NEILHELLMANSCHOOL

NEILHELLMANSCHOOL

2012-2013

PRACTICE GUIDE

This practice guide is intended to be a reference of step by step procedures and practices for educational staff. Please use this as a resource to assist in addressing the everyday challenges that you face in your classroom.

Please bring this guide to all meeting that you attend during the 2012-2013 school year.

An electronic version of this practice guide can be found at S://Neil Hellman/2012-2013 documents/Practice Guide.doc. A link to this manual will be placed on your desktop.

Building Safety and Security

Preserving the safety and security of the NeilHellmanSchool is a task that requires the assistance and cooperation of all members of our school community.

Locking Doors

At 8:45 am ALL exterior doorsare locked and should not be propped open. Staff members can access entry doors using swipe/ID cards. All visitors are to use the main entrance to enter the building.

Visitors

All visitors must report directly to the main office and sign in. Likewise students who are late for school or leaving early must be signed in and out in the main office by an approved adult. If you see an individual in the building without a visitors pass or a Parsons ID badge, please direct them to the main office so that they may be properly signed in as a guest.

Employee Accident and Injuries must be reported to Parsons’ Human Resources Department as soon as possible:

  1. Complete an accident/injury report and give it to an administrator as soon as possible.
  2. The administrator will send the report to Ralph LaMontagna in the HR Department.
  3. Any medical information, billing statements or worker’s compensation documents must be sent by the employee to the attention of Ralph LaMontagna in the HR Department
  4. Based on situational requirements, the HR Department will file for worker’s compensation benefits or pay outstanding bills
  5. Your time card must reflect the time that you worked on the day of the accident or the injury. Hours missed and days lost thereafter are to be noted as worker’s compensation (WC).

If you are injured at Parsons you have several options

  1. see immediate care at the nearest emergency facility
  2. you may go to the Parsons Employee Physician

1971 Western Ave.
Albany, NY12203
Phone: (518) 452-2597
Fax: (518) 452-4348

  1. Contact Parsons Human Resources office and be directed to the nearest MetraCompActiv Physician
  2. Call 1-888-263-7879 and C.N.A. Insurance will help you locate a Metra CompActiv Provider
  3. Go to your own doctor or hospital emergency room

When you set up the appointment you must let the provider know that the injury is a worker’s compensation claim and that you are employed at Parsons Child and FamilyCenter.

Student injuries - If a student under your supervision is injured:

  1. Call the medical clinic (x2721) and inform them of the nature of the injury and ask for advisement.
  2. Document any nursing care on an incident report
  3. Document the injury on an accident/injury
  4. Both the accident and incident reports must be given to an administrator before the end of the work day.

Fire Drills

When the fire alarm rings:

  1. Collect the students under your supervision into an orderly line and proceed to the nearest available exit.
  2. Close windows and doors.
  3. Check bathrooms and all classroom areas to make sure all students and staff members are evacuating.
  4. Upon arrival at designated evacuation area confirm that all students are present and accounted for.
  5. Report any missing students to an individual in possession of a walkie-talkie (administrators and integration staff) immediately.
  6. Instruct students to remain calm and quiet during the fire drill.
  7. Students and staff may return to the building after the all clear signal has been sounded.

Emergency Procedures - Throughout the year, situations arise requiring the need for a building wide response. Specific announcements by means of the P.A. system will alert the staff to these situations and initiate the appropriate building wide responses. Please refer to the following link to access emergency response procedures at the NeilHellmanSchool

Emergency Response Procedures

(A copy of these procedures can also be found in the inside flap of this manual)

NHS Expectations:

Be Safe

Be Respectful

Be There and Ready

Do your Best

Staff are expected to model school rules for students at all times.

Please remember that hats and coats are not to be worn in the building during the school day; that electronic devices are to be silenced and stowed during the school day and that NHS Students are to be supervised by staff at all times.

Specific school policies regarding dress code, electronic devices and general conduct can be found in the NHS Staff handbook.

Classroom Discipline Guidelines

  1. Teach NHS rules to all students throughout the year
  2. Display rules in your classroom
  3. Practice rules as necessary and applicable
  4. Recognize when students do the right thing.

Most challenging behavior can be dealt with directly by classroom staff members during the course of the school day.

