Ls Professional Handbook 2017-18

Lincoln School Professional
Handbook
Revised for 2018-19
MISSION 2
BELIEFS 2
CORE VALUES 2
DEFINITION OF LEARNING 2
LINCOLN LEARNER PROFILES 3
CURRICULUM PROCEDURES 6
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 11
LEARNING AT LINCOLN SCHOOL 11
ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES 12
REPORT CARD EXPECTATIONS 16
SCHOOL CLOSURE EXPECTATIONS 17
ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY 18
MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPLORATORY PROGRAM 19
SECONDARY ADVISORY PROGRAM 20
ATHLETIC AND AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITY PROGRAM 22
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS 24
ADMISSIONS 24
SUPPORT SERVICES 26
CHILD PROTECTION 29
CONFERENCES 33
TECHNOLOGY AT LINCOLN 33
RESEARCH AND WRITING GUIDELINES 34
TEACHER GROWTH 34
FACULTY COLLABORATIVE STANDARDS 34
UNIT PLANS 35
SERVICE LEARNING 36
1 November 16, 2017

TEACHING YOUR COLLEAGUES’ CHILDREN 37
MISSION
Lincoln School is a multicultural community in the foothills of the Himalaya that inspires in
each student a passion for learning, the confidence and competence to pursue their dreams,
and the commitment to serve as a compassionate global citizen and leader, who is a steward
of the environment.
BELIEFS
We believe that:
● Experiencing and understanding diversity enriches life and learning.

● Continuous learning is essential to growth and well-being.
● Each individual has value and positive contributions to make.
● Working together benefits the individual and the community.
● Working together towards a common goal creates limitless possibilities.
● A nurturing environment encourages people to realize and express their full
potential.
● When individuals act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions, the
community and the environment thrive.
CORE VALUES
○ Learning
○ Respect
○ Responsibility
○ Collaboration
○ Compassion
○ Integrity
DEFINITION OF LEARNING
Learning occurs when we are engaged in meaningful experiences that inspire action, passion,
and curiosity to holistically develop knowledge, skills, and understanding.
2 November 16, 2017

LINCOLN LEARNER PROFILES
Lincoln Passionate Learner Profile
To become a passionate learner a student needs:

● To see passionate learning modeled and to be inspired by adults and students both
within and outside of her learning community.
● A supportive but challenging learning environment in which he can trust that he is
free to make mistakes and be given the opportunity to learn from them.
● The autonomy to make her own choices, ask her own questions, set her own
objectives and to develop her own voice with the confidence that she will be
listened to.
● To be provided frequent, authentic and relevant feedback that he is able to use,
along with the results of his own self-assessment, to re-chart his path towards his
goals.
● A diverse set of skills and abilities (see Vision, above) balanced by a learning
environment that sets an appropriately high level of expectations.
● The opportunity to learn and show what she has learned through relevant, real-life
experiences and challenges.
● A strong sense of self-efficacy and agency.
A passionate learner:
● Actively engages in the learning and doing process – behaviorally, emotionally
and cognitively – in an ongoing and life-long way.
● Expresses joy and experiences fun while learning and doing.
● Has perseverance, grit, determination, endurance, stick-to-itiveness – or whatever
you want to call the ability to rebound and learn from the setbacks encountered
while moving toward a goal.
● Is self-motivated and self-regulated in her learning.
● Is inspired and intrinsically motivated to learn new ideas and skills, and is not
motivated solely by extrinsic pressures such as grades, money, status or praise.
● Displays the courage, strength and understanding needed to choose and take
appropriate risks in his pursuit of learning.
Lincoln Confident and Competent Pursuer of Dreams Learner Profile
A confident and competent pursuer of dreams is:

● Self-aware, with the ability to reflect upon her own life and achievements,
successes, interests and goals and dreams.
● Empowered. He feels confident in dreaming big and sharing his dreams with
others. He is confident in voicing his ideas and confident that his dreams will be
honored.
● Resilient, takes risks and is unafraid of failure.
● An explorer. She is curious and reads widely; she questions the world and makes
3 November 16, 2017

discoveries about it.
● Solution-oriented. They recognize that problems will arise, but they focus on
solutions rather than giving up.
● Creative and uses their creativity to fulfill their dreams, while also being a critical
and constructive thinker.
● Recognizes that dreams evolve over time; that dreams can be realized in whole or
in part; that our dreams are an extension of ourselves, and grow as we grow.
A confident and competent pursuer of dreams has knowledge and understanding of:
● Goal setting. They understand how to set, challenge, evaluate and meet their goals,
academically and personally in the pursuit of their dreams.
● Failure. They have experienced failure and survived. They can evaluate and reflect
on a ‘failure’ and move forward.
● The future. They have a sense of something ahead or beyond today, they have a
sense that change can happen, does happen and will happen.
● The world. They have an understanding of the world sufficient to permit a vision
of positive change, and a sense of agency and responsibility, that would encourage
one’s own contribution to change.
A confident and competent pursuer of dreams should have the following values and attitudes:
● A sense of self-worth. A child who believes that she and her thoughts have value
will not be deterred in dreaming or undertaking a project by someone else who
happens not to see the value in those dreams
● Reflective
● Moved to explore and extend dreams, constantly assessing and reassessing their
dreams
● Shows persistence and perseverance, even if things go wrong
Lincoln Global Citizen and Leader Profile
A global citizen engages actively, effectively and responsibly in open discussions on social
issues of local and global significance and takes action as appropriate. According to Oxfam a
Global Citizen is “someone who:
● Is aware of the wider world and has a sense of their own role as a world citizen
● Respects and values diversity
● Has an understanding of how the world works
● Is outraged by social injustice
● Participates in the community at a range of levels, from the local to the global
● Is willing to act to make the world a more equitable and sustainable place
● Takes responsibility for their actions.”
To act as a global citizen a student understands:

● Issues of social justice and equity
● Diverse cultures and worldviews
● Globalisation and the interdependence of people, cultures, economies and the
environment
● Local and global paths to sustainable social and economic development
● The causes and consequences of conflict and the conditions conducive to peace
4 November 16, 2017
● Decision-making and governance models suited to a variety of situations (small
group, local, national, international) and their potential consequences and
applications
To act as a global citizen a student is able to:

● Think critically to analyze and evaluate arguments and evidence
● Argue effectively, expressing opinion based on and supported by evidence
● Challenge injustice and inequalities by taking appropriate action
● Empathize, showing respect and caring for people and things
● Exist co-operatively with others and peacefully resolve conflicts that arise
To act as a global citizen a student possesses following values and attitudes:

● A sense of identity and self-esteem
● Empathy and a sense of common humanity
● A commitment to social justice and equity
● Value and respect for diversity
● Concern for the environment and commitment to sustainable development
● A belief that people can make a difference
Lincoln Steward of the Environment Learner Profile
Environmental stewardship is an important and essential aspect of Global Citizenship.

Environmental stewardship has three levels: awareness, values and actions.
1. Awareness of our own individual and collective impact on the environment.
2. Values that promote the preservation the environment.
3. Actions toward creating a viable world for future generations.
A steward of the environment:

● Is educated and aware of the environmental impact that they have every day.
● Models environmental consciousness and sustainability for others.
● Makes choices and take actions with their impact as a chief concern.
● Turns understanding into action.
● Holds sustainability as an ideal in all aspects of their lives.
● Takes steps each day towards becoming a sustainable citizen.
5 November 16, 2017

CURRICULUM PROCEDURES
Lincoln School has a written curriculum for subject areas at each grade or course level,
utilizing a standards-based model.
Essential Understandings:
● All decisions about curriculum are made in light of the Mission of the school and
current research in best practices, with the aim of supporting student learning and
well-being
● Achieving the Mission requires regular and vigorous review of our curriculum
● Curriculum review plans and implementation must be aligned and carefully
monitored, to ensure their continuing success and sustainability within our context.
Curriculum Review Cycle by Discipline
Review Cycle 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
Year 1 Math Social Studies Language Arts Science Visual and

Performing
(Phases 1- 3) Support World Physical and Arts
Services Languages Health
Education
Nepali Studies
Year 2 Visual and Math Social Studies Language Arts Science

(Phases 3 - 4) Performing
Arts Support World Physical and
Services Languages Health
Education
Nepali Studies
Year 3 Science Visual and Math Social Studies Language

Performing Arts
(Phase 4) Physical and Arts Support
Health Services World
Education Languages
Nepali Studies
Year 4 Language Science Visual and Math Social Studies

