Pierson Faculty Handbook

2014 - 2015

Board Of Education

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Ms. Theresa Samot, President

Ms. Chris Tice, Vice President

Ms. Diana Kolhoff

Mr. David Diskin

Ms. Susan Kinsella

Mr. Sandi Kruel

Administrative Staff

Ms. Katy Graves, Superintendent of Schools

Ms. Jenifer Buscemi, Director of Business

Mr. Jeff Nichols, Principal

Mr. Gary Kalish, Assistant Principal

Ms. Brittany Miaritis, Assistant Principal

Ms. Barbara Bekermus, Director of P.P.S.

Mr. Montgomery Granger, Director of Buildings and Grounds

ABSENCES-FACULTY

Staff members who are unable to report to work must call in to report their absence, email is not acceptable. If you are going to be absent, you must call Vickie Lawrence 324-8748, prior to 9:30 p.m. the night before or at 6:00 a.m. the day

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of absence. If you reach her answering machine, please leave your name, school and reason for absence. There are four categories for absence: sick, personal, bereavement and field trip. If you want to apply for a personal day, obtain a form in the Main Office.

ACADEMIC SUPPORT PROCEDURES

All students with the exception of seniors in good academic standing must report to their assigned academic support class each day. Students scheduled for your academic support must understand that they are required to report to your classroom for attendance purposes. All teachers who have an Academic Support must post the Academic Support Procedures (appendix B) in their classroom. Please review and adhere to the following procedures:

If a student would like to attend another teacher’s academic support class, they must present a signed planner from that teacher to you.

All students must be in class by 2:02 pm Planners must be used at all times. Please do not permit any student to leave your room without one. Keep a log of all students who leave and go to another room so the Main Office can locate them upon calling

your room. USE YOUR MARBLE NOTEBOOK TO KEEP YOUR LOG. Only accept those students you have signed up for extra help. Keep students in class. Do not permit students in the hallways.

Students who wish to change their scheduled Academic Support teacher, must have the Academic Support Change Form completed and submitted to Guidance or Administration.

ACCIDENTS

If an accident occurs in your room or in the course of any activity of which you are in charge, or if you become aware of any accident, report it immediately to any Building Administrator. To contact the Assistant Principal’s Office from your classroom, dial 1011 on your classroom phone. To contact the Nurse’s Office, dial 1070 on your classroom phone. At the discretion of the administrator you may be asked to complete an accident form.

ANNOUNCEMENTSDaily announcements will be read over the loudspeaker everyday at the beginning of Academic Support. Announcements are to be submitted using the Daily Announcement spreadsheet on Google Drive. All announcements are subject to review. Announcements can not be repeated more than 2 times. Please submit the announcement request by 1PM. Use discretion regarding announcement content the following is a suggested list of appropriate topics.

Extracurricular Meetings/Cancelations Athletics Announcements regarding scheduling and cancelations Field Trip reminders Deadlines Guidance Events Community Events School Events Fundraisers

If you would like a message to be shared for longer than two days, please submit to Main Office to be displayed on the Digital Signage.

ANNUAL REVIEWS

An annual review is conducted each year by the committee on special education regarding the status of each classified student. Its purpose is to recommend the continuation, modification, or termination of the provisions of special education programs and services for the student to the Board of Education. A teacher must be in attendance at all

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annual reviews and other CSE meetings.

ATTENDANCE

Teachers must take period by period attendance on their classroom computers. Please complete your attendance within the first five minutes of class. If you have any questions or concerns regarding attendance contact the Main Office.

STUDENT BEHAVIOR/DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR

If a student becomes disruptive and unmanageable, or behaves in such a way to warrant removal from class they should be sent to the Principal’s office. Please call the office to inform them of the situation, and to expect the student’s arrival. In addition please email, or submit a referral describing the incident to an administrator. (see DETENTION/REFERRALS)

BOOKS/CALCULATORS

When issuing textbooks or calculators to students, all teachers must record information regarding titles, identification numbers and condition of the item. In addition, you must notify your students of the replacement cost of the item in the event it is lost, stolen or damaged.

