DEFINITION. Updated address and student information forms must be filled out by parents at the beginning of each school year at Open House.

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2 DEFINITION Handbooks provide procedures for handling routine matters, clarifying expectations of teachers, and providing a unified approach to our service to students, to the community, and to the OIS School System. Staff members are responsible for all information in the handbook. ABSENCES, TARDINESS Teachers must notify only their Principal or Assistant Principal between 6:00 and 7:00 AM. If you know in advance that you are going to be absent, make arrangements as soon as possible. Lesson plans must be available for each class. Personal Action Request (PAR) are to be filled out and turned in to the HR office on the day the Teacher returns to school or 24 hours in advance if the employee knows he/she will be late, absent or will need to leave early due to an appointment. If it is necessary for you to leave school at any time during the school day for an emergency, a PAR will need to be completed and signed by the Director.. Arriving late or leaving early will be logged. When time reaches ½ day, absentee forms will be filled out accordingly. ACCIDENT REPORT When an accident occurs in the school: Teachers are to notify the Principal s office and the nurse. In case of severe injury do not move the victim. Instead immediately notify the school nurse and your Principal for assistance. Accident reports must be completed and filed in the infirmary. If a staff member is injured while at school or at a school-sanctioned function which they are supervising, the principal s office and the nurse must be notified immediately. UPDATED ADDRESS FORMS All OIS and MK teachers are responsible for keeping an updated personal database throughout the school year and noting any changes to the administration and /or IT office. Updated address and student information forms must be filled out by parents at the beginning of each school year at Open House. 2

3 COLLECTING GRADES High school and elementary grade folders (hard copies) are due each Friday for the previous week of classes/evaluations. All teachers are responsible for entering all grades (and other evaluations) into the school s computer grade program for each of their students. STUDENT ATTENDANCE Take attendance at the beginning of every class period. Two unexcused tardies are equivalent to one absence. Upon their return to school, students must present a written excuse from their parents or legal guardian or a medical certification to be given to the Assistant Coordinator of the department. Students that are absent for more than fifty percent of the trimester without a justifiable reason lose the right to receive a grade. BUILDING AND ROOM REGULATIONS Teachers are responsible for maintaining an adequate learning environment (organized, papers and books picked up). Before leaving school make sure to turn the lights and electronics off and lock the door. Anyone defacing school property should be reported to the Administration office and will be responsible for financial restitution. STUDENT SUPERVISION The Golden Rule at OIS & MK is that students should NEVER be left unsupervised. The safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority. Therefore it is essential that teachers must be in their assigned classrooms whenever students are present. Teachers are liable for accidents or injuries occurring to students left unattended during your class periods. If there is an emergency, please send a student to the office for an administrator BUILDING MAINTENANCE REQUEST Fill out a building maintenance request form (available in the copy center) for needed repairs or maintenance. Turn this form into the administration office. BULLETIN BOARDS Bulletin boards are an important part of your classroom. They should be kept current and used appropriately to keep students interested and up-to-date. We also have cork strips in several locations throughout the building to display student work or other information. 3

4 CALENDAR To avoid scheduling errors, teachers should get prior approval from their coordinators for all guest speakers, field trips, and parent meetings with the Principal. Please refer to our school calendar to avoid conflicts in an effort to maintain open lines of communication. CLASSROOM ENVIORNMENT AND SUPERVISION The classroom is a learning environment and therefore teachers should not bring coffee or other beverages and food into the room during instruction time. Drinking and eating by the teacher should be reserved for planning periods and lunch. Principals will visit each classroom formally and informally as part of the performancebased teacher evaluation process. The purpose of this is to improve instruction and student learning. There will be both announced and unannounced visits. The Director would like to be notified of special projects or performances so that he could attend/observe. Please note that the teacher s desk should face classroom s door. COMPUTER USE At school and on school equipment teachers are to avoid inappropriate websites. This also includes entering inappropriate sites on personal cell phones or other electronic devices. Under NO circumstances are students allowed to have access to a teacher s computer. Teachers should log-out of your computer if it will be left unattended for an extended period of time. The school s IT department screens and blocks the majority of inappropriate sites for both staff and student use. It s important to back up all the information daily. The Oxford International School account should be checked daily. Teachers are responsible for the maintenance of their accounts (deleting unnecessary s, sent items and emptying the trash). If teachers do not check s on a regular basis, the IT Department will notify the Principal. 4

