Signal Hill Elementary School 670 Caledonia Road Dix Hills, New York 11746

ELEMENTARY TEACHER’S HANDBOOK 2010-2011

Ms. Deborah H. Ostrosky, Principal Mr. Christopher Smalley, Assistant Principal

SIGNAL HILL SCHOOL

670 Caledonia Road Dix Hills, New York 11746 ELEMENTARY TEACHERS' HANDBOOK I N D E X Page

A. District Calendar 1 B. Signal Hill/PTA Events 2-2A C. Discipline Guidelines 3 D. Bus Schedules

1. Opening Day 4 2. Bus Arrival Procedure 5 3. Bus Duty Information 6 4. Bus Duty Schedule 7 5. Inclement Weather Dismissal 8 6. Emergency Dismissal 9

E. Fire Drill Procedure 10-11 F. Emergency Drills 12

G. Floor Plan 13

H. Field Trip Check-List 14 I. Showcases/Bulletin Boards 15-16

J. Lunch Seating 17

K. Plan Book Due Dates 18 L. Student Attendance and 19-23

District Attendance Policy

M. District Policies 24-33 Hazing/Bullying Internet Sexual Harassment Wellness/Nutrition

N. Enhancing Teaching & Learning 34 The District “House”

2. SIGNAL HILL SCHOOL 2010-2011 EVENT CALENDAR

Sept. 2 Superintendent Conference Day PTA Welcome Back Lunch - 12:00 p.m. 7 First Day of School

9-10 Rosh Hashannah – Schools Closed 13 PTA Gift Wrap Sale begins 14 PTA Meeting – 9:30 a.m. 16 Family Picnic – 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. 20 Class Parent Meeting – 9:30 a.m. 21 Meet the Teacher Gr. K-2 – 7:00 p.m.

22 Meet The Teacher Gr. 3-5 – 7:00 p.m. Oct. 1 Gift Wrap Sale Ends 5 Photo Day 6 PTA Meeting – 7:30 p.m.

11 Columbus Day – School Closed 18-22 PTA Book Fair 27 Spirit Day

Nov. 2 Election Day – School closed Superintendent’s Conference Day 3 PTA Meeting – 9:30 a.m. 9 Photo Re-take Day 11 Veteran’s Day – School Closed 12 1st Marking Period Ends 15-16 NYS S.S. Testing – Grade 5

16 Parent/Teacher Conference – 6:30 p.m. (by appointment) 18 PTA Gift Wrap Pick-up

Parent/Teacher Conference – 6:30 p.m. (by appointment) 19 No School Parent/Teacher Conference – daytime (by appointment) PTA Gift Wrap Pick-up 25-26 Thanksgiving Recess

30 Book Bonanza @ Barnes & Noble – 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Dec. 1 PTA Meeting – 9:30 a.m. 2 PTA Shop & Dine – 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. 7-9 PTA Holiday Boutique 15 Winter Concert – Chorus – 7:30 p.m.

23 Holiday Sing Along 24-Jan 1 Winter Recess – School closed

Jan. 5 PTA Meeting – 9:30 a.m. 6 Winter Concert for Band & Orchestra – 7:30 p.m. 17 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day – School Closed

19 Kindergarten Cap & Gown Photo Day 21 PTA Kidingo – 7:00 p.m. 24-28 Kindergarten Registration (by appointment)

28 2nd Marking Period Ends 28-30 Hills on Stage – Grade 5 Musical at HSE 31 PARP Begins

2A.

Feb. 2 PTA Meeting - 7:30 p.m. PTA Book Swap – 7:00 p.m.

7 Board of Ed Meeting, 8:00 p.m. @ Signal Hill 8 PTA Blood Drive – 3:15 – 8:30 p.m. 11 PTA Valentine Day’s Salute to Support Staff 13 Unity Fair @ HSW 18 PARP Ends

21-25 Winter Recess – School Closed Mar. 2 PTA Meeting – 9:30 a.m.

8-10 PTA Book Fair 8 Evening Book Fair – 6:00 p.m.

