C.S.57
The Crescent School
Bryant Romano
Principal
Greta Gallas
Assistant Principal
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much…”
Curriculum, Policies and Operating Procedures
2012-2013
Absences—Staff
When you report to work regularly and on time, it helps our school to operate in a safe and orderly
manner for everyone. Please try to leave your home early so that you can arrive early enough to
prepare yourself for the day.
If you are late, Aracelis will ask you to punch in your time card.
Please note that an accumulation of at least 50 minutes late in one school semester may result in
disciplinary actions.
If you are sick, please call Sub-Central and Greta (you must speak to her personally) no later than
7:00 AM. All changes to the schedule will be done by 7:30 A.M, therefore if you know you will not
be able to come to work, please call out early.
From time to time, you may experience emergencies that you know of in advance. Please inform
Bryant or Greta if you have an emergency that you need to take care of.
You can request up to three personal days per year. All requests for personal days must be
approved by Bryant. You must complete form OP 198 and hand it in to Aracelis for Bryant’s
signature at least 5 days prior to date you are requesting.
If you are absent more than 2 consecutive days, you will be required to submit a doctor’s note.
One day is considered self-treated.
Teachers accrue one sick day a month. This does not mean that you are entitled to take a sick day
every month. Please be advised that if a pattern in your absence is observed, you will be called in
for a conversation with Bryant and Greta. Patterns include, calling in consistently on one particular
day of the week, and calling in on any day, once a month.
Vacation requests during the school year will not be approved. This includes honeymoons or trips
planned in advance with family and friends that take place during the school week. No permission
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will be given for extended holidays, the day prior to or following a holiday. All teachers are
required to report to work immediately before or following any holiday. (Extenuating
circumstances must be approved by Bryant).
It is your responsibility to create and maintain an up-to-date folder for substitute teachers,
clearly labeled Substitute Folder that includes a current class list, your schedule, notes about who
goes where at dismissal, extended day information, medical alerts and any other materials you feel
would be helpful. Please keep this in a visible place on your desk. Lesson plans must be left for the
substitute or emailed to Greta by 7:15AM. If you are unable to email your plans you may fax them
to our school fax number at 718.584.1937.
If an emergency arises and you need to leave the school building, you must speak with Bryant or
Greta as soon as you become aware of the emergency. If you must leave the building early on any
given date, you must put the request to leave in writing and submit it to Aracelis.
Academic Intervention Services (AIS) for At Risk Students
Our work with at-risk students will continue to be supported this year by regulations which require
all schools in New York State to provide Academic Intervention Services (AIS) for students who
score below the State designated performance level on State assessments and/or who are at risk
of not achieving standards. AIS are additional instruction and support that supplement the general
curriculum.
Meeting the needs of all learners is a top priority for our school. With a standards-based
education, we can identify those students who are not meeting grade level standards. This year,
our support staff will serve as AIS liaisons. Eduardo will support K-2 and Brenda will support 3rd 5th grade. They will bring intervention strategies back to our community and will coordinate and
oversee school-wide intervention services for our at-risk students. They will work closely with
teachers and teaching assistants/paraprofessionals in planning for effective strategies. Our
cluster teachers will also support our AIS program by providing services for targeted scholars.
Students must be identified and carefully assessed so that they get the additional and specific
support that they need such as Extended Day and push-in/pull-out instruction. Careful record
keeping, including conference notes, guided reading/strategy lessons and work samples, are very
important in helping us to determine a plan of action. If you need help figuring out how to best
meet the needs of an at-risk student, please consult with your AIS Liaison assigned to your grade.
If a teacher is concerned about a child’s academic needs and has employed a variety of approaches
in the classroom and feels that the child will need additional at-risk services or more, he/she may
complete a Scholar Study Team (SST) request and submit it to Eduardo. Once a request is
submitted, it will be discussed at our SST meeting. A record of Academic Intervention Services
is kept for each student receiving services and will follow the child throughout his/her years with
us. In this way, we will have an accurate history of services that the child receives.
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We have a variety of academic intervention supports and services available this school year,
including:
 37.5 minute program-CCSS aligned
 Student Study Team (SST)
 Teacher team and common plan time to discuss lessons in meeting student needs
 DRA-2 Program for K-5 classes
 Reading, writing and mathematics push-in/pull out services to be provided for our at-risk
students in Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
 At-risk counseling provided by Linda Egelfeld (Guidance Counselor)
 At-risk SETSS (Special Education Teacher Support Services) before, during and/or after
school provided by our AIS/IEP team.
 Professional development in meeting the needs of struggling students
Accidents
If a staff member has an accident or is injured in school, she/he must inform an administrator as
soon as the accident or injury occurs and an occurrence report form must be completed that same
day and given to Annie. The same is true if a child has an accident, although in this case, the
parent must also be notified. The staff member on duty at the time of the accident is responsible
for completing the form, attaching witness statement(s) and giving the form to Annie.
Administrative Support
Although we overlap at times, we have divided administrative responsibilities as follows:
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Bryant will oversee Pre-K-2nd Grade, cluster programs, instructional support team, School
Aides, Art Partnerships and all operational issues.
Greta will oversee 3rd-5th Grade, testing 3-5, scheduling, Educational Assistants and AIS
services.
Brenda will coordinate all School Wide Enrichment programs, teacher team meetings, grade
meetings, and professional development.
Eduardo will coordinate Special Education bussing, IEP services, Scholar Study Teams, and
data collections.
Rosemary R., Brian Dowd and Linda E. will coordinate our Character Education program for
all grades and our School Wide Behavior Management Incentive Program as well as oversee
discipline issues.
Arrival Procedures
The day begins at 8:00 SHARP! All teachers of grades K-2 & self-contained classes must pick up
their class from the cafeteria by 7:55 AM SHARP. Grade 3-5 students will walk up to class alone
and teachers will meet them by the classroom. It is imperative that teachers are on time so that
the workday begins right away and children are not left unsupervised in the corridors.
Pre-K children will be escorted directly to the classroom by their parents or caregivers using our
entrance on Crotona Avenue; they will not enter the building until 7:50am. Kindergarten-fifth
grade students will also use the Crotona Avenue entrance between 7:25-8:00. Scholars who wish
to eat breakfast will proceed directly to the cafeteria. After that time they will have to get a late
pass.
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Arrival during inclement weather:
All scholars will enter through the Crotona Avenue entrance and proceed directly to the cafeteria,
where their teacher will meet them and proceed to their classroom. All out of classroom staff will
be assigned a specific location to greet students and facilitate the movement to classrooms in a
timely and efficient manner.
Dismissal:
Pre-K children are dismissed in the main entrance area and parents/caregivers will use Crotona
Avenue to enter and exit the building. Teachers must keep track of who is picking up children and
establish a routine so that no one is permitted to leave the classroom (even with an appropriate
adult) without giving some signal to the teacher—sign out book, hand shake, etc.
Grades K-2 teachers will dismiss their class using the 181st street -North Yard exit. Grades 3-5
will use exits B, C & D and out onto Belmont Avenue. Teachers must wait with children for a few
minutes until they are picked up. Late pick up children must be taken to the cafeteria, where they
will wait with a school aid for a few minutes and then be taken to the main office for a call home
will be made. All 3rd-5th grade students who participate in the Expanded Learning Time program
will remain in the classroom on Tuesday-Thursday until 3:10pm.
