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SOUTHEAST HALIFAX
HIGH SCHOOL
FACULTY AND STAFF HANDBOOK2016-2017
Mrs. Ann Debreaux-Davis, School ExecutiveDr. LaVonne McClain, Assistant School Executive
Mrs. Andrea Dagnalan, School Executive Resident Intern
Halifax County Schools is committed to providing appropriate educational programs that will allow all students to achieve at a high level of success. We hold the expectation that every student is a unique
individual who can and will learn when provided with adequate time, effective teaching, and a positive learning environment.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION I – STAFF INFORMATION......................................................................................4Mission, Vision, Motto, Theme ......................................................................................................5School Contacts at a Glance............................................................................................................6Departmental Leads’ Duties ......................................................................................................9-10Committees/Meeting Schedule ................................................................................................11-12
SECTION II – TEACHER INFORMATION...........................................................................13The Right Way and the “Wong” Way .....................................................................................14-15Teacher Responsibilities: Instructional....................................................................................15-16Teacher Responsibilities: Procedural ......................................................................................17-20Staff Dress Code ...........................................................................................................................21Staff Early Dismissal.....................................................................................................................22Staff Attendance Procedures .........................................................................................................23Staff Parking Procedures................................................................................................................24Emergency Lesson Plans ..............................................................................................................25Textbook Regulations ...................................................................................................................26Purchasing Instructions/Financial Information........................................................................27-29Field Trips......................................................................................................................................30Media Center Policies...............................................................................................................31-33Grading Scale ................................................................................................................................34 SECTION III – STUDENT INFORMATION .........................................................................35Student Classroom Expectations..............................................................................................36-37General Behavior Guidelines....................................................................................................38-39Tardy Policy.............................................................................................................................39-40Cheating/Plagiarism Policy ...........................................................................................................41Student Management Center .........................................................................................................42Recovery and Attendance Appeals................................................................................................43 SECTION IV – PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.............................................................44Teacher Evaluation Process......................................................................................................45-46
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Beginning Teacher Support ..........................................................................................................47
Ongoing Teacher Professional Development ...............................................................................47Self-Evaluation Questions........................................................................................................48-49Steps to Ensure Successful Classroom Management...............................................................50-52Eleven Ways to be a Great Teacher ..............................................................................................53Developing Higher Order Questions ............................................................................................54Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy....................................................................................................55-56
SECTION V – SCHOOL SAFETY............................................................................................57Emergency Situations ...................................................................................................................58Fire/Tornado Evacuation Procedures ......................................................................................59-60Safe Schools.............................................................................................................................61-62Crisis Evacuation Procedures...................................................................................................63-64Inclement Weather Procedures ................................................................................................65-67
APPENDIX ..................................................................................................................................68Teacher/Parent Communication Log.............................................................................................69Extra-Curricular Log......................................................................................................................70Meeting Notes Form ................................................................................................................71-72Master School Calendar Request Form ........................................................................................73Grade Change Form.......................................................................................................................74Energy Conservation Guidelines..............................................................................................75-77Student Life Overview..............................................................................................................78-79Athletic/Band Schedules ..........................................................................................................80-87Bell Schedules .........................................................................................................................88-89Handbook Verification Form.........................................................................................................90
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Staff Information
Growing Learning Opportunities Beyond All Limits!
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Project Based & Problem Based Learning
BELIEFS/MISSION/VISION/THEME/MOTTO
Core BeliefsLearning For All
Data-Driven DecisionsTeamwork
Customer ServiceVisionary Leadership
Transformational ChangeInstitution of Higher Learning
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of SHHS is to ensure all students graduate with the knowledge, skills and attitude necessary to reach their potential and be responsible citizens in an
ever-changing world.
VISION STATEMENT
Southeast Halifax High School will provide opportunities that will lead students toward rewarding careers, lifelong
learning, and a successful quality of life.
THEME
“SHHS Going GLOBAL PBL”(Growing Learning Opportunities Beyond All Limits)
MOTTO“Trojan Pride: WOW –Working On the Work- Whatever It
Takes!”5
Southeast Halifax High School 16683 Highway 125 N
Halifax, NC 27839(252) 445-2027 - (252) 445-3463 (fax)
School Contacts at a Glance
Administrative TeamSchool Executive – Mrs. Ann Debreaux-Davis
Assistant School Executive – Dr. LaVonne McClainSchool Executive Intern – Mrs. Andrea Dagnalan
Administrative AssistantsMs. Ann Batts, Bookkeeper, Receptionist
Ms. Brenda Silver, Home Base Data Manager, Receptionist
Maintenance TechniciansMr. David Williams– Head Custodian
Ms. Pearlie ReedMr. Will Price
Departmental LeadsTBD
Resource OfficerOfficer Clarence Carmen
CounselorMs. Susan Joy Pitts
UNC College Adviser, Carolina College Advising Corps Ms. Taylor Roland
Athletic DirectorMr. Thomas Smith
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From “Good To Great” Strategies Developed by Southeast Faculty to address Student Achievement, School Culture, and Parental Involvement
Be Positive; communicate positively; build better relationships Keep an “open door” policy with constant communications as the goal Better communication among all stakeholders Adapt the Motto: Respect, Responsibility, Cooperation, and Caring
(RRCC) Make a Good First Impression with Parents Send home positive, personalized letters, notes, emails, blog post, etc. Play on strengths, not weaknesses Positive reinforcement Foster ownership of academic progress through tracking data Collaboration Parent and Student Led Tutorials Student Service Team Concentrating on Attendance Ensure appropriate modifications and accommodations for E/C
Students Increate opportunities for Cooperative Learning Welcome parents; have regular meetings with parents Maintain parent contact logs Integration of curriculums through team teaching, shared learning
projects, and developing thematic units that will engage students’ learning cross categorically
Bring in community members that work in professionally related careers as an extension of academic learning
When correcting students’ negative behavior, revert and make the correction a positive statement
United we stand; divided we fall; so unite!
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Departmental Leads’ Duties
Functions as the department representative for the Principal
Represents the department on school, area, and system-wide departmental basis
Serves as a member of the School Improvement Team (SIT) or designates a substitute representative for the department
Coordinates with the CIA Team to plan and facilitate PLC meetings
Conducts regular departmental meetings:o plans agendaso maintains records such as calendars, schedules, minuteso promptly post attendance and minutes of all meetings at designated siteo facilitates discussionso serves as a peer mentor
Disseminates information received from:o Instructional Leadership Teamo system-wide meetingso memorandumso journals and professional literature
Facilitates procedural details:o recommending financial allotmentso budgeting department fundso preparing purchase orderso reviewing textbook adoptionso selecting supplementary resourceso maintaining inventorieso working closely with the principal and financial secretary
Works closely with the administrative team and instructional coaches to ensure excellence in
the instructional program
Manages the evaluation process of department members through the following activities:o peer observations and conferencing
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o providing recommendations for growtho assisting with the orientation of new teacherso designating mentors for initially certified and provisional members of the department
Promotes an atmosphere of mutual respect and collegiality encouraging the exchange of new
ideas and teaching priorities relative to current issues and trends
Supports in-service courses/workshops/seminars for department members
Motivates staff to participate in special curricular projects and activities
Advocates for the special needs of their department
Assists teachers in evaluating the overall content/process of program development while maintaining the scope and sequence of instruction-based upon the NC Standard Course of Study-Common Core/Essential Standards
Facilitates collaborative lesson planning and assessments to improve student achievement
Monitors substitute folders
Assists with teacher coverage
Teams
All staff members will serve on at least one team. Minutes must be taken at all meetings, and are due to Ms. McClain by 10:00 a.m. on the day after the meeting. Attendance at all faculty meetings, school/district professional development meetings, and at meetings of your assigned team is mandatory.
I. Building Leadership Team (CIA) This team consists of volunteers. The purpose of this team is to provide a forum in which teachers can communicate ideas, concerns or suggestions directly to the Principal. This committee meets at least once per month (TBD).
School Improvement Team (SIT)Each school in North Carolina has a School Improvement Team (SIT) that develops and monitors the School Improvement Plan (SIP). This plan identifies the school’s efforts to improve student performance and reach the educational goals set by the school board.
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Members of this team are the department chairpersons, a counselor, the administrative team, students and parents. Each area will choose an alternate member to provide full representation during meetings. This team will meet at least once per month to: disseminate information to team members communicate with staff as needed ensure implementation of school improvement and safety plans coordinate SACS accreditation procedures
*These teams will serve dual responsibilities.
II. Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS)The PBIS Team consists of a representative from each department and administrators. The team will review discipline data to determine areas of focus. The team will meet at least once per month (day/time TBD) to assess the implementation of the PBIS model.
III. Student Support Team (SST)/Student Assistance Team (SAT)The SST/SAT is a school team that assists students by ensuring that the school and community are doing everything possible to maximize student success. The team meets to engage in a positive, problem solving, intervention process to explore strategies that will best meet the educational needs of students. The team includes teachers, counselors, specialists, school administrators or designees, parents and guardians, and any other school or community members who can provide support. *These teams will serve dual responsibilities
Team / Staff Meeting Schedules
Team Date Time Location1 SST: SAT, Attendance Team,
504, PBIS Meetings1st & 3rd Monday Monthly
3:15 pm Office Mgt. Room
2 Faculty Meetings 2nd Monday Monthly 3:30 pm Media Center3 School Improvement
Team/Building Leadership Team/CIA Team Meetings
2nd Thursday (Aug., Oct., Dec., Feb., Apr., June)
3:30 pm CIA Room
4 Beginning Teachers Rap Sessions (BT’s 1-3) Meetings
4th Monday Monthly 3:30 pm Davis’ Conf. Room
5 Professional Learning Communities/PD Meetings
Wednesday Weekly Planning Periods CIA Room
6 Departmental PLC Meetings TBD TBD TBD
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Teacher Information
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Southeast Halifax High School Proposed Bell Schedules
First Day of School Bell ScheduleBlock Start End Length
Arrival/ Breakfast 7:25 7:45 20 minBack to School
Rally7:50 9:50 120 min
Homeroom 9:55 10:55 60 min1 10:59 11:54 55 min
2/ Lunch 11:58 1:23 115 minLunch 1 12:00 12:25 25 min
2a 11:58 12:53 55 minLunch 2 12:55 1:20 25 min
2b 12:28 1:23 55 min3 1:26 2:21 55 min4 2:25 3:20 40 min
Tuesday - Thursday Bell ScheduleBlock Start End Length
Arrival/ Breakfast 7:25 7:45 20 minHomeroom 7:50 8:30 40 min
1 8:34 10:04 90 min2 10:08 11:38 90 min
3/ Lunch 11:42 1:42 120 minLunch 1 11:45 12:10 25 min
3a 11:42 1:12 90 minLunch 2 1:15 1:40 25 min
3b 12:12 1:42 90 min4 1:46 3:16 90 min
First Day of School Bell ScheduleBlock Start End Length
Arrival/ Breakfast 7:25 7:45 20 minHomeroom 7:50 8:20 40 min
House Meetings 8:20 8:501 8:54 9:54 60 min2 9:58 10:58 60 min
3/ Lunch 11:02 12:32 90 minLunch 1 11:05 11:30 25 min
3a 11:02 12:02 60 minLunch 2 12:05 12:30 25 min
3b 11:32 12:32 60 min3 12:36 1:36 60 min4 1:40 2:40 60 min
Trojan Time 2:44 3:15 45 min
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The Right Way and the “Wong” Way
There is a right way and Wong way for effective teaching. At SHHS, we will follow the Wong way to set the standards.