11 Talent Show (Grades K-2) – 6:00-7:00 p.m. @ WH Talent Show (Grades 3-5) – 7:30-9:00 p.m. @ WH

21-25 InView Testing – Grades 2 & 3 29-31 Math Fair

Apr. 4-8 Kindergarten Screening 6 PTA Meeting – 7:30 p.m. 8 3rd Marking Period Ends 19-22 Spring Recess – Schools Closed May 2 Elementary Art Display @ HHH Library – 7:00 p.m. 2-5 PTA Garden Boutique

4 PTA Meeting – 9:30 a.m. 4-6 NYS ELA Testing – Grades 3-5 11-13 NYS Math Testing – Grades 3-5

17 Budget Vote 19 5th Grade Visit to West Hollow – 9:30 a.m.

Spring Concert @ HSW – 7:30 p.m. 20 Staff Recognition Breakfast, 8:30 a.m. 21 5th Grade Car Wash – 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

24 PTA Volunteer Breakfast – 9:30 a.m. 25 Kindergarten Orientation 9:45 a.m.

30 Memorial Day – School closed June 1-3 NYS Science Performance Testing Grade 4 1 PTA Meeting – 9:30 a.m. 5 Relay for Life @ HSE 6-10 Circus Week 6 NYS Science Written Test – Grade 4 10 5th Grade Circus – 7:00 p.m. at HSW 13-17 Spirit Week 14 Field Day – Grades 3 to 5 16 Field Day – Grades K to 2 20 5th Grade Fun Night – 5:00 -7:00 P.M. 22 5TH Grade Moving Up Ceremony – 9:15 a.m. at HSW 22-24 ½ Days – Dismissal at 11:30 a.m. 24 Last Day of School

3.

SIGNAL HILL SCHOOL 670 Caledonia Road Dix Hills, New York 11746 BASIC GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOL DISCIPLINE

Establishing good discipline is a process that must be school-wide and begin the first day of the school year. Students should be aware of school and classroom rules. It is only with respect, discipline, and organization that we will be able to provide effective instruction.

Good discipline is the result of a working relationship based on respect. This respect extends to fellow classmates, the building, other adults, equipment, and material. We need to provide the leadership to let children know what is expected of them.

In all cases, avoid acting in haste or in an emotional state. Many times, actions taken, or words spoken in haste, are difficult to defend at a later date.

Students are expected to take part in all special classes. A student should not be removed from any class because of his attitude or lack of effort - this may be the exact action the student is aiming to achieve. Instead, a discussion with the principal is requested before any child is left out of any activity.

Even with the best of intentions in mind, insisting a child stay outside a classroom has been found ineffective. Research has shown no evidence of education gains in this procedure. The teacher cannot supervise a child in the hall, yet is still responsible for the child. Any work accomplished in these situations seems to be of limited value (and further questions any merit in this action).

Discipline problems can be minimized by the following: 1. Always be well planned. 2. Be in the classroom prior to the arrival of students as determined in the HHH Teachers’ Handbook. Pick up promptly from specials and lunch. 3. Let the children know ahead of time what is expected of them. 4. Be consistent and uniform from day to day in dealing with the students. 5. Be fair with all students. 6. Set schedules for work and follow them. 7. Be well organized so you have materials, equipment, etc. ready for class so it should not be necessary to leave regularly for Xeroxing work etc.

The Principal and Assistant Principal will be available to help with discipline problems. Following the

District “Code of Conduct,” we will support the aim of helping students become responsible and respectful citizens. Threatening to send students to the office as an everyday technique wears thin quickly and loses its effectiveness. Likewise, sending students to the office with no written explanation is equally ineffective. If prepared beforehand, or at least by having a written account of the problem, the principal may more likely help you achieve positive results.

The main objective is we all work together to provide guidance for our students. They will be as disciplined as we direct them to be, but we must all work together to give them the most effective direction.

