General Information
INTRODUCTION
Maple Street School is a responsive instructional environment and caring community. Each staff member contributes in a positive way to the Maple Street community of learners. Students, families, parents, teachers, Instructional Assistants, and other staff view the school community as their own and each is an integral part of the continuous program development. The Maple Street are a professional staff that work together to prioritize positive relationships and connection, and set high expectations for learning.
This Staff Handbook attempts to identify these MSS goals and define other school procedures. The handbook presents what needs to be done and how to do it. This edition is open to revisions, updated, and new ideas and improvement, in both method and presentation.
Absences - STAFF
1. Be sure that substitute plans are completed and easily accessible.
2. File the request on the substitute management system. Step by step instructions are available at the link below
Hopkinton School District Substitute Management Instructions
3. Call/text the office manager if it is a same day absence. Please see the office manager for her contact information.
4. Three or more consecutive days absent require a doctor's note upon your return.
Accidents
Anytime a student or adult is injured, the office/nurse should be notified immediately at ext.2230. Do not move the student or adult if the injury seems severe. Accident Report Forms are available in the Nurse's Office and should be completed as promptly as possible. It is better to err on the side of caution instead of getting a phone call from a parent/family. Send the student to the nurse if you have any doubt!
Arrival
Students should arrive by 7:55 am, with an 8:00 am morning bell. Students driven to school by car should be dropped off in the rear of the school. Students who ride the bus are to enter through the front door and proceed through the building to their classroom or the cafeteria if breakfast is being purchased. Any student entering the school after 8:00 AM is tardy and must report to the office for an admit slip.
Parents and students entering the building must check in at the office. When a parent/guardian comes to the office and asks to go to a classroom, it is office policy to speak personally to the staff member, who then has the option of meeting the parent in the office, inviting the parent to the classroom, or suggesting a conference at another time. Please enforce this school policy.
Please have your attendance completed on ASPEN by 8:30 am. It is the responsibility of each classroom teacher to complete the attendance by this time. We have transitioned families to an online ordering system, but this is a fairly new procedure. For this reason, classroom teachers are asked to please check-in with students about food service needs. Put your classroom envelope to the kitchen in bin outside your classroom door before 8:45 am. If you wish to purchase an adult hot lunch, notify the kitchen before 10 am.
Dismissal
Dismissal starts around 2:45 pm for the earlier bus students and walkers, Boy's and Girl's Club students, and students who will be picked up by personal vehicle.
At the appropriate announcement, students should go directly to the dismissal site.
Students who are “Parent Pick-Up” are dismissed to the rear parking lot, or to the cafeteria if weather is inclement. Please make sure all students are ready for dismissal by 2:45 pm. Students are not permitted to leave the classroom before their bus is called.
If a student is going home with a friend, to an after school activity, or any destination other than his/her normal routine, the student must have a note. The note can be written by the parent or by a staff member when after school plans have been confirmed by a telephone call to the parents. Be sure bus students take their notes to the bus drivers.
Please consider including sorting out after school plans with your students first thing in the morning - review notes and be sure each student knows what to do at dismissal. If a need arises, please send the student to the office to call and confirm with their parents. Calling home during dismissal in the office can be problematic; recess and lunch time work well.
Arrival and Departure for Faculty
It is best if certified teaching staff arrives at school by 7:30 am. Arrival time for other staff members is dependent on the terms of each working agreement.
Certified teaching staff are required to stay at school until 3:15 pm unless other arrangements are made between the Principal and Teacher. Departure times for other staff members are dependent on the terms of each working agreement.
Should a staff member need to leave the building during the school day, please sign out in the main office. This will ensure that we can account for all staff in the event of an emergency and/or as needed during school hours.
Assemblies
Assemblies are a regular part of the curriculum and as such are designed to be educational, community building experiences. They generally occur once a month and may focus on a community, patriotic, or holiday theme. Assemblies also provide an opportunity for students to learn formal audience behavior. Regardless of the type of program, courtesy demands that the student body be respectful and appropriately participatory. It is the individual teacher's responsibility to instruct students to be respectful audience members. Teachers are to escort their individual classes to the assembly site. All teachers and staff should be seated with students and engaged in the assembly.
Budget Policies
Click here for more information.
