Cranford H. Burns

Middle School

An Engineering and Technology School

Engage, Explore, Summarize, Redesign

Faculty Handbook

2016-2017

“A caring community school with dedicated servants giving every child every chance”

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MobileCountyPublic School Calendar 5

BurnsMiddle SchoolBell Schedule 6

Discrimination Statement 7

SECTION I - EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 8

A. Fire Drill Procedures 9

B. Tornado Drill Procedures 9

C. Tornado Instructions 9

D. Lockdown Procedures 9

SECTION II - STUDENT PROCEDURES10

A. Student Attendance 11

1. Faculty Procedures for Student Absenteeism11

2. Recording Student Attendance11

3. Admission Slips11

4. Early Dismissals11

5. Attendance Responsibilities12

B. Student Discipline13

1. Hall Pass 13

2. MCPSS Student Discipline Referral Form13

3. Uniform Requirements14

C. Illness or Injury 14

D. Grading Procedures 14

E. Make-up Work 15

F. Progress Reports15

G. After-school Supervision15

H. Student Use of Internet/Computers16

SECTION III - FACULTY INFORMATION17

A. General18

1. Employee Dress Code18

2. Announcements18

3. Board Policy Book - Educational Media19

4. After Hours Alarm Code19

5. Care of Property19

6. Dress Code - Staff19

7. E-mail19

8. Faculty Meetings18

9. Illness or Injury18

10. Lounge19

11. Mailboxes20

12. Payroll Calendar20

13. Supplements20

14. Part-time Employment20

15. Proofreading20

16. Syllabus20

17. Unauthorized Persons at School20

18. Use of Facilities21

19. Test/Assessments21

20. Staff Development21

B. Funds 21

1. Collection and Expenditures of Funds21

2. Collections21

3. Expenditures22

4. Payments22

5. View Master Deposits22

6. Fixed Assets22

7. Fund Raising22

C. Copy Machine 22

D. Custodial or Repair Services 23

E. Daily Attendance, Teacher Absences and Leave 23

F. Records 23

1. INOW/Plan/Grade Binder24

2. Testing/Assessments24

3. Confidentiality of Records24

4. Permission to Photograph Students24

5. Demographics25

G. Educational Excursions25

H. Academics 25

1. Grade Reporting25

2. Lesson Plans26

3. Pupil Progression26

4. Courses Leading to Promotion26

5. Promotion27

6. Remediation27

7. Acceleration27

8. Special Education Student27

Accommodations/Modifications27

9. Extracurricular Activity - Academics First27

10. Advanced Classes – Placement28

11. IEP-EL Grading28

SECTION IV – APPENDIX29

1. Application for Leave-HR 12430

2. MCPSS Student Discipline Referral Form31

3. Teacher Schedule32

4. Student Conference Review Form33

5. Field Trip Guidelines34

9. Field Trip Checklist35

10. Field Trip Permission Slip36

11. Educational Excursion/Bus Authorization Form37

12. Request for Driver Form38

13. Procedures for Purchase Orders39

14. Cash Receipts39

15. Fax Machine Instructions40

16. Copyright Policies40

17. Safety Plan – Staff Instructions 41-50

18. Duty Rosters 51-53

19. Teacher Leadership Roles 43

20. MCPSS Mission Statement54

21. Donated Materials & Supplies 55

Cranford Burns Middle School

Bell Schedule

2016-2017

Take-In Bell / 7:15
HR / 7:25-7:35 (10 Minutes)
1st Period / 7:39-8:39 (60 Minutes)
2nd Period / 8:43-9:43 (60 Minutes)
3rd Period / 9:47-10:47 (60 Minutes)
4th Period / 10:51-12:15
(60 minutes plus lunch)
5th Period / 12:19-1:19 (60 Minutes)
6th Period / 1:23-2:25 (60 Minutes)

Teacher Duty Times

  • Supervise your students to P.E.
  • Supervise class changes by being in the halls, not in your room.
  • All teachers have an assigned duty station for morning and/or afternoon duty. Be sure you tell your sub where your duty is and remind them they are supposed to do your duty.
  • Supervise students to and from lunch. Please do not SEND your class to lunch, escort them.

