School Mission

The mission of the Norfolk Public Schools is

to equip all students to succeed in a complex changing world.

To accomplish this mission it is imperative that the school district focus and organize all the schools’ programs and instructional efforts around clearly defined outcomes we want all students to demonstrate when they leave school.

This mission is based on the following beliefs and principles about how students learn and what they must know to behave as responsible citizens and productive workers in a highly competitive, increasingly global economy:

What Children Should Know

All children can learn and are capable of becoming self-learners. Young people must become good communicators, effective problem-solvers, and critical thinkers. Above all, they need the skills to become productive participants in a society constantly in change and the confidence to believe in their ability to make a difference...in the local community, the nation, the world.

How Schools Should Teach

Children should be taught in a caring environment, where all young people are encouraged to achieve to their maximum potential. Schools must foster enthusiasm for learning, and students should feel good about their learning experiences. Educators must recognize that children learn differently at different stages of their development and that a variety of approaches to teaching can help students become better learners.

The Setting for Teaching and Learning

Learning should be child-centered, in a setting that is both physically and emotionally safe. All children must have equitable access to the tools and resources that are conducive to learning. Educators can be expected to be held accountable for what children learn while they are in school.

Approach to Decision-Making

Schools should lead the way in broad-based involvement and significant participation in decision-making. Decisions should be made by people who have accepted their share of responsibility and are willing to be held accountable for what they say and do. School leadership should be able to articulate goals that respond to unarticulated needs and then to communicate the importance of those objectives throughout the school and community.

How Schools Relate to Others

Schools must recognize that learning takes place inside as well as outside of the classroom and that schools must interact aggressively with the communities in which they are located. In the community context, schools should accept the role of change agent, not mere observer. Schools need to recognize that the community is undergoing redefinition, that the social context is changing rapidly, and that today’s students are tomorrow’s adults...holding the keys to the survival of our nation and our world.

Adopted: February 10, 1992

Norfolk Public Schools’

Lifelong Goals

Students who graduate from Norfolk Public Schools will be:

1. Academically Prepared Learners . . .

who have achieved basic educational skills and can apply them to the attainment of lifelong goals:

Ö Reading knowledge and skills

Ö Writing knowledge and skills

Ö Math knowledge and skills

Ö Science knowledge and skills

Ö Technology knowledge and skills

Ö Speaking skills

2. Critical and Creative Thinkers . . .

who identify problems and/or situations, collect and analyze information to create opportunities and implement solutions for a changing and diversified world. Students will be able to demonstrate:

Ö Decision making skills

Ö Technical application

Ö Analytical skills

Ö Organizational skills

Ö Ability to access necessary information

Ö Ability to generate new ideas

3. Effective Communicators . . .

who interact productively with others in a variety of situations. Students will be able to demonstrate:

Ö Reading skills

Ö Writing skills

Ö Speaking skills

Ö Listening skills

Ö Nonverbal communication skills

Ö Technical reading and writing skills

Ö Ability to use technology

4. Quality Producers . . .

who create and enhance ideas and products which reflect originality, high quality, and personal or social value. Students will be able to demonstrate:

Ö Creative thinking

* Generate new ideas

* Recognize problems

* Devise and implement plans

Ö Ability to set and recognize standards of quality

Ö Understand and use present and future technologies

Ö Use of available medium/tools to accomplish task

Ö A strong work ethic

* Time management

* Organization

* Completion of tasks

Students who graduate from Norfolk Public Schools will be:

5. Collaborative Contributors . . .

who develop and manage interpersonal relationships to benefit self and others within the family, work, community, and global environment. Students will be able to demonstrate:

Ö Leadership skills

Ö Effective communication skills

Ö Group and team skills

6. Responsible Individuals. . .

who assume social, legal, and moral responsibility for their own actions. Students will be able to demonstrate:

Ö Integrity/Honesty

Ö Positive self concept

Ö Positive personal health habits

Ö Effective use of time

Ö Positive life choices

Ö Meaningful interpersonal relationships

Ö Positive work ethics

Ö Positive stress management

Ö Self-discipline

7. Responsible Citizens . . .

who take the initiative to contribute their time, energy, and talents to improve the welfare of themselves and others, and to enhance the quality of life in their local and global environments. Students will be able to demonstrate:

Ö Identification of the differences and needs of others

Ö Understanding of the democratic and political processes

Ö Pride in their community

Ö An awareness of community needs

Ö An awareness of environmental cause and effect

8. Lifelong Learners . . .

who set priorities and achievable goals, create their own opportunities, and monitor/assess their own progress. Students will be able to demonstrate:

Ö Acquisition of basic skills

Ö Knowledge of where/how to access available resources and information

Ö Awareness and application of various learning styles

5/17/94

As an employee of the Norfolk Public Schools you are a public figure and are expected to be a positive role model.

01. Absences, Truancies, and Tardies – Student.

(See Appendix #15 - “Student Rights and Responsibilities”)

1. All questionable student absences should be carefully checked by the respective building principal or assistant principal. If a student is absent more than five consecutive days because of illness, then this student must either bring a permit to reenter school signed by his physician, or must be examined by the school nurse to be eligible for re-admission.

2. Students should be excused from school without penalty to take part in programs before church groups, luncheon clubs, or any community, civic or patriotic organization, or to keep an appointment with a doctor or a dentist. Here again, the parent should be consulted. If the student is called out of school so often that his school work is suffering, teachers should recommend to the parent that the child be kept in school.

02. Absent - Need For Substitute:

Instructors who are ill and unable to report for duty should notify the answering service and the principal at the earliest possible time, preferably between 6:00-6:30 a.m. SUBSTITUTES MUST BE CALLED FROM AN APPROVED LIST ISSUED BY THE CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION BUILDING. Teachers are not to make their own arrangements for a sub.

03. Accidents:

All staff members are required to file a “First Report of Alleged Occupational Injury or Illness” each time an employee is injured on the job. This form must be filed with the Associate Superintendent for Business Services within ten days regardless of whether or not medical assistance is required. Complete both forms with the business manager signing the first page and the building supervisor the second page.

04. Address Change:

It is necessary that an accurate directory of all employees of the school district be kept in the Central Office. Employees changing their address or phone number should report such changes to the Central Office as soon as possible IN WRITING (e-mail is appropriate).

05. Advertisements and Promotions:

(Reference: Board of Education Policy 702.0)

Advertisements, promotions, soliciting, and fund drives conducted in the school buildings or on school grounds are sometimes inevitable, sometimes necessary, and sometimes important. Care shall be taken to consider the effects of such activities upon the student, parents, and the community. Board policy and administrative rules and regulations provide guidance for decisions regarding these topics. (Copies of all promotional materials to be distributed directly to students must be provided by the promoter in both English and Spanish.)

1. The Board recognizes that modern production, packaging, and distribution methods make it all but inevitable that some materials and equipment will carry advertising or promotional slogans to which students will be exposed.

2. Where advertising or promotions are presented to students as part of any program or is present on any instructional material, the overall benefits of the program or material must outweigh adverse effects of the advertising or promotion.

3. Advertisements and promotions for school events, for school sponsored programs, for athletic events, for use in sponsoring the school paper or school annuals are approved forms of advertisement and promotion. However, advertising which refers to tobacco, alcoholic drinks, or unlawful drugs is forbidden in any school publication.

4. Students or employees while on school premises shall be protected from unauthorized solicitation for the purchase of goods or services, for participation in an organized campaign to raise funds, and for the donation of money or goods to an organized campaign.

5. Teachers may not permit such campaigns, drives, or solicitation within their classrooms except for those outlined in policy or in administrative regulations.

6. Any and all community fund drives officially recognized and permitted on school premises will be determined by the office of the superintendent of schools and/or the board of education.

7. Fund raising activities sponsored by school clubs, school classes, and parent organizations are part of approved school activity. In the conduct of any approved campaign for funds, quotas may be set for individuals.

Rules to regulate these policies shall be drawn up by the superintendent of schools.

