Parent/Student Handbook 2017-2018

“Engage – Educate – Empower”

Belle Sherman Main Building (Pre-K & Grades 2-5) Main Office & Principal: 274 2382 Main Building Attendance: 274-2207

Belle Sherman Annex Building: (Kindergarten & Grade 1) Annex Office & Annex Attendance: 274-2383

1 2

Welcome To Our School

Dear Students, Parents, Caregivers and Community Members,

We hope you had a restful and relaxing summer! Our halls and classrooms have been quiet over the summer and we are excited for your return! Welcome to the Belle Sherman Parent/Caregiver Guide. In this resource you will find important contact information, calendars, and basic information about our campus.

Parent/Caregiver communication is critically important. Every week we provide our Friday News Notes, which includes important dates, school information, and campus highlights. In addition I strongly encourage parents and caregivers to join our community listserv at [email protected], which will provide important school news and announcements.

As always, your feedback is very important to us so please let us know if you have any questions, ideas, or comments that can help us improve at [email protected].

Thanks for your partnership,

Dan Breiman Principal

Ithaca City School District Board of Education Members

Robert Ainslie, President [email protected] 273-2558

Dr. Sean Eversley Bradwell, [email protected] 342- 3249 Vice President

Bradley Grainger [email protected] 257-3268

Eldred V. Harris, JD [email protected]

Nicole LaFave [email protected] 255-0094

Moira Lang [email protected] 379-6394

Christopher A. Malcolm [email protected] 342-3249

Ann Reichlin [email protected] 274.2102

Dr. Patricia H. Wasyliw [email protected] 277-2708

A Letter from the PTA

The Belle Sherman Parent Teacher Association (PTA) welcomes you and your family to a promising new school year! We believe that as wonderful new friendships emerge between children and their families in our community, the 2017-18 Belle Sherman Directory is a great way to initiate and reinforce these relationships.

Throughout the school year, the PTA sends notices about community events at the school, has open and informative PTA meetings, hosts festive Belle Sherman events, and helps foster our school’s educational environment.

We look forward to getting to know you!

The Belle Sherman PTA Belleshermanpta.org

PTA OFFICERS:

To be determined….

6 About Our School

The school consists of two buildings. The main building houses our pre-kindergarten classroom, grades 2 through 5, and the administrative offices. The “Annex” is across the street, on Cornell Street, and houses Kindergarten through 1st grade. Each school has its own library, gym and playground. You will notice that each classroom has been given a name: Rainbow, Sun, Moon, Castle, etc.

We strive to maintain a safe and secure school. One way we do this is by limiting the entry points to each building. At the Main Building, the Mitchell Street door will remain open. In the morning, the 2/3 wing door will be open from 7:40 to 8:00. At the Annex, the North door will remain open. When you visit/enter the school, please sign in to receive a Visitor’s badge.

The School Day

The school day begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. No supervision is provided on the playground before school or after school.

Your child will be considered tardy if he/she arrives at 8:01 a.m. and will be required to go to the office area to sign in and receive a pass to deliver to the classroom teacher. This process will alert the teacher that the student has signed in. If the student does not sign in and arrives after 8:00 a.m., he/she may be marked as “absent” and you will receive an automated call.

School Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Morning Drop Off

When dropping your child off:  Please follow the traffic flow and pull up to the farthest point.  Please only park in designated parking spots.  Please only park in the Handicapped Parking spot if you have a permit.  Please do not make U-turns.

Early Dismissal/Pick Up  Please make sure to sign out students who are picked up during the school day.  If you can, please notify the office that you will be picking up your child early.

Late Arrival  Students arriving after 8:00 AM are considered Tardy and will need a late pass.  A written excuse for tardiness is required. (A parent/guardian signature on the sign in sheet is acceptable.)

