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Staff ABC’s

Important Information highlighted in Yellow

New Information for 2019-2020 highlighted in Green

Due Dates will be highlighted in Red.

A’s
Academically Gifted Students

Students identified as Academically Intellectual Gifted (AIG) are entitled to services outlined in the AIG plan. Carly
Williams (cjwilliams) is our AIG teacher. She is here part time and at Smith Elementary. There are set windows for AIG
nominations. AIG students may also be ‘clustered’ into one specific class. This is not an advanced class. It’s a regular
curriculum class with AIG students in it. The curriculum must not change. Clustering allows teachers to more Easily
differentiate for a group and for our AIG teacher to have access to them in one setting. Also, if a parent asks about Single
Subject Acceleration (testing into a higher-grade level for one subject), please refer the parent to Ms. Williams. There is a
specific protocol and time frame for this as well.

Accidents

If a student is injured or if a student reports to a staff member that he/she has been injured at school, the staff member
completes an accident form (#2903) found online and emails the form to tnobles and cgrogan. Please do not leave any
student who states they are hurt unattended. Students should not walk alone to receive medical treatment. An adult should
stay with the student until medical treatment arrives.

If a student or adult is seriously hurt, do not wait for official permission to call 911. Call for help immediately and then
inform the office.

If a staff member is injured while performing his/her professional responsibilities, the incident should be reported to Ms.
Nobles, Lead Secretary, promptly. It is extremely important that the injury form is completed in full, including
having your supervisor sign the back. Staff has 24 hours after the accident to fill out the injury form and have it
to Ms. Nobles. Any information not provided may result in a delay in filing the claim. Describe in as much
detail as possible how the injury occurred and the injuries that were sustained. If your injury requires medical
attention, the attendant on duty will direct you to one of the medical facilities approved by the Workers’
Compensation providers. Failure to do so could result in a delay in payment to the provider, as well as result in
you being responsible for full payment of any and/or all medical bills. When seeking medical treatment, it is
imperative that you notify the medical facility that this is a work-related injury. The provider should contact the
Worker’s Compensation office for billing information. You should not have to pay for medical services at one
of the approved medical facilities. Staff can only go to certain urgent cares for treatment. See Ms. Nobles for
the list.

Advanced Classes

Board policy prevents middle schools from leveling classes according to student performance with the
exceptions of Math and Special Education resource courses. Students are placed in math classes based upon
EVAAS scores and performance criteria. A new state law enacted in June 2018 stated that any student who
scores a 5 on the EOG shall be placed in the advanced option for the next school year. For example, if a student
makes a 5 on the Math 6 EOG and they were not enrolled in the Math 6+ class, the student would be placed in

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Math 7+. Parents can waive into a higher class or lower math class than is recommended by completing a
waiver application.

AIG and Special Education students may be clustered into a specific class but the whole class instruction should
not be leveled. We should not place students who are not identified as AIG or Sped in these classes. If a parent
says, “I want my child in advanced classes”, the appropriate response is “we don’t have advanced classes except
for math”. The AIG cluster in Language Arts does not make it an advanced class. The ICR cluster does not
make it a remedial class.

After-School Detention

After-School Detention (ASD) will be in effect for 2019-2020. You will be sent an email inviting you to sign up for one
afternoon slot of ASD. ASD will begin in late September and run every Thursday from 3:15 to 5:00. The staff member
must stay until all students have been picked up by their parent. Each certified staff member is expected to sign up for two
ASD slots per year. It is the responsibility of the staff member to arrange coverage if a conflict interferes. The teacher
who assigns the ASD to the student is responsible for contacting the student’s parent to ensure transportation
arrangements. Do not assign students to detention on the day of the detention.

Agendas

Students must carry their agenda at all times. There is space in the back to use as a hall pass. Students must have their
agenda dated, time stamped, and signed by a teacher even when walking from class to class. Students will be returned to
class to get it signed. No pass return to class! The cost of a lost agenda is $5.00. Students need to see Ms. Nobles to
purchase one.

Arrival: Students

Students will be allowed in the building at 7:45. Students have two options: 1) breakfast, lockers, homeroom or 2)
lockers, homeroom. Teachers must be in their classrooms or at their duty station no later than 7:45. If students need to go
to the media center before school, they will go to their Tiger Den (Homeroom) class and get a pass. Each teacher can
send up to 2 students at a time to the media center with a pass. Students should get water/restrooms/lockers prior to
arriving in their Tiger Den class. A student will need a signed pass to leave Tiger Den.

Teachers should greet each student at the door upon their arrival. A shared google document or other page should be
electronically displayed to provide students with a list of what is due that day in each core class, team information, a list
of which students need to report to which core teacher to make up assignments/retests/etc. Once most students arrive,
teachers should circulate to assist students while maintaining an eye on the hallway.

After 7:45, teachers should not be making copies or other tasks that take them from the classroom. In the rare case when a
teacher must leave the classroom during arrival time, a staff member on duty in the hallway should be asked to supervise.
At no time should students in class be left alone.

For the first few days of school, we will have an alternative schedule to take care of those back to school items. A
schedule will be sent out the week of 08-20-19.

Assemblies

A limited number of school assemblies will be held throughout the school year. For an assembly to be effective, the
following procedures are essential:

1. All faculty members are expected to report to the location of the assembly whenever an assembly is scheduled.
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2. Most assemblies last approximately 50 minutes. Once your class is called to the location of the assembly, please
move to your assigned section as quickly as possible to avoid program delays.
3. Student seating will be arranged by teachers within their assigned area.
4. Once the program begins, teachers are asked to sit with their classes.
5. Dismissal will be by sections. Please have students remain seated until their section is dismissed.
6. Students are to walk in single file.

Athletic Supervision

Each staff member is to supervise three athletic events, one in each season: fall, winter, and spring. You are to stay for the
entire event through parent pick up. If you sign up for an event and realize you have a schedule conflict, you are
responsible for finding a replacement.

Announcements

Daily announcements will be delivered in several ways. They will be broadcasted on television monitors with the bus
departures. They will also be broadcasted via our TNN – Tiger News Network. All staff should show these broadcasts on
the day specified. In the morning, Mr. Murphy will make important announcements beginning at 8:30. Announcements
from staff should be turned in to Nobles or Murphy at least two days prior to when announcement needs to be read.
Teachers are encouraged to use the morning announcements to recognize students. Afternoon announcements will be for
bus changes and major notifications. Only in emergencies will the intercom be used during the instructional day.

Attendance: Students

All attendance MUST be entered into PowerSchool or handed into the office via a hard copy by 8:45 a.m. daily.
Attendance procedures will be given during the opening school year meeting. If you become concerned about a student’s
attendance, please contact the grade level counselor or our RBMS Social Worker. Any attendance notes must be left in the
office before you leave for the day. Please forward any emails that are attendance related to Jeff Caprio.

Hard copy rosters will be handed out monthly by Mr. Caprio or anytime there is a roster change. Please notify Jeff Caprio
for all roster changes not listed on the form. Class rosters are kept for one month and then returned to Caprio when you
get a new one. Teachers should keep paper copies to be used by your substitute or when PS is down.

If a student comes to your class after you have completed your attendance, please make sure they have checked in through
the office and have a white slip. Please make sure that all requests for excused absences are handed into the office and
signed by the parent.

Attendance: Staff

School Day: Faculty members should be in their classrooms or at their duty station at 7:45 a.m. Support staff hours vary.
The school day for faculty members ends when all professional obligations are completed. Plan to stay at least until 3:30
PM as a general guideline. This applies even if you do not have a class at the end of the day. Any staff not directly
responsible for students at 3:00 will be assigned after-school duty. We need staff sufficiently spread around the building
to monitor the halls. Before you leave your room each day, you should ensure: windows are locked, computers are turned
off, classroom are tidy, pencil sharpeners are emptied, and chairs are put up.

Staff members should avoid absences during high volume testing windows whenever possible and on required workdays.
On teacher workdays, the hours typically are 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., unless prior arrangements have been made for
alternate hours. The individual teacher will set his/her own lunch hour unless there is a planned all-day activity.

Procedure for Arriving Late on Campus: If it is necessary to arrive late to work, please contact Ms. Nobles (919-694-
8690) as quickly as possible. Let Ms. Nobles know as soon as you arrive on campus. Please note it is difficult to arrange
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sub coverage if you are late and we often must pull staff members. This can create negative feelings when staff members
spend their planning covering for peers.

Procedure for Leaving Campus During the School Day: Staff members are expected to be at school for the entire
school day. When a staff member needs to leave campus for a personal situation, he or she should make arrangements to
have instructional and non–instructional duties covered and notify an administrator and front office of the
arrangements. If the staff member is successful in arranging coverage, no substitute will be called, provided it is only for
a short amount of time (less than 1 ½ hours). If a substitute must be called, a whole or half-day will be taken from your
leave balance. A teacher should not cover two classes during one period. In the case of an illness or emergency, Ms.
Nobles will assist to arrange coverage. When leaving campus for any period of time, staff must sign out in the front office,
administrator’s office and sign in upon return. You may text your administrator as you leave and return so your
administrator can sign you out. Do not schedule personal appointments during the school day (7:45 – 3:30)!

Request for Leave: Follow the procedure indicated on the updated Request for Leave form to schedule an absence.
Professional leave forms should be completed in advance. Staff development taken at the district or state level should
have a direct link to the assigned curricular area. When you attend the workshop, you will be given a signed leave form
with proper budget code. This form should be returned to Mrs. Nobles upon your return to school. Leave forms for
annual (vacation) leave should be filled out before days are taken. Annual leave days may be taken only on workdays that
are not protected. Requests for personal days should be made two weeks prior to the day to be off and should not be
requested for a required workday. All leave must be approved in advance by Mrs. Weddle, except unexpected
illness. Sick leave forms should be completed following an illness and turned in to Mrs. Nobles. All sick leave forms
should be submitted with 24 hours after returning to campus.

Procedure for Securing a Substitute: Faculty members and teacher assistants should contact Aesop, the substitute
employee management system, when they are to be absent from school. Early notification is helpful when securing a
substitute. Teachers must notify the system and Mrs. Nobles when they know in advance they will be absent from school
due to workshops, planned appointments, etc. If the absence is unplanned, staff members should record absence in Aesop
as early as possible and call Ms. Luz to leave a message before 7:00 a.m. (919) 694-8690. The absence will be coded as a
sick day unless arrangements have been made to take a personal day or annual leave.

Substitute Teacher Procedures: Please make sure you leave detailed plans for your guest teacher. These plans need to
include the same info as listed below. Emergency plans should be for use in the event of a true emergency. To provide
better service to students by a guest teacher during planned and unplanned absences, all teachers must complete a
substitute teacher folder to be kept on file in the office. The folder should be submitted to Ms. Nobles by Sept. 13, 2019.
Please update the folder as necessary. The materials in the folder will only be used in the case of an emergency. The
folder should contain:

▪ Class roll and seating chart

▪ Attendance roster to be handed in to Caprio.
▪ Universal and appropriate, easy-to-implement plans and directions
▪ Text references, guides, manuals, answer sheets (or where to find them)
▪ Necessary forms (discipline, etc.)
▪ Emergency routes and procedures
▪ Daily schedule including timeline be specific with time
▪ Extra duties for teacher/substitute
▪ School map
▪ Designated student helpers
▪ List of team/department members
▪ Medical, physical, learning or behavioral needs of students – For example, while I would not divulge confidential
information about a student, you can write “Johnny may need to see Ms. McClendon if he is having difficulty.
Please send him to room 212 by signing his agenda pass”.
▪ Special procedures for restroom, lockers, cafeteria etc.