06. Allocations - Personnel, Curriculum Materials, Supplies:

The Norfolk School District shall allocate district personnel, curriculum materials, and instructional supplies among the attendance centers on a comparable basis. To this extent, the district shall strive to maintain a balance of personnel, curriculum materials, and instructional supplies among attendance centers. Unpredictable changes in student enrollment or personnel assignments that occur after the beginning of a school year shall not be included as a factor in determining comparability of services. (See also Personnel - Transfers)

07. Appeal of Disciplinary Action (Short-Term Suspension)

(See Appendix #1: “Appeal of Disciplinary Action”)

If the building administrator makes a decision to discipline a student and the parent or guardian does not accept this decision, the parent or guardian may appeal this decision to the Director of Student Services using the “Appeal of Disciplinary Action” form. These forms are available from the building principal or the Director of Student Services at the Central Administration Building (512 Philip). The appeal must be filed with the Director of Student Services within five (5) school days of receipt of the written notice of disciplinary action by the student or the student’s parent or guardian. The Director of Student Services shall review the incident and the disciplinary action imposed by the building administrator. The Director of Student Services shall inform the parent or guardian of his/her decision within three (3) calendar days from the date the appeal is received.

08. Asbestos:

You are hereby notified that current federal regulations require all schools to inventory asbestos-containing material and to develop a management plan to identify and control asbestos in their buildings. In addition, each parent, teacher, and employee organization must be notified annually about inspections, re-inspections, response actions, and past response actions and activities, including periodic surveillance that is planned or in progress. This handbook insert shall serve as that official notice to each employee. Each school building in the Norfolk Public Schools has had a six-month surveillance inspection and a three-year inspection, with the last three-year inspection currently being conducted by certified in-house personnel. All other types of asbestos activities are posed in the Public Notice ads of the Norfolk Daily News as the district needs to address those types of activities. The plan for each building is available at the Central Administration Building and at each school for that particular school for inspection (without cost) to any interested person. The district may charge for copies of the plan. The plan for each building has also been submitted to the Nebraska Department of Health, Division of Environmental Health and Housing surveillance in accordance with federal regulations. For more information on the Asbestos Management Plan, contact the Associate Superintendent for Business Services, 512 Philip Avenue, Norfolk, Nebraska 68701, 644-2500.

09. Attire:

All employees of the Norfolk Public Schools shall dress appropriately, presenting a neat, clean, professional appearance conducive to the learning environment of the students. If a concern exists, the supervising administrator should provide the necessary counseling and correction concerning the appropriateness of the attire.

10. Award for Excellence:

Any staff member may be nominated for the “Award for Excellence” except administrators and supervisors. Nominations may be from co-workers, students, parents, or patrons. Five recipients – September, November, January, March, and May – annually. Recipients receive: $500 to be used in the recipient’s building (with input from the recipient on how the money is used); $50 to be used by the recipient at a local restaurant of their choice; a plaque recognizing their service to the district. (See Appendix #1: “Award for Excellence Nomination Form”)

11. Buildings - Care Of/Use Of:

1. Care of

a. Principals are responsible for proper care of their respective buildings. Staff should be held responsible for all defacement and marking of furniture and walls in their respective rooms. This means that the students will be held responsible to the respective teachers.

b. Building and grounds must be kept in a clean and orderly condition. It should not be necessary for the Associate Superintendent for Business Services to call attention of the principal to conditions that need to be remedied. Scotch tape should be used only on glass and wood; never on chalkboards or plastered walls. Masking tape should be used only for a very limited period of time.

2. Use of

a. Principals should arrange and be responsible for adequate supervision of the building whenever the building is open and ready for student entry.

b. Students are not to be in buildings without adequate supervision. A staff member must be responsible for the supervision of every student in the building at all times. Building principals will see that this rule is observed. STAFF MEMBERS SHOULD NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, LEND THEIR KEYS TO ANYONE. THIS REFERS TO BOTH OUTSIDE DOOR KEYS AND KEYS USED INSIDE THE BUILDING.

c. Should a key be lost or stolen the staff member will be responsible for paying the cost of re-keying or replacing all locks that key opens in the building(s).

d. Custodians should be in attendance whenever the building is in use unless exceptions are approved by the building administration.

e. Principals should carefully inspect buildings and grounds periodically. A written inspection report should be sent to the Director of Business Services’ office when requested.