4. SIGNAL HILL SCHOOL 670 Caledonia Road Dix Hills, New York 11746

BEGINNING OF THE YEAR ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL PROCEDURE BUS DUTY: Bus Duty Teachers (from bus duty schedule) Kindergarten and Grade 1 Teachers INTAKE: Intake Teacher from Bus Duty Schedule and All Unassigned Teachers

I. Release only Kindergarten and Grade 1 students from each bus. (The First 4 Days of School Only)

A. Kindergarten students tags will be color coded

1. K-L/G -- Red 2. K-L -- Yellow

3. K-T -- Green 4. K-S -- Blue

B. First Grade

1. All tags are Brown

II. When all Kindergarten and Grade 1 students are settled, release all other students from busses. (First Day Only)

A. Grades 2 and 3 report to the cafeteria

B. Grades 4 and 5 report to the gymnasium

III. Dismissal

A. Kindergarten and Grade 1 dismiss at 3:15 if busses are available (as per announcements). B. Grades 2-5 wait until announcement is given. C. Please be patient with beginning of the year glitches.

Thank you for your cooperation.

5. SIGNAL HILL SCHOOL 670 Caledonia Road Dix Hills, New York 11746 TO: Signal Hill Staff, Transportation FROM: Ms. Deborah Ostrosky, Principal RE: Arrival Procedure

Please be aware of the following procedure to be used at the Signal Hill School:

1. The first bus to arrive is to pull up to the end of the circle, as far as possible.

2. Bus duty teachers report to the platform by 9:05 a.m. When all busses are in or at 9:08, the teachers on bus duty will signal drivers to unload starting with the last bus. We request that the drivers DO NOT unload until the bus duty teacher signals the busses.

3. When the last bus is emptied, the busses will depart. At no time should a bus

be moving or leaving next to children walking on the bus platform. Bus duty teachers should be sure all students are a safe distance from our yellow lines.

4. At dismissal, please do not release the busses until a teacher signals the first

bus.

We are all on the same team with the same goal in mind: to transport the students safely and efficiently. Please let me know if I can help at any time.

6. Bus Duty Information

8:55 A.M. SHARP

P.M.

Center Check-off

Bus check-off stationed outside at center of platform marking busses in. Report to the main office at the end of morning bus duty and let them know if all busses are in or if any are missing.

Teacher check-off stationed at the flagpole. Monitor platform to insure all students are in their proper bus lines.

Primary Door

Teacher stationed outside in front of Primary Wing, monitoring platform from Caledonia to center of platform.

Teacher stationed outside the Primary Wing, monitoring platform from Caledonia to center of platform.

Intake

Teacher stationed by the office with the drop-offs throughout entire arrival process.

Teacher stationed outside, monitoring platform throughout entire dismissal process. This teacher should be standing at the most recent bus that just pulled in insuring that no children walk past them. This teacher will constantly be shifting down until they end up at the teacher’s parking lot with the last bus that pulled in.

Times to Remember 8:55 - All A.M. Bus Duty personnel must report to their locations

3:12 - Pick-ups announced (please send children immediately) Children go to gym. 3:12 - Bus duty teachers go to designated supervision areas. Announcer: Report to Main Office Mrs. Russo: Outside with walkie-talkie to announce bus numbers >Center Check-off - by flagpole supervising own class and Mrs. Russo’s class >Primary Door - own class lined-up outside room 109

>Intake - own class *Mrs. Pinzino will be outside monitoring the Safety Patrol

**Mr. Smalley will be monitoring bus issues

All teachers should be stationed in their doorways monitoring children. As soon as the busses come in, the announcement will be made to dismiss specified children. An announcement will be made as to when Kindergarten teachers may walk their classes to their perspective busses.

· 3:18 - Classes will be called 5 - 2; 3 - 4; K - 1. Teachers may walk any remaining students outside to the bus platform

· 3:20 - All students should be on their bus or designated area!

REACH - CHECK STUDENT ATTENDANCE DAILY Safety Patrol Monitors will help out in assigned areas.

Teachers: It is your responsibility to inform Chris Smalley and the main office about any change to the bus duty schedule.

8. SIGNAL HILL SCHOOL 670 Caledonia Road Dix Hills, New York 11746 TO: Signal Hill Staff FROM: Ms. Deborah Ostrosky, Principal RE: Inclement Weather Dismissal

These are the steps to be followed:

1. The announcement that bus duty teachers will have an inclement weather dismissal will be made approximately at 3:00 p.m.