For Special Education students who walk, dismissal is at the 180th street side yard.
Teachers should have their students prepared for dismissal 3 minutes prior to our official
dismissal time to expedite transition.
Children who take a bus:
Grades K-1 Special Education students will be picked up at 2:10pm by Eduardo Ramos and taken to
the cafeteria to wait for their buses.
Grades 2-5 students will walk down to the cafeteria at 2:10 pm to wait for their scheduled buses.
Grades 3-5 students who stay for Expanded Learning Time on Tuesday-Thursday will walk down to
the cafeteria to wait for their scheduled buses.
Teachers should have their students prepared for dismissal 3 minutes prior to our official
dismissal time to expedite transition. Eduardo will coordinate all bussing issues.
Arts Collaborations
Our school is deeply committed to the arts and we are very proud of our arts curriculum. Our arts
collaboration is with Lehman. This program is contingent upon funding availability.
Assessment and Data Binders
Each of our scholars will have an Assessment and Data Binder that will follow that student
throughout his/her years with us. The binder, which is started by the student’s teacher during
his/her first year with us and is updated each June, contains the following materials: a writing
sample that is done in class—usually a letter that the child writes to the next year’s teacher; list
of books read in June; running records, Performance Tasks, EDM unit tests, monthly portfolio
writing pieces and other assessments. Each binder is then passed on to the child’s teacher for the
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next school year. Through this system the teacher will learn a bit about each of his/her students
as well as get a sense of individual writing abilities.
Attendance, Punctuality and Early/Late Pickup
All students are expected to arrive at school by 7:55AM so that they are at their classroom doors
by 8:00AM. After 8:00 students are technically considered late. It is the teachers’
responsibility to mark children who arrive at the classroom at 8:01 and later, as late. It is
absolutely essential that every teacher is consistent in this practice and indicates lateness on
the ATS Daily Attendance Sheet (a computerized school attendance system for recording daily
attendance). It is essential that our records are accurate.
The ATS Daily Attendance Sheet, which will be in your mailbox each morning, must be completed
and placed in the ATS attendance pocket outside your classroom door no later than 8:50 AM, so
that they can be collected. Please be sure that it is ready so that we do not have to interrupt
classroom instruction. We will issue a memo regarding particulars about clearance of registers (no
shows).
The Working Class List (WCL), the old Red Roll Book replacement, must be completed every day as
it is official. When you receive the Class Summary List on the first day of the month for the
previous month, if there are any discrepancies, change forms must be completed so that
corrections can be made in ATS. ATS must reflect your Working Class List. If corrections are
not made, what we have in ATS does not reflect what teachers put on report cards and that
creates huge problems.
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School aides will also collect any change forms that you place in your ATS attendance
pocket throughout the month.
We will provide each official class teacher with an attendance folder as the official
container for the Working Class Lists and other attendance related items, such as doctors’
notes and absence notes from families.
We will make efforts to synchronize our corridor clocks and any of the old clocks in your rooms. In
the meantime, please synchronize your watches and any other wall clocks to the time on your cell
phone!
Expectations for punctuality will once again be emphasized through letters sent home, through our
Parent Coordinator/attendance coordinator, discussions at meetings with parents, and through
conversations with the families of consistently late students. It is imperative that you emphasize
to your students and parents that scholars must be on time each day and that work begins
promptly at 8:00AM.
Rosemary will give each classroom teacher Attendance Contact Sheets.
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If a child is absent two consecutive days or has a pattern of sporadic absences, parental
contact must be made by the teacher to obtain a justifiable explanation. If he/she feels
that it is not justifiable or if he/she has further concerns, or if parent contact cannot be
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made, then this will be referred to Rosemary, who will follow up. It is at this point that the
Attendance Contact Sheet is used. If Rosemary makes contact and feels satisfied with the
explanation, she will touch base with the teacher and return the completed sheet to
him/her.
If Rosemary is not successful, or like the teacher, feels that the absences are not
justifiable, has further concerns, or if parental contact cannot be made, then the matter
should be referred to the Attendance Coordinator, who will take further action.
Early Pick Up:
We will emphasize to parents the negative effect of pulling their children out of school before the
official end of the school day. We will remind parents that this is strongly discouraged, but if it is
absolutely necessary, we ask parents to put it in writing for the classroom teacher stating the time
and reason for the early pick up. Parents will not (with the exception of Pre-K and Kindergarten)
be permitted access to classrooms for early pick up. Their children will be called down to the main
office.
Behavior Issues
We will make every effort to establish routines and a rigorous curriculum that will minimize
behavior problems. Creating a caring classroom community where children take ownership in the
early days of school is essential. Of course, despite our best efforts, there will be times when a
student’s behavior seriously interferes with the learning process. Here are steps that need to be
taken when this occurs—in essence, a ladder of referral:
 Speak with the student privately to discuss the particular concern and establish what the
student can do to improve.
 Try modifying behavior by changing seats, recognizing positive achievements or using time
outs inside the classroom.
 If you have additional help in the classroom (i.e., student teacher, push-in teacher, teaching
assistant, student observers, or volunteers) try having that person work one on one with the
child.
 Set up a meeting or phone conference with the parent (keep a record of all parent
contacts).
 Confer with a member or members of our support staff including our school counselor,
school psychologist, social worker, academic intervention service providers, dean or parent
coordinator.
 Discuss student with an administrator.
For all of the strategies you employ, please keep an accurate record of steps taken and keep
anecdotal records of specific behaviors. In the case of a real emergency, of course, any
administrator or support staff member can be called on to assist you.
If each of these intervention steps have been tried and are unsuccessful, you may complete a
Scholar Study Team Referral Form (SST). Once a referral is completed, please submit it to Brian
Dowd. The child will be discussed at our SST meeting and the team will make suggestions and
recommendations to the teacher.
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Book of the Month
Over the course of the year, individual books (probably a total of five or six, depending on funding)
will be selected and then distributed to every classroom community and office. The books are
selected based on community-building and our PBIS Program. They are to be read aloud to your
class, themes are to be explored, and conversations should take place that will help build
community. Please share with Bryant, Greta or Brian any book recommendations for our Book of
the Month Program. I am sure I will find great ideas in your classrooms!
Building Maintenance and Custodial Care
Mrs. Suzanne Bicknell is our building manager and she supervises William Mercaldi, Victor Solis and
Iris Quinones, who together make our custodial team. In order to serve your custodial needs,
please complete a Custodial Request which can be found in the main office. Once you complete a
form please place it in Suzanne’s mailbox. Please note that our custodial team worked tirelessly
over the summer to ensure that our building is ready for teaching and learning.
We all must do our part to ensure that we have a safe and clean working, learning and growing
environment. Therefore, please adhere to the following requests:
 Chairs up
 Lights off
 No food
 No clutter
Bulletin Boards
Corridor displays are an important avenue to showcase our children’s work and something that we
all take a great deal of pride in. Children, parents, staff and visitors delight in the opportunity to
enjoy our children’s accomplishments and watch their progress over the course of the school year.
