Wallace-Gregg Elementary

Staff Handbook

GOOGLE CLASSROOM CODE:

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bidxwwz

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STAFF GOogle Classroom

Our Core Values

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WE ARE AT WAR WITH "MINIMALLY ADEQUATE"

We are a place where kids wants to learn, teachers want to teach, parents want to send their kids.

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Report Times

The teacher workday is from 7:30-3:00 All staff members are expected to be at school and to be in their assigned rooms by 7:30 AM. This includes assistants and support staff. Assistants must report to the school at 7:00 AM and may leave at 2:30 PM.

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The first bell for students will ring at 7:40 AM. Students are tardy after 7:45 AM. Homeroom begins at 7:45 AM.

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Staff may leave one half hour early on Fridays and on the last day before holidays IF ALL RESPONSIBILITIES ARE COMPLETED.

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Permission to leave prior to the normal time must be obtained in advance from the principal. Such occurrences should be infrequent as employees should make appointments after working hours when possible.

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Per DR. O'Malley

Please make sure all school schedules reflect the following information. There are NO changes to the following information.

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Morning Duty- 7:00am (Instructional Assistants will cover morning duty)

Teacher Report Time- 7:30am

Unencumbered Time- Lunch Time

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Students enter the building- 7:00am

Instructional start time- 7:45am

Parent latest sign out- 1:45pm

Dismissal bus and car- 2:15pm

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ABSENCES & ATTENDANCE EXPECTATIONS AT MEETINGS

ABSENCES

Notification of an impending absence must be made to the principal as soon as the need for the absence is known, but no later than 6:30 AM on the morning of the absence. When calling the principal, staff members are asked not to depend on a message left on voicemail. (If efforts to reach Ms. Woods fail, contact Mr. Jackson, or Ms. Nettles.)

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ON EACH DAY OF ABSENCE, THE EMPLOYEE IS TO ENTER THE ABSENCE IN AESOP AND TO NOTIFY THE PRINCIPAL BY 2:00 PM AS TO WHETHER HE/SHE WILL BE RETURNING ON THE FOLLOWING DAY.

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If for any reason a teacher’s assistant will not be in class or on time for class, he or she is to notify Ms.Woods as well. You may notify the teacher, however, this does not take the place of notifying Ms. Woods (If efforts to reach Woods fail, contact Mr. Jackson)

ABSENCES

Any employee leaving school for any reason during school hours should have approval from an administrator.

If you are absent on a day that you have duty (car line, recess, etc.), it is your responsibility to secure a replacement in your absence. If the absence is unexpected, let Ms. Woods know of your duties when you call her.

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It is the responsibility of each staff member to notify the principal by 6:30am. If you know of absences in advance let Ms. Woods know for planning purposes. Please note there will be occasions when your class may be split among the other teachers on your grade level.

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Woods District Cell-843-713-3070 (Please only share this number with other staff members)

Email: mwoods@fsd1.org

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Substitute Plans

OBLIGATION TO SUBSTITUTES

In the event a substitute is needed, the teacher will be expected to have the following items READILY available:

• Emergency Lesson Plans in the event that the absence was not planned. Each teacher should have 3 days of emergency lesson plans readily available. Emergency lesson plans will be stored in the front office with Ms. Nettles.
• All needed instructional materials
• Daily schedule (special duties, etc. noted)
• Additional plans/activities for early finishers.
• Teacher’s editions
• Specific instructions for behavior management
• Emergency Procedures
• Grade Level contact in the event there are questions
• Plans for duty coverage

Emergency plans should be completed by designated date provided by principal. These need to be located in the front office. If a day of plans is used, teacher should replenish.

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• Any text messages, emails, or calls sent to the leadership team or front office team will not be answered after 4:00 PM unless there is an emergency. We will respond to these messages the following day.
• Child endangerment, mandatory reporting, building security, and being out unexpectedly are EXCEPTIONS to the rule. Always call.

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• This expectation/boundary applies to teachers and everyone else in the building.
• Please refrain from giving your personal phone number to parents. Please utilize the Zoom phone number. If they have your cell, they need to transition to your Zoom
• Do not use classroom time for parent communication.
• The Updates from the Den Newsletter (Staff Edition) will be sent on Sunday afternoons.

