Hueco Elementary School

HUECO ELEMENTARY

“It’s Game Time”

FACULTY & STAFF HANDBOOK

2012-2013 SCHOOL COLORS

Maroon and Yellow

MASCOT

“SUNS”

SCHOOL MOTTO

“Where Everyone Shines!”

MISSION STATEMENT Hueco Elementary is committed to a partnership with our learning community to provide the best education possible to the children of our community through the acquisition of knowledge in all subjects, as well as through character development.

2 ABSENCES

Absences (Teacher/Staff) All teachers and staff members are required to call the AESOP System at 1-800-942-3767 or access the Sub-Finder System online at https://www.aesoponline.com/login2.asp no later than 6:00 a.m. to report an absence. Call or access the AESOP System as much in advance as possible. This will ensure that you procure the sub of your choice. Absences can be called in 30 days in advance. If you know in advance that you will be absent two or more days, as a professional courtesy, inform an administrator so that she can monitor your class more frequently for positive behavior support. Should you experience difficulties reporting your absence to Sub-Finder, try both the telephone, as well as, the online access. Call the office at 937-7600 as last resort if your absence does not get reported. If absences exceed 5 or more days, you must report to HR and fill out forms for FMLA.

Hueco Elementary will reward all Teacher Perfect Attendance at the end of each 9 week period.

School business absences may be granted for professional staff members to attend workshops, in- services, trainings, conferences, staff development, testing, etc. that will benefit instruction and improve student performance. All school business absences must be approved by an administrator at least 72 hours prior to calling the AESPO system via Staff Development Form. Absences must be approved and reported for school business using AESOP district sponsored, campus sponsored, as well as, outside agencies. These absences are discretionary and may be denied by administration.

There is a direct correlation between good instruction and student performance. In your absence, leave detailed lesson plans and an updated sub-folder in your classroom.

EMPLOYEE STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

DH (REGULATION)

CRIMINAL HISTORY Each supervisor or principal shall notify the Personnel Services RECORD ARREST Department of any arrest or conviction within five (5) calendar days of DISCLOSURE receipt of such information.

Any employee, who fails to report an arrest, conviction or the assessment of deferred adjudication as required by this policy, shall be subject to disciplinary action for failure to make such a report.

Jessica Macias 539-0825 (Cell) Brenda Chacon- 329-8755 (Cell)

TEACHERS LEAVING EARLY / LEAVING THE BUILDING

All employees who leave more than one hour early or arrive more than one hour late will be charged with a one half day absence. You are not permitted to leave the campus during the school day for personal business. If there is an emergency, notify an ADMINISTRATOR and sign a “Request to Leave Campus” form. Please make every effort to schedule medical appointments late in the day. However, if you must leave early for an appointment, please submit a request to leave early at least 24 hours in advance. 3 Discretionary Leave (DEC) shall not be allowed on the following days except for extenuating circumstances approved by an administrator:

 The day before or after a school holiday / intersession  Test administration days  Professional or staff development days  First and last days of school  Parent conference days

ATTENDANCE

Keeping accurate records of pupil attendance is extremely important. Funding is based on these reports. Your records are included in the school attendance reports which are part of the district report to the state. Students are required to be in attendance a minimum of 90% of the time or they risk losing credit for the year. An attendance committee will review all absence records and make recommendations concerning those students with excessive absences.

We will continue to use campus wide attendance posters.

Please adhere to the following procedure:  Enter attendance in the system by 8:00 a.m.  Check your DAILY ABSENCE REPORT for all students who were absent the previous day. A “U” indicates that the absence is unexcused. The students must bring a note from home.  Errors: On the attendance report, draw one line through the error, make corrections and initial it.  MAKE-UP WORK: Students who have “excused” absences are expected to make up work that was missed. Those with “unexcused” absences are not allowed to make up missed work according to SISD Policy. Students are allowed the same number of days as they were absent to do make up work.  If a child has been absent three consecutive days, please check with the office to see if a truant officer has been sent to the home. Keep in close contact with your students’ parents regarding absences. A phone call from a teacher can do a lot to encourage good attendance.

ATTENDANCE CONT.