Arts Performing
(Phase 5) Physical and Arts Support
World Health Services
Languages Education
Nepali
6 November 16, 2017

Studies
Year 5 Social Studies Language Science Visual and Math

Arts Performing Arts
(Phase 5) Support Physical and
Services World Health
Languages Education
Nepali Studies
The Curriculum Review Process
PHASE 1
Defining a Vision Guiding Questions Processes Products Timeline
Goal: Create the What does the mission Review team

criteria for imply and obligate us visualization: what will it Vision and
mission-driven to, in terms of student look like when we’re Philosophy 1- 2
decisions and learning? In terms of done? Statement months
plans. the learning established,
environment? In terms Gathering and review of revised or
of the aims, the shape research: reaffirmed
and the delivery of our
curriculum? ● Current research
in education
What would we see ● Other
and hear, in class and international
out, if the mission schools
were being honored ● National and other
day in and day out? organizations
● Stakeholder
What educational (especially
experiences can be student) input
provided in [Social
Studies] that would
contribute to the
honoring and
achievement of our
mission?
What do our
profession and our
professionals say about
innovative and best
practice in [Social
Studies] and beyond?
7 November 16, 2017

PHASE 2
Analyzing and Guiding Questions Processes Products Timeline
Prioritizing
Goal: Conduct a What does our Collect data for analysis: Standards/benchm
gap analysis and program currently look arks review 3-5
prioritize areas for like? ● Data on months
growth and stakeholder Alignment review
change of the How, and to what needs/perceptions
curriculum. extent, are our ● Standards/ A summary of
standards serving our benchmarks findings including
students’ learning? ● Curriculum a list of priorities
How overviews; for growth and
horizontal and change.
How does the current vertical
program compare with alignments A specific list of
our vision and ● Student/teacher indicators for
philosophy? data on success of the
achievement and curriculum
What should our strengths/ revision
priorities be for growth weaknesses
and change of our ● Resources
curriculum? allotment
Are there any

restrictions or
impediments that
might limit our ability
to realize our vision
fully?
PHASE 3
Planning Guiding Questions Processes Products Timeline
Implementation
Goal: Create a What, specifically, are Review and clarification Implementation 2-3 months
plan for achieving we implementing? of priorities for the plan
our vision. What aims will be revised curriculum
accomplished, and how
will we accomplish Articulation of an Resource ordering
them? implementation plan that plan
will result in
Who/what grade achievement of the
levels/classes or established priorities for Recommendations
courses will be change and growth of the for teacher
8 November 16, 2017
involved? curriculum professional
development
What cross-disciplinary Review and exploration
implications and of necessary and
possibilities should we available resources, and
be aware of? adjustment of the
implementation plan as
How can we realize our necessary.
vision most effectively,
in keeping with best Points of discussion to
practices and the keep in mind:
mission of the school? ● Cross-disciplinary
learning
What resources best opportunities
support our vision and ● Implications of
priorities? this curriculum
for student
learning in other
subject areas
● Key instructional
and assessment
strategies
● Implications of or
for student
assessment and
reporting
● Implications for
the curriculum
mapping plan
● Professional
learning resources
or requirements
● Process for
sharing the vision
and plan with
others
PHASE 4
Implementing Guiding Questions Processes Products Timeline
Goal: What does our vision Regular review of the Changes in teaching
Implementation look like in practice? implementation process, and learning 2 years
of the plan to make adjustments as
How should we revise necessary Revised unit plans
the implementation plan and other relevant
or execution? curricular
Review and redesign, as documents, to
9 November 16, 2017
What have we already necessary, of planned reflect curriculum
achieved? units of instruction, to changes
reflect the new vision
Yearly report on
implementation for
that year including
accomplishments of
that year and
priorities for the
year to come.
PHASE 5
Monitoring Guiding Questions Processes Products Timeline
Goal: Full What else should we be Continuing discussion Changes in teaching

implementation doing, to more fully and review of and learning 2 years
with feedback realize our vision? implementation
loops and Refined/revised unit
adjustments. What should we Setting yearly plans and other
celebrate? departmental goals based documents
on student achievement
What do we need to do and other relevant data Yearly report on
to prepare for the new implementation for
review cycle? Establish review team that year including
and initial meeting accomplishments of
process for the coming that year and
year priorities for the
year to come
Review team
identified for new
cycle.
Revised 2015.
10 November 16, 2017

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Lincoln School believes that a high standard professional development program is
fundamental to enhance and improve the teaching staff’s abilities, while attaining the set
schoolwide goals. LS will encourage teachers to attend national and international workshops,
seminars, conferences, and courses and to share these new skills acquired with the rest of the
staff, therefore benefiting the whole staff.
Individual Professional Growth
Procedures
If interested in a workshop, please complete the professional development form in the staff
lounge and submit to your divisional principal for approval.
NESA Conferences
Fall Leadership Conference
Fall Training Institute
Winter Training Institute
Spring Educators Conferences
NESA Teacher Representative

Teachers who are interested in being the NESA wider circle representative will submit their
intention to the divisional principal by May 1st. A process will take place to identify the
NESA representative.
LEARNING AT LINCOLN SCHOOL

Meaningful learning takes place when students:
● Use their knowledge and skills to successfully complete new, real-world tasks.
● Receive consistent, timely feedback which allows for reflection and revision.
● Practice reflection and self-assessment to successfully transfer their skills to new
situations.
● Maintain a “growth mindset,” focusing their minds and behaviors on the role of
effort rather than innate talent.
● Use their strengths, their voice and their decision-making skills to personalize and
maximize their learning.
● Feel safe and ready to take risks in their learning.
● Understand the reason behind the focus of study and are able to make connections
between and among their learning experiences.
● Are allowed to truly construct understanding via materials and human resources.
● See that their work is important.
● Develop the capacity to view the world and issues from multiple perspectives.
● Understand the learning goals and the ways their progress toward them will be
measured.
Learning at Lincoln School
Since August 2016, Lincoln Secondary School will no longer sort students using the
traditional grading systems. There will be no letter grades in the secondary school (grades 6-
12) Lincoln School is committed to standards-based planning, learning, assessing and
reporting. Examples of our school wide report card purpose, proficiency scale, reportables
and grade conversion chart have been shared with the community. Our comprehensive plan
includes how to address the college admission process, student information system
management as well as meeting the unique needs of our learning community. Please be in
touch with the Secondary Learning Coordinator if you need additional information.
ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES
Assessment for Learning at Lincoln School

The purpose of assessment at Lincoln School is to inform the learning and teaching process.
The results of assessment shape curriculum and instruction, creating more effective learning
opportunities for our students. Effective assessment helps our students better understand
themselves as learners.
Assessment practice at Lincoln School is guided by the following general principles:

● Meaningful assessment and feedback are integral parts of learning.
● Assessment allows students to demonstrate what they know, understand and are
able to do.
● Assessment should be designed in reference to explicit criteria and standards.
● Students should know how they are successful and why, and should understand
where they stand in relation to the criteria for assessment. Possessing tools for
effective self-assessment is an important attribute of lifelong learners.
● Students should not be expected to perform summative assessments until they
have had ample, varied opportunities to receive useful feedback about their
developing level of understanding and skills mastery (that is, formative
assessment), and to improve their learning accordingly.
● The process of assessment should offer opportunities for learning and be designed
to foster students’ sense of the worth of their achievement.
● Assessment should be as creative and as differentiated as instruction is. Students
should value creativity and diversity in learning and in themselves; a unit of
learning need not be assessed in the same way for each student.
● Assessment should be relevant and authentic, allowing students to learn and
demonstrate the skills, knowledge and understandings of practitioners of a
discipline.
● The process of assessment should provide students with an understanding of what
they need to do in order to improve. Effective assessment occurs when students
know what they are being assessed on.
● Assessment should evaluate both process and product.
● The process of assessment should be designed to recognize and acknowledge
achievements beyond those which are easily quantifiable.