Support for Teammates and Department mates: Team members and department members are expected to touch base
with substitutes on the team or in the department to be sure that the substitute has everything needed and knows who to
contact for assistance during the day. If a ‘guest teacher’ is struggling, please inform the grade level administrator.
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Teacher Assistants and Clerical: Hours vary. Your hours include a 30-minute non-working lunch and a 15-minute
break. Timesheet should reflect this 30-minute non-working lunch. Full time support staff members are required to
attend faculty meetings. Support staff are not permitted to exceed 40 hours per week unless prior approval is granted by
the principal. Timesheets must be completed daily and must be submitted to Mrs. Nobles per deadlines for her to
complete payroll by the deadline. Timesheets cannot reflect working from home.

Attorneys

Wake County Public School System is represented by Tharrington Smith. If attorneys contact you personally about
students, please refer them to the principal without giving them any information they are seeking. Any written requests for
records or other information should also be sent to the principal. If an attorney shows up for a meeting, stop the meeting
immediately and inform me or a grade level administrator. Parents who are attorneys do not require any extra steps unless
the parent begins acting like an attorney (quoting case law, talking about student rights, etc.). If you are uneasy, please
have an administrator sit in the meeting.

Auditorium Sign Up

Contact Ms. Nobles to sign up for the auditorium. Priority is given to the Arts program. The Arts Program needs to
schedule the auditorium with Ms. Nobles as well.

B’s
Bathrooms:

Staff bathroom are locked. Your room key should fit the locks. If someone is in the staff bathroom, your key will not
work. Student bathrooms need to be monitored. Staff should make it a routine practice to check bathrooms. If you need
to enter the student bathroom of an opposite sex, announce yourself and let them know you are coming in. Give them a
minute to finish unless you hear sounds of a fight or smell smoke, cigarettes, etc.

Students should not be given passes to the bathroom within the first and last ten minutes of the class period.

Bell to Bell Instruction:

Students should immediately begin working once in your classroom. Teachers are expected to provide a warm up or
activity to ground students. Students should not pack up before the bell rings. At the end of the day, band students may
leave at 2:58 to get their instrument. In no case should a teacher or guest instructor release students prior to the bell
sounding.

Bomb Threat Procedures

Upon notification of a bomb threat, immediately cease the use of radio communication devices and cell phones.
The intercom system will NOT be used. After receiving a bomb threat, administrators and office personnel will follow
the “Bomb Threat Plan” for tracing the call and notifying law enforcement officials. If there is any indication of imminent
danger, a decision will be made to evacuate immediately. If a decision is made to evacuate, standard fire drill procedures
will be followed. Immediately begin to evacuate the building using your normal fire drill exits. Occupants should return
to the building only when directed by WCPSS Security Staff. If relocation to another school is necessary, you will be
given instructions. YOUR RED CRISIS BAG AND ROLL BOOK SHOULD BE TAKEN OUTSIDE DURING ALL
BOMB THREATS AND DRILLS.

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Book Bags

Students are encouraged to bring book bags to school especially as we do not have enough lockers for students. It is up to
the individual teacher whether or not to allow bookbags into the classroom. Students who forgo lockers should be allowed
to bring book bags into the classroom. Students should not have a book bag on wheels unless there is a disability or
documented health reason. Book bags can fit in the lockers.

Budget

The Leadership/SIP Team will determine the budget for departments and teams. If purchasing requests are needed, the
purchase request form (received from the bookkeeper) should be signed by the Grade Level Chair or department chair,
indicating that the team has agreed that the purchase is necessary for the fulfillment of PLT and school goals.

Any instructional supply funds are to be used for instructional supplies and materials only. The bookkeeper is the only
staff authorized to contact vendors and place orders. All requests should be submitted on the official order request form
with vendor information, pricing and tax, shipping estimates and a statement about the purpose for the materials
requested. We must pay NC sales tax, even if the vendor offers not to charge it. Schools are not tax-exempt organizations.
These forms must be completed for approval and verification of sufficient funds prior to ordering.

The purchasing credit card may be used to purchase various instructional items that are not available through the WCPSS
warehouse. Each staff member using the purchasing card must complete the purchasing card Employee Agreement Form
and turn it into the bookkeeper. The requesting staff member will then be able to sign out the purchasing card. The
original receipt must be turned in for proper accounting when returning the purchasing card. The purchasing card must be
returned the same day. The staff member must also sign that they are returning the purchasing card. A fee is charged to
the school for lost purchasing cards. Staff members may be responsible for this fee.

Receipts for items purchased for reimbursement (prior approval is necessary) must ONLY show items that are for school
use. Store receipts cannot also have personal items listed that are bought at that time. You must provide justification for
your purchase, employee number and signature. This should be completed when the receipts are submitted.

Packing slips are to be signed and given to the bookkeeper as soon as a package is delivered and before the package is
taken from the office.

Bell Schedules 2019-2020:

6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade

7:45 Arrival 7:45 Arrival 7:45 Arrival
8:15-8:35 Tiger Den 8:15-8:35 Tiger Den 8:15-8:35 Tiger Den
8:35-9:35 Core 1 8:35-9:35 Core 1 8:35-9:35 Core 1
9:38-10:38 Core 2 9:38-11:15 Core 2 9:39-10:24 Elective 1
10:41-12:15 Core 3 10:00-10:25 Lunch Orange 10:28-11:13 Elective 2
11:09 - 11:39 Lunch Orange 10:35 - 11:00 Lunch Green 11:17-12:17 Core 2
11:45 - 12:15 Lunch Green 11:19 - 12:04 Elective 1 12:21-1:54 Core 3
12:19 - 1:20 Core 4 + lockers 12:08 - 12:53 Elective 2 12:35 - 1:05 Lunch Orange
1:24-2:09 Elective 1 12:57 - 1:57 Core 3 1:05-1:35 Lunch Green
2:13-3:00 Elective 2 2:00-3:00 Core 4 1:58 - 3:00 Core 4
3:00 Dismissal 3:00 Dismissal 3:00 Dismissal

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Building Availability and Entry

The building will open at 6:30 each morning. It is the responsibility of teachers to ensure windows and doors are
locked when you leave for the evening and when you leave the classroom for a period which could reasonably
permit unwanted visits. When you leave the building, please make sure that the door is shut behind you. While we
know that you may have classes outside, no door should be propped open for reentry. The same applies for leaving the
door open for others to enter. This is a serious safety violation. If you arrange a parent conference before 7:45, you will
need to arrange for a team member to let the parent into the building. Our office hours are 7:45 – 4:00.

C’s
Cafeteria

Breakfast is available to all students starting at 7:45 a.m. Students should go directly to breakfast upon arrival at school.
Students will get their breakfast and report to their Tiger Den. Bags will be provided for trash.

In preparation for lunch, each teacher should accompany his/her students to and from the cafeteria unless otherwise
specified. It is important that you arrive on time and leave on time. Arriving or leaving two minutes late causes severe
problems in the cafeteria. Although an entire grade level can be seated at one time, we want to ensure that the serving
lines are not too long. Teams should assign students to help keep the cafeteria clean. WCPSS approved the following
meal prices for the current school year:

Meal Prices

Breakfast Lunch
Full Price: $1.50 Full Price: $3.00
Reduced Price: free Reduced Price .40

While in the cafeteria, duty teachers should ensure students do not enter the gym area. Students must raise their hand to
gain permission to get water/use the restroom.

Sixth graders should walk outside of the gray blocks when going to the gym. Eighth graders should use the green and
orange hallway stairs to travel to and from the cafeteria. Seventh graders should use the main staircase.

Calendar

A calendar of events will be maintained by Mrs. Nobles. This calendar includes school activities such as field trips, team
events, concerts, school pictures, faculty meetings, staff development, etc. Staff members should notify Mrs. Nobles
immediately when they know of events that should be included on the calendar, via email, and especially when there is a
need for a specific meeting place such as the gym, media center, conference room, auditorium, etc. Please note: Facilities
need at least two weeks to make any changes to the air conditioning or heating requirements for the building. If you
schedule a program at the last minute, you will not be guaranteed a comfortable school environment. We will update the
school website on a regular basis. Calendar information should also be provided to Nobles for updates.

A minimum of 2 weeks’ notice must be given to ALL STAFF when scheduling any event or performances during the
instructional day. These must also be pre-approved by administration.

Candy/Gum/Special Treats: Refer to Board Policy on Heathy Students.

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Cell Phones: Staff

Staff cell phones should not be visible or used in hallways, transition, or anytime around students. Staff cell phones
should be on silent if kept in the classroom and not used for instruction. Blue Tooth accessories should not be visible. The
only exception is when staff is providing extracurricular supervision. During professional development, staff meetings,
parent conferences, etc., phones should be not be utilized.

Cell Phones: Students

Students are permitted to use cell phones in the cafeteria and otherwise specified by teachers. Students are not allowed to
take pictures in the cafeteria. Cellphones, Headphones, earbuds, BEATS, etc. should not be visible or used in hallways or
transitions. Classroom use depends upon teacher permission.

Child Abuse

If any staff member has reason to suspect that a child has been abused, he/she MUST report the situation to the principal,
assistant principal, or the counselors, so that the appropriate referral can be made to the Department of Social Services.
This information is to be kept confidential and not shared with other staff members. This is state law and mandatory
compliance is expected.

Class coverage:

It is part of your professional duty to assist with covering other classes should the need arise. As a new school, we may
not have built up a substitute pool. We will make every effort to utilize our substitutes as effectively as possible.
However, cold season and NCAA basketball tournament time invariably leaves us short on guest instructors.

Class Pets

Class pets are allowed if they are securely contained in a cage or housing unit with a secure top that does not allow the
animal to leave on its own. The cage must be small enough to be housed on a counter or shelf. The health needs of all the
students in the class and electives must be taken into consideration when deciding on a class pet. The permission of the
principal must be obtained prior to having a class pet. Animals with fur or dander can cause health risks to some students
and will be an exception rather than a general allowance. Students should wash hands immediately after handling class
pets. Floors and counters around pet cages should be cleaned frequently to prevent buildup of debris. This is the classroom
teacher’s responsibility.

Code Red (See Intruder Drills)

If you see a person on campus who is not wearing a WCPSS badge or a Visitor’s tag, please notify the front office
immediately. Be specific about location, identifying dress or features of the person, and anything else pertinent to know.

Code Tiger

In case of an emergency when you need all available personnel immediately, call the front office and say, “Code Tiger”.
This will then be broadcasted via walkie-talkie to administration and pertinent personnel. This is only to be used when
you believe there is an immediate and serious physical threat to someone’s safety.

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Committees

At RBMS, we use the term Task Force instead of committee. Committees are overused, overworked, and often meet just
to say they met. Task Forces are designed to align with our School Improvement Goals. Each faculty member must sign
up for at least one Task Force and attendance at Task Force meetings are mandatory. Task Forces will meet as necessary
until their goal and all related work is completed.

Communication

Email should be checked at least twice per day. Please understand that all e-mails are public records and therefore
should remain professional in content and tone. WCPSS e-mail should not be used for personal purposes.

Please notify the front office if you are moving your class to another location for the period or day. Be sure to leave a
phone # if you are outside. We need to know locations at all time in case parents come to check out their child.

