violations.

Legal References: 20 U.S.C. §§ 7101-7118 Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act

Duty to Report

RCW 28A.400 now requires both certificated AND classified employees who have knowledge or reasonable cause to believe a student is a victim of physical abuse or sexual misconduct by another school employee to report the abuse or misconduct or shall cause a report to be made to the school administrator. The administrator is then required to report the abuse to the proper law enforcement agency in accordance with the mandatory reporting requirements if the administrator has reasonable cause to believe the abuse or misconduct occurred. Now, school districts must, at the first opportunity, but in all cases within 48 hours of receiving a report of sexual misconduct by a school employee, notify the parents of a student alleged to be the victim, target, or recipient of the misconduct.

It should be noted that this does not change the previous requirement of school professionals to report to the proper law enforcement agency or the Department of Social and Health Services (CPS) if the professional has reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered abuse or neglect.

P.T.A.

Regular PTA meetings will be announced. Staff participation in PTA is welcome and encouraged and results in greater support from parents. A membership drive is held in September and staff will have an opportunity to join this organization. Staff members are asked to volunteer to sign up for one PTA meeting with responsibilities rotating.

P.T.A. reimburses each staff member $50.00 for the purchase of supplies and materials. The items must remain at Woodside. Save your receipts because there will be no reimbursement without a receipt.

Volunteer Procedures

Everett School District Policy #5430 mandates that all regular school volunteers fill out a Volunteer Application Form to be kept on file at the district office. Human Resources will conduct background checks on all school volunteers. All volunteers are required to sign in at the office. Volunteers must wear their volunteer button. Please send all adults whom you see in a building who are not wearing volunteer buttons to the office to sign in. This helps keep a safe environment.

ID Tags

Woodside Staff members are required to wear Everett Public School ID tags at all times while on campus or visiting other schools in the district.

Fragrances

Out of respect to those staff members and students who are sensitive or allergic to fragrances, please refrain from wearing fragrances to school.

Lively

Woodside teachers are encouraged to use the Lively property as an extension of the classroom. One permission form is sent at the beginning of the school year. After this form is signed and returned, teachers need only send an itinerary prior to taking a trip to Lively. Please get this form returned within the first month of school

Security

For security reasons, one of the sets of doors to the buildings is always locked. It is wise to carry your keys with you during the day.

If you are in the building after hours you must code in and code out using your PIN. Failure to code in or out will result in a security check and a cost to the building.

Field Trips

Each grade level receives one field trip with transportation paid for by the PTA. The Science Department has provided us with transportation for environmental field trips because we do not use transportation to Lively. Classrooms/Grade Levels who request buses from the Science Department must first go through the principal. Requests for these buses must be for use in addition to Lively; they cannot be used in place of Lively. The field trip sponsored by the District Science Department must be related to the environment. See the section on Field Trip Procedures for a step-by-step description of the process.

Pets

It is district policy that all cats and dogs be leashed at school. (A shoelace is not an acceptable leash.)

In order for a student to bring their pet to school for sharing they must have teacher/principal permission and must present a health certificate upon check in at the office.

HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION & BULLYING

It is the policy of Everett School District to maintain a safe, respectful and secure learning environment for all students that is free from harassment, intimidation and bullying. Harassment, intimidation and bullying of students by other students, staff members, volunteers, parents or guardians are prohibited.

It shall be a violation of this policy and the District’s student discipline policy for any student of the District to harass, intimidate or bully another student through verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct as defined by this policy on school property (or in reasonable proximity thereto), school transportation, or at school-sponsored activities off school property. (See EPS Students Rights and Responsibility for further details)

Personal Belongings

Each of us likes to personalize our work environment to make it comfortable and welcoming for students, parents and staff. When at all possible, the classroom or offices in schools should reflect student learning and work, balancing the creation of an attractive environment with student needs for a neat and orderly classroom that is not overly distracting or stimulating.

In creating this environment, care should be exercised as to the decorations, equipment and furniture that are brought; taking into account the ages of your students, health and safety factors. The district provides staff with appropriate equipment such as desks, chairs, file cabinets, therefore, it should not be necessary for staff to bring in their own items.

For energy conservation purposes, the district prohibits microwave ovens, refrigerators, coffee pots and other small appliances in classrooms and offices except in locations which are approved by the work site administrator; e.g. staff rooms. Also, for health and safety reasons, the district prohibits soft-sided furniture such as couches and overstuffed chairs, and slider-chairs.

A limited number of personal items which are in good taste, such as knickknacks, family photos, and small electronics such as a small radio are acceptable.

There are limitations on the district’s responsibility for the care and security of personal items you choose to bring to school or your work site.

Revised 08/11

Revised 11/10