7 Dismissal  Pre-K Students board the bus at 1:50 p.m.  Grades 2nd – 5th are called for dismissal at 1:58 p.m.  At 2:00 p.m. all “walkers” are dismissed.  At approximately 2:05 p.m., buses go to the Annex and pick up students K – 1st.

Absences/Tardies If your child is ill, please call the Annex attendance line at 274-2132 or the Main Building attendance line at 274-2207 before 7:00 a.m. or after 2:00 p.m. If there is no message on the attendance line and your child is absent from class, an automated call will be made around 10:30 a.m. to inform you of your child’s absence. When your child returns to school from an absence, you are required to send in a signed note which states the reason for your child’s absence.

The following is a list of absences, tardies, and/or early departures that the Board considers to be excused and unexcused:

Legal Excused: Personal Illness, Medical, Mental Health Appointments, Court or Legal Hearings, Religious Observance, Illness or Death in Family, Impassable Roads or Weather.

Unexcused: Truancy, Shopping, Vacations, Oversleeping, Birthday Celebrations, Personal, Babysitting, Missing the Bus.

Written Excuses, Tardiness and Consequences for Illegal Absence and Tardiness: Since school attendance is mandatory, all absences require a written excuse from a parent or guardian indicating the date and reason for absence. If a note is not received, the absence will be recorded as illegal. Tardy is defined when a student arrives in their classroom any time after 8:01 a.m. A written excuse is required for tardiness, stating why the student was tardy. Signing your child in is considered a written excuse.

When a student accumulates 5 tardies or 5 absences (legal or illegal), a tardy/attendance notice will be sent home from the main office. If the child reaches 10 tardies or 10 absences a conference request may be made with the parent/guardian, principal and appropriate faculty and staff. When absences from school appear to continue and become a pattern, or become excessive to the point they interfere with the child’s ability to learn, the case will further be reviewed by the principal to determine appropriate action. The ICSD Comprehensive Attendance Policy # 5160 can be found and accessed through the following link: http://boarddocs.cnyric.org/ny/icsd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=A4SN825EA16B

8 Afterschool Care Belle Sherman offers an after-school care program run by dedicated staff and guided by a parent board. Families may sign up to participate in this program. For more information, please contact Tara Bricker at 273-1297 or you can email her at [email protected].

Appointments with Teachers We welcome families at Belle Sherman and urge you to conference with teachers as needed and appropriate. Please check the school phone directory for the best way to schedule an appointment, or call the school and leave a message, or send a written note.

Bad Weather/School Cancellation Local radio and T.V. stations, as well as the District website, will announce information regarding delays and closings. In the event that school may be dismissed early, have a plan in place if your child needs to go somewhere other than their usual destination.

One form of communication that the ICSD may use in the event of an emergency closing or other school emergency is an automated telephone or email message. Please make sure your child's school has your most up-to-date contact information on file. When appropriate, a news release will also be distributed as soon as possible.

Please view the Ithaca City School District’s District-Wide School Safety Plan for more information: http://www.ithacacityschools.org/tfiles/folder242/District%20Wide%20Safety%20Plan%2 02013-2014.pdf

Emergency Closings You can get up-to-date information about school closings on the ICSD homepage newsfeed, on our Twitter or Facebook page. The following local newspapers, radio and television stations also have information on emergency closings: • WHCU 870AM/WYXL 97.3FM/ WQNY103.7FM/WNYY1470AM/ • WIII 99.9/100.3FM/HOTS 103.3 FM/The Vine 98.7FM • WVBR (FM 93) • WSYR (shared w/620WHEN) • Y94FM, B104.7 and HOT 107.9 • WIXT (Ch9 Syracuse) • WSKG FM/WSKG TV (Bing.) • WICB FM 91.7 • WIQT-WQIX (Elmira) • WSTM (Ch3)/WTVH (Ch5) • WENY-TV (Elmira) • WETM (Elmira/Corning) • Z95.5 • News 10 Now • Ithaca Journal

9 Two-Hour Delay Procedures The Ithaca City School District has developed a two-hour delay procedure. This procedure will take effect when weather or building conditions require a delayed start. On these days, parents are encouraged to develop a plan so their children can safely stay home for an additional two hours.