 TARDIES: Students who enter class after 7:45 a.m. are to be reported in the system as tardy. Do not send student to the office for a tardy slip. Parents will be contacted by attendance clerk or administration if tardiness is chronic.  Each Nine Weeks a Cumulative Absence Report will be sent to you to verify absences.  Teachers are required to keep attendance in grade book.

AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT

All audio-visual equipment/technological must be checked out from the Librarian or Technology Labs. Once checked out, this equipment becomes the responsibility of the TEACHER. AV equipment is not to be taken from the building without the permission of the Principal. For safety reasons, students should NEVER be allowed to move equipment.

Instructional time is very precious. Therefore, all videos should be aligned to the lesson/TEK that is being taught. Video Permission forms are available in the front office and must be filled out prior to any video viewing with Administrative approval. Any video carrying a rating higher than a G must 4 get administrative and parental approval. Please be prepared to send home a permission slip, well in advance, stating the content of the video as well as the opportunity for the parent to “opt out” of their child viewing the video. All videos should be run out of the library as available scheduling permits.

AWARDS

Major awards will be given out at the end of the school year. Other awards/incentives will be discussed/decided by the SIT Committee.

BATHROOM / WATER BREAKS

Only ONE student will be allowed to leave the classroom at a time to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water. Taking the entire class for a bathroom break / water break will NOT be allowed. This will enable us to make better use of our instructional time which is a very precious commodity. Teachers please read under the Professional Conduct for more information regarding bathroom/water breaks. Students must be allowed to a restroom break as required by student.

BUILDING PROCEDURES

Please be sure to close and lock all windows and doors, turn off all lights, air conditioners, computers and television monitors when you leave the building. Turn lights off when leaving the classroom. Have students follow end of day classroom procedures. During the school day keep all personal valuables in a safe place (purse, wallet, etc.)

CAFETERIA

Please adhere to the following 35 minute lunch schedule:

Kindergarten 10:45-11:20 First Grade 11:00-11:35 Second Grade 11:15-11:50 Third Grade 11:35-12:10 Fourth Grade 11:45-12:20 Fifth Grade 12:00-12:35

Teachers will escort students to the cafeteria lunch line daily and distribute lunch cards to each student. Please be prompt in picking up your classes after lunch.

CHILD ABUSE

School personnel suspecting child abuse or neglect are required by law to contact the Child Protective Services. It is important that suspected cases of abuse be reported immediately by the person who receives the first outcry from the child. As a courtesy, please report all suspected cases to the administrative team administration/nurse/counselor BEFORE or AFTER contacting CPS. The following is a checklist of Do’s and Don’ts of reporting child abuse:

DO’S

-Do contact law enforcement (S.R.O) (911) Child Protective Services (800-252-5400) IMMEDIATELY. If calling (911) from campus, please inform administration immediately. -Do insure that only a qualified and trained Law Enforcement or Child Protective Services Rep (CPS) conducts the detailed interview with the child. -Do provide support for the child.

5 -Do keep detailed records of all information received and the source of the information to provide to Law Enforcement or CPS. -Do document any visible injuries. -If the accused is an employee or student at the school, identify all possible witnesses so they can be questioned by Law Enforcement or CPS.

DON’TS

-Don’t discuss the outcry in front of any other children or staff. -Don’t question the child in detail. -Don’t allow the child to be questioned by multiple persons. -Don’t show emotion or make comments, either positive or negative, when the child discloses they have been abused. -Do not confront or contact the offender. -Do not conduct an “independent investigation”. -Do not force the victim to confront the offender. -Do not allow the accused to confront the victim.

Any questions please see Administration for information on contacting appropriate authorities.

COMMITTEES

Please sign up for at least 2 committees at the beginning of the school year and be sure to attend all committee meetings throughout the school year to ensure representation / input of all grade levels.

COMMUNICATION

-Announcements: Announcements will be made daily by 8:00 a.m. Announcement requests must be turned in to the office before 7:45 a.m. and they must be submitted on our SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENT form which may be obtained in the front office.

-E-mail: Please check your e-mail daily and regularly since the majority of campus/district communication appears in this format.

-Notices: All announcements/notices from the Education Center, TEA, Region XIX, etc. will be sent out by email, posted on the bulletin board in the teachers’ lounge, or placed in your mail boxes as they are made available to us. Please check your email, bulletin board, and your mail box frequently for important information.