A general voicemail is sent to all parents and staff each week. A transcript of the voice mail will be posted to our school’s
website. There are times you may have information that should be included for the broad family community. Keep in
mind that voicemails should be limited in time. Anything you would like to include in these weekly voicemails should be
e-mailed to Mrs. Nobles no later than 3:30 PM each Wednesday. Unless there is an emergency, telephone messages for
staff will be sent via e-mail or placed in your mailbox.

Communication with Parents/Families

At RBMS, our goal is to respond to parent requests either by phone or email within 24 hours (or 1 business day) of the
original request. Parents should receive a response within 48 hours at the latest! Your response might be “I’ll look into it”
in order to give yourself time to fully answer the concern. If this is not possible, please notify an administrator to help
facilitate a timely response. It is expected all RBMS staff make concerted efforts to engage in regular “positive only”
communication (phone, e-mail, notes) with families of all students they teach. This goes a long way in helping to build
positive relationships with our students and their families and helps make school a highly desirable place to learn. Faculty
members should also maintain a file of correspondence in the team notebook. If needed, the administration is available to
answer any questions about the correspondence before sending it out.

All teachers will create a website for parental and student access. These will be linked on our website next to the teacher’s
name. These websites should be viable for parent use by September 13th. The websites should be updated on a weekly
basis and include a calendar of events, grading policy, homework expectation, electronic resources, and teacher contact
information at a minimum. Keep documentation of all communication with parents. Inform parents and counselor when a
student is achieving below a C and/or has 4 absences. You cannot depend on a parent accessing PowerSchool’s parent
portal. Send an opening letter for your classes. Consider sending weekly emails to all parents. If a parent wants an
individual conference with you, schedule one as soon as possible. We don’t have to meet as a team if there are only issues
in one or two classes.

Communication with Colleagues

Make meeting facilitators aware when you can’t attend a meeting, even when absent from school. This should be done at
the earliest moment possible.

Respond to colleague emails within 24 hours. This means you need to check your email periodically throughout the day.

When a faculty member requests information, send it as soon as possible. Honor timelines. If you have concerns about the
information, go directly to the faculty member.

Professional Learning Teams are an important instructional tool for educators and required by Board Policy to be held
weekly for at least 60 minutes. Be a team player. Support each other and especially new teachers. Share best practices and

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resources. Share the work load. Contribute meaningfully to your PLT. If you have feedback on a colleague’s plan, share it
with them first.

If a colleague upsets you, go to him/her directly with your concerns. If the two of you cannot reach an understanding, seek
a ‘neutral’ third party such as a team leader, department chair, or counselor. If these two meetings don’t result in a
resolution, an administrator will mediate. Please note administrative resolutions will keep what’s best for all students in
mind as a priority.

Cover classes when asked to do so. Your assistance and willingness to help is noticed by all and appreciated. Your
avoidance is also noticed.

Gossip and complaining poison the workplace.

Conference Rooms

Conference rooms in the administration wing and student services are available for meetings or conferences. Please sign
up on the calendar located inside each conference room.

Confidentiality

Most of a student’s information is confidential and can only be shared with limited people. To be sure you are
inadvertently sharing confidential information with another, please follow the following guidelines:
• Do not discuss a student with another student unless you are getting one student’s perspective.
• Do not discuss a student with another student’s parent.
• Do not send an email with a student’s full name – emails are public information
• Do not reply to an email without knowing everyone you are replying to.
• Do not forward a parent’s email to staff while including the parent in the copy without letting the staff know you
have done so. “Mrs. Smith, I am forwarding your email to our team. You are included in the communication so
teachers may respond to you individually or share information with all of us.”
• Do not discuss a student with a colleague with the doors open or within earshot of another person (student or
staff).
• Do not refer to a student’s status such as AIG, Special Education, Homeless, 504, ESL, etc.

Confiscated Items

Items confiscated by staff members i.e. cell phones, electronics, etc. are the responsibility of the staff member until they
are receipted in the front office. These items should be turned into the office for safekeeping as soon as possible. If
confiscated, the item should be labeled with the student’s name and the date. A parent should be contacted by the staff
member who confiscated the item. The teacher must write a referral for the student in ECATs. Typically, we allow a child
to pick up the item at the end of the day for a first offense. Teachers and administrators will not spend inordinate amounts
of time locating lost or stolen electronic devices.

Copies

You will be assigned a 3-digit copy code to be given access to the copy machine on your grade level floor. These are
located in the Green Hall work room and the Teacher’s lounge. Please see Ms. Kenney for your code. We are hoping to
have volunteers who will copy for staff. Until we do, office staff will make the copies using the large copiers. Please
complete the form in the mail room. You can pick up your copies in the mail room. Please plan for your copying needs. It
is difficult for office staff to stop and take care of your emergency copying needs. Do NOT copy class sets or student sets
off a computer printer. This is too expensive! Initially there will not be limits on the number of copies available to you via
the volunteers/main office, although we will be keeping count of each teacher’s usage. There are limits on the smaller
11
copiers. The main office copiers are OFF LIMITS. No one should use these copiers at any time unless permission is
granted by an administrator!

Courier Mail/Postal Mail

Courier Mail delivers twice a week and the US Postal Service deliver to RBMS daily. Mail and Courier bins can be found
in the front office. Be sure to check your mailbox at least daily. Office staff is prohibited from selling stamps but come
see me (I always have a few to spare – yes, I bought them with my own money).

Course Objectives

As we are continuing to implement the Common Core and Essential Standards, we will continue to write the course
objective and class agenda on the board for each lesson. I know most you are already do this but this will be an
expectation beginning August 28th. The objectives should be written directly from the curriculum but you can use any
format you would like, which can include but is not limited to SIOP styles, SWBAT (students will be able to), etc. The
course objectives should be reviewed at the start of the lesson and is a great way to monitor progress at the end of the
lesson with a ticket out the door, thumbs up/thumbs down, reflections, etc. The objectives should be written so students
can understand. All students should be able to explain what is the lesson goal.

Crisis Situation See Code Tiger above.

All staff members are to be familiar with the Crisis Plan developed each school year. In case of a life-threatening
emergency, call (9-911) and immediately notify the main office. Staff should try to remain calm and in control always
especially in front of students. Take appropriate actions to care for the students at the scene. Send a student to get help.
Verbal communication should not be overheard or misinterpreted by students or other non-responders. Always account
for students that you are responsible for during that time.

Cumulative Records

Cumulative folders provide a wide collection of material relating to a student’s personal, physical, and educational
program. Cumulative folders are for our use as we plan for the instructional program of our students. Teachers are
responsible for reviewing the information available in their students’ folders prior to the arrival of students. Students who
have a confidential folder (red, green, yellow, pink, or purple) have additional classified material related to their school
program as outlined below.

Yellow: Initial placement in AG

Person responsible: AG Coordinator

Green: Initial placement in special program areas

Person responsible: Special education teacher

Pink: Student Support Team; referred for special education screening

Person responsible: Student Support Team

Red: Did not qualify for services OR exited services

Person responsible: Student Support Team

Purple: 504 plan

Person Responsible: 504 Coordinator, Grade Level Counselor

Maintenance of Cumulative Records: Cumulative folders are the responsibility of the classroom teacher. Folders are to
be used in the building during the day and must be returned to student services by the end of the day. Cumulative records
12
are legal documents and must be kept in proper order. Please refer to the arrangement of materials information found in
the records’ room. Cumulative records are confidential and should never be left unattended or discussed with anyone
outside of those staff members who need access to this information for instructional purposes.

No one can take a student file out of the record room without signing the log book. All records need to be signed back in
by the end of the day. Any issues with files need to be reported to Ms. Marrero.

Custodial Services

We have two full time custodians, Yolanda Stewart, Head Custodian, and Ronnie Lucas, during the day and contracted
crews in the evenings. Custodial services have been cut at all schools over the past few years. We can help keep RBMS
clean and beautiful by following these suggestions:

• When large spills occur, place paper towels on the spill and call the front office. For minor spills, please wipe them up or have a
student do so.
• Do not allow red or grape fruit punch or juice to be consumed on carpeted areas.
• Do not allow any tape to be used on carpet or walls.
• To facilitate vacuuming, please pick up pencils, paper clips, etc. at the end of the school day.
• Place all trashcans by the classroom door at the end of the day.
• If your trash is overflowing, empty your trash can in the bins located in the hallway. Do not allow trash to pile up.
• Monitor bathroom activities and report problems to the office.
• Encourage students to keep their hands and feet off the walls.
• Encourage students to clean up after themselves inside and outside.
• Have students place their chairs on their desk at the end of the school day.
• No students should have Sharpies or other permanent markers at school.

D’s
Days

When is a day not a day? When in WCPSS! Different days utilized in our school system.

Instructional Day – runs from 8:15 to 3:00 each day students are in the building, except weather modified days

School Day – refers to all 180 days students are in the building

Calendar Day – refers to all 365 days in the calendar

Work Day – refers to the days students are not in the school but instructional and support staff (employed 100%) are

Business Day – refers to Monday through Friday, not including Holidays (but do include vacations)

Detention:

See After-School Detention

Discipline, Class Management, and Supervision

Students are expected to respect the authority of the school staff and abide by the rules and regulations set forth in the
WCPSS Code of Student Conduct, as well as RBMS rules. We will continue to develop our discipline plan for 2019-

13
2020 as we get to know our students. We identified a leveled system of student actions and appropriate staff reactions as
an initial start. The team will continue to work with staff to develop processes and strategies to clarify and recognize
appropriate Tiger procedures and behaviors. Staff cannot skip a level in the pyramid without administrator approval.

We are continuing our Reflect and Reset process where instead of students being removed from the classroom, the
Restorative process will occur in the classroom. Each classroom should have a desk designated for Tiger Talk (our version
of rethinking their behavior). An administrator or staff member will come to the classroom when a teacher calls for
assistance. The staff member will either take over teaching or work directly with the student on the restorative questions.
The goal is keeping students in the classroom. The staff member may need to stay in the classroom with the student.
Removal from instruction is the LAST RESORT!

In addition to the school wide plan, each team and individual classroom teacher should work with students to establish
routine procedures for their respective areas based upon the principles of restorative practices. These rules should govern
the daily operations to promote student success and enhance overall grade level halls and classroom management. When
behavior patterns disrupt the learning climate of the school or the safety and welfare of individuals, it will become a
matter that involves the student, teacher, parent, and administrator as deemed appropriate.

Touching students as a disciplinary measure is a highly sensitive issue. Staff members should avoid such situations as
much as possible. This includes blocking or preventing students from leaving the classroom. Also, staff members should
not place students in a time out situation that is outside the teacher’s view. This includes the teacher’s workroom and
outside of the classroom. Students should not be out of their classes because of their behavior in an academic setting, nor
should they be withheld from elective and PE classes as a consequence for inappropriate behaviors. Teachers should not
hold students after class without the permission of the teachers whose classes the students will miss.

Students should rarely be excused from classrooms. Students do not need to travel with a buddy unless the student is
hurt. When excused, he/she must have a signed agenda hall pass even if they are going to the next classroom. All
teachers and assistants are responsible and accountable for knowing where their students are from the time they arrive
until they depart from campus. When students are permitted to leave their classroom to go to another area individually or
in a small group, make sure that they know where they are to go, how to get there and when they are to return. If this is
not a prearranged movement, do not send students to another teacher without first assuring there is a teacher to receive
them. All staff members have the right and responsibility to correct students for inappropriate behavior observed when
the assigned teacher is not present.

All teachers and other staff members are expected to supervise all students in and out of class. This includes before
school, transition times, media center visits, fieldtrips, and other after school and off campus activities. Staff members are
asked to sign-up to assist with supervision at athletic events three times per year. Failure to sign up will result in you
being assigned to certain events and can reflect negatively in your evaluation.