Calendar
The MSS Events calendar is maintained using a Google calendar for staff and for public. Items for the school-based calendar should be brought to the attention of the Principal and Office Manager. Please help keep the staff and public calendar current by emailing the Principal and the Office Manager any important dates and regularly checking grade level activities and events online.
Celebrations
Celebrations occur in classrooms and teachers recognize birthdays. For both health and safety reasons (due to allergies) we ask that birthday/celebration treats are not brought in from families without the approval of the School Nurse. Occasionally, a classroom or grade level may have a curriculum-based celebration and teachers may request special food from home. This should be communicated by classroom newsletters and must receive permission from the Principal and School Nurse prior to the request to parents/families.
Classroom Safety
Teachers are responsible for maintaining appropriate safety measures in their rooms at all times:
· There must be free egress between entrance and exit ways. A 4x4' corridor of unobstructed space is required and can not have any items in this zone when children are present.
· Paper on the walls should be kept to approximately 20% of wall space.
· Boxes should not be stacked closer than 18 inches to the ceiling.
· No extension cords can be used and only appropriate electrical strips may be utilized.
· No paper products can be placed on or above an egress door.
· All throw carpets and furniture must be fire safety approved.
Classroom Newsletter
Each classroom teacher is expected to communicate with parents regularly via a paper or digital newsletter or a blog. Newsletters do not have to be approved by the Principal, but please include her on every parent communication. Newsletters should be sent home on a minimum of a bi-monthly basis.
Committees
Click here for more information.
Communication
Mailboxes – these are located in the main office. Check your mailbox at least once in the morning and afternoon. Please do not send students to pick up your mail, as mailboxes often contain confidential information.
Telephones – Please check your voice mail everyday. Phone calls will not be transferred to your room unless it is an emergency.
Email – All staff are required to check their email every day (once prior to school starting, and once at the conclusion of the school day) and respond to parent emails within 24 hours. Important notices from the central office and the MSS office are sent frequently. Please do not use student confidential information in emails. Teachers are asked to create a PDF or word file and attach the document to an email for confidentiality.
MSS Messenger - this site will serve as a weekly newsletter to the MSS professional staff.
Confidentiality
Comments and discussions regarding student personalities, learning needs, and vital records should only be discussed with appropriate people in the education setting. Student behavior problems should not be part of public discussions or involve persons unrelated to the concern. Professional discretion and courtesy should be used in discussing all staff and district concerns. Please have private discussions with and about students in private locations.
Custodial Duties
We are fortunate to have hard working custodians who clean the building every night and prepare the school for the next day. If you have any concerns about the cleanliness, please contact the Principal. If you have a maintenance item you may see the Principal or fill out a work order on “School Dude”.
Duplicating Materials
MSS has two copy machines, both located in the office work room. A laminator is also available. If you have trouble with the copiers or laminator, please see the Office Manager.
Duties
All staff are assigned duties daily and by availability. These duties include morning duty, lunch, recess, and/or student dismissal. Please refer to the MSS Duty Schedule.
Emergency Drills
Fire Drills: Each room must have emergency exits posted for fire drills and maps of the school will be distributed to any class that needs them. These maps will show emergency exits and alternate routes. Be sure to discuss fire drills with your students on the first day of school. There will be a fire drill the first week of school and then once a month after that throughout the school year. If your class is at a special during a fire drill, you should meet them at the specialist's designated spot.
Teacher Responsibilities during a fire drill:
Close doors into the corridor.
If you have a class, take attendance when you reach your designated area.
Bring your green and red binders out with you during the drill. Teachers will be asked to show the green or red card to either the Principal or designee when they are ready to check off your class. Displaying the green side of your binder means that all of your students are accounted for; the red side means that someone is missing.
Manage student behavior - students and staff need to quiet and ready to receive information and communication. Please emphasize to students the proper decorum.
Once the evacuation has been completed a signal will be given to re-enter the building.
Lockdown: Once a year we hold a Lockdown drill, which is pre-announced. Students and staff in each room have already established a corner where every person can sit and not be seen from a door or window. All doors must be locked as well. The Principal moves around to each room, checks to be sure the doors are locked and looks to see if any persons are visible. The drill begins with this announcement over the intercom: "Lockdown, Lockdown, Lockdown." The drill ends with this announcement: "Clear Lockdown, Clear Lockdown, Clear Lockdown."