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Communication

Lesson Plan Expectations

• Final plans due in the Google shared drive on Monday at 7:45AM.
• Lesson Plan “Bones” are needed by guided planning time each Thursday.
• Lesson Plan “Bones”= Learning intentions/success criteria for each subject.
• Please do not send lesson plans via email.
• Grade-level teams are expected to facilitate common planning at least one time per week. Guided planning can serve as common planning.
• This planning will be led by coaches and the grade level team.
• Guided planning will be supported and assessed by Ms. Woods

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Professional Development Expectations

At Wallace Gregg Elementary, our professional development structure is designed to support continuous growth, collaboration, and excellence in instruction. Teachers engage in three key formats: Guided Planning, where they receive support from instructional leaders to plan effective lessons; PLCs (Professional Learning Communities), which are teacher-led sessions focused on analyzing data and refining practices; and Tuesday After-School Professional Development, which provides whole-staff or targeted training aligned to school-wide goals and instructional priorities. Together, these structures foster a reflective and united learning community committed to student success. Teachers and staff are expected to participate in these professional development sessions as assigned in order to support professional growth.

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MTSS and SPED Expectations

• All MTSS paperwork and IEP paperwork is due promptly to coaches when deadlines have been shared and communicated
• Failure to complete MTSS or IEP paperwork on time (goal setting tracking, vision and hearing screenings, etc.) will result in a reprimand for delaying the academic services of students

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Throughout the school year, our building will host Title I parent events and other events for families. Each staff member will be required to attend a minimum number of events as determined by the principal. Staff members will sign up for the events that they will attend based on the projected calendar. Staff members are expected to be in attendance and sign-in at the events they have agreed to attend. If for any reason, the staff member will not be able to make an event that they have agreed to, they should contact the principal.

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Grade Level Parent Night & Title I

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• Each grade level is expected to plan two field trips per school year (1Fall/1Spring).
• Field trip planning forms must be completed and submitted for approval at least 30 days prior to the trip.
• A student’s field trip privilege must not be revoked at any time unless by the principal. In order to require a student with behavior/safety concerns attend the field trip with a parent, a meeting should be scheduled with the parent, teacher, and principal to communicate concerns. Meeting should be documented.

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Field Trip Expectations

Morning & Afternoon Procedures

Arrival Procedure

• All breakfast will be eaten in the classroom. All students at WGES should receive a breakfast. They may opt to eat all, part, or none of the breakfast at their discretion.
• Designated 5th grade students will be selected to support with breakfast distribution. Teachers in grades 2-5 should select one student from their class to get breakfast in the morning. This should be an assigned classroom job. Classroom assistants should get breakfast for students in grades K-1 after their duty post.
• Students arriving after 7:45 may still eat breakfast as it will be in the classroom, however, instruction will continue on.
• Students should sit outside their classroom door against the wall. Book bins will be supplied for students to read in the morning. Grade levels could also opt to transform this time into Reflex, IXL, or Lexia time.
• Teachers must retrieve students from the hallway at 7:30AM.
• Instructional assistants will be on duty in the hallways to monitor students.

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Morning DUTY

• The Special Duty teacher will serve on lunch duty for the day of their assigned duty
• They will be assisted by classroom assistants
• All students of all ages are responsible for helping wipe and clean tables
• No students should be dismissed from the cafeteria if any mess remains on their tables
• Teachers must promptly arrive at the cafeteria at their exact assigned time (not earlier or later) and must pick-up their students at their exact assigned time. This helps the flow of students.
• Lunch tables will be assigned for classes with table markers. Teachers, please guide students to the correct table the first week of school, prior to leaving the cafeteria.

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Lunch DUTY

• All grade-level teachers on duty need to be hypervigilant on the playground and constantly observing student behavior
• One grade-level representative needs to come to the front office and retrieve the walkie and another needs to return it at the conclusion of the last grade-level recess
• All recess times are divided among three playgrounds. STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO PLAY OUTSIDE THE PERIMETER FENCE NOR PLAY ON ANOTHER PLAYGROUND
• Kindergarten Playground - 5K
• Intermediate Playground - (New Playground) 1st and 2nd
• Upperclassmen Playground - 3rd-5th Tall green equipment

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Playground Duty

Car Dismissal

• Kindergarten car-rider students will be escorted to the cafeteria by one designated kindergarten teacher.
• 1st-5th grade car-riders will dismiss to the cafeteria when called.
• All students must have a book to read.