Dismissal:

All students will remain in their last period except for band students who will be allowed to go to the band room at 2:58.
Students will stay in the band room until dismissal. Major announcements via the intercom will occur at 2:59. Other
announcements are posted on the screen with bus information. The dismissal bell will sound at 3:00. With the bell, we
will dismiss carpoolers, walkers, and buses that have arrived.

Buses will be called via a shared Google Doc found on our school’s website. Each teacher must show bus dismissal via
the google doc and flatscreens at the end of the day. Students must wait until their route is posted to leave the classroom,
not when the Where’s My Bus app says it arrives. Sometimes the bus is broken or the driver needs a bathroom break upon
arrival. It is imperative students are quiet so they may hear the announcements. It may also be helpful to have a student
write the routes on the whiteboard as they are announced and crossed off when they have left. When there is a guest
instructor on your team, assist them with accessing the bus screen or condense the classes among the teams. Make sure
you are refreshing the screen because sometimes it gets stuck and kids miss their bus.

Once most of the buses have left and we have fewer than 3 buses remaining, we will dismiss these students to the
auditorium where they will sit in their designated bus area. The department teachers who have duty that month will report
14
to the auditorium to continue supervising students until the buses arrive. Only send these students when the announcement
has been made.

We are a transportation tier 2 school which means our buses have already run a route and have another route to go after
our school. We should expect delays. Any delays that occur at our school will negatively impact the next school.

Any after school meetings, conferences, PD should not begin until most buses have left the campus, approximately 3:30.

Staff members should not plan on leaving campus until 3:45 at the earliest.

Displays

Classroom and hallway displays should reflect student learning, our theme, and enhance the instructional goals in your
classroom. They should change at least quarterly, depending on what you are teaching. In addition, hallway displays
should be clearly labeled with the title of the project, essential question or goal of the activity. Please do not use anything
but blue tape, masking tape, or removable sticky tape on the walls. Please do not use glue guns. Do not staple directly
onto the walls. No bulletin boards should be empty in classes or throughout the campus.

Doors

Classroom doors should be left unlocked and unobstructed during class. The class door window should remain completely
clear. When you are not in your classroom, please keep your classroom door locked. This will ensure the security of items
within your room. Personal belongings should be stored in a locked location at all times. Never prop an exterior door
open. Never allow entrance to a non-staff member or non-student through a side or cafeteria door. Require all guests to
report directly to the office and report all persons without a badge to the office immediately.

Dress Code (Students):

Policy Code: 4316 Student Dress Code

Students are expected to adhere to standards of dress and appearance. Our guiding principles for the
student dress code are similar to those experienced and expected in the workplace: attire that furthers
health and safety of students and staff, enables the educational process, and facilitates the operations of
the school. Parents are asked to partner with the school district to monitor student attire to help adhere
to the guiding principles set forth in the policy.

To promote these goals, students may not wear or carry clothing, jewelry, book bags, or other personal
articles that:

1. Depict profanity, vulgarity, obscenity, or violence;

2. Promote the use or abuse of alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs;

3. Are prohibited under Policy 4309 III-2 (Gang and Gang Related Activity) or any other provision
of the Code of Student Conduct;

4. Threaten the health or safety of staff or students; or

5. Are reasonably likely to create a substantial disruption of the educational process or operations
of the school.

Specifically:
15
 a) Students must wear clothing that covers their skin from chest to mid-thigh with opaque (non-
see-through) fabric in front, back, and on the sides.

b) Students must wear shoes at all times except when changing for physical education or athletic
practices or events or when specifically directed otherwise by a teacher or administrator.

c) Clothing must cover undergarments (waistbands and straps excluded).

d) Breasts, genitals and buttocks must be covered with opaque (non-see-through) fabric.

e) Clothing must be suitable for all scheduled classroom activities including physical education,
science labs, wood shop, and other activities where unique hazards exist.

f) Specialized courses may require specialized attire, such as sports uniforms or safety gear.

g) Head coverings (including hats, hoods, sweat bands, and bandanas) are generally prohibited in
the school building. However, students may wear head coverings in the school building as an
expression of sincerely held religious belief (e.g., hijabs or yarmulkes) or cultural expression (e.g.,
geles) or to reasonably accommodate medical or disability-related issues (e.g., protective helmets).

Enforcement: Any school dress code enforcement actions should minimize the potential loss of
educational time. When a school staff member or school administrator discusses a dress or grooming
violation with a student, the adult should be the same gender as the student if practicable. Staff concerns
about student attire should be discussed discretely and out of earshot of other students to the extent
practicable. Teachers or staff discussing a dress or grooming violation with a student should present
options for obtaining appropriate clothing (e.g., school clothing closet) or otherwise complying with this
dress code (e.g., removing a problematic item). School-directed changes to a student’s attire or grooming
should be the least restrictive and disruptive to the student’s school day.

Applicability: This policy is to be applied fairly and consistently without regard to race, gender, or other
inherent traits or characteristics. Principals or their designees shall make reasonable accommodations
for religious, educational, medical, or disability-related reasons and for cultural celebrations.

This policy does not apply to school-sanctioned uniforms and costumes approved for athletics, choral,
band, dance, or dramatic performances. Except as specifically noted in this policy based on an exception
or accommodation, this policy applies at all times when students are present on school property or in
attendance at official, school-sponsored events.

Adopted: May 7, 2019

E’s
Elevators

Elevators are available for staff use only. They are also available for disabled access. Students who need to use the
elevator due to a temporary injury need to bring in a note from a doctor to the front office. They will then receive an
elevator pass for a specified time. Friends of students are not allowed to ride unless one peer is needed to carry a
bookbag/push a wheelchair. More than one student is not necessary. If you find students riding the elevator without
authorization, please write them up in ECATS.

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Email Communication to Students

All WCPSS students and staff must use WCPSS provided e-mail accounts for student to teacher e-mail communication.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The Wake County Public School System values you personally, as well as the work you do. Your EAP is a link to
wellness resources and short-term counseling services offered to you and your family paid by the school
system. Therefore, we provide the services of the Deer Oaks Employee Assistance Program to give you the help you
need, when you need it. Deer Oaks is familiar with our community as it is the current EAP for 49 North Carolina state
agencies and universities, many of which are in the Triangle. Your EAP program services include the following:

• Personal counseling and assessments with local mental health providers

• 24/7 Telephonic and Crisis Counseling for employees, dependents, and household members
• On-line tools and resources at www.deeroaks.com (User name and password: WCPSS)
• Legal/financial assistance
• Professional referrals to health plan and community resources
• Resources related to child/elder care, parenting needs, health and wellness matters, smoking cessation, weight
management, and stress management

Through Deer Oaks, employees and their family members have access to over 160 credentialed providers within the larger
Triangle area. The procedure is as follows:

1. Contact Deer Oaks at 1-866-327-2400 or eap@deeroaks.com about the specific issue.

2. The Deer Oaks Care Coordinator will ask for the employee’s preferences for the location, gender, and approach of
a potential care provider.
3. Deer Oaks will provide three names of local care providers based on the employee’s preferences.
4. Once a local care provider is selected, three free visits/sessions are covered by the EAP.
5. This contact and communication are strictly confidential.

Emergency visits can be scheduled when necessary. Deer Oaks will do follow-up calls for quality assurance purposes
only. Confidentiality will be respected.

Employee Handbook

The WCPSS Employee Handbook can be found online at the following website address:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7qMkxCJUZE7WUxxbEhKNzVwQXc/view

Evaluations: Faculty and Staff

We will follow the state guidelines for certified staff, as revised. We expect additional changes to evaluations that impact
those who are not on the evaluation rubric for teachers. Staff who must complete the assessment should maintain a
portfolio of artifacts that addresses all standards that they are being evaluated on. Support in the form of training and
guidance will be provided by administration. Teachers should keep documentation of evidence for all standards. These
should be presented to administrators at the post-observation conferences.

Extra Duty

Any teacher who is initially certified is not assigned extracurricular activities unless a request is made in writing, so that
these teachers have an opportunity to develop into skilled professionals. Likewise, teachers with 27 or more years of
experience are not assigned extracurricular activities unless they request the assignments in writing, so they have an
opportunity to informally share their expertise with colleagues. We have many opportunities for extra duty assignments.
Many of them receive a stipend.
17
Extra duty positions occur outside the school day and are secondary to your primary position. Teachers who have been
approved to coach at RBMS or another school must attend staff events (such as meetings, conferences, professional
development). Exceptions must go through administration. One coach can supervise athletes while the others attend
meetings. If you miss a meeting, you are responsible for getting all the information. No excuses accepted.

F’s
Faculty Lounge

No students are allowed in the faculty lounge at any time (before, during, or after school). This is true for employees’
children as well. The faculty lounge near the main office will have snack and Pepsi machines. Please report any problems
to Carla Kenney.

Field Trips

Each team should schedule at least one field trip per school year. No field trips should be scheduled thirty days prior to
testing. We will be holding grade level field trips to a higher education school. All field trips should be approved by the
field trip committee at the beginning of the school year. Chaperones must be on the approved volunteer list prior to
accepting any money from volunteers. Be sure to follow the new field trip plans regarding students with medical needs.
There has been a common practice of using our activity buses to transport students for field trips. While this does save
money, and allows for more trips, teachers have been taken out of the classroom to serve as bus drivers. We need to limit
the time away from school for teachers. Any student leaving and not returning should be signed out via the front office.
The complete field trip packet must be turned in to Ms. Kenney and the field trip committee ASAP. Incomplete packets
will be returned. Our nurse needs at least 30 days to review all field trips to ensure medical plans are accounted for during
the trip.

Fire Drills

Fire Drills will be held monthly with an exception being the last month of school. Fire drills will occur at different times
of the day but please note, we will not have a planned drill during lunches. Please familiarize yourself with where your
classroom fire drill safety location is located. Any staff member who has duty or planning during a fire drill should also
leave the building and provide general supervision. If adverse whether occurs on a planned fire drill, we will reschedule
for the next available day with good weather.

All teachers should have posted in the classroom near the door a diagram showing which fire route to follow. At the
signal for a fire drill, close all doors. Leave the building by way of the nearest exit being sure to leave in a quick and
orderly manner. Proceed to a clear area away from the building a minimum of 100 feet and await instructions to return.
All fire drills are silent drills. The signal for a fire drill is an automated voice indicating evacuation. The signal will be
a continuous in each room as well as hallways. The all-safe signal will be a visual signal from the faculty member
assigned to your area. All teachers are encouraged to appoint a monitor for each class to close the door and turn off the
lights or plan to do it yourself as you exit the room. Make sure you carry your attendance book and red emergency bag.
Students are not permitted to carry the red bag. Keep your class together and file out silently in an orderly fashion. All
teachers are responsible for the students in their classroom at the time of the drill. The teacher should walk with the
students (in line) to their destination and account for each student’s presence. This is serious business and should be
impressed upon the students as such. An announcement will be made to end the drill and allow classes to return to their
work. Extra attention must be given to students who are handicapped to ensure their safety. Students in wheelchairs will
be advised of the emergency plan if located on the second or third floor in case of emergency. These students are not
permitted to use the elevator for any reason when the alarm goes off. These students will remain in the closest stairwell.

