top
 

Welcome Families, New and Current!


We are glad you are here. We hope you find the Neighborhood School Student Handbook an informative and useful student-family resource.

This school and all our programs depend on strong participation and financial support from our community. Family participation, especially through volunteering in the school, classroom and school projects helps make our school a vibrant and rich experience for all children. Fundraising efforts support arts programs, trips, classroom expenses and upkeep of the playground.

We welcome your involvement, questions and suggestions.

Yours,
Judith Foster
Principal

NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL
COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE REGION 9
121 EAST THIRD STREET
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, 10009
OFFICE: ROOM 305
TELE: 212-387-0195
FAX: 212-387-0198

Principal Judith Foster

Assistant Principal Milo Novelo

STAFF LISTING
School Aides
Ahyesha Daniels, Carmen Myman, Gladys Fernandez, Yvonne Thomas
Payroll Secretary
Elizabeth Burgos
Parent Coordinator
Noemi Mora - Office or PTA Room
Pre-K Family Assistant
Elizabeth Quinones
Paraprofessionals - Special Ed. And Health
Isael Barias
Mildred Guy
Eileen Rodriguez
Sharnice Shuler
Elcila Colon

PRE-K/K
Deborah McLaughlin - Teacher - Room 208
Yolanda Rivera - Ed. Asst

Marilyn Rivera - Teacher - Room 202
Michelle Walker - Ed. Asst

KINDERGARTEN
Laurie Engle - Teacher - Room 201 
Haydee Netupsky - Ed. Asst

1ST/2ND GRADE
Dara Corn - Room 205
Joel Blecha - Room 302
Dianne Jackson - Room 308
Ginna Brereton - Room 301

3RD GRADE
Amy Masters Sheridan - Room 303
Grace Chang - Room 310

4TH/5TH GRADE
Sofia Pereira - Room 403
Clio Stearns - Room 306
Rebecca Weintraub - Room 405

PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES
Phys Ed/Movement Teddy Fernandez - Sing area & Gym
Library Cheryl Wolf
Drama Amanda Doyle - Room 304
Science & Technology Teb Locke - Room - 409
Math Coach, Assistant Administrator Milo Novello
Art Valerie Hammond - Room 204
Music Monica Linkweiler - Auditorium
SETSS Teachers and IEP Teachers
Marilyn Rivera - Room 411
Gillian Todd - Room 411
Kim Sharkey - Room 409A

SCHOOL BASED SUPPORT TEAM
Social Worker Patricia Winter, - Room 411
Pre-K Social Worker Nadine Dyer - PTA Room
Speech Therapist Stephanie Downey - Room 409A
Guidance Counselor Lori Fromewick
Occupational Therapists Natasha Bluto, Melissa Weinrich - Room 411a
ESL Martin Perl - Room 313
Nurse Joan Forbes - Room 212
Lunch Room Superviser Romena Moore

Head Custodian William Hernandez
Security Guard Maritza Ponce - Front entry

WHO WE ARE

The Neighborhood School is a community School District 1 (CSD 1) School of Choice. We are located at 121 East Third Street and share the building with P.S. 63. The Neighborhood School was founded in September 1991, designed to meet an expressed need for a progressive approach to educating the children of our community.

The Neighborhood School provides a lively and diverse educational community. We see our diversity as one of our great strengths. In our mixed age, heterogeneous classroom, children of many different backgrounds learn to become part of a community that fosters not only tolerance but also true respect for all people.

The spirit of our founding by teachers, the director and parents is an important theme for everything that we do. Family involvement is vital and we encourage you to contribute to the school in any number of ways and share your opinions about the school decisions.

Our school has 12 classes spanning pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. Our classes are grouped in multi-age configurations to allow each child to develop both academic and leadership skills. (See section on Class Placement for more about multi-age grouping) This also allows the children and teachers to know each other and work together over a longer period of time. We have physical education and Spanish instruction for all children. Arts collaborations includes the PTA supported Studio in a School, the MILES program of the Third Street Music School and Downtown Art.

We believe that children learn by making sense of their world and their experiences. We have seen that they learn best through first-hand experiences with people, materials and places. Trips are an important part of the curriculum, along with the use of concrete materials, dramatizations and simulations as ways for children to recreate the themes and concepts they are studying.

Children explore and make hypotheses and discoveries of their own. Teachers provide a program rich in relevant, meaningful and functional experiences. In depth studies of themes integrate language arts, thinking, science, social studies, mathematics, physical education, and the arts. Classroom work is conducted collaboratively so that children learn to work with others cooperatively in social groupings.

We help children to develop good habits of mind, to think creatively and analytically. We want our students to develop fully as individuals, and also as cooperative, responsible members of a group.

 

SCHOOL ROUTINES AND PROCEDURES ADMISSIONS

The first step in applying for the Neighborhood School is to attend a school tour and orientation that will provide information about the school. Tours are usually held October through February. These tours and orientations are arranged by appointment. They are an important part of the admissions process because we want prospective parents to understand the school philosophy. Applications to the school are due by March. Every effort will be made to maintain an ethnic, racial and gender balance in each class. Children who live in Community School District One, children of employees of Community School District One, and siblings of students who currently attend the Neighborhood School will be given priority in admissions. The remaining applications will be selected through a lottery system.

DEVELOPMENTAL CONTINUUM for READING

Throughout the school year, teachers assess children’s literacy development so that we can give appropriate instruction to individual children as well as the whole class. As part of our Empowerment Network we have designed a more formal schedule of periodic assessment in reading. We will give each child a reading assessment three times a year.

Booklet (PDF)
Developmental Continuum for Reading
Interim Assessment in English Language Arts

ABSENCES AND LATENESS

Absences and lateness for school are a serious matter. Attendance is looked at very carefully by the city school system. Good attendance is essential to academic progress Each period of the school day is filled with instruction. Also, a child’s record of attendance is taken into account for applications to other schools. Attendance records are reviewed weekly. If your child has a pattern of lateness and/or absence, we will contact you to see if we can help you.