Morning Duty

Be at assigned duty station by 7:05 AM. Remain on duty until take in bell if a homeroom teacher, all others on duty should remain until tardy bell and halls are clear.

Afternoon Duty

Stay on duty until 2:47.

DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

The Mobile County Public School System (MCPSS) does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in employment or educational services, activities, and programs. This district complies with all federal and state laws and regulations regarding discrimination. Employment related inquiries and/or grievances should be directed to the Assistant Superintendent or Executive Manager for Human Resources or the Personnel Administrator for Employee Relations at P.O. Box 180069, Mobile, Alabama, 36618 or call (251) 221-4531. Student related inquiries and/or grievances should be directed to the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, P.O. Box 180069, Mobile, Alabama, 36618 or call (251) 221-4245.

SECTION I

Emergency Procedures

Go to the Appendix, page 52, for full Safety Plan and Emergency Procedures for Faculty and Staff

I. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

A. Fire Drill Procedures:

Fire drills will be held monthly during the school year. The signal will be ringing of the bells in a distinctive manner. The difference between a fire drill and a tornado drill will be demonstrated by the administration. Teachers and staff will escort students from the building following the green evacuation routes marked on the Emergency map. Take time to instruct all your students in the Fire and Tornado Drill procedures the first few days of school. These instructions are listed on the Emergency Map located by the doorway in every room in the building.

B. Tornado Drill Procedures:

Tornado drills will be held periodically during the school year. The signal will be ringing of the bells in a continuous manner. The difference between a fire drill and a tornado drill will be demonstrated by the administration. Take time to instruct all your students in Fire and Tornado Drill procedures when teaching your classroom procedures during the first few days of school. Be sure your Tornado/Fire Map is posted by the doorway in your room.

C. Tornado Instructions:

During the warning, the students kneel on the floor facing the wall with hands covering the head and with their backs to the corridor walls or glass areas. Coats and jackets could be used to cover heads, arms and legs, so as to reduce the number of injuries from flying missiles of glass and other debris.

Exterior doors leading into the tornado resistant areas should be opened against the adjacent wall. Students should be located as far as possible from all exterior walls in corridors, particularly if they contain windows or doors.

The tornado resistant area required for the students in this school was based on an allowance of five square feet of floor area per student. It is recommended that a test be made to determine the maximum number of students that can be located in the more resistant areas.

D. Lockdown Emergency- When it is announced that the school is in Lockdown the following procedure should be followed by the classroom teachers:

  1. Lock your doors.
  2. Cover door window and any exterior windows where someone could see in.
  3. Check to see who is out of the room and notify the office with a list of these students. DO NOT send students out to get these students.
  4. Keep students away from windows and remain calm and silent.
  5. Follow Lockdown procedure until the administration notifies you that it is safe to resume normal activity. Communication may be by: intercom system, Remind 101 text

SECTION II

Student Procedures

II. STUDENT PROCEDURES

A. Student Attendance:

1. Faculty Procedures for Middle School Absenteeism

  • Each student is responsible for reporting to school and to each class in accordance with his approved schedule.
  • Each teacher shall be responsible for checking the rolls daily in their assigned classes and properly recording the student’s attendance.
  • A student approved by the principal or his designee to participate in or attend a school sponsored or other approved activity during the school day shall be counted present.
  • Students are responsible for all assignments missed while participating in or attending approved activities.
  • The principal shall notify teachers in advance of students who will be attending approved activities so they will be counted present.
  • In cases of prolonged absence due to illness, the parent or guardian shall seek assistance from the special education homebound program through Student Services or make other reasonable arrangements with the principal.
  • The principal or his designee should make reasonable efforts to contact (by telephone, school messenger or in writing) the parents of any absent student.

2. Recording StudentAttendance

Homeroom teachers will record student absences using the INOW classroom module. Attendance records should be accurate and up to date. If a student is absent when the roll is called, post the absence in INOW. Students reporting to school tardy should come to homeroom with a tardy slip from the office. At the end of homeroom, post attendance on the Classroom Module (no later than 9:00am.). The office will prepare a daily absentee list.