Shelter in Place/Stay Put: At times, privacy is required to address confidential or difficult situations. Shelter in place requires teachers to enter a state of "soft lockdown" in classrooms in which shades are drawn, windows covered, doors closed, and student transition is stopped until the Shelter in place is called off. An announcement will be made in person or on intercom to move to Stay Put or Shelter in Place. When in this mode, teachers are asked to keep students in the room and away from windows and doors if possible. Concept here is to maintain privacy - not security. Please do not allow students to move outside the room until cleared to do so. If Shelter in Place is called for, students are asked to move to a location under their desks. This is done to restrict the damage from any falling debris and to create “pocket space” in the event of a disaster. Students should remain under their desks or tables until cleared to return to normal activities.
Avoid, Deny, Defend: A drill that requires teachers and staff to assess a crises situation and respond accordingly. This involves imploring strategies to Avoid situations when possible, taking steps to secure and Deny access to your area, and utilizing measures to Defend and protect.
Reverse Evacuation: Reverse evacuation will be used in the event of an emergency situation that requires us to move children back inside quickly. This is generally a weather issue, such a lightning. When the call is heard for Reverse Evacuation, students should move quickly to the rear building (recess) entrance or 6th grade entrance, enter the building, and head IMMEDIATELY to their classroom. Teachers should then take attendance and prepare their red/green binder for visual inspection to report to principal or designee. In the event of a Reverse Evacuation, the school would likely then call for a Stay Put / Shelter in Place or a Lockdown. In that circumstance, the directions above are followed.
We are required to perform Emergency Drills on a monthly basis. We may replace two drills over the course of the year with other types (generally in winter months) listed above, but we also may do additional drills to familiarize the kids with them. Please discuss your class list with your special education case manager, nurse, and guidance counselor to determine if prior warning to a drill is required for any of your students. If necessary, this should be a part of the child’s modifications/accommodations page in their IEP or Section 504 Plan and not just an independently made decision of the teacher.
Field Trips
The teacher must file a field trip form in the main office at least two weeks before the trip and the following information must be completed:
Date
Time of Trip
Indicate number of buses needed
Indicate if absent from lunch
Admission or other expenses
# of students
# of chaperones
$ charge to students
Describe how the trip coordinates with the curriculum
Teachers must send permission slips home to parents and will verify all have been returned before the trip. If a student has not returned the permission slip, the teacher should call the parent to obtain verbal permission, no less than one day before the trip. Do not wait until the morning of the trip to call.
The list of chaperones must be submitted to the office one week before the trip. If an entire grade level is going on a field trip, communicate and be sure each teacher has all the logistical information as well as the correct departure and return time of the trip.
Please plan on a 1:3 ratio of chaperones and students. If there is an admission fee and extra chaperones go on the trip (above the given school ratio), the parents should pay their own admission fee.
The Nurse will prepare first aid kits to take on the field trip and will notify you of any student medications that need to be taken during the field trip. If student need requires a Nurse on the field trip, please arrange this with the School Nurse as soon as possible in the planning process.
Teachers or Instructional Assistants going on a field trip need to find coverage for duties that will be missed.
Field Trip permission forms are not required for student trips to sister schools in the HSD, but communication of the trip to parents in advance is necessary.
Field trip forms may be completed that include multiple dates and activities, but must have indication on them indicating parental approval for each activity. An initialing box is recommended for this purpose.
First Day(s) of School
On the First Day of School, take attendance and correct any student names that have been misspelled and send the corrections to the office.
Please send home with students the Student Contact Information and Emergency Information forms. As the forms come in, please place them directly in the Office Manager's mailbox. Information from the emergency card will be entered into Aspen for your access.
During the day review:
• Playground and lunchroom rules
• Classroom emergency fire exits
• Fire drill expectations
• "Lockdown" drill
• Avoid, Deny, Defend drill
Grading
Maple Street School students have report cards sent home on a trimester basis. Students receive report cards from their classroom teacher and from auxiliary teachers with whom they have been working. Report cards will be sent home on the following days:
First report card: November 19, 2021
Second report card: March 18, 2022
Third report card: Final day of school.