Absences
The New York City Department of Education requires that children have a doctor’s note if they have been absent for three days or more. If your child will not attend for any reason, your child’s teacher must be notified. Please send a note to your child’s teacher explaining the absence. A child’s record of absence is a legal document. It can be used in court to determine whether a child was or was not in school on a particular day or at a particular time. There can be different reasons for an absence and these explanations are entered into the computerized attendance system. An example of this is when your child is absent from school because he or she is visiting a prospective middle school; there is a specific code for this kind of absence. It is very important that all notes explaining absence be dated otherwise we cannot accept it. If you have questions or problems with lateness or absences, contact Judith.

407 Forms
These are computerized forms that come from the Department of Education. They are sent to us automatically when a child has been absent for more than 7 days at a time. It will also be generated when the child has had a pattern of a few days in school and then out of school over a period of a few weeks. The school must investigate these cases, then "close the case." This may involve Carmen or Noemi calling the child’s home for an doctor’s note or information if the child and family has moved. Getting these calls may be annoying but it saves you a visit from a district attendance worker. Additionally, although children are not required to attend pre-kindergarten or kindergarten, once they do, they are part of the school system and the same attendance requirements apply to them.

This whole procedure is in place by the Department of Education to ensure the well being of children.

Lateness
The school day begins at 8:30 and a child is late at 8:35. Attendance is taken in class at 8:35 and brought to the office. If your child comes in late, he or she must get a late pass. Otherwise, no one in the office will know that your child did come to school and we will be unable to change your child’s "absent" to a " late" on the attendance roster.

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL

Please escort your child to her/his classroom and pick her/him up there or a designated location. The school day begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:00p.m. Monday through Friday. It is important that children arrive in school on time. Every part of the school day is structured to give your child an opportunity to develop skills and learn. Children who arrive late will miss some of these opportunities. In addition, children often feel self-conscious about coming in late to find that everyone is already involved in activities. The school expects the support of parents to fulfill their responsibility in insuring that their children arrive in class on time. Children arriving after 8:35 a.m. must report to the Neighborhood School office (Room 305), and obtain a late pass. Teachers will not admit late arrivals to the classroom without a late pass. Children will not be released to any adult other than a parent or guardian, unless authorized by written permission. If your child’s dismissal routine changes for any reason (play date, different adult picking her/him up, etc.) the classroom teacher must receive a written description of this change.

Please pick your child up promptly at 3:00 p.m. Please contact the school immediately if there will be a delay in picking up your child, We can then reassure your child that everything is OK and that you will be late. No childcare will be provided after 3:00 p.m. At 3:05 p.m. children who have not been picked up will be brought to the office. However, caring for children who are not picked up prevents us from doing our work. Please be considerate and on time. Children may arrive from 7:45 to 8:15 a.m. for breakfast in the cafeteria. Gladys Fernandez, our school aide supervises breakfast. No child is permitted upstairs before 8:30 a.m.

BACKPACKS OR SCHOOLBAGS

Please provide your child with a backpack or schoolbag to carry home her/his work, lunches, school notices, etc. Check it daily for assignments or messages.

BIRTHDAYS

In the younger grades, we will be happy to celebrate your child’s birthday in your child’s classroom with a special snack. You and the teacher will make arrangements in advance. Individual cupcakes are more appropriate than large cakes because they are easier to handle. Decorations, party favors and the like should be reserved for home parties. Classroom mailboxes may only be used for distribution of home party invitations if ALL members of the class are invited. Please do not use the other class mailboxes to invite individual children from other classes.

CLASS PARENTS

We encourage parents to become Class Parents. This is a step that helps to complete the parent-teacher-child triangle that is so important in our school. If you are a parent who is genuinely interested in your child’s day-to-day growth in the classroom, you like to talk to other parents and you have a schedule that allows a few hours of phone calls a month, please think about becoming a Class Parent. As a parent, you can give your child an extra sense of pride and belonging by your involvement in his or her classroom. A Class Parent promotes good communication among the parents as well as between the teacher and the other parents in the class. One parent may volunteer or two parents may share the responsibility. Class parents help plan classroom functions, call other parents about school or classroom business, assist in arranging school trips and assist the teacher in various other ways. Class parents will also serve as liaisons to the PTA and will assist in organizing fund-raising and other events for the school as well as informing the parent body about meetings and special events. If you would like to volunteer to be the Class Parent in your child’s class, please speak with the teacher.

CLASS PLACEMENT

Our classes are designed so that pre-K/K, 1st/2nd, 3rd/4th and 5th/6th grade children are together in mixed age groups. Children generally stay in the class for both years. Each spring we begin to think about how to place the senior children in the next grade level. At that time, the director invites parents to share what they know about their child’s friendships, strengths and needs. Requests for particular teachers are impossible to honor to everyone’s satisfaction so please do not put us in that difficult position. Our goal is to form cohesive, well balanced, lively groups of children that will be successful with any teacher on the grade level. The director, your child’s current teacher and the prospective classroom teacher meet to discuss the placement that would best meet your child’s needs. We take these factors into consideration when deciding appropriate placement:

1. Children with whom your child works well

2. Children with whom your child is friendly

3. Ethnic, gender, and grade level balance

4. Children with whom your child does not have a productive relationship

5. A mix of children who provide a broad range of interests in the class No child is sent to a class without one of their friends and a working partner.

CLASS TRIPS

Trips are an integral part of the curriculum. Each class will take several trips throughout the course of the year, ranging from walks around the block to visits within the community and excursions to sites in the city or outside to see performances for children.

Classes will travel on foot, by school bus, city bus or by subway depending on the destination. Teachers will notify you in advance about upcoming trips and request parent volunteers to accompany the class and assist in supervision. See Class Trip Chaperone Procedures below. To ensure the safety of everyone involved in class trips, the following procedures must be followed.

