Leaundra​ ​Clay

NCLA
Handbook​ ​Assignment
September​ ​16th,​ ​2017
Setting​ ​clear​ ​expectations​ ​is​ ​imperative​ ​for​ ​not​ ​only​ ​students​ ​in​ ​a​ ​school,​ ​but​ ​adults​ ​as​ ​well.

Duplin​ ​County​ ​Schools​ ​provides​ ​a​ ​student​ ​handbook​ ​for​ ​every​ ​K-12​ ​student,​ ​and​ ​gives​ ​principals​ ​the

autonomy​ ​to​ ​disseminate​ ​the​ ​school​ ​level​ ​expectations​ ​to​ ​teachers​ ​and​ ​staff​ ​at​ ​each​ ​individual​ ​school.​ ​This

years​ ​the​ ​handbook​ ​went​ ​under​ ​major​ ​revisions​ ​to​ ​accommodate​ ​the​ ​need​ ​addition​ ​of​ ​ ​middle​ ​school

teachers.​ ​Although​ ​there​ ​are​ ​only​ ​6​ ​additional​ ​middle​ ​school​ ​teachers,​ ​their​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​the

functionality​ ​of​ ​Kenansville​ ​Elementary​ ​is​ ​pivotal​ ​for​ ​student​ ​success.

The​ ​first​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​KES​ ​handbook​ ​(General​ ​information​ ​section)​ ​goes​ ​over​ ​explicit​ ​expectations

for​ ​teachers​ ​and​ ​includes​ ​an​ ​additional​ ​segment​ ​for​ ​support​ ​staff​ ​as​ ​well.​ ​Next,​ ​the​ ​handbook​ ​displays​ ​the

KES​ ​mission,​ ​vision​ ​and​ ​3​ ​smart​ ​goals/focuses​ ​for​ ​the​ ​school​ ​for​ ​the​ ​2017-2018​ ​school​ ​year.​ ​In​ ​this​ ​same

section,​ ​there​ ​is​ ​a​ ​teacher/staff​ ​directory​ ​with​ ​job​ ​titles,​ ​room​ ​locations,​ ​and​ ​phone​ ​extensions.​ ​With​ ​the

renovations​ ​to​ ​our​ ​school,​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​teachers​ ​have​ ​been​ ​moved​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​building.​ ​Therefore,​ ​this​ ​list

provides​ ​staff​ ​with​ ​crucial​ ​information.

Communication​ ​is​ ​the​ ​next​ ​section​ ​in​ ​the​ ​handbook.​ ​Faculty​ ​meeting​ ​expectations​ ​and​ ​dates​ ​are

listed​ ​for​ ​the​ ​entire​ ​school​ ​year.​ ​Mrs.​ ​Hunter​ ​(Kenansville​ ​Elementary​ ​Principal)​ ​also​ ​explains​ ​her​ ​weekly

Tiger​ ​Communication​ ​email​ ​she​ ​sends​ ​every​ ​Sunday​ ​afternoon​ ​which​ ​includes:​ ​prayer​ ​request,

announcements,​ ​important​ ​school​ ​information,​ ​weekly​ ​weather,​ ​after​ ​school​ ​events,​ ​and​ ​general

reminders.​ ​In​ ​this​ ​portion,​ ​she​ ​also​ ​explains​ ​the​ ​process​ ​for​ ​teachers​ ​to​ ​get​ ​their​ ​information​ ​in​ ​the​ ​weekly

Tiger​ ​Communication.​ ​This​ ​section​ ​also​ ​provides​ ​a​ ​phone​ ​tree​ ​for​ ​school​ ​closing​ ​and​ ​other​ ​emergency

notifications.

Cell​ ​phone​ ​usage​ ​also​ ​appears​ ​under​ ​the​ ​communication​ ​section.​ ​I​ ​believe​ ​this​ ​is​ ​probably​ ​one​ ​of

the​ ​most​ ​useful​ ​pieces​ ​of​ ​information​ ​so​ ​teachers​ ​are​ ​aware​ ​of​ ​what​ ​they​ ​cannot/can​ ​do​ ​with​ ​their​ ​personal

devices​ ​during​ ​the​ ​school​ ​day.​ ​The​ ​handbook​ ​states:​ ​“​ ​Please​ ​be​ ​reminded​ ​that​ ​cellphones​ ​are​ ​not​ ​to​ ​be

used​ ​during​ ​class​ ​time.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​situation​ ​that​ ​demands​ ​your​ ​immediate​ ​access​ ​to​ ​a​ ​cell​ ​phone
 Leaundra​ ​Clay
NCLA
Handbook​ ​Assignment
September​ ​16th,​ ​2017
throughout​ ​the​ ​school​ ​day,please​ ​let​ ​the​ ​principal​ ​know.”​ ​Also,​ ​unless​ ​it​ ​is​ ​an​ ​extreme​ ​emergency,

teachers​ ​will​ ​not​ ​be​ ​pulled​ ​out​ ​of​ ​class​ ​to​ ​take​ ​phone​ ​calls.​ ​A​ ​detailed​ ​message​ ​will​ ​be​ ​placed​ ​in​ ​their

mailbox​ ​and​ ​the​ ​receptionist​ ​will​ ​send​ ​an​ ​email​ ​to​ ​notify​ ​the​ ​teacher​ ​of​ ​their​ ​missed​ ​call.