1. An effective teacher has high expectations for all students.
2. An effective teacher is an extremely effective classroom manager. He/she: Stands at classroom door to greet students during all class changes. Follows school rules consistently (enforce lockout, no eating in class, no electronic
devices, no hats / hoods / sunglasses in class, etc.). Does not allow students to sleep in class or put their heads down on desks. Does not leave students unattended at any time. Visibly posts rules/consequences (positive and negative). Begins class immediately after the tardy bell. Reports all dress code violations immediately.
3. An effective teacher designs lessons for student mastery. He/she: Displays performance standard and objective for the lesson in the classroom. Designs lessons that contain a warm-up activity or exercise to focus students at the
beginning of class. Makes lesson plans accessible/available daily in a binder. Creates and maintains up-to-date plans for substitute folder(s). Gives progress reports to all students.
4. An effective teacher is professional and collegial. He/she: Dresses professionally. Signs in daily at actual time of arrival and is punctual. Signs out in main office if given permission to leave campus early. Remains at school the required time on teacher workdays. Attends all designated meetings (staff, department, committee, parent-teacher, 504’s,
etc.), keeps all Wednesdays open until 4:30 PM and arranges all other activities on Wednesdays after this time. No exceptions—emergencies only with principal approval.
Covers assigned duty stations. Discusses large numbers of failures with administrators.
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Gives students ample assignments for SMC. Calls Principal or Assistant Principal for ALL absences Supports colleagues in a positive and responsible manner.
5. An effective teacher communicates with school and community. He/she: Shares concerns and successes with administrators. Participates in student/staff recognition program. Return parents calls and e-mails promptly—within 24 hours – and documents
parent communication. Contacts parents regularly, maintains contact log and keeps them abreast of student
progress. Checks e-mail and teacher mailbox at least twice per day. Provides list of names and ID numbers for students on field trips prior to the scheduled
trip. Secures approval from administration for major activities and ensures they are placed on
the master calendar. Is a TEAM PLAYER!
Teacher Responsibilities: Instructional
AssessmentTeachers regularly assess student progress using a wide variety of assessment tools, including common formative assessments, district benchmarks, teacher-created assessments, etc.
AtmosphereEach teacher is expected to maintain an attractive atmosphere in the classroom that creates a better learning environment. Displays and bulletin boards should display current information and represent subjects being covered in the class and should include student work. Visitors to the room should be able to determine the subject being taught and the general topics being covered.
AttendanceStudent attendance must be checked daily for each class in the latest school electronic system. This is the teacher’s responsibility and students should not be given this as an assignment.
Differentiating InstructionThe teacher assesses individual student abilities to devise techniques that will accommodate student differences in rates of learning, styles of learning, and ability levels. These techniques
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may involve long-term or short-term grouping of the differentiating of materials and equipment.
Human RelationsThe teacher shows respect for the dignity and worth of all students, values cultural differences, and maintains regular communication with parents. The teacher checks and returns emails/phone messages within 24 hours, sends quarterly progress reports and updates his/her web page twice a month.
Human ResourcesThe teacher makes use of community resources, student talent, volunteers, and other school personnel to enhance the instructional program.
Individualizing InstructionThe teacher monitors individual student achievement on a continuous basis, employs a variety of teaching methods to meet student needs, and provides a suitable instructional environment.
Lesson PlansAll teachers will keep copies of their Common Core / Essential Standards, unit plan / pacing guide, and daily lesson plans in a binder, at a designated area on their desk. Lesson plans should be updated with the current week’s lessons no later than 7:40am on Monday mornings (or the first day of the school week.)
Managing Daily InstructionThe teacher ensures that the instruction, materials, and procedures are appropriate for the subject being taught and for the needs of the students. The teacher sees that application and practice are used by students to acquire or reinforce a concept or skill. The teacher encourages students, parents, and other to become actively involved in daily instructional activities.
Non-Instructional DutiesThe teacher accepts responsibility for non-instructional duties as may be assigned by the principal, superintendent, or other administrative personnel. The teacher complies with laws, rules, and regulations established to carry out the school program.
Overseeing the Program The teacher incorporates learner objectives compatible with the subject, grade level, NC Standard Course of Study (Common Core / Essential Standards), and student needs. The teacher assesses his/her instructional program to determine its effectiveness.
Planning the ProgramThe teacher participates in the development of annual objectives for the school and plans an instructional program that incorporates these objectives.
Student Assistance Team Referral ProcessTo refer a student who is having difficulty in a class to the Student Assistance Team (SAT), teachers should complete the designated form and submit it to the SAT coordinator. Teachers must attempt a variety of interventions in their classrooms prior to referral.
SupervisionThe teacher uses professional classroom management techniques to maintain a suitable environment.
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Teacher/Student RelationshipsTeachers are to maintain professional teacher/student relationships at all times. Teachers are reminded to demonstrate professionalism throughout in classrooms, cafeteria, and gymnasium.
Updating th e Program The teacher maintains an effective program by establishing and maintaining an adequate knowledge of subject areas and student growth and development.
Teacher Responsibilities: Procedural
Adherence to all SHHS / HCS PoliciesThe Halifax County Standards of Conduct can be found in the appendix of this handbook.
AnnouncementsAll announcements should be placed in the basket in the main office by the designated time. The announcement should have the signature and date of the teacher or advisor sponsoring the announcement. An administrator will approve all announcements prior to broadcast. If the announcement is to be made over a period of time, then this should be indicated on the announcement form. Announcements should be clear and concise, and pertinent to SHHS or HCS activities. Birthdays will be announced (staff & student).
AssembliesA committee of teachers and CIA members will meet with the principal to determine and approve assemblies.
BooksBooks are loaned to the students by the state. Each student is responsible for books issued to him/her. If books are lost or damaged beyond that of natural wear, the student is held responsible. Books should be carefully issued with the teacher writing the student’s name and making an accurate record of the condition of the books when given to the students. Code numbers should be written on the teacher’s record sheet. This will aid greatly in helping to keep up with the books. Each student is entitled to a book in good condition and is required to take care of it.
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Bulletin BoardsBulletin boards add much to a room’s appearance. They should be attractive and informative. Bulletin displays should be changed frequently in order to make the classroom more conducive to learning. They should represent the subject taught in the room. All bulletin s must be updated at least once per quarter.
Care of School PropertyIt is the responsibility of the students and teachers to ensure school property is well cared for. Each student should understand that the desk assigned to him/her is his or her responsibility. Any damage done to the desk or building beyond that of normal wear will be paid for by the one who is responsible. Help the custodians by being good housekeepers each period. Students can help pick up scrap paper and clean desks before leaving classrooms. Requests of the custodians are to be submitted to the main office.
Class CoverageThe office must be notified if it becomes necessary for a teacher to leave the classroom or other post (e.g. duty post) for any length of time. This will enable an administrator to secure someone to assume your responsibilities.
Class LocationThe office must be notified if class is held in another location other than the assigned classroom.
Classroom TidinessClassrooms must be maintained in a clean and orderly manner at all times.
Change of Grade PolicyTeachers must submit SHHS Form to the Principal in order to request a grade change. No exceptions!
CopierThe copier is for school use only. The risograph and copier are located in the teacher’s workroom in the main office. Teachers are encouraged to use the risograph copier for more than 20 copies. 9TH grade hall teachers will be assigned to copier in Mr. Cannon’s Office Complex. Contact the main office for paper distribution.
Door DutyIt is mandatory that all teachers stand outside their doors before school beginning at 7:50a.m. and after school at 3:15p.m. until the hallway is clear. Please stand at your doors during class changes, or at the designated post assigned by the Principal. Some staff members will be assigned special duty areas before and after school. It is required that you be at your duty post for school safety and liability.
Duty AssignmentsA duty schedule will be distributed to all staff. To ensure student safety, staff members MUST report to their assigned duty stations on time each day.
Emergency Lesson Plans
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Emergency lesson plans should be filed in section in the back of your lesson plan binder at your observation station in your classroom. Emergency lesson plans should be updated once quarterly and compiled in the back of your lesson plan binder. If the emergency plans are used by the substitute, they must be updated upon return.
Excused from Class / Hall PassesIf a student is excused from class, they must have a pass at all times (colored classroom passes will be assigned). Students should not be excused unless it is an emergency. Students are not allowed to leave class during the first fifteen minutes or last fifteen minutes of class.
Field Trip Request FormsTeachers are required to get approval of field trips well in advance from Mrs. Davis (four weeks)—No Exceptions! Field trip packets may be obtained from Ms. Batts. Transportation must also be arranged. Please try to avoid trips where additional student costs are involved. For more detail see Field Trip section in your manual.
GradesStudent grades must be submitted via Home Base. More information will be forth coming during training on August 22, 2015, in the Faculty Meeting.
Furniture / EquipmentSchool furniture and equipment SHOULD NOT BE MOVED from one classroom to another without permission from SHHS Administration.
Health Related Concerns / First AidThe Nurses Office is located in A Hall Lobby complex and is for emergency use and as a short term method of handling First Aid. No student will be allowed to stay longer than 30 minutes. Parents must assume responsibility for transportation home or give the student permission to drive home. Teachers should provide a note to the student before sending the student to the Nurse .
*In the case of extreme emergencies, the teacher should notify the office immediately. Our certified trainers / first responders will be on call to assist the administration until medical help can be called to the campus.
KeysWhen keys are issued, they must be signed for at the beginning of the year and turned in at the end of the year.
Night Activities / After-School EventsStudents and parents are appreciative of teachers who attend school functions after school hours. Teachers are expected to attend designated activities and other extracurricular activities that take place at school.
Mailbox Do not send students to check your mailbox. All telephone messages will be placed in your box unless the caller identifies an emergency situation.
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Money SecurityCarry all money with you. No money is to be left in the room under any circumstances. It is recommended that personal belongings (purses, wallets, cell phones, IPODs, cameras, etc.) be kept in a locked file cabinet.
Notices to ParentsAll notices, i.e., general parent letters, to be distributed to students should be approved by administration prior to distribution.
Parent Contact LogsTeachers should keep a record of all parent contact. A Teacher/Parent Communication log is provided in the Appendix and should be maintained in the back of your lesson plan binder at your observation station.
Posting Materials on WallsPosters and announcements should not be placed on painted walls, windows or doors with tape. Materials that will not take paint from walls or leave glue on windows may be used. Posters and announcements should be placed on the designated bulletins in the hallways and / or classrooms.
PunctualityTeachers will model appropriate behavior and arrive at school and duty assignments on time. Do not admit tardy students to class. They must be sent to the office to obtain a Pass to be admitted to class.
Psychological RequestAny student you feel needs the services of the Psychologist should be reported to the SHHS counselor.
Schedule ChangesSchedule changes are discouraged unless there has been an error in placement. All schedule changes must be requested on the appropriate form and must be completely filled out. The schedule change request should be turned in to the counselor by the student with a parent signature. DO NOT SEND STUDENTS TO THE OFFICE FOR A SCHEDULE CHANGE.
School CalendarThe monthly calendar is posted near the workroom in the main office, and a Google calendar will be kept, as well. These calendars will indicate the major activities taking place at school during the month. All teachers are encouraged to submit to Ms. Johnson a schedule of meetings or events sponsored by your organization for each month. All activities must have the approval of the principal and should be submitted to Ms. Johnson 30 days prior to the event.
School FunctionsTeachers are expected to attend school staff meetings, school departmental meetings, grade level meetings, Principal Communication Forums (at least one) and designated Parent Teacher Association (PTSA) meetings or events.
School TelephonesAll school telephones should be used for business only. Long distance calls are not allowed.
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Signing In and OutTeachers must sign in and out daily (TACS) in the main office on the designated sign-in/out sheet. At no time can Ms. Batts, Ms. Silver, or another colleague sign a staff member in or out.
Secure ClassroomsWindows and blinds must be adjusted properly at the end of the day and doors secured.