18
Food

Please familiarize yourself with board policies outlining food brought in by parents. Only store-bought food can be
brought for students. Food In Schools: WCPSS Wellness Policy: http://www.wcpss.net/curriculum-
instruction/healthful_liv/wellness/index.html

In accordance with guidelines from NC Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Health Services
Section – Children’s Environmental Health Branch 2002. In order to protect the children within the schools and
secondarily, to limit liability schools should not allow anyone to bring in foods from non-commercial sources.

Under no circumstances should any school allow the following food items to be brought in from homes:
• ground beef products (hamburgers, casseroles, or ground beef containing dishes)
• venison in any form
• unpasteurized milk or juices or products made with unpasteurized milk (such as butter, cheese, or ice cream).
These foods have traditionally been involved in E. coli outbreaks and young children are particularly susceptible
to this organism.

Any fresh fruits or vegetables brought in should be from commercial sources and washed thoroughly before being eaten
or be fruits from which the peel is removed prior to eating (bananas, tangerines, etc.).

School food booth manned by volunteers on the school grounds:

• Seek a permit from the local health department for the stand.
• There are permits for permanent and temporary food booths.
• This will ensure that the stand is checked for the proper equipment and operation and is inspected periodically
by the local health department.
• Many local health departments teach a food safety class.
• The manager of the food booth should attend this training.
• If they are serving ground beef products such as hamburgers, the booth MUST have a food thermometer and the
thermometer must be used to assure that the hamburgers are cooked to 155 degrees Fahrenheit.

Field Trips:
• Avoid any non-commercial sources of food. (If visiting a dairy farm, do not allow the children to drink raw
milk)
• Have coolers with containers of frozen water in which to put the children’s bagged lunches or order lunches
such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that do not require refrigeration.
• Encourage parents to insert in children’s bagged lunches from home, a means of maintaining cold or hot food
temperature.

Friday Fun Days

Periodically, we will hold Friday Fun Days to get students caught up on work. Students who have missing assignments
will stay with designated team members while others will participate in fun activities. A schedule will be sent and all staff
are expected to supervise. No one should plan personal appointments off campus during this time.

Fun

Please plan on laughing every day. We cannot control politics, legislation, outside forces, etc. We can choose how we
interact with each other and our students. We can choose to have fun! I love laughing, cracking jokes (mostly at my
expense), and having fun. I want our school to be full of laughter. Full of learning AND full of laughter! To Heck With
Disney…..RBMS is the Happiest Place on Earth! Of course, any pranks or jokes should not take away from instructional
time and should not be mean or cruel in nature.

19
Fundraising

Middle Schools are allowed only one fundraiser per school per year. This means individual groups, clubs, etc. cannot
hold a fundraiser.

Furniture

Do not take furniture from another room without administrative permission. If you need additional furniture or would like
to remove furniture from your classroom, please see your administrator or Ms. Stewart. Even though we have unoccupied
rooms with furniture, these rooms will be locked. No furniture can be taken from these rooms as they must be available
as we grow. Did you know our furniture is color coded for specific classrooms or work areas? This will help us keep
track of the beautiful, versatile furniture available!

Unfortunately, we are no longer considered a new school and do not have access to fund new or replacement furniture.
We do have a surplus furniture warehouse that is available to all WCPSS Employees. These are FREE and include:
classroom chairs, tables, easels, file cabinets, etc. It is open on Fridays until 2:30 (3080 Business Park Dr, Ste 105).
Employee ID is required. If the employee has a truck, the items can be loaded and taken that day. If not, a post-it note
claims ownership and the Warehouse will deliver it!

G’s
Gifts

The school system policy regarding gifts is the following: 
BOE Policy 3243- School employees shall not accept any
cash gifts. School employees shall not accept any other gifts, except token gifts of insubstantial value; provided however,
that school employees shall never receive or accept any gift, reward, gratuity, or other compensation from any
manufacturer, merchant, dealer, publisher, or author for influencing or recommending to the school system or any school
that it use a seller' goods, wares, merchandise, materials, supplies, services, or equipment.

Grade Level Meetings:

Grade level teachers will meet at least monthly with grade level counselor and administrator. The purpose is to align
practices and procedures across the grade level. These meetings are mandatory and will occur during common planning
time.

Grading

All staff must adhere to all WCPSS grading policies. PowerSchool Gradebook should be updated a minimum of every
week. An assignment should not be counted as late until you have given parents at least 5 days’ notice on PowerSchool.
For example, if your department has a 5-day late process, the five days should not start until after the grade was posted in
PowerSchool.
PLTs should align grading practices. All students should have equitable access to curriculum and progress monitoring.

Each department will utilize a 40-30-20-10 percent rule for establishing grading practices. Homework cannot account for
more than 15 percent per school board policy. At RBMS it will not count more than 10%. Remember that incoming 6th
graders have not had homework count against them as they were graded upon standards. Homework completion was a
check on the report card.

A single data source (i.e. – 1 test) cannot count significantly for a quarter grade. At least four summative assessments
should be utilized each quarter. Each department should develop and implement grading practices which include
20
 formative and summative assessments. It is expected that a combination of grades will be reflected in interim and quarter
grades. Once developed, these practices should be shared with parents and a copy sent to Ms. Weddle.

Grades are an essential way to communicate student achievement. Student evaluations should reflect student progress as
well as student achievement. Grades should be given in reference to a student's achievement of the learning objectives
defined for the class and should not be limited by the performance of other students in the class. Grades should not reflect
behaviors (i.e. – grade given for returning an interim or note, extra credit for bringing in school supplies, etc).

Board policy and R & P reads: The principal will ensure the development and monitoring of a consistent school-based
grading plan. Grade level, course teams, or departments (Professional Learning Teams) must establish consistent grading
processes. The school-based grading plan established by the principal must include, but is not limited to, components to
communicate expectations and processes for homework, missed work, prevention and intervention, and extra credit.
Guiding principles and expectations for each component are described below.

A. STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND PROGRESS

The district's grading guidelines prohibit teachers from using grading practices that are punitive in nature or which make it
difficult, if not impossible, to recover from isolated incidents of non-compliance (e.g. a missed homework assignment or
one low grade on a test during a marking period). Grading practices will be based on factors directly related to the
learning objectives and will reflect appropriately students' academic mastery of their learning objectives.
1. Homework
Homework should be used to reinforce and support mastery of learning, and when appropriate and possible, should be
differentiated for students depending on their mastery of the objectives. Homework practices should follow Board
Policy/R&P.

2. Missed Work
Students will be expected to make up missed work. The school-based grading plan shall include procedures to make up
missed work for credit to a level as described by the plan. Professional Learning Teams (PLT) shall develop and
consistently implement common grading procedures for missed work and will communicate the common grading
procedures to parents and students in writing as directed by the principal. Grade penalty should be determined by PLTs
and approved by the principal.

3. Prevention/Intervention System
For students at risk of academic failure, schools will develop a prevention/intervention system that provides students
additional time and support to be successful. The system will include opportunities for additional learning, assessment of
learning and grade recovery to support prevention/intervention efforts. PLTs will develop systematic ways for students to
be re-assessed on their learning.

4. Extra Credit
Extra credit opportunities must be determined by the PLT and department. There should be very few and should
reflect work on standards, not behaviors).

B. REPORTING SYSTEMS
6-8 GRADING SYSTEM
In grades 6-8 students earn letter grades of A, B, C, D, or F on their report cards. WCPSS employs a standardized
grading scale with letter grades having the following numerical value:
* A = 90 - 100
* B = 80 - 89
* C = 70 - 79
* D = 60 - 69
* F = 0 – 59
* I = Incomplete

While a student should receive a grade whenever possible, the teacher may issue an "Incomplete" (I), with principal
approval, when students are unable to complete assignments that are major components of the grade. Students must
adhere to the teacher's plan for completing those assignments or the grade will revert to the original grade. Incompletes
will not be used for 4th quarter grades.
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Guest Speakers

Guest speakers can be a great way to provide information to your students. To maintain a clear focus on our core business
– teaching and learning, the environment of schools and classrooms should be maintained and care must be exercised to
respect the diverse views and values of all students. The teacher, school, or district representative agree to the following
terms and conditions for speaking to students.

1. A legitimate and reasonable connection between the adopted curriculum and the guest’s presentation must be
documented on the Request for Prior Approval for a Guest Speaker. In addition, the presentation must be
appropriate to the age and maturity level of the student audience.

2. Except for school-sponsored fund-raising events, promotion of a business, distribution of advertising, or

collection of students’ names, addresses, or phone numbers is not permitted.

3. The role of any speaker is education and explanation. Materials and presentations must not denigrate any
culture, race, gender, national origin, or religion. Also, while factual information on politics, religion, culture,
or ethnicity may be presented, proselytizing is not permitted.

4. Information presented must be accurate and factual.

5. Appropriate attire, language, and behavior are required.

6. School officials have the right and the responsibility to interrupt the presentation with a warning and/or to
stop the presentation for any violation of this agreement.

H’s
Hallways:

Safe and succinct transitions are crucial to the tone of the school day. Staff should be stationed at doorways during all
class transitions. Students should walk on the right half of the hallway. Students should walk and talk not stand and chat.
Students should not be on hallways or wings in which they do not have class.

I’s
Ice

Ice Pack Guidelines for Schools: Ice packs may be used only according to the N.C. Emergency Guidelines for Schools
found at: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dhsr/EMS/pdf/kids/guidelines.pdf OR on the WCPSS Intranet at:
http://www2.wcpss.net/departments/hs/healthroom/downloads/nc-emerg-glines.pdf.

The following should occur if a student has an injury and is requesting an ice pack.

(1) Staff should consult N.C. Emergency Guidelines for Schools for advice on treatment of the injury. If ice is required, an
accident/incident report (2903) must be completed and emailed to the appropriate school level person. This report should
be completed by the staff person responsible for the student at the time of the incident or the staff person sending the
student for ice. The health room form should be completed by the person providing the ice or the supervising staff
member. http://www2.wcpss.net/departments/hs/healthroom/index.htm c. A call should be made to the parent informing
them of the incident.

(2) Students should never be sent away with icepacks, unsupervised.

22
(3) The student will need to stay in the health room for supervision for 5-20 minutes (during the entire time an ice pack is
applied).

Every school has a N.C. Emergency Guidelines for Schools in the front office or health room that provides guidelines for
various accidents/injuries. Ice is recommended in certain circumstances (significant bruising, sprains/strains, severe
nosebleeds, fractures/dislocations) and should be used per those guidelines. Ice is not recommended for minor scrapes,
abrasions, bumps on the playground, etc. For those minor incidents, a cool wet compress/paper towel can be applied by
the supervising teacher. We do not provide ice packs for injuries that do not occur on school property.

ID Badges
ID Badges for all staff members are required by the WCPSS Security Department and the Superintendent. You are
expected to wear your badge always. See Ms. Nobles if yours is lost or broken.

Inclement Weather Procedures: Faculty and Staff

When school must release early due to inclement weather, teachers must remain until professional responsibilities are
completed. When it is necessary for school to open late, teachers must report 30 minutes before student day begins.
WCPSS procedure for responding to inclement weather is as follows: If the weather prevents school from being held, you
should hear or read an announcement that states WCPSS schools are closed. For faculty and staff, it should be treated as
an optional teacher workday. Staff will have to send information on how they will ‘make up’ the hours lost due to a
delayed opening or early release. When school is closed for the day or dismissed early due to inclement weather, all
student extracurricular activities and athletic games and/or practices for the day shall be canceled. On days when school is
delayed, student extracurricular activities, athletics games and/or practices may be canceled, held as normally scheduled,
or alternatively scheduled. A delayed opening does NOT automatically cancel an event. This will be determined as
necessary by the administration and/or other school personnel.