School Counseling Services
Our School Counselor has a caseload of students that she sees regularly and is available to speak with students on an emergency or as needed basis. Staff can contact her directly if they have concerns about a child. It is imperative that the School Counselor and Principal are contacted if a staff member suspects any level of abuse that may have happened to a child at home or at school or any level of bullying. In addition, if you receive notification that a child has some type of diagnosis from a doctor, please notify the School Counselor so she can follow-up with families and/or outside agencies. Also, notify the School Counselor if you are aware that the child has had significant family changes, a medication change or introduction, as well friendship difficulties or anxiety concerns.
Hallway Guidelines
Students should walk on the right hand side of the hallway to increase safety.
Students should be respectfully quiet of other students' learning when walking by classrooms.
Homework
Please refer to this link for more information.
Keys/Access Badge
All teachers and staff will be supplied with an identification badge to the controlled access system and keys to their classroom. Master keys will only be supplied to personnel in regular need of such keys. If your key has been damaged or lost, please consult the Office Manager.
Leave
For professional or personal leave, please refer to your Collective Bargaining Agreement or consult the Principal.
Library Services
We have an open policy for entrance to the library as students can utilize library services at anytime with teacher permission. Please send students to the library with a written pass.
Lost and Found
MSS maintains a lost and found of clothing that can be found outside the gymnasium. A couple of times a year, the leftover items are washed and donated to a charity.
Lunchroom Rules
All students have a 25-minute lunch period, which is supervised by two staff members. Lunches at MSS will be reasonably quiet. After everyone has been served, students may converse in reasonable voices.
During lunch at school, students are expected to use the same good manners they use at home.
Students should not share food.
Students need to raise their hand to leave their table for any reason.
Students will be dismissed to clear their lunch when everyone at the table has finished eating. If a student has not finished lunch within the lunch period, he/she may remain to finish eating.
Mass disciplinary consequences for the duration of a lunch period (silent lunches) are not permissible.
Meetings
Faculty Meetings occur on Tuesdays on the following schedule:
First Tuesday - All staff, including IAs
Second Tuesday - Grade Level/Department/Special Education Department.
Third Tuesday - PLCs
Fourth Tuesday - District Committees
Committee Meetings:
Click here for more information.
Parent/Family Communication
We maintain an open communication channel with MSS parents and families. They are free to call or email teachers, to a reasonable degree, to ask questions related to their child. Regular newsletters or emails, as well as personal emails to parents and families are encouraged. When calling parents, please leave a message before trying another number. Many times the office will receive a phone call from a parent that saw the school called (Caller ID), but there is no message. These phone calls are concerning to parents who worry that their child may be hurt/sick.
MSS faculty and staff should not give parents/families their personal cell phone numbers or regularly communicate about students through text messages. Communication between home and school is part of a student's academic record and needs to be accessible through district protocols. If there is an extenuating parent/family circumstance that requires consideration, please talk with the building Principal.
Personal Cell Phone Use
MSS faculty and staff are expected to minimize their personal cell phone use while performing their professional duties in the presence of students.
Playground Guidelines
All students will walk to and from the playground and play within the playground boundaries. Students are not to reenter the building, return to the classroom, or visit the office without permission from a teacher on duty.
Recess will be indoors when the temperature falls below 10 degrees, if there is a significant wind chill factor, or when it is raining. Boots and snow pants are required during snowy weather. All students are expected to participate in outdoor activities unless excused for medical reasons.
MSS RECESS GUIDELINES
Note: The office will make a daily decision on if outside recess will occur. Temperature, rain, and the condition of the playground are the main factors.
General Guidelines (for children)
Be aware of who is around you.
Recess is to be a purposeful break during the school day. Student should only do what they are comfortable with.
Follow the 4B’s: Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be a Community.
Competitive games, such as soccer, football, and basketball, will be monitored for safety and community impact. A break from an activity may be necessary if it becomes too difficult to maintain and supervise.
Guidelines for those on duty:
One person should stand in the middle of the playground area to monitor it.
Others on duty should be near the building and one near the lower field to monitor other areas of the playground.
Focus on student supervision during this time. Conversations with other staff should be kept at a minimum.
Professional Development
Information about Professional Development opportunities can be found at this link and on the District Website.
Professional Learning Communities
Maple Street School is committed to working as Professional Learning Communities. PLCs are the vehicle which allows faculty and staff to work collaboratively with data analysis, RTI strategies, and curriculum and instruction in order to ensure student learning.