  • Permission slips MUST be received for every child on each trip using transportation.
  • One teacher or supervisor and one other Department of Education employee must accompany every class.
  • A cell phone must be taken on any trip and the number given to Carmen.
  • Some of the trips will require admissions fees. The School PTA covers the costs for families who are unable to pay.

Chaperoning A Class Trip

  • Thanks for joining us! We could not do this without you! We need you to help us with the following responsibilities to ensure the safety and well being of all the children:
  • Learn the names of the children who will be in your group. Keep your group together at all times.
  • Help the children follow the teacher’s instructions.
  • Help children keep up with the line.
  • Help the children cross streets quickly, silently and efficiently. Let the teacher decide when and where to cross.
  • Please assist children with their coats, lunches, etc. if necessary.
  • Children must be with a grownup for the bathroom or water fountain.
  • Do not leave the group with children for the above or any other reason without notifying the teacher.
  • Individual children are not allowed to buy anything in gift shops, vending machines or cafeterias.
  • Children must not be allowed to converse with strangers.
  • Children may not eat or drink on any public transportation without teacher’s permission.

If A Trip Is On A School Bus

  • Children must remain seated at all times. Heads and limbs must remain in the bus at all times!
  • Talk and singing should be at conversional level. Let's be easy on the bus driver’s ears. If Trip is on Public Transportation
  • Help children stay within areas designated by the teacher.
  • Help children exit, using doors designated by the teacher.
  • Help assemble the children into line while waiting for the bus or subway, and after exiting bus or subway.

CLOTHING

Young children learn through exploration and play. They will be using paint, clay, sand and water. Please do not send your child to school with clothing that you do not want to get soiled. Clothing should be sturdy and washable.

We encourage children to be as independent in dressing themselves as possible. Clothing that is free of complicated fastenings is most appropriate.

Please put labels with your child’s name in all clothing especially outer garments like hats and boots. Children should come to school in sturdy comfortable shoes that are appropriate for running and playing during recess. We also request that you send a spare set of clothing for your child in Pre-K/K. Spare sets of clothing will be sent home at the end of December. If your child has outgrown the clothing at that time, please provide the school with another set that fits your child in January.

COMMUNICATIONS

The school will periodically send home notices with your child. Every day, please be sure to ask your child if she/he has brought home a notice from school or check his or her backpack. School information can also be found in the newsletter and on this website. If you wish to speak to a teacher, please call the office: (212-387-0195) and leave a message. The teacher will call you back. If you have specific concerns or questions that you would like addressed more thoroughly, you may also write the teacher a note requesting a meeting. The teacher will contact you to set a time. If you have a concern you would like the school to address:

  1. First and foremost, speak with the teacher most directly involved with your concern. All of the teachers are available to meet with parents at a mutually convenient time, so please request an appointment.
  2. If you then wish further discussion, Judith is available to meet with you. Please request an appointment.
  3. If, at this time, you wish to further pursue your concern, you may request an appointment with a School Leadership Team representative, or put a note in the S.L.T. box.

Noemi Mora, our Parent Coordinator, is also available to help you or meet with you. She can be reached at the PTA office at 646-654-1879 or at the school office at 212-387-0195 or visit her in the school office.

By keeping our communication open in the above-presented sequence, we can all work together towards greater understanding, support and cooperation.

CURRICULUM NIGHT

Curriculum night(s) will be scheduled in the fall. At this meeting you will meet your child’s teacher and other parents and get important information about the curriculum. This is an opportunity for parents to discuss the class curriculum in detail. If you have specific concerns about your child’s progress or issues in class, please discuss with the teacher separately during Family Conferences or at a meeting. (See section on Communications).

EMERGENCY CARDS

These blue cards are very important as they provide us with your contact information if your child becomes ill or injured in school, is not picked up on time or if we need to contact you immediately. It is vitally important that the information on these cards is up to date. If you change telephone numbers, cell phone numbers, residence or work, please give us the new information so that we can update the card.

EVENTS

A number of events for families and staff will take place throughout the year. School Sing, a gathering of the entire school community, takes place every third Thursday of the month. There will be a Fall Family Breakfast, the Holiday Fair, Pot Luck Supper, the Spring Fair, a School Picnic, and a school-wide Music Performance and Art Show as well as other yearly events. A monthly calendar will be sent home which lists upcoming meetings and activities.

FAMILY CONFERENCES

Family conferences are scheduled twice yearly. These are opportunities for the child, parents, guardians or caregivers and the teacher to talk about the child’s progress in classes including Spanish and Movement. If you have questions or concerns at other times in the school year you may ask to schedule a conference with the teacher.

HEAD LICE

Children found with head lice are brought to the office, and parents are called to take the children home. We give them information on treatment. THEY MAY NOT COME BACK TO SCHOOL UNTIL THEY ARE LICE AND NIT FREE. School-wide head checks will be made periodically if a child and/or sibling is found with lice or nits. Pre-K-K parents should remove and launder blankets. A note will be sent home to families if a classmate is infected.

Head scratching and intense itching of the scalp is an indication of head lice. You can confirm this by looking closely at your child’s hair and scalp with a magnifying glass. Look for tiny grayish crawling forms or tiny oval whitish eggs (nits) sticking to the hair close to the scalp.

Lice and nits are spread:

  • Through direct contact with a child with lice by playing and other school activities.
  • By borrowing and using another child’s brush, comb, barrette or other hair grooming item that is infested.
  • Wearing other children’s hat, coat, scarf or other clothing that may be infested.
  • Lying on an infested mattress, pillow, carpet or sofa.

There are several good commercial products for the treatment of head lice (Rid, Nix, A-200-Pyrinate). Other shampoos are available by prescription only. Talk to your doctor about what is best for your child. It is very important to remove all nits. Nit removal can be quite a difficult task and is best done with a metal nit comb, small scissors and by hand.

If children they are found with just 1 or 2 nits, they are allowed to stay in class and will receive a letter on lice and nit treatment. A child who has been sent home or found with nits may not return to class until checked and approved by the nurse, Carmen or Judith.