Intercom Phones

Only staff should answer intercom phones. Students should not answer the phone or dial out without being next to a
teacher. Once students learn the ‘all call’ digits (#0), they tend to have fun at our expense (and it’s no fun for us). Please
do not post the list of phone numbers or room numbers next to the intercom. The only time a student should initiate a call
on the intercom is during an emergency.

Interpreting Services: See Language Assistance

Intruder Drills

We will be conducting at least two drills in the unlikely event of an intruder on campus. One of these drills will occur
during a transition/lunch period. Most likely, these will be unannounced. We will follow the Code Red Lockdown
Procedures which will be explained to you by our Safety Task Force.

K’s
Keys

All staff will be issued keys to their classroom, file cabinet, desk, and other locking furniture in the classroom. You are
responsible for those keys and a replacement fee of $10.00 per key can be assessed. If you misplace or lose your keys,
report this immediately to Mrs. Kenney. When a key is lost, the safety and security of our school is compromised.

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L’s
Laminating

Office staff will provide laminating services. Please make sure to label each item with your name and room number.
Once completed, it will be placed in your mailbox or delivered to your room. Please note, response time will depend on
how much laminating is needed. Do not operate the laminating machines yourself!

Language Assistance Services

Translation and interpretation services are available to school personnel who work directly with families who need
language assistance services to understand school documents and/or school processes. To request these services,
complete the appropriate forms (available on the intranet forms database as well as under Departments-- Translation
Services) and submit the completed form(s) via e-mail to esl-interpreters@wcpss.net.

There are two request forms: one for translation of written text, and one for oral interpretation. Please make your
request a minimum of 5 school days in advance to allow adequate time for scheduling and delivery of services.

As a general rule, friends, family, and younger siblings should never serve as interpreters in official school meetings.
Minimum requirements for WCPSS certified interpreters and translators can be found on the departmental webpage
referenced above. Certified interpreters should be requested for IEP meetings, 504 meetings, and Due Process Hearings.
OASIS—Language Portal

As part of the district’s Language Assistance Plan, we must identify parents that have language assistance needs, make
teachers aware of their need for an interpreter or translator, and record services rendered to them in OASIS. In the spring,
over 25,000 parents received a survey to ascertain their needs for language assistance services. Thanks to the hard work
of the Data Managers, over 10,000 parents are listed in the OASIS Language Assistance Portal. From this point forward,
the parents’ language assistance needs will be captured on the Home Language Survey when students enroll. We will
continue to need the assistance of the Data Manager to update the OASIS system.

Each quarter the names of the parents listed in OASIS as having language assistance needs must be shared with teachers
in the building. Please print out the names of these parents and provide the list to your faculty. An email reminder of this
requirement will be sent to schools.

As language assistance services are rendered, they must be captured in OASIS. WCPSS interpreters will bring the half-
page form (also available on the departmental webpage) to the meetings. Once the meeting has concluded, the interpreter
will give the completed form to school personnel for entry into OASIS.

Late Work

Each department will determine the late work policy. Please note the minimum time to stop accepting late work is 5
school days. Late work cannot be accepted for a grade lower than 70%. The late work timeline does not begin until after
the grade (0) has been posted in Powerschool. See grading for more information.

Leadership / SIP Team / Instructional Leadership Team

This team will consist of parent representatives, one staff member per core team, and one staff member per department
(arts, student services, CTE, office, Special Education, and PE). Attendance is mandatory for all Leadership Team
members. All these members shall be elected by their peers according to state law. The principal, all AP’s, and IRT will
also serve on this team. All SIP / Leadership meetings are open meetings and all staff are always welcome to attend.
SIP meetings fall under the open meetings law. Notice and meeting minutes must be shared with the public (via our
website).
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Learning Experiences

Any learning experience (i.e. class celebration) should be an outgrowth of previous instructional activities. Let
administration know your plans in advance. It is suggested that complementary learning experiences be planned for all
classes in the team. Celebrations of a variety of cultures should be encouraged.

Lesson Plans

Planning is essential to the delivery of curriculum. Lesson plans should be kept up to date and available for review by the
administration team. Teachers should follow the Common Core and Essential Standards curriculum and C-MAPP. All
teachers will give formative and summative assessments to gauge student progress.

Lockdown / Emergency Situations

WCPSS system wide codes will be used for the 2019-2020 school year.

• CODE RED- “Students and staff, we are in a code red, please lockdown now.”

This means there is an immediate threat to the school. Unless otherwise directed, lights should be turned off and the
students should be seated on the floor next to an interior wall away from windows and doors. Teachers should not
allow students to leave the room. They may leave the classroom only when the all clear (CODE GREEN) is given or
when directed to move to another location by school administrators, WCPSS Security, or law enforcement personnel.

• CODE YELLOW – “Students and staff, we have a code yellow, community lockdown.”

This means there is something in the community that poses a possible threat to the school, i.e., bank robbery, shots
fired, police chase, etc. All outer doors must be locked and lockdown signs hung at entrance doors. Students can
move within the building if needed. They cannot leave a building/mobile classroom to go to another.

• CODE GREEN – “Students and staff, we are now back to code green, please return to your normal
activities.”

The threat or potential threat no longer exists, school can resume as normal. CODE GREEN also means there will be
a mandatory staff meeting after school.

You still use the red cards in the event of a CODE RED LOCKDOWN.

RED CARDS: The teacher should display the RED CARD in the door window and an exterior window to alert
emergency responders that EMERGENCY SERVICES ARE NEEDED ASAP. For example, an injured/ill student is in
the classroom or an unknown suspicious device is found. Identify room number on the cards with large, legible print.

IF THERE IS NO GLASS WINDOW IN THE CLASSROOM DOOR, THE CARDS SHOULD BE SLID UNDER THE
DOOR INTO THE HALLWAY.
Red paper cannot be used on the doors at all!

Lockers

Lockers will be divided and distributed by grade level teachers. Teachers will keep a record of locker combinations. Each
team should submit a copy of their locker combinations/assignments to their grade level administrator by September 13,
2019. The personal property of a student kept in a locker is not the school’s responsibility. Health/Physical Education

25
teachers will determine how gym lockers will be assigned and secured. Students are not allowed to decorate the outside of
their locker. Students cannot share lockers.

Lost and Found

Items lost or found should be turned into the front office.

Lunch

Our cafeteria can comfortably seat 386 students. Each grade level eats at a different time. All grades will eat at two
separate times due to their numbers exceeding 386. We do have limited courtyard seating available. The process for
teachers/student use will be determined by grade levels.

Teachers should accompany students to and from the lunch room each day. Students should walk in a single-file line in
the line of sight of the teacher at all times. Students will sit with their class in a section reserved for their team.

Students must raise their hand to gain permission to get water/use the restroom.

Earbuds can be used in the cafeteria but must be out of sight upon leaving the cafeteria.

Once students go through the cafeteria line, they are not allowed to go through again.

If a student tells you they do not have lunch money/forgot their lunch, talk with the cafeteria manager as they can fill their
plates with fruits and vegetables.

Students can throw away their trash after they finish eating but they must return to their previous seats until their teacher
comes to pick them up.

Core and special education teachers are responsible for covering lunch duty (out of a 20-day month, each core teacher will
have approximately 5 days of duty). A team member must be present for each day. Grade levels/grade level
administration will determine how supervision will occur (by PLT, one week a month, etc.). Include your duty
expectations in your sub plans.

While in the cafeteria, duty teachers should ensure students do not enter the gym area.

Please limit the number of students travelling out of your classes during other grade level lunch times to avoid
crowds/potential conflicts. Sixth graders should walk outside of the gray blocks when going to the gym. Eighth graders
should use the green and orange hallway stairs to travel to and from the cafeteria. Seventh graders should use the main
staircase.

If your team is going on a field trip and you will not be at lunch, please let the cafeteria manager know at least a month in
advance.

Parents can eat lunch with their child. Family members other than the parent/guardian must be accompanied by the
parent/guardian. Older siblings or extended family members are not allowed to eat with their kin without a parent.
Parents and their child should not sit at team tables due to limited spacing. An administrator can assist with finding a
place.

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M’s
Mail

Please check your mailbox in the front office at least once per day. We will try to get the mail distributed as soon as
possible. Your phone messages will also be placed in your mailboxes. Please do not send students unaccompanied by an
adult into the mail room. There are many supplies and expensive items (such as calculators) that have been taken from
teachers’ mailboxes. Let’s limit this area to adults only.

Make Up Work

Any student who misses a class is entitled and expected to make up assignments. The student is responsible for getting the
missed assignments and scheduling times to make up tests. Teachers will communicate their expectations for completing
make-up work. Parents of students who are absent for extended periods of time should contact student services for
assignments. Assignments that are assigned prior to an absence will be due upon return; this includes tests that are
scheduled for the day of return if no new material was presented during the absence.

If make-up work is not assigned in advance, for absences of 1-3 days, students will have a minimum of 1 day for each
absence to complete the missed assignments. For absences exceeding 3 days, the student will have a minimum of 2 days
for each absence to complete assignments. Students will receive full credit for all make-up work after and absence as long
as it is completed on time and according to teacher expectations.

Absences resulting from out of school suspensions are unexcused. Students should be allowed to make up the work as
arranged by teachers.

Media Center

The River Bend Middle School media coordinator is Nicole Grabiec. Teachers are encouraged to meet with her either
individually or by team/department to discuss available curriculum support resources (books, videos, software);
equipment needs; and, student enrichment activities. The Media Center operates on a flexible schedule. Teachers must
sign up to bring their classes to the Media Center. Individual students or small groups of students must have a pass to
visit the Media Center when they are not accompanied by a teacher. Teachers may sign-up classes for research/curriculum
integration, media skills training, circulation, computer use, and in-class services. Do not send groups of students to the
media center without clearing it with Ms. Grabiec first. Supervision in the media center can be problematic.

Medical Matters

Our health room is located on the 3rd floor in Student Services.

All medications are to be stored in Student Services with a form 1702 on file. Students will only be allowed to take
medication (permitted by the completed form 1702) under the supervision of a designated member of the office staff. It is
our responsibility as school staff to ensure that students who are to take prescription medications at school do indeed take
them at the time indicated by the physician.

Staff will not dispense any medication to a student unless authorized by the form. Only trained staff is permitted to
dispense medication. At all school levels, students may self-medicate with prescription medicine if they have permission
to do so documented on form 1702.

If a child is hurt at school, we will administer first aid and will contact the parent concerning an injury more serious than a
minor abrasion. In our judgment, if an injury requires immediate medical attention, we will call 911 for emergency
assistance and will try to contact the parent at home or work.

27
If a child feels ill and needs to call a parent, the student can call from the classroom unless they are too sick. Do not send
students who are obviously hurt or sick to the office or student services unattended by an adult. Call the front office if
assistance is needed.

Meetings

Faculty meetings are required for all staff members. Faculty and staff meetings, curriculum area meetings, collaboration
meetings, and leadership team/school improvement meetings will be held on designated days of the month and will be
publicized ahead of time as much as possible. Meetings will begin promptly at 3:30 p.m. in the media center unless
otherwise notified. Depending on the information being presented, the meetings should end no later than 4:30.
Attendance at these meetings is required. Please make childcare and other arrangements ahead of time. I am very
cognizant of your time and will not hold meetings ‘just to meet’. Information presented at faculty meetings is required
either by the state or district, is designed to enhance your teaching practices, or is to keep you informed. Most of our
faculty meetings will be held on teacher workdays.

