Beeman Elementary School New Haven, Vermont Parent & Student Handbook 2010-2011 School Year In a genuine community there are no sides. It is not always easy but by the time they reach community the members have learned how to give up cliques and factions. They have learned how to listen to each other and how not to reject each other. Sometimes consensus in community is reached with miraculous rapidity. But at other times it is arrived at only after lengthy struggle. Just because it is a safe place does not mean community is a place without conflict. It is, however, a place where conflict can be resolved without physical or emotional bloodshed and with wisdom as well as grace. A community is a group that can fight gracefully. M. Scott Peck, M.D. This handbook has been organized to answer questions that you may have concerning our school. Also, it should help clarify some of our procedures. Please recognize that this handbook is a flexible document that can be revised at any time. I hope that the inclusion of the forms directory sheet is a time saver. If you feel other information should be included, please let me know. Throughout the year other material/information may be added. Each fall new pages pertaining to the upcoming school year will be distributed. Administrative MessageDear Parents and Guardians: We welcome you and your child to the 2010-2011 school year. The “Parent & Student Handbook” is provided as a resource for you and your child in explaining the practices and procedures of Beeman Elementary School. It is hoped that you will find this information useful. If questions arise upon review of the Handbook, please do not hesitate to contact the school. We would like to invite you to become an active participant in your child’s education. We at Beeman believe that the most effective education for your child comes from a partnership between the home and the school. Many opportunities exist for you to become involved in your child’s education and we invite you, as parents, to take advantage of these opportunities throughout the school year. All of us at Beeman are very proud of our school, students, staff, parents and community. We strive to provide our youngsters with a well rounded and meaningful educational experience geared to each child’s learning potential. We are all looking forward to a happy and successful school year. Thank you for your continued support. I am always available to talk with parents and students and to help with any problems that may arise, please call. We look forward to you becoming an integral part of our school and together we can provide a positive and exciting experience for your child. Sincerely, Steven Flint Principal The purpose of schools in the Addison Northeast Supervisory Union District is to educate children, to help prepare them for life’s challenges, and to serve as a resource center for the social, cultural, and educational well-being of all members of our diverse community. The ideal education is a challenging one, which demands high standards of excellence from students and staff. It prepares students to be life-long learners. Education must strive to meet the needs of all students and to provide each student with an equal opportunity to succeed. Students are most capable of learning when well motivated and actively involved in the process. They learn best when their individuality is respected and when the home and school cooperate to provide an environment which is nurturing, safe, and supportive. When the intellectual, physical, social-emotional and aesthetic elements of learning are integrated, students can reach their full potential. In order to provide the ideal education, decision making should be based on the needs of students. It should reflect the findings of formal and informal research and continuous review of the district-wide educational plan. All individuals should have opportunities to participate in decisions which affect them. Our global society requires the informed, active citizenship of people who understand their responsibility to self and others. In society, which is constantly changing and increasingly complex, students must be prepared to be thinkers, problem solvers and decision-makers. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975: “It is the policy of Beeman Elementary School not to discriminate in educational programs, activities, or employment practices on the basis of race, language, sex, age or handicapping condition under provisions of Title VI of the 1972 Educational Amendments: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: and the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975.”2 Both parents and teachers are working towards the same goal - the best possible education for our children. When the two combine forces, the results are unbeatable. Children feel a sense of pride when they know their parents are visible at the school and are taking an interest in their education. Here are some areas of cooperation that are very important:
If you have a question or concern regarding your child or your child’s classroom, please talk first with the teacher. Should you have further questions, then please bring your concerns to the attention of the Principal. Should your concerns continue after this level of discussion, you are encouraged to bring them to the attention of the Superintendent. School Address & Telephone Number
The buses drop students off at school at approximately 8 a.m. each morning. Students who walk to school, or those who are dropped off, should not arrive before 8a.m. Our dismissal time is approximately 3 p.m. Please do not pick up your child before 3 p.m. unless circumstances call for an earlier dismissal time. Children will be supervised between the hours of 8 a.m. - 3p.m. Please respect the hours of supervised time and do not have your child(ren) arrive at school before 8a.m. Students arriving before 8 a.m. will wait at the east entrance of the building unsupervised. Also, please make sure that your child is picked up from the school by 3p.m. if your child does not ride the bus home. Regular School Board Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m.at Beeman. If a meeting is rescheduled or a special meeting is necessary, that change will be posted on the Town Hall bulletin board and at the school on the School/Community bulletin board outside the office. Once a child is enrolled as a student, it is expected that he/she will attend school every day that it is in session. In the event that a child is absent from school, an explanation, written note, from the child’s parent or guardian is required to be sent in the following day. We also appreciate calls to the office on the day your child is sick, so that we can inform the teacher. Regular attendance and punctuality are essential for the continuous progress of your child in school. Parents are expected to send their child