Paradise High School

Springtown High School

915 West Highway 199

Springtown, Texas 76082

817-220-3888

Springtown High School

Staff Guidelines and Procedures

2016-2017

The purpose of this manual is to explain the administrative policies and procedures specifically governing the operations and organization of Springtown High School. The authority given to us by enforcing these policies and procedures, and working together, will result in consistency of adult and student practices. This consistency will empower us to create an atmosphere that is conducive to learning. It alsocreates a safe and productive environment that will get students actively engaged in and out of the classroom. The results will be a school climate that students, staff and our community will be proud of.

All employees of SHS are essential regardless of the position held. We, together, are important and necessary in assisting SpringtownHS to meet its goals. In order for the school to function properly, all members of the staff must work together as a team in the performance of their professional duties. Each staff member must take the responsibility for thoroughly understanding our discipline structure, policies and procedures. We must accept responsibility to make our system work. Teachers who assume that their role is strictly to teach and that student discipline is someone else’s job are as much in error as administrators who hold the notion that the good teachers can handle all problems of student discipline without any outside help.

We must remind ourselves diligently that SHS is in the business of educating kids, and providing the best school environment possible for all students. The students are the important entities that we are to serve. Some students are easy to teach but it is those that don’t fit OUR mold, that we must teach the hardest.

It is your responsibility to know and follow these policies and procedures. Please keep this manual in an accessible location so you may refer to it as needed.

Springtown High School will prepare students to become:

Masters of Fundamental Skills who:

Integrate the basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic into meaningful activities and projects
Demonstrate competence in the use of a computer, the internet, and other appropriate technological devices

Effective Communicators who:

Are able to receive and interpret information
Write coherent essays and reports relatively free of grammatical errors
Express confidently, demonstrating command of language with clear enunciation
Create and interpret artistic expression

Effective Collaborators who:

Work effectively with others in a variety of situations to set and attain goals
Manage and evaluate their behavior as group members
Contribute and function in a variety of group roles
Determine the ability to manage disagreements and conflicts caused by diversity of opinions and beliefs

Self-directed, Reflective learners who:

Develop a plan for their high school years and beyond
Establish and adhere to standards of behavior that assist to the student’s development
Overcome obstacles by effective presentation of skills
Reflect on and evaluate their learning for the purpose of advancement

Active participants and contributors to our diverse community who:

Invest time, energy and talents to improve the quality of life for themselves, their school, community and world
Understand how action or inaction affects oneself, others and the community at large
Demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultures that foster understanding of individual differences

All accidents, both inside and outside the building must be reported to the administration immediately whether it involves a student or a staff member. An accident report must be completed, however minor it seems. Parents should also be contacted whenever a child receives medical attention, an abrasion or a bruise.

Even if the accident is during an athletic practice or competition, the administration is to be notified of the occurrence.

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Distinction shall be made between participation for performance purposes or for practice purposes. The former recognizes the execution of functions required by the school. The latter refers to repetition to develop proficiency not necessarily required by the school.

All students will be excused from classes to participate in regularly approved school activities. This will not count as a class absence.
Students will be allowed to make up work/test missed due to a participation in a school-approved activity in accordance with SISD attendance policies.
No student will be excused from classes to practice for a school activity or event except at the discretion of the campus principal.
Students participating in after school extra-curricular activities, e.g. band, choir, athletics, cheer leading, or UIL activities must be on time to school and in attendance during the school day of such activities. Exceptions to this requirement would be school-sponsored activities, verified doctor or dentist appointments or other related activities approved by the principal.

DO NOT TAKE STUDENTS OUT OF ANOTHER TEACHER’S CLASS WITHOUT ADVANCE REQUEST AND APPROVAL FROM ADMINISTRATION AND FROM THE TEACHERS FOR WHOM THE CLASS WOULD BE MISSED.

Teacher hours are from 7:45 AM – 4:00 PM. Be at your assigned duty at the appropriate time and in the hallway before class begins throughout the day. Class begins at 8:00, and students arriving after this are considered tardy. If we will stay on top of the tardy issue and deliver consequences, the students will become more diligent and will not take advantage of the kindness of the teaching staff. We need to remain consistent in this issue, because the students become aware of the teachers that do not enforce tardiness.

Teachers will attend student assemblies and pep rallies, unless permission has been granted by principal to not attend the school event.