Money Collection

The school bookkeeper, Ms. Carla Kenney, has primary responsibility for all accounting procedures.
The following procedures are to be used by anyone receiving money from students:

1- A receipt is required to be written to anyone who turns in over $20.01 at a time. Money must balance with the
amount written in your receipt book and recorded on Form #1814. Form 1814 AND Form 1823 (found on the
WCPSS Intranet) are required for amounts under $20.00. Substitute teachers should not collect money from
students.

2- All money and receipt books MUST be turned in on a daily basis to Ms. Kenney by 3:30 p.m., without exception.
Monies should never be kept in a classroom overnight. If money is not ready for deposit, give the money to Ms.
Kenney to lock in the school safe. Money should NEVER be left in your desk or classroom overnight.

3- Supply/equipment purchases must be cleared through your department chair or athletic director (for sports
purposes only). The Leadership Team will review all requests. All purchase orders must be signed by the
department chair or athletic director prior to submitting to Ms. Nobles for consideration for approval by Mrs.
Weddle. Club money requisitions go to Ms. Kenney.

4- All cash/out-of-pocket and credit card purchases must have the PRIOR approval of the principal. An original
receipt must be submitted to Ms. Nobles (Funds 1 and 2) or Ms. Kenney (Funds 4 and 6) within 30 days after the
purchase.

Note: Reimbursement will NOT be given and/or credit card privileges will be revoked if proper procedures are not
followed. Staff members who do not follow proper accounting procedures are subject to appropriate disciplinary action,
including possible dismissal.

Movies

Any movie, not owned by the RBMS media center, must receive prior approval from your grade level administrator using
the appropriate WCPSS form. Any movie shown, including those owned by the RBMS media center, must have a strong
curricular connection that is the primary purpose. Any movie rated PG-13 or higher must have a letter sent home to all
parents requesting their permission for their child to view the movie and explaining the curricular purpose. Movies are
NOT to be used as a time filler especially at the end of the school year, during testing or before school holidays.

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P’s
PTA

One of our goals at RBMS is to engage families in their children’s education. One vehicle for doing so is the RBMS
PTA. This organization offers our students and our staff support in many areas. It is important that we, in turn, show our
support by joining the PTA and by being represented at their monthly board meetings. It is expected that all RBMS staff
members join the PTA by October 1, 2019. The membership is $5.00 per year, a small token in lieu of everything the
PTA does for us. Our PTA’s main goal for this school year is to build membership.

Board Members

Leilani Maurer
President
lmaurer@wcpss.net

Dr. Kashi Bazemore

Vice-President
doctorkashi.jmteam@gmail.com

Sondra McDonald
Secretary
sondramcdonald25@gmail.com

Chere Bennett
Treasurer
cben95@aol.com

Joy Long is our Teacher Representative.

Parking:

All employees should park behind the school. There are no assigned parking spaces in back. There is very limited
parking in the lot in front of the school. These spaces are reserved for visitors. Parking on the side nearest the gyms is
reserved for coaching staff during their coaching season. Please do not park in Handicapped spaces if you do not have the
appropriate license tags or permits. It just sends a wrong message to our community and it’s illegal!

Party Policy

The WCPSS Board of Education does not permit parties during the school day. Board policy states
“all school employees shall discourage and decline the giving of parties by anyone during the school hours of students.”

Payroll

If there are any concerns with your pay, please let Teresa Nobles know the nature of your concern. Payroll is asking that
school secretaries send all employee issues and concerns via email to the appropriate payroll technician.

29
Personal Education Plans (PEP’s)

Teachers shall identify students who are at risk for academic failure. Identification shall occur as early as can reasonably
be done and can be based on grades, observations, state assessments, and other factors. No later than the end of the first
quarter, or after a teacher has had up to nine weeks of instructional time with a student, a personal education plan for
academic improvement with focused intervention and performance benchmarks shall be developed for any student at risk
of academic failure. Focused intervention and accelerated activities should include research-based best practices that meet
the needs of students. Schools shall give notice of the personal education plan and a copy of the personal education plan
to the student's parent or guardian. Parents should be included in the implementation and ongoing review of personal
education plans. For questions regarding PEPs, please see the grade level counselor.

Pledge of Allegiance

The WCPSS Board Policy states all middle school students recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily. Also, students should
receive some “instruction that promotes understanding of the history and meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance.” RBMS
will start each day by having their students recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Prepare your students the first days of school.
Remember that students may be excused from reciting the Pledge due to religious reasons. You may allow those students
to quietly stand when the class recites the Pledge.

Policies:

2019-20 IMPORTANT POLICIES/TOPICS FOR REVIEW WITH STAFF

Policy/Topic 19-20 Handbook Page Policy Number (Manual)
Code of Ethics 14-16 2305/3005/4005 (Old)

Technology Responsible Use 16-19 3225/4312/7320 (New)

Prohibition against Discrimination, 20-23 1710/4021/7230 (New)

Harassment, & Bullying

Discrimination, Harassment, & 23-27 1720/4015/7225 (New)

Bullying Complaint Process

Prohibited Conduct on School 27 2212/3012/4012 (Old)

Property and at School Events

Conduct of Employees/ 27 2321/3036/4036 (Old)

Staff –Student Relations (see info 4040/7310 (New)
on electronic communications)

School Safety 28-29 1510/4200/7270 (New)

Corporal Punishment 29 4309 D (New)

Use of Seclusion and Restraint 29 2322/3037/4037/6550 (Old)

Drug-Free Workplace 29 2307/3007/4007 (Old)

Tobacco Free Environment 30 5026/7250 (New)

30
Reporting Requirements:
-Criminal Charges/Records 31 2303/3003/4003 (Old)
-To Principal & Ext. Agencies 32 2333/3033/4033 (Old)
-Child Abuse 32 4240/7315P (New)

Time Sheets 34 2305.4/3005.4/4005.4 &

4100 (Old)

Employee Absences 35 2281/3801/4801 (Old)

Lesson Planning 38 3120 (New)

Employee Assistance Program 60-61 2309/3009/4009 (Old)

Leaves and Absences 63-80 NC Public Schools Benefits

& Employment Manual.

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/district-humanresources/key-information/information/policymanual.pdf

PowerSchool

Jeff Caprio serves as the school’s Data Manager. PowerSchool is a state supported computer program used for
administrative purposes. PowerSchool has the capability to maintain student attendance, demographics, grades,
standardized test scores, and academic records. In addition, PowerSchool is used to help create student schedules. Mr.
Caprio works in conjunction with the administration and staff to maintain accurate records using the PowerSchool
program. PowerSchool Gradebook is used to record and average student grades. This program allows teachers to record
student data by class period. Teachers will be able to average student grades at any point during a marking period.
Teachers can then create progress reports from the data entered in PowerSchool. Prior to the end of each quarter, you will
be given a timeline of when grades should be entered in PowerSchool in order for Mr. Caprio to print student report cards.
It is imperative that all deadlines are completed by the time given.

Please follow guidelines provided in the beginning of the year to properly set up your gradebook.

Professionalism

Hold high expectations for yourself, peers and students. Act professionally in front of students, parents, and staff.

Dress professionally: jeans with school or university logos can be worn only on Fridays and spirit weeks unless otherwise
specified. Special Education, PE, and Fine Arts teachers will dress according to their discipline areas. As professionals,
we should dress accordingly.

Maintain confidentiality regarding sensitive student, parent, or teacher issues.

No verbal or physical confrontations with students. Do not block a student from leaving your class.

Enforce school policies.

Children of staff should not be brought to school on instructional or workdays without administrative approval.

Cell phones and/or ear buds should not be on or visible to students during the school day. Administrators must carry
school-issued cell phones at all times in case of district emergency notification.

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Professional Learning Teams:

This year, our PLTs will focus on Alignment for our school! All PLT’s will meet weekly on Tuesdays for a minimum of
1 hour. Core PLT’s will meet during common planning time each Tuesday. Other PLT’s will meet from 8:20 to 9:20.
Business agenda items should not be discussed at PLT meetings. With the new curriculum, these will be an area of
administrative focus. It is necessary that all agendas and notes be on file from collaboration meetings: teams, integration
meetings, etc. These are public documents and must be provided to the public upon request. PLT minutes are to be posted.
Our PLTs will focus on data and core plus more instruction. The focus is not on lesson planning.

R’s
Relationships

For this school year, building relationships with our students, staff, and community is my #1 goal. I have hired each and
every one of you with this purpose in mind. The only way we will be able to reach difficult students, bridge differences,
and enjoy each other is through strong positive relationships. We will utilize many tools and strategies to make this
happen. Please take the time to get to know each other and all our students. The life you change for the better just may be
yours!

Repairs and Maintenance

Report all needed repairs or suggestions for maintenance in writing to Ms. Stewart. Items requiring immediate attention
(such as malfunctioning air conditioners) should be reported to the office verbally and via email. Office staff will locate a
custodian and relay the message. With our new building, there will be problems. Because these may be farmed out to
different contractors, companies, etc., there may be a lag time in getting them fixed. Please be patient.

Room appearance

Classroom and hallway displays should reflect student learning, our theme, and enhance the instructional goals in your
classroom. They should change at least quarterly, depending on what you are teaching. In addition, hallway displays
should be clearly labeled with the title of the project, essential question or goal of the activity.

Please keep your rooms tidy. New schools often have influxes of unexpected visitors (district employees) who will visit
all classrooms. Our school had a budget for over 42 million dollars. The public is rightfully curious as to how the
facilities look and are maintained. Your room is a reflection on our teaching and learning.

S’s
School Climate / Student and Staff Dress

As the adults in our learning environment, it is expected that we model the WCPSS character traits and follow the School
Board Policy and Code of Ethics. Children watch what you do as much as they hear what you say. If we say they cannot
chew gum but you do so in front of them, what message have you sent? If you use your cell phone for voice or text mail
in their presence, the same scenario exists.

If you need to have a discussion of a private nature, do not discuss the information in the presence of students. They hear
what you say, intentionally and unintentionally.

If there are dress code violations, we can either ask the student if he or she would change into scrubs or call a parent to
bring clothes. Expectations for all on campus include:

Staff: Per Board Policy- “All faculty and employees of the Wake County Public School System serve as role models for
the students with whom they work and as leaders in the community. Consistent with these roles, all faculty and
32
employees shall dress in a manner and have an appearance that is appropriate and professional in light of the environment
in which they work, the duties of their jobs, and in the impressionable youth they serve. Supervisors and school level
administrators are authorized to interpret this policy and their interpretations shall be given deference.” At a minimum,
you are expected to follow the student dress code and to also present a positive and professional image to our students.
Your attire should also separate you from students and not be something that you would customarily see on students.
Staff should not wear shorts, t-shirts, jeans, flip flops, crocs (or other pool shoes). Jeans and RBMS gear are acceptable
on Fridays or teacher workdays. If you have a question about a student’s mode of dress, please send the student to a
counselor or administrator.

Severe Weather Drills

Please note the following information in preparation for severe weather drills:

• We will use tone in order to alert you that a tornado drill is beginning.
• Students should move to their designated area. Students classrooms with windows should move into the interior
hallway areas near load bearing walls. Occupants of the gym should move to the locker rooms.
• Facing the wall or lockers, students should crouch down with their heads close to their knees. THE HEAD
SHOULD BE COVERED! Students should either use a coat (if one is available), or their hands to cover the head
and face.
• After all students have evacuated the classroom, the teacher should cut off the lights and close the door.
• There should be absolutely no talking during the drill. We will be remaining in the appropriate positions for a
minimum of 5 minutes.
• Students who are in transit should join the nearest class that they pass in the hallway. Do not attempt to try and rejoin
your class. Traveling time should be minimized.
• Classes which are outside should immediately enter the building and follow the appropriate procedures.
• The bell will ring once the tornado drill has ended.
• Make sure you and not your students carries the red bag for all drills.