12. Checking In and Out:

1. Teachers are asked to observe the following schedule (unless changed by the building principal). If teachers find it necessary to check out before the suggested time, permission should be secured from the building principal. It is assumed that this will seldom be necessary.

a. Elementary:

Check in - 8:00 a.m.

Check out - 3:50 p.m.

b. Middle School/Junior/Senior High:

Check in - 7:50 a.m.

Noon - Closed campus

Check out - 3:40 p.m.

2. Please do not leave your building during duty hours without first securing permission of the building administrator.

3. Elementary buildings will be locked (except designated doors) at 9:00 a.m. and will be locked after school at 4:30 p.m. on all school days. Middle School/Junior/Senior High will be locked (except designated doors) at 9:00 a.m. and will be locked after school at 5:00 p.m. on all school days. All buildings should be vacated not later than 6:00 p.m. Please cooperate by planning your work so you can be out of the building by 6:00 p.m. Teachers are responsible for checking the outside doors if remaining in the building after closing on school days.

13. Closing School - Inclement Weather:

When weather causes the closing of schools these procedures will be followed:

1. School closing announcements will be made over WJAG 780 AM, KEXL 106.4 FM, or KNEN 94.7 FM. A decision to close or delay the start of school will be made before 6:30 a.m. (FM stations are on the air before the AM station.)

2. When school is canceled or delayed because of snow, the announcements will be as follows:

a. “No school” will mean full-time secretaries in the Senior High, Junior High, Central Office, and elementary schools; all administrators; building/grounds supervisor; full-time maintenance, and full-time custodians report for duty at the regular time or as soon as possible unless the radio announcement indicates otherwise. Teachers need not report but may do so at their discretion. Employees not expected to be on duty when schools are closed include: food service personnel, paraprofessionals, lunch-playground aides and other part-time non-certified employees.

b. “School will start at (time) a.m.” is the announcement used when the delay helps the road and parking lot clearing efforts, or when bad weather is subsiding. Custodians, administrators, full-time secretaries, and cooks report at regular times or as soon as possible as travel permits. Teachers, paraprofessionals, and other personnel report no later than 15 minutes prior to the announced starting time or at their regular reporting time, whichever is applicable.

3. If school is dismissed during the day because of a storm, teachers, paraprofessionals, and other instructional personnel may leave after students are dismissed and safely out of the building as per instructions of the building principal, but no sooner than fifteen minutes after student dismissal. Secretaries, custodians, and other personnel may leave after the building is clear of students and staff at the discretion of the building principal or their immediate supervisor. The Central Office will remain open as weather dictates.

4. “Weather Related Absence”: (Reference: Board of Education Policy 405.3)

a. In the event the Norfolk Public Schools dismiss school for more than three (3) days for snow or other reasons related to inclement weather, two (2) days of these missed school days will be made up. Each year on the school calendar there will be two (2) “snow make-up” days assigned in case the three-day limit is exceeded.

b. Any teacher, including those living outside or within the school district, who are absent from school during the school year due to weather or road conditions shall receive a deduction from their salary based on the number of days of service contained in the teacher’s contract. All teachers will be required to attend faculty meetings and school events, as well as pre-school and post-school workshops and reporting days as determined by the superintendent of schools.

14. COBRA:

(See Appendix #9: “Insurance/COBRA”)

1. How COBRA Works: When a qualifying event occurs, federal law requires you to send your employee or his or her eligible dependents written notice within 14 days o the right to continue health insurance. Continuation of coverage is available to all who qualify at the group rate, plus an additional 2% administrative fee. If the employee was previously covered under a family membership, he or she can retain a family plan under COBRA or select two single membership plans – one for the retiree and one for the spouse. See the table in Appendix #11 for more specific information on coverage extension.