5 PARENT CONFERENCES Teachers should contact parents any time there is a concern about a student whether it is academic, social, or behavioral. Positive communication is fundamental in building strong, productive relationships with parents. Make it your goal to contact 100% of the parents of your students at least twice during the year. All important meetings (as deemed so by the teacher or admin member) should be documented and signed by all who attend the meeting. (Parent-Teacher Conference Follow-Up forms are available at your department s administrative office). The teacher should keep a copy of this report for their files and a copy must turn in to the coordination office immediately after the meeting is held to be put in the student s file. COPIES AND PRINTED MATERIAL The Copy Center is located in the High School level. Requests for copies SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE PERSON IN CHARGE 24 HOURS BEFORE THE COPIES ARE NEEDED. All unnecessary copying should be avoided. Printing on school premises should be limited to OIS / MK educational purposes only. Printers should not be used to print material for an entire classroom. DISCIPLINE Teachers should handle the minor discipline problems in their classroom. If a problem persists (or is severe) don t hesitate to involve the Coordinator. Before problems become serious, teachers should follow the following procedures: 1. Talk to the student and the parent about the situation. Frequent contact with parents is important in maintaining good discipline. 2. Teachers should not send students directly to the Student Services Department (SSD). When referring a student to the Coordinator s or SSD office for disciplinary reasons, a completed school discipline referral form should accompany the student. 3. The Coordinator will have a conference with the student(s), parent(s), and teacher(s) to determine whether SSD must be involved. 4. In the event of a serious disciplinary matter, a parent-teacher-administrator conference should be scheduled and then fully documented using the school s conference follow-up form. This completed documentation should be signed by all who attend and placed in the student s file. 5

6 A copy of this report must also be submitted to the principal to be placed in the student s file or in extreme cases brought before the school s Discipline Committee. DRESS CODE The following dress code should be considered in selecting appropriate clothing consistent with climatic conditions, community standards and classroom activity and to serve as a model for students regarding taste and hygiene. Climate conditions dictate light, easily washable, durable materials in relatively comfortable styles. Community standards dictate that all dress should reflect an awareness of appropriate dress for individuals maintaining the social and professional position of a teacher. Ladies: Shoes (not open), dress or blouse/skirt or blouse/trousers Ladies are to wear skirts no shorter than one inch above the knee,tight clothing or low cut tops are not permitted. Long artificial nails are not permissible. Natural nails should be kept well-trimmed and when painted should be done so in a one colored, professional manner. Gentleman: Shoes, socks, long trousers, long or short sleeved collared shirt and a tie. On Fridays, male teachers may dress down and not wear ties Jackets are worn only on formal occasions. Hair should be kept well groomed and short (above the collar) and the wearing of earrings is prohibited. All staff members should note that tattoos must be covered and facial piercing is unacceptable. The teacher should be aware that he/she is also functioning as a model for students including his/her dress and behavior. Dress should be tasteful in appearance. Dress should be clean and neat. The student uniform code is published on our web page. It is all teachers and responsibility to support it. FILMS/MOVIES All films or movies are to be previewed by the teacher and approved by the principal. Movies/films should reflect the curriculum of OIS. Only movies with G ratings could be shown. 6