Student RecordsAccurate records must be kept up-to-date (updated at least weekly) regarding student attendance and grades. It is expected that a back-up method be in place to ensure no information is lost.
Supplies / FormsSupplies are available in the main office. Please contact Ms. Batts.
Teacher Cell Phone UseTeachers are prohibited from using their cell phones, in the presence of students or in the hallways, for any reason not specifically related to their students. Personal calls during class or in the presence of students will result in a formal, written reprimand that will be placed in the teacher’s file.
Staff Dress Code
Staff members are professionals and are expected to dress accordingly, presenting an image of dignity and authority. You are a Role Model! Appropriate dress influences the way staff interacts with students and positively affects the general environment.
Guidelines
Employee ID badges are required to be worn and visible at all times.
Pants/trousers must have a hem or cuff. Avoid jeans or overalls of any color or fabric
except on such days as designated by the principal.
Shirts/blouses are to be appropriately sized. Avoid tank tops and low-cut shirts.
Mini-skirts, halter tops,leggings, backless, strapless and/or cut-out/see through, or skin-
tight dresses are not to be worn.
Shorts are not permitted.
Skirts or dresses must be no shorter than 2 inches above the knee (use the finger test).
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Warm-ups, jogging suits, wind suits and/or sweat suits, leggings and other athletic
apparel are not permissible.
Footwear must be worn at all times. Shoes traditionally worn around the house (slippers,
house shoes or thongs) or to the beach (flip-flop/shower shoe design) are not permitted.
Tennis shoes are considered to be casual attire and are discouraged, except on such days
as designated by the principal.
Exceptions
Physical Education (not Health) requires different degrees of freedom of movement. Staff
members in these areas are expected to follow the same guidelines as other staff members,
with the following exceptions:
- Sweat suits are permitted.
- Tee shirts are permitted ONLY if worn under a sweat suit.
- Sneakers and shorts are permitted.
This policy is being implemented in the best interest of all staff at SHHS and as an example
to our students and school community. Administration will address any individual
accordingly, who does not project the professional image expected at SHHS.
Staff Early Dismissal
Under special circumstances, an employee may receive permission from the principal and be excused early without a payroll notation. ALL REQUESTS MUST BE APPROVED IN ADVANCE BY THE PRINCIPAL. A teacher away from his/her teaching station for more than one hour will be charged with one-half of a day relative to payroll, and teachers away more than two (2) blocks will be charged with a complete day relative to payroll.
AFTER AN ACCUMULATION OF THREE (3) INSTRUCTIONAL BLOCKS OR A TOTAL OF 7.5 HOURS ARE MISSED FOR PERSONAL EMERGENCY REASONS, then payroll will be notified to charge the teacher with one day of personal leave or the equivalent.
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The teacher excused early is responsible for making satisfactory arrangements to continue his/her responsibilities for the remainder of the day unless a payroll deduction is made. You must get a colleague to cover your class(es) during his/her planning period. Mrs. Davis must be made aware of proposed coverage in advance.
Reasons for which an employee may be excused early include:
1. Personal illness2. Family illness3. Medical or dental appointment of an EMERGENCY NATURE
ONLY4. Community functions of general interest and benefit to the entire
community5. Wedding or funeral of a relative 6. Workshop or professional meeting
An early departure/late arrival form must be completed and approved by Mrs. Davis. Staff members must also sign in and out in the green notebook located in the main office-No Exceptions!
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Staff Attendance Procedures
Every Day: All staff must sign in/out in the main office each day on TACS. Each individual must sign themselves in and out—NO EXCEPTIONS! Classified Staff must sign out for a thirty minute lunch break and sign back in upon completion.
****Workdays: All staff are to sign in on an attendance roster located in the front office. The school day should be at least 8 hours unless otherwise announced. Staff members wishing to take annual leave or who are sick must contact Mrs. Davis (252-813-8268/Cell and 252-544-0098-Home). Should a staff member fail to report to school or notify the appropriate personnel of their absence, the absence will be coded as a day without pay. Emergency situations will be handled on an individual basis. It is important that you follow these procedures since they are used to develop the monthly payroll.
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School Days: Staff Illness - When planned or unexpected absences are necessary and a substitute is needed, you are to:
Call Mrs. Davis at 252-813-8268 or 252-544-0098 between the hours of 5:30 am and 6:30 am or before 10:00 pm the night before.
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Utilize the AESOP System to secure a substitute as early as possible. Teachers who have an extended illness should contact the office secretary as well.
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Personal and Professional Leave: All staff should complete a Request for Absence From Regular Duties form when wishing to take sick, personal or professional leave. This form is to be submitted to Mrs. Davis at least one week in advance except in an emergency. Upon approval by the principal, the staff member will be notified.
****
Early Dismissal: In order for the office staff to keep informed of your schedule, all staff should sign out in the main office when leaving campus before 3:30 p.m. in the book for:
Professional reasons (in-services, district training, etc.) Personal Reasons (requires administrative approval)
****Board Policies: Please see HCS Board Policy Codes 7500 and 7510 for more details about staff attendance and leave.
Staff Parking Procedures
A parking procedure is in place to ensure: (1) parents, students, visitors and safety personnel may easily access the campus, and (2) we are in compliance with the regulations in place regarding the safety and security of our students while they are on campus. The following guidelines have been established for the 2016-2017 school year:
Teachers will park in the teacher parking lot only.
Students are not to park in the teacher parking lot, unless special permission is granted.
Students will park in the student parking lot at the back of the Staff parking lot near the tennis court according to assigned space numbers.
There will be no parking in the following areas:
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The front of the school driveway
Handicapped spaces
On the grass areas
Emergency Lesson Plans
All teachers will prepare emergency lesson plans for five school days and file in your Lesson Plan Binder by September 9, 2016. The plans should include the following:
1. Challenging appropriate instructional activities that will last for the entire period. These should be collected by the substitute and graded by the teacher.
2. The name of a fellow colleague who can serve as a “buddy” to the substitute.
3. Updated student rosters and seating charts.
4. All duties (lunch, hall, etc.) for which the substitute teacher is responsible.
5. The teacher’s daily schedule for each subject, planning period and lunch.
6. Appropriate agenda hall pass.
7. Under no circumstances should students be sent to the Media Center.
8. Emergency evacuation procedures should be made accessible for substitutes.
9. Paper for the substitute to leave notes/feedback.
EMERGENCY LESSON PLANS SHOULD BE UPDATED QUARTERLY AND/OR AFTER USE BY A SUBSTITUTE.
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Textbook Regulations
1. Department al Leads distribute and account for all textbooks within their departments. Only department chairpersons and the assistant principal are authorized to issue textbooks to the members of their staff. Departmental Leads are responsible for accurate textbook allotment.
2. Departmental Leads and the assistant principal will distribute and collect textbooks, and from them compile the departmental report.
3. Each student should be issued a textbook for the classes in which he/she is enrolled. Teachers should not collect these until the end of the examination period of either term, unless new material is to be issued or the student officially drops the class.
4. When issuing textbooks to students, each teacher is required to record the student’s name and date of issue. When the student returns the book, the teacher is to record the date of return and the condition of the book.
5. It is required that the teacher record the student’s name and a code number and teacher’s initial’s in each book issued. This should prohibit someone turning in another student’s book and receiving credit.
6. At the close of school, each department is to make an audit of all books within the department. A compiled list including book titles, serial numbers, and total number of copies is to be turned in.
7. No textbooks should be “loaned” to other schools.
8. All incoming and outgoing books must have an invoice or credit slip.
9. Teachers should make every effort possible to recover all textbooks or replacement fees from students who transfer out of their classes or transfer out of school.
10. Each teacher should complete an audit of textbooks at the end of first term. Students should be assessed for lost or damaged books at that time.
11. All questions regarding textbooks should be directed to the departmental leads or the assistant principal.
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Purchasing Instructions / Financial Information
1. Request for Purchase forms are available in Mrs. Batt’s office. Fill them out and obtain department chairperson’s signature. The request will then be sent to the principal for approval. The financial secretary will receive this request and send the purchase order. If the request is denied, the teacher will be notified.
2. If you receive an invoice, send it to Mrs. Batt’s office for payment immediately.
3. Any material purchased or ordered without approval will be the responsibility of the teacher.
4. All packing slips must be turned in to Mrs. Batts.
Financial Instructions for Homeroom Teachers
NEVER HOLD MONEY OVERNIGHT!
1. Write the student a receipt for all monies collected.2. The receipt books are furnished by Halifax County Schools and can be obtained
through and by Mrs. Batt. The receipts are in duplicate form. The student will receive the white copy.
3. Yellow copy is to be sent in with your deposit. 4. If you make an error in a receipt, do not try to erase it. VOID all copies and staple
receipt book. 5. Please arrange all bills and checks flat, with faces up and turned the same way. Place coins in
wrappers according to designated amount on wrapper. Do not partially fill a coin wrapper. Do not fold anything.
6. Write the student’s name, ID number and homeroom/club teacher’s name on each check. Checks will not be accepted after April 1, 2017 for any purchase or payment to the school.
7. DO NOT GIVE change for a check.8. All money received by the financial secretary is to be deposited intact to the bank daily;
therefore, no checks personal or otherwise will be cashed. 9. Coin wrappers are available in the financial secretary’s office.10. Turn in money daily no later than 1:00 a.m. each day. Monies should be collected at the
beginning of the day if possible—please alert parents of this procedure.11. When turning in money, do not leave it with anyone other than Mrs. Batts. If Mrs. Batts is
absent from school, Mrs. Davis will serve as the “backup” financial secretary.12. Upon completion, return receipt books Mrs. Batts.
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Financial Instructions for Club Sponsors
1. Use a separate receipt book for receipting club monies. Do not use your homeroom receipt book.
2. Write the student a receipt for all monies collected.3. When turning in money, arrange all bills and checks flat, with faces up and turned the same
way. Place coins in wrappers according to designated amount on wrapper.4. Coin wrappers are available in the Financial Secretary’s office. Do not fold anything.5. DO NOT cash or give change for checks.6. Write the student’s name, ID number and club sponsor on each personal check.7. Turn in money daily—no later than 1:00 p.m. each day.8. Do not leave money with anyone other than the Financial Secretary.
FundraisingForms for fundraising activities can be obtained from the Financial Secretary.
All fundraisers are to be held for the benefit of students for the current school year. Outlined below are the procedures that are to be followed for fundraising activities.
Request for a Fundraising ProjectAll fundraising activities must be reviewed by the Financial Secretary and approved in advanced by the principal on a “Request for Fund Raising Activity” form. This form is to be prepared in duplicate with the Principal retaining one copy in an approved file and the sponsor retaining the duplicate copy.
School organizations should prepare the request at the beginning of each school year. This allows the financial advisory committee to study all requests to minimize any potential conflicts which may arise. All fall fundraiser requests are due by October 31, 2016. All Spring fundraisers request are due by March 25, 2017. !Fund Raising ReportOnce fundraising request forms have been prepared by a school or submitted by school organizations, the organization should prepare a “Fund Raising Report” form as required in Education Policy. The Fund Raising Report lists all planned fundraisers for the school year. The form must be approved by the principal and the superintendent. All fundraisers must be held within two weeks of requested date.
Any changes or amendments to the Fund Raising Report should be approved by the principal before the activities are undertaken. This includes changes in dates. Copies of the Fund Raising Report are retained with the approved Request for Fund Raising Project forms.
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Accounting for Fund RaisingThe following procedures have been prepared to ensure that good business practices are used with school fundraisers: DO NOT BEGIN ANY FUNDRAISER BEFORE THE PRINCIPAL APPROVES.
1. The purchase of merchandise should only be for quantities, which can be sold in a reasonable time (preferably no more than two weeks for short-term projects).