● The learning specialist will be consulted in the design of assessments and criteria
for students who require curriculum accommodation or modification in order to
meet with success.
Reporting
At the end of a reporting period there will be a summative evaluation of the student’s
demonstration of learning for a range of Reportables in each subject/course on the report
card. Reportables are a more parent and student-friendly summation of the respective
learning standards in the subject area. Student progress in the areas of those reportables will
be done using proficiency levels.
Proficiency Levels
Exemplary Student demonstrates a rarely achieved high level of mastery of the

standards.
By the end of the assessment period, the student demonstrates an
extended level of knowledge and deep understanding of the relevant
concepts and content associated with all the key aspects of the learning
focus. In a variety of contexts, fluently, and with a high level of quality,
the student creates and communicates effective arguments, solutions to
problems, applications and new ideas based on the concepts and content
of the learning focus, and supports these with compelling evidence or
explanations.
Meeting Student demonstrates thorough mastery of the standards.

By the end of the assessment period, the student demonstrates a high
level of knowledge and understanding of the relevant concepts and
content associated with the key aspects of the learning focus. In a variety
of contexts, fluently, and with a high level of quality, the student creates
and communicates effective arguments, solutions to problems,
applications of the concepts and content of the learning focus, and
supports these with evidence or explanations.
Approaching Student demonstrates basic mastery of the standards.

By the end of the assessment period, the student demonstrates knowledge
and understanding of the basic concepts and content associated with key
aspects of the learning focus. The student is able, sometimes
independently and generally with support, to create and communicate
arguments, solutions to problems, applications and ideas based on the
concepts and content of the learning focus. The student may
demonstrate specific gaps, misconceptions or limitations in content,
knowledge, or skills.
Beginning Student demonstrates initial mastery of the standards.

By the end of the assessment period, the student demonstrates limited
knowledge and understanding of the concepts and content associated
with key aspects of the learning focus. The student does not yet

demonstrate an ability to create and effectively communicate arguments,
solutions to problems, applications and new ideas relevant to the focus of
study without support. The student demonstrates significant gaps in
content, knowledge, or skills relevant to the learning focus.
Not Assessed Student has not been assessed over the standards.
During this assessment period these standards have not been covered or
assessed.
Insufficient Student has not produced enough evidence of learning over the assessed
Evidence standards.
During this assessment period the student did not complete sufficient
evidence to be evaluated against the assessed standards.
Lincoln has agreed upon the following report card purpose statements:
1. To communicate growth and next steps
2. To engage students, parents, and teachers in celebration of learning
3. To report on learning standards performance
Reporting practice at Lincoln School is guided by the following general principles:

● Students are entitled to understand the basis upon which they are assessed.
● A student’s level of proficiency should reflect the most accurate, relevant
demonstrations of the standards assessed during the reporting period.
● Students need multiple opportunities to demonstrate their level of proficiency
within a reporting period.
● A student’s level of proficiency should not be impacted by the number of attempts
or the length of time it takes her to demonstrate mastery.
● Unless these are explicit in the standards, such factors as a student’s effort,
attitude, potential, organizational or time management skills, academic honesty,
conduct or other ‘learning dispositions’ are not considered in reporting a student’s
level of proficiency.
● A student’s work that is submitted ‘late’ should not be devalued, since that would
distort the accurate assessment the level of proficiency.
● A student’s level of proficiency is based upon work observed and supported by
the teacher.
● Homework is purposefully assigned for practice, preparation or independent
learning at home. This will not be used in determining a student’s level of
proficiency.
● Classwork is an activity or assignment given during instructional time that may be
expected to be completed outside of class. This can be used in determining a
student’s level of proficiency.
● Students who cannot demonstrate learning accurately in the course of a single
assessment due to misunderstood instructions, anxiety, personal circumstances or
needs, illness, language proficiency, or inability to complete an assignment in the
given time period will be given further opportunities to demonstrate their mastery
of standards.
● Students who require curriculum modifications are assessed using modified
standards. The level of proficiency will report progress toward these modified
standards. The learning specialist will design the individual assessment criteria
and modified standards.
Lincoln School Assessment Essential Agreements

Assessment is integral to planning, teaching and learning:
● Teachers will guide students through a variety of appropriate assessments based
on best practice.
● Teachers will provide multiple opportunities in order to demonstrate mastery of
standards.
● Feedback is an ongoing process and should be timely, descriptive, objective and
actionable.
● Teachers will actively involve students in the assessment process through self-
reflection, goal setting, peer collaboration and teacher guidance.
● Teachers will use assessment as a tool for learning that values process as well as
product.
● Assessment is authentic and aligned with the standards.
● Students will be provided exemplars, criteria, and expectations prior to
assessment.
Homework
Homework (Homelearning) is defined as any assignment or activity given to students which,
by design, is undertaken outside regular class time without teacher supervision or support.
Homework, where it is given, should be as differentiated as instruction. Where homework is

given, it should be made relevant through follow-up in class.
Students frequently take home with them work they have begun at school with teacher
support; and assignments may have many components, some of which might be better
undertaken at home. Similarly, a student might choose to continue her classwork
independently at home. An assignment begun in class under teacher guidance and support,
that may be completed at home, does not constitute “homework” per se.
Homework, whether assigned as practice, preparation or independent learning, should not be

used in calculating overall levels of mastery. Assessment at Lincoln School represents a
summative evaluation of a student’s progress towards a standard. Because students working
at home are subject to factors which might result in a misleading or incomplete picture of
their learning, levels of mastery are calculated based upon work whose progress was
observed and supported by the teacher, at school.
Adopted 2014
Report Cards
Standards-based report cards in grades K-12 will be sent home with every student twice a
year, once in December and once in June. The report cards are based on grade level
expectations at that time of the year, December and June.
AP Assessment
Students have an opportunity to take a wide range of Advanced Placement
Courses/Examinations. The following AP courses are offered for the current 2017-18 school
year: Calculus AB, Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Statistics, Studio Arts, and Human
Geography. The College Board and the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, N.J.
develop AP Examinations. Achieving a high score on an exam may allow students to earn
university credit after entering American and Canadian universities. Taking AP courses is
also recognized by universities as an indicator that a student has excelled in a rigorous course
of study. Students interested in the AP courses and exams should meet with the appropriate
teacher and counselor.
VHS
Virtual High School offers online courses in a wide range of subject offerings for middle and
high school students, including AP. Students may take a VHS course for a number of
reasons, including credit recovery or to take a course, either for enrichment or because of a
specific need, in a subject we do not offer. The site-coordinator monitors progress of students
and communicates with the VHS instructors. Lincoln teachers who teach in the subject area
of the VHS course support students as on-site mentors.
Independent Study
Independent study is available to students who want to pursue their own learning in a subject
we do not offer. Students get approval for Independent Study through the counselor and
principal. Lincoln teachers who teach in the subject area of the Independent Study support
students in different capacities.
SECONDARY SCHOOL REPORT CARD EXPECTATIONS
● For each course write a learning overview, this is a summary of the learning that has
taken place so far this year in your class.
● In the student learning feedback comment, write your feedback directly to the student,
please keep your feedback in student-friendly language.
● Provide a level of proficiency for all reportables assessed in your class, please write
out the whole word Meeting, Approaching, etc.
● Please write your text in Times New Roman size 11
● If a reportable has not been assessed please write Not Assessed
● Learning overview should be at a word count range 100- 200 words maximum
● Please keep your narrative word count range around 200-300 words maximum
● Please use the report card cover letter and the description of the levels of proficiency
to guide your comment writing. This document will be the first page of the report

card. It gives families an understanding of why we report and a detailed description of
what they levels of proficiency mean at Lincoln School.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL REPORT CARD EXPECTATIONS

Each comment will follow the specified format:
● Each comment will start with an introductory comment (social/behavioral/general)
● Followed by reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and behavior comment.
● There should be a line space between each section.
● No headings will be used.
● One space after the periods.
● Stay consistent with verb tenses.
● Do not mention other students names.
● Use of nicknames-consistently.
● Comments to be 2000-3000 characters.
● Comment length for Specialist- 1500-2000 characters.
Comments
● Keep in mind that you are writing to a child.
● Keep in mind that this is a permanent record, some student items might be better
addressed through a separate letter or note.
● Be sure to include areas of strength and areas for improvement. Don’t hyper focus
on areas for improvement; mention it and move on.
● Clarify what the teacher’s expectations are if there is a gap.
● Be honest and truthful and have evidence to support your statements.
● Balance positive feedback and constructive feedback.
● Be specific! Provide examples that support statements.
● Don’t predict the future (I know she will do well next quarter, I think he will try harder,
I am hopeful she will make significant progress, etc.)
● Use quotation marks for book titles.
SECONDARY SCHOOL CLOSURE EXPECTATIONS
Purpose
School Closure and Communication
Lincoln School uses Google Classroom in the secondary for online learning and support.
Classroom leverages the full suite of Google Apps into a learning platform. Google
Classroom is open to parent participation.