BUDGET

During the school year, all teachers will receive a budget folder. Individual meetings are then scheduled with the Principal in order to discuss requests for the following year.

CAFETERIA

At the beginning of each school year, the Principal will issue a memorandum regarding staff members who would like to volunteer for cafeteria duty. If you choose to volunteer for cafeteria duty, you will receive additional pay for each period as per the teacher’s contract. If there is not enough volunteers to fill all positions, the administration will follow the assignment procedure as per the teacher contract.

Responsibilities for cafeteria duty include: Supervising students for the entire lunch period. Preventing students from leaving the cafeteria with food or without permission. Students are permitted to go to the library during lunch, They must sign out and receive a pass. Encouraging students to clean up ten minutes prior to the end of the period Circulating around the cafeteria, actively supervising the students Regulating of bathroom passes (students are only permitted to use the bathrooms across the hall from the

cafeteria)

CLASSIFICATIONS

Special Education students may receive services in five different settings; inclusion, self-contained (SC), alternate learning programs (ALP), resource room (RR), and IEP diploma. Any student with a 504 plan is not classified special education but is entitled to all modifications in his/her plan. It is the responsibility of all teachers to familiarize themselves with their student’s I.E.P. and 504 plans.

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CLOSED CAMPUS

Pierson Middle/High School follows a closed campus policy. This means that no student may leave the school grounds without administrative approval. However, seniors may leave during their scheduled lunch period and receive late arrival / early dismissal provided that they are in good academic standing. If you observe a student violating the closed campus policy, please submit a referral to the Assistant Principal’s Office.

CONTRACTS WITH OUTSIDE AGENTS

No teacher will sign a contract with an outside agent for any student activity or service unless the Principal has first approved that contract.

CORRIDOR SUPERVISION

During the passing of classes, teachers should station themselves in the corridor outside their classrooms and monitor students in the hallways.

C.S.E. (Committee on Special Education)

The CSE is a multi-disciplinary team established in accordance with the provisions of Section 4402 of the Education Law.

CUSTODIAL AND MAINTENANCE REQUESTS

Work orders for classroom repairs are completed on-line with our SchoolDude.com system by going to www.myschoolbuilding.com , putting in your Sag Harbor email address, and then following the prompts. Complete all the red-checked items on the request form. The submittal password is “whalers” and is not case sensitive. Complete instructions for the procedure can be found on the link to the site via the District home page under “Quick Links,” “Staff Resources,” “Submit Maintenance Request.” Any problems or questions with the system should be directed to the Facility Director, Mr. Montgomery Granger at x451, or email: mgranger@sagharborschools.org

CUTTING POLICY

Any student who is found to be cutting will receive a zero for that class. Refer to the eSchool attendance record for the day to determine if a student who has not reported to class but has been in other classes. Please submit a referral for any student who is present in school and impermissibly absent from your class.

DELAYED OPENING / EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSING

If school is to be closed or if opening is delayed for any reason, you will receive an automated telephone call via the District School Messenger alert system. Announcements will also be made on WLNG 92.1 FM. The district web site will also have the most recent information posted on it.

DEPARTMENT MEETINGS

Department meetings will be scheduled once a month for the purpose of addressing a variety of topics, as they relate to each specific department. The meetings will generally take place during Academic Support. The administration will distribute a document that indicates which classroom students are to report when their teacher has a meeting, if students

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have not signed up to see another teacher.

DIGNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS ACT (DASA)New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act (The Dignity Act) seeks to provide the State’s public elementary and secondary school students with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying on school property, a school bus and/or at a school function.

Report all forms of bullying, cyber bullying and/or discrimination to the DASA coordinator, Gary Kalish. For further information on this policy please refer to the District’s Code of Conduct.

DETENTION

Students who exhibit inappropriate behavior and break the rules as specified in the student handbook should be referred to the principal’s office. Teachers may elect to email a description of the incident or submit a paper referral found in the A.P.’s office. (see REFERRALS)

ELECTRONIC POSTING

Teachers and co curricular advisors are required to maintain records and communicate information through several methods. Teachers are required to post homework assignments before 2:30PM on the day they were assigned. Teachers must maintain records and update information using both eSchool Gradebook and their Google Site. Assignments should be graded and posted within one week of their due date.