In the event that a two-hour delay is activated, the following procedures will be followed:  Local news and radio stations will be contacted to report the delayed start, notices will be posted on the District website, Twitter and Facebook pages and emails will be sent to families using the SchoolMessenger system. Caregivers are encouraged to update their contact information in SchoolTool by contacting their school secretary.

 If conditions do not improve within two hours, classes may be cancelled for the entire day and the same methods of notification will be made.

 All bus routes will be delayed by exactly two hours (i.e. If your bus stop is normally at 8:37 a.m., it will be at 10:37 a.m. on delayed start days).

 All schools will start exactly two hours later than normal. Elementary students should arrive at school between 9:40 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

 Secondary school doors will open at 10:30 a.m. Students will follow a condensed bell schedule of all scheduled classes. There will be no zero period at Ithaca High School on two-hour delay days.

 Pre-K classes will NOT be held if a two-hour delay occurs on a Friday. This does not apply to Pre-K 12:45 dismissal classes.

 Simple breakfasts will be available to students when schools open and regular lunches will be served at modified times.

 Schools will be dismissed at their normal times at the end of the school day.

Breakfast/Lunch Program Students may either bring their lunches from home or purchase meals through the school’s breakfast/lunch program. Elementary breakfast is $1.50 and Lunch is $2.60. All reduced meals are $.25 and milk is $.75. All students are expected to stay on school grounds during lunch.

Lunch Times:

K & 1st grade: 10:25 - 11:00 2nd & 3rd grade: 11:25 -11:50 4th & 5th grade: 11:50 -12:15

10 We send the breakfast and lunch menu home before the beginning of each month. To cut down on food waste, please read the menu and discuss it with your children, so they do not order meals they will not eat. Students can choose which days they wish to have breakfast or lunch. You may pay for your child’s meals on-line or, you may choose to pay at school. We collect payment for lunch and breakfast on the first day of each school week or first day of the month. Checks are payable to the Ithaca City School District Food Service Program. Please put money or checks in an envelope marked with your child’s name. Milk or juice is served with hot lunch/breakfast, but milk/juice can also be purchased separately each day. If your child is absent or ill on any day, your account will be credited. Your family may be eligible for the free or reduced price breakfast and lunch program. Information about this program will be sent home to families at the start of each school year.

If your child has a food allergy, or if there are other food restrictions due to health, religious or other reasons, please notify the nurse or food service staff in writing. Your child will be given another choice.

Communication There are many ways our school will communicate with you. Please check regularly for class notes sent home with your child. At week’s end, we send Friday News Notes home. Also, consider signing up for our email listserv: [email protected]. Each of these communications contains important information about your child’s work in their classroom and events going on in our school community. Feel free to send in your own messages and notices to the teacher or for Friday News Notes.

There are many people eager to help you with your concerns or questions. Our doors are open for you to talk to us. Our principal, teachers, social worker and other Belle Sherman staff are all willing to listen, respond, and act in ways that are in the best interest of the children.

No lists of names of students/staff members may be released without prior approval. Our parent representative will be collecting information to create a class and/or grade-level directory. To be included in the directory, you will need to sign the consent form. The form will be distributed in early fall. Our school phone directory will have specific contact information for each classroom and all groups or individuals.

Computer Resources All computer resources, including files maintained on hard drives and servers, remain in the possession and control of the School District. Students have no reasonable expectation of privacy rights in any information or communications created or accessed using the District’s electronic media and services, including information stored in computer directories or electronic mail files. Students may store files for educational use only. The Superintendent and the Superintendent’s designee reserve the right to access, monitor, and disclose files for any reason, including viruses, inappropriate executable files, and inappropriate e-mail. Any evidence of inappropriate files or messages will be reported to the Principal. The District reserves the right to modify or delete without cause any material stored on District equipment. Your child will bring

11 home Computer Technology Expectations for you to read, sign, and return to the school Librarian.