All corridor bulletin boards are assigned to specific teachers/groups of teachers. Bulletin boards
both in and out of your rooms must be covered with material (e.g. fabric, fadeless paper) before
student work is displayed.
Displays must be updated approximately every four-six weeks and should coordinate with units of
study. Use your classroom doors and exterior walls to allow for additional displays of student
work. Please do not staple walls or molding! You may use tape or fun-tak!
Cell Phones
The use of cell phones in your classroom during instructional time or in the corridors is
prohibited. Your cell phone must be turned off and put away while you are teaching. In the event
of any emergency requiring you to make or receive a call during the school day when you are not on
your prep or at lunch, you must contact the office for assistance. In anticipation of a rare
incoming emergency call during instructional time, please provide the caller with the general office
number and alert the office staff to the possibility of such a call. If the caller has only your cell
phone number, please leave your cell phone with the office staff. If you need to make a rare
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emergency phone call during instructional time, please speak to Bryant or Greta in advance and we’ll
make every effort to work something out. You may not place a personal phone call of any kind in
your room while you are teaching. If you are speaking on a cell phone in your room at lunch or
during your prep, we ask you to please close your door.
Chancellor’s Regulations please see page 30
Character Education
In collaboration with PBIS, we hope to develop a school-wide character education program. The
program will help foster universal attributes of good character and help promote a sense of
community amongst our students. The core values should be Scholarship, Courage, Loyalty, Justice,
Respect, Hope, Honesty and Love. Teachers are expected to conduct at least three 15 minute
lessons a week, around the designated core value. These lessons must take place first thing in the
morning during your morning meeting. During class time, students should be recognized for
behavior that demonstrates the designated core value. Star Bucks will be provided to all classroom
teachers for administering to students. These Star Bucks will be redeemable in the cafeteria for
special items.
Child Abuse and/or Neglect
All DOE personnel are “designated reporters” who are mandated to call in child abuse cases. If you
suspect that a child is being abused or neglected, you must report this immediately. If you are
unsure and want further assistance, please see Bryant, Greta or Linda immediately. Do not,
however, lift up a child’s clothing to look for marks. Linda will review child abuse procedures with
us.
Scholar Study Team
The members of this year’s Scholar Study Team are Eduardo, Brenda, Greta, Linda, Brian, Angela,
Alan, Evaliz and Bryant. Eduardo will serve as the SST chairperson. The team meets Bi-weekly.
Members discuss and develop plans for children who are having academic difficulties and/or
children who are exhibiting behavior that interferes with the learning process.
If a teacher is concerned about a child’s behavior the teacher should complete a SST request
form. Once a form is completed, it must be returned. The Scholar Study Team will review the
request and will schedule a time for the teacher to meet with the team. Once a plan is made for a
child, he/she will be assigned a case manager (a member of the team) to see the plan through and
to work closely with the classroom teacher regarding the child’s progress.
Please review our 2012-2013 Academic Calendar for the dates that you are scheduled to have your
SSTs this school year.
Classroom Environment
Maintaining a neat, well organized and attractive classroom helps to create a joyful feeling about
learning; it serves as a model of organization for your own students; it helps facilitate learning and
independence. We strive for neat, streamlined classrooms and offices!
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Please see the Mathematics and Literacy Non-Negotiables for more details about expectations for
Learning Environment.
Practically speaking, in the never-ending battle against rodents, mice love a lot of junk to burrow
in—old papers, for instance. So please continue to clear the clutter! Please refrain from storing
any food in your room.
Communication—Staff
A monthly newsletter/calendar The Romano Chronicle will be distributed by the first Monday of
the month. A hard copy will be placed on the bulletin board in the main office. Please read it and
keep it in your classroom or in this Staff Handbook where you can easily refer to it. Also, please
check your mailbox when you arrive in the morning, at lunch and at the end of the day. Please do
not send children to pick up your mail from your mailboxes. Additionally, staff will place daily
announcements and reminders on a white board in the main office by 7:45AM. Please be sure to
check the board daily.
Email is my primary mode of communication and therefore, I urge all staff members to call the
DOE help desk at 718.935.5000 to set up a free DOE email account. If you prefer to use Gmail, as
it may be linked to your phone, I am okay with that as well.
There is a monthly calendar on the bulletin board in the main office. Grade-wide events, class
trips, half days and holidays should be posted on this calendar. There is also an auditorium
schedule/sign up posted. Please sign up if you wish to use the auditorium. This facility is shared
among two schools and therefore, we must adhere to our scheduled times.
In the first couple of weeks of school, we will ask you to give Bryant a copy of your weekly
schedule, which you must post on your door as well. Please make sure that Bryant has your schedule
by Friday, September 14th, 2012. This is not just your prep schedule but also the time you are
teaching the different curricular areas. It is a classroom teacher’s responsibility to notify
specialty teachers and other colleagues and volunteers who work regularly with his/her class about
upcoming events that may change schedules.
Conflicts of Interest
As stated in the Chancellor’s Regulations, Conflicts of Interests Rule (Section C-110), a DOE
officer or employee may not tutor a student for a fee, or enter into any type of business
relationship with a student who attends the school to which the staff member is assigned. This
also applies to siblings of students who attend the school.
Copier Machines
We have a few copiers in the building; a high volume copier located in the aids office and a low
volume copier located in the main office. Staff can have copies made as necessary. I strongly
encourage the use of copies to support the good teaching that is happening in the class, but not
replace good teaching. PLEASE LIMIT THE NUMBER OF COPIES YOU MAKE.
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Corporal Punishment
Disruptive behavior by a student must never be punished by the use of physical force or verbal
abuse. In accordance with Chancellor’s Regulations (Section A-420) corporal punishment is clearly
prohibited as well as punishment of any kind tending to cause excessive fear or physical or mental
distress. Language that belittles or subjects students to ridicule or is abusive or threatening is a
violation of this Chancellor’s Regulation. A copy of the regulation is attached to this document.
Curriculum Day
Curriculum Day/Meet the Teacher Day is an event in which parents can visit their children’s
classroom to learn about our curriculum in a hands on manner. This year, Curriculum Day will take
place on Friday, September 14th. Keep an eye out for the memo.
Data Binders/Student Binders
In an effort to monitor student progress, it is important to keep track of student information in a
manageable way.
Data binders are a tool that could be used to keep track of a child’s progress therefore
demonstrating “value added” as a result of your teaching.
Assessment portfolios/ data binders provide an objective measure of the knowledge and skills that
the children are developing.
Please be advised that administration will be monitoring data binders within the classroom. This
information should be visible for visitors.
Data binders should include relevant information that demonstrates academic growth over time for
each student. These binders should include:
I.
Class statistics (demographic, personal info, boys/girls, ell’s, sp. Ed, holdover,
absences, running records, etc.)
II.
Data: related to specific students and specific skills
III. Analysis of data: implications for instruction, resources required, documented
meetings with colleagues, coaches, parents, stakeholders
IV.
Next steps specific to each child’s conference notes
Also note that each scholar will have their own individualized data binder. Brenda will conduct a PD
session on how to organize and make the data accessible for scholars. Please see her for further
information. Please reach out for support from Brenda, Greta or Bryant if you have any specific
questions or concerns about your data binder.