A student absent the previous day will bring a note from a parent or guardian, which will give a reason for the absence. Students have three days to bring a note for their absence. (Keep notes on file for the entire school year). Code the absence with the appropriate symbol.

The office staff is available to assist with attendance questions or issues. However, the teacher is responsible for keeping updated and accurate attendance records and for making all corrections when needed. When a parent/guardian is summoned to truancy court, your records will be used as evidence and in some cases the teacher may be asked to testify to the accuracy of the records.

3. Admission Slip

If a student arrives at school after homeroom period, they are to report directly to the office for a blue admission slip. If a student’s name is on the absentee list, do not admit him to your class without an admission slip from the office.

Homeroom teachers will issue an admission slip to all students absent from school the previous day. Indicate the proper code for the absence. Each teacher will sign the admission slip for the appropriate class period and return it to the student. The last teacher signing the admission slip will return it to the homeroom teacher’s box in the lounge. If a student does not bring a note, issue him a temporary admission slip and indicate on the blue slip that it is temporary.

4. Early Dismissals

No early dismissals after 2:00 p.m. Early Dismissal Check-out times are posted in the office & Web site to protect instructional time.

5. Attendance Responsibilities

Responsibility of Parent - Grades K-8

A. Students are required to be on time for school. It is the responsibility of parents or guardians to assure that their children arrive on time each day.

B. Any time that a student is absent, the parent or guardian must send a written note to school satisfactorily explaining the absence. A satisfactory note from a parent or guardian meets the following state guidelines: illness; death in the immediate family; inclement weather which would be dangerous to the life and health of the child as determined by the principal; legal quarantine; emergency conditions as determined by the principal; and prior permission of the principal and consent of the parent or guardian. The note or doctor's excuse must be sent to school within three days of the student's return to school to be counted as an excused absence.

C. A written note from parents/guardians, as described above, will excuse absences for up to but not exceeding (8) eight absences. Homeroom teachers are responsible for notifying the student/parent when they have used all 8 parent excuses.

D. Parents/guardians of a student who is absent (9) nine or more times must present a doctor's excuse to the school in order for the absence to be excused.

E. Parents/guardians of any student with a chronic ailment that may cause the child to miss school during the year are required to provide the school with a doctor's statement verifying the child's condition. This must be done as soon as the problem occurs and repeated at the beginning of each semester.

F. Excused absences for family vacations are strongly discouraged and will be permitted only if there are unusual circumstances that, within the principal's discretion, merit an excused absence. Further, an excused absence will not be granted unless the parent obtains priorpermission from the principal.

G. Students must be in attendance one-half of the instructional day to be counted present, either 7:25-11:00 or 11:00-2:32. Tardies and early dismissals are strongly discouraged and can affect a student’s grades.

Head lice: Students are allowed three excused absences for each occurrence of head lice.

Suspension: Suspensions are unexcused absences and can result in referral to the Early Warning Truancy Program. Students are allowed to make-up work when suspended from school.

Responsibility of School Official - Grades K-12

The principal must assure that the following measures are taken to correct attendance problems prior to action by Student Support Services:

A. The school messenger system will make a concerted effort each day to contact the parent or guardian of any child who is absent.

B. On the first unexcused absence, the system automatically sends a letter to the parent/guardian. C. Suspension days are excused absences. All suspended students must be given any assignment they will miss during their suspension.

B. Student Discipline

1. Yellow Hall Pass

To control the movement and location of students in the building teachers must issue yellow hall passes Located in the front office or see an administrator.

  • Passes are issued to students EVERY time they leave your class but should only be issued during the first 5 mins. of class. Passes are not to be issued during homeroom period (except on your HR library day).
  • Passes must be filled out with student’s name, the time, destination and teacher’s signature
  • Passes are not to be issued after 2:15. Students should be listening for afternoon announcements.
  • No student should be given a pass out of your class unless you approve it.