Teachers will monitor students to and from as well as during assemblies when applicable.
Teachers will sit with the student body during the assembly/pep rally.
Restroom and drinking fountains are not to be used during assemblies except in emergencies.
Courteous attention is to be given to the presenters of the assembly.
Talking is never permitted when someone is at the microphone or presenting.
Students and teachers will be dismissed from the assembly/pep rally by the administration.
Cell phone use

This policy is to be adhered to in the event of a conflict between activities for a student participant.

All students participating in extra-curricular activities should be advised of the procedure that will be followed in the event of a conflict. This should occur prior to the beginning of the season/event.
The sponsors or coaches shall meet with the Principal or Athletic Director to identify anticipated conflicts prior to the beginning of their respective seasons/activities. Sponsors and coaches are to resolve the identified conflict(s) while adhering to the guidelines of this policy.
The purpose of these meetings shall be to determine possible conflicts and to resolve them by using the following criteria:
Conflicts by the sponsors/coaches should be resolved (when possible) prior to getting students involved.
The level of competition will have priority over the conflicted events. For example of ranking: Non district, district, regional, state. If two similar events of the same level of competition occur on the same date, the participant will perform in the event of their choice.
If priorities are similar, the participant will perform in the event which has the greatest importance toward the team, group, or individual event or outcome.
Consideration should be given as to how the loss of the individual will affect the team concept and the total function of the program before a decision is made.
Regularly scheduled contests or performances take precedence over any type of practice session.
Students may be permitted to participate in multiple activities with conflict possibilities.
Students may not be penalized in the event a conflict still exists after all options have been exhausted by the sponsors/coaches and the student makes the choice.
The principal or Athletic Director will handle disagreements between sponsors/coaches pertaining to student conflicts.

Teachers are responsible for maintaining complete, accurate and up-to-date attendance records for each class period through the Skyward Attendance Software. Attendance is to be taken in a timely fashion within the first 5 minutes of each class. This allows any delays from previous classes by the students. If a student appears in class that has been counted absent, please email Mrs. Schrammto let her know of the situation. Students who are more than 20 minutes late to class are considered absent. Attendance accounting is an extremely important tool for our district. It determines the funding level for our district as well as the attendance criteria for the campus rating.

Springtown High School will not be tolerant of disrespectful and anti-social behavior among students and staff. Discriminating and harassing misconduct by personnel and students will not be tolerated and the SISDSchool Board policies reinforce district standards and expectations relative to appropriate behavior for all students, employees and volunteers.

*Standards will include, but not limit the following:

Use of inappropriate language and behavior on the school campus, at any school-sponsored activity or in electronic communications shall not be tolerated
Inappropriate language and behaviors include the use of profanity, obscenities, excessively violent language, threats of violence, inappropriate physical contact, sexually explicit language or discussion of sexual topics whether in music video or directly used by a student or adult.
Prejudicial remarks will also be considered inappropriate and not tolerated by a student, teacher or volunteer.
There shall be no classroom presentations, by either teachers or students that have violent themes or exhibit prejudicial treatment or animosity toward a particular person or group unless the presentation is part of a lesson specifically designed to provide instruction regarding historical events.

All videos, DVDs, etc…must be approved by the Springtown High School

Administration prior to showing within the classroom.

There will be no discussion in the classroom, on the bus or during any school-related activity regarding consumption of alcohol or controlled substances unless directly related to a classroom lesson and never to condone their use illegally. Adults, whether employees or volunteers, shall not share with students experiences involving personal consumption of alcohol or controlled substances or sexual activities nor shall they initiate or tolerate such discussions among students. One exception is an outside speaker providing an anti-substance message that has been approved by the administration.

The use of the Springtown High School building or facility is only permitted by prior reservation and permission from the Director of Operations. This includes organizations from the school and within the community. After approval from the Director of Operations, he will place the notification on the appropriate calendar (i.e. Library, Cafeteria, SHS conference Room). NOTE: Auditorium reservations need to be placed with Mr. JB Perry at Administration.

If you enter the building after hours or on the weekend, make sure all doors are locked behind you. When you exit the building, make sure the lights are off and all doors are securely locked and closed. There are no exceptions to the loaning of school keys to non-school personnel.

The official calendar for the school is maintained through the front office and athletic secretaries. The calendar can be found at the following school web site: select the high school campus. Sports, Non-sports activities, special functions, school trips, as well as facilities usage are placed on this calendar. Curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular groups/organizations must place their events on the school calendar well in advance of the time they are scheduled to occur. In some instances, principal approval may be required before an event can be placed on the activity calendar. All activity calendar entries must be done through the principal, web master or office secretary.