Further information on ICSD Acceptable Use Policy (4624-R) can be found through the following link: https://drive.google.com/a/icsd.k12.ny.us/file/d/0B5IFu1tSKDHpZi1SUUM2aUdzNUU/vi ew

Dress Students must wear sneakers for physical education classes and recess year round. If it is convenient, these shoes can be left at school. Students should come to school dressed safely and appropriately to participate in all school activities.

Extended-Day Program This program focuses on homework assistance and intense small group intervention. It will begin in early October. More information will be made available after the start of school.

Family Involvement We encourage caregivers to join our active PTA and/or volunteer on our Site Council this year. More information will be forthcoming regarding these two important segments of our school.

Teachers welcome and encourage caregivers to participate in all aspects of the school including classrooms, playground, special events, and the library. In the past, families have shared information about their culture, favorite food, hobbies, and areas of expertise or career. Caregivers may join their child during lunchtime. Please continue to support our school by attending events, coming to conferences, serving on committees and talking about what matters to you. Continue to support your children by reading to them, helping with homework, encouraging their school effort, and communicating important information to their teachers. Your ideas, energy, and spirit are welcome!

Field Trips Fields trips are for educational purposes. For these trips, we request that written permission from caregivers be on file with teachers. You will be informed of extended trips and will be advised of any special arrangements that need to be made.

Health Services  Annex Nurse: 274-2303  Main School Nurse: 274-2107

Our school nurse works with parents and guardians, school staff, and health care providers to remedy or modify health problems and to help achieve student success. The main building school nurse’s office is located in the area near the cafeteria. The annex nurse’s office is located behind the secretary’s area. To help accomplish student success, we provide annual screenings to check vision, hearing, height, and weight, along with scoliosis screens and physicals for the grades mandated by NYS. We also 12 provide first aid and evaluation of children who become sick or injured during the school day. (All school children are covered for injuries occurring on school grounds by a limited school district insurance policy.) We are mandated to keep current records of your child’s immunizations. (As you have them updated, please provide us with a copy of that update.)

Medications: Many children are required to take medications during the school day. All medications, including Tylenol, eye drops, cough drops and any other over-the-counter medicine must be sent in their original container and be accompanied by a physician’s order for dispensing. Your current physician must renew this order each school year. In addition to the physician’s note, we also require a signed permission slip from a parent. An adult must deliver the medication to the school. Children may not transport medications themselves.

Library Families are encouraged to use our libraries and check out books. Families are supplied with a bar code in order to sign out books. The library program is integrated into the school curriculum. Libraries in both buildings provide print and technology resources to support student learning. Please visit the link below: https://sites.google.com/a/icsd.k12.ny.us/belle-sherman-library/

Lost and Found Many items find their way to our Lost and Found box during the year. Please put your child’s name in his/her belongings and periodically check the lost and found box. Unclaimed items may be sent to the Salvation Army.

School Bus/Bus Passes Many students ride buses to school. Information was sent to parents this summer explaining which bus their child will ride and where the bus stop is located. The School District Transportation Office phone number is 274-2128. If your child is to ride on a different bus, on any individual day, written permission (dated and signed by the parent/guardian) must be sent in to school with your child, in exchange for a bus pass. This permission slip needs to contain the following information:  Date / Child’s Name / The Bus Number and the Address of Destination  Parent/Guardian Signature

Student Behavioral Expectations/Responsibilities PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports) PBIS is a clear and systematic way of dealing with school-wide behavior management. One way to address these issues is by building school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SW-PBIS; Sugai & Horner, 2002). Instead of using a patchwork of short-term solutions for individual students and situations, school- wide PBIS focuses on proactive ways to define, teach, and sustain appropriate student behaviors across school settings (Kincaid, Childs, Blase & Wallace, 2007; Turnbull, et al., 2002). Through PBIS, a continuum of behavior support is designed for all students and implemented in all areas of the school including the classroom, lunchroom,

13 restrooms, and playground. The primary goal of PBIS is to enhance the capacity of schools to design effective environments to increase teaching and learning.