Essential Agreements
In the event of a school closure the school will activate the phone tree. In addition, a text and
voice message broadcast will be made to ensure personal contact with parents/students.
In the event of a school closure:

● Students and teachers will follow the schedule for the day (day of closure)
● Teachers will post work by 8:00am for morning classes and by 12:30 pm for
afternoon classes
● Class will occur as scheduled (Example: if A block is scheduled to meet from
8:00am-9:00am, it will meet online from 8:00am-9:00am)
● Teachers will be available to students online during the class meeting time
● Parents will receive a daily email through Google Classroom, so they are aware of
the learning that is taking place
● Students will submit work required for each class that meets
● Teachers will be online from 3:15 pm-4:00 pm to assist students "after class" with
any questions
● Parents will receive an individual email if there are any concerns with work
completion through online learning
When school is in session, secondary teachers will:

● Use Google Classroom to communicate with parents at least once a week
● Post assignments and/or announcements in Google Classroom
● As appropriate use dates or choose no due date
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLOSURE EXPECTATIONS
In the event of a school closure the school will activate the phone tree. In addition, a text
and voice message broadcast will be made to ensure personal contact with parents/students.
● Teachers will be sending an email with instructions by 8:15am.

● Teaches will stay online from 8:00am - 4:00pm.
● Class websites along with links and attachments will be utilized
● Specialist teachers will be in contact regarding assignments/activities.
● Work will be collected the next day by the teachers and website usage data will
be collected.
● Teachers will be in contact at the end of the day by 4pm
ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY

Academic honesty refers to a set of values and skills that promote personal integrity and good
practice in teaching, learning, and assessment. Each piece of work that a student does should
be authentic; based on the student’s individual and original ideas with the ideas and work of
others fully acknowledged. Therefore, all assignments, regardless of their format, must
wholly and authentically represent student’s own language, expressions, and ideas.
Acts of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated by the Lincoln School community.
Examples of academic dishonesty include:
● Cheating - the intentional using, attempting to use, intending to use, or giving or
attempting to give unauthorized aid on any work
● Plagiarism - Plagiarism is the practice of knowingly using someone else’s words

or ideas and presenting them as one’s own without the necessary
acknowledgment.
Community members should, at a minimum, confront academic dishonesty and explain that
this behavior is not acceptable at Lincoln. In all cases in which academic dishonesty has been
attempted or has taken place, staff members will notify the counselor and principal. Together,
consequences for the actions of the student will be discussed and appropriate, logical
consequences will be determined.
MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPLORATORY PROGRAM

The purpose of the exploratory program at Lincoln School is to provide adaptive learning
experiences responsive to the unique nature of adolescents. Middle school students are at an
important phase of their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development marked by
rapid transitions toward greater independence and intellectual capacity. They are working
hard to create meaning from the world around them, searching for their own voices and
identities.
Middle School Exploratories offer students important opportunities to participate in the

design of their learning experiences, to pose and answer questions that are important to them,
through active and purposeful learning that engages each student personally. In Exploratories
students work with their peers and with teachers to develop the focus, direction and product
of these learning experiences. In keeping with the spirit of This We Believe, the position
paper of the Association for Middle Level Education, Exploratories are “challenging,
exploratory, integrative and relevant.”
Exploratories are sensitive to different learning styles, offer choice among activities and
provide opportunities for students to take ownership of their education.
In exploratory classes students should be free to take risks and explore without risk to their
academic standing. They should be empowered to have a voice in the formation of their
educational experiences, try out new situations or concepts and practice skills in novel
contexts.
As a result of their participation in the Exploratories Program,

Students will know:
● that goal setting can be an effective tool in realizing a project
● that effective collaboration can result in superior products/ problem solving
processes
● that communication can take many forms and critical decisions about the
appropriate form of communication used in any situation are important
● that students can take an active role in communication
● that they can discover new interests, talents and aptitudes through trying
something new
● that students can have a role in shaping their experiences at school
● that trying new things can broaden their interests and help them identify unknown
areas of interest
Students will be able to:

● have a voice in designing their experiences
● challenge an idea critically and propose solutions
● make decisions about the process of communication
● value the contributions made by others toward their common goals
● value how different people approach problems in different ways
● learn by doing
● establish relationships with teachers outside of the traditional classroom setting
through shared interest or experiences
● establish social or academic relationships
● problem-solve through unexpected hurdles and challenges
SECONDARY ADVISORY PROGRAM

The social and emotional lives of our students are equally important to us as their academic
ones. The advisory program at Lincoln is a component of the comprehensive model of school
counseling. Our advisory program takes an advocacy approach, ensuring that all students will
be heard and supported in meeting their social, personal, and academic learning goals.
Advisory allows for our academic curriculum to be supplemented with a focus on the
development of the whole-child in a specific and targeted way that comes in addition to the
positive teacher-student relationships fostered in the classrooms, basketball court, theater
stage, etc. Core targets of the advisory program include:
● Ensure that each student is known well at school by at least one adult
who is that youngster's advocate (advisor);
● Guarantee that every student integrates into a peer group; and
● Help every student find ways of being successful within the academic
and social options the school provides.
Role of the Advisor

The primary role of the advisor is to develop a relationship with their advisees that goes
beyond the teacher-student relationship. Advisors, for example, learn more about the personal
lives of their advisees, are a go-to person when personal or social problems arise, and
facilitate conversations when academic issues come up. With this in mind, we typically
divide classes up into smaller groups so each advisor has a group of 6-8 students. While
advisory may meet as a large group sometimes, it is important to also break up into smaller
groups as well.
Collaboration in an important piece of all of our programs. As divisions, departments, and

Student Support meetings, teachers meet regularly in order to design innovative affective and
academic learning experiences that meet the specific needs of our students. Advisors have an
important role in both advocating for the students’ “whole-child” needs based on their
knowledge of the students, and in assisting certain with aspects of a programs of support for
specific students.
Expectations of advisors:
● Attend each advisory
● Collaborate with your co-advisors to plan advisory lessons and activities
● Attend Student Chat meetings that apply to your advisees
● Stay knowledgeable about the current academic status of your advisees
● As much as possible attend events in which your advisees participate (drama
productions, plays, project showcases, athletic events)
● Refer to the counselor any information that goes beyond the role of the advisor
Role of the Counselor

The counselor facilitates the Advisory program in a number of ways. A primary role of the
counselor is to identify and outline the themes for each grade level ensuring a vertical scope
and sequence looking at the changing needs of the community and specific needs of a grade
level. The counselor oversees the implementation within the grade levels; while advisors
have a lot of freedom to address the themes and standards as fits their style and based on their
knowledge of their group of advisees, the counselor may be asked to support that process in a
more direct way or may have feedback about the direction advisory is going in a particular
grade level. The counselor will maintain a system of documentation in which advisors report
how standards are addressed within their advisory.
The counselor is available to advisors in a number of capacities to support as needed:

● Plan lessons
● Lead lessons
● Facilitate group discussions
● Take referrals for academic, personal/social, emotional, or child protection (abuse
or self harm: please see Child Protection Policy).
Strands of the Curriculum:
● Social-Emotional Learning
■ Personal understanding and well-being
■ Social skills
■ Coping strategies
● Academic Development
■ College and career counseling
■ Transitions between ES/MS, MS/HS, and HS/Post-Secondary
■ Course selection and Input
■ Study and learning skills
● Service Learning
■ Service Nepal and related service projects
● Community-Building
■ Performances and Celebrations
■ Collaboration and group work
● 4 Pillars of the Mission
■ Passionate Learner
■ Confident and Competent Pursuer of Dreams
■ Global Citizen
■ Steward of the Environment
ATHLETIC AND AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITY PROGRAM

Athletics is a cornerstone of student activities at Lincoln School. We believe that the athletic
program at Lincoln should reflect and support the school’s mission and core values. Athletics
contributes significantly to the total development of every student. Lincoln School serves our
students through two distinct, yet mutually supportive programs: The SAISA program and
the After-School Activities program.
Sport is integral to individual and social development. At Lincoln, we model the enduring
values of sport: commitment, good sportsmanship, teamwork, friendship, responsibility,
respect, resilience, and healthy competition. We develop these values by learning from our
victories, our losses, the day-to-day challenges of practice, and our efforts to find balance
between our athletic, academic, and personal lives. As teachers, coaches, and student-
athletes, we strive to excel by being clear on our common goals and by being loyal to each
other and to our values.
Through our programs, we emphasize that participation in athletics is a privilege and we

encourage all students to take part. With this privilege come certain responsibilities. We
have high expectations for behavior, commitment, academic achievement, and making
healthy choices. As reflected in the Lincoln School mission and values, our athletic program
seeks to collaboratively support our students as they strive to become better athletes and
better people.
SAISA Sports Program Goals