Next,​ ​the​ ​handbook​ ​addresses​ ​dress​ ​code.​ ​Duplin​ ​County​ ​Schools​ ​has​ ​banned​ ​all​ ​denin​ ​for

teachers​ ​and​ ​staff​ ​on​ ​instructional​ ​and​ ​non​ ​instructional​ ​workdays.​ ​The​ ​handbook​ ​then​ ​directly​ ​quotes

DCS​ ​policy​ ​for​ ​dress​ ​code.​ ​Additionally,​ ​KES​ ​has​ ​banned​ ​the​ ​wear​ ​of​ ​tunics​ ​and​ ​leggings​ ​for​ ​all​ ​teachers

and​ ​staff.​ ​Our​ ​school​ ​motto​ ​for​ ​attire​ ​is​ ​“Comfortable,​ ​yet​ ​professional.”

Morning​ ​and​ ​afternoon​ ​duties​ ​are​ ​explained​ ​in​ ​detail​ ​for​ ​first​ ​and​ ​second​ ​semester.​ ​Committees

are​ ​also​ ​listed​ ​with​ ​elected​ ​chairperson​ ​highlighted​ ​so​ ​there​ ​are​ ​no​ ​discrepancies​ ​of​ ​who​ ​is​ ​the​ ​leader​ ​of

each​ ​committee.

The​ ​next​ ​section​ ​of​ ​the​ ​handbook​ ​if​ ​for​ ​instruction.​ ​I​ ​believe​ ​this​ ​section​ ​is​ ​extremely​ ​clear​ ​and

very​ ​well​ ​detailed.​ ​This​ ​portion​ ​covers​ ​lesson​ ​plan​ ​expectations,​ ​STEM​ ​and​ ​Project​ ​Based​ ​Learning

requirements,​ ​dates​ ​of​ ​K-8​ ​county​ ​and​ ​statewide​ ​assessments,​ ​test​ ​specifications​ ​for​ ​each​ ​EOG​ ​test,​ ​and

Common​ ​Instructional​ ​Framework.​ ​The​ ​role​ ​of​ ​the​ ​curriculum​ ​specialist​ ​is​ ​explained​ ​so​ ​teachers​ ​are

aware​ ​of​ ​the​ ​CS​ ​involvement/interaction​ ​in​ ​their​ ​classroom​ ​over​ ​the​ ​course​ ​of​ ​the​ ​year.​ ​Walk-through​ ​or

observations​ ​are​ ​not​ ​explained​ ​in​ ​the​ ​handbook​ ​since​ ​separate​ ​PD​ ​is​ ​provided​ ​for​ ​just​ ​instructional​ ​staff.

Lastly,​ ​the​ ​handbook​ ​goes​ ​over​ ​the​ ​KES​ ​discipline​ ​philosophy.​ ​KES​ ​discipline​ ​and​ ​the

attendance/tardy​ ​policy,​ ​along​ ​with​ ​the​ ​county’s​ ​discipline​ ​policy,​ ​is​ ​spelled​ ​out​ ​for​ ​staff​ ​members​ ​in​ ​this

section.​ ​The​ ​student​ ​expectations​ ​are​ ​listed​ ​along​ ​with​ ​an​ ​consequence​ ​hierarchy​ ​for​ ​each​ ​action.​ ​Students

are​ ​to​ ​refer​ ​to​ ​the​ ​student​ ​county​ ​handbook​ ​for​ ​their​ ​expectations.

I​ ​believe​ ​this​ ​is​ ​an​ ​extensive,​ ​well​ ​throughout​ ​handbook​ ​and​ ​would​ ​not​ ​add​ ​anything​ ​because​ ​it​ ​is

user​ ​friendly​ ​and​ ​well​ ​organized.​ ​The​ ​first​ ​sentence​ ​in​ ​KES​ ​mission​ ​states:​ ​“​ ​Our​ ​mission​ ​at​ ​Kenansville

Elementary​ ​School​ ​is​ ​to​ ​clearly​ ​communicate​ ​to​ ​students​ ​their​ ​self​ ​worth​ ​and​ ​abilities​ ​so​ ​that​ ​they​ ​are
 Leaundra​ ​Clay
NCLA
Handbook​ ​Assignment
September​ ​16th,​ ​2017
inspired​ ​to​ ​see​ ​their​ ​unique​ ​potential.”​ ​I​ ​believe​ ​by​ ​providing​ ​staff​ ​with​ ​clear​ ​expectations,​ ​teachers​ ​have​ ​a

clear​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​what​ ​they​ ​need​ ​to​ ​do​ ​(and​ ​cannot​ ​do),​ ​ultimately,​ ​setting​ ​students​ ​up​ ​for​ ​success.​ ​I

do​ ​believe​ ​the​ ​KES​ ​mission​ ​and​ ​vision​ ​in​ ​embodied​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​handbook.