-School Calendar: You will receive a calendar containing important campus/district dates for the entire school year. This calendar is only a foreshadow of the year and is given to you so that you can make tentative future personal and professional plans. Because dates often change and are subject to SIT and administrative approval, you will always be informed prior to event via e-mail or through meetings.

-Campus News: Staff members will receive a weekly message via e-mail concerning upcoming events. Please review the bulletin for announcements and duty schedules, as well as, other events. The weekly message will also include the Instructional Focus of the Week (IFW).

6 COMMUNICATION CONT.

-Sponsorship and Public Relations: If you are sponsoring a school-wide or individual classroom activity that affects our school, it is imperative that you communicate what you are doing to our Secretary, Counselor, or Administration. If we know the dates and purpose of these activities we can better facilitate resources for that cause and be better informed to communicate to outside entities (i.e. Public Relations, the Press, etc.)

CONFERENCE PERIOD

Each day teachers will have a conference period of at least 45 minutes. It is to be used for parent conferences and school related activities such as meeting with Instructional Coach, Administration, as well as planning for instruction.

COPY MACHINE and RIZO Requests

Please use the copy machines in the teacher workroom. If they are in need of repair, please report it to the office ASAP.

Prior to requesting copies from the office, please fill out a Copy Request Form (See attached). Administration must approve copies. All instructional material being copied must be aligned to TEKS and have evidence of the 5 E’s (engage, explore, evaluate, explain, evaluate).

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

Hueco Elementary School has high academic expectations for all students. The entire team of professional and support personnel are responsible for the success of the instructional program.

TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) The foundation of the instructional program is based upon the state’s adopted curriculum known as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The TEKS can also be accessed through the TEA home page along with current curriculum updates.

The TEKS were used to create the CScope for each content area and are divided into 9-week periods that correlate with the SISD marking periods. The purpose of the CScope is to ensure that all readiness and supporting standards will be covered in the instruction provided by teachers during the four 9-week marking periods that comprise the SISD instructional calendar. Each 9-week period, grade level teams will meet together to plan instruction based on CSCOPE YAGs.

Curriculum NON- NEGOTIABLES  CSCOPE  RIGOR  DI (Differentiated Instruction) using Kagan and Marcia Tate strategies  GUIDED READING  GUIDED MATH  RtI (Response to Intervention)

7 DAILY SCHEDULE

The Socorro Independent School District has designated the school day for students as follows:

Kindergarten 7:40-2:30 p.m. First-Fifth Grade 7:40-3:15 p.m.

Teachers are to report to work no later than 7:30 a.m. and work until 3:30 p.m.

DRESS CODE FOR STUDENTS

It is mandatory for students to wear the school uniform from Monday thru Thursday. Students are being asked to tuck in their shirts. Jeans and a school shirt for students will be allowed on Fridays only for Spirit/ College Day.

DRESS CODE FOR TEACHERS

As professionals, we are role models for our students, please dress appropriately and professionally for work. Teachers and staff may not wear sweats/gym attire, short shorts, short skirts, and short dresses, low cut attire exposing chest area, spaghetti strap blouses or shirts. Sandals with no back strap or support (e.g. floppies) are considered dangerous by Risk Management. Please wear shoes that give support throughout the day. Students are being asked to tuck in their shirts so it is preferred that teachers and staff do the same. Denim pants are allowed only on Fridays for “Spirit/ College Day,” must be worn with a school shirt or college shirt. Jeans cannot have holes.

WORK/DUTY HOURS

Regular work hours for the professional staff are from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Additional time will be required for duty and faculty meetings. Campus morning faculty and staff duty will be from 7:20 a.m. until 7:40 a.m. A “Duty Schedule” with duty assignments will be provided to all faculty and staff. At dismissal time, faculty and staff must walk students outside to their respective pickup areas to ensure that students are provided a safe dismissal. Teachers are to report on time to work and to the designated duty station.

DISCIPLINE

With the goal of assisting students to develop appropriate self-discipline, our campus will use the Positive Behavior Support (PBiS). A disorderly environment does not enhance learning and insuring that disruptions do not occur, is the responsibility of ALL campus personnel.

We will continue to use campus wide discipline posters. Please align your discipline with the poster.