School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is a positive discipline plan for the entire school where the approach is to proactively prevent or reduce challenging behaviors and produce positive outcomes (Turnbull, et al., 2002). The focus of this approach is to make problem behavior less effective and desired behavior more relevant. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, discipline is “training that is expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behaviors, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement.” This is the focus of school-wide PBIS. School-wide PBIS works under the assumption that like reading and math, behavior can be taught. PBIS seeks to create positive environments by utilizing proactive strategies such as introducing, defining, modeling, teaching, and supporting positive behavioral expectations school wide and then reinforcing and rewarding students for these positive social behaviors (Scott, et al., 2002). PBIS is about creating positive school environments so all children feel welcome, safe and can learn.

PBIS Goals @ Belle Sherman  To reduce behaviors which are interfering with both independent and social learning  To increase behaviors which are compatible with academic engagement positive inter-personal relationships  To create an emotionally and physically safe school environment  To create a school culture that supports high levels of teaching and learning

We do this by  Establishing the expected positive behaviors and what they look like in the school environments (Cafeteria, Hallway, Bus as well as the classroom)  Explicitly teach the positive behaviors.  Providing opportunities to practice the positive behaviors  Establishing consistent, modeling, language and signage across Belle Sherman  Responding consistently to problematic behaviors  Following the Belle Sherman PBIS common behavioral expectations

Belle Sherman PBIS Behavioral Matrix

Own your own actions. Follow directions the first time. Keep hands, feet, and belongings to yourself. Use kind words.

Hallway Playground Cafeteria Bus

Respect Voice level 1 Voice level 3 Voice level 2 Voice level Quiet feet Include Voice level 0 2 Face forward everyone when adults are giving directions

14 Responsibility Stay in a Ask for help Clean up Keep food line when needed Remain and drink in Keep space seated when backpack Keep pace eating Look @ bulletin board with your eyes Safety Stay to the Only go down Walk Stay right the slide with Ask buckled up Walk feet first permission to Keep aisles Stay within leave clear boundaries Walk in Ask aisles permission Stay seated before leaving until door opens

Telephone Usage The school telephones are busy with school business and their use for non-school calls is limited. Students should make after school plans before they come to school in the morning. Cell phone usage by students is not allowed during the school day. In emergency situations, when a student needs to make a phone call, the teacher will send the student to the office with a note to use the phone.

Teachers & Staff Belle Sherman provides an experienced, innovative and dedicated team of teachers and supporting staff, all committed to viewing each child as an individual, capable of learning at a pace and learning style unique to the student’s style.

Belle Sherman “blends” services with ENL and AIS students. Our specialists work in and out of the classroom, as well as working in small groups. Teachers and support staff have grouped themselves into a Professional Learning Community (PLC), and together they plan curriculum/teaching approaches. (Common Core Standards and the Ithaca City School District define the curriculum subject areas.)

Our school also features well-developed programs in art, music (vocal and instrumental), and physical education, which are often integrated into other subjects. Most classrooms incorporate library work for research and literature groups.

Academic Programs

Our school focuses on these academic areas: language arts, math, science, social studies, health, art, music and physical education. Each area follows a course of study or curriculum defined by the Ithaca City School District and the New York State Department of Education. In the fall of each school year, our school has a “curriculum night”, where teachers will explain what concepts are explored.

15 Art Children in grades K-5 have art once every 4 days for 40 minutes. The art program’s curriculum consists of the following areas: art production, art history, art appreciation and art aesthetics. Children learn skills, concepts and techniques in a sequential manner, using a wide variety of child friendly materials.