Through involvement in interscholastic sport at Lincoln School we aim for student-athletes
to:
● Develop an understanding of commitment; the value of dedicated practice, and

doing one’s best.
● Embrace their interdependence by understanding the need for teamwork as a
prerequisite for success. Be willing to inspire others, lead by example, build
positive relationships with peers and coaches, and make decisions based on the
needs of the team over the needs of the individual.
● Develop leadership skills through distinct roles such as a team captain, manager,
and team member.
● Trust and respect the value of positive sportsmanship and practice it through
treatment of players, officials, coaches, spectators and organizers by recognizing
good performance and the work that goes into making athletics possible.
● Show resilience as students develop an understanding of their own strengths and
limitations, and learn to manage them in a constructive way so as to improve
performance.
● Demonstrate courage by taking appropriate risks with the aim of self-growth.
● Refine existing skills and learn new ones.
● Appreciate that participation in athletics is a privilege, which carries with it
certain responsibilities: academic standing, commitment, and behavior. Student-
athletes should understand that they are responsible for the choices they make.
● Appreciate the benefits of physical activity and understand the need to practice
life-long healthy habits, including leading a balanced lifestyle, as a prerequisite
to success in sports.
● Cultivate cultural awareness, sensitivity, and understanding through travel,
home stays, hosting and competition while involved in a SAISA event, After-
School Activity, or a local tournament.
● Experience the enjoyment of participating in an organized physical activity.
After-School Activities
We believe that each student has value and positive contributions to make. Hence, our After-
School Activity program has open access and there are no cuts, although some activities
might have limited numbers and these will be chosen on a first come, first serve basis.
Through involvement in the program at Lincoln School we aim for students to:
● Learn new skills and hone existing ones, build fitness, and engage creativity
through regular practice, meetings and/or workshops.
● Be exposed to a wide variety of activities that are responsive to student needs.
● Feel an enhanced sense of community amongst themselves.
● Relax, have fun and engage in purposeful play.
● Develop an understanding of commitment and the value of dedicated practice.
● Embrace their interdependence and understand the need for teamwork as a
prerequisite for success.
● Develop leadership skills through distinct roles during the season.
● Trust and respect the value of good sportsmanship and practice it through
treatment of officials, peers and spectators during activities.
● Demonstrate courage by taking appropriate risks with the aim of self-growth.
● Appreciate the benefits of physical activity and understand the need to practice
life-long healthy habits, including leading a balanced lifestyle, as a prerequisite
to success.
The strands for these activities are as follows:

● Creativity, Strategy, and Innovation

● Imagination and Performance
● Shaping World Leaders
● Movement
● Team Sports
● Music
● 21st Century Media
● Intellectual Health
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
Vision:
Lincoln School provides students with a meaningful, positive, safe, relevant and culturally
diverse education in the arts. Essential to the visual and performing arts is the idea of the
shared experience; through study in the arts students learn to explore essential aspects of
themselves, find meaningful connections between themselves and others, and develop deep
and enduring understandings of humanity.
We believe:
● Students learn to express, create, connect, and perform within the Visual and
Performing Arts. It is the chief purpose of the program to help students to find
fulfillment and joy in performance, appreciation of artistic expression, and
commitment to a life-long engagement with the arts.
● Meaningful learning in Visual and Performing Arts demands authentic and varied
opportunities for students to explore, experiment, create, learn and practice.
● Students of the visual and performing arts have opportunity to develop and
exercise their collaborative skills and individual skills in authentic ways.
● Content and theory knowledge in the visual and performing arts are tools that
serve the student in interpreting the world and supporting the creative and
constructive expression of the self. Learning content and theory should occur in
such a way as to enhance a child’s innate pleasure in the arts.
● Learning within the arts requires safe, constructive and creative learning
environments that encourage students to explore their own creativity and invest
deeply, taking ownership of their learning and using critical thinking skills to
create, explore and evaluate their own and others’ ideas and performances.
ADMISSIONS
Lincoln School seeks to accommodate students with a variety of abilities and interests.
Admissions decisions are based on an evaluation of the student’s past school records along
with age, academic screening, language screening if necessary, program fit, and other factors.
School record information and screening results are considered as a whole by the Admissions
Committee. It is necessary that if an external psycho-educational evaluation has been carried
out with a student, a physical or electronic copy of those test results need to be provided with
the admissions application, in addition to the most current program paperwork (ex: IEP,
Learning Plan, testing information, narrative reports). Contact information for the student’s
most current support teacher may be requested to allow the Admissions Committee to gather
sufficient data to make a determination as to whether or not the applicant has the ability to
benefit from our educational program. The parent and student will have an opportunity for
input on this matter during the admission process and may be asked to come in for an
interview or additional testing.
Due to the limited staff resources and size of the school, the decision to admit a student who
will require additional support depends greatly on the already existing demands being placed
on the learning support and ESOL teachers. Because of the time and context-dependent
nature of the decision-making process for admission, it is not always possible to provide
parents a guaranteed admission more than one year prior to a student’s proposed start date.
The student support team along with the administration, teachers, counselor, parents, and
student will determine an academic program for qualified students with special needs.
Lincoln School reserves the right to determine the proper placement for a new student.
Generally students are placed in the grade that follows the next in sequence from their
previous schooling. However, students enter Lincoln from many different educational
backgrounds and these differences need to be considered when determining the appropriate
placement within our system. Students who come from systems with a different academic
year will continue at the grade level they just completed at their previous school.
Eligibility
Admission shall be based upon student's records and available test scores submitted as
required by the professional staff to determine:
● the potential of the applicant to benefit from the educational services available,
and
● the capacity of the school to meet the educational needs of the applicant.
Students must submit all school records (including learning and health needs, educational
and/or psychological assessments, and recommendations) along with available test scores
prior to permanent admission to Lincoln School. Provisional admission may be granted for
one quarter of the school year, at the discretion of the professional staff. If records are not
available, admission decisions will be made by the Director.
Children turning 3 by September 1st of the academic year to students up to 19 years are
eligible to apply for admission to Lincoln School.
Lincoln School admits students of any race, region, color, national and ethnic origin to all the
rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at
the school. Lincoln School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic
origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and other
school-administered programs.
As a condition of the U.S. grants which the school receives, any eligible child of a U.S.
government employee or U.S. government contractor shall be admitted, subject to the above.
Health
Students shall be required to be appropriately immunized against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio,
and Measles. Students are also required to give evidence of BCG inoculation or tuberculin
skin test status. Exceptions may be made only upon the approval of the Director.
Language
As the English language is the medium of instruction at Lincoln School, the following
guidelines for admission are provided:
1. English language proficiency shall not normally be a requirement for admission to Grades
K to 5.
2. At the Middle and High School levels, non-native speakers of English shall be required to
sit an E.S.L. placement examination. Students not meeting the school's standards of English
will be required to enroll in in-depth/immersion E.S.L. classes, at Lincoln School if facilities
permit or outside the school at parents expense, before being permitted to follow the regular
full curriculum.
Age
Students with fifth birthdays before September 1 are eligible for admission to the Primary
One class. A student whose fifth birthday falls within six weeks of this day may apply for
special consideration. Exceptions can be made by the Director in consultation with the
Counselor and the Classroom Teacher.
At the time of admission, students who have their fifth birthday after September 1 but prior to
September 1 of the following year may apply for admission to the Preschool/PreK section of
the school which has rolling admissions. Enrollment will be prioritized based upon the date
of submission of formal enrollment papers. Admittance to Primary One does not
automatically guarantee promotion to Grade 1.
SUPPORT SERVICES
Lincoln School welcomes a diverse student body and our learning environment is enriched by
students of many cultures, interests and experiences, languages, learning perspectives, and
aptitudes. Lincoln’s Student Support Program is comprised of Counseling, Learning Support,
and English for Speakers of Other Languages and provides a dynamic range of integrated
student services that address our students’ social, emotional, academic, and language
development. The program works to ensure every Lincoln student has access to a challenging
academic experience, and to help our students engage in meaningful self-reflection,
understand themselves as learners and as people, and embrace their roles as responsible,
compassionate members of a global society.
Counseling
Beliefs
● All students can find success; that success will look different for each student.
● Counseling is not a service offered by one person or department but a program
coordinated with all educators in a school.
● Students not only learn how to learn at school, they learn about themselves and
how to interact with others and the world around them.
● An international school is a specific and special type of community with needs
that are unique from typical school systems.
Program
Lincoln School has a Comprehensive School Counseling Program that allows for both
preventative as well as responsive services and utilizes collaboration, leadership, advocacy,
and data to benefit students, teachers, administration, parents, and the community.
Direct Student Services