2. Continuation of Coverage (COBRA) Notification: The employee must choose to continue coverage by notifying Blue Cross and Blue Shield in writing. The employee has 60 days to choose to continue coverage, starting with the date of the continuation notice or the date coverage ended, whichever is later. Failure to choose continuation within the required time period will make the individual ineligible to do so at a later date. The individual has 45 days from the date of choosing continuation coverage to pay Blue Cross and Blue Shield the first month’s premium. If coverage for a dependent ends because of divorce, legal separation or any other change in status, the employee or dependent must notify the employer within 60 days of the qualifying event.

3. When Continuation of Coverage (COBRA) Ends: COBRA coverage will end on the earlier of:

a. The day the individual becomes covered under any other group health plan (after COBRA election) which does not exclude or limit any pre-existing conditions or to whom such an exclusion does not apply, due to creditable coverage;

b. The day a covered person is entitled to benefits under Medicare (after COBRA election);

c. The day health coverage has been continued for the maximum period of time allowed (18, 29, or 36 months).

15. Complaints - Instructional Material:

(Reference: Board of Education Policy 705.1)

The Norfolk Board of Education is legally responsible for all matters relating to the operation of the Norfolk Public School System. The responsibility for the selection of instructional materials is delegated to the professionally trained personnel employed by the school district. It is recognized that opinions differ concerning appropriateness of instructional matters. Occasionally an individual or group may find instructional materials used in the schools in conflict with their views. The final decision for disposition of controversial instructional matter shall rest with the Board of Education. The Board of Education assumes the position that no parent or group of parents has the right to determine the instructional matter for students other than their own children. The Board does, however, recognize the right of parents to request that their children not have to read a book or see a given film provided a written request is made to the appropriate building principal.

1. Any patron who wishes to register a protest regarding the utilization of instructional material being used in the school should contact the building principal responsible for the building in which the material is being or has been used and indicate the nature of the concern or of the complaint. The building principal will schedule a conference with the patron and attempt to resolve the complaint or concern. This conference should take place within five school days of receipt of the complaint. The building principal should notify the patron in writing of his/her decision concerning the matter within five school days after this conference.

2. If the patron is not satisfied and wishes to pursue a formal complaint procedure, the proper school district complaint form should be filled out and returned to the building principal from whom it was obtained. The building principal will convene a meeting of that building’s review committee, one of whom will be appointed chairperson. This meeting should take place within ten school days from the receipt of the written complaint.

3. The building principal will convene the building review committee consisting of two staff members (or three at the principal’s discretion) and two community members from the school site council. The complainant should be invited to participate in the study as an ex officio member of the committee. A staff member directly involved in the selection and/or use of the material should be an ex officio member of this committee. Within five school days of the conclusion of their study, the committee will submit their report in writing to the building principal

4. If the complainant is still not satisfied and wishes to pursue the matter further, the building principal will notify the Superintendent of Schools regarding this failure to resolve the complaint at the building level. The building principal will provide the Superintendent with a complete documented written account detailing the nature of the complaint and the steps which have been taken in attempting its resolution. This notification should take place within five school days after the complainant notifies the principal of his/her dissatisfaction.

5. The Superintendent will arrange for a conference with the principal, the complainant, and other appropriate parties in order to attempt to resolve the complaint. This conference should take place within ten school days following the receipt of the written report from the building principal. The Superintendent should inform all participating parties in writing of his/her decision regarding the matter within five school days after the conference.

6. If the issue cannot be resolved at this level and the complainant wishes to pursue the matter, the Superintendent will call a meeting of the school district’s review committee and appoint a chairperson for that committee. The committee will consist of four community members (two of whom are Board of Education members), and five professional staff members. If any member of the school district’s review committee is personally in the complaint, the Superintendent will appoint a substitute.

7. The members of this committee will evaluate the material in advance of a conference with the complainant. The committee will then confer with the complainant and any other parties the committee feels would be necessary to its process and make its decision. The conference should take place within ten school days from the time the Superintendent is notified of the complainant’s dissatisfaction with all previous efforts to resolve the issue. The committee’s decision should be in writing to the Superintendent of Schools and should come within ten school days after their conference with the complainant. The Superintendent will then inform the complainant of the committee’s decision regarding the disposition of the complaint. This information should be disseminated in writing within five school days of its receipt.