HEALTH FORMS

New York City Department of Education policy requires that every student have a health form, signed by a physician, on file in school. It is extremely important that immunizations are up-to-date. (A family may apply for a waiver from immunization if that procedure is against their beliefs.) Otherwise, children must have proof of immunization before they can be registered for school. Depending on the child’s age, immunizations must be updated and/or new shots given. If children are not up to date with their immunization, they may be excluded from school.

Health forms must be legible with the series of vaccines complete and dates and TB test results that are clearly indicated with dates. Help us minimize the need to repeatedly ask you for corrected records. Carmen, Noemi, the District 1 office staff and the Director are continually checking records to ensure they are accurate, up to date and complete. Please help us by bringing in a copy of your child’s immunization record whenever your child receives a new immunization. If information is missing, please call your doctor to notify them of this and ask them to fax us a correct copy of the form at 212-387-0198.

HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS

Holidays and family traditions provide an opportunity to discover and learn about the cultures of others. Classroom discussions and activities will focus on those learning opportunities, but they will not take the form of parties or celebrations. We will make every effort to present a broad range of cultures within the community. We respect each child’s right to observe her/his culture’s holiday in the manner her/his family chooses to do so. We would be activity delighted if you would come to class and share a holiday from your culture.

ILLNESS

Please do not send children to school who are unwell. They cannot participate and recovery takes longer. They can infect other children. In case of accidental injury, the school will make an immediate attempt to contact a parent or guardian. If we cannot reach you, we will call the child’s doctor or follow the instructions given on the emergency home contact card that you filled out at registration. It is your responsibility to keep the school up-to-date with telephone numbers and any other information concerning emergency contacts.

LUNCH

The Office of School Nutrition administers the school lunch program. For the most part, we have no say over what is served other than our preference that the children have fresh fruit rather than processed fruit for dessert. From Pre-K to 2nd Grade, children will eat a hot lunch or sandwiches in their classroom, family-style, with their teachers. Older children will use our cafeteria area. Your child may bring lunch from home or you may order school lunches. Do not send candy, soda, and highly sweetened or processed foods for lunch. School menus will be posted on our information board and in the School newsletter. In Community School District 1, school lunches are free for all children, regardless of family income.

METROCARDS

Metrocards are available for those students who live more than a half mile from the school. The age of the student is also a factor and determines whether you receive a full or half fare card. The Bureau of Transportation of the Department of Education decides whether the child received full or half fare Metrocards. The school has no control over these decisions.

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION

The PTA of the Neighborhood School is a volunteer group made up of parents, guardians and teachers who consistently work toward a better school. Anyone who has a child in the Neighborhood school is strongly encouraged to be a participating member. The PTA provides a vehicle for the meaningful collaboration of staff and families to provide an education in the best interests of the children. The Executive Board of the PTA is made up this year of two Co-Presidents, a Secretary , a Treasure, and five Vice-Presidents. Board members work extensively on a variety of PTA events and projects such as the School Leadership Team, the Library committee and others. The Board also coordinates the efforts of the parents who head various PTA committees. Board members are elected at the end of one school year for positions beginning in the fall of the next year. These elections are held during a May PTA meeting and notices for this meeting will be posted in the school and sent home in student backpacks.

Monthly general membership meetings are held to discuss PTA committee business, as well as to provide an on-going forum of communication with parents regarding school policies and curriculum. There is often a presentation by a staff member about a topic of interest about the school. It is extremely important that all parents take an active part in the PTA and attend the meetings. We would also encourage you to join a committee of your choice. Dates for the PTA general membership and committee meetings will be announced. Fundraising is a major aspect of the PTA’s mission. Many of the special programs in the school are funded with money raised by the PTA.

PARENT INTERVIEWS

At the beginning of the school year, teachers will contact you to arrange an appointment for a discussion about your child. This is an opportunity for you and the teacher to get to know each other and for the teacher to learn more about your child.

RECESS

Children need to have outdoor exercise for good health and proper growth. We have recess outdoors as much as possible. Children need to run, play and be with each other informally to expend energy. The school organizes children all day long so it is also important for them to organize themselves in a productive way and be able to catch up with friends in other grades.

It is important for children to wear clothes and shoes that will allow them to be comfortable on the playground. Please dress your children for the weather. Labeling outerwear will help prevent loss. Hats, gloves and boots are necessities in the winter. Rubber-soled shoes are easier for children to run and play in than party shoes.

We have two recess periods: one for the children pre-K to second grade and one for third through sixth grade. The children’s recess time is the classroom teacher’s lunchtime. There is at least one adult for every class. Adults are stationed around the play area, particularly keeping an eye on play structures or children who need more support in their games. The adults are consistent so children get to know who is covering recess. We ask children to let us know if they need help with a problem. Unless a problem becomes loud and physical,we may not know, for example, that a child has been excluded from a game.

The younger children have a 50-minute recess period. They go outside every day unless there is snow on the playground, it is raining, or the temperature falls below freezing. When it is especially cold and windy but not freezing, we have a warm up space inside where children can spend time if they become cold. We realize that recess can be overwhelming for young children and difficult to negotiate, especially at the beginning of the year. We make every effort to include them in the games and help them find a place. We use our judgment about whether and how to intervene. If we see a child alone, we will try to help them find an activity. Sometimes a child watches to learn and sometimes the child needs quiet time. Please see Judith or Katie with any concerns that you or your child may have about their experiences during recess.

The upper grade recess is combined with lunch in the cafeteria within a 50- minute period and please, NO SODA! Classes eat at specific tables and then go outside as the children at a table are finished eating and cleaning up. Many children, both boys and girls, play kickball, baseball and soccer, which they learned in physical education. No one is excluded; everyone can play. Children are free to play with the equipment, jump rope, run around and otherwise devise activities for themselves.