7 FIRE AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES Teachers are responsible for teaching students what to do during emergency situations. Instructions will be posted in each room. Emergency drills will be conducted during the first trimester of school. FUNDRAISING Fundraising in any form is prohibited at our school. REPORT CARDS The grading system should be explained to students and justified when necessary to students and parents. SYLLABUS Each teacher is responsible for turning in a class syllabus for each class taught to their Coordinator prior to the beginning of each trimester HALL PASSES Do not allow students to leave the classroom without a pass. It will be assumed that students without a hall pass have left your supervision without your knowledge and they will be sent to you for a written explanation. Only one student at a time should be allowed to leave your class at a time. When one returns another may be allowed to leave for a pertinent reason. HOMEWORK Teachers should turn in the homework to each Principal to be placed in our Web Page. Students will have two days for each day of an absence to complete the work missed during their absence,, unless there are extenuating circumstances. ARRIVALS Teachers should arrive at 7:00 AM daily. Only under extenuating circumstances should teachers arrive later (7:15 a.m. at the latest) School hours of operation are from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. All teachers need to be in their 1 st period classroom at 7:15 AM. Please remember that punctuality on the part of all OIS employees is expected. 7

8 INVENTORY Teachers should maintain an up-to-date and accurate inventory of materials and equipment in their assigned classrooms. Texts should be marked with the school name and date of purchase/adoption. Equipment and materials should be permanently marked with the school name. Inventories are completed at the end of the school year. KEYS If you have to be in the building during off hours or want to work on a holiday or weekend, prior permission must be given by the Director. Teachers will be allowed in the classrooms by the security guard on duty who has sole possession of the keys. However, with this privilege comes the responsibility of assuring when you leave the building it is secure, with lights are off, etc. It is prohibited to make duplicates of any keys issued by OIS or MK. LESSON PLANS Weekly plans must be turned in to their respective Coordinator/Principal every Friday for the following week of classes. Please see your Coordinator for more details. LOST AND FOUND Coats, jackets, other clothing, and lunch boxes misplaced will be put in lost and found. Cell phones, other electronic equipment, purses, jewelry and other valuables will be kept by the Coordinator/Principal under lock and key. The.school is not responsible for any valuables lost by students. MONEY According to school policy s all money received by clubs, classes, or any organization under the direction of the school is classified as school money and must be accounted for within the school bookkeeping system. Money is not to be left in your classroom, but instead turned in to the school accountant as soon as possible. All money must be collected before 4:00 p.m. PAY VOUCHERS All employees should receive their payments on the 15 th and the 30 th of each month. If it falls on a holiday or weekend, payments will be distributed prior to the regular day before of the last day of work. 8

9 RULES, REGULATIONS, & POLICY COMPLIANCE Teachers are expected to do their best work possible, and to comply with all policies. Teachers who are out of compliance will be notified either verbally or in writing as to the improvements necessary to be in compliance. A copy of the Educational Legislation and Labor Laws are available at the HR Office. SEXUAL HARASSMENT Teacher-student sexual relationships and student-student, student-teacher sexual harassments are strictly prohibited under the Panamanian Law. SICK LEAVE AND PERSONAL DAYS The sick days granted by the law will be logged each year. When exceeding days for sick leave, you will be docked from your monthly pay. No personal days will be granted before or after a holiday, or during the first or last week of school. SUPERVISION The supervision of students on school premises and at school related activities is the responsibility of all educators. When students behave in an inappropriate manner, teachers should not hesitate to speak with student(s) in an effort to improve their behavior. Be polite and treat the student as you wish to be treated. If they fail to respond, act with authority and assertiveness to have them behave and follow your directions. Student(s) who fail to should be immediately written up and referred to the office. Visibility is the key to supervision. Teachers should be in a position to monitor students both in the classroom and in the hall or during recess times. TARDIES The procedure for counting tardiness is as follows for teachers: A tardiness is called when a Teacher registries late in the clock punch. A tardiness will be deducted out of your monthly salary. The HR office will send a written note to those who are three times tardy in a given month. 9