2. If possible, schools should choose vendors, which will accept returns of unsold products for credit.
3. The selling price of the items being sold must be established prior to the beginning of the fundraising.
4. All receipts of fundraising are to be turned in to the secretary and properly receipted on a daily basis. The practice of holding receipts until the activity has been completed is a violation of School Policy.
5. Keep a record of items sold and money collected. This will help in completing the Summary of Fund Raising Activity Report.
6. No club funds will be available for expenditure until Summary of Fund Raising Activity Report has been satisfactorily completed.
7. The Summary of Fund Raising Activity form (on reverse side of Request for Fund Raising Activity form) must be prepared and submitted to the principal upon completion of the activity. (Timeline is 2 weeks) Any extension of completion date, or any delay in submitting the final accounting, must be approved in advance by the principal. Amounts reflected on lines nine and ten of the form must be documented.
8. A copy of the vendor invoice(s) must be attached to the Summary of Fund Raising form to support the number of items purchased. If the quantity purchased is not shown on the invoice, it should be recorded on the invoice and signed by the principal and sponsor.
9. Attach a list of students and amount owed by each student to the Summary of Fund Raising form. Complete a financial obligation form for any money owed by a student.
Field Trips
A request for field trip form must be completed and approved 30 days prior to the date of the requested trip, prior to it being entered into the system. Field trip request forms are to be turned in to Mrs. Davis with all required completed forms.
Safety and Supervision of Students
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AT NO TIME SHOULD STUDENTS BE TRANSPORTED IN PERSONAL VEHICLES!
All students participating in the trip are to assemble in the bus lot or other area designated by the principal for arrival/departure. Upon return, students are to be discharged at the same location. At least one member of the school professional staff in addition to the driver must travel in each bus used for a trip.
Student guidelines regarding discipline will be in effect during field trips. Incidents must be immediately reported to assigned administrator.
Notifications to TeachersThe sponsoring teacher must distribute a form which will include the date, times of departure and return, destination, sponsoring teacher’s signature, and administrative approval, as well as, the name and ID# of the students who have secured teacher and parental approval to the entire faculty 48 hours in advance. This information is to be e-mailed to the staff.
Media Center Policies
Mission: The mission of the media center is to ensure faculty and students are effective users of ideas and information. Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning by the American Library Association, 1998.
Hours: 7:40 a.m. – 3:45 p.m., every school day.
Rules: 1. No food, drinks, or candy.2. Computers are for instructional purposes, research or career development only.3. Maintain a quiet learning atmosphere.5. Sign in when entering the media center. An official school pass is required and
must be handed to staff when signing in.
Students who violate these rules may lose Media Center privileges.
After School Passes: A student who chooses to use the media center after school must have an official school pass signed by a teacher who authorizes the student’s school-related purpose for using the media center. Official school passes are available from the media center.
During School Passes: Teachers may authorize up to four students at a time to use the media center for specific school-related work by signing an official school pass. Both the first and last name of the students must be written on the pass. Official school passes are available from the media center.
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Scheduling Classes for Instruction: The media center space may be scheduled by a teacher after collaboratively planning with the media specialist to establish objectives and the purpose for the visit. A written lesson plan is required when scheduling for instruction so that the media specialist can support student learning. The calendar for scheduling space is located in the media center office. To accommodate all classes equitably, classes are scheduled for 45 minutes (half a block), with the option for a full block when necessary.
Teachers will actively monitor and engage their students so that they do not interfere with the learning of others. Students will be dismissed by the teacher from their seat, as students’ congregating at the door is an unsafe practice.
The media specialist is eager to collaboratively develop lessons integrating technology, research skills and the ethical use of resources. Sample lessons include citing sources, locating books in the media center, promoting literature, using the databases, evaluating websites, research process, preparing for the Junior/Senior Exit Project/Presentation.
Internet Acceptable Use Policy: SHHS users will sign/agree to an "Internet Acceptable Use Agreement" prior to being given access. This agreement will define the educational objectives and guidelines for use as well as unacceptable uses which will lead to revocation of access and possible disciplinary action. For more information about filtering and acceptable use, please review the Halifax web page.
Laminator: The film for the laminator is expensive. The laminator is to be used for items which need to be retained for a long period of time (ex: wall posters, signage).
Printing in the media center: Teachers are not charged for printing. Students will not be charged for printing when a teacher brings the entire class to the media center for instruction and has given an assignment which requires printing during class time. The teacher should bring paper for printing. Printing in the Learning Labs will be determined.
Periodical Collection: All periodicals received in the media center are available for check out. Old periodicals are occasionally available for project work, including picture cutting. The media specialist is glad to help with lesson design utilizing periodicals. The media center surveys staff and students for their suggestions for magazine subscriptions.
Newspaper Collection: All newspapers received in the media center are available for check out. Old newspapers are available for project work, including cutting for articles. The media specialist is glad to help with lesson design utilizing newspapers. Teachers who have requested a classroom set of newspapers from a vendor will find the newspapers delivered to the front door of the media center and may send a student for pickup.
Book Collections: Students may check out one book at a time, with exceptions permitted. Reference books are to be used in the media center and other books circulate for two weeks with renewals permitted. Teachers have unlimited use of resources. Teachers and students are held accountable for all items checked out in their name. The media center will gladly accept suggestions for titles/topics that need to be added to the collection.
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Research Databases: To locate the suggested research databases, go to Halifax home page, select the resources tab at the top of the page, select student, and then select high school. SHHS’s portal to the Halifax Public Library databases (login: ramsearch, no password), NC Wise Owl is provided by the state of North Carolina. Citation is a link to an electronic citation maker using both MLA and APA formats.
Video/DVD Use: SHHS does not have an approved list of video/DVDs. SHHS policy indicates that teachers are responsible for following the guidelines on the Use of Videos in Instruction. All videos/DVDs shown must support the Standard Course of Study (Common Core). Videos/DVDs may not be shown for the purpose of entertainment, reward, or as an activity for a substitute for “filler.” All videos shown must be approved prior to showing. Teachers must complete the “Request to Show Video” form, available from for administrator approval. The media center will gladly accept suggestions for titles/topics of audiovisuals that need to be added to the collection.
BRAND NEW GRADING SCALE
High schools shall use one grading scale. The conversion of grades to quality points is standardized. Implicit is a conversion of percentage grades to letter grades according to the following widely used scale and effective for all high school students in 2015-2016, 90-100 = A; 80-89 = B; 70-79= C; 60-69 = D; < 59 = F. Grades and the corresponding number of quality points are shown below.
Standard scale –– Numeric Grades with a letter grade legend.
90-100 = 4.0 80-89 = 3.0 70-79 = 2.0 60-69 = 1.0 < 59 = 0.0 WF = 0.0FF = 0.0 WP = 0.0 INC = 0.0 AUD = 0.0 P = 0.0
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F 59 and belowHALIFAX COUNTY SCHOOLS
1. Grades A through F may be earned in all subjects.
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2. Numerical grades must be used in all subjects for every grading period.
3. One unit of credit will be granted for a term course unless otherwise noted in curriculum.
4. Teachers are required to record grades in an official grade book . Grades must be entered via PowerSchool. The possibility of computer crashing and/or disk damage makes this double entry of grades very important. Printouts from the computerized program may be attached to the grade book.
5. Grade reductions must not be used for punishment. Please review the ZAP Policy.
6. All grade changes must be entered by the PowerSchool Data Manager with the approval of the Principal. Grade change forms are available through the Data Manager and must be submitted in person by the teacher requesting the change, along with an explanation for the change.
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Student Information
Student Classroom Expectations
As professionals, teachers work hard to prepare each lesson. These lessons are designed to help each student reach his/her potential in each class and to prepare the student to move to the next level of learning. To enable each student to benefit from these lessons, the following student classroom expectations have been developed. Teachers should use these as guidelines when developing their classroom rules and expectations.
A. The student is to be ready to work when the tardy bell stops ringing. He/she should have proper tools for class such as text, pencil, paper, etc.
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B. The student is to treat other students and teachers with respect.
C. A successful student is one who does his own assignments and participates in class. We expect every student to be successful.
D. Homework is an important teaching and learning strategy. Teachers are responsible for developing homework procedures that follow these guidelines:
1. Homework is defined as any school work that is required to be done outside of the regular instructional day and includes assignments of short term and long term duration. Students must not be given time during class to complete homework assignments.
2. Homework assessment and grading procedures must be clearly defined at the beginning of a course and communicated to students and parents.
3. Grades for homework should have a limited effect in determining a student's final grade.
4. Each homework assignment should have clearly stated purposes and be an extension of class work.
5. Homework should be age appropriate in terms of content, activities, and length of assignment.
6. Homework should be assigned with awareness of the home resources available to a student and the family.
7. All completed homework should be evaluated and returned to the student within a reasonable length of time.
8. Homework should not be assigned without adequate student preparation.
9. Homework shall not be assigned for disciplinary purposes.
10. A student who misses homework assignments or other assignments or due dates because of absences, whether excused or unexcused, must be allowed to make up the work. Arrangements for completing the work should be made within five school days of the student's return to school. Arrangements should include a schedule for completion of the work.
11. In all circumstances, homework and other assignments should be accepted, even when turned in after the designated due date. Credit for late work shall be awarded according to the following guidelines:
a. If the student was present in class on the due date, the work may be given less credit;
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b. If the student was not present in class on the due date because of an excused absence, full credit shall be given for the completed work;
c. If the student was not present in class on the due date because of an unexcused absence, the work may be given less credit.
Student Consequences-Revised via the PBISConsistent failure to follow these guidelines and/or the general procedures may result in the following:
Warnings
Call to parents / teacher consequences / teacher detention-Logged in CAP Log.
Referral to administrators – warnings, reprimand, parent contact and/or conference,
counseling, etc.
Referral to Alternative Learning Center (Admin Only)
ZEROS AREN’T PERMITTED (ZAP)MISSING WORK POLICY
Students are expected to turn in all class work and home work by the date assigned by the teacher. Student progress is monitored by the evaluation of student work. Without completion of assignments, student progress cannot be accurately monitored and class averages will not reflect the student’s mastery of the objectives. The consequences for missing work are listed below. All consequences provide the student time to complete the work.
Daily/Quiz Grades: *Teachers are expected to make contact with parents each time a ZAP is assigned. 1st assignment Placement in TTT daily until the assignment is complete 2nd assignment Placement in TTT daily until the assignment is complete 3rd assignment Loss of Club/House Fab Friday activities-Assigned to AARC with Mrs.
Davis 4th assignment Loss of Club/House Fab Friday activities-Assigned to AARC with Mrs.
Davis 5th assignment Office Referral, parents contacted by Assistant Principal 6th assignment Office Referral, parents contacted by Assistant Principal *Students working on the same assignment during TTT for 3 days will be issued an a
“Return With Parent” note.
Projects/Papers/Test Grades:
1st project Assigned during TTT, parents contacted by teacher 2nd project Assigned TTT, parents contacted by teacher
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3rd project Office Referral, parents contacted by teacher and Assistant Principal *Students with projects not turned in within three days of the due date will be assigned to
complete the project during TTT House/Club Fab Friday
General Student Behavior GuidelinesPBIS
Please refer to the Halifax County Schools “School Conduct and Discipline Procedures” and Student / Parent Handbook for more information.
LunchStudents will be assigned to lunch and will remain in the cafeteria. Students are not allowed to transit from cafeteria to media center during lunch with any food items. Under no circumstances are students to enter a hallway where classes are in session.
CardsCard playing is not a part of the curriculum at SHHS. Students should not bring cards to school. Cards will be confiscated and will not be returned.