● Guidance Curriculum is delivered in the Elementary through bi-weekly lessons
taught by the counselor based on the International School Counseling Association
standards, and in the Secondary through the Advisory Program and in
collaboration with the health curriculum.
● Responsive Services are available to students as needed for a wide variety of
concerns (ex: emotional distress, conflicts, moving to a new country/school,
family problems); the counselor is available for drop-ins or appointments with
students and parents. The counselors also plays an important role in any school or
community-wide problems such as natural disasters, serious illness or death of a
Lincoln community member, or political issues that affect day-to-day school life.
● Small Groups are created to serve students with similar concerns when the
support and learning from others is beneficial.
● Individual Meetings are utilized to discuss individual planning such as academic
course schedules or college admissions.
Indirect Student Services

● Includes staff and community collaboration and consultation, program
management, professional development for self and others, committee
participation, etc.
Confidentiality Statement
School counselors at Lincoln follow the legal and ethical guidelines written by the American
School Counseling Association, as they apply outside the US. In alignment with these
guidelines, Lincoln students are entitled to confidentiality in their communications with the
school counselors. However, the school counselor is obligated to break confidentiality when
there is a potential harm to the student or others, or concern of neglect or abuse. Students will
be informed of these limitations.
Learning Support
Beliefs
Lincoln School believes children learn at different rates and in different ways. Learning is
truly a process, and some students may require extra support in academic areas to be
successful. The learning support teachers work in collaboration with the general education
teachers to create an inclusive environment that is differentiated for all students.

Program
Our support program uses a combination push-in/pull-out model designed to best meet the
needs of each student that is identified as needing academic support. In the middle and high
school, regular after school support is available for all students in every subject area, and is
enthusiastically attended by our students. Above all, it is the aim of learning support program
is to encourage all students to find success in meeting their academic challenges.
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Beliefs
The ESOL program at Lincoln School supports students for whom English is not their first
language. Learning content while developing academic language proficiency is a formidable
challenge for ESOL students; our elementary and secondary programs provide differentiated
learning structures and individual support, both within core classroom settings and language
support classes.
Students whose language origin is other than English have educational needs that are
different to some extent from those of native English-speaking students. It is important that
each student’s specific needs are identified and that the necessary provisions are made to
meet the student’s instructional levels. The primary educational need of ESOLs is the
acquisition of oral and written academic English skills, which will enable them to progress at
Lincoln School and in the Lincoln School community. Our ESOL program similarly
recognises that ESOLs of different ages have diverse needs. Therefore, grade clusters will be
serviced in different programs.
Program
● Pull-out language support classes to support academic English language
development
● Push-in support for inclusion
Student Chat Meetings (ES/MS/HS)

To be updated
Secondary After-School Support

After-School Support is typically offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15pm- 4pm. In
general, after school student support is an open program that organizes teachers and TAs to
provide support for students in all academic areas. This is a quiet environment where a
student in support services can be given extended support outside of the general classroom
with direct one-on-one feedback. All students are invited to attend and are free to choose
whether they will come in or not, and are also free to choose how and what support they will
take advantage of. In some cases, as decided by the student support team, students may be
recommended for or even required to attend after school support. Similarly, the student
support team may recommend or require a planned program of support for students during
after school support. However, a student may be required to come though not given specific
direction in what she works on.
CHILD PROTECTION
Lincoln School is committed to protecting the safety and rights of children in keeping with
our core values. Lincoln School endorses the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
which was ratified by our host country, Nepal, in 1990, and codified in Nepal’s Children’s
Act in 1992. In the spirit of the Convention, Lincoln School seeks to provide all our students
with a safe and secure environment, acknowledging that all children have the right to be
treated with respect and dignity at all times. The School’s Child Protection Guidelines
provide child protection standards that encompass all cultures and international law.
Educators have the opportunity to observe and interact with children over time and are
therefore uniquely placed to recognize and identify children who need help and protection.
They have a professional and ethical obligation to assist any child and family to access
services to remedy a situation that constitutes child abuse or neglect.
All faculty and staff employed at Lincoln School must report suspected incidences of child
abuse or neglect, including harm to self and others, whenever the staff member has
reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered or is at risk of suffering abuse or neglect.
Reporting and follow up of all suspected incidences of child abuse or neglect will proceed in
accordance with the administrative regulations described in these guidelines. Furthermore,
cases of suspected child abuse or neglect may be reported to the appropriate employer, to the
respective embassy in Nepal, to the appropriate child protection agency in the home country
and/or to local authorities.
The Child Protection Guidelines are effectively designed to:

● Prevent child abuse and neglect by ensuring each and every stakeholder (students,
parents, faculty and staff) is aware of the guidelines.
● Describe procedures for identifying and reported cases of suspected abuse and
neglect.
● Provide support for students who may have been abused.
Lincoln School recognizes that clear, open lines of communication between students and
trusted adults can help prevent child abuse and neglect. We will therefore:
● Distribute the Child Protection Guidelines annually to all stakeholders - parents,
students (via homeroom, advisories or counselors) and teachers.
● Include in the curriculum, activities and opportunities to equip children with
safety skills.
● Provide annual training for all faculty and staff.
● Make every attempt to implement hiring practices to ensure the safety of children.
In case a staff member is reported as an alleged offender, Lincoln School will
conduct a full investigation following a carefully designed course of due process.

Definitions and Indicators
How abuse and neglect are defined
Defining abuse is complex and based on various cultural attitudes towards child rearing, but
common to all cultures, is a fundamental understanding that all kinds of abuse are based on
an unequal relationship where the adult misuses power. All school personnel should be
familiar with signs and behaviors that may be indicative of child abuse. Child abuse can be
categorized into four different types: neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual
abuse.
Abuse is:
● Inflicting physical injury on a child by other than accidental means, causing skin
bruising, burns, disfigurement, impairment of physical or emotional health, or loss
or impairment of any bodily function, death; and/or
● Creating a substantial risk of physical harm to a child’s bodily functioning; and/or
● Committing acts that are cruel or inhumane regardless of observable injury. Such
acts may include, but are not limited to, instances of extreme discipline
demonstrating a disregard for the child’s pain and/or mental suffering; and/or
● Assaulting or criminally mistreating a child as defined by either the criminal code
or school policy; and/or
● Engaging in actions or omissions resulting in injury to, or creating a substantial
risk to the physical or mental health or development of a child.
Possible Indicators of Physical Abuse
● Unexplained bruises and welts on any part of the body

● Injuries that regularly appear after absence or vacation
● Black eye(s)
● Injuries to mouth
● Burns and scalds
● Marks from implements (cord, belt, buckle, paddle)
● Inconsistent stories, excuses relating to injuries
● Unexplained lacerations, abrasions or fractures
Neglect is a failure to provide for a child’s basic needs within their own environment.
Neglect may be:
● Physical – (e.g. failure to provide necessary food, or shelter, or lack of appropriate
supervision). This would include failure to provide proper adult guardianship such
as leaving children unsupervised at home for any extended period of time; and/or
● Medical – (e.g. failure to provide necessary medical or mental health treatment);
and/or
● Emotional - (e.g. a pattern of actions such as: inattention to a child’s emotional
needs, failure to provide psychological care, permitting the child to abuse alcohol
or other drugs, use of verbal humiliation, violent threats, refusal to acknowledge
the presence of the child etc.).
Behavioral indicators in and of themselves do not constitute abuse or neglect. Together

with other indicators, such as family dynamics, they may warrant a referral.
Possible Indicators of Neglect:
● Child is unwashed or hungry
● Parents are uninterested in child’s academic performance
● Parents do not respond to repeated communications from the school
● Child does not want to go home
● Both parents or legal guardians are absent from Nepal for any period of 24 hours
or longer
● Parents cannot be reached in case of an emergency
Sexual abuse is committing or allowing to be committed any sexual offense against a child
as defined in either the criminal code of the host country or school policy, or intentionally
touching either directly or through clothing, the genitals, anus, or breasts of a child for other
than hygiene or child care purposes.
Possible Indicators of Sexual Abuse:

● Sexual knowledge, behavior or language not appropriate to age level
● Unusual interpersonal relationship patterns
● Venereal disease in a child of any age
● Evidence of physical trauma or bleeding to the oral, genital or anal areas
● Difficulty in walking or sitting
● Refusing to change into PE clothes, fear of bathrooms
● Not wanting to be alone with an individual
● Pregnancy especially at a young age
● Extremely protective parenting
Child Protection Procedures

Procedures
Lincoln School will follow as closely as possible best practices for Child Protection
procedures as used in the USA but take into account the local procedures and utilize
appropriate support agencies which are available.
Support for the student who may have been abused:

Lincoln School will support the student in such a way that his or her self esteem is not
damaged. The school will:
a. Provide a nurturing, supportive environment while addressing the concerns
b. Liaise with the child’s family
c. Liaise with other agencies and/or medical providers
d. Document and maintain records
e. Maintain confidentiality
When a teacher has reasonable cause to believe there has been abuse or neglect
The indicators of abuse and neglect will be used by the faculty and staff member as a
guideline for reporting to the counselor who will determine if the case needs further attention.
A report to the principal or counselor must be made when a faculty or staff member has
reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered abuse or neglect. All reports are
confidential.
In the event that the abuse or neglect allegation involves a staff or faculty member of Lincoln
School, the divisional principal will follow board policy pursuant to ethical professional
behavior.
What happens after suspected abuse or neglect is reported or disclosed

Where there is cause to suspect child abuse or neglect, it is the responsibility of the faculty
and staff member to report their suspicions to the counselor, or to the principal. In all cases,
the principal will be notified. It is the responsibility of the principal to inform the
superintendent of the suspected case of child abuse or neglect. All staff, faculty and
administrators are mandated to report incidences of abuse and neglect. All reports of abuse
and neglect must be made to the counselor as soon as is feasibly possible for immediate
response.
Procedures for reporting suspected cases of child abuse or neglect

Step 1
When a child reports abuse or there is reasonable cause to believe that abuse is occurring, the
teacher will seek advice from the grade level counselor as soon as is feasibly possible. The
counselor will take initial steps to gather information regarding the reported incident and will
form a school-based response team as needed to address the report. The response team will
include the school nurse, counselor and other individuals as the principal sees fit. In all cases,
follow up activities will be conducted in a manner that ensures that information is
documented factually and that strict confidentiality is maintained. The following procedure
will be used:
● Interview staff members as necessary and document information relative to the
case.
● Consult with school personnel to review the child’s history in the school.
● Report status of case to director.
● Determine the course of follow up actions.
Step 2
Based on acquired information, a plan of action will be developed to assist the child and
family. Actions that may take place are:
● Discussions between the child and counselor in order to gain more information.
Depending upon the age of the child, these discussions may include drawing
pictures and playing with dolls to elicit more information as to what may have
occurred.
● In-class observations of the child by the teacher, counselor, or administrator.
● Meetings with the family to present the school’s concerns.
● Referral of the student and family to external professional counseling.
● Notification of the management of the sponsoring employer of the concern with
the child/family, or to the welfare office at the home-of-record.
● Consultation with the consulate of the country of the involved family.
● Consultation with the school or another attorney.
● Informal consultation with local authorities.
Step 3
Subsequent to a reported and/or substantiated case of child abuse or neglect:
● The counselor will maintain contact with the child and the family to provide
support and guidance as appropriate.
● The counselor will provide the child’s teachers and the principal with ongoing
support.
● The counselor will provide resource materials and strategies for teacher use.
● The counselor will maintain contact with outside therapist to update the progress
of the child in school.
All documentation of the investigation will be kept in the child’s school confidential records
file. Records sent to schools to which their student may transfer will be flagged to let the
receiving school know there is a confidential file for the child. LS will make every attempt to
share this information to protect the child.
CONFERENCES
●
TECHNOLOGY RESPONSIBLE USE STUDENT AGREEMENT
BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE POLICY (GR 6-12)

As education systems evolve to better prepare tomorrow’s workforce with 21st century skills,
the shift towards eLearning becomes increasingly significant. This gives educators access to
immediate technology integration in the classroom using current technology that our students
are already familiar and comfortable with.
As teachers strive to prepare students for their future, BYOD replicates a technology-rich
environment that is already common in higher education and business. The flexibility of
personalized devices supports different learners with different needs, helping students to
identify skills that will make them lifelong learners. With a wide variety of personal mobile
devices the BYOD program makes use of platform-independent tools. Web-based
applications work on most platforms and can accommodate common software needs,
including photo editing and multimedia presentations.
Students from Grades 6 to Grade 12 are required to have and bring to school a laptop or
Chromebook with them to school every day.

RESEARCH AND WRITING GUIDELINES
Vision Statement
Research projects are in-depth studies on a focused topic. At all grade levels, the research
process serves to develop high-level research as well as writing skills and creativity.
Research projects allow students to engage in personal and individual research on a specific
topic. In many cases, research projects will lead to a significant piece of formally presented
structured writing and/or presentation in which ideas and findings are communicated in a
coherent manner, appropriate to both the student’s subject and grade level.
The research process at Lincoln School allows students to:

● Pursue independent research on a focused topic
● Develop research and communication skills
● Develop the skills of creative and critical thinking
● Engage in a systematic process of research appropriate to the subject
Formatting
Lincoln School has adopted MLA formatting as the formal documentation style to be
followed across all secondary grade levels.
TEACHER GROWTH
The teacher growth process is being reviewed during the 2017-18 school year. During the
2017-18 school year all faculty will create goals ensuring that they are aligned with the
school goals. Goals and pathways will be reviewed with building principals.
*The administration reserves the right modify this process at any time.
FACULTY COLLABORATIVE STANDARDS

Standard 1: We are a community of caring, respectful professionals.
● We are passionately invested in our work, and we follow through individually and
collectively in pursuit of quality results.
● We are cooperative and collaborative in our approach.
● We are willing to celebrate our collective and each other’s successes, as well as
respect each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
● We maintain a sense of caring for ourselves, each other and the entire group.
● We maintain a sense of humor.
● We presume positive intentions on the part of everyone.
Standard 2: We value and consistently utilize a broad set of collaborative skills in our work.
● We understand and abide by the agreed upon norms of collaboration and
teamwork.
● We are punctual, prepared and invested in the process and products of our work.
● We practice self-reflection as a valued part of our teaching, learning and
collaboration.
● We strive to use creative thinking strategies in our problem-solving.
● We work as team-builders and problem-solvers.
● We are able to assume multiple roles as both teachers and learners.
Standard 3: We use honest, constructive, inclusive and efficient communication.
● We respect each other and each other’s ideas through active listening.
● We share the ideas we have but we refrain from dominating.
● We are mindful of how what we say and how we say it can impact others
(including our body language, tone and gesture).
● We share the responsibility to encourage everyone’s voices.
● We use multiple avenues for communication.
● We debate ideas, not emotions, personalities, or individuals.
Standard 4: We honor the school’s mission and one another when making decisions, and
then support the decisions that are made.
● We are committed to the best interests of the students and the mission of the
school.
● We ensure decisions are documented, clear, transparent and available.
● We are willing to question accepted truths, are open to new ideas, and invite the
valued input of all stakeholders when wrestling with decisions.
● We make decisions by consensus when possible; We make decisions with
integrity and ethics always.
● We act upon and support decisions made, and we reinforce them through multiple
modes of communication.
● We re-visit decisions only when changes are necessary and an appropriate process
is followed.
Standard 5: We manage efficient and effective meetings and use agreed-upon norms to
promote a better working environment at the school.
● We use a clear agenda and purpose to run meetings that honor the participants’
time and contribution.
● We start and end meetings on time, run them efficiently and ensure progress as a
result of them.
● We run meetings where participants feel valued and necessary.
● We promote mutual trust and respect during meetings.
● We use meeting spaces that are safe and comfortable, physically and emotionally.
● We share the responsibility for documenting meetings to record and communicate
decisions and discussions.
UNIT PLANS
Unit Plan Expectations
Every teacher at Lincoln school is expected to keep their existing unit plans up to date using
the Lincoln School UbD template.
Unit plans will be created prior to teaching the unit.
Storage of Unit Plans

Unit plans will be stored on Google Team Drive in the unit plan folder shared by Lincoln
Webmaster.