Daily Agenda/Flow of the Day
The daily agenda should be prominently displayed in your classroom meeting area so that you and
your children can refer to it during your morning meeting and throughout the day. The daily
agenda should be posted in an area that is visible to your students and visitors in the front of the
classroom. This helps to create a structure and pace for the day.
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Each grade should agree upon the same components using consistent language (e.g., Morning
Meeting, Character Education, Read Aloud, Jr. Great Books, Word Study, Guided Reading).
Kindergarten-second grade should use a narrative so that the chart is a shared reading experience.
Every teacher should have a pocket chart where sentence strips for each component can be
arranged to suit the day’s schedule. Grades Kindergarten through 5 classrooms will have the
teaching point posted on a sentence strip next to the major curricular areas, and for read aloud,
the title/author of the book. Be sure to include the specific special for your prep period.
Teaching points must specifically include what the students will do and how they will do it.
Although each teacher has flexibility in the order in which the components take place due to preps
and schedules of service providers, for example, it is essential that each teacher on the grade
devote approximately the same amount of instructional time to each subject during the week.
English Language Learners (ELL)
Rolando and Larry are our ESL teachers. They are located in room 408. We will try to cluster our
ELL students, so that they will be better able to push in, co-teach and work in close collaboration
with classroom teachers. They will also be able to get her program started more quickly.
New entrants, whose home language is other than English, will be assessed through the Language
Assessment Battery Revised (LAB-R). Students who score below a cut-off on the LAB-R are
required to receive ELL services. Rolando and Larry assess these new students based on the Home
Language Surveys. They determine who will be administered the LAB-R based on the Home
Language Surveys. In May, ELL students are given the New York State English as a Second
Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) to measure their progress in developing English language
proficiency.
Expanded Learning Time / Extended Day
Through contract negotiations between the DOE and the UFT we have a mandated extended day
program that provides time outside of the regular school day for us to work with our at-risk
students in small groups.
There are many models throughout the city.
Our Extended
Day/Expanded Learning Time Program begins promptly on Tuesday through Thursday from 2:20PM
to 3:10 PM. This model will allow us to meet the needs of all of our students. More information will
follow about our program and model.
Families as Learning Partners
Families as Learning Partners will take place on the first Friday of every month from October
through May. Parents/caregivers will be invited into the classroom at 8:10 and read or participate
in another learning experience or activity with children until 8:45. Different months may take on
different curricular areas or themes such as math, enrichment, poetry or other joint learning
opportunities, depending on individual teacher’s, grade’s or school’s plan. Family members’ roles in
the classroom during this time will depend on the grade level, teachers’ instructions, and what they
feel comfortable with. For example, if the focus is reading, they can read to small groups of
children or listen to a couple of children read to them. We will work out the details early in the
year.
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Fire Drills
All teachers must post fire drill instructions near the door in their classrooms. If you do not have
a fire drill chart in your room, please leave a note in Greta’s mailbox. Please familiarize yourself
with the fire drill routines and explain them to your class. Silence is required during fire drills,
both going out of the building and coming in. We are required to have a total of twelve (12) fire
drills. Eight of these must take place prior to the end of December, so there may essentially be
one fire drill a week in the fall.
Furniture
If you have any furniture requests, please see Suzanne, Bryant or Greta. Please let us know of any
furniture that is in disrepair or problematic.
Grade Leaders
Each grade will select a grade leader to facilitate grade meetings along with Bryant, Greta and
Brenda. The purpose of these monthly grade leader meetings is to help guide our weekly grade
meetings, to facilitate a school wide agenda around curriculum, and to continue to forge a shared
vision for our school. Underpinning these structures is a commitment to collaboration, community,
communication, consistency and capacity-building!
This year’s grade leaders are: Grade leaders will be announced during the first week of school.
Grade Meetings
Grade meetings will be held weekly to ensure that we are in constant communication about
curriculum and instruction, including a set time to look at student work to help inform instruction.
It is important that your grade meetings start on time as they provide some of our most valuable
professional development where teachers collaborate and plan/refine curriculum together. Please
do not schedule trips or other activities that would conflict with your grade meetings, as this is an
important professional development time. We will also have lunch and learns once a month.
Home-School Communication
As you know, a strong connection between home and school is essential in establishing trust and
understanding between parents and educators, and it also contributes to student success in school.
I ask that all teachers write to their new families over the summer/early fall introducing
themselves and welcoming their new children to their classes.
In order to facilitate communication, the following suggestions are made:
 By the end of the first full week of school classroom teachers should send home a letter
indicating specific routines, plans, and any other updates, including a window into the first
few days of school. This is also an excellent time to ask for two class parents. A
neighborhood walking trip permission form should also go home with this first letter. All
teachers should give Bryant a copy of the letter that is sent home.
 Specialty teachers and other out of classroom teachers also write a letter to parents by
the end of the first full week of school explaining what children will learn in their program
including specific routines, plans and any necessary information. Please give Bryant a copy
of your letter as well.
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Classroom teachers communicate with parents on a regular basis, minimally once a month, in
order to bring parents up to date on your curriculum and classroom happenings. Some
teachers write on a weekly basis as part of the homework packet that goes home. Parents,
in general, truly appreciate periodic notes or newsletters since they help keep them up to
date, informed and better able to support your work. These letters are very helpful to you
in that they are an opportunity for you to anticipate questions and be very proactive.
Parents appreciate phone calls, notes or email about good news as well as about problems.
All teachers have free Department of Education E-mail accounts. Please see Rosemary with
any questions. Especially in cases where you often need to discuss difficulties, it is
important to have contact that also focuses on positive achievements.
Please send home PTA and other school notices on the day that they are in your mailboxes
unless otherwise advised. (Again, it is important for you to check your mailbox three times
a day!) If children are absent, please be sure that they bring home notices on the day that
they return. Please advise parents in your initial correspondence where they should look for
mail (e.g., homework folder, notebook, agenda book).
Please try to attend PTA functions.
Homework Policy
As you assign homework, keep in mind the reality of family life—i.e., that some children cannot
begin their homework until after their dinner hour. It is a good idea to periodically ask children to
keep track of how long their homework is taking them to complete. You may even one day want to
conduct a homework marathon where children do their homework in school and you monitor the
time it takes them. Please keep a balance between skills practice and open-ended assignments.
Homework, of course, should be a positive and enjoyable experience for children. We strongly
believe in finding a balance between school life and family life and therefore, weekend homework
will be limited to nightly reading; teacher discretion is also accepted.
Although it is clear that it will not take every child the same amount of time to do homework,
children should not have to do more than the maximum amount of time for their grade,
assuming they are working without breaks or distractions. If a child works for the allotted time
and still does not complete their work, a parent should be able to write you a note saying that
although the work was not completed, the child spent the allotted time working diligently on
his/her homework. In other words, individual cases must be taken into consideration.
On the other hand, if a child does the assigned written work and completes it accurately but in a
much shorter time period, parents must know that students can spend more time writing or making
up the time with additional reading. Teachers do not assign “extra” homework and this is
something that we make very clear to parents at our Grade Parent Meetings. However, it is very
important to keep at least some of the homework open-ended enough so that children who want to
can do more.
Please send Writers Notebooks home on a daily basis (see Writing section).
required to write in them several times a week.