Student Use of School Phone STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE SCHOOL PHONES EXCEPT IN CASE OF EMERGENCIES. Using the telephone will not be accepted as an excuse for tardiness.
Off-Limit AreasOnce the school day begins, students are not allowed in the parking lot without permission from an administrator. Students are neither allowed in teacher lounges nor workrooms unless they are personally supervised by a teacher. Once the student enters the bus/parking lot, then he/she is officially on campus and may not leave without proper authorization.
VisitorsSTUDENTS ARE NEITHER TO BRING NOR INVITE VISITORS TO SCHOOL. When it is desired to have a visitor on campus, advanced approval must be obtained from the principal before the visitor enters the campus. Students attending another Halifax county school, private schools, or other public schools are not allowed to visit SHHS; hence, they are considered trespassing and will be subject to arrest. The same rule holds for our students visiting another Halifax County School campus.
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Cell PhonesStudents are not permitted to use cell phones. All phones must be off at instructional times, unless the teacher has obtained prior approval (via lesson plans) to have students use cell phones or other mobile devices for instructional purposes . Students who use their cell phone during the instructional day without approval will have it confiscated. THIS RULE APPLIES TO ALL STUDENTS—NO EXCEPTIONS! For a first offense, student’s parent may retrieve the cell phone at the end of the day. On the second offense, the cell phone will be confiscated and must be picked up by a parent. The third and all subsequent offenses will result in the phone being confiscated and it must be picked up by a parent, with notification of consequences being enforced as stated in the Student/parent handbook. If a teacher confiscates a cell phone or any other electronic device owned by a student, they are to turn it in to an administrator as soon as possible. DO NOT assume responsibility for students’ personal property.
Student Tardy Policy
The teacher’s ability to provide an orderly beginning to the lesson is hampered when students are not in place ready to begin class. In order to provide a more effective learning environment for both students and teachers, the following procedure has been adopted.
1. Students have four minutes to get to class. A warning bell will sound after three minutes warning students they have one minute to get to class. Students tardy to class and missing over half the class period will be counted absent for the period. They will report back to that class during TTT to complete work missed.
2. IStudents who need to contact a counselor or an administrator must do so during lunch period, and before or after school. Students should report emergency situations to the teacher who will notify the office.
3. The teacher will lock or close the door to the classroom when the tardy bell ends. Students who are late (not in the classroom) are NOT to be admitted unless they possess a note or admit slip from the office and for “tardy” processing before returning to class with a pass.
4. Any student who is tardy and does not report to admin to get a pass as requested is considered to be cutting class. He/she will receive a discipline referral.
5. No student is to be out of class during the first or last fifteen minutes of each class period. HALL PASSES SHOULD NOT BE ISSUED DURING THIS TIME.
6. If a student is late to school:
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Students will report to the main office to sign in and retrieve a pass from the receptionist.
A bus pass will be issued to students who arrive on a late bus so that they may enter class without penalty.
The main office will process all late arrivals to school. 7. Students are responsible for requesting from their teachers the work that was missed
during lock-out detention.
8. TARDIES WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! No Exceptions—they are to report to AARC during House or Club time on Friday of that week they are tardy.
The following consequences will apply for tardies:
Number of Tardies ConsequencesFirst Tardy Verbal/Written WarningSecond Tardy Verbal/Parent ContactThird Tardy Parent Conf. - Do Not Admit List
to school eventsFourth Tardy Lunch Detention -DNAFifth Tardy Lunch Detention-DNASixth Tardy Return with Parent Conf. - DNA*Seventh Tardy & More Return with Parent Conf. –DNA
*Seventh Tardy = Administrative Referral, considered Insubordination and Failure to comply and subject to more severe consequences.
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Cheating / Plagiarism Policy
Cheating includes (but is not limited to) the following behaviors:
1. Giving or receiving unauthorized verbal or written help during a testing period.
2. Removing test items from the classroom by any means.
3. Using unauthorized materials during a test (e.g. having formulas written on your hands, desk, cheat sheet, or programmed into your calculator).
4. Copying another student’s work on an open-end assignment (questions or work that does not have a single correct response, such as an essay question, unless instructed by the teacher that students may work as a group. It is the responsibility of the teacher to inform the students when it is acceptable to work together.
5. Plagiarism.
Consequences for cheating:
1st offense: Loss of half grade on assignment or assessment; student/teacher conference; phone call to parent; referral to administrator/guidance.
2nd and subsequent offenses: Permanent zero on assignment or assessment; parent contact by teacher and administrator, and consider assigning additional consequences.
Other inappropriate behaviors, which are unethical and could lead to the consequences for cheating include:
1. Informing students in another class period of the same class of test items.2. Having unauthorized materials out during a testing period.3. Talking during a testing period.
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Recovery and Attendance Appeals
1. The teacher will notify the parent/guardian on the 2nd absence. The teacher will keep a phone log of these calls. The teacher should contact any parent of a student with excessive absences and keep a log.
2. Students absent more than 10 times must attend Recovery for ALL absences beyond the 10th
absence. Students absent 11 or more times from a class will receive a grade of “F” if they do not complete recovery.
3. RECOVERY IS NOT TO BE DONE DURING THE NORMAL INSTRUCTIONAL DAY. A student may not miss one class to do recovery for another class. Students may NOT do recovery during class time but during TTT.
4. Students with 11 or more absences must appeal to the principal and / or attendance committee with appropriate documentation to REQUEST credit for the course(s) in which the absence(s) occurred. Appeal forms will be available in the main office.
5. Students who wish to appeal their absences must submit an appeal form to that subject teacher. The teacher will submit the form to the principal and / or attendance committee. If the appeal is granted, the student will receive the academic grade earned in the class.
6. The attendance committee will review attendance appeals and submit them to the principal for a final decision.
7. In order for an appeal to be granted, a student must have completed recovery. If a student does not do the required recovery, he/she may still submit an appeal form to the subject teacher. The teacher will submit the form to the Principal and / or Attendance Committee.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process
PurposeThe North Carolina Educator Evaluation Instruments are based on the Framework for 21st Century Learning and the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards. The instruments are designed to promote effective leadership, quality teaching, and student learning while enhancing professional practice and leading to improved instruction. All of the instruments and processes are designed to encourage professional growth, to be flexible and fair to the persons being evaluated, and to serve as the foundation for the establishment of professional goals and identification of professional development needs.
The intended purpose of the North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process is to assess the teacher’s performance in relation to the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards and to design a plan for professional growth. The principal or assistant principal will conduct the evaluation process in which the teacher will actively participate through the use of self- assessment, reflection, presentation of artifacts, and classroom demonstration(s).
The teacher performance evaluation process will:1. Serve as a measurement of performance for individual teachers;3. Serve as a guide for teachers as they reflect upon and improve their effectiveness;4. Serve as the basis for instructional improvement; 5. Focus the goals and objectives of schools and districts as they support, monitor, and
evaluate their teachers;6. Guide professional development programs for teachers;7. Serve as a tool in developing coaching and mentoring programs for teachers;8. Enhance the implementation of the approved curriculum; and9. Inform higher education institutions as they develop the content and requirements for teacher
training programs.
Evaluation Process for Career Status Teachers Career Status teachers who are in their tenure renewal year will engage in:
An Orientation to the Teacher Evaluation Instrument A Self-Assessment A Professional Development Plan A Pre-Conference before the first formal observation Three observations by administrators, followed by three Post-Conferences A Summary Evaluation Conference
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Evaluation Process for Probationary TeachersProbationary teachers – those in their first, second, third, or fourth years of teaching – will engage in:
An Orientation to the Teacher Evaluation Instrument A Self-Assessment A Professional Development Plan A Pre-Conference before the first formal observation Three observations by administrators, followed by three Post-Conferences One observation by a peer, followed by a Post-Conference A Summary Evaluation Conference
Find the full NC Teacher Evaluation Instrument and more details here:http://www.ncpublicschools.org/profdev/training/teacher/
Beginning Teacher Support
At Southeast Halifax High School, we are committed to ensuring our beginning teachers get off to a great start in the teaching profession and have many opportunities to develop their craft and their leadership. As such, beginning teacher support, above and beyond the professional development provided to all teachers, will be a priority for teachers in years 1-3. It will include, but not be limited to:
Halifax County Schools New Teacher Orientation
Mentoring
Southeast Halifax High School Beginning Teacher Meetings (RAP Sessions)These meetings will be held once a month and will provide beginning teachers an opportunity to engage in professional development and candid discussions with the administrative team.
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Ongoing Teacher Professional Development
Ongoing professional development for all teachers is necessary if we are to achieve our ambitious goals for student achievement at Southeast Halifax High School. Professional development for teachers will include, but is not limited to:
Halifax County Schools Summer Professional Development (August 22-23, 2016)
Monthly Faculty MeetingsEach department will be assigned a meeting to share best practices with the staff.
Professional Learning CommunitiesEach Wednesday, all teachers will meet with their departments to review their student achievement data and explore these five questions:
o What do we want students to learn? (curriculum)o How do we know when they have learned it? (assessment)o What do we do when they don’t learn it? (differentiation)o What do we do when they do learn it? (differentiation)o What if they already know it? (differentiation)
Professional Development Tools
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SELF-EVALUATION QUESTIONS
The following questions are designed to serve as a guide for your self-evaluation and as a basis for discussion during conferences. When conferring with administrators, you will have an opportunity to comment on facts you think are pertinent to your self-evaluation but are not covered by these questions. Rate the following on a scale of 1-5, five being the highest and submit to your administrator the day after an observation, prior to your conference.
Classroom Atmosphere
_____1. Do I interact with students in a friendly and sympathetic manner?
_____2. Do I maintain good order without compulsion?
_____3. In my classroom, do students exhibit an attitude of respect and tolerance for one another?
_____4. Do I adjust the physical features of the room to provide a healthy and attractive environment?
Classroom Activities
_____5. Do I set long-range goals and plan carefully the individual units and lessons so as to include EOC tests objectives and/or ABC goals?
_____6. Do I use a variety of styles of instruction? (Some familiar styles are questions-and-answer, general class discussion, teacher lecture, small group work, seat work, individual work, demonstration, laboratory.)
_____7. Do I use a variety of materials of instruction?
_____8. In my classroom, do students actively participate in discussions and activities?
_____9. In my classroom, do students have opportunities to develop leadership, to practice cooperation, and to share experiences with one another?
_____10. Do I evaluate learning frequently, using a variety of means?
_____11. Do I modify my planning as a result of my evaluation of student progress?
_____12. Do I start preparing students EOC tests and ABC goals at the BEGINNING of the school term? Do I continue preparation until the day of the actual assessment day?
Professional Characteristics
_____13. Do I assume responsibility for the educational success of my students?
_____14. Do I strive for professional improvement by attending courses and workshops and by personal study?
_____15. Do I seek and use the assistance and advice of resource persons?
_____16. Do I work cooperatively within my department and with other members of the staff?
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_____17. Do I exhibit personal qualities that enhance my effectiveness as a teacher?
_____18. Do I promote and maintain appropriate student behavior throughout the school?
_____19. Do I complete accurately and on time all necessary records, reports, and other administrative routines?
_____20. Do I accept extracurricular assignments as part of my overall responsibility, and do I fulfill these assignments conscientiously?
General Assessment
21. What degree of success am I having as a teacher at SHHS or a previous teaching assignment?
22. In what areas of my teaching responsibilities have I shown special competency, achievement, or service?
23. In what areas of my teaching responsibilities do I seek improvement?
24. What specific goals do I have for continued professional improvement?
STEPS TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL46
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
By Harry W. Wong
1. The three characteristics of an effective teacher are: 1) has good classroom management skills, 2) teach for mastery, and 3) has positive expectations for student success.