Bus Dismissal

• K-5th bus-riders will remain in their classrooms until their bus is called.
• Sims and Haynesworth will escort students to their buses while the designated classroom teachers monitor in classrooms (until all buses are called and loaded or 2:30 PM)
• Students need to be silently reading in their classrooms during dismissal.
• Non-Compliance with this policy should result in a referral

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Afternoon DUTY

Response Procedures

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If you need an administrator, please dial the following numbers. If it is an administrative emergency, please hit the button in your room.

• 6964- Reed
• 6959 - Nettles
• 6968 - Nurse Wearne
• 6969 - Librarian, Ms. Sims

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Need the Office?

Health Room Procedures

• The health room is to be used to house sick or injured students for short periods of time. All sick/injured students must report to the nurse.
• Students should not be sent to the health room without a health referral form or written note from a staff member.
• The nurse will send a written reason or contact teachers via classroom phones if a student is returned to class.
• Any student without a referral form or note will be sent back to class to obtain one.
• Once a student is sent to the health room or it is determined that they need to go to the health room, the nurses will be the contact for parents.
• In the event of an emergency or serious injury, have another adult monitor your students and accompany the child to the health room.

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Health Room

• The administration of medicine to elementary students should be done only by the school nurse, the principal, or any other designated person(s).
• Teachers may not dispense any type of medication. This includes Aspirin and Tylenol.
• Prescription medicine sent to school by parents should be sent to the nurse’s office.
• All students must have an over the counter consent form on file.

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TEACHERS MAY NOT HAVE ANY PERSONAL MEDICATION UNSECURE IN THEIR CLASSROOMS!

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Health Room

• All injuries and/or accidents must have a written incident report turned into the office the day of the incident.
• All witnesses must submit a report.
• In the event a student uses the bathroom and needs a change of clothes, this should be taken care of by an adult in the classroom when there are two or more adults present.

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It is a core responsibility of the teacher to know the medical needs of their students!

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Health Room

• To print for your classes, you'll need to send an email to Ms. Sims and Ms. Bacote with the attachments. This allows you to note how many copies, the purpose of your copies (how you'll use them instructionally), and if you need them laminated.
• Copies need to be submitted via email 48 hours in advance.
• If copies are not instructionally merited, please understand that they will not be printed.
• Completed copies will be printed and kept by our media assistant.

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Printing

Professionalism

• Unless it is being used for instructional purposes (playing a Kahoot for students, Dojo, House Points) cell phones are not permitted during instruction.
• Cell phones should not be utilized during staff meetings or grade-level meetings unless necessary.

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Cell PHones

District Social Media Policy

• Everyone at W.G., no matter what the position, is a professional.
• As such, it is important that we dress accordingly at all times. School attire is different from “social” attire.
• The expected dress code at W.G. is “professional”.

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• Friday will be our weekly “Spirit Day.”
• Staff members should wear school shirts each Friday and encourage their students to do so as well. Staff members may wear jeans on Fridays with school shirts.

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• Staff may not wear sleeveless or see-through attire
• Leggings are not permitted unless covered by a dress
• Please be mindful of shirts that contain words. Wording should be appropriate for school and should not be political.

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Dress Code

• Student records and information must be kept confidential.
• Information received in confidence from a fellow teacher, staff member, administrator, and/or student must be treated in the same confidential manner.
• It is the teacher’s responsibility to keep these records up to date and to make sure all information is recorded.
• Records for students transferring in will be placed in the teacher’s box.
• An email from the front office will be sent.
• The email will indicate new student to the district or returning student to the district.
• New folders will only be initiated by the attendance clerk for a student new to the district.
• All records will be placed in the teacher’s box for review and filing.
• NEVER SPEAK IN PUBLIC ABOUT STUDENTS OR IN PRIVATE TO THOSE WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE KNOWLEDGE!