Friday nights we will only assign reading homework for our students.
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Students should be
GRADE
READING
Kindergarten
Parents/children spend
time together with
books:
10 to 15 minutes
10 to 15 minutes
15 to 20
20 to 25
25 to 30
30 to 35
First Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
WRITTEN (including
Math)
None
TOTAL
10
15
20
30
40
20
30
40
55
70
to
to
to
to
to
15 minutes
20
30
40
50
10 to 15 minutes
to
to
to
to
to
30 minutes
40
55
70
85
Individualized Educational Plans (IEP’s)
Every child who receives mandated special education services has an IEP. This includes children in
self-contained classes, in our CTT class and in general education classes who are mandated for
SETSS (Special Education Teacher Support Services), Speech and Language, Hearing, OT
(Occupational Therapy), PT (Physical Therapy) and/or Mandated Counseling.
IEP’s are kept in the SBST office, room 408A. General education teachers will get a list early in
the year of the children in their classes who have mandated services and thus, have IEP’s.
Classroom teachers will receive a copy of the IEP, provided by the SETSS teacher (Eduardo) and
mandated service providers. It is so important that all teachers who have children with IEP’s
review the IEP at the beginning of the year and throughout the year. It is also important that
they share important information with the specialty teachers. Teachers must post in their
classrooms related services schedules for their students.
Early in the year, the appropriate members of the Scholar Study Team and/or service providers
will arrange to meet with individual general education teachers to assist and give suggestions for
meeting the needs of their children with IEP’s. If at any point during the school year you feel a
students’ IEP should be modified, it must be brought to Eduardo’s attention immediately.
Inter-visitations
One of the most effective forms of professional development is visiting classrooms to look at
environments and to observe children and colleagues at work. Some of this will be arranged during
the school year.
Leaving the Classroom
All classes must have passes that children take when they leave the classroom, including specialty
classrooms. Children should not be sent out of the room without one. Hallway passes will be
strictly enforced this year. If a student does not have a hallway pass they will be sent back to
their classroom.
Please carefully consider your system for sending children to the bathroom. No more than two
students (of the same gender) should be sent out at a time. Teachers in Grades 1-5 should have a
sign out system and be aware when children are out for too long. Some teachers use a digital clock
to allow students to keep track of how long they are out of the room. If a child leaves your room
without permission, please notify a supervisor or Brian Dowd.
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Every adult in the building must address children running through the halls or students with
inappropriate garments such as hats, headbands or rosary beads. If a child has difficulty
refraining from running through the halls or if you are receiving complaints from another staff
member, please have a conversation with the child and if necessary, do not issue him/her a pass.
Lesson Plans
All teachers are required to develop lesson plans for all subject areas, and it is a common practice,
as a part of lesson planning, for teachers to write out some key mini-lessons for units of study. Be
sure to date lesson plans. Also, be sure that the teaching point for each lesson is clearly stated.
Lesson plans are an invaluable tool for best teaching practices. Please keep them accessible at all
times. They may, from time to time, be collected and reviewed. Lesson plans must include what
you are teaching, how students will acquire the skills you’ve taught, how you will monitor student
progress, and what students will know and be able to do by the end of the lesson.
Crescent’s school schedule is conducive for planning. Each grade (lower grade, upper grade) are
expected to plan curriculum and lessons together. This planning should be evident in classrooms.
Lunch and the Cafeteria
We must all work together to ensure that we have a high quality of lunch and recess, which is such
an important time of day:
Please make sure that you escort and pick up your students on time. (e.g. If your class is assigned
to go directly to the schoolyard, escort them to their line spot). Please do not leave your children
in the schoolyard unattended (in other words, be sure one of our cafeteria staff/teaching
assistants is present). If your class is assigned to go directly to the cafeteria, escort and seat
them at their assigned tables. Please do not leave them at the cafeteria doors!
During inclement weather (rain—not light mist, snow that sticks—not delicious flurries ,
freezing—not cold weather ) children will be indoors during the recreation part of lunch.
If you need bagged lunches for a trip, or when you plan an activity that would exclude your
students from requiring lunch in the cafeteria, please give our food services staff at least TWO
WEEKS notice so that they can be better prepared and organized. Additionally, if you have any
plans where your class will not be eating lunch in the cafeteria, please let one of the cafeteria
staff members know.
Lunch Forms and Blue Emergency Cards
Teachers will receive lunch forms and blue emergency home contact cards within the first few
days of school. It is important that 100% of these forms and cards are returned. Please hold
on to all forms until they are collected.
Due to the fact that many of our families frequently move, please make every effort to have
parent’s complete blue cards during curriculum conferences, parent teacher meetings, etc.
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Whenever a scholar in you class moves, please be sure to get a contact number and add that
number to the blue card located in the main office.
Mathematics
Part of the Crescent mission and vision should be to provide our scholars with a hands-on approach
that fosters deep understanding of mathematical concepts, good problem solving and proficient
computational skills. Everyday Math is our primary program. The NYS math exams take place in
March/April in Grades 3 through 5. Brenda is our Math Coach. She will work closely with grade
teams and individual teachers to facilitate grade meetings, coach us through the development of
our math curriculum calendar, assist with differentiating instruction, and implementation of the
curriculum.
Medication
Staff members, with the exception of Cornelia Mantock, our school nurse, are not permitted to
administer medication to children. Parents of students who need regular medication must fill out a
504 form. Please direct parents to the NURSE, Eduardo, or Linda.
We have some students who have serious allergies or asthma. If you have such a child in your class
please discuss procedures for handling the situation with a supervisor. Health alerts (such as
peanut allergies) must be posted near the fire drill poster as well as in your Substitute
Information folder.
Nurse Services
Our DOE nurse is Cornelia Mantock who is located in the Health Suite. When a child does not feel
well and you deem it legitimate, please send him/her with a nurse’s pass to the nurse’s office.
When necessary, please send an escort. Please do not send sick children to the main office.
Observations
In effective schools, supervisors spend a lot of time in classrooms, working side-by-side with
teachers, offering support and feedback, doing demonstration lessons, co-teaching and observing
teachers, both informally and formally. At Crescent, we pride ourselves on this kind of collegial
supervision.
Annual performance reviews are mandated for all teachers. They are based on formal and informal
observations that are done by any of the supervisors in our building. The Professional Teaching
Standards, Danielson’s Framework and Quality Review are used as a guideline for instructional
practice. Please familiarize yourself with these tools.
Bryant and Greta will schedule individual One on One Conversations with teachers. It is a
wonderful opportunity to have an uninterrupted block of time to talk about your goals for the year,
daily agenda, planning, what is going well, how we can help you, and your children’s strengths and
needs. At the time of the meeting teachers will prepare two professional objectives, which will be
incorporated into the Conversation and at the end of the year they will write a reflection on their
objectives, which will be shared with Bryant. Once again, a sign up sheet will be placed outside
Bryant’s office. All teachers are required to sign up for a conversation.
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All teachers will be observed both formally and informally during the school year. We have
attached a copy of observation protocol for your records. Please take the time to review the
information. If you have questions or need additional clarification, please make an appointment to
speak with me. Observations are ongoing and may be done at any time without prior notice.