By the end of the first day of school, you should collaboratively determine and establish classroom rules with your students. These rules should be posted in your classroom and communicated to your students and parents.

A copy of the formal written plan must be submitted to administration for approval, and then to parents to ensure parents are made aware of classroom management expectations.

When there is a behavioral problem in the classroom, teachers should first go through their classroom discipline plan before referring the student to the office.

8 Lunch Detention is to be assigned by Discipline Administrator only, in some situations, teachers will be asked to provide a student an assignment prior to sending him her to detention.

Teachers who hold lunch detention in the classroom must at no time leave students unattended.

DISMISSAL

For safety reasons, it is requested that all teachers dismiss their students by escorting them out of the building.

Dismissing and receiving students to and from P.E./Music/Library, etc.: Teachers must escort students to and from P.E. Students are not to be left unattended/unsupervised at any time. As for Library, Computer Lab, Music, and other Support Staffed classes/labs, teachers are required to stay with their class.

Early dismissal of pupils: Do not send any child outside the confines of this campus for any reason. Do not send a child home even if you feel he/she is very ill. Do not call parents to have them pick up their child. The only personnel authorized to call and send a child home are the “Nurse” and the school’s “Administration.”

DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE, EVEN PARENTS, WHO MAY COME TO YOUR DOOR TO TAKE A CHILD FROM YOUR CLASSROOM. ONLY DISMISS A STUDENT WHEN YOU RECEIVE A CALL FROM OFFICE PERSONNEL INFORMING YOU TO DISMISS CHILD.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Fire Drills: The State of Texas requires all schools to practice monthly fire drills to ensure safe and orderly fire evacuations. Please take time to frequently review your evacuation plan with students so that they will be well trained in the event of a real emergency. Every drill should be treated as a real emergency. Your instructions may mean the difference between life and death.

A regular Fire Drill review should include:  Study and review of evacuation routes  The importance of silence during the drill  The importance of listening for directions  Procedures for immediate exit  Train students to recognize the fire alarm  Take emergency red backpack  Quiet and orderly return of students to the classroom

Lock Down: The district is requiring all schools to conduct at least 2 lock down drills per year. The purpose of lockdowns is to secure the campus so that all students are safe from a potentially dangerous intruder within the building. The classroom teacher needs to secure his/her students within the confines of a safe area in the classroom. In the event of a LOCK DOWN, an administrator will announce over the public address system, “LOCK DOWN”. At that point, the classroom teacher is to take the following action immediately:

 Make sure all students are accounted for  Email secretary only if missing a child or have an extra student  Lock classroom door  Close mini blinds and/or cover any windows including door  Turn off all lights  Instruct all students to quickly go to the corner of the room away from window and door, remain silent 9  Always treat campus-wide drills as if they were the real thing

Bus Evacuation Drills: The state of Texas has passed a House Bill (3190) that requires every district in the state of Texas to conduct at least 2 drills/training sessions on evacuating a school bus. All students, faculty and staff members will participate in this event, once in the fall and the other in the spring time.

FACULTY MEETINGS

Faculty Meetings will be monthly. Attendance at faculty meetings is “mandatory.” Please do not schedule appointments during time/dates set aside for faculty meetings. If there is a reason (beyond your control) you cannot attend a faculty meeting, please make sure that you PERSONALLY inform an administrator.

GRADE LEVEL MEETINGS

Grade level meetings will be held once a week on Fridays to discuss instruction and other issues. An administrator or Curriculum Coach will be present during Friday’s grade level meetings. Please be prompt and prepared to learn and share.

FIELD TRIPS

 Field trips should be aligned to lessons/TEKS and only one field per grade level will be allowed.  A copy of the class roster must be turned in to the office along with the permission slips before leaving on the field trip. The roster must be marked showing: 1. Who is going on the field trip? 2. Any student who will not be going on the field trip and where they will be placed for the day. 3. Any students who are absent .  “NO” student shall be denied the opportunity for participation in a field trip, and cannot be used as a discipline consequence.  “Mandatory” to notify the cafeteria about class field trips 3 weeks in advance. If sack lunches are needed, speak to the Cafeteria Manager three weeks in advance.  A minimum of one adult chaperone (preferably a parent) for every 10 students is required by District Policy. A Parent volunteer must be cleared by the district (background check) in order to participate in the field trip. If a teacher has fifteen students, the teacher plus a chaperone must ride the bus with students and accompany students.  Notify an administrator if the teacher will not be accompanying the class on a field trip so that proper arrangements can be made. Under “NO” circumstances may a substitute go in place of the teacher on a field trip.  Field trips will only be allowed to be taken by money raised through grade level fundraisers such as (Harvest Festival, Donations, etc…) or parent request.