regularly, unless the child is ill. When a child is absent from class, it is his/her responsibility to find out what the class work and/or homework was and arrange to do it. Please do not send a child to school with a fever of 100F or greater, a combination of symptoms such as lethargy, poor eating, lack of availability for learning, glassy eyes, pallor, decreased activity, or unusual behavior/responses (can indicate illness even without the presence of a fever), diarrhea or vomiting, pink eye, untreated head lice, persistent coughing or thick nasal drainage, difficulty breathing from Asthma, severe head injury with disorientation, vomiting, dizziness and/or headache, or any other illness as directed by a physical. Children sent to school with these or similar conditions will be sent home. Students who have been ill and are returning to school should be: free of symptoms listed above, back to their normal behavior and energy level, free of fever, diarrhea or vomiting for 24 hours, treated for strep throat or pink eye (on antibiotics for at least a 24 hours period before returning to school), treated for head lice, free of a severe head injury and have approval from a physician to return to school, evaluated by a physician and found free of a communicable illness when a rash and fever are present. If your child appears ill, please keep him/her at home for the day. It is often difficult to return the child to his/her home and even more difficult to isolate him/her at school. If a child is too ill to go outside for recess, then the child is too ill to be at school. If a child is absent from school then he/she will not be eligible to participate in after school activities, for that day/evening (e.g. sports, concerts) Illness, contagious disease, death in the family, hazardous road conditions, and other exceptionally urgent situations affecting your child are examples of excusable absences. As part of our Annual State Report made to the Dept. of Education, we are asked to collect data on students who are truant. The State definition of truancy states "Truancy is defined as a student who has an unexcused absence." Please send in a note each time your child is absent stating the reason for the absence. This will assist us in accurately reporting to the State in July. Students without an excused absence will be marked as truant. Thank you for your help with this procedure. Because of the need to maintain continuity in the learning process, extended absence, except in emergency situations is discouraged. The school year calendar is established in the spring of each year for the following school year with extended weekends and week long breaks throughout with the hope that families have adequate time to arrange their personal calendars. We do recognize that some parents have vacations different from those scheduled at school; however, parents need to understand that there is no substitute for direct teacher instruction and the child's actual participation in the learning process. When students are absent from school, they are literally missing valuable experiences that cannot be translated and/or made up through homework assignments or independent studies. Therefore, please do not ask teachers to prepare packets of materials to cover classroom topics that your child will be missing. Parents requesting extended absences must contact the principal in advance. No child may be dismissed from school without the consent of his/her parent or guardian. Dismissals should be infrequent and only for emergencies. As a precaution, no child will be dismissed until the office or the principal has properly identified the person calling for the child. All dismissals will be done through the office. Written approval must be given before any child is dismissed. Doctor and dentist appointments should be scheduled outside of school hours. Children may not leave school grounds during the hours school is in session. Exceptions are allowed only upon formal request from parents. Lessons held outside of the school during the academic portion of the school day are discouraged. Parents requesting dismissal for this purpose must contact the principal. Under the Family Education Privacy Act (FERPA) or Buckley Amendment, the New Haven Town School District is required to provide public notice to fully inform all parents within its jurisdiction about the requirements related to educational records. This notice can be interpreted or written in other languages upon request. The New Haven Town School District informs parents of the following: * That personally identifiable information is maintained on children. * That if anyone other than an authorized employee of the New Haven Town School District looks at the educational records of your child, that person shall sign his/her name, date and purpose for which he entered the record on a form which will become part of the educational records. * That if anyone other than an authorized employee wishes access to educational records, permission will be required from the parent(s), guardian or surrogate parent. * That as parent(s), guardian or surrogate parent you may request access to records concerning your child, no later than 45 days after the request is made. * That you have the right to a response to reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of the educational records. * That you may obtain a copy of the educational record without a fee for copying, if a fee will be a financial burden and/or will prevent you from obtaining the records. * That you have the right to request that the educational record be amended. The school district will decide whether to amend the record within a reasonable time of request. If the New Haven Town School District decides to refuse to amend the record, it will inform you as parents of the decision and advise you of the right to a grievance process. If as a result of steps in this process, it is found that the educational record must be amended, the New Haven Town School District will amend the record and you will be informed in writing as parents. If, as a result of the grievance process it is found that the disputed information is not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the privacy rights of your child, the school district will inform you of the right to place in the educational record a written statement commenting on the information or stating any reason for disagreeing with the results of the process. This written statement will become part of the educational record and will always be included whenever the contents of the educational record are properly viewed or requested. * That you have a right to a hearing to challenge the educational record of your child. * That the School District will safeguard personally identifiable information. * That you will be notified prior to the School District’s destruction of personally identifiable information