Guidelines
Please see UbD instruction template.
SERVICE LEARNING
Vision
We empower all students to become aware of themselves, their community and the global
environment. With this awareness, we foster the empathy, inspiration and ability to selflessly
serve as compassionate global citizens and leaders who actively engage within their
communities.
Beliefs
We believe that service learning:
● Is an approach to teaching and learning, where students use knowledge and skills
to address genuine community needs.
● Begins with oneself
● Contains the three As - Awareness, Ability and Action
● Provides opportunities to become compassionate and active proponents of change.
● Includes continual reflection and analysis of the process
● Strengthens the school curriculum, which in turn strengthens the service learning.
● Promotes an understanding of culture, diversity and mutual respect
Program Standards
Service-learning
● actively engages participants in meaningful and personally relevant service
activities.
● supports learning goals and/or content standards.
● incorporates reflection activities that are ongoing, and that prompt deep thinking
and analysis about oneself and one’s relationship to society.
● promotes understanding of diversity and mutual respect among all participant
● provides students with a voice in planning, implementing and evaluating service-
learning experiences.
● partnerships are collaborative, mutually beneficial and address community needs.
● engages participants in an ongoing process to assess the quality of implementation
and progress toward meeting specified goals, and uses results for improvement
and sustainability.
● has sufficient duration and intensity to address community needs and specified
outcomes.
Secondary Service Nepal

Service Nepal is Lincoln School’s unique version of a week without walls service-learning
trip that seeks to take students out of their comfort zone with experiences that include, but are
not limited to: cultural adventures, physical challenges, service-learning, team-building,
introspection and metacognition, intellectual and spiritual growth.
Elementary Service Nepal

The integration of our host country Nepal in all areas of the curriculum is essential at
Lincoln. Service-learning is planned, taught, and sustained through year-long service projects
at each grade level.
TEACHING YOUR COLLEAGUES’ CHILDREN

Teaching your colleagues’ children
● When a potential problem arises, ask yourself: “How would I handle this situation
with another student?” Let the answer be a guide to your action with your
colleague’s child.
● Maintain the same expectations for the parent/colleague and child that you would
have for other parents and their children. Don’t assume that they will be any better
or worse than others.
● When dealing with the parent/colleague about the child, keep the contact
professional and respectful. Don’t chat in the hallway or the teachers’ lounge, but
set up a formal time and place to discuss the child. Schedule them in during parent
conferences as you would any parent.
● Meet at the beginning of the school year with the parent/colleague and agree on a
method of communication, e.g. on the phone, deal with only the spouse of the
teacher.
● Confront the problem early. Avoidance is a common first reaction in these cases.
● If you anticipate a problem, call in a third party to help keep the discussion on
task.
● As with any situation of this nature, make sure to document things so that the
focus is on the problem and not on your relationship.
● Be sure to give the student a sense of privacy about her/his life outside of school.
In dealing with your colleague’s child, be cautious in making reference to a parent
who happens to be a faculty member, especially in front of other students. The
child’s school life is already different because one of their parents works in the
school. Don’t call any more unnecessary attention to it. Oftentimes, these students
do not want to stand out because one of their parents works at the school. Teasing
a student about being the child of a faculty member can be the worst, especially as
they get beyond elementary school.
● It may be important to take into account the nature of the relationship between the
parent (who is also a teacher in the school) and the child. Consult with the
counselor, principal or someone who knows something about the relationship
outside of school.
● It seems that it takes honesty with some sensitivity to solve most problems. Try to
tune into what makes sense.
Working with colleagues who teach your child

● Ask your spouse to be the one who deals with home-school issues.
● Handle things in a way that you would want the parents of your students to handle
things with you.
● Have the child handle as much of the interaction as possible.
● Keep the focus on the issues – “Here is what I hear at home – help me with your
side.”
● Be sure to catch the teacher being good. There is nothing wrong with building a
positive relationship with her/him as soon as possible.
● Engage a third party, e.g. counselor, friend, to listen to you and check your
thinking. It is human nature to become, at times, emotional when our own child is
involved. A third party can help sort the emotion from the fact, and can assist in
selecting a problem- solving path.
● A third party could also facilitate a three-way conference. In this case, it is
important that the third party be mutually acceptable.
● A tendency on the part of a parent who is also a teacher is to be overtly
judgmental and critical, especially if the style or philosophy of the child’s teacher
is different from their own. Therefore, have an open mind and look for some
positive things the child is learning. After all, children will be forced to learn to
deal with a variety of different types of people in their lives. Help your child
begin this learning now. Who knows, maybe you might learn something also.
● Remember that you are a parent first and foremost – your child needs you to be an
ally.
● Other reflections about teaching in the same school as your child:
○ Be sure to separate your role as parent and your role as faculty member when
dealing with your child’s peer group.
○ Be ready to listen and help your child sort out issues that may come up when
they are treated badly by other students because they are a “teacher’s kid.”
○ Be careful when sharing family stories in class because they may reflect back
on your child, making her/him vulnerable to teasing, etc.
○ Keep your child out of the “near occasion” of a problem:
■ faculty parties
■ faculty lounge or faculty eating area
■ allowing or encouraging child using first names of teachers
○ Avoid talking about sensitive school issues at home.
○ Try not to rescue your child when they forget their lunch money, etc. The
transition when you are not around is that much harder.
○ Try to make sure that they have the same advantages and disadvantages other
students have.
○ Be ready to give up the idea of field trip chaperoning.

Ls Professional Handbook 2017-18

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Оригинальное название

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Ls Professional Handbook 2017-18

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Lincoln School Professional

1 November 16, 2017

● Experiencing and understanding diversity enriches life and learning.

2 November 16, 2017

To become a passionate learner a student needs:

Lincoln Confident and Competent Pursuer of Dreams Learner Profile

A confident and competent pursuer of dreams is:

3 November 16, 2017

Lincoln Global Citizen and Leader Profile

To act as a global citizen a student understands:

To act as a global citizen a student is able to:

To act as a global citizen a student possesses following values and attitudes:

Lincoln Steward of the Environment Learner Profile

Environmental stewardship is an important and essential aspect of Global Citizenship.

A steward of the environment:

5 November 16, 2017

Review Cycle 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23

Year 1 Math Social Studies Language Arts Science Visual and

Year 2 Visual and Math Social Studies Language Arts Science

Year 3 Science Visual and Math Social Studies Language

Year 4 Language Science Visual and Math Social Studies

6 November 16, 2017

Year 5 Social Studies Language Science Visual and Math

The Curriculum Review Process

Goal: Create the What does the mission Review team

7 November 16, 2017

Are there any

Goal: Full What else should we be Continuing discussion Changes in teaching

10 November 16, 2017

Individual Professional Growth

NESA Teacher Representative

LEARNING AT LINCOLN SCHOOL

Assessment for Learning at Lincoln School

Assessment practice at Lincoln School is guided by the following general principles:

12 November 16, 2017

Exemplary Student demonstrates a rarely achieved high level of mastery of the

Meeting Student demonstrates thorough mastery of the standards.

Approaching Student demonstrates basic mastery of the standards.

Beginning Student demonstrates initial mastery of the standards.

13 November 16, 2017

Reporting practice at Lincoln School is guided by the following general principles:

Lincoln School Assessment Essential Agreements

Homework, where it is given, should be as differentiated as instruction. Where homework is

Homework, whether assigned as practice, preparation or independent learning, should not be

SECONDARY SCHOOL REPORT CARD EXPECTATIONS

16 November 16, 2017

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL REPORT CARD EXPECTATIONS

SECONDARY SCHOOL CLOSURE EXPECTATIONS

17 November 16, 2017

In the event of a school closure:

When school is in session, secondary teachers will:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLOSURE EXPECTATIONS

● Teachers will be sending an email with instructions by 8:15am.

ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY

18 November 16, 2017

● Plagiarism - Plagiarism is the practice of knowingly using someone else’s words

MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPLORATORY PROGRAM

Middle School Exploratories offer students important opportunities to participate in the

As a result of their participation in the Exploratories Program,

19 November 16, 2017

Students will be able to:

SECONDARY ADVISORY PROGRAM

Role of the Advisor