2. Student Discipline Referral Forms

In situations involving classroom discipline, every teacher is expected to do the following:

  1. Provide a classroom atmosphere that promotes and models respectful and productive behavior.
  2. Keep a record of discipline and steps taken to improve behaviors, which should always include parent contact.
  3. Students are not to be put out of the classroom for any reason. Call an administrator if a student needs to be removed.
  4. Never just tell a student to get out. You are expected to supervise every student scheduled for your class. If they are outside the room you are not supervising, but you are still responsible for them.
  5. Never send a student to an administrator. Send a discipline referral form by a reliable student. The administrator will assist as soon as possible.
  1. Discipline Plan

Teacher Interventions:Administrative Interventions:

Verbal WarningAdministrative contact with parent

Parent ContactRetract

Team MeetingRefer to PST for Formal support

Team Conference Suspension

Administrative ReferralAlternative Placement

  1. Document your consequences.
  2. Contact parent/guardian to ask for assistance with the problem behavior. Document what was discussed and action plan for correcting behavior.
  3. Set up a conference where the issues can be discussed with the student, parents and an administrator, if needed.
  4. Fully complete a MCPSS Student Discipline Form.
  5. Teachers should handle all type A offenses. Reoccurring type A offenses should be documented and all documentation must be turned in with the office referral.
  6. Students are not to be put out of the classroom for any reason. Call for an administrator if a student needs to be removed.

The process for disciplining any student is intended to be instructional and corrective, not just punitive.

Students should never be allowed to have inappropriate behavior in your class. Address it with corrective strategies the first time it occurs. Trying to undo inappropriate behavior once it has been allowed is impossible for most teachers. The following suggestions may help correct inappropriate behaviors:

  • Talk with the student in private at the first sign of inappropriate behavior. Be stern so they know you are not going to allow them to be disruptive.
  • If inappropriate behavior continues take disciplinary action. You may need to look into underlining problems (ex. learning difficulties) and contact parent/guardian.
  • In cases of physical aggressive, drugs or weapons notify administrators as soon as you are aware of the problem.

Teachers should never leave their class unsupervised to take a student to the office.

Zero Tolerance

  • Fighting
  • Threatening a Teacher
  • Possession of a weapon
  • Possession of a controlled substance
  • Stealing
  • Smoking

Out of School Suspension:

Students who are suspended may not attend any school function or be present on campus while under suspension. Parents MUST be notified of the suspension by the administration.

  1. Uniform Violations

Homeroom Teachers are responsible for checking students for correct uniform during homeroom every morning and addressing uniform violations according to Burns’ policy during homeroom.

1st Violation – Verbal warning

2nd Violation –Student is given the Uniform Violation Letter to return with parent signature

3rdViolation – Teacher calls and speaks with parent and gives a 2nd Uniform Violation Letter to return with parent signature.

4th Violation -Student is referred to administrator with copies of previous uniform violation letters. Parent contact or conference will be schedule.

5th Violation -Student is referred to administrator.

Reoccurring uniform violations are considered willful acts of disobedience. Previous attempts to get student and parent to comply with policy should be documented so that administrators can discipline accordingly. The Administrative Staff has the final authority in interpreting the school’s Uniform Dress Code Policy

  1. Tardy Policy and Procedure

ALL tardy students should be required to sign the class tardy log upon entering the classroom. Administrative steps cannot be taken unless this policy is enforced.

First tardy to class - Teacher disciplinary action – classroom consequence

Second tardy to class – Teacher talks or meets parent/guardian

Third tardy to class - Referral to administrators-complete the discipline form and forward to administrator with dates of previous tardies and discussion with parent.

*Students who are tardy to class in period 2-6 must be admitted to class and not sent elsewhere for a tardy pass.

*The Tardy policy will be evaluated during the school year and changes may take place.

C. Illness or Injury

If a student should become seriously injured or become seriously ill while under your supervision, please notify the office prior to moving the student. Injuries and accidents must be reported by the teacheron an accident form and turned in to the office as soon as possible. Your accurate written account of the incident is vital in the report.

ALL injuries should be reported to the office.

D. Grading Procedures:

Your grade book should set up so that 60% of the student’s grade comes from major tests, 10% for homework, and 30% represents other forms of assessment. Please check to be sure you are assessing students’ academics, not compliance. Grades should be entered into the grade book weekly. A minimum of 5 MAJOR grades per quarter are required, with a minimum of 14 total grades per quarter. Grades should be updated weekly in INOW so parents have an accurate accounts of their child’s progress.