Some examples of possible interventions by classroom staff include:

  1. Time away within the classroom
  2. Consequences to fit the inappropriate behavior (i.e. write on desk  clean desk)
  3. Change students seat
  4. Verbal warning
  5. Allow points/levels to reflect behavior
  6. Note to parent or guardian
  7. Phone call home
  8. Involve clinician
  9. Program from side office
  10. Request a break for a student with an integration staff
  11. Planned ignoring
  12. Hurdle Help
  13. Hypodermic Affection

Responding to Student Behaviors

Behaviors managed by classroom staff: These behaviors should be managed by the teachers and teaching assistants in the classroom. It is not necessary to notify supervisors, integration specialists, or social workers at the time of the incident, but it should be noted on point sheets/incident reports as appropriate.

Out of classroom with supervision

Profanity

Throwing objects

Running in hallways

Cheating

Arguing

Disrespectful language

Lying

Dress code violations

An integration specialist should be notified of the following behaviors:

Persistent (3x) behaviors from the above list

Out of class/out of building when additional support is needed

Harassment

Vandalism

Extended (more than 10 minutes) classroom disruption

Repeated intimidation/threats

Provocation which leads to physical aggression

The Integration Specialist Supervisor will notify a Principal of the following behaviors:

Missing persons

Code of Conduct Violations

Safety threats

Weapon Possession/Use

Physical Interventions

Smoking

Need for outside assistance

Need for immediate response team

Injury to student or staff member

NIMRS reportable incidents

Calling for assistance

All classrooms have a networked telecommunication system. If you need assistance please dial 2876. When the staff member assigned to the communication room answers the call please clearly state specific assistance that you need. (i.e. “This is Mrs. Smith in room 200 I need an extra adult immediately to help with student behavior.”)

Integration Specialists

The school employs integration staff who assist with the implementation of the educational, behavioral and therapeutic aspects of the NeilHellmanSchool. Integration staff can be found in our hallways, in classrooms and in break spaces.

All of our integration staff carry walkie-talkies with them. If a student requests a break from an integration staff or if you need their assistance, please use the telephone in your classroom to notify the communication room. The communication room coordinator will inform the integration staff of your request.

Referrals to 2pm Meeting

Most behavioral difficulties are dealt with immediately by classroom staff. For more significant problems that may need additional interventions (i.e. fights, sexual harassment, persistent verbal abuse), staff members may consult with the 2:00 meeting team (administration, clinical supervisors, integration supervisor).

During this meeting staff directly affected by the untoward behaviors work with the 2:00 meeting team to determine an appropriate response to the behavior. Examples of appropriate responses might include mediation between two students, restitution, programming out of a side office for a period, increased observation, a meeting with the principal, APR or suspension. Any behaviors that rise to this level of intervention need to be documented on a NHS incident report. When a student is referred to APR a processing time will be scheduled

The outcome of the 2:00 meeting is published via email daily. Classroom staff are responsible for checking this document each afternoon and relaying pertinent information to parents and guardians as assigned. When a student is referred to APR, the referring staff member must be available to process the incident during the time that the child is in APR. When a child is suspended a re-entry involving the student, referring staff members and clinical staff will occur prior to the student’s integration into regular programming.

APR Room

The Alternative Programming Room (APR) is a special classroom located in the HistoricParsonsBuilding. It is staffed by the APR Coordinator who is supported by NHS staff and Day Treatment clinicians.

The purpose of APR as a behavior response includes the following:

  1. Disruptive student is removed from the building.
  2. Sends a message to other students that certain behaviors will not be tolerated in our school
  3. Disrupts a student’s social agenda
  4. Provides a break for staff
  5. Interrupts a cycle of disruptive behavior.
  6. Allows a continued educational experience.
  7. Addresses the behavior through use of protocols and discussions with clinicians/teachers.
  8. Provides a forum in which relationships may be restored through Restorative Justice or mediation.

Components of the APR intervention include:

  1. Completing academic work (teachers are to put academic work in the APR Basket located in the main office by 8:30am daily for those students assigned to APR).
  2. Completing protocols with support from APR staff, teachers, and clinicians.
  3. Meeting between student and day treatment clinician
  4. Processing of incident with staff member(s) who were directly involved in the incident.
  5. Reporting back to staff on academic work completed, results of protocols, and/or other creative resources selected for use in the APR.

Students who leave supervision without permission

The expectation at the NeilHellmanSchool is that classroom staff will follow and supervise students who leave an assigned location without permission.