When indoor recess is a necessity, the children may bring books or games to the cafeteria. Children are also free to play more active games in the school sing areas. Indoor recess for the younger children requires more spaces, materials and staff than outdoor recess. To address this, we have two classes in the sing area playing active games and four classes watching a movie. The groups rotate sessions so that every class gets a turn at active play. Only G-rated movies will be shown. We are happy to borrow a movie if you have one to share.

Recess Rules:

  1. Equipment must be used as explained by the teachers, even if parents let children use it differently when they are outside of school.
  2. Children are not allowed to climb up the slides. Children must go down the slides on their bottoms.
  3. No one is allowed to pick up anything from the ground such as glass, paper, bottles, sticks, money or candy. Children must tell a teacher if they see something that should be picked up.
  4. No one is allowed to go behind the shed.
  5. No hitting, kicking, pushing, pulling, grabbing clothes or play fighting (pretending martial arts or threatening movements). No playing ‘Truth or Dare’.
  6. If children want a drink or to go to the bathroom, they must ask a designated adult.
  7. Children should not say to anyone "You can’t play".
  8. Everyone must wear the outerwear they came with unless there is an extreme change in temperature.
  9. No name calling, teasing or threatening language is allowed including, " You can’t be my friend".
  10. Snacks must be eaten in the big yard before play.
  11. No running with sticks.
  12. Sometimes strangers, family members or people with pets will try to engage children in conversation. Children may not talk to anyone on the other side of the fence. Recess staff may not know whether someone is a stranger or a and pets may bite.
  13. Children may only bring jump ropes, balls and chalks to recess.
  14. Tag may be played in the large yard. Everyone in the game must agree on the rules.
  15. Parents will replace equipment that is intentionally lost or damaged.

SCHOOL BUS TRANSPORTATION

Again, age and distance determine whether you can receive school bus service.

Children cannot ride the bus until they are five (5) years old. The school bus picks up children around 7:30 a.m. and gets them home around 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The route takes children to and from several schools. The buses do not have seatbelts and parents cannot ride with children.

We do not hire the bus drivers and have no control over their performance and reliability. We are unable to help you with complaints about the bus but will be happy to give you the phone number of the Bureau of Transportation or the bus company that has the contract for the route.

SNACKS

Students will have a nutritious snack during the school day. Each teacher will establish a procedure for parents to contribute for snack. Occasionally your child will cook or prepare food at school for snack.

Do not send candy, soda, chips, cookies, and highly sweetened or processed foods/beverages for snack. Instead, we would suggest snacks such as cheese, crackers, fruit, raw veggies, etc.

SUPERVISION OF CHILDREN AT SPECIAL EVENTS

We enjoy arranging periodic opportunities for families and the school to come together for celebration and performance. These may be in the classroom, or a more public space such as the yard or auditorium.

Children work hard on their performances and we would like to honor that effort by providing them with attentive, respectful audiences. We also need to insure the safety of children and school facilities. We hope that you will help us in this effort by observing the following guidelines:

  • Children may not come to events outside of school hours unless accompanied by an adult.
  • Children need to be under watchful adult supervision at all times.
  • Children may not enter parts of the building that are not in use for the event
  • If school property is destroyed, the parent is responsible for compensation
  • Children may not run around in the auditorium or play on stage before, during or after a school performance.
  • Siblings may not play with classroom materials during a class celebration unless offered by the classroom teacher.
  • During events that are adult-only, children who accompany adults must be left with the babysitters.
  • Children who are crying or calling out should be taken out of the room until they are calmed.
  • Children may not play the piano in the auditorium.

TOYS AND ELECTRONICS

Our classrooms have many different materials, toys and games for use by the children. No toys from home should be brought to school. No electronic games, walkman or beepers should be brought to school. If a child has a cell phone, s/he must give it to the teacher to lock up in a safe place until dismissal.

VISITING YOUR CHILD’S CLASSROOM

If you wish to visit your child’s classroom, please call the office to speak to your child’s teacher directly to arrange a convenient time, or leave the teacher a note. Parents are always welcome.

SCHOOL POLICIES AND
EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES


CHOICE

This is not the freedom to do anything or nothing. Although choice is an integral part of what we do, there are times when adults have to make decisions for children. In providing a variety of options, we encourage and work with the children to take on a hard job or task, not just stick with what is comfortable for them. We help children to recognize and do their personal best, and to take responsibility for these choices and actions.

We give children limited and productive choice. Within this structure, children learn to know themselves and to choose well for themselves. Through developing self-knowledge and confidence, children grow as learners and independent individuals.

We provide more structure and support for the less independent children. We begin providing structures that children need in order to build bridges to the next step in independence. In the beginning, simple routines and clarity help children feel more comfortable in making choices.

For example, some of the ways we support children in writing might be:

  • Document a range of choices to write about
  • Have a routine for writing time
  • Establish individual, step-by-step routines for certain children who need them
  • Look at what an individual child needs to feel in control and provide that assistance.

Children also need to learn how to make good decisions as members of a group, for that group. They need to pull together to help each other. We foster this collaboration by enabling children to share their work with others and to participate in small group work and whole group discussions. By building a positive environment for learning from and with others, children develop a capacity to collaborate with others.

We want children to feel proud about themselves as individuals, about who and what they are. We do not want to point or steer them in uncomfortable directions. However, children are constantly barraged with gender and cultural images that are stereotyped and restrictive. Therefore we sometimes do not accept children’s choices at face value. When children cut themselves off from experiences for gender reasons, we need to question that choice, whether it be a girl not participating in sports or a boy not entering the dramatic play area.

All children should play with blocks and paint, experiment with and experience the range of materials and activities in the classroom. We do not want children to be limited by being timid or anxious about new or unknown experiences. We consciously help children to participate when they are hesitant or afraid.

We consciously question stereotypes and choices that are binding. Our goal is to have children fully participate and develop their potential in all areas; even those which are traditionally gender-based such as spatial, artistic, interpersonal and athletic skills.