Observation Checklist of Basic Documentation and/or Conditions
Teacher: ________________________________
Subject/Class: ___________________________
Lesson: ________________________________
Tenured: ____
No tenured: ____
Date/Time: ______________________
Administrator:_____________________
Section 1: Proficiency with Curriculum
_____ Anticipatory Set (Communicates expectations with learning)
_____ Clarity of Lesson
_____ Student Motivation
_____ Professional Ability (Knowledge of subject)
_____ Professional Strategies
_____ Promoting Student Understanding
_____ Closure
_____ Adherence to Mandates
Section 2: Evaluating Student Growth
_____ Techniques used for Comprehension
_____ Monitoring/Assessing Activities
_____ Goal-Setting Strategies (Evidence of high expectations and student ownership)
_____ Empowering Students to Succeed
_____ Implementing Current Strategies to Evaluate Students
_____ Evaluation (Testing for comprehension; monitoring students’ folders/portfolios; using
assessment data as a tool to assess academic growth)
_____ Encouragement and Support (Provides feedback to students; encourages students)
Part 3: Preparation and Readiness
____ Planning and Record Keeping
____ Materials (Use of visual aids materials to enhance the lesson)
____ Professional Preparation (Level of preparedness and competence)
____ Lesson Components (Evidence of Workshop Model; plans comprehensively)
____ Organization
____ Collecting and Using Data (Record Keeping; student folders; Portfolios)
Part 4: Instructional Performance
____ Teaching Style (Differentiates; challenges students’ thinking)
____ Promoting Student Academic Growth
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____ Educational Practices (Sound motivational techniques; variety of activities)
____ Specific Qualities
____ Personal/Professional Attributes
Part 5: Interaction Climate
____ Professional and Educational Practices (Learning groups; classroom environment)
____ Rapport with Students
____ Student Self-Esteem (Acknowledgment of students’ needs)
____ Professional Demeanor (Self-reflective; strives for professional improvement)
____ Student Management
____ Physical Environment, Equipment, and Supplies
____ Emotional Support
____ Supporting Student Achievement
____ School and Community (Wholesome learning environment)
Parent Association (PA)
The PA serves a number of purposes at Crescent: encouraging parent/caregiver involvement,
raising money, working with teachers and the school administration, and giving voice to parents in
the school and in the community. Our PA President for the 2012-2013 school year is Diane Arias.
Parents who are active in the school give a lot of their time, and/or financial support, because they
care deeply about their children’s education, and want to support their teachers and the school
community. Clearly, given the demands of our society, some parents are more involved than others,
but there is a clear commitment on the part of active parents to give voice to all of our parent
body.
Physical Education
Brian Campisi is our Physical Education teacher and he works in the gymnasium on the first floor.
His curriculum is New York State standards-based for each grade level. Various units of study are
incorporated into the curriculum, including team and individual sports; e.g., lacrosse, basketball,
gymnastics, tennis, softball and soccer.
Our physical education program is designed to educate, challenge and encourage all children to
acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes they need for a healthy and fit life. Our primary goal in P.E.
is to educate all children and build self-esteem regardless of athletic talent. Please note that all
scholars will develop individualized PE goals, similar to the goals they’ve developed in all other
content areas.
Professional Development
Professional development is a clear priority at Crescent. All teachers will prepare a written self
reflection document of their professional objectives for the school year and we are using these to
help guide our professional development plans.
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Professional Development is a lifestyle as a teaching professional. Crescent will provide various
Professional Development opportunities. In addition, monthly PD sessions will occur once in the
form of a lunch and learns, feedback from observations, conversations with your supervisor, grade
meetings, school visits, inquiry team discussions, and inter-visitations.
Teachers will also complete a professional development survey to assist with the design of our PD
sessions. Additionally, if you are interested in developing or conducting your own PD session, please
let Brenda, Great or Bryant know.
Our weekly grade meetings are foundational to our professional development, as teachers learn so
much with and from each other. It is also a part of our school culture that teachers establish
collegial relationships with each other and support one another during other times of the day, such
as during common preps, visits to each other’s classrooms during instructional time, before and
after school, and lunchtime.
We will design a Teacher Partner initiative for mentoring. Each new teacher will be paired with a
veteran teacher. Opportunities are created for learning the culture of our school, planning
together, inter-visitations and more extensive after school collaboration.
Public Address (PA) and Telephone System
Consistent with our vision for maximizing the use of time, we do not use the public address system
(After morning announcements) during school hours except in the case of an extreme emergency.
Occasionally, a secretary would call into a single room for a particular student. Our primary
concern is delivery of instruction, and therefore, we strive to minimize interruptions and decrease
distractions to your teaching.
Push-In and Pull-Out Services
Teachers who pull out and push into classrooms will consult with classroom teachers as they work
on scheduling.
Once schedules are set, the push-on/pull-out teacher (e.g., our academic
intervention service providers) should give the classroom teacher a copy of her/his prep schedule,
so that the classroom teacher knows when he/she might be available to meet. The classroom
teacher should have schedules with children’s first names only posted in the room and notify pushin/pull-out teachers if there is any change in schedule, including trips or other activities.
Coordination is key.
Reading
At Crescent literacy is embedded in a student-centered literature-based workshop curriculum. It
is an approach that continues to evolve as our teachers participate in ongoing professional
development. We follow a Curricular Calendar that each grade (K-5) creates and revises together
during May/June Planning. Each grade revisits its calendar from time to time throughout the year
to see if further revisions are warranted.
At Crescent the expectations for reading are as follows:
 In all classrooms, teachers read aloud daily from picture books and chapter books for a
variety of purposes including improving talk in the classroom. The read aloud time is an
important teaching tool when different reading and talk strategies are modeled. During
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read aloud time, students are actively engaged in listening and responding to the text and
are practicing strategies that will help them in their independent or partner reading.
Teachers often facilitate grand conversations at the end of a read aloud.
Shared reading (e.g., a big book, a poem on chart paper) happens daily in the early grades
(Pre-K through 1) and frequently in the upper grades (e.g., multiple copies of a short text,
on an overhead).
Reader’s Workshop takes place every day in our Kindergarten through 5th grade classes.
The usual format includes a mini-lesson (brief whole class teacher-directed instruction
which may be based on a read aloud or shared reading); a time when children read
(independently, with partners, in reading centers, in book clubs or in guided reading groups)
and teachers confer or meet with small groups (strategy lessons or guided reading); and, a
share time (brief and focused).
In Kindergarten, it is appropriate for children to be looking at and talking about books that
they cannot actually read. Beginning in the second half of Kindergarten, the majority of
their independent and or partner time should be spent working on books that are at an
appropriate level for them to read. Children have book bins, boxes or bags where they keep
2-8 books (depending on the grade level) that they are working on.
We follow units of study as laid out in our Reading Curricular Calendars. Every teacher has
a set of binders, one for each unit of study, that were prepared by pairs of our teachers.
They may include the following: goals for the unit, strings of mini-lesson teaching points,
some samples of scripted lessons, rubrics and other helpful forms, and literature and notes
related to the specific unit. These are meant to be a guide for each unit and a place to add
your own lessons, reflections and revisions based on the needs of your particular students.
In our classrooms, we have a portion of our library leveled based on a level of difficulty.