High School/Middle School Teachers

(1) Course description(2) Homework assignments(3) Grading policy(4) Grades(5) Project and test dates(6) Attendance(7) Practice and game schedules for coaches

ELIGIBILITY POLICY

Every two weeks teachers will be asked to list any students who have an average of 75% or below and are missing more than three assignments from the previous five weeks. If a student meets these two criteria, he/she will be ineligible to participate in co-curricular activities. Teacher marks will be due on Fridays and any action will begin the following Monday. These restrictions will last a minimum of three days.

EXAMS

Throughout the course of the year, students at Pierson will be required to take a number of assessments. You will receive detailed information regarding these examinations and proctoring as the testing period approaches.

FACILITY USE

Facility use after school hours and on weekends is via “Facility Use Direct” (FSDirect), our automated building use

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management system, also accessible through your SchoolDude.com account, which is established by going to www.myschoolbuilding.com. Simply click on the tab marked “Schedule Request,” select the appropriate schedule type for your activity, complete all the red-checked items, and then submit your request using the password “whalers,” which is not case sensitive. Complete instructions can be found on the District home page under “Quick Links,” “Staff Resources,” “Facility Use Request.” All approved and activated school facility use can be publicly viewed by clicking on the “FSDirect” logo link on the right side of the District home page. Any problems or questions with the system should be directed to the Facility Director, Mr. Montgomery Granger at x451, or email: mgranger@sagharborschools.org

FACULTY MEETINGS

Teachers must attend all faculty meetings unless they have been excused in advance by a building administrator. Faculty meetings will be held twice per month in the library at 2:35 p.m. A schedule will be distributed at the start of the school year.

FIELD TRIPS

If a teacher wishes to plan a field trip the following steps must be taken:

• Complete a field trip online request form• Available on the Staff Intranet under >Documents & Forms>Field Trip Online Form• Enter User ID and Password (first initial_last name, and password: whalers)• Complete all required fields including itinerary

• Contact Vickie Lawrence to notify her of your absence from classes.• Parental consent forms must be submitted to the administration• A complete list of students participating in the trip must be submitted to the Main Office.• On the day of the trip, inform the Main Office of any students who are not present.• In case of an emergency, contact the High School (725-5302) immediately.• Overnight trips require BOE approval.

FIRE DRILL PROCEDURES

Immediately at the sound of the fire alarm bell, teachers will take their grade books/class rosters and escort their classes from the building in an orderly manner. Lights should be turned off and the door locked. Teachers should escort their classes a safe distance away from the building (100 yards). Do not allow students to stand on the road during a fire drill. Students should be quiet during the drill. Teachers will remain with and supervise their groups. Everyone must leave the building during a fire drill.

GRADE REPORTING PROCEDURES

You will receive detailed instructions for entering progress report comments and grades into the data reporting system. Please be advised that you may not enter a grade of 55 or lower unless you have submitted the grade waiver form and received approval from the administration. Teachers are asked to record their communication with both student and parents on the form, and then submit the form to a Guidance Counselor within two weeks before the end of a marking period. In addition, no student should receive a failing grade of 64 for any quarter during the year.

GRADING POLICY

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All teachers determine their own grading policies and procedures with the approval of the Principal. Grading Policies should be posted electronically.

HOME INSTRUCTION

Throughout the school year, you will receive memos regarding students in need of tutoring. In order to get payment for tutoring services, teachers must submit a payment request and tutoring report to the Principal’s secretary.

INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLAN (IEP)

A written statement developed, reviewed, and revised which includes the components to be provided to meet the educational needs of a student with a disability. An updated copy of every classified student’s IEP is on file in the PPS Office. All classroom teachers are required to administer all of the accommodations / modifications listed in their students’ IEP’s. It is the classroom teacher’s responsibility to maintain a thorough knowledge of their student’s individualized education plans.

IN SCHOOL SUSPENSION (ISS)

Students assigned to ISS require written assignments from their classroom teachers. Please submit your assignments to the Main Office no later than first period on the day of the suspension. You may email the assignments to the Main Office (Ms. Galanty).