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Confidentiality

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Wallace Gregg Elementary School values our staff members and understands that, on occasion, special circumstances may arise regarding the presence of employees’ children on campus. However, to maintain a professional learning environment and ensure the safety of all students, the following guidelines apply:

• Children of employees are not permitted to attend school with their parent during regular work hours unless they are a WGES student. This includes staff meetings, professional development, and during classroom instruction.��
• Children of employees are not permitted to attend after-school professional development sessions, trainings, or staff meetings. These sessions are considered professional obligations, and children may not be present in these spaces to ensure a focused and productive environment. However, children of WGES staff are permitted to attend after school family programs such as curriculum nights, carnivals and fun events as long as they are supervised by their parent at all times and do not cause a distraction to the staff member being able to serve in their role during the event. �
• For children of employees who remain on campus after school hours, they must be in the direct care of their parent or guardian at all times. Children should remain in the employee’s assigned workspace (such as their classroom) or designated areas and should not roam hallways, common spaces, or other classrooms unsupervised. Employees are responsible for ensuring their child’s behavior does not disrupt school operations, meetings, or custodial work taking place after school. �

These expectations help ensure a safe, productive, and professional environment for all staff and students. If you have questions or require accommodations due to extenuating circumstances, please contact the principal directly.

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Children of WGES Staff

• Never curse or swear around students
• Never disparage a teammate, student, or community member in front of or near students

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Vulgarity & Displeasing Talk

• Invitations to out of school parties may not be distributed at school unless everyone in the class is invited.
• In order to conform to the laws of the US and of SC and to show respect for the beliefs of each individual, no person at W.G. will be required to nor denied the opportunity to participate in any religious observance or activity of any kind.
• Discrimination may take many forms. The most common forms are based on race, ethnicity or gender. There are, however, subtle forms of discrimination that are often noticed only by the person being discriminated against. Everyone at W.G. is expected to understand and to act in a manner that is non-discriminatory and is consistent with the spirit of tolerance, acceptance and character.

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Fostering INclusivity

Finance

• School sponsors/teachers MUST handle all monies and purchases connected with the particular clubs or classes they are sponsoring.
• Adherence to the following guidelines is required.
• ALL PURCHASES by school clubs, organizations, and classes must be made using the District’s purchase ordering system.
• No organization or class may set up an account with the bank for any reason.
• All payments must be made by check by the school bookkeeper.
• Sponsors/teachers may not use money collected to make direct purchases.
• All money collected must be turned in to the school office on the day collected so that it can be receipted and deposited on the day collected.

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Purchases & Money Collection

Facilities

Facility Modifications

To ensure the safety, consistency, and long-term maintenance of our school facilities, staff members may not make permanent modifications to classrooms or other areas of the building without prior approval from the principal.

Permanent modifications include, but are not limited to:

• Painting walls, cabinets, doors, or other surfaces
• Permanently mounting items to walls, ceilings, floors, or furniture
• Altering or replacing flooring
• Installing shelving, fixtures, or hardware
• Any other structural or permanent changes to school property

Staff members are encouraged to personalize their classrooms in ways that are temporary and do not damage school property. If you are considering a change that may be permanent or could affect the facility, please obtain approval from the principal before beginning the project.

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Facilities

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Facility Maintenance and Building Concerns

To help maintain a safe, functional, and comfortable learning environment, all facility concerns should be reported promptly to Ms. Nettles and Ms. Woods as soon as they are identified.

For documentation and timely follow-up, all maintenance requests and facility concerns should also be submitted via email. Written documentation helps ensure that issues are tracked, communicated appropriately, and addressed as quickly as possible.

Examples of facility concerns include, but are not limited to:

• Heating or air conditioning issues
• Plumbing concerns or leaks
• Electrical issues
• Damaged furniture or fixtures
• Safety hazards
• Building maintenance needs

Heating and cooling concerns should be reported immediately, as these situations may require relocating students and staff to an alternative learning space to ensure a safe and appropriate learning environment.

Prompt reporting allows the administrative team to coordinate repairs efficiently, minimize disruptions to instruction, and maintain a safe environment for all students and staff.

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Facilities

Parent Communication

Parent Communication Expectations

At Wallace Gregg Elementary, we believe that strong partnerships with families are essential to student success. Consistent, positive communication builds trust, strengthens home-school connections, and creates a supportive environment where students can thrive.

Building Positive Relationships

• Within the first 10 school days, every teacher should make at least one positive contact with the parent or guardian of each student. This communication may be through a phone call, email, ClassDojo message, letter, or postcard.
• Positive communication should continue throughout the school year and should celebrate student successes, growth, effort, and positive contributions.