2. The bus duty teachers, listed on the regular schedule, will assume bus platform

duty for that afternoon.

3. Bus duty teachers will bring their classes to the gym no later than 3:15 p.m. where they will be met by the teachers assigned on the inclement weather schedule. They will supervise both classes and send children out to busses as the bus numbers are announced.

4. Duty Teachers should notify the first bus driver who arrives not to leave until a

signal is given by the duty teacher to do so.

Teacher's check-off at main office with Intake Teacher. PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

1. As soon as you hear a bus number called, send the children to the bus platform.

2. Teachers on duty in the hallways are asked to remind the children not to run.

3. When all but 2 of the regular busses have arrived, we will call for classroom teachers to bring the remaining children to the gym.

4. In order to be sure all students have left their room, teachers of grades K-5 are

to have their names checked off by Intake Teacher who will be standing in front of the main office.

9. SIGNAL HILL SCHOOL 670 Caledonia Road Dix Hills, New York 11746 EMERGENCY DISMISSAL PROCEDURE

In the event of an emergency the following procedure will be put into effect:

1. The District Automated Phone System will be initiated by the principal and secretaries. The following message is to be transmitted:

“Because of ______ emergency, school has been dismissed and all students are now being sent home. Please do not attempt to drive to school to pick up students.”

The emergency telephone chain is to be initiated immediately.

2. Classroom teachers are to report to their room with their children and remain there until

dismissal instructions are given. Please be sure you account for every child.

3. Special Area Teachers, clerical personnel, custodians, kitchen personnel, aides and monitors are to report to the office for further instructions.

4. School Nurse - is to remain in the Health Office to coordinate the securing of first aid

supplies.

5. We will use the rainy day dismissal procedure.

6. In the absence of bus transportation, all students are to remain in classrooms until further directions (parent pick up, etc.).

7. Once children have left the building, adults may leave.

10. SIGNAL HILL SCHOOL 670 Caledonia Road Dix Hills, New York 11746 FIRE/EVACUATION DRILL PROCEDURE I. IMPORTANT

Stress to your class on the first day of school and several times throughout the year the following: If a child is in the hall, bathroom, or any area other than their classroom when the fire bell rings, they are not to return to their classroom. Instruct children to go to the nearest exit first then walk outside the school to your class line up area.

Check your class attendance immediately when your class exits from the building. Stress to the children that a fire drill is a quiet drill (for the purpose of order and avoiding panic during a real emergency situation).

1. Begin leading your class to safety immediately after hearing the signal. Do not waste

precious time in conferring with other teachers. Always assume that we have a real fire. 2. Practice the procedure with your class daily in the Fall, if necessary, so they react

without a command from you. 3. Absolute quiet and order must be maintained by all children during an entire drill. 4. Each teacher is required to take their emergency response folder with him/her and

check the attendance immediately after arriving in the safety area. A report that all the children have been safely evacuated, or the names of any missing children, should be available upon request.

5. Special Teachers with an entire class will be responsible for the children they are with. The Special Teacher will perform all the functions required of the class teacher and will remain with the class during a drill. In the event of an actual emergency, the classroom teacher will rejoin his/her class.

6. If a drill should occur during a lunch period, the cafeteria aides are responsible for leading the children out of the lunchroom. Teachers of the children eating lunch will report to the cafeteria to render all possible assistance to keep order and check to see no children are left behind.

7. According to NYS Law, we must have a total of 12 fire drills per year - 8 of which are to be held between Sept. 1 and Dec. 1 of the year.

8. The “ALL CLEAR” signal is a repeat of the fire bells. 9. Reminder: Become familiar with the school map and your classroom’s assigned zone.

11.

II. DUTIES OF OTHER SCHOOL PERSONNEL

1. Office Personnel a. Call: Dix Hills Fire Dept. - prior to drill. b. Leave building - report to Principal at area outside Exit #4 (main entrance).