FUNDRAISING

Limited opportunities for grade levels, clubs, or special groups to raise money are available throughout the school year. ALL FUNDRAISING MUST BE APPROVED BY THE PRINICPAL and ASSITANT PRINCIPAL (SISD Policy FJ). See Administration for the required form to discuss the reason for fundraising and to place the fund raising activity on the school calendar. This is important, in order to avoid two groups raising money at the same time. Fund raising must be limited and coordinated. Our Administration will be responsible for all school-wide fundraisers.

10 When a group raises money, an account will be set up with the name of the group by the school secretary. Any money collected must be turned in on the day it is received. WARNING: DO NOT LEAVE MONEY IN YOUR CLASSROOM OR DESK DRAWER. TURN IT IN TO THE OFFICE IMMEDIATELY. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONEY LEFT UNSECURED IN YOUR CLASSROOM.

GRADE BOOKS

Grade books will be maintained to record grades and attendance. It is required to have 2 grades per week for all core subjects. Teachers are expected to note the assignment / TEKS, and date. Grade books will be monitored by administration and collected at the end of each the school year.

GRADING POLICY

 Grades will be based upon daily work, projects, portfolios, and test grades.  Rubrics and assessments will be developed across the grade level to ensure consistency and they will be shared with students and parents.  Reteaching and retesting of concepts that students have failed to master must occur within a nine week period. Reteaching and retesting is to be used only for students who failed to master a concept. Two grades per week for every core subject are required. Please post all grades in your grade book through TAC and make them available for EHAC. Grading will be in accordance with Socorro ISD policy. Even though we are now using electronic E- Smart grader and Grade book, **All teachers must notify parents as soon as a child is failing any subject at any time.

See Attached Local and Legal Regulations for Grading Policy

HOMEWORK

Consistent homework provides the student with additional practice in the skills learned in class as well as develops responsibility and independence. Learning the skills and self-discipline required to complete homework is an important part of each child’s education. Please be sure homework is easily understood and utilizes materials available to all children. A maximum of 45 minutes of homework should be given. This is to include the twenty minutes of daily reading. Please adhere to this campus policy. Remember that quality is better than quantity. Please submit a HW plan to administration.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

Inclement weather is any day that the weather is too severe/harsh for students to be outside. If necessary because of a personnel shortage, extreme economic conditions, or an unavoidable or unforeseen circumstance, the District may require a classroom teacher or librarian entitled to a duty- free lunch to supervise students during lunch (Education Code 21.405).

If we are experiencing inclement weather at the beginning of the school day, please be in your room ready to receive students as they arrive. All other personnel will be readily available to assist faculty, staff, and students in any way necessary.

If we are experiencing inclement weather during the school day prior to lunch, then administration will announce over the intercom that we will be adhering to the following inclement weather procedure:  Teachers will have a 30 minute lunch and will be requested to return to the cafeteria for their students.

11  Administration / other personnel will be stationed in the cafeteria to assist students in getting their lunch and waiting in line until their teacher arrives. It is imperative that you pick up your class ASAP.

INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPLIES

Supplies are centrally stored and are requested (grade level rep) by completing a “Supplies Request” form. The Campus Clerk and Secretary fill out the order and will have supplies delivered to the classroom. Please order materials 24 hours in advance to allow the order to be filled in a timely manner. A list of available supplies is included in this manual. If you would like some materials that are not on the list, ask the appropriate personnel to help with the order

INSTRUCTIONAL TIME

The majority of your instructional time should be spent in facilitating, learning, and monitoring student progress. The use of prepared worksheets and dittos should be very limited. Do not allow parents to hold conferences with you during instructional time or as you are picking up your students in the morning. Encourage them to make an appointment during your conference period, but do not conference with parents while students are in the classroom

Instructional Walk-Throughs

Administrative personnel will make numerous informal visits to the classroom throughout the year. You are asked to continue with regular classroom procedures. As a courtesy, administrators will schedule all appraisals. All Walk-Throughs and PDAS documentations will done through Eduphoria. Please review your evaluation documents and sign electronically if needed. At “no time” should students be left unattended in the classroom.