SISD and the state of Texas require any adult who suspects that a child may be experiencing abuse or neglect to report that suspicion to the Child Abuse Hotline, Child Protective Services or the local authorities. Abuse or neglect can be in the form of physical, behavioral, emotional, or sexual mistreatment. Any district employee, agent, or contractor has an additional legal obligation to submit an oral or written report within 48 hours of learning of the facts giving rise to the suspicion. The following gives you further information of what your responsibility is if you have any reason to suspect a child is being abused or neglected.

Springtown Police Department (817) 220-0828
Child Protective Services (CPS) division of the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (800) 252-5400; or CPS web site
A local CPS office
If applicable, the state agency operating, licensing, certifying, or registering the facility in which the suspected abuse or neglect occurred.
Reporting your suspicion to a school counselor, a principal, or to another school staff member DOES NOT fulfill your responsibilities under the law. Furthermore, SISD cannot require you to report your suspicion first to a school administrator.
Will my report be kept confidential? State law requires that the identity of a person making a report of suspected child abuse or neglect is kept confidential.
Will I be liable in any way for making a report? A person who in good faith reports or assists in the investigation of a report of child abuse or neglect is immune from civil or criminal liability.
What will happen if I don’t report suspected child abuse or neglect?By failing to report a suspicion of child abuse or neglect:

You may be placing a child at risk of continued abuse or neglect
You are violating the law and may be subject to legal penalties, including criminal sanctions.
You are violating SISD board policy and may be subject to disciplinary action, including possible termination of your employment and the possibility of the State Board of Education suspending, revoking, or canceling your certificate.

What are my responsibilities regarding investigations of abuse or neglect? State law specifically prohibits school officials from:

Denying an investigator’s request to interview a child at school in connection with an investigation of child abuse or neglect.
Requiring that a parent or school employee be present during the interview.

School personnel must cooperate fully and may not interfere with an investigation of reported child abuse or neglect.

The “teacher” computer is provided to assist you in making your job easier, and to keep up with the business of the district. Please make sure that attendance is entered properly. Also, keep grades updated since parents have access to the system.

Whenever it becomes necessary for a teacher to leave a classroom with students in it, arrangements must be made for a qualified adult to be present during the absence of the teacher.

All classrooms should be locked whenever you are not in the room. Students should never be left unsupervised in your classroom. When leaving the classroom at the end of the day, teachers should make sure all lights are turned off, all windows closed, and classroom doors locked. Do not leave any money, purses, or other valuables in any area that is not secured. It is the responsibility of each teacher to take care of the articles, furniture and equipment in your classroom. The desks and walls should be checked for damage and markings daily, and policing the room for waste paper is a necessity. A clean room is a sign of a good housekeeper and a secure place that is open for learning to take place. Please allow students to assist with these activities on a daily basis.

Each teacher should identify and clearly display classroom rules and expectations. This should include positive and negative consequences that will occur. Teachers should set these guidelines before school opens. Students who do not comply with the rules will be addressed with progressive steps of discipline appropriate to the severity and frequency of the infraction. When needed, teachers and administrators should utilize specific behavior contracts and goals to assist individual students to develop appropriate behaviors and habits. When necessary, administrators will assist with classroom discipline.

Please remember that your influence extends to all students in the school. If you take the time to address any student in need of correction, it will have a positive effect on the total school atmosphere. It is also helpful to share with other teachers and staff what is working in your own classroom. In dealing with your own students, don’t neglect to consult with other teachers and staff from other areas who work with the same students so that our efforts are in concert with each other and you have the fullest information available to help you address each student’s needs.

Parent contact should be a central part of the teacher’s responsibility, and if at all possible, should be done prior to making a referral to the office. Referrals to the office should be made in severe situations, or after all classroom alternatives, including parent contact and a detention, have been attempted. When sending a student to the office, please complete a Discipline Referral and send the student to meet with the campus administration. The referral should consist of a description of the immediate infraction and previous teacher actions. Please refrain from making personal comments or expressing opinions on the form, or verbally to administrators or other teachers. Remember that the form will be going home to the parents. If your concerns with a student involve an accumulation of discipline problems or are related to work habits, it is most often more effective to talk with the administration prior to sending the student to the office with a referral so that a plan can be devised to address the concern.