We do not set up activities or routines in which boys or girls are separated as groups.


DISCIPLINE POLICY

We envision our school as a learning community that treats children and adults with respect and kindness. We see our children taking their places in the world as empowered adults who can make good choices in their lives, good changes in the world and work well with others in their occupational and social communities.

We depend on adults to be role models and facilitators in their relations with each other and with children. For instance, if a parent has an issue with the behavior of another child or parent, the appropriate action is to discuss the matter with the classroom teacher and if necessary with the director.

We define discipline as helping children develop self-control and self-motivation and keeping a safe environment for children. These are integral parts of the curriculum and are grounded in the practices of the school. We work to maintain a safe physical and emotional environment where youngsters and grown-ups can ask questions and be vulnerable, where we can expose ourselves in trying to learn and improve.

We want children to value diversity of ideas, develop compassion and the ability to see themselves in another’s shoes. These qualities are progressive – their development comes from experience built on shared experience. As children mature and participate in communal classroom work, they broaden their ability to see things from varied perspectives and to work with people with viewpoints other than their own.


Values and Goals over the Long Term

In enforcing standards, we are not just trying to keep order but to help children become socially responsible, thoughtful and happy, productive members of society. We are trying to teach children how to express their feelings, whether delight or rage, in socially appropriate ways. As issues and challenges come up, our consistent message is: Problems must be solved through non-violent means. Although each person brings family and individual values as part of their identity, we have shared school values, consistent from class to class.

These values include:

  • Treat people kindly
  • Act peacefully
  • Give positive attention to positive behavior
  • Model and give children a language to solve problems
  • Help children to work through difficult situations in productive ways Children need to be:
  • Responsible for themselves
  • Responsible to the community

Children need to know that:

  • Their actions affect others
  • Their behaviors are interconnected with others
  • They can solve problems through discussion
  • Certain anti-social behaviors are not tolerated

Throughout the year, discussions take place in each classroom about how we want to treat each others, what keeps people safe in the room and the reasons for rules and consequences. These bring together the classroom community in the beginning of the year and also take place in response to situations or problems that come up as the year unfolds. Each class may develop consequences as a community to deal with inappropriate behavior.

Classrooms often hold discussions on issues such as acceptable ways to express anger. Children come up with reasonable solutions such as "get away from those people" or "go to a quiet space", or "write about it." The youngest children will say: "ask for help" or "tell them you don’t like that."

Role playing, reading fiction and discussions involving real situations as reference points are techniques used to analyze appropriate responses for specific or general situations.


Standards and Expectations

Over the course of a child’s life in school we are looking for progress, moving from the need for external assistance to the development of internal control and productive participation. Children want to do what is appropriate. We help them to achieve that.

When a specific problem arises between children, we help children talk about the problem, including what happened, how they could have solved it in a more productive way and how they can act in the future.

Children and adults have the right not to be afraid, not to be threatened either physically or verbally.

All of the following are ways in which the learning community can be threatened.


Unacceptable behaviors

  • Teasing
  • Aggressive verbal behavior—cursing and other threatening or abusive speech to children or adults in our community or the larger community (this may include racial or sexual comments)
  • Hitting or other physically aggressive acts
  • Disruptive behavior
  • Dangerous behavior—our concern is not only when a child might hurt others but also when she/he puts herself/himself in an unsafe situation as well, for example: hiding in the yard or classroom, climbing bathroom stalls
  • Misuse of materials or other people’s property
  • Stealing, defacing school or personal property.


Consequences

For each unacceptable behavior there is a range of consequences and actions a teacher will take. This is dependent on the frequency of this behavior, progress of the child, age of the child and severity of the behavior. We look at which consequences will have meaning for this child. For instance, in Pre-K/K, even though we take hitting very seriously, we may not always think that being sent home is the most productive of the array of consequences.

Consequences include:

  • Temporarily removing a child from a difficult situation within the class
  • Speaking to the child individually
  • Holding a group discussion
  • Sending the child to another class
  • Sending the child to the office
  • Informing parent of behavior
  • Discussion with parent and setting up a plan of action with a parent, articulating what "progress" is
  • Discussion with other school personnel
  • Formal meeting with director, teacher and parents
  • Discussing and initiating other support systems
  • Guidance hearing
  • Suspension
  • Replacement of property or reimbursement

Each of these consequences is within Board of Education guidelines.

Discipline is a process. We look at the information we have about the child along with everything else we know in planning how to support the child. Before dealing with a situation, children need to be in control of themselves. A child may need to be soothed or calmed down. This may mean time out or a hug; whatever will help a child to be able to face a problem rationally. Each problem will be and is dealt with, although it may not be apparent at the time.

The steps we take are to:

  1. Restore a sense of safety and bring people into self control
  2. Deal with inappropriate behavior.

When a child is violently out of control, the parent will be contacted and will be expected to take the child home. Above Pre-K/K, parents will also be contacted and asked to take their child home when a child hits or is otherwise abusive to a teacher. Verbal abuse or acting violently towards adults will never be tolerated in our school. A range of consequences may be applied when a child behaves in this way. Adults who are abusive will be barred from entering the school beyond the security desk.

The specific situation would dictate which consequences would be used, revisited or skipped. Our goal is to help each child develop her/his own resources. We want the outcome of the consequences to reinforce not only the essence of what is unacceptable to the group but how one’s behavior impacts on the group and on oneself. Therefore, a consequence to inappropriate behavior at recess would not be only to miss recess but also to discuss the behavior and alternatives.

Upon occasion, though it happens infrequently, a child exhibits a pattern of behavior that is highly threatening to the values or safety of the community. In these cases, suspension sends the most extreme message that this behavior is intolerable.

What happens with children who need extra help, who do not progress adequately or show interest in being a member of the community?

We look at why this is happening and what is causing it. Our resources for finding out include the child, teachers, family and our observations. We initiate planning and problem-solving meetings with the family. Each meeting will end with a written statement of what was discussed and agreed upon, what actions each party is taking and when the next meeting will be held.