There are a few different leveling systems, and we level our books according to the Lexile
Reading levels (letters). One of the most valuable parts of book leveling is that it helps
teachers to understand gradations of difficulty in text and to anticipate what children will
struggle with.
In our K through 5th grade classrooms, there are opportunities for small group reading
instruction that can take the form of guided reading groups, strategy lessons, reading
centers, or book clubs, depending on the grade and the time of year. It is particularly
important that that struggling readers have ongoing, intensive teacher-directed instruction,
e.g., through guided reading or strategy lessons. The expectation is that all teachers will
meet with their strugglers daily—either in a group or an individual conference.
Reading is all about making-meaning and if students do not comprehend what they read, then
they are not reading, but simply decoding. We teach comprehension skills beginning in PreKindergarten through directed conversations about books. As children progress through
the grades, focus increases on idea-making, interpreting text, and using writing to make
meaning.
A number of years ago, NYC adopted the New Standards Primary Standards (brown spiral).
The standards have helped to lay the groundwork for reading and writing instruction, as we
know it today. They include benchmarks for each grade level, K to 3.
o
o
By the end of Kindergarten, children are expected to read level D/E books.
By the end of 1st grade—level K books.
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o By the end of 2nd grade—level M books.
o By the end of 3rd grade—level P books.
o By the end of 4th grade—level T books.
o By the end of 5th grade—level V books.
The New Standards for fourth grade has helped to pave the way for instruction in fourth
and fifth grade, and we expect children in these grades to meet these standards, which
include reading 25 books, at least four of which are the same subject or author. The idea
behind this standard is that children should read a lot at school and at home. Clearly, some
children will read more and some will read less, but 25 is a good guide.
Ongoing assessment is an essential part of our reading curriculum.
o Teachers use a note-taking/conferring system where they keep track of what and
how students are reading and their instructional needs. They can devise their own
system and there are lots of great ideas in place—please share! The idea is that you
have a picture over time of each child that helps you to set goals for that child.
o Running records are a vital part of ongoing assessments at Crescent. Each classroom
teacher in K-5 will keep an Assessment Binder with text samples, copies to take
running records, and a section for each child. Running records are done monthly in
Grades 1-5. Each teacher will receive a Running Records Assessment Summary Sheet
and a copy of this sheet will be collected after the three assessment periods. This
helps us track each student’s reading progress. Kindergarten teachers will begin
assessments with each child when it is developmentally appropriate. From time to
time, binders may be collected and reviewed.
In the early grades, phonics is an important part of our reading instruction. All K-3
teachers will provide their students with support in developing their phonics skills.
Report Cards\Progress Reports
This year we are designing our very own report cards. These report cards will be consistent with
what we expect our students to know and be able to do, and aligned with the CCS Standards. In
addition to these newly designed report cards, we will also compose detailed comments for parents
for each major curricular area. The new report cards will be available electronically so that we can
insert our comments. Special education service providers will also need to complete Page 6 of each
student’s IEP that will be tucked into report cards. Prior to report cards being due, we will put out
a detailed memo.
Our parents have asked for more consistent information on their children’s progress throughout
the year. Therefore, we will send home progress reports three times this year. Please see the
academic calendar for distribution dates.
School Counseling Services
Our school counselor is Linda Egelfeld. Crescents School Counseling Program focuses on helping
students develop competencies in academic achievement, career planning, and personal/social
development. This is achieved through proactive school-wide programs (e.g., mandated counseling
and ongoing, revolving and short term groups), effective interventions, and parental involvement in
students’ academic careers. Outreach is extended to parents of students with specific issues and
21
families in crisis.
process.
Linda will also serves as the point person for the middle school application
School Leadership Team (SLT)
The School Leadership Team, a central coordinating team in the school and mandated by New York
State Legislature, is composed of 50% parents and 50% staff. The principal, PTA president and
the UFT representative (or their designees) are automatically on the team. Other members
volunteer, or in cases where there are more volunteers than seats, their constituencies elect them.
The SLT is also the place where parents and staff have an opportunity to communicate regularly
and share ideas. Any parent or staff member is free to attend an SLT meeting as an observer. If
a person wants to come to the meeting to address the SLT, he/she must touch base with the
chairperson in order to schedule a time. Throughout the year, if you have questions or issues you
would like discussed at SLT meetings, please see one of the Team’s members.
School Security and Visitors
There are some basic measures that we ask you to take to help ensure everyone’s safety and
children’s quality learning time:
 If you see a person without a pass, we ask you to inform that person that they must
follow security procedures and obtain a proper pass, or leave the building. Of course, if
you notice someone in the halls whom you believe is a security risk; notify the main
office or an administrator immediately.
 If a parent or any other person comes up to your room without a pass, you must address
this. If you are uncomfortable doing this or if you have a persistent problem, please let
us know and we will be happy to help.
 If you notice a visitor exiting the building from any exit other than our main entrance on
Crotona Avenue, please inform them that this is a major security breach and they must
follow school procedures. Please advise us of any problems you run into.
 When you leave the building, please make sure that the door is closed behind you.
PLEASE do not ever leave any valuables (money, credit cards, cell phones, cameras, etc.) unlocked
in your classroom and always lock your classroom door behind you. Please try to enter and exit the
building through the main entrance on Crotona Avenue, but if you do leave the building by one of
the back or side doors MAKE SURE THAT THE DOOR IS CLOSED BEHIND YOU AND THAT YOU
DO NOT LET ANYONE IN THROUGH THESE DOORS.
School-wide Enrichment Model
We will attempt to participate in the School-wide Enrichment Model (SEM). This model, which is
based on the work of Joseph Renzulli and his associates (The National Research Center on the
Gifted and Talented) at UCONN, looks at differentiation of instruction and how we meet the
talents, interests and abilities of all of our children. It supports the vision that schools are places
for talent development and challenging and enjoyable high-end learning. Our School wide
Enrichment Coordinators are Brenda, Sarah, Bryant and Greta.
Science
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Paul Keane is our Science specialty teacher. Our inquiry-based science program includes hands-on
activities, interdisciplinary projects, multisensory observation and collaborative learning groups.
Throughout the year, children will engage in exciting and exploratory projects, but in the spring,
there is a special emphasis on science, as we celebrate with…. (e.g. March of Science, including
Super Science Saturday and the cultivation of a Butterfly Garden.)