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO REQUESTS

If you plan to show a video, movie, or use video streaming in any of your classes you must complete a video request form and submit it to the Principal’s office. Video request forms can be found in the Main Office and must be signed prior to showing any video or movie to your students.

LESSON/UNIT PLAN FORMAT

Teachers are required to submit unit plans for each unit of instruction throughout the year. Units should last between 3-5 weeks and therefore teachers should complete between 6-8 units in a year. Unit plans should be designed using the Understanding by Design template, and be submitted prior to implementations. Teachers should submit completed units using the Shared Folder through the Google Drive app on Harbor Apps. Teachers are responsible for uploading their units to the appropriately named folder. In addition, curriculum overview documents should be completed and submitted in the same folder.

LIBRARY

The Library Media Center is available for class use upon request. Services available in the library include; cooperative lesson planning, bibliographic instruction, researching online resources which reflect current trends and educational requirements, videotaping and information guides. In addition, the library has a computer lab, LCD projectors, digital cameras, scanners and CD-burners.

LOCKED DOOR POLICY

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In order to maintain building security and comply with the Safe Schools Against Violence in Education Act, Pierson Middle-High School follows a locked door policy. After the start of school all doors with the exception of the main entrance will be locked. Please do not open doors for anyone or prop doors open for any reason. Any visitor to the school must check in at the front desk.

LOCK DOWN PROCEDURE

All faculty members are expected to read and familiarize themselves with the School Safety Plan. A copy is available in the Main Office. Faculty should read and sign off that they have done so.

NURSE

The Nurse’s Office is located next to the Main Office. Please use discretion when sending students to the Nurse’s Office.

PARENTAL CONTACT

Teachers are encouraged to contact parents on a regular basis. Please share positive and negative concerns with the parents of your students. It is recommended you keep a phone log for parent contacts. If a student is failing it is the teacher’s responsibility to notify the parent.

PASSES

Students should not be permitted to leave class for any reason without a school pass or agenda book signed by the classroom teacher. Students should be admitted to class late (even without a pass); the lateness should be documented and a discipline referral should be turned into the Assistant Principal’s office. The exceptions to this rule apply to first period and to seniors returning late from lunch. Any senior returning late from lunch must be instructed to obtain a pass in the Main Office. USE YOUR MARBLE NOTEBOOK TO KEEP A LOG OF THE STUDENTS WHO LEAVE YOUR CLASSROOM.

PERSONAL DAYS

Any faculty member who wishes to take a personal day must complete and submit a request form for the Principal’s approval. You must submit your requests at least five days before the requested personal day for consideration. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

In accordance with the Board of Regents and the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, the Pledge of Allegiance is to be recited over the PA system daily. Those students who do not wish to participate in the recitation of the pledge may sit silently. Staff members and students should observe the pledge in corridors and offices as well as in classrooms.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES

If you suspect any student is in need of counseling, do not hesitate to report the matter to the School Psychologist,

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Social Worker, any guidance counselor or administrator.

REFERRALS

In the event that you have a student removed from your classroom, you must submit a written or emailed referral to the Assistant Principal’s Office within 24 hours (Project SAVE legislation). Write the narrative portion of the referral in complete sentences, using direct quotes from the student whenever possible. Refrain from making any subjective statements on the referral. State the facts objectively. If you have any questions regarding referrals see any administrator. Please do not send a student out of your room without contacting the Assistant Principal’s office by phone to let them know a student is being sent down.

SMOKING

Board of Education policy, State and County laws prohibit smoking on all property and facilities of the Sag Harbor School District. There are to be no exceptions to this practice.

STAFF INTRANET

For additional district related and technology resources and information for staff members, please visit the Staff Intranet Page at:

https://sites.google.com/a/sagharborschools.org/staff-intranet/ 

STUDENT COUNCIL

Student Council is the governing body for the students at Pierson Middle-High School.

STUDENT VISITORS

Students who wish to bring a student visitor to school may do so with the completion of a visitor form. Pierson students must have each teacher on their schedule sign off that they agree to the visitor in their classroom. Once the form is complete, the Pierson student must have an administrator sign off for final approval.