HOMEWORK

Homework is a way to connect work in the classroom with a child’s life at home. Activities assigned will often require the child to work with other family members. Homework will differ from classroom to classroom and your child’s teacher will give you more information about your child’s particular homework schedule and expectations.

Homework Policy:
Children need a balanced life, family time, play-dates, after-school enrichment activities and leisure time, as well as school, are all important to the development of each child. Children and their families are often excited by the "grownup" notion of having homework. At the Neighborhood School we strive to keep children’s enthusiasm and excitement alive by creating homework assignments that are meaningful and connected to the curriculum. The homework assignments we give are not designed to take up the whole of the children’s out of school time.

We expect all children to complete the assignments they are given so as to get the most benefit out of the school. Homework is an integral part of the curriculum. Homework activities grow out of the needs and curriculum of each individual class. A child’s success hinges on the involvement of her/his family members and we expect adults in a child’s family to support the child as she/he completes the work.

The ways adults will need to help children are:

  • Making a time management plan for completion of the work
  • Reading and discussing directions and expectations of assignments
  • Answering questions and offering guidance as the child needs it
  • Listening to help the child clarify her/his own thinking
  • Being available for assignments where adult supervision or involvement is required (for example: neighborhood walks, interviews, going to the liibrary, etc.)
  • Providing a regular time and place for children to work
  • Helping children establish a homework routine

While the homework is the child’s work, young students tend to need more parental involvement than do older students and the type of parental involvement will change as well.

At times, some work is assigned that will specifically require input and cooperation of family members. In these instances, ample time will be provided before the work is due. Communication about the homework should be ongoing. We will try to help you with whatever concerns and needs you have. If your child or family is experiencing frustration, confusion or difficulty, contact your child's teacher.

Homework allows families to work with their children on the skills we develop in class, and it provides a forum in which children can practice those skills. In addition, it provides us with an invaluable body of information with which to assess each child’s ability to read and follow directions, as well as to synthesize, apply, record and communicate her or his understanding of a variety of concepts.

For the youngest children, doing activities at home and bringing the results to school helps to enrich the classroom curriculum. The activities are designed to develop responsibility for one’s own work. We expect each child to approach and complete the homework at her/his own level.

HOW WE USE BOOKS

Each class has a rich, large library of fiction and non-fiction books and books written by children. Each library contains a variety of age-and interest-appropriate books. Fiction selections include such genres as: mystery, adventure, humor, science fiction, historical novel, myth, legends and folk tales. History, science, poetry, math concept books, biographies and reference books at a wide range of reading levels are also available. We take care to acquire books that positively portray both females and males in diverse families and characters of different ethnicities, religions, races and backgrounds, both rural and urban. Atlases, encyclopedias and other factual materials are available when a child needs to look something up.

We want children to be comfortable with using books for research and for pleasure. For both purposes we use trade books. Through trade books, primary sources and articles, we teach children to become fluent readers, to make wise choices in selecting books, to appreciate good writing and make personal connections to that which they read.

By using trade books for information, children learn to be investigators and thinkers. As children gather information from several sources and compare facts, we can teach children to be independent researchers and learners. In math, we use professional books as well as textbooks as resources. We also look at the standards of the National Council of Teachers of Math and work with colleagues and consultants to devise curriculum.

We give children real, authentic experiences in math in which they can explore different ways to solve problems, learn from each other and use math. The point is to communicate, find things out, understand and explain the world and gain insight, not to go through the page until finished.


WHY WE DO NOT USE COMMERCIAL
WORKBOOKS AND BASALS

Our young children have characterized reading as "telling a story" or "thinking what the book says" because they are experienced with books in school. Giving your children skill sheets or readiness workbooks implies that reading is something else – circling a correct word or connecting lines. Children become fluent readers by reading and thinking about what they are reading, not by doing workbook exercises.

We feel that trade books are written in more interesting language than basal readers and commercial textbooks. Trade books are focused and relevant to what is being studied. The books we select are inviting, more aesthetically pleasing. Non-fiction trade books deal with their subjects in more depth than do textbooks, whereas information presented in a social studies textbook is often skewed, opinionated, biased and/or superficial.

In math, as well, we choose not to give children workbooks, because they are too abstract, not related to solving real problems or undertaking authentic tasks children encounter in real life. Also, there is generally no real order to or progression of the concepts. Workbooks dictate pace. Filling in the blanks is a passive occupation. Children copy, compete, race through the pages as fast as possible. Children are not, in this way, asked to explain their thinking or solve problems in different ways.

We help children develop the capacity to use their store of knowledge to solve real life problems through giving them authentic tasks and situations. Children who have concrete experience with number really know what a quantity means. We use Xeroxed pages of math textbooks more properly as a reinforcement or resource. Our focus is on more open-ended, multi-level problem-solving situations that call on children to be more active, involved learners, and use higher level divergent thinking skills.

We believe that the most effective educational environment for children is one in which the adults are also active learners, sharing practices and helping each other. In our school, children, teachers, administrators, parents and support staff are part of a community of learners.

INTERCLASS TRANSFERS

Unless there is a very strong reason to the contrary, we expect children to be in class with a teacher for two years. However, if there are compelling social or academic issues, a class change may be considered. If, after a year with a teacher, a parent requests a class change, a meeting between the director and the parent will take place.

The director will take notes about the parent’s concerns and will bring them to the teacher’s attention. The director and teacher will then have time to observe and investigate the situation. Following this, the teacher and the director will construct a plan of action. The director will apprise the parent of the situation. If the plan involves changing the class for the following year, the director and class teacher will confer with the receiving teacher. If the classroom teacher feels very strongly that a class change is indicated for child’s benefit, the teacher will first confer with the director.

The results of the conference will be a written plan of what the concerns are and how to help the child. If the best possible course of action were to move the child, the receiving teacher would be brought into the discussion with the classroom teacher and director. The director will then meet with the parent to discuss the situation before any outcome is finalized.