Instrumental/Band Music Students in grades 3-5 have the opportunity to take free instrumental music lessons under the direction of two district staff members. Information concerning this program is sent home at the end of the school year in preparation for the following year. In grade 3 students can begin taking string instruments. In grade 4 students may begin taking a band (winds, brass and percussion) instrument. Concerts for the string orchestra and band occur each year. In grade 2, members of the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra visit classrooms to introduce students to string instruments.

Language Arts Throughout every grade level, children at our school focus on reading, writing, listening and speaking. Students are writing and reading daily. Journal writing, story writing, letters and research projects are part of our writing instruction approach. Each classroom has a class “library” and each building has library time each week to explore reading a variety of books. We use many tools to evaluate student progress in this area, including the district’s checklists, running records, observations, work samples, student portfolios, teacher and student records as well as state and standardized tests.

Library Children come with their classes to the library once a week to receive instruction and do book checkout. The teacher-librarian works with the classroom teachers to integrate classroom learning with library instruction. Students learn how to use the library to locate and select books and online resources in order to meet their learning and personal needs. Students are welcome to check out books when there are no other classes and with their teacher’s permission. Students also learn basic computer skills and digital citizenship skills in conjunction with their classroom-library projects.

Mathematics The math curriculum begins in the early grades using lots of objects to help children “visualize” math concepts. As they progress, students are asked to explain how they solved problems to develop understanding of number and space concepts. Grades 4 and 5 make more use of algorithmic formulas, once math concepts are firmly established. Our curriculum follows the Ithaca and Common Core Standards. We are implementing the Singapore Math Program in grades K-5.

Music Children have vocal music once every 4 days for 40 minutes. Usually, children have a concert each year, which may include creative movements and other instruments. Children in grades 3-5 have a beginning recorder program as a way to begin note reading.

16 Physical Education Children in grades K-5 have physical education twice every four days for 40 minutes. The physical education program’s curriculum consists of the following areas: physical fitness, health/wellness, sports skills, physical safety, and social skills and behavior. Children learn body control, respect and concern for the safety of others, and sportsmanship through supervised games and activities.

Science & Social Studies The science curriculum focuses on life and physical sciences and uses hands-on activities, experimentation, and problem solving to explore topics. Our social studies instruction focuses on particular ideas or topics each year, exploring a curriculum established by the district.

State Testing New York State school children in grades 3-5 take a variety of standardized tests and local district tests. These tests are intended to set standards for student learning at certain grade levels. Teachers at Belle Sherman School work with their classes to prepare for these tests, and practice test taking strategies. Sometimes the test results are shared with each student but the results are mainly used as one tool for gauging the school’s success in teaching the information. Therefore, the results are not included in your child’s “grade” or progress report. Questions about the standardized tests can be directed to the principal.

2017-2018 Testing Dates

Grades 3-8 English Language Arts Tues. April 10 – Tues. April 17 NYSESLAT (Speaking) Mon. April 9 – Fri. May 18 Grades 3-8 Mathematics Tues. May 1 – Tues. May 8 NYSESLAT (Listening, Reading, Writing) Mon. May 7 – Fri. May 18 Grade 4 Science (Performance) Wed. May 23 – Fri. June 1 Grade 4 Science (Written) Mon. June 4

General Information

We know that students who are active in school activities and events—and whose families are, too—are more successful. And the more each student succeeds, the more the whole community thrives. Critical to that is transportation: see how the resources and opportunities below can help you and your community thrive.

SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION LIAISONS: Your School Transportation Liaison can help figure out how to get your child to school-based activities, and how you can get to school meetings and events. Your Liaison is Alex Scher and can be reached at [email protected] or 274-2205—or ask at the main office.

CARS ARE FOR DRIVING FULL! Share a ride and help your student and whole community thrive. Offer a ride, invite other parents/caregivers to carpool, or talk to your child’s activity leader about ridesharing. To help organize shared rides, ask to see Way2Go’s Guide to Ridesharing, or contact Sophie at Way2Go (see below.)