When a student leaves that assigned location please follow the student and make an effort to reengage them and return to their assigned location.

Under rare circumstances only one staff member is in the classroom. If this is the case and you are unable to follow the student please let the Communication Room know and request that an Integration Staff pursue and follow the student.

NeilHellmanSchool students are to be supervised at all times.

Students who are missing

A child is considered missing when they cannot be located after reasonable efforts to discern their whereabouts have been exhausted. (i.e. walkie talkie communication to integration specialists, search of building and grounds, call to the students social worker and on-campus residence (if applicable), all page of the student, etc.)

After it is determined that a child cannot be located:

  1. An Integration staff will notify an administrator
  1. The administrator will confer with the appropriate program director to determine if a missing persons report should be filed with the police.
  2. A NIMRS report will be filed for any Day Treatment or RTF student who cannot be located.

For more specific information please see the NHS Staff Handbook.

Frequently Used Phone Numbers

Offices and Specials

Dean- 2873Cathy- 2756Keaton (H.S. side office)- 2805

Mallory- 2767Dr. D- 2855Mike B- 2785com. Room-2876

APR- 2521Pool- 2753Clinic- 2718Kitchen- 2761

Library- 2759Speech- 2755OT- 2842Cyberlab- 2524

Gym- 2512Art- 2519Music- 2518Multi P- 2510

Store/Copy- 2877 Christ- 2770Auto- 2762Wood- 2591

Gibson- 2758Platt- 2771Norelli- 2763Stephanie - 2827

Floral Shop -5548 University Heights: 244-3177 Ebel 2628

Classrooms

Rm 1-2590 Rm 2- 2567Rm 3- 2568Rm 4- 2569

Rm 5- 2570 Rm 6- 2571Rm 7- 2572Rm 8- 2573

Rm 12- 2574Rm 13- 2575Rm 14- 2576Rm 15-2577

Rm 16- 2779Rm 17- 2578

Rm 131- 2594Rm 123- 2593Rm 120- 2592Rm 119-2525

Rm 118- 2584Rm 117- 2583Rm 109- 2581Rm 107- 2580

Rm 105- 2579

Clinicians, Social Workers, Clinical Supervisors

Day Tx- 2723Steve B-2726Eric- 2730 ???- 2727

Dan L-2623Laura J- 2716 Wenonah M- 2774

Mary S- 2728Karin H- 2825Echi- 2729 Emily B- 2733

Jennifer G- 2812Kathy P- 2811Claire C- 2731

Residential- 2659Jen C (Rathbone) - 2640

Becky C (Wasson)- 2735Rachel R. (353)- 2837

Kaitlyn W(217)- 2797Jill L.- 5404 Evan S. (490)- 2637

Amy D (RTF)- 2742Sarah (RTF)- 2787

Cottages and Group Homes

Rathbone: 2781/2784Wasson: 2778/2780

RTF: 2740/2747/2746Miriam: 2882/2883Healy: 2626

217: 434-0562353: 489-5326490: 465-6655

PARSONS PHONE NUMBERS

WHO’s WHO at Parsons and the NeilHellmanSchool

Chief Educational Officer/NHS Director of Education Michael Norelli

Assistant Director of Education/Lower School Principal: Meghan Platt

High School Principal/CSE Chairperson: Stephanie Gibson

Principal for Curriculum and Instruction: Sherry Dickinson

Vocational Coordinator: Jodi Ebel

School Psychologist: Julie O’Neill

Guidance Counselor: Kathleen Feeley

Community/School Liaison: Debby McDermott

Administrative Assistant/Attendance Coordinator: Mike Brown

Program Secretaries: Stephanie Maynard, Sherri McNeil

Integration Specialists: Steve Mallory, Dave Goodemote, Emory Keaton, Angie Nielsen, Tom Dean, Kathy Maul, Lester Moore, Jarming White

APR Coordinator: Jermaine Ivery

Speech Pathologist: Mary Barber

Librarian: Pam Howard

TA (Library): Ben Knowles

Substitute Teacher: Fred Mullins

Substitute Teaching Assistant: Jeff Meissner

PBIS Coordinator/Testing: Melissa Jerominek

Transportation Coordinator: Tom Dean

Supervising Milieu Therapist: Steve Banbury

Clinical Integration Specialist: Jill Lorenzo

Residential Clinical Support: Rebecca Roberts/Liz Colloton

Greenhouse Coordinator: Tim Nicholson

PLEASE GO TO THE ON-LINE VERSION OF THIS MANUAL AND CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK TO ACCESS THE NEILHELLMANSCHOOL EMERGENCY PHONE TREE:

Emergency Contact 2012-2013.doc

THE SECRETARIES IN THE MAIN OFFICE ALSO HAVE A PRINTED OUT VERSION OF THIS DOCUMENT

1

NEILHELLMANSCHOOL

NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION COMPLETED ON A REGULAR BASIS

2012-2013

IEP Quarterly Update Process

  1. Educational staff are expected to update IEP goals in conjunction with the student’s educational/clinical team during the week that grades close.
  2. Quarterly Updates for IEPs are done on IEP Direct by 3:30pm on the due date
  3. Academic progress is to be noted by the content area teacher in conjunction with the primary/special education teacher.
  4. Copies of IEP goal progress notes are submitted to the secretaries to be mailed
  5. The secretary will copy and file the IEP progress notes in the IEP section of the student’s educational record.

Interim grades

  1. Sign on to PowerTeacher
  2. Access Grade Book
  3. Select correct reporting term
  4. Select course for which you want to give interim comments
  5. Double click next to individual student’s name
  6. A box with available comments will appear
  7. Select appropriate interim comment for student
  8. Click OK
  9. Click Save (lower right corner)
  10. repeat from step 5 until all students have interim grades

Report cards

This section will be updated after grading policy is revised and Grade Book training is conducted for all staff.

Interim and Report Card dates can be found on the next page of this manual. A link to this document can also be found by clicking below:

Marking Period Dates

INTERIM GRADES
Writing IEPs

Student’s Individualized Education Plans are written annually on IEP Direct by Special Education teachers. Training on IEP development will be offered as needed during the school year. If you have specific questions regarding IEPs please speak with and Administrator.

Time beyond schedule will be accrued as follows for IEP development:

  • Head teachers/Special Education teachers earn 3 hour per IEP development. This includes IEPs developed for new intakes as well as IEP’s revised for annual reviews.
  • Staff members responsible for writing speech and language or school counseling goals will receive 1 hour comp time for each written.

WHILE ALL STAFF ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF IEPs. ALL STAFF ARE REQUIRED TO SIGN IEPs STATING THAT THEY HAVE READ, UNDERSTAND AND WILL IMPLEMENT THESE PLANS FOR STUDENTS UNDER THEIR SUPERVISION.

Academic Guidelines for Marking and Grading

GRADES ARE IMPORTANT!

At the NeilHellmanSchool we recognize that grades are important to students, teachers, parents, as well as school districts, outside agencies and other educational organizations.

Please Don’t Forget - We are a Treatment School

As a treatment school we are constantly trying to balance the needs of our students here fortherapeutic support and educational achievement. Many of our students come to us with negative experiences in school and often have not seen the educators that taught them as caring adults. These and other challenges that our students bring with them require that we carefully create a marking and grading system that allows our students to experience academic success and considers the individual learning challenges each student brings to us, and sets reasonable expectations and standards students in a specialized school as ours have an opportunity to meet.

Students Deserve to Understand

Students deserve to have an understanding of our academic standards and to know what is expected of them and how their grade will be derived. Teachers should spend intentional time talking to students both in the classroom setting and as individuals. It should not be a surprise to them what they need to do to be successful in each class.

Outlined below are some of the specific guidelines that we will use as a school staff to set reasonable expectations and standards to help our students achieve personal academic success.

High School Diploma Requirements

The NeilHellmanSchool grants New York State Regents and local diplomas. In addition we grant selected students an Individual Education Plan Certificate. Requirements for these options are set by the New York State Education Department and are available for review by our Principal of Instruction as well as our High SchoolGuidance Counselor.

Provide Students and Parents with Academic Achievement Results

It is important that both students and their parents or guardians receive regular, timely, and appropriate feedback regarding their academic progress. To this end we do the following:

  1. Quarterly Report Cards

At the NeilHellmanSchool we operate on a four quarter system with students receiving a report card at the end of each 10 week marking period. The report cardwill include a numeric (91, 73, 83) grade for each of the subjects the student is enrolled in. This grade will reflect the students achievement for that marking period. Teachers can determine the various factors that are considered in determining a quarterly grade. Guidelines for this are outlined in this document.