of your child. * That a list of the names and positions of employees within New Haven Town School District who have access to personally identifiable information is available for public inspection. * That you have the right to know what types of information have been designated as directory information. “Directory Information” means information contained in an education record of a student which would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy, if disclosed. It is the student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height, membership in athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous school attended. Any student who arrives after 8:10 a.m. should report directly to the office and they will be recorded as tardy. Students who seek an early dismissal during the school day must submit a written request from the parent/guardian to the classroom teacher. All students must be dismissed through the office. ** PARENTS/GUARDIANS MUST COME TO THE OFFICE TO PICK UP THEIR CHILD. It is most important that we know what to do in case of an emergency. We keep this information on an Emergency Card. Please send yours in if you have not done so yet. Please keep the office informed if there is a change in your physician, or any other change pertaining to the welfare of your child. This will enable us to contact you or your physician in case of an emergency regarding your child. Throughout the school year, the occasion may present itself when students may have their picture taken and/or their names published by the local newspaper, etc. Information of names, grade level, and your child’s teacher will be given in these situations. If you choose not to have your child’s picture or name published in this way, please contact the office at 453-2331 by October 21, 2010. To: All parents of students, and to eligible students currently attending the Beeman Elementary School. Date: August 29, 2007 The New Haven Town School District may disclose designated directory information on students and eligible students without the prior consent of you the parent of an eligible student and without any record of such disclosure. The following types of personally identifiable information have been designated as directory information: Student(s): name (identity), age, sex, grade, student i.d. number and class membership, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in or attendance at officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and most recent previous educational agency or institution attended and date and fact student graduated or otherwise stopped attending school. Disclosure may include such personally identifiable information contained or reflected in photographs or videotapes. If you are a student 18 or over and are currently attending school in the New Haven Town School district, or if you are the parent of a student currently attending school in the New Haven town School district, you have a right to refuse to permit the directory information concerning your child or (if you are 18 years of age or over) yourself, by providing written notice of your refusal, listing the type(s) of information which you refuse to have so designated, to the principal of the school your child attends (or the school you attend if you are an eligible student), on or before September 26, 2008. Occasionally, the need arises for the disbursement of names, addresses, and phone numbers of students within our school. This is done for the purpose of sharing lists for birthdays, valentines, afternoon playgroups, etc. This information is used internally within our school community only and information is not given to outside agencies, i.e. sales organizations. If you choose not to have the information of your child’s name, grade level, address, and phone number used in this fashion, please contact the office at 453-2331 by October 21, 2010. A memorandum from the Vermont Board of Medical Practice and Nursing dated June 3, 1991, states: “While providing nursing care, the utilization of non-prescription medications is within the scope of practice of the registered nurse.” To summarize, Beeman Elementary School no longer is required to have a doctor’s order prior to administering non-prescription medications at school by the school nurse or his/her designee. We are still required to have a doctor’s order for administration of all prescription medication at school. In order to keep all of you informed about the procedures and laws we must follow in administering non-prescription and prescription medication at school, we have written a medication procedure and a form for parental and physician permission for prescription medication and a parental permission form for non-prescription medication. The Vermont Department of Health has recently revised the recommendations when head lice are detected in schools. These revisions reflect the current research and standards of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Association of School Nurses. The recommendations outline:
The changes in the recommendations that will affect you deal with the management when head lice are detected at school. They are different from the past. They are the following:
Prevention is the best approach to stopping the spread of head lice. We currently have separate cubbies and encourage children not to share combs and hats. It is very important that the school be informed of all pertinent medical information for each student. This includes allergies, injuries, illnesses and/or any medications. Health Screening Vision and hearing are checked for students in Kindergarten, First, Third and Fifth grades at the beginning of the school year. Our school nurse will notify you if she is concerned about any of the health screenings. The fluoride rinse program will continue for those children who receive parental permission. There is an optional insurance policy available for students. This insurance policy provides either in-school or all-day coverage. Brochures giving full details should arrive home within the first two weeks of school. Please call the school if you have not received a brochure and wish to have one. State Legislature prohibits the use of tobacco on school grounds at all times. Smoking is also prohibited on school field trips. In the event that inclement weather conditions necessitate the closing of school, this will be announced over radio stations. In the late fall, you will receive an updated listing of radio stations and T.V. stations to tune into. This update is done through the weekly newsletter. From time to time, we will delay the opening of school. When a delay is called, the announcement will be made over the radio and T.V. When a delay is called, school will begin 2 hours after the normal start time of 8 a.m. Buses will also have a two hour delay and will not begin their pick-up until 9 a.m. Please do not drop off your child