KEEP MOVING! Consider a 'walking bus' or 'bike train:' Reclaim walking and biking to school! If workable in your area, consider asking families to join together or take turns leading a walking bus or bike train, and encourage older students to ride together. For help, contact your school's Transportation Liaison or Way2Go.

TCAT BUS PASSES: TCAT bus passes are available to students who need and can effectively use TCAT to get to or from sports, drama, tutoring, counseling, or other activities promoting their development and overall success. Check TCAT routes at tcatbus.com or 607-277-7433, and ask at the main office about getting a pass.

INSTANT HELP CHOOSING TCAT BUS ROUTES: Call the TCAT front desk weekdays at 277-7433, or download a free app from iTunes called Ride 14850 for help choosing routes and stops based on your start location and destination. The app is not affiliated with TCAT, but it is based on TCAT's route maps.

VIDEOS! See Way2Go's how-to videos on using the bus, carsharing and ridesharing at way2go.org/videos.

RED School Rides provides rides school meetings and events by volunteer drivers, when available. Contact RED at least a week ahead at [email protected]; last minutes rides are unlikely but you can try. If you have a car, consider volunteering—you decide when to give a ride—even one ride makes a difference!

TAXI PROGRAM: An effort is underway to make discounted group taxi service available to help families get to elementary school events. Way2Go and the School Success Transportation Coalition are working with NYS and local PTAs to make this possible. If you’d like to see such a program for your elementary school, please contact your school’s PTA and let them know, and/or contact Way2Go as shown below.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 2-1-1 (or 877-211-8667) for information on current transportation services, contact your school Transportation Liaison, see www.way2goinfo.org or call Way2Go at 272-2292.

CONTACT: Sophie Somerfeldt, Way2Go Educator 607-272-2292 ext. 184; [email protected] 20

Belle Sherman Staff 2017-2018

Principal School Librarian Breiman, Daniel J. Bryant, Kaitlin Smith, Cheryl (shared library clerk) Classroom Teachers (19) Bowman, Sheila (Pre-K) Speech Therapist Anagnostos, Steve (K) - Annex DeVita, Kristin Dolan, Peggy (K) – Annex Hellerman, Jill (K) – Annex Psychologist (.5) Beckmann, Randi (1st) – Annex Walsh, Rachelle shared Graw, Emily (1st) – Annex Rhoades, Rebeca (1st) – Annex Social Worker Buchanan, Erin (2nd) Scher, Alex Millspaugh, Melissa (2nd) Trdan, Allison (2nd) Occupational Therapist (.5) Dresen, Josh (3rd) Benzer, Deborah shared Fay, Austin (3rd) Reiff, Eric (3rd) Physical Therapist Frier, Shannon (4th) Blaine, Jake shared Thompson, Nancy (4th) Volpe, Joe (4th) Pre-K Family Worker Studelska, Katie (5th) Duell, Kathy Paolangeli, Ashley (5th) Sahasrabude, Lisa (5th) ENLTeachers Sidhu, Deborah (1) – Annex Specialists Salo, Serena - (K) Annex Art: Sitz, Viviana (2,3) Locke, Sarah shared, Kirchgraber-Newton, Michelle (4,5) Goldsmith, Ana shared Praisner, Kate shared Reading Teachers Music: Kwortnik, Lisa Mizrahi, Ross Sawatzky, Renee Phys. Ed: Miller, Dan Special Ed. Teachers Trechter, Sam shared Laurie Hill – (SE Chair) Band: Herman, Matt Daly, Cindy shared Lanzillotto, Daphne Orchestra: Thayer, Kaylie Schlenker, Rich shared