SUPERVISION OF STUDENT TEACHERS

When supervising a student teacher, please adhere to the following guidelines:

• Grading of students remains the responsibility of the supervising teacher.• Appropriate communication with parents and other relevant personnel remains the responsibility of the

supervising teacher.• The supervising teacher must be available and present in the area of the classroom at all times.• All tests, homework, assignments, etc. must be supervised and approved by the supervising teacher.

All student teachers must be approved by the Principal.

SUBSTITUTE TEACHER PLANS

All teachers must have three days of substitute lesson plans on file in the Main Office in the event of absence. Please include class rosters with your plans so that the substitutes may take accurate attendance. Include any important

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information regarding individual student needs as per student IEPs and any relevant medical information. It is also helpful to include any special behavioral arrangements that are implemented with specific students. In the case that you would like to email more current plans for your classes please email them to Ms. Galanty before 7 a.m. to make sure that they are delivered to the substitute.

SUPPLIES

Teachers may obtain any instructional/clerical supplies needed from the monitor assigned to the Main Office.

TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE

The Technology Department is available to assist you with all matters related to the use of technology in our schools. Troubleshooting, training, equipment and software recommendations are just some of the services we can provide.

In an effort to streamline the process of reporting technology issues, tech requests will now be submitted via e-mail.  To ensure service in a timely manner, please submit all technology requests to:

techhelp@sagharborschools.org  

Upon submittal, you will receive a confirmation e-mail that your request was received. 

For additional technology resources and information for staff members, please visit the Staff Intranet Page at:

https://sites.google.com/a/sagharborschools.org/staff-intranet/ 

TESTING MODIFICATIONS

It is the responsibility of classroom teachers to be aware of and to provide all testing accommodations on their student’s IEPs. The PPS office will notify you of any 504 students listed on your class rosters. You are legally required to adhere to testing modification provided on a student’s 504 plan. Generally, a teacher’s assistant will be available in the testing center to administer testing accommodations. You must make arrangements prior to the day of testing to assure that 504 and IEP provisions are met.

TIME SCHEDULE

DAILY TIME SCHEDULE Period 1 7:25-8:05Period 2 8:08-8:48Period 3 8:51-9:31Period 4 9:34-10:14Period 5 10:17- 10:57Period 6 11:00-11:40 Period 7 11:43-12:23Period 8 12:26-1:06 Period 9 1:09-1:49Academic Support 1:52-2:26

1 HOUR DELAY SCHEDULE Period 1 8:25-9:06Period 2 9:09-9:46Period 3 9:49-10:26Period 4 10:29-11:06Period 5 11:09-11:46Period 6 11:49-12:26Period 7 12:29-1:06Period 8 1:09-1:46Period 9 1:49-2:26

* There will be no academic support period when operating under a delayed opening

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schedule.

2 HOUR DELAY SCHEDULE Period 1 9:25-10:02Period 2 10:05-10:35Period 3 10:38-11:08Period 4 11:11-11:41Period 5 11:44-12:14Period 6 12:17-12:47Period 7 12:50-1:20Period 8 1:23-1:53Period 9 1:56-2:26

* There will be no academic support period when operating under a delayed opening schedule.

UTILIZING SCHOOL GROUNDS

If you wish to take your classes outside for any reason, please call the office in order to obtain permission from a building administrator. You may not take your students off school grounds unless you have collected permission slips and received authorization from the Principal.

VISITORS

Parents, district residents, and other guests, are always welcome as visitors, provided that they have received permission to visit from a building administrator, and provided that they have obtained a visitor’s pass in the main lobby.

WEAPONS

While on school grounds, during school sponsored events, or while under school supervision, students shall not possess, handle or transport any instrument capable of inflicting bodily harm.In the event that a teacher finds a weapon, he/she should do the following:

Confiscate the weapon if doing so does not pose a safety hazardNotify an administrator immediatelyContain the student if possible

WINDOWS

Please be advised that no student should be allowed to sit on the window ledge in your classroom. In addition, please close and0 lock your classroom windows at the end of the school day.

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