at school prior to the delayed start time as there will not be supervision. In the event that school is to be closed before 3 p.m. announcements will be made using local radio stations and we will attempt to contact parents by phone, or we will follow your instructions on the Emergency Form. Emergency information cards must be kept up-to-date for this purpose. Beeman Elementary School and Beeman PTO offers the following activities during the year (dependent upon coaching interest): 1. Soccer Program: Co-ed, Grades K-6 2. Basketball Program: Boys team & girls team, Grades 5-6 Due to a lack of extra supervision, we are unable to have younger siblings of students participating in extra-curricular activities or stay after school with their older sibling. If you are able to be there, obviously, it is fine. During the school year, children will be celebrating certain holidays or events with small classroom parties. These festivities will be kept low-key. Parents may be contacted by parent volunteers or classroom teachers to volunteer their services in planning and organizing these events. Candy and excessive use of “sweets” are discouraged at these times. If your child is planning a party at home, we ask that you or your child contact those children invited by phone or mail. Invitations may not be distributed in the classroom. In the past we have been faced with a number of incidents that have ended with hurt feelings for children who did not get invited to home birthday parties. Thus, we have established the above mentioned policy. Thank you for your cooperation on this issue. Birthday goodies at school during the day are fine. Some of our school buses are running close to capacity, so we are unable to transport children to birthday parties. We can still accommodate one or two children using the buses to visit each other after school if they have written permission. In order to ride a different bus or get off at another bus stop, your child will need a note from you. Our bus drivers have been instructed to allow children on another bus to get off at another bus stop ONLY if they have a note. If you have any questions on this procedure, please feel free to call. Thank you for your cooperation with this. Please make sure that your child does not come to school with large amounts of money or expensive items. We cannot be responsible for broken, stolen or misplaced items brought from home. Parents are asked to mark their child’s clothing with his/her name in order that it can be easily identified. Items are located on the bottom floor. Items not claimed within a month will be donated. Please tell your child in the morning where he/she will be going after school. That way your child is prepared by you for this change. Please only call the school to change after school arrangements in case of emergency. Children will not be called to the telephone unless absolutely necessary. Please leave a message in the classroom teacher's voicemail. The use of cell phones during the school day is not allowed. A school newsletter is sent out to each family weekly. Our newsletter includes class news, a calendar of events, hot lunch menus and other useful information. Additional weekly notices and permission slips will be sent home as needed. Please look for them! The newsletter and menu can also be found on the Beeman website at www.beemanelementary.org Whenever possible, notices to parents will be sent home on Fridays with the youngest or only child in the family. Weekly newsletters, hot lunch menus, information from the principal, classroom announcements, etc. will follow this rule whenever possible. Please check all lunch boxes and pants pockets for these important announcements! Occasionally, information will be sent home with students concerning opportunities or events available in the community. The school serves only to transfer this information to the home. This should not be considered a school endorsement of the material or information sent home with students. The school does not endorse any agency or business which may be selling or promoting educational products. You are advised to be cautious of vendors coming to your home claiming to represent the school. If this should occur, you are asked to notify the school. The Enrichment Program (K-6) is available to Beeman children and teachers. The goals of the program are to: * Provide opportunities for learning, based on student interest, that are not ordinarily provided in the regular instructional program. * Collaborate and plan with classroom teachers, so that classroom themes can be extended for small groups of children as well as the entire class. * Enrich the learning experiences of Beeman children by facilitating involvement with outside community resources. Beeman feels fortunate to be able to provide our students with an instrumental music program. Rental of instruments is the responsibility of the parents. We ask that all children make a commitment to practice and participate in the instrumental music program if they sign up. Children will only be able to drop instrumental music lessons at the end of the marking period. The instrumental music program will send home progress notes each marking period for your information. We welcome parents and community members as volunteers in any of our classes. Everybody has a special talent or interest... please share yours with us. It’s a nice way to share your child’s school life. If you have an interest in volunteering at Beeman, please contact the office. New volunteers must attend a scheduled workshop in order to volunteer in classrooms or drive on field trips. Returning volunteers just need to fill out a current confidentiality form. The purpose of the organization is to aide the students of Beeman by providing support for their educational, extra curricular, recreational and community involvement by promoting open communication between the administration, teachers and parents of Beeman Elementary School. The Beeman PTO meets once a month (the day TBA) If you would like more information or have any questions, you can contact the office. B.E.S.T. time is our weekly assembly. We invite you to join us each Monday, 8:15-8:45 a.m. in the gymnasium at the Town Hall. Each class is responsible for hosting this assembly on a rotating basis. Please check your newsletter as to when your child’s class will be the host. As part of the educational program of the school, field trips may be taken to enrich the experience of the children. Such trips are carefully planned and supervised by teachers. A form to grant blanket permission for all field trips is sent home to parents in September. During the year, advance notice will be sent to parents stating the activity, times, places and special lunch or clothing needs. Walking trips and other nearby activities are considered a regular part of the school program; special notices need not be