Teaching Assistants & Aides Main Building Custodians Alling, Niki Pre-K Stamp, Matt Bacon, Aimee Grades 2 & 3 Carlisle, William Dennis, Walter 1:1 Berggren, Bradley - .5 Marion, Melissa Pre-K Krellner, John - .5 McHerron, Lynn 1:1 Moltion, Zachary 1:1 Clerical Nicholson, Tom Support Alfaro, Kate (School Secretary) Payne, Jewia 1:1 Horton, Lisa (Typist) – Annex Peterson, Todd Grades 4 & 5 McBean, Patricia (Typist .5) unassigned 1:1 Cafeteria Teaching Assistants & Aides Annex Building Kenyon, Becky Benites, Vilma Adult Support Chester, Michelle – Annex Hausrath, Jonathan Adult Support Lower, Chrissy Grade K Nurses McBean, Petula Grades K & 1 Saccucimorano, Maria Ng, Alice Grade K Masser, Barb Wood-Gaiger, Nicky Grade K

Birthday Celebrations

Students’ birthdays are announced, as appropriate, during morning announcements.

Please check with the classroom teacher regarding their birthday celebration policy. Distribution of birthday/party invitations at school causes hurt feelings for children of any age. Please mail invitations or call parents of the children you would like to invite.

Parent Conferences & Report Card Dates

Faculty and staff are available for parent conferences by appointment. Please call ahead to schedule a parent conference. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s teachers, school counselor, or principal if they have any concerns. School personnel may also request conferences as needed.

2017-18 Parent Teacher Conference Dates

November 9 (students dismissed at 11:00 a.m.) March 16 (students dismissed at 11:00 a.m.)

2017-18 Report Card Dates

November 9 March 16 June 21 (last day of school)

The ICSD Elementary Progress Reports include both narrative and numerical information.

Art, music and physical education teachers use a combination of checklists and comments to report student progress. You can also view your child’s artwork and classroom portfolio.

23 Educational Glossary

Academic Intervention Services (AIS)

This refers to additional teaching or support that supplements instruction in the general classroom. These services are intended to assist all students who are at risk of not achieving the New York State Learning Standards in English language arts, math, social studies and/or science, or those who are at risk of not gaining the knowledge and skills needed to meet or exceed designated performance levels on State assessment tests. AIS includes all intervention services such as Title I programs, special education, ESL, and other related services.

Collaborative Teaching

Reading, Special Education, English as a Second Language Teachers (ESL), Speech Therapist, and Teaching Assistants collaborate with the general classroom teacher to serve student needs. Sometimes extra help occurs in the general classroom. Other times, students are taken for small group work to the language room or other work space. However, extra help or special services are blended into the student’s schedule as part of the general classroom work whenever appropriate.

English as a New Language (ENL)

We administer a test to children from other countries or cultures to determine their level of English proficiency. This determination dictates the level of service provided by ENL staff. Students who speak little or no English spend approximately one hour per day in an immersion class with an assigned ENL teacher.

Parent-Teacher Conference

The parent-teacher conference is the first of two formal conferences of the academic year. The goals conference is often held with teachers, parents, and child. The teacher involves the parents and child in setting specific goals for the year. A written summary is created and shared with the family.

Response to Intervention (RTI)

The New York State Department of Education defines RTI as “a multi-tiered, problem solving approach that identifies general education students struggling in academic and behavioral areas early and provides them with systemically applied strategies and targeted instruction at varying levels of intervention.” The Ithaca City School District has further defined RTI as the systematic use of assessment data to more effectively allocate resources in promoting strategies that enhance learning and improve the behavior of all students.

24 Special Education

Special needs and/or speech/language therapy students who qualify for specialized instruction are tested and reviewed by the school Subcommittee on Special Education. We provide these identified children with individualized education programs (IEP) to facilitate their learning.

Title I Program

Any student who falls below district guideline test scores, or is recommended by the staff for additional instructional assistance, receives Title I support in areas of reading, writing, math, science and/or social studies. Title I refers to the legislation and funding from which these services are created and funded. This program is now under the umbrella of Academic Intervention Services (AIS)