2. Your expectations of your students will greatly influence their achievement in your class and in their lives.
3. Treat students as though they already are what they can be, and you help them to be capable of becoming what they will be.
4. Call (or write) each home before school begins and again within two weeks. TEACHERS + PARENTS = GOOD STUDENTS
5. What you do on the first day of school will determine your success for the rest of the year.
6. Have the room ready for instruction, and make it inviting.
7. Stand at the door and greet the students.
8. Give each student a seating assignment and a seating chart.
9. There must be an assignment posted, and in a consistent location, when the students enter the room.
10.Start each class with an assignment – immediately. Do not take roll when class begins.
11.Position yourself in the room near the students: problems are proportional to distance.
12.Dress in a professional manner to model success and expect achievement.
13.The three most important things that must be stressed the first week of school are procedures, routines, and discipline.
14.Discipline: Set rules, consequences, and rewards immediately.
15.State your procedures and rehearse them until they become routines.
16.The greater the time students work together and the greater the responsibility students take for their work, the greater the learning.
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17.Cooperate with each other, compete only against yourself.
18.Cooperative learning will prepare students for the competitive, global world economy.
19.Academic Learning Time (ALT): The greater the time students spend working successfully on a task, the greater the student’s achievement.
20.The greater the structure of a lesson and the more precise the directions on task procedures the lower the error rate and the higher the achievement rate.
21.To increase assignment completion, state your assignments as a set of criteria or objectives.
22.The more frequent the tests, the higher the achievement.
23.Grade on percentage attained, not on the curve. The curve has done more harm to education than any other technique.
24.Mastery learning plus tutorial instruction results in higher achievement than students taught in a conventional manner.
25. If a student masters a criterion, give the student enrichment work. If the student does not master a criterion, give the student remediation and corrective help.
26. Intersperse questions throughout a lesson. Ask a question after 10 sentences rather than after 50 sentences and you increase the retention rate by 40 percent.
27.Wait Time: Wait five or more seconds after asking a question.
28.Students score higher on a test measuring attitude towards school and attitude towards a subject when they learn from an activity-question approach than from a textbook-lecture approach.
29.Workers are concerned with time and money. They sit at the back of meetings and put in time. Leaders are concerned with enhancement and cooperation. They have a career, are talented and are professionals. Some teachers are workers, others are leaders.
30.There is no nobility in being better than someone else. The only nobility is being better than who you were the day before.
31.Teachers can only give what and who they are themselves.
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32.You may be the only stable adult your students will ever see in their lifetime. You may be their only hope and dream for a brighter tomorrow.
33.You can have your achievements or you can have your excuses.
34.A professional is someone who does not need supervision and regulation to: 1) have a continuing growth plan to achieve competence and 2) continually strive to raise the level of each new group of students.
35.By far the most important factor to student learning is the effectiveness of the teacher. The more capable the teacher, the more successful the student.
ELEVEN WAYS TO BE A GREAT TEACHER
“DON WESLEY’S TOP 11 NON-TRADITIONAL EXPECTATIONS FOR TEACHERS”
1. Empathize. If you are not and never have been a student having trouble, a parent, an
administrator, or the teacher next door, can you imagine what it must be like? Can you
see yourself as the other?
2. Create partnerships with families, administrators, and other teachers. It won’t be easy.
Partnerships of this kind meet resistance. They must be forged. Somebody has to
keep trying. Decide that it will be you.
3. Account to others. Organize. Don’t wing it. Be able to explain. Keep careful records.
Know when things happened or didn’t happen. Let the record show that you did your
part; you tried. Don’t get caught not knowing facts, dates, times, and numbers. Be
convincing and thorough.
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4. Embrace adversity. (This is also known as “Face the Beast”.) Conflict, contention,
failure, and fears are the experiences that teach us. To deal with adversity in others
while maintaining respect and concern for them is an accomplishment.
5. Practice the long view. Consider strategic consequences of tactical decisions. Your
students will become adults. What will they say of you then? Were you real, honest,
fair, and right?
6. Demonstrate competency and interest not only in your subject specialty, but in others as
well. Help students become competent and interested.
7. Never quit. Go the distance. Keep believing in your students even when they are
failing, disruptive, suspended, or thrown out. Believe in them when they do not believe
in themselves. Draw the line, and do what you must, but be ready when your lesson
finally takes hold and they begin to believe.
8. Accept responsibility for doing the job to the best of your ability every day. Teach
responsibility by being responsible.
9. Reflect and contribute to reflection. Read, think, and write. Communicate your
questions and ideas. Share with colleagues. Publish. Teaching is largely a thinking
life – forward to a plan, backward to an evaluation. It is constant reflection.
10. Admit mistakes and fix them as soon as possible. Don’t wait until tomorrow. Make
fixing a top priority. It solidifies credibility. It keeps you humble. It teaches by example.
11. Wait patiently, expectantly, and intensely for your work to have an effect, for your
students to succeed, for your reputation to grow, for your skills to sharpen, and for your
alumni to choose to visit you and to let your know how you did.
DEVELOPING HIGHER-ORDER QUESTIONS
1. When assessing student learning, teachers should avoid literal-level questions in favor of those requiring higher-order thinking.
o Student responses to critical thinking questions reveal the extent of their literal understanding of the facts.
o In addition, a student's ability to apply and transfer that knowledge in different contexts can be assessed.
2. By using questions requiring higher-order thinking, teacher questioning moves beyond an assessment tool and becomes a valuable instructional tool as well.
o Student interest and motivation is enhanced by questions that help students relate what
they are learning to their own background knowledge, experience, and values.
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o Higher-order questions are also important for modeling different ways students can interpret, apply, evaluate, and reflect on what they are learning.
3. To make sure they are emphasizing higher-order questions, instructors should classify their questions according to the kinds of thinking required for students to respond.
o An effective way for teachers to replace literal questions with critical thinking questions involves the use of REVISED BLOOM'S TAXONOMY OF THINKING , WEBB’S DOK AND COSTA’S LEVELS OF QUESTIONING.
o Since the first two levels in the taxonomy reflect literal-level thinking, questions classified as Knowledge or Comprehension should be avoided.
o Instead, teachers should make sure their questions can be classified as APPLICATION, ANALYSIS, SYNTHESIS, and/or EVALUATION.
4. One of the keys to formulating questions designed to develop critical thinking is to use verbs associated with higher-order thinking tasks.
o VERBS REPRESENTING COGNITIVE TASKS IN BLOOM'S TAXONOMY are useful in the formulation of questions and learning objectives that require students to use critical thinking in demonstrating what they have learned.
5. Also important for consideration are the learning products associated with higher-order thinking tasks.
o A TASK-ORIENTED QUESTION CONSTRUCTION WHEEL can be used to consider both the verbs and tasks associated with the higher-order levels of thinking in Bloom's Taxonomy.
Ask a question every 10 sentences.
Revised Bloom's Taxonomy of Thinking
Bloom, Benjamin S. Taxonomy of educational objectives: Cognitive domain.New York: David McKay and Company. 1956
Verbs Representing Cognitive Tasks Knowledge cite, label, name, reproduce, define, list, quote, pronounce, identify, match, recite, state
Comprehensionalter, discover, manage, relate, change, explain, rephrase, substitute, convert, give examples, represent, summarize, depict, give main idea, restate, translate, describe, illustrate, reword, vary, interpret, paraphrase
Application apply, discover, manage, relate, classify, employ, predict, show, compute, evidence, prepare, solve, demonstrate, manifest, present, utilize, direct
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Analysisascertain, diagnose, distinguish, outline, analyze, diagram, divide, point out, associate, differentiate, examine, reduce, conclude, discriminate, find, separate, designate, dissect, infer, determine
Synthesiscombine, devise, originate, revise, compile, expand, plan, rewrite, compose, extend, pose, synthesize, conceive, generalize, propose, theorize, create, integrate, project, write, design, invent, rearrange, develop, modify
Evaluation appraise, conclude, critique, judge, assess, contrast, deduce, weigh, compare, criticize, evaluate
Effective Questioning Techniques
The effectiveness of questioning in teacher-student interactions can be significantly enhanced by a few basic techniques:
1. Pose the question first, before asking a student to respond.
o When you call on a student before posing the question, the rest of the class is less likely to listen to the question, much less formulate a response.
o Posing the question before identifying someone to respond lets students know they will be held accountable and should be prepared to answer every question.
2. Allow plenty of "think time" by waiting at least 7-10 seconds before expecting students to respond.
o Ask students to refrain from responding until you ask for a volunteer or identify someone.
o Since most teachers wait only 1-3 seconds before expecting a response, the increased wait time can seem like an eternity and feel very uncomfortable at first.
o To help students adjust to an extended wait time, use the time to repeat and rephrase the question; also suggest that students use the time to write down the responses they compose.
3. Make sure you give all students the opportunity to respond rather than relying on volunteers.
o Create a system to help you keep track of who you call on, so you can ensure that all students have equal opportunities to contribute.
o If you call on a student who is not ready to respond or does not know the answer, allow the student to "pass" and then give her/him another opportunity later.
4. Hold students accountable by expecting, requiring, and facilitating their participation and contributions.
o NEVER answer your own questions! If the students know you will give them the answers after a few seconds of silence anyway, what is their incentive?
o Do NOT accept "I don't know" for an answer.
Allow additional think time, if necessary, by moving on and then coming back to the student for a response later.
Offer hints or suggestions to guide students in formulating quality responses.
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If a student is unable or unwilling to formulate a response, then offer two or more
options and let the student choose one.
5. Establish a safe atmosphere for risk taking by guiding students in the process of learning from their mistakes.
o ALWAYS "dignify" incorrect responses by saying something positive about students' efforts; public embarrassment only confirms apprehensions about class participation.
o When students make mistakes, build their confidence and trust by asking follow-up questions designed to help them self-correct and achieve success.
o Admit your own mistakes and "think aloud" examples of a reflection process that demonstrates increased awareness, new insights, concept clarification, etc.
Using Webb's Depth of Knowledge to Increase Rigor
The word "rigor" is hard to avoid today, and it provokes strong reactions from educators. Policymakers tout its importance. Publishers promote it as a feature of their materials. But some teachers share the view of Joanne Yatvin, past president of the National Council for Teachers of English. To them, rigor simply means more work, harder books, and longer school days. "None of these things is what I want for students at any level," Yatvin says. Part of the problem is that we have adopted the jargon without a clear understanding of what we really mean.
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Calculating Cognitive Depth
For classroom teachers, the more important question is one of practice: how do we create rich environments where all students learn at a high level? One useful tool, Norman Webb's Depth of Knowledge Levels, can help teachers meet that challenge. Depth of Knowledge (DoK) categorizes tasks
according to the complexity of thinking required to successfully complete them.
Level 1: Recall and Reproduction
Tasks at this level require recall of facts or rote application of simple procedures. The task does not require any cognitive effort beyond remembering the right response or formula. Copying, computing, defining, and recognizing are typical Level 1 tasks.
Level 2: Skills and Concepts
At this level, a student must make some decisions about his or her approach. Tasks with more than one mental step such as comparing, organizing, summarizing, predicting, and estimating are usually Level 2.
Level 3: Strategic Thinking
At this level of complexity, students must use planning and evidence, and thinking is more abstract. A task with multiple valid responses where students must justify their choices would be Level 3. Examples include solving non-routine problems, designing an experiment, or analyzing characteristics of a genre.
Level 4: Extended Thinking
Level 4 tasks require the most complex cognitive effort. Students synthesize information from multiple sources, often over an extended period of time, or transfer knowledge from one domain to solve problems in another. Designing a survey and interpreting the results, analyzing multiple texts by to extract themes, or writing an original myth in an ancient style would all be examples of Level 4.
Photo Credit: Expert Infantry.