sent home for these activities, i.e., Fine Arts Festival, Memorial Day Parade, School wide skate etc.) they are however, noted in the weekly newsletter. Appropriate insurance coverage, $100,000 - $300,000, single occurrence, and a valid driver's license are required of all volunteer drivers. Forms are located in the office and must be updated every year. Please come to the office with your insurance policy and driver's license at least 1 week prior to the field trip, not the day of. In the spring of each year, the school schedules a day for Kindergarten registration. Parents of children who will be entering Kindergarten the following September are asked to come with their child to register and be part of the screening process. A birth certificate and immunization record are required for registration. Parents will be notified through the local newspaper and by mail of the registration times. There will be a pre-school screening in the fall and again in the spring for any New Haven children ages 3 - 5 that have not previously been screened. Please call the Essential Early Education Program to schedule an appointment or for any information about the program at 453-3674. The Abbey Group has been contracted to provide food service for the 20010-2011 school year. Information regarding student accounts, pricing and food service policy is included in your first day information packet. Morning time is allotted each day for a snack period. Snack can be obtained through the Abby Group or send a nutritious snack from home, Please inform your child of the value of eating nutritious foods. The school spends a considerable amount of time teaching children the value of eating nutritious foods. Soda and candy should not be a part of a child’s snack or lunch. Milk is available for both snack and lunch for grades K-6 at $.50 per carton. Children may choose whole, skim or 2% milk. It is most helpful if lunch/milk money for the entire week or month is brought in on Monday morning or the first day of the week. Whenever possible, we ask that payment be made by check. During the winter months, students should be adequately dressed for the snow and cold weather. Winter boots, heavy jackets, and snow pants should be worn. All children are required to play outside during recess times; however, children will not be allowed to play in the snow during recess unless they are properly clothed. Students are not to wear hats in school. Students may be asked to bring an old shirt to wear as a painting smock. For safety reasons students must have sneakers for physical education classes. Report cards will be issued three times per year; November, March and the last day of school. A child’s grades will reflect the child’s ability, performance and placement level. Progress reports are sent home in January, and April. Please sign the envelope the report card comes in and return it to the school with your child the following day. This way we know that you have seen your child’s report card. | Retention is the decision of the school and hopefully made with parental support. Parents will be made aware of potential retention months in advance. Initial conferences with parents regarding the possibility of retaining their child must happen as early as possible but no later than the 2nd marking period. Students who are not accomplishing objectives may be retained. The decision to retain a child will be made with as much thought and information as possible. Obviously, it is an extremely important decision that will have an impact on the student and will be made with much thought, love, documentation and sensitivity. It is the philosophy of the Beeman Elementary School Board to provide the highest quality of educational programs to every student. As defined in the Addison Northeast “Mission Statement”, “children learn best when their individuality is respected and when the home and school cooperate to provide an environment which is nurturing, safe and supportive.” Instructional placement decisions, therefore, must be made in a cooperative effort that reflects collaboration between the home and school. In addition, instructional placement decisions shall be made without regard to sex, race, religion, creed, age, handicap or national origin. The determination of educational placement is reserved to the school board under the power of the board of school directors as defined in 16 VSA 563. Through defined procedures, the Board has delegated placement responsibilities to appropriate school staff. Placement decisions include promotion, retention, and choice of teacher, room placement, special education placement, kindergarten entry or any program selection decision. Placement Criteria Students will be placed in the appropriate grade level, classroom setting or program based on the following: · Teacher judgment · Academic success as determined by available test data, grades and teacher assessment · Educational records provided by another institution (if applicable). · Social/emotional/physical needs of student · Classroom sizes or student/teacher ratio · Class dynamics · Parent input Promotion/Retention Criteria • Students will be promoted or retained based on: • Teacher judgment • Academic success as determined by available test data and educational records • Social/emotional/physical needs of the child • Student attitude toward promotion/retention • Long-term effect of single/multiple year retention on the child’s chance of success • Attendance Promotion/Retention Procedures Each principal will develop and publish annually written retention/promotion procedures. In the consideration of retention, the procedures will indicate the following:
In cases where a consensus of the team cannot be reached, school personnel will make the final decision. Parents of the student may appeal a placement decision to the Superintendent of Schools. The Superintendent will initiate a review of procedures and conclusion of the team and either endorse or reverse the decision of the team for cause. In some cases, the Superintendent may require that the team consider additional information in reconsidering its decision. Parent Conferences are scheduled twice during the school year. They may also take place at any other time it appears that a student is having difficulty or if you have a concern. Informal conferences may be arranged at any time during the school year by contacting your child’s teacher for an appointment. Keeping communication open between parents and school can only enhance the student’s education. It is extremely important that parents are kept informed and support the school in its actions. The Addison Northeast & the VT Comprehensive Assessment tools include: Primary Observation Assessment given to all students K-2 (Testing Sept. Dec. & May) NECAP Reading & Math 3-8 October 1 – October 23 NECAP Writing Grade 5 October 1 – October 23 NECAP Science May 11-29 ANESU Technology Performance Tasks Grade 1-6, May 2010 ANESU Social Studies Performance Tasks Grade K-6 TBA ANESU Grade 3 & 6 Math Assessment May 2010 Informal testing is done by classroom teachers. Teachers use test results to plan appropriate individual programs and group assignments. If formal individualized testing is necessary, the parents will be contacted prior to administration of such tests. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the above tests and the appropriateness for your student, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher. Homework is given for the following reasons: • To reinforce lessons • To reinforce skills • To complete assignments not finished during class time • To work on independent assignments such as research or construction projects restricted by class time or availability of references • To encourage independent reading Homework is given according to the need of the individual child. Students are expected to dress in a way that shows respect for themselves and others in the school. Dress is regulated when it interferes with health and safety, or it disrupts the learning process or orderly operation of the school. Students may be asked to change out of any clothing/hats considered inappropriate, offensive, or distracting. This includes, but is not limited to, clothing that: · Promotes use of alcohol/tobacco or other drugs · Promotes sexism, racism, profanity or violence · Reveals undergarments or excessive bare skin. PURPOSE: It is the belief of Beeman Elementary School that we should provide a comprehensive system of educational services that will enable all students to succeed in the regular classroom. This system of instructional supports was developed and will be implemented in collaboration with parents, teachers, and the principal to ensure that a range of effective educational services will be provided. A range of effective education services support with local, state and federal funds will be made available to all students who are failing or at risk of failing academically. Beeman Elementary School’s Kids’ Educational Support Team or K.E.S.T. shall provide a framework to: Back to Top The person making a referral (parents, teachers, staff) completes a K.E.S.T. referral form and submits it to the K.E.S.T. contact person, or to the Principal. Referral forms are available in the teacher's room, from any K.E.S.T. team member or the Principal. Please call the Principal if you have any questions about Beeman’s Educational Support Team. Special Services Special Services includes Special Education and Speech Language Services. These services are provided to children who are determined to be eligible based on state and federal guidelines. Additional support is available for at-risk students through two programs (section 504 and State Act 157). Eligibility and services are determined by the Support Team or K.E.S.T. comprised of school personnel. Special Education To be considered handicapped and eligible for Special Education, a student must be shown to have one of the following conditions: • Learning impaired as indicated by a low score (78 or less) on an approved IQ test with accompanying achievement deficits. • A learning disability as indicated by a significant discrepancy between a child’s ability score on an approved IQ test and his achievement scores in one or more academic areas. • A severe vision or hearing impairment. • Deviant or delayed language and articulation development. • An orthopedic impairment that impedes acquisition of basic skills. • A chronic health impairment that impedes acquisition of basic skills. • Serious emotional disturbances that impede acquisition of basic skills. • Delays and impairment severe enough to warrant Special Education but not covered above. As the Speech and Language Program is a component of the Special Education Program, the determinants for eligibility are based on State and Federal Regulations. In order to be eligible for the Speech/Language Program, a child must have a learning impairment or disability in the basic skills area of oral expression and listening comprehension, or a “speech impairment which a licensed speech-language pathologist determines to be so deviant from normal speech or language of persons in that student’s peer group, that it is apparent in casual conversation or interferes with communication”. A child may also be served if he or she has a hearing impairment severe enough to adversely affect the acquisition of the basic skill areas of oral expression and listening comprehension, or health impairment, such as an autistic condition, that manifests itself in severe communication problems. Because there are so many types of speech/language impairments, including articulation, language, auditory perception difficulties, hard of hearing, and voice problems, eligibility must be determined on an individual basis by the Speech/Language Pathologist, classroom teacher and other members of the basic staffing team. The general process involved for determining eligibility for any of the special services program, assessing student performance, providing services and evaluating progress is as follows:
Services provided to students include individual and small group instruction in the classroom or in the Special Education classroom/area. Teacher support is provided in preparing materials and teaching instructional programs for eligible students. Student progress is monitored in classroom programs to ensure adequate performance. The Addison Northeast Supervisory Union and its member School Districts of Bristol, Monkton, Starksboro, Lincoln, New Haven and the Mt. Abraham Union High School have a duty to provide a free, appropriate public education to all qualified handicapped persons who, because of a handicap require special education and/or related aids/service. The ANESU and its member districts are seeking to identify and locate every child residing within their jurisdiction who is not receiving a public education. If you know of any person who may be a qualified handicapped person, and is not receiving a public education, please contact us by writing or calling the local 504 Coordinator/Principal within the local school district or the Superintendent of Schools, Section 504/ADA Coordinator for ANESU at 10 Orchard Terrace Park, Bristol, Vt. Evelyn Howard - Superintendent of Schools 453-3657. The Superintendent has designated the following individuals as building 504 coordinators. Andy Kepes - Mt. Abraham 453-2333, Steven Flint - Beeman 453-2331, Dan Noel - Starksboro 452-2949, Tory Riley - Lincoln 453-2119, Richard Jesset - Monkton 453-2314, Catrina DiNapoli - Bristol 453-3227, Diane Treadway - ANESU 504/Special Education 453-3673. Remedial Math & Reading Instruction services are for students having difficulty in reading and math, which puts these students below grade level. They are considered eligible