LESSON PLANS

The following should be included in daily lesson plans:

 5E’s Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate)  Procedures-planned activities  TEKS Objective being taught  Hands-on materials/resources  Differentiated Strategies

Ensure that your lesson plans provide a detailed instructional plan for your substitute to follow. Copies of your lesson plans are due on a weekly basis to support staff. Each grade level needs to submit one set of lesson plans, with all team members’ names on it (changes to this process may apply.)

MONITORS

Instruct students that monitors play a very important role in our school. They are here for their safety. Students are to obey and respect them at all times.

MULTI-MEDIA CENTER

The Library should be utilized by students, parents, and staff. Your class will have scheduled times. When taking your class to the Library, you must remain with your class the entire period.

12 NEWSLETTER

A parent newsletter is REQUIRED. Please remember that consistent communication with your students’ parents is the key to their academic success. Besides informing parents of assignments or class news, the newsletter can also serve as a tool to recognize student’s accomplishments. Please keep copies of your newsletters and submit them with your portfolio as documentation regarding parent communication for your summative evaluation. Please turn in your newsletters to administration: Ms. Macias – 1st, 3rd, and 5th Ms. Chacon- 2nd, 4th, and PREK/K

NURSE PROCEDURES

Contact the nurse on all emergencies. If the nurse is not available, contact the principal or assistant principal. All accidents should be reported immediately. An accident report should be filled out for all emergencies and filed in the nurse’s office. All 911 calls will be made by nurse or administrators. Employee information card with consent for medical treatment will be completed yearly. Copy will be on file in the nurse’s office and in the front office with the school secretary. The nurse’s lunch period is from 1:00-1:45 p.m. Please send (only) emergencies to the front office during this time.

EMERGENCY FORMS:

TEACHERS: Please fill out and return the emergency form to the nurse the first week of school. Work related injuries are to be reported to the nurse as soon as possible during the same day.

STUDENTS: Emergency Consent forms will be provided during the first month of the school year. Send an emergency form home with each student. Encourage students to return completed forms to you the following day and then turn in all forms to the nurse.

SCREENING PROCEDURES:

Vision, hearing and dental screenings are conducted in grades PK, K, 1st, 3rd, and 5th. The nurse will notify the respective grade level teachers. During the screening process, the nurse will ONLY be available for emergencies. The nurse will notify teachers and parents of students who have failed the vision/hearing tests. -Communicable Diseases: If you suspect a communicable disease (chicken pox, measles, etc.) refer the student to the nurse immediately. All students who were absent as a result of a communicable disease must be checked by the nurse upon returning to school. Students allowed to return to class will present a written pass signed by the nurse.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS:

Students are not allowed to carry their personal medications. Teachers “cannot” administer medication. Students taking prescribed medication will visit the nurse’s office at the specified times to receive medications. It is a district wide policy to NOT administer over the counter medications (Tylenol, cough syrup, etc.). Parents must report to the nurse any students Medical Conditions cont. taking prescribed medication during school hours/who has a serious medical condition (i.e. heart problems, seizure disorder, severe asthma, or allergic reactions).

P.E. EXCUSES:

Students who have a physician’s directive excusing them from P.E. must submit the note to the nurse prior to being excused from physical education classes. The nurse will file the statement and give the 13 student a written excuse for your records. If students need to be excused from P.E. for more than 30 days, they must turn in a doctor’s note.

PASS TO NURSE:

Please use your discretion when sending students who have minor discomforts such as small cuts, scratches, mild bruises, old injuries, mild headaches, etc. Students should be referred to the nurse if you are certain that the problem cannot be taken care of in the classroom. Any child going to the Nurse’s office must present a pass to the nurse.