9. Kitchen Personnel

b. Turn off all gas and electrical equipment. b. Leave building - remain outside kitchen area until all-clear signal is received.

10. Custodial Staff

c. Go through the building to determine everyone is out (check rooms, toilets, etc.), to assist in evacuating anyone still in the building. Determine the location of the emergency and extent of damage. Do not combat the emergency. Head Custodian will be responsible for area A. A custodian will be responsible for area B, after 1:00p.m. Prior to 1:00p.m., the Principal will check area B.

d. Shut off all air systems in the building. e. Report to Principal at Exit 4 (main entrance). f. Head Custodian will be assigned to summon assistance if the telephone is out of

service.

11. Nurse Establish an emergency aid station on the basketball courts, if needed.

12. Lunch Monitors

In the event of a fire drill during lunch, you are to use the exit doors in the lunchroom and go to the grass median in front of the building. As this is a potentially dangerous area due to passing traffic, monitors should conduct practice drills without bells to organize the students by class.

All teachers whose classes are at lunch are to report to the same areas to be with his/her class.

III. If your regular exit is blocked, use the next nearest exit. Rehearse this procedure with

children. IV. If you are unable to exit your room, use the emergency window. Check to see if the window

operates freely. Report any difficulty to the Principal.

12.

SIGNAL HILL SCHOOL 670 Caledonia Road Dix Hills, New York 11746 EMERGENCY DRILLS ***ALL STAFF MEMBERS MUST WEAR THEIR I.D. BADGES AT ALL TIMES***

All Teachers must have their room keys.

1. Every school has an Emergency Management Plan. * 2. Building Safety Team: Deborah Ostrosky, Christopher Smalley, Christine Russo,

Jim Reichert, Jody Brower, Jenine Unverzagt, Maryann Vosilla, Pat Clemente, Debbie Polidora.

3. Drills: Fire/Evacuation Drill (12)

Lock Down Drill (as designated) Sheltering Drill (as designated)

4. Lock Down Drill – Refer to Emergency Folder. 5. Sheltering/Relocation Drill – Refer to Emergency Folder. 6. Please speak with the Principal or an Emergency Management Team member if you

have any questions.

14. SIGNAL HILL SCHOOL

670 Caledonia Road Dix Hills, New York 11746 TEACHER NAME___________________________ DATE OF TRIP_____________

F I E L D T R I P C H E C K L I S T

Be aware the teacher-in-charge is responsible for:

_____ 1. Filling out trip request forms. _____ 2. Making bus arrangements. _____ 3. Distributing and collecting parent consent forms. (In duplicate) _____ 4. Making arrangements for custodial help before or after school hours. _____ 5. Notifying the office, well in advance, if petty cash is needed. Documentation is required. _____ 6. Providing an emergency contact person and phone chain if trip is returning after school hours. _____ 7. Obtaining a First Aid Kit from the nurse and leave your cell phone number with her and the office. Pick up all appropriate medication for your

student(s). #______________ _____ 8. Notifying the office if any children are not going on the trip and what arrangements have been made for these students. _____ 9. Notifying the lunchroom and lunch monitors of the trip and your lunch plans. Cafeteria Initial Here __________ _____ 10. Taking attendance on Infinite Campus and leaving an absence list at the office before leaving school. _____ 11. Remind Parent Chaperones not to park on the blacktop. SEND CHECKLIST TO THE MAIN OFFICE JUST BEFORE TRIP DEPARTS

15.

SIGNAL HILL SCHOOL 670 Caledonia Road Dix Hills, New York 11746

Showcases and Bulletin Boards

As a general rule, the bulletin board or showcase immediately adjacent to the classroom is the responsibility of the classroom teacher. The board/showcase should represent students' work and be changed regularly.

The schedule for showcases A and B is as follows (hallway leading to 200 wing). The schedule for Bulletin Board C is as follows (in-between stage doors). The requirements for the bulletin boards are on the attached page.