from formal tests, priority of needs, and teacher recommendations. Remedial services are delivered according to student need and may be held in or outside of class in small groups or individually. Remedial teachers work with the classroom teachers and provide additional support for both the students and the teachers. For rules to be effective, we need to review them in detail with students, enforce them and be consistent as a school. All of the staff at Beeman is responsible for each and every child. Consistent enforcement of rules is essential if we as a staff are to be successful in teaching students to follow rules. We ask that you as parents please take a few minutes and review the rules listed here with your child. We are all models for our children. We teach children to learn academic skills. Acknowledge and praising desired behavior is as important as establishing meaningful and effective consequences for unacceptable behavior. Our school rules also extend to time spent on the school bus. Our general school wide expectations are:
More specific rules are:
Addison Northeast Supervisory Union is committed to providing an encouraging and supportive learning environment for all students and personnel. We insist upon tolerance and respect between students, between students and staff members, and between staff members. Disrespectful behavior is unwelcome and interactions that are offensive will not be tolerated. Addison Northeast prohibits any form of unlawful harassment on the basis of a student's or employee's race, creed, color, national origin, marital, sex, sexual orientation or disability. It is a violation of school board policy for any student, teacher, administrator, or other school personnel through conduct or communication unlawfully to harass a student or employee on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation or disability. Examples of behavior which would be unlawful harassment, if unwelcome and sufficiently severe, pervasive or persistent to interfere with a student's ability to participate in or benefit from school programs, include but are not limited to physical aggression or force, the threat of physical aggression or force, demeaning comments or behavior, racial, sexist or ethnic slurs, mimicking, jokes, gestures, name-calling, graffiti, stalking, sexual advances, use of nicknames emphasizing stereotypes, comments on manner of speaking, negative references to customs, and derogatory comments regarding surnames. "Sexual harassment" is a form of unlawful harassment and means unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
Title IX is the law that makes sexual harassment illegal in schools. Underlying this law, and what ANESU stands for, are the principles that every member of the school community should treat each other with respect and that all students should have an equal opportunity to learn in a positive environment. Some examples of sexual harassment are: Verbal: Foul or offensive language, jokes of a sexual nature, suggestive comments, sexually degrading words to describe someone, repeatedly flirting with someone who is not interested. Non-Verbal: Sexually suggestive objects or pictures on books, lockers or clothing, obscene or insulting sounds, whistling or leering, graffiti or other writings of a sexually insulting nature. Physical: Unwanted contact, which may include touching, pinching or brushing against someone's body. If you would like to review the Harassment Policy, please contact the office. Harassment co-ordinators are John Bourgoin and Steven Flint. These are to be followed in the lunchroom. If you would like to join us during a lunch period, please let the office know.
**Parents: If you are on the playground and notice a safety issue with any of the equipment, please report it to the office immediately. For those who do not follow school rules, a variety of follow-up measures will be used. Problem Solving Meetings When a major infraction occurs that requires the student to be asked to leave class, lunchroom or playground, the student will be asked to fill out a problem solving form. (For younger students this may be done verbally with the supervising adult filling in the information). The student and supervising adult (classroom teacher, collaborative partner, principal, and school counselor) will review the student responses and sign off on the form. During this meeting it may be decided that an office time-out or after school make-up is necessary. The form will be given to the principal to be kept on file. Parents will be notified when the student has been involved in a "problem solving meeting". After the third "problem solving meeting" the student will be referred to K.E.S.T. (Kids Educational Support Team). Student Infractions A. Verbal Abuse - directed at adults or students, arguing, name calling, foul language and disrespectful language. B. Noncompliance - verbal refusal, inappropriate gestures, engaging in other activities, or non-activity. C. Willful misuse of public or personal property. D. Unlawful harassment - unlawful harassment means verbal or physical conduct based on a student's race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation or disability, which has the effect of substantially interfering with a student's educational performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment. Beeman views bullying as a form of dangerous and disrespectful behavior that cannot be permitted or tolerated at school. By definition “Bullying” means any overt act or combination of acts directed against a student by another student or group of students that:
Students may report anonymously any acts of bullying to John Bourgoin or Steven Flint, Principal. Parents/Guardians may file written reports of suspected bullying. Any staff member who witnesses such an act or receives a report of bullying must notify an administrator immediately. Administrators will investigate any written report that is filed and review any anonymously submitted report. The school will notify the parent/guardian of any student who commits a verified act of bullying and of the possible consequences of any further acts. It will also, to the extent permitted under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, notify the parent/guardian of any student who is the victim of bullying of the action taken to prevent any further acts of bullying. The school will collect data on the number of reported acts of bullying and the number of verified acts of bullying and make that data available. Administrative Responses to Student Infraction When dealing with students who exhibit the four serious behaviors the administration will be mindful of the Beeman Elementary School policy on suspension and dismissal. Depending upon the nature of the infraction and frequency that it has occurred in the past the student may have an office timeout or an after school makeup time.