PARENT / TEACHER CONFERENCES

Two school-wide scheduled parent / teacher conferences will be held during the school year (please refer to your HUECO Calendar for specific dates). Teachers are encouraged to confer often with parents by phone, in person, by note, or by e-mail to report academic progress or social behavior and to discuss tardies and absences. A parent newsletter is REQUIRED. Remember communication with parents is the key to the academic success of your students. Please document ALL communication with parents in your RtI binder.

PLAYGROUND RULES

Please take time to “inform/teach” students how to use playground equipment.  Do not pick up or throw rocks or sand  Do not fight or use inappropriate language  If someone bothers you, notify a monitor  Obey the playground monitors  Do not take any food/snacks outside the cafeteria  Do not walk up the slide, use the ladder and slide down.  DO NOT LITTER! The following items may NOT be brought to school:  League balls, hard balls, softballs, bats,  Soccer Balls and Foot Balls will be allowed only when used appropriately. No tackle football allowed.  Roller blades, skateboards or heelys  Radios, televisions, cassette players, nintendos, CD players or other electronic devices  Chains, guns, knives, matches, explosives, fireworks  Lipstick, makeup, nail polish, hair spray  Drugs, tobacco, alcohol, spray paint, chewing gum The following items are acceptable on the playground:  Any NERF (soft) type ball  Basketballs  P.E. department playground equipment

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

Staff members are to refrain from speaking about students, their families, or any faculty and staff personnel in a negative or disrespectful way. All faculty and staff must carry themselves in a professional manner at all times. Supervision of students is imperative. Students need to be supervised closely throughout the day (playground, classroom, cafeteria, etc.). Teachers are NEVER to leave students unsupervised in the classroom for any length of time. In case of emergency, the teacher will make arrangements with a neighboring teacher to watch both classes. Under NO circumstances are student monitors to be left unattended in classrooms to monitor students in the 14 teacher’s absence. Each classroom should have a HALL PASS which students will use when leaving the room. No student is to be in the hall without a HALL PASS. In all classes, only one student will be allowed to leave the classroom at a time to go to the restroom or get a drink of water. ALL teachers must accompany their classes out of the building at the end of the day. Students must be given a classroom pass when required to attend classroom lunch detention, or to complete work. Students will not be allowed to go into the classroom without a pass.

REPORT CARDS / PROGRESS REPORTS

Report cards, complete with all necessary information, are sent out according to the district administrative calendar. Grades must be assigned in accordance with district policy. Report cards must be signed by the parent/guardian and returned within two days. If a student fails to return a report card within 10 days, a written notice must be mailed to the parents. The office can provide you with school stationery and postage. Also, please remember that report cards may ONLY go home on MONDAYS.

Progress Reports need to be sent home for all students at the end of every 3rd and 6th week of each (NINE week) grading period. Progress Reports are meant to inform parents if their child is declining, showing improvement, or is doing good overall (every student should be given a Progress Report). Remember communication is the key to a child’s academic success. Therefore, take every opportunity to communicate, in writing or by telephone (please document all contacts), with parents on a regular basis, especially if student is failing. One great way to acknowledge student successes / accomplishments is via the PARENT NEWSLETTER.

The School Improvement Team will meet once a month on the 1st Monday of the month to confer on all matters affecting the education of students, working conditions, climate, campus morale, campus needs, and to make appropriate and necessary suggestions for improvement. SIT meetings are open to anyone, but only representatives may vote. Teachers in each grade level/department will elect/select a representative to serve on the SIT committee. Representatives on SIT should include one representative per grade level, Counseling department, Nurse, Technology, Bilingual, Gifted and Talented, Librarian, Physical Education, Special Education, Fine Arts, PTO, Community Representative, Parent, and Administration.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Education of students with learning disabilities is truly everyone’s responsibility. Class With-in a Class (CWC) is an inclusion program where students with a learning disability receive direct instruction from both the regular education and the Special Education Teacher, and are placed in the least restrictive environment. The Special Education Program is designed for both teachers to team teach, plan, and together create the least restrictive environment for each student at least 80% of the time in regular education.

Federal regulations require that students with identified learning disabilities must attend appropriate placement classes as per ARD recommendations. Teachers with students with special needs are required to make modifications as identified in the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). Failure to do so can result in substantial SBEC Certification and probable financial liability to both the district and the teacher.