10 TEACHERS PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS Requests to attend professional meetings are to be discussed with the Principal well in advance, and they must be submitted by completing a Professional Development Units form and then needs to be turned in to the HR department for approval All PDUs activities must compliment the OIS s policies. TELEPHONES, CELL PHONES, IPODS, MP3 PLAYERS, & VIDEO GAMES Teachers who confiscate ipods, MP3 players, video games, or cell phones need to label them with the student s name, teacher name, and date. The device(s) should personally give the device to the department s Coordinator/Principal for safekeeping. Parents will be required to come to school to retrieve their children s device at the end of the trimester. The school is not responsible for personal electronic items. CELL PHONE USE BY TEACHERS All use of personal cell phone use by faculty members should be restricted to teacher planning periods and lunchtime. Calls and texting should not be made in the presence of students. USE OF THE FACILITIES No one is to use the building/equipment after regular hours without prior approval from the Director. People (teachers or parents) wishing to use the facilities must submit a written request (forms available in the HR office) and provide proof of liability insurance for those participating. VOLUNTEERS Volunteers are a wonderful resource for our school. Please carefully screen and check each volunteer. Submit your volunteer s name, address, etc. for further checks by the HR Department and the Director s Assistant. Volunteers who will work with students outside of your classroom should submit an application for a background check. Teachers should submit a list of adults who will chaperone trips or activities on the Filed Trip request form. EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Extracurricular activities are opportunities to engage in extensions of academic activities and/or non-academic activities under school supervision. For further information you may contact the ECA office. 10

11 PROFFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Professional development goes beyond the term 'training' with its implications of learning skills, and encompasses a definition that includes formal and informal means of helping teachers not only learn new skills but also develop new insights into pedagogy and their own practice, and explore new or advanced understandings of content and resources. This definition of professional development includes support for teachers as they encounter the challenges that come with putting into practice their evolving understandings about the use of technology to support inquiry-based learning... Current technologies offer resources to meet these challenges and provide teachers with a cluster of supports that help them continue to grow in their professional skills, understandings, and interests. The Teacher as learner must be the root of all efforts to support high quality classroom instruction. The quality of education depends on the quality of professional learning opportunities to teachers. What is a PDU? At OIS/MK PDU is a Professional Development Recognition. It is an activity in which is directly related to improving one's skills in an educational activities that support the school s Strategic Plan. This plan is structured to identify improved techniques, work ethics, and communication in all our employees. General knowledge topics are not automatically eligible for PDUs, but can be submitted for approval with an explanation of how they relate directly to the individual member's current delivery of services. Examples of general knowledge, classes/presentations are: a basic computer programming class, a political debate, an art exhibition and talk. While these general knowledge presentations may increase a service provider s ability to provide communication access in a class/meeting on the topic studied, professional development activities must be relevant to a current work assignment, or one that will be worked within the next 6 months. 11

12 Why should I accumulate PDUs? Continuing educations, and striving for increased skills, are hallmarks of every formal profession. As a member OIS family, your attainment of Professional Education Units is a way to demonstrate your commitment to the field, and to your ongoing professional growth. Such commitment and growth are valued by employers and consumers alike. By adding your name to the list of professionals within the speech-to-text community who recognize the need for continuing professional growth, you benefit both yourself and the field of speech-to-text services. How many contact hours equal one PDU? One contact hour = one PDU One university class related to education= twenty four PDUs Participate on training out of the country= seventy PDUs. How do I apply for PDU credit? To apply for PDUs, print out and complete the PDU application form found online or contact an HR Assistant. Attend a presentation, course or other educational event that meets the guidelines for a PDU activity. Have the course instructor sign the PDU application form. The completed form, and all required supporting documentation listed on the form, the HR office will review your materials for acceptance, and then you a PDU Certificate. The HR office will also keep a record of the PDUs you accumulate. You can request a copy of your transcript by writing to recursoshumanos@ois,edu.pa Is there a charge for PDUs? There is no cost to apply and record PDUs as long as you are an OIS member in good standing. 12

13 TEACHER EVALUATIONS Supervision, professional development and evaluation are the basic building blocks that OIS use to construct the foundation of learning organization. Teacher evaluations are often designed to serve two purposes: to measure teacher competence and to foster professional development and growth. This digest discusses characteristics of effective teacher evaluations and some common teacher concerns. There are two forms of evaluations: 1. Formal 2. Informal BUT WHAT ABOUT? This is a living document. Any other issues, omissions, or changes you feel should be addressed in this handbook should be addressed to the Human Resources department. 13