Recess Three recess violations will result in loss of recess privileges for five school days, five violations loss of recess privileges for ten days. Following the fifth violation the parents and student in cooperation with the school team will develop a plan prior to the student being allowed to resume recess privileges. Additionally, K.E.S.T. will convene to meet with the student and parent to discuss additional support strategies. Lunch Room The first lunch room violation will result in isolated seating in the lunch room for three days, the second, isolated seating during a different lunch period from peers for five days. If a third incident occurs, the student may not eat lunch in the lunchroom for five days. The student will be required to eat lunch in the office. Following the third incident the parents and student in cooperation with the school team will develop a plan prior to the student being allowed to resume lunch with peers. K.E.S.T. will convene to meet with the student and parent to discuss additional support strategies Due to some lunch periods being full, there may not be an opportunity to isolate a student during their lunch block; therefore the student may be required to eat at a different time with a different group of students. Our primary concern at Beeman is for the safety of each child. Therefore, we have zero tolerance for physical aggression. Physical aggression occurs in any instance when a student willfully uses his/her body or an extension of his/her body to hurt or seriously frighten someone else. When there is an incident of physical aggression the parent will be notified immediately to come to school and take his/her child home. A re-entry meeting will be held the following school day with the principal (or designee) parents, student and other individuals as necessary (school counselor, classroom teacher, etc.) Please read these rules as your child must follow all of these rules to ensure the safety of all students. Our bus drivers have an excellent safety record and work hard to maintain excellent transportation for our children. Please assist them by reviewing the following safety rules included in all school board policy manuals. The driver of the bus is the person immediately responsible for the safety and welfare of the student while boarding, riding or departing from the bus. The opportunity for bus transportation is a privilege requiring good conduct and courtesy from all students riding on the buses. Bus drivers are given the same authority as teachers in the exercise of student control under their responsibility. When the behavior of any individual affects the safety and welfare of the other passengers, driver and vehicle, steps must be taken to correct this behavior. Be respectful of self, others, and our bus.
If you would like to review the Student Transportation Discipline policy please contact the office. New Haven school bus routes will remain the same as last year. The busses time schedules may be somewhat irregular at the beginning of the year, but will soon be on a routine. The bus drivers are as follows:
The front rows of each bus are reserved for our Kindergarten and Grade 1 students to ensure that they get a safe ride to and from school. If your child is going to visit a friend after school, please send in a written note granting permission. The note will be signed by the office, given to the student by their teacher, and then given to the driver of the bus they are going to ride. The bus drivers will not let a student ride on their bus unless they have a note. As we stated earlier in this document, our school busses are running very close to capacity, so we are unable to transport children to birthday parties. We can still accommodate one or two children using the buses to visit each other after school if they have written permission from you, as long as the bus isn't at capacity. Preparedness is an objective of education in all phases of school life. To this end, fire drills will be held each month. It is important that students are dressed appropriately as drills can occur in inclement weather. Bus evacuation drills will take place at least twice each year to teach children the safety procedures. Additionally, we have adopted a Safe School Protocol, which may require evacuation of the building. This protocol was developed by the faculty and staff as a result of increased school violence around the country. As a group we discussed several scenarios that would call for student evacuation or locking the school and classrooms. A copy of our Crisis Response Manual is available for review in the office. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the principal. BEEMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEW HAVEN, VERMONT CALENDAR 2010-2011
***Last day of school depends on how many storm days are used. These extra 5 days are built into the calendar and will be used if we have any storm days during the school year.
The Beeman Elementary School recognizes that at the present time, many children are able to attend regular school because of the effective use of prescribed medication in the treatment of chronic disabilities or illnesses. The School Health Program needs your help. We are absolutely required to follow the Medical Practice Act Law in the safest way. We advise that you ask your physician if the prescription MUST be given during school hours. (In many cases, medication that is ordered three times a day can be given before school, after school and before bed). We will NOT accept prescription medications that do not comply with the following regulations:
Non-prescription, over the counter medicines such as Tylenol, cough syrup, cough drops, Advil, Maalox, etc., coming from home will be administered only with written permission signed by the parent/guardian. Non-prescription medication must be left in the office. Medication MUST be in the original container with the student’s name and directions. It is neither safe nor advisable to send medicines in other containers with homemade labels such as: envelopes, baggies, glass jars or Tupperware. For non-prescription medications the school has chewable Tylenol and regular Tylenol, Tums, cough drops, and Benadryl for occasional use. Permission forms for these medications are part of the Student Health Update form which goes home at the start of each school year. If your child requires one of these medications regularly or a different non-prescription medication, a note signed by the parent and the medication in the original package must be brought in to school. Medication administered at school will be done by the school nurse or trained designee.
Date_______________________________ I hereby give my permission to_________________________to release information Physician’s Name to ________________________concerning medication(s) prescribed for ___________ School Name Name of ___________________________. Student Signature of Parent or Guardian_________________________________________ //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Medication______________________________________________________________ Directions_______________________________________________________________ Beginning Date________________________Ending Date________________________ Reason for Giving________________________________________________________ Signature of physician_____________________________________________________ //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// I hereby give my permission for the above names student to take the medication as prescribed above at school. Signature of Parent or Guardian___________________________________________ //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// PARENT PERMISSION FOR ADMINISTRATION OF NON-PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION(To be returned to the School Nurse) I hereby give my permission for___________________________________ name of student in grade_______at_______________________________________School to take: Medication__________________________Dosage___________________ Directions____________________________________________________ Reason for giving______________________________________________ Date___________________________ Signature of Parent/Guardian__________________________________ No non-prescription medication will be given at school until the school receives this completed form with the medication provided in its original container. All medicine brought into the school must be kept in the Health Room during school hours. Date Received_______________________ Signature of School Nurse___________________________ |
Student Handbook |