Smoking

RBMS and all school system property are non-smoking at all times – day, night, weekends, holidays, all the time.

Social Networking Sites

Please refer to the following memo written by Human Resources regarding appropriate and inappropriate use of Social
Networking Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and etc. This memo is included in your purple folder given at the beginning
of the year.

Special Education

Special education teachers who serve as Case Managers will share pertinent IEP information with the exceptional child’s
teachers. All teachers are required within the first workday week to log into ECATS and review each of their students’
IEPs and 504 plans. Core teachers and the student’s case manager must be developed to provide classroom modifications
and adapted learning plans based on the needs outlined in the plan. This is each teacher’s legal obligation to students with
IEP and 504 plans. If you are unsure who is the Case Manager for your student, you can contact Lynn Petersen, SPED
Department Chair.

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Staff Development

School Based Staff Development: As we are all coming from different places at different times in our career, we are
planning staff development to benefit all our staff. My priority foci are: Alignment, Equity, and Building Relationships
through Restorative Practices. Staff development that I believe is beneficial to all is: Socio emotional learning, Growth
Mindset in the Classroom, and Personalized Learning. We will offer mini sessions on each for those who haven’t had it
yet. Book studies will be aligned with Task Force.

Educational Leadership is crucial to your development and growth as an educator. If you have provided professional
development in the past, attend PD you would like to share with staff, or have a personal interest and expertise in an area,
please speak with Nathan Pelman, our IRT, or an administrator! We can find the best format for you to share your talents.
I would love a school of Teacher Leaders!

Required reporting: In accordance with General Statute 115C-105.3, there are two reporting requirements annually for
staff development funds. See the statute below. At the end of the fiscal year, the principal shall make available to all
affected personnel a report of all disbursements from the building-level staff development funds, and the superintendent
shall make available to all affected personnel a report of all disbursements at the system level of staff development
funds. The superintendent’s notification is provided in the lounges and work areas at RBMS. We will post our school’s
as well in the same location.

Stairwells:

Students should use the stairwell on their hallways as much as possible to travel between floors. Staff should monitor the
stairwells as much as possible.

Arrival: Carpool students will either enter at the cafeteria. Students are not permitted to go back to the cafeteria if they
have arrived at Tiger Den.
• 6th grade bus students will walk downstairs to the cafeteria and to their hallways.
• 7th grade students will walk straight to their classroom or to the cafeteria using the side stairwells.
• 8th grade students will walk to the cafeteria using the main stairwell or to their classrooms using the stairwell on
the 7th grade wings.

From the cafeteria:

• 8th graders & 7th graders will use the stairwells on the 6th grade wings.

Dismissal:
• 6th grade bus riders will use the main stairwell
• 7th grade bus riders don’t need a stairwell
• 8th grade bus riders will go down the hallway stair wells to the 2nd floor
• All carpoolers will use the back stairwell exits (closest to staff parking).
• Walkers will use the main stairwell.

Student Services

Student Services is located on the 3rd floor. Our health room is also located on the 3rd floor. For at least the first few years,
counselors will also have an adjunct area or office on their grade level floor. Do not send any student to Student Services
without first checking to see if the counselor is available and can receive students. Many times, our counselors are
working with serious situations and cannot see the student when you would like to send them.

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Supervision

Supervision is everyone’s responsibility. You should supervise your classroom and the hallway. If you are stationed near
a stairwell or bathroom, please supervise this area as well. We need to ‘always be lurking’ all around the school.
Students should feel like adults are always around! If you become aware of a location needing administrator visibility,
please let your administrator, counselor, or me know!

Supplies and Materials Requests

Please submit your requests for supplies that are stocked in the supply room (construction paper, glue, paper clips, pens,
etc.) to Carla Kenney, via an email (ckenney@wcpss.net) by Thursday afternoon. Orders will be delivered the following
Monday. Requests for supplies or materials that need to be purchased should be submitted to Mrs. Carla Kenney. It is
imperative that all supply requests be monitored. As a new school opens with a supply of instructional materials, we only
receive half of the instructional supply allotment based upon student population. Instructional materials (such as
curriculum materials) must go through department leadership. These will be brought before the Leadership Team for
approval. Fiscal transparency is extremely important as we open our school.

T’s
Task Forces

Task Forces are designed to align with our School Improvement Goals. Each faculty member must sign up for at least
one Task Force and attendance at Task Force meetings are mandatory. Task Forces will meet as necessary until their goal
is completed.

Team Planning / PLT’s

Teams will have joint planning time allocated each day. This time is provided for discussion of curriculum issues and
student support. These meetings will include core teachers and related personnel. Each staff member is expected to
attend team-planning time to coordinate the delivery of instruction to students. An administrator will meet with the teams
upon monthly for grade level meetings.

All PLT’s will meet weekly for a minimum of 1 hour. PLT’s will meet during common planning time each Tuesday.
Business agenda items should not be discussed at PLT meetings. With the new curriculum, these will be an area of
administrative focus. It is necessary that all agendas and notes be on file from collaboration meetings: teams, integration
meetings, etc. These are public documents and must be provided to the public upon request. PLT minutes are to be posted.
No team conferences or IEP conferences should be scheduled during PLT times.

Technology

Teachers must sign up to use the COWs (computers on wheels) or IPAD carts through our Media Coordinator, Nicole
Grabiec. Computers must be kept in the same condition as they were distributed. Our technology must last. If you are not
using technology assigned to you at least on a weekly basis, please contact Ms. Grabiec. We will reassign the technology
to other classrooms. Teachers should develop a technology use sign out for student devices located in classrooms.
Ultimately, it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure technology is returned at the end of the year in the same condition as
you received it (i.e. – like new).

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Textbooks

Individual teachers issue textbooks for their classes. Teachers should maintain a log of students and the books distributed.
Information to rate textbook condition at the close of the year will be provided at that time. Prices for lost textbooks can
be found in the shared folder. It is the RESPONSIBILITY of teachers to assure the collection of books. Student should
be charged for lost or damaged books. Ms. Carla Kenney can assist you with collection information.

Tornado Drills: See Severe Weather

V’s
Visitors and Volunteers

Visitors and volunteers should sign-in in the office and receive a volunteer or visitor’s pass. Visitors should not interfere
with the instructional day. WCPSS implemented a policy for volunteers based on the level of student interaction. All
volunteers must register with the WCPSS system. They may complete the process at any Wake County school.

The Jessica Lunsford Act: This act, passed in Dec. 2009, requires WCPSS to check all contractors, repair persons, guest
speakers, etc. against the National Sex Offenders Registry. Please give names and date of birth to Mrs. Weddle at least 2
days prior to visit. Parents of RBMS students are exempt.

RBMS parents are always welcome at the school. We want to establish an inviting climate. We encourage teachers to
create opportunities to have parents visit classes that do not interfere with the instructional day. All visitors must sign-in
in the office and receive a visitor/volunteer tag.

WCPSS Board Policy 2521.2: Parent conference, volunteer activities, and visits shall be by appointment.

W’s
Websites: See communication.

All teachers will have an active, weekly updated, interactive website that is aligned to your curriculum, used for
communicating upcoming events, include course project and test rubrics, include student work samples, include practice
tools for students, and include communication tools for parents and students. Seek and utilize online and/or face to face
professional development or collaboration with other staff members to learn effective strategies for creating and
maintaining teacher websites. Every teacher’s site will be linked from the RBMS website. Note that your website is a
direct link to families considering RBMS for middle school, students that are absent, and students actively participating in
your class.

Weekly Updates

Important information will be communicated on a weekly basis through the Weekly Staff Updates. It is the
responsibility of staff members to read the memo. All staff should make it regular practice to check email twice daily.

Words/Phrases to Eliminate (or try to) from Your RBMS Vocabulary

• We never
• At my old school
• I haven’t read your child’s IEP
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 • I don’t care
• This won’t work
• That’s not my job
• Your child is just one of 140 or 950
• It wouldn’t be fair to all the others

Workdays

All staff members must sign-in in the book located in the front office Protected days mean you are required to be here.
Hours for workdays are 8-4 unless stated otherwise.

Y’s
You

It is the responsibility of each staff member to take care of themselves. You are important to our Tiger Family. Please
make sure you are doing all the things we tell students to do for them to do their best! Celebrate your accomplishments
with us! We love to know about them. It’s okay to share your struggles too. As a family of educators, we are here to
support each other.

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 RBMS Whom to Contact
504 Plans – Stefon Lowman, 7th - Megan McDowell, 8th –Rob Clark, 6th – Yolanda Jarrett

Absence (staff) – Teresa Nobles/Silvia Marrero

Academically Gifted – Carly Williams

Alternative Learning Center – Neti Jenkins

AST – Lynn Petersen

Athletic Director – Todd Barbour

Athletic Trainer (First Responder) – Todd Barbour

Assistant Principal – 6th – Sheree Smalls, 7th – Michael Massey, 8th – Francisco Chavarria

Attendance (student) – Jeff Caprio

Band Director – Corey Elrod

Bookkeeper – Carla Kenney

BST – Leanne McClendon

Career Development Coordinator – Michelle Stevens

Counselors – Lead – Stefon Lowman, 6th– Yolanda Jarrett, 7th – Megan McDowell, 8th – Rob Clark

Custodian (Head) – Yolanda Stewart

Department Chairs –
• Arts – Neal Gallagher
• CTE – Christa Hayden
• ELA – Donna Maye
• Health/PE – A J Piper
• Math – Kenneth Leary
• Science – Joy Long
• Social Studies – Laura Bonds
• Special Education – Lynn Petersen

ESL (English as a Second Language) – Melissa Clark, Morgan DeYoung, Kim Wright

Furniture – Yolanda Stewart, Ronnie Lucas, or an administrator

Gradebook Contacts -- NaSheila Hall, Maria Pereda

Guidance Tech – Silvia Marrero

IEPs – Lynn Petersen to locate student Case Manager

IF (Instructional Facilitator) – Nathan Pelman

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ISS (In School Suspension) – Todd Barbour

Lead Secretary – Teresa Nobles

Media Coordinator –Nicole Grabiec

Mentor Coordinator – Nathan Pelman

Morning Announcements – Shane Murphy

National Jr. Honor Society – Rachel Lawrence & Rhonda Robison

NCAE representative – TBD

Nurse – Karin Tooke

PEPs – Grade Level Counselor: Stefon Lowman, Megan McDowell, 7th –Rob Clark, 8th – Yolanda Jarrett

PowerSchool – Jeff Caprio

Principal – Stacey Weddle

Psychologist – Sarah Hower

PTA –
• President – Leilani Maurer
• Teacher Representative – Joy Long

Receptionist – Luz Quiros

School Improvement Team Chair – Neti Jenkins/Nathan Pelman

Social Worker – Kyierra Hartsfield

Speech Language Therapist – Stephanie Sigmon

SRO (School Resource Officer) – Deputy Araujo

Testing Coordinator – Neti Jenkins

TNN (Tiger News Network) – TBD

Website – Nathan Pelman

Yearbook – Amber Schroeder

This is not an exhaustive list. I completed it when I became exhausted (lol). As we add information or make changes, we
will let you know the specific change and page on which it can be found. This manual will also be on our shared drive.

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