8. If there is an appeal of the district review committee’s recommendation, the Board of Education will review the committee’s recommendation as well as the complainant’s written reason for not agreeing with the committee’s recommendation. The committee will present its recommendation to the Board of Education at its next regular meeting. The Board of Education will take the appeal under advisement and inform the complainant of its decision in writing within ten school days.

16. Complaints - School Personnel:

1. Constructive criticism of the school, school system, or school personnel is welcome when it is motivated by a sincere desire to improve the quality of the educational program and to assist the school in performing its educational tasks more effectively.

2. The Board of Education has confidence in the school district employees and desires to support their actions in a manner which will resolve any legitimate complaints about their performance and which will free them from unnecessary, spiteful, or negative criticisms and complaints. The Board of Education advises the public that the proper channeling of complaints involving school personnel shall be from the complainant to the employee to principal to Superintendent and to the Board of Education. Every effort will be made to satisfy the complainant at the earliest possible stage. Any complaint about personnel except the Superintendent will be investigated by the administration before consideration and action taken by the Board of Education. The recommended procedure is as follows:

2.1 Principal reviews, investigates, and makes a recommendation.

2.2 If the complainant is not satisfied with the recommendation of the building principal, the principal’s recommendation will be reviewed and a decision made by the appropriate central office administrator.

2.3 If the complainant is not satisfied with the administrator’s decision, an appeal can be made to the superintendent of schools.

3. Any statement containing a charge or a complaint against an employee of the school district must be submitted in writing on forms available from any building principal, the Associate Superintendent, or the Director of Student Services. The complaint must be verified and signed by the complainant. The complaint form shall be filed with the person hearing the complaint and shall follow the complaint to the succeeding levels of consideration. The complainant will be contacted to follow-up on the complaint within three school days of receiving the completed complaint form.

17. Crisis Response Team:

(See Appendix #3: “Crisis Response - Overview of Procedures”)

People in crisis often experience anxiety, feelings of vulnerability and difficulty. Events such as the death of a teacher or student, natural or accidental disasters, and real or threatened violence may produce a crisis for students and faculty alike. The need to cope effectively is necessary. The purpose of the Norfolk Public Schools Crisis Response team is to evaluate crisis situations and plan intervention strategies. Guidelines are written to help address these concerns and to establish procedures for situations.

18. Discipline:

(See Appendix #15: “Student Rights and Responsibilities”)

1. The Norfolk Public School Board believes that student discipline must be organized into an orderly system of operational procedures before effective teaching and learning can take place. However, discipline is not to be a camouflage for lack of instructional effectiveness.

2. Each teacher in the Norfolk Public Schools shall maintain a classroom in which pupils are comfortable and in which each one is learning. Causes of infractions of rules and departure from good behavior should be studied, and correction should be sought through improvement of causal factors before consequences are invoked. The teacher should study individual differences, conduct conferences with the pupil and parents, and seek assistance from the principal and specialists within the school system. In addition, teachers as well as other employees, shall cooperate with the principal in the development and maintenance of good order in the halls and on the school grounds. To this end they will be supported in the administration of reasonable consequences or other suitable actions. Such actions may be counseling of students, parent conferences, rearrangement of schedules, requirements that students remain in a school after regular hours to do additional work, requirements that a student receive counseling, or restrictions of extracurricular activity.

3. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT SHALL BE PROHIBITED. The 1988 State Legislature prohibited corporal punishment in public schools. However, corporal punishment is not to be confused with physical force used by a teacher or employee to protect another person from personal attack or threat of attack; to protect himself or herself; to remove a student from a class or from one part of the building to another; or to protect a student from doing harm to himself, herself, others, to school property, or property of others. Nor should corporal punishment be confused with grasping

Handbook for Certified Staff

School Mission

Norfolk Public Schools’

Lifelong Goals