Month Showcase A (closest to the office)

Showcase B

Bulletin Board C

Sept. Library Gym Welcome Back

Oct. 2-C/G 2-B

Nov. 2-S 2-L

4th Grade

(21st Century Skills)

Dec. 2-P Reading

Jan. Health Reading

1st Grade

(Social Studies)

Feb. O/T Speech

Mar. E.S.L. Enrichment

3rd Grade (science)

Apr. Band Orchestra

May

Kindergarten

(writing)

June

5th Grade

(collaborative projects)

5th Grade

(collaborative projects)

16.

SIGNAL HILL SCHOOL 670 Caledonia Road Dix Hills, New York 11746

Showcases and Bulletin Board All displays should reflect the units of study and/or curriculum that is being followed in the Half Hollow Hills School District. The displays do not necessarily have to highlight the work that is being done at that particular time of year. The target audience for these showcases and bulletin boards are the parents. All displays will give parents a window into the classroom that they would not normally see. Student work samples, final products, and photographs that show students collaborating with one another are very useful. Showcases and bulletin boards are a way to highlight the creativity, diversity, and collaborative efforts that take place in classrooms each day. Showcases A and B will represent some of the student work that is being done in the respective classrooms. The showcases may highlight some of the skills and strategies that the students are using to achieve their goals. Some of these skills can be shown through various work samples or final products while other hands on skills can only be captured through photographs. It is the teacher’s discretion as to what can be put in this showcase as long as it complies with the district curriculum. Bulletin Board C will display work that highlights the skills and strategies being implemented by students across a grade. The creation of this bulletin board will be a collaborative effort among the teachers and should represent some student work that is at grade level expectations and some student work that is above grade level expectations. Teachers will meet as a team to review the work samples they would like to display. Each teacher should submit a few samples from their class. Photographs of students “in action” from each class may be necessary to highlight some of the skills and strategies being used. The creativity of this board is at the discretion of the teachers. The bulletin board will have a theme based on either math, social studies, science, or writing. There is no “one way” to create a bulletin board and although each board should be aesthetically pleasing, it’s the student work samples that should have the biggest impact.

17. SIGNAL HILL SCHOOL 670 Caledonia Road Dix Hills, New York 11746 L U N C H S E A T I N G 2009/2010 Grades 1 & 3 Period 1: 11:15-12:00 Gr. 1 = 1st part of lunch time Gr. 3 = 2nd part of lunch time

Grades 2 & 4 Period 2: 12:05-12:50 Gr. 2 = 1st part of lunch time Gr. 4 = 2nd part of lunch time Grades K & 5 Period 3: 12:55- 1:40 Gr. K = 1st part of lunch time Gr. 5 = 2nd part of lunch time

Classrooms will be assigned specific tables on the first day of school .

18.

Planbook and Student Assessment Due Dates Planbooks will be collected according to the following schedule and due on Monday except where noted. Student Assessments will be collected from different grade levels in addition to planbooks a few times throughout the year. Your grade level will know in advance when these will be collected and these assessments refer to the district mandated unit assessments that can be found in the district curriculum guides. The assessments will only be requested after their respective district tentative due date.

SEPT.

OCT.

NOV.

DEC.

JAN.

FEB.

MAR.

APR.

MAY

SPECIALS SERVICES

A.I.S.

20

4

1

6

3

7

7

4

9

K-2

20

12

(Tues.)

8

13

10

14

14

11

16

3-5

27

19

15

20

18 (Tues.)

28

21

25

23

19. SIGNAL HILL SCHOOL 670 Caledonia Road Dix Hills, New York 11746 STUDENT ATTENDANCE - RECORD KEEPING

It is your legal responsibility to accurately keep track of student attendance. DIRECTIONS:

Record attendance on computer with Infinite Campus.

Keep student roster as your “back up” copy and also a copy for a substitute teacher.

IMPORTANT - When a child arrives late, ask for late pass and then record the date and time the child arrives at your room. Gerri will also record early pick-ups.

If a child leaves school early, record the date and time.

Use the “Codes” from Infinite Campus

Secure a note for all absences/lateness. SEND NOTES TO HEALTH OFFICE AS THEY ARE RECEIVED. If no note is received, make an indication in your record book.

NOTE: Coding on the attached page may change per district policy.