If a teacher feels that a child should be placed in a different class after the school year has begun, the teacher will meet with the director to make a plan. The teacher will prepare anecdotal observations and assessments, document what strategies have been tried to help the child, and provide records of problem solving meetings with parents, previous teachers and director concerning the child. The director, classroom teacher and receiving teacher will discuss the situation. A meeting will then be held with the family prior to any decision being finalized.

If a parent requests a change of placement after the beginning of the school year, the director will meet with the parent and record the concerns. The director will bring them to the classroom teacher. The director and teacher will investigate the problems and create a plan to address the situation. The director will discuss the findings with the parent. If the plan involves changing the class, this will be discussed with the receiving teacher prior to any decision being made.

PROMOTIONAL POLICY

In assessing children, we look at the individual child and how that child is progressing. We look at how that child reads, writes, solves problems and participates in group work.

Occasionally a child may be struggling and not making adequate progress to be able to successfully engage in work geared to the development level of her/his peer group.

When we are concerned about a child’s academic progress, these are the steps we take to look more carefully at the child and put supports in place to help the child learn.

We initiate a conversation with the family about our concerns. Together we formulate a plan to help the child, to provide the scaffolding that the child needs to progress. We look at concerns such as: Does the child need homework help? Is the child late or absent too often? Does the child need speech therapy?

We also initiate fact-finding conversations with colleagues to review options for the child within the school.

  • We confer with the previous classroom teacher(s) and other teachers who have worked with the child.
  • The director and teacher confer about the child
  • The teacher may ask another teacher to observe the child
  • The school history of the child is reviewed (the portfolio, previous progress reports, etc.)
  • A Pupil Personnel committee (consisting of director, teacher, guidance counselor, social worker, resource room teachers) meeting may be convened to look at the need for counseling, small group tutoring or other special services such as resource room or speech
  • Young children (first/second graders) may be considered for the reading program
  • A descriptive review may be held to better understand the child and to generate new ideas for helping her/him in the classroom.

A plan will be made to help the child. Very occasionally, a child’s performance and progress is so different from the range of the class that the child is not able to participate fully in the curriculum of the class. In this case, it may be a disservice to the child to promote that child. The parent would be notified of our concern in writing no later than the time of the mid-year progress reports.

REPORTING CHILDREN’S
PROGRESS TO PARENTS

Students will not receive report cards. Instead, we use written reports prepared by your child’s teacher that will provide you with information about your child’s progress. The teacher’s assessment of your child will take into consideration her/his intellectual functioning, social/emotional development and physical growth. The reports discuss your child’s progress in more depth than do the traditional reports. These reports will be given to you twice a year, in February and June.

Midyear Reports

These give an idea of what the child does and who the child is in class. They provide a context for the teacher to reflect on the child and how to provide for her/his continued growth and development. They also give insight into how families can help their child’s learning and development. They are narrative reports in the Pre-K/K and narrative with checklist in 1st Grade and above.

End of Year Reports

These are short narratives looking at the child’s year at school in terms of development, new interests and curriculum areas that stand out for this child.

In upper grades teachers will comment on the child’s progress in skills and content areas including social development, reading, math, writing, science, social studies, means of creative expression and special interest.

Importantly, children are given the opportunity for self-assessment. Children reflect on their progress in areas that might include how they have changed as a writer or reader, what curriculum has been important to them and why, what behaviors they have worked on over the year and in what areas they still need to make progress.

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM (SLT)

The SLT is a school-wide committee that is an important school resource for staff and families’ concerns about issues of importance to the school community. It is the central, unifying committee of our school and it writes, revises and disseminates school policies. The SLT meets once a month, from 6-8 p.m. for cooperative planning and shared decision making in relation to many aspects of school life. The SLT consists of 4 parents (three parents plus the PTA president or president’s delegate) and four staff members (2 teachers, the school director and the UFT chapter leader or leader’s delegate). Policy is sometimes developed by the team or sometimes by staff, and is then given to the team for their feedback and approval. The parents on SLT are required to report on proposals that come from the SLT team, seek input and feedback from the parent body and report back to SLT. For a discussion on policy we have at times organized a special meeting to explain and discuss, or sent home a written rationale and then discussed it at a PTA meeting. The staff also has a system for dissemination of information and feedback as well as policy making at their weekly staff meetings. Parent representatives are chosen at PTA meetings. The term of membership is two years. People may serve more than two years but they must be reelected when their term is up. The school leader, PTA president and UFT chapter leader serve on the SLT as long as they are in their positions. Meetings are open to anyone who would like to attend and meeting times and tentative agendas will be posted around the school, on the website and in the school newsletter as well as on the monthly calendar. SLT minutes are distributed two weeks after each meeting through the newsletter and will be posted on the Website. Copies of minutes are also kept in a SLT minutes book which is in the school office. Anyone who would like to place an item on the agenda can speak to a member or leave a note in the SLT box in the office. If you have any questions regarding SLT please feel free to ask one of the team members.

AFTERSCHOOL

The Neighborhood School provides a range of after school options. The Neighborhood School Early Childhood After School Program for Pre K through 2nd grade. A small Fee is involved. We have various other afterschool program options for other children. Some are free and some are fee-based.

BUILDING COUNCIL

The Building Council is composed of school parents, teacher leaders of Neighborhood School and PS 63. The group meets monthly to discuss issues of common interest: such as safety, facilities and emergency procedures.

TOMPKINS SQUARE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Tompkins Square Middle School is the 7th and 8th grade middle school that serves the children from Neighborhood School, East Village Community School, the Earth School and Children’s Workshop School. Our children are guaranteed a spot if that is their first choice school. Tours are available. It is a wonderful choice.

THE PROGRESSIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS NETWORK OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE

The progressive school network is a group of the progressive schools on the Lower East Side: Neighborhood School, East Village Community School, the Earth School and Children’s Workshop School.