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Parent Communication Expectations

Grade-Level Communication

• Each grade level will distribute at least one newsletter per month to families. Newsletters should include:
• Current learning objectives and classroom highlights
• Upcoming grade-level events and important dates
• Reminders and other relevant information for families
• Teachers are also expected to keep their ClassDojo announcements updated as needed to ensure families receive timely classroom information. The House Points app will be used for House Points only and not communication during the 2026-2027 school year.
• Each grade level will receive agenda books. Agenda books must be used by all students to maintain our learner disposition of organization. Students should write homework in their agendas and teachers may opt to use agendas for some parent communication including how the student did throughout the day. Major behaviors should not be documented in the agenda, but in Educator’s Handbook.

Behavior Communication

• Parent communication is expected before an office referral results in administrative contact with the family, except in situations involving major safety concerns or incidents requiring immediate administrative intervention. The parent should receive communication from the teacher prior to the administrator reaching out.
• Teachers should communicate directly with the parent or guardian regarding the behavior that led to the referral, providing a clear explanation of the incident and the classroom supports that have been attempted. This ensures families are informed before receiving follow-up communication from administration or the behavior coach regarding consequences or next steps.
• Timely communication demonstrates a collaborative approach to supporting student growth and helps maintain positive relationships between home and school.

Supporting School Wide Communication

Teachers play an important role in promoting family engagement. Please reinforce schoolwide communication by sharing information about upcoming events, programs, and initiatives through your classroom communication platforms. Encouraging family participation strengthens our school community and supports student success.

Our Goal: Every interaction with families should reflect our commitment to professionalism, partnership, and the belief that when schools and families work together, students achieve more.

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Parent Communication Expectations

Safety & Emergency Procedures

Visitors to the building

• No staff member may invite or host ANY visitors without prior approval by the principal and without a fully cleared SLED background check
• Parents will be limited to the outside of our front door, per Dr. O’Malley, and their access will be limited this year to only absolutely necessary entry.
• DO NOT invite outside students, organizations, “event helpers”, or offer volunteering opportunities to parents without approval from the principal.
• THIS APPLIES TO ALL STAFF, WITHOUT EXCEPTION

Reporting Abuse

Injury and Medical Emergency

Missing or AbDucted Student

Suicide Threat

SUICIDE ATTEMPT

Severe Weather

FIRE DRILL

STRANGER DANGER

• Playground time should be monitored carefully. Be mindful of conversations that keep you from being able to monitor students appropriately.
• Always ignore the door.

Be vigilant, especially watch the track in the distance.

Weapon on Campus

Modified Lockdown

NEVER LEAVE THE BUILDING OR OPEN A DOOR!

Full Lockdown

NEVER OPEN THE DOOR!

NEVER ANSWER A PHONE!

NEVER LEAVE A WINDOW OPEN!

Full Lockdown

Full Lockdown

Full Lockdown

Full Lockdown

ALL DOORS AT WALLACE-GREGG REMAIN LOCKED AND CLOSED.

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IF YOU LEAVE YOUR DOOR OPEN, YOU WILL RECEIVE A FORMAL REPRIMAND IN YOUR DISCIPLINARY FILE. NO DISCUSSION.

Full Lockdown

We evacuate to the Student Life Center at FMU. Across the street and over the grass medians to their campus.

Full Lockdown

We evacuate to the Student Life Center at FMU. Across the street and over the grass medians to their campus.

EARTHQUAKE

FIGHT

Room CLEARs

The goal is for instructional time to be interrupted as little as possible. If a student is non-responsive to your directions and is becoming volatile, immediately call for administration.

• Catch behaviors early
• Call for the student to be removed
• As we deal with the student, continue learning and teaching to distract other students
• If the student is volatile and you are waiting for administration, it may be necessary to clear the room. Line students in a safe area and always keep a field of sight on the upset student. Help will arrive very quickly this school year.

BOMB THREAT

BOMB THREAT

REMEMBER

The job of this leadership team is to always keep you safe. This is why we take all of these rules incredibly seriously and practice monthly.

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Until you are in a situation, you don't know how you will react. This is why practice is critical.

Support Documents

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Roles and Responsibilities Document

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vtPUXev5cJXBhI2U6zHGq3xR6oVToOWO1Aj05eM3wC8/edit?usp=sharing

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Carlane Procedures

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tWKi_CCdtLmpAAL6SKMYucL690T7ql7nm3KTZjCfFS4/edit?usp=sharing

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