SUBSTITUTE FOLDER

A substitute survival kit is a set of plans and activities that can be used for a few days by a substitute teacher. This folder will include complete instructions and directions. Please include the following and turn in to administration. 15  Classroom roster  Seating chart (if necessary)  Discipline plan  Instruction Schedule  Lunch information/procedures/schedules  Special programs: names of students, times they attend, etc.  Lesson plans  Duty assignments/Schedules (must cover your duty if assigned)  Bus schedules  Emergency plan: Fire Drill instructions and Code Blue Instructions

SUNSHINE TICKETS and STUDENT INCENTIVES

Sunshine tickets will continue to reward students for positive behavior. All teachers and staff members are encouraged to give students opportunities to earn tickets and align tickets with teachers’ discipline plan as an incentive. Sunshine tickets will be available in the office.

Different incentives for students will be available throughout the year to include; sunshine tickets, AR rewards, dances, attendance, movies, etc…

TELEPHONE USE

All telephones in the classroom are to be used for school business only. Our telephone system provides all personnel with the convenience of VOICEMAIL. This will enable all personnel to conduct instruction without interruptions! Personal cellular telephones are to be kept turned OFF during the instructional day.

TESTING

The state assessment (STAAR) will be administered to students in grades 3, 4, and 5 in the spring. Teachers in grades K-5 will administer pre-tests (BENCHMARKS) to their students to gather data and drive instruction. Other assessments that will be administered to other students in other grade levels include (but are not limited to) the following:

 Istation  STAAR (and modified assessments for Special populations)  BENCHMARK TESTING FALL/SPRING (All students)  SELP for Bilingual/LEP Population  TELPAS for all LEP students in grades K-5th  CSCOPE Assessments

TEXTBOOKS

Textbooks are under the care and management of the Assistant Principal. Teachers may obtain books by filing out a Textbook Requisition form. Forms are located in the office. Teachers are responsible for the textbooks issued to them. No textbooks will be issued or picked up without a textbook requisition form being given to the assistant principal. A final textbook audit will determine if a teacher clears at the end of the year. Please follow these guidelines:

1. Keep a record of the book number of all books issued to each pupil. (TEC 31.104 (C)) 2. Ensure book covers are available and textbooks are kept covered at all times. 3. Conduct periodic textbook checks (1 per 9 weeks suggested) as directed by the assistant principal. 16 4. Notify the parent when a textbook is lost, destroyed, or damaged by a student. 5. Return surplus books to the book room. 6. Verify the textbook number and condition of the textbooks when they are returned by the student. 7. Return all books to the book room at the end of the year or end of the course (including student books checked out to the teacher) 8. All state adopted textbooks are now on a web-based inventory system called TipWeb.

Students who have lost textbooks issued to them will be assessed replacement costs. Campuses are financially obligated to pay for lost textbooks issued by the district.

VISITORS

A visitor is anyone who is not a member of the HUECO Elementary student body (Spouses, employee children who do not attend Hueco, etc). Please direct any visitor (even SISD employees) to the office to sign in and receive a Visitor’s PASS. Students may not bring visitors, such as relatives, to spend the day with them without prior approval of Administration. Please be an integral part of keeping our school orderly, safe, and conducive to learning and working.

VOLUNTEERS

District Policy allows that only parents or volunteers who are fully approved volunteers (i.e. have an application on file with the district with a complete background check) can assist in classrooms under the direct supervision of the teacher or may assist anywhere on campus during the school day. Please contact the Parent Volunteer Coordinator for any needed volunteers. Also, please inform all parents that if they would like to attend or assist with any field trips throughout the school year, they MUST have the security clearance for the safety of all faculty, staff, and students.

WITHDRAWALS

Students are withdrawn by office personnel only. If you are aware that a child is leaving or moving, notify the office immediately and inform the parent that they need to contact the office before the intended withdrawal date to fill out appropriate paperwork. The classroom teacher needs to complete the permanent (“cum”) folder and the withdrawal form. All library books and textbooks must be accounted for prior to withdrawal. Therefore, it is necessary that the withdrawal form be passed on to the nurse, librarian, counselor, and other appropriate personnel. All paperwork needs to be ready for parents within 24 hours.

Thank you for adhering to the policies and procedures of our Campus and District. Working together will ensure a year full of successes.