Recently, educators have begun applying Webb’s DoK to help them design better instruction. Try this exercise to better understand the cognitive depth of the tasks you are using in your classroom and
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improve the rigor of your instruction:
1. Keep a list or collection of every task you ask students to do in a day (or in one subject for a week), including classwork, homework, and projects.
2. Sort the tasks into categories according to the four DoK Levels. Some resources which may help: This DoK “wheel” (PDF, 34KB) These examples of DoK levels for four content areas (PDF, 39KB) These examples of using DoK in the fine arts (PDF, 102KB).
3. Work with a team of colleagues to review the groupings. Many tasks are easily categorized, but some will require deeper discussion to clarify your understanding of the levels. Strive toward consensus. A few pointers:
The verb does not define the level. Instead, consider the cognitive effort that a student will use to complete the task. The verb "describe," for example, could be any level, depending on the kind of description.
It is common to find tasks that seem to fall in between levels. When in doubt, assign the higher level.
"Extended time" alone does not make a task Level 4. Lower-level tasks that are merely repeated over a period of time are still lower level.
4. Analyze your groupings. What patterns do you see? Is there a reasonable distribution of tasks across the four levels? Do you notice anything unexpected?
5. Rewrite a Level 1 or Level 2 task to be at least Level 3. These question stems are helpful in creating good tasks (PDF, 28KB).
Apply as Needed
You may be asking at this point, "Well, what is a reasonable distribution? How often should I be doing tasks at each level? What's the right sequence?"
DOK Levels are not sequential. Students need not fully master content with Level 1 tasks before doing Level 2 tasks. In fact, giving students an intriguing Level 3 task can provide context and motivation for engaging in the more routine learning at Levels 1 and 2.
DOK levels are also not developmental. All students, including the youngest preschoolers, are capable of strategic and extended thinking tasks. What they look like will differ, and what is Level 3 to a kindergarten student may be a Level 1 task for a middle schooler. All students, however, should have opportunities to
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do complex reasoning.
To find the right balance, ask yourself these questions:
What kinds of thinking do I want students to do routinely? If my own child were participating, what would I want him or her to be doing? What's the most effective way to spend the limited classroom time I have?
Decide for yourself how often you should focus on tasks at each level so that students gain the most from the learning opportunities you design.
Regardless of how you define "rigor," the important thing is that students are thinking deeply on a daily basis. Webb's Depth of Knowledge gives you a framework and common language to make that happen in your classroom.
Costa's Levels of Questioning
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SCHOOL SAFETY
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Emergency Situations
BOMB THREATS
All bomb threats are to be reported to the principal immediately. The principal will notify the police department, fire department and school security.
The person taking the call shall furnish to the principal the information requested on the Bomb Threat Call Checklist Form.
When the building is to be evacuated because of the bomb threat, the teacher should make a visual inspection of the room as the students are leaving, noting anything unusual, and reporting this to the principal.
During the course of the day when classrooms are not being used, teachers should lock their rooms.
Students are to take all personal belongings with them as they exit the building.
POWER FAILURE
BEFORE SCHOOL:
Students who ride the school buses are to remain on the bus and await instructions from the Principal. Students who ride to school in automobiles are to wait outside the building for instructions from the Principal. No one except school staff will be authorized to enter the building until instructed to do so by the Principal.
DURING SCHOOL:
Students and teachers are to remain in their rooms. Neither teachers nor students should leave their room during a power failure unless specifically instructed to do so by the Principal. There will be no class changes during a power failure. Everyone is to remain in his/her room, quietly continue lessons where possible, and wait for instructions from the Principal. TEACHERS WHO ARE ON THEIR PLANNING PERIOD SHOULD IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO SUPERVISE THE HALLWAYS, STAIRWELLS, AND COMMON AREAS.
AFTER SCHOOL:
Students who are participating in after-school activities when the power fails are to remain with their sponsor/coach. The sponsor/coach will assist the students in leaving the building. Any student who is in the building should leave the building immediately. The custodians are to lock and secure the building during a power failure after school.
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Fire / Tornado Evacuation Procedures
FIRE DRILL
1. The sound of a siren is the signal to evacuate the building.
2. Each class will have one person appointed to turn out lights and close doors after the room is evacuated.
3. Occupants will quickly leave the room without running.
4. Occupants in rooms nearest EXIT are to leave the building first.
5. Evacuation routes with alternates will be posted in each classroom.
6. Occupants using rooms located in buildings will use the stairwell to evacuate.
7. Once occupants are out of building, they are to go directly to a pre-determined location, stand and face the building in an orderly manner at least 75 feet away.
8. Once the class is assembled, the instructor will take a count to verify that all students have evacuated safely.
9. Occupants are not to assemble in parking lots or block any driveways, as this may interfere with the movement of emergency response vehicles.
10. Chains on doors or other objects that may obstruct emergency responders’ are prohibited.
TORNADO DRILL
When SHHS is notified that a tornado warning has been issued for our area, an administrator will verbally sound the alarm over the intercom. As soon as the warning has been lifted, an all-clear bell will be sounded.
Some good general guidelines to follow are:
1. If outside, move inside quickly.2. If trapped outside, get into a ditch or ravine.
3. If inside a building, move to support walls, hallways, restrooms or storage areas, kneel and cover your head.
Following a tornado or a drill, all teachers are to take the roll and account for all students.Any missing students are to be reported to the office immediately.
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SHHS is a relatively safe facility in case of a tornado; however, there are certain areas which would be very unsafe. These areas are listed below, by buildings, with directions as to where students and teachers in these areas should report.
MEDIA CENTER The main area is to be cleared. Everyone should go into the hall.
GYMNASIUM The main area is to be cleared. Everyone is to go into the locker rooms, the bathroom or the hallway.
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SAFE SCHOOLS
Interior
NO one in halls/campus without a pass. ALL exits/entrances closed when not being used. ALL unused lockers locked/closed. Use ID’s on campus. Report ALL strange personnel. All visitors must display passes/badges. They should be escorted while on campus Monitor all lunch periods closely. Reduce the movement of students during lunch. Rehearse lockdown procedures. Provide required training during teacher workday(s). Make staff conversant with the lockdown and evacuation process.
Exterior
NO one in halls/campus without a Pass. ALL cars in parking lots on campus must have a parking sticker or temporary sticker. Law enforcement check suspicious vehicles, including running tag numbers. Have all unregistered vehicles towed. No cars may park close to buildings. Make staff conversant with the evacuation process. Location of buses on campus. Vulnerable places around the school. Storage tank/gas/oil boiler room. Exterior locks. Exterior lighting.
WHAT IS THE SAFE SCHOOL AUDIT?
Secondary Safe School Audit Procedures and Expectations: Three (3) audit teams, composed of five (5) persons each will conduct the inspections.
The visits will be unannounced and will average 35 minutes in length. The team leader will inform the school administrator of the audit and to the team’s presence on campus. The team will have a school map, bell schedule and an audit checklist. The team leader will note the location of the team members and each member will proceed to his/her designated site. Team members will walk a designated area during class change, noting the presence of teachers on duty.
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Inspection Teams will be checking the following: Building Leaders Teachers standing at their doors during class changes Uniformed campus security associates Location of campus security associates as indicated by the school’s schedule for
monitoring campus and/or designated duties Staff monitoring hallways stairs and other areas regularly
Each team member will randomly select five (5) staff members and interview them concerning their knowledge of the school’s Crisis Management Plan. The following question will be asked to teachers:
1. Who is on the Safe School’s Accountability Team? Administrative Team2. What is the school’s code word indicating a lockdown is necessary on campus?
“Lockdown”3. What is the first thing you would do if you heard the code word? Go into the hall; get as
many students as possible in your classroom. Immediately lock your door and make sure all students are away from the door. Stay in the room with students until notified by a school administrator. Keep students quiet.
4. What is lockdown? Safe school procedure to ensure all students, staff and other personnel are safe during emergency situations.
The following questions will be asked to students:1. Do you know what the Student Conduct Handbook is?2. Did you receive a Student Conduct Handbook?
Other Safe School Tips:During tornado drills, bomb threats and fire drills, etc., if we evacuate the building, open the windows if possible, take your roll book and lock the door. Also, remember to take your car keys and purse. Have students take their book bags with them.
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Crisis Evacuation Procedures
A crisis is an event that is extraordinary and cannot be predicted. School Staff must know and be prepared to act responsively in the event of a serious threat.
If the alarm is sounded, evacuate the building in a quiet, calm manner. Teachers should take their class rosters, personal belongings, and room keys.
An evacuation may take some time. Supervision of students and accountability of all students is critical.
Safe and orderly procedures should be used at all times. In the event that the visiting organization is evacuated and the faculty, staff, and students cannot return to the school, the following plan will be implemented:
Evacuation Procedures o Evacuation is defined as a short-term evacuation site on campus (fields behind the
school) where there is no imminent danger. All teachers will escort their students to the rear of the school/field.
o The administrative staff will assist teachers in field placement. Teachers should take their safe schools notebook and check attendance to be sure all students are present and accounted for. Any missing students should be immediately reported to administration. The administrative team will direct any further movement. The Superintendent will be notified, who then will notify transportation to request buses. The School Resource Officer will call for police support. Parents will be notified by Public Information regarding the location to pick up students.
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Crisis Team Members
School Executive – Ann Debreaux-Davis
Safe Schools Team Members:
LaVonne McClain Assistant School Executive Sgt. Larry Copeland JROTC Teacher Andrea Dagnalan School Executive Intern Students TBA Dontrell Powell Physical Education Teacher Ann Batts Adm. Assistant/Bookkeeper Officer C. Carmen Resource Officer
Crisis Box Manager - Officer Clarence Carmen
Emergency Plans
Auditory Code for Crisis is Color CodesBlue Sudden Illness (heart attack, severe fall, and seizure)Red FireYellow Hostage taking, kidnappingBrown Physical AttackGreen Evacuation neededOrange DrugsBlack Bomb ThreatWhite Hostile Intruder on campus, weapon, lockdownGray Tornado
Personnel authorized to send codes are: Ann Davis, Brenda Silver, Lt.Carmen and Frank Hunter.Designated crisis team member to inform Central Office Crisis Plan designee: Ann Davis, Brenda Silver, Lt.Carmen and Frank Hunter.
Bomb Threats, Tornado and Fire Drill Assignment 2013-2014
Wings StaffAdministration B SilverMedia Center F. LewisCafeteria/Student Commons L. McClainA A. DagnalanB J. CoppedgeC A. AlstonD B. WardGym D. Powell
Name of Central Office Crisis Plan Designee to be informed and telephone number:Mr. Tony Alston, Director of Auxiliary Services, (252) 583-2831
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Inclement Weather Procedures
Each year, make-up days for school staff are built into the school calendar, indicating whether the day will be an optional teacher workday or a required annual leave day. Media announcements (television and radio stations, Channel 3, and website www.halifax.k12.nc.us) will also indicated the type of day. All announcements will be made by 5:30 a.m. The following codes will be used:
CODE A: Optional Teacher Workday All 11 and 12 month employees will report to work, use annual leave, use personal leave
(classroom teachers) or take the day without pay. Eleven and twelve month employees do not have a make-up option.
Ten-month employees (i.e. Teachers assistants, ten-month secretaries, etc.) choose one of the following five options: Report to work. Use annual leave. Use personal leave (teachers). Take the day without pay. Make up the time on specified make-up days only. (The specified make-up days are
scheduled annually and usually occur within the first five days following the end to the teacher calendar. Employees should not select the make-up option unless they can commit to work on the specified make-up days. Employees who select the make-up option and do not work will be charged for a day without pay and will not be able to use sick leave or annual leave.)