As such, it is imperative that all staff members embrace this concept with dedication and professionalism. It is essential that teachers respect and adhere to the group's established PLC norms and demonstrate that respect through their communication and behavior. It takes each member of the PLC actively working together to create a high-functioning, student-centered PLC.
A PLC agenda will drive collaboration around four guiding questions:
1) What do we expect our students to learn?
2) How will be know when our students have learned it?
3) How will we respond when some students don't learn?
4) How will we respond if they already know it?
If you are new to the PLC concept, it will be important to familiarize yourself with the structure and culture. Please see the Principal for professional materials that may help you with this.
Responsive Classroom
Teachers are expected to utilize the Responsive Classroom approach to classroom management and building classroom community. The Master Schedule preserves time each day for Morning Meeting, Quiet Time, and Closing Circle. All staff is expected to participate and support these efforts.
RTI Data Team Meetings
Approximately every eight weeks, each grade level (4-6) will meet to discuss those students that have academic or social concerns. Interventions for these students will be planned and organized that support their individual needs. These interventions will follow the RTI model of 6-8 weeks of duration, have a focused purpose using a research-based intervention, and will be assessed to determine student progress in learning the appropriate skills or information.
Staff Room
Staff is encouraged to utilize the staff room for breaks during the day and of course, for lunch. There is a microwave available, as well as a stove and refrigerator.
Student Discipline
The 4 B’s
Maple Street School has adopted “The 4 B’s” as our school behavioral/cultural student expectations. They are:
Be Safe
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
Be a Community
Please emphasize The 4 B’s as you focus on classroom rules and expectations.
Basic Rules
Respect yourself and others.
Conduct yourself in a safe manner.
Students are responsible and accountable for regulating their words, bodies, and behavior.
Respect personal and school property.
Listen carefully and follow directions.
Walk in the halls, stay to one side, and use quiet voices when traveling throughout the building.
Walk down the stairs in single file and use the railing.
When does a student need to see the Principal?
This question is nearly impossible to answer definitively. However, here are some guidelines:
Any behavior that is violent or of great physical harm to students should be referred to the Principal immediately.
Any behavior that could be classified as significant harassment or bullying should be referred to the Principal immediately.
If you have given the student consequences more than twice for a particular misbehavior, you may decide to refer that student to the Principal.
If you see behavior of a sexual or profane nature, that needs to be referred to the Principal immediately.
If you are seeing a discouraging pattern of behavior, you may want to involve the Principal along with the School Counselor and/or Behavioral Specialist and others in a problem solving session to help deal with the child’s behavior.
Teachers also have the option to refer their student to the Behavior Core team (BCT) if they feel they need further assistance to deal with a student who is having difficulty.
Discipline procedures when a student needs to see the Principal:
Discipline referrals in ASPEN need to be filled out and submitted as soon as possible after the behavior was observed. The Student Support Center Staff, School Counselor, and/or Principal will investigate the situation.
In most cases, the Principal will contact the parent/guardian by telephone and/or email.
The student and Principal will develop a plan of action with the goal to improve upon the student’s behavior. This will often involve a consequence of some sort, as well as a repair with any student or staff member adversely affected by the student's behavior.
There may be email correspondence or a note sent/mailed home to the parent/guardian that documents the procedure in addition to the telephone call.
Sunshine Fund
All staff are encouraged to donate $20 to the Sunshine Fund each year. Money collected is used to send flowers, cards, and other gestures of friendship will throughout the year. A staff member coordinates the Sunshine Fund, as well as monthly celebration snacks.
Supplies
Student supplies are kept in the storage closet and copy room. Ask the office staff for supplies that are needed. If there is something that needs to be ordered, please see the Office Manager with the necessary ordering information.
TEP
All TEP information can be found by clicking here.
Technology
Teachers are strongly encouraged to use technology as a method of seeking out and developing activities and lessons helpful in increasing student engagement over using it as a replacement tool for the use of pencil and paper. MSS has a Technology Integration teacher available to assist teachers with this endeavor and are encouraged to meet with the staff member frequently to discuss how best to use technology in a supportive manner.
Time sheets
Those staff that need to fill out time sheets must fill them out and process them within the deadline. If you have questions, please see the Office Manager. If a support staff member needs to work additional time beyond their contract, please coordinate this in advance with the Principal.
Volunteers and Visitors
All volunteers and visitors must sign in at the office and wear a visitor badge. If you see a visitor without a badge, please direct them back to the office.