Exchange flex certificate earned on in-service day (ten-month, licensed only/SOS Code)
CODE B: Required Annual Leave Day All 11 and 12 month employees will report to work, use annual leave or take the day
without pay. Nine-month employees will use available annual leave or take the day without pay. Ten-month employees not subject to required annual leave days (i.e. secretaries) follow
the option of 11 and 12-month employees. Ten-month employees subject to required annual leave days (i.e. teachers, teacher
assistants) are required to use annual leave on this day. Employees who are required to take leave do not have a make-up option for the required day.
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Non-exempt employees scheduled to work, who are not subject to the required annual leave days, with previously accrued compensatory time may use compensatory time or make-up time in the same week with supervisory approval.
CODE C: Essential Personnel OnlyCode C indicated extremely hazardous weather and is reserved for rare instances designated as emergency circumstances by the Superintendent. Only essential personnel designated by the Superintendent or his designees are to report to work, provided they are able to travel safely.
Special Note to Staff with Less than Two Years’ ExperienceTeachers and teacher assistants who are employed the first day of the school year and work the entire year will earn ten days of annual leave in the year. All ten days earned are scheduled in the calendar on specific dates as mandatory, built-in annual leave days. To avoid a negative annual leave balance and a pay deduction at year-end, these employees should report to work on all optional workdays. In the event of inclement weather only, a designated make-up day is an option after the end of school.
Nine ten-month employees who begin who begin work after the first day of the school year should also work on all optional workdays. However, a pay reduction will occur at year end if the employee has not had an opportunity to earn at least the number of required annual leave days built into the calendar based on the late date of hire.
Inclement Weather Questions and Answers
When a Code B day is called, do first or second year teachers have their pay docked?
All teachers, including new teachers, earn at least one annual leave day per month. All first and second year teachers who have worked since the first teacher workday will earn ten annual leave days for this year. Each year, ten annual leave days are built into the calendar, typically at Winter Break and Spring Break. These days are automatically deducted from the annual leave days earned. When a Code B day is called, one of the built-in annual leave days is being used as a make-up day. This day will automatically be deducted as it would have been during Winter or Spring Break. The only new teachers who may lose a day for a Code B day are those who begin employment after the first teacher workday and will earn less than 10 annual leave days, or have taken annual leave on a teacher workday. New teachers hired after the beginning of the school year may contact their benefits representative regarding their specific issues.
Why do we need to make up inclement weather days?
N.C. law required that each school have a minimum 180 days and 1,000 instructional hours. The Halifax calendar has 180 instructional days, which means that we must make up each day missed.
Why can’t a day designated in the calendar as a holiday be used as a make-up day?
A holiday is so designed for all employees – not just school-based employees. Holidays can’t be used for make-up days since central support staff need to be at work on instructional days.
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If I am a new teacher who has been employed since the beginning of the school year, will I lose pay for a Code B day?
No teacher (regardless of years’ experience) who is employed for the entire school year will receive a reduction in pay due to the Code B day. Code B days use one of the 10 built-in annual leave days as a make-up day. (Please note that built-in annual leave days are charged to the annual leave balance on the paycheck, which reflected the pay period in which the days were used. Thus built-in annual leave days in Winter Break are charged to the annual leave balance for that pay period.) Please see additional details in the first question.
If I am a new teacher, do I have to work or make up all teacher workdays called for inclement weather?
All teachers and teacher assistants, regardless of their years of service, earn at least 10 annual leave days per year (if the employee works for the entire school year). Since the ten annual leave days earned by new teachers are used in the built-in annual leave days, you must work all (required or optional) workdays, use the flex certificate, make-up the optional workdays OR receive a pay reduction at the end of the year.
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APPENDIX
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Teacher/Parent Communication LogStudent Name Parent Contact Date/Time Contacted Phone # / Email Reason for Contact
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EXTRA-CURRICULAR LOG
Keep this for your records and turn in to your department lead at the end of year. This may be used as an artifact during your evaluation.
Teacher _________________________________________________________
Activity Date Location
______________________ _____________ _______________
______________________ _____________ _______________
______________________ _____________ _______________
______________________ _____________ _______________
______________________ _____________ _______________
______________________ _____________ _______________
______________________ _____________ _______________
______________________ _____________ _______________
______________________ _____________ _______________
______________________ _____________ _______________
______________________ _____________ _______________
______________________ _____________ _______________
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______________________ _____________ _______________
______________________ _____________ _______________
______________________ _____________ _______________
Teacher Signature: _________________________ Date: _______________
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MEETING NOTESThis form is due to administrators the morning after the meeting
Department _________________________Committee: _______________________________
Date: ______________ Facilitator _____________________ Note taker: _________________
***********************************Attach Any Agenda to This Form**************************************
Staff Present:
_____________________ _____________________ _____________________
_____________________ _____________________ _____________________
_____________________ _____________________ _____________________
_____________________ _____________________ _____________________
_____________________ _____________________ _____________________
Topics: Notes:
OVER----------Topics cont……… Notes cont……….
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Recommendations/Decisions:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Items for Administration:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Master School Calendar Request Form
Name of Organization/Club: __________________________________________
Today’s Date: _____________________________________________________
Date of Event: ____________________________________________________
Location of Event: _________________________________________________
Audience: ________________________________________________________
Provide a Brief Description of the Event: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Name of Sponsor/Chairperson Requesting Event:
_______________________________________
Approved Denied
Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Principal’s Signature: ____________________________
Date: ____________
PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM TO MS. JOHNSON
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REQUEST FOR GRADE CHANGE - CORRECTIONFORM
Date Submitted: _______________
Semester _______ Reporting Period: __________________
Student’s Name: _____________________________
Student Pupil Number: ___________ Course Title: ________________________________
Course Number & Section: ___________
Request Grade Changed/Correction from _________ to ____________
Justification for Change/Correction: ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Teacher’s Signature: _____________________________ Date: ___________________
Principal’s Signature: _____________________________ Date: ___________________
Note: The principal has the final authority on any grade change/correction!
SHHS Form 1200Rev. 8-12
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Halifax County Schools Energy Conservation Guidelines
These guidelines provide the basis for a consistent and efficient energy conservation program. The guidelines are designed to help maintain an environment that is conducive to the educational process and that do not compromise the comfort or safety of building occupants. Each employee is requested to be conscious of and assist in the implementation of these guidelines. The Principal is responsible for the total energy usage at his/her school and will be provided monthly cost and consumption reports.
Guidelines – Cooling Season1. Thermostat controls will be set at 74 degrees except in gymnasiums and storage areas
where setting will be higher due to nature of use. Due to variations in equipment and facilities, temperatures will be considered acceptable if they are within two degrees of the target setting.
2. Adjust blinds to shield out heat from the sun. Blinds should be slanted away from you.3. The air conditioning system will be scheduled to go off no more than 30 minutes after the
end of the school day except in administrative and meeting areas.4. Air conditioning in mobile classrooms shall be set at 74 degrees during the day and
turned off at the end of the school day.
Guidelines – Heating Season1. Thermostat controls will be set at 72 degrees except in gymnasiums and storage areas
where settings will be lower due to nature of use. As with cooling, temperatures will be considered acceptable if they are within two degrees of the target settings.
2. Close blinds when leaving classrooms or other areas of the building at the end of the day. Open blinds in the morning to allow sun rays to heat the building interior.
3. The heating system will be scheduled to switch to the night time setting (55-60 degrees) no more than 30 minutes after the end of the school day except in administrative and meeting areas.
4. Heat in mobile classrooms shall be set at 72 degrees during the day and turned to 55 degrees at the end of the day.
5. DO NOT use electrical space heaters.
Guidelines – HVAC General1. Keep all doors and windows to classroom and offices closed when air conditioning or
heating equipment is running.2. Report cooling and heating problems to maintenance when temperatures move
significantly outside the established range.3. Keep HVAC filters clean. Check, clean and replace as necessary.4. When heat or air is required for after hours or week-end use, condition only that part of
the building that is being used if zoning is possible.5. Do not block HVAC vents or thermostats with furniture, equipment, books, etc.
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6. Overrides are to be used only with the approval of the Principal of Director of Operations. If used, overrides should be set for the minimum number of hours.
Guidelines – Lightning and Miscellaneous1. Minimize after hours, night, weekend and holiday use of facilities.2. Keep outside lights turned off during daylight hours.3. Reduce night/security lighting to the extent practical.4. Reduce/eliminate corridor or other lighting when natural lighting is adequate.5. Turn off unnecessary lights in unoccupied areas.6. Keep light fixtures and windows clean. Dirt and grime significantly reduce light output.7. Turn off cafeteria booster heaters at the end of each school day.8. Check for and report promptly to maintenance any leaking faucets, tanks, pumps, pipes,
etc.9. Turn off lights, computers processors, monitors, printers, copy machines, laminating
machines, etc. at the end of the school day. This does not include servers and network printers.
10. The Principal or his/her designee is responsible for ensuring that their school is shut down in an energy efficient manner at the end of each school day, including week-ends and holidays.
**No microwave, refrigerator or other electrical appliances in room.
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Student Life Overview
Southeast Halifax High School has many clubs, organizations and activities which are designed to stimulate interest in the subjects with which they are concerned. Each has definite aims and goals, which offer invaluable benefits to its members. A schedule will be decided upon after the clubs are organized. Meetings will be in the afternoon or at night, but never without a sponsor. A few of our clubs and organizations include:
Student Government Association (SGA) - is the leadership organization that serves as a liaison between the students and the administration. Officers for the SGA are elected in the spring through the democratic process. Any student in good academic standing may elect to run for the following positions: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter Parliamentarian and Executive Assistant (appointed by the advisor). The students in the organization are provided leadership skills and opportunities on the local, district, state and national levels. The SGA also oversees elected class officials and representatives. The SGA is a member of the Eastern District of North Carolina Association of Student Council.
Air Force Junior Reserved Officers Training Corp (AFJROTC ) – a four-year progressive program that is open to all students in grades in nine through twelve. This program involves the student of Science of Flight, History of Air Power, Space and Space Technology, Human Behavior, Management Communication Skills, Citizenship and Leadership Development. Students DO NOT have an active duty service commitment by participating in this program. Students are required to uniforms and maintain military grooming standards.
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) - is an organization composed of students enrolled in any of the Business Education Courses offered at Northwest. The purpose of the club is to develop business leadership, to develop better character in preparation for useful citizenship and to facilitate the transition from school to work.
Quiz/Vocabulary Bowl Teams – The Quiz Bowl Team is open to any student who is interested in competing at an intellectual level with other students. The team prepares for competitions year round. Freshman and sophomores are encouraged to join.
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Student Ambassadors (JROTC, AVID, SGA) – Student Ambassadors will be selected to represent Southeast Halifax High School both on and off of campus.
Yearbook/Journalism Club – Yearbook Club members will assist in the preparation of the yearbook.
Full List of Sports, Clubs and Organizations (as of 8/24/15)
AFJROTCDrill TeamColor Guard
AthleticsBaseball Basketball CheerleadingCross Country Football SoftballTrack and Field Volleyball
CTE OrganizationFuture Business Leaders of AmericaFuture Farmers of AmericaFamily Career and Community Leaders of AmericanSkillsUSA
The ArtsBand
Concert BandMarching Band
ChoirGospel Choir
Journalism ClubYearbookNewspaper Club (AVID)
Quiz/Vocabulary Bowls (AIG)
Student Ambassadors
Student Government Association
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HANDBOOK VERIFICATION FORM
of
Faculty and Staff Handbook
I, __________________________, have reviewed and understand the contents of the 2016-2017 Southeast Halifax High School Faculty and Staff Handbook.
Teacher Signature: ___________________________
Date: ___________
Please return electronic copy by Friday, September 9, 2016 to Dr. McClain, Assistant School Executive
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