Social Studies
Social Studies is taught by our classroom teachers. We align our Social Studies curriculum with
Common Core State Standards using a workshop model that integrates reading, writing and
research-based projects. The general topics by grade are:
 Pre-K—Myself
 Kindergarten—Family and School Community
 1st Grade—My Neighborhood
 2nd Grade—New York City
 3rd Grade—Communities Around the World
 4th Grade—U.S. History from Native Americans Through the American Revolution
 5th Grade—U.S. History from Post-Revolution to the Present
Special Education
We offer three self contained 12:1:1 classes and an ICT class on each grade. We have many
students in general education classrooms that receive services either from a SETSS teacher or
IEP teacher in a push-in or pull out model, or from related service providers. In addition to the
general requirements for all classroom teachers, special education teachers have to give special
attention to the following responsibilities:
 To become familiar with medical alerts, related service mandates, management needs,
learning styles, testing modifications, and specific goals and objectives for each student by
carefully reviewing the most current IEP, and to share this information with specialty
teachers and other appropriate staff
 To complete new IEP’s in accordance with the rolling Annual Review calendar
 To complete IEP Progress Reports (p.6) for distribution with each report card
 To articulate with related service providers
 To schedule and conduct IEP conferences
 To participate in Educational Planning Conferences (EPC’s)
 To plan individualized and small group instruction related to IEP goals and objectives
 To structure and supervise the work of paraprofessionals in the classroom
 To participate in the implementation of the management needs, testing modifications,
related service schedules, and mainstream programming in accordance with the IEP
mandates
 To adapt curriculum and modify instruction and homework to meet individual needs
 To maintain anecdotal records
 To develop and implement behavior management plans
 To prepare Type III referral documents
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
To increase the least restrictive environment (LRE) and mainstreaming opportunities for
special needs students
Staff Resource Center
We are in the process of planning a brand new Staff Resource Center which will be located in the
upstairs gym. It is a place where staff can meet, plan, share ideas and enjoy some time together in
a welcoming environment. It is also a place where study groups and visitors can convene. Please
see Bryant, Greta, Brenda or Eduardo with any suggestions that will further enhance this space.
Standards and The Principles of Learning
In New York City, standards-based instruction is based on a set of essential principles, the
Principles of Learning. These principles, which were articulated by a team of researchers at The
University of Pittsburgh, provide a context and lens for professional learning, classroom practice
and improved student outcomes. They are:
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Organizing for Effort
Clear Expectations
Recognition of Accomplishment
Fair and Credible Evaluations
Academic Rigor in a Thinking Curriculum
Accountable Talk
Socializing Intelligence
Self Management of Learning
Learning as Apprenticeship
One of the goals of standards and the principles of learning is to provide high quality instruction
for all children. This is something that we are very committed to at Crescent, and so, the
standards are in line with the kind of teaching and learning that takes place here. Standards
cannot be met unless children read and write a lot and use a variety of mathematical strategies,
which they do every day in our school. Standards do push us forward and make us ask even more of
ourselves and of our students. They are particularly important in helping us to focus on children
who struggle to achieve standards. They also nudge us to clarify expectations so that all children
on a grade have access to consistent and equitable instruction.
Student Cumulative Records
Classroom teachers must check to make sure they have a complete Student Cumulative Record
folder for every child. This was essentially done in June during the second clerical half day, but
teachers, especially those who are new, should review their record folders. Each folder should
contain a white record card, a health card, a home language survey, admit forms, student ethnic
identification form, and test scores (for upper grades). Use blue or black pen for entering
information on the record card. Final grades on a record card are to correspond with final report
card grades. Note that there is a place on the record card to record parent-teacher conferences.
Record cards are legal documents.
Student Observers
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Due to our growing relationship and collaboration with Fordham University we will have student
observers/teachers/volunteers (graduate and undergraduate students) on an ongoing basis. Please
note that the students will not interfere with the teaching and learning that will occur in the
classroom. Greta is the coordinator for all such visits and will do her best to let you know of
scheduled visits in advance.
Supplies
We strongly believe that it is important to provide teachers with the tools and resources they
need for their practice and therefore, each teacher will receive start up supplies in September.
When you need supplies, please complete a supply request form and place it in Ms. Twigg’s mailbox
and she will deliver your supplies to you. If the materials you are requesting are not available,
please see Greta.
Reminder: Please be sure to save all original receipts for any supplies you purchase on your own to
get your Teacher’s Choice reimbursement. (Pending contract negotiations)
Teaching Assistants-Paraprofessionals
Maria, Nancy, Roberta and Victor are key players on our teaching and learning team. Among their
responsibilities will be to get to know the children, routines and the curriculum; assist with daily
classroom preparations; learn the workshop model; assist in individual, partner and small group
work; attend specialty classes with students; and provide students with additional support to reach
their academic and behavioral goals.
Toys/Games/Cards
Please see to it that toys, games and cards are left home. These items are not permitted—not
even at lunchtime. If a child has something that is prohibited, you may retrieve it and hand-deliver
it to Rosemary. Rosemary will contact the parent and have them come to the school to pick up the
item.
Traveling as a Class through the Corridors
How children proceed through our corridors strongly affects the tone of our school. If a teacher
needs to close his/her door when a class is passing by, then clearly, the class is too disruptive.
Each of us can help in the following ways:
 Children, although they do not need to be absolutely silent, must walk quietly and calmly
through the halls. Please work with your children in establishing your expectations for
arrival and dismissal, to and from lunch, and to and from specialty classes. They must walk
in organized lines and you must control how these lines go.
 Classes should proceed one flight at a time with your guidance; never allow your class to
keep on walking without you.
 As they move through the hallways, we must emphasize that children are learning and we all
must be respectful of this and proceed quietly.
Trips
All classes are encouraged to take educational field trips. Trips build classroom community and
provide first-hand experiences that are invaluable for our children. Please plan trips carefully,
giving thought to connected activities before, during and after the trip to bring the most meaning
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to the experience. A meaningful activity that prepares children for the trip, expectations for the
work children will do during the trip, and a sharing after the trip will bring the most meaning to the
experience. Please note that the Department of Education regulations on trips require that all
trips are educational and connect to your grade’s curriculum. Bryant must approve any out of city
trips and no class may go on a trip without the knowledge of the principal.
Safety is an absolutely crucial issue when it comes to trips. Under no circumstances are children
permitted to go on a trip, including a neighborhood walk, without a teacher and at least one adult
for every 10 students. This is a Department of Education requirement, so please do not put
yourself or your children at risk. The teacher is responsible for setting up supervision in a way that
ensures the children’s safety. You must communicate to the other adults on the trip exactly what
their responsibilities are.
A signed permission slip is required for every child on a trip. ONLY neighborhood walking trips can
be covered by a yearlong permission slip. You should include such a form with your beginning of the
year letter to parents.
Paul Keane oversees trip transportation. The sooner you know about a trip, the better chance you
have of securing a bus. Please note that buses are not available on half days. Yellow school buses
are free.
While individual trips are not discouraged, it is strongly advised that all potential trips are
discussed at grade meetings. The idea is that children across a grade should have similar trip
experiences throughout the year. Please check the school calendar before planning trips. Don’t
plan trips on days you have a grade meeting or a staff developer working with you and your grade.
When you plan a trip, please keep in mind that you should not ask families for an excessive
amount of money. If you are unsure if a particular trip is too pricey, please ask a colleague. No
student may be excluded from a trip for a lack of ability to pay, and this information should be
made clear on any trip letter. DO NOT LEAVE TRIP MONEY (OR ANY OTHER MONEY…)
AROUND. LOCK IT UP DURING THE DAY AND TAKE IT HOME, OR ASK AN
ADMINISTRATOR TO LOCK IT UP OVERNIGHT.
Exclusion from trips should not be a punishment. If there is a real safety issue involved you must
discuss this with a supervisor. If you feel that behavior issues make it difficult for you to
supervise a child on a trip, you may require an adult from home to accompany the child. No child
can be left back from a trip as a punishment without approval from a supervisor.
As trips are part of the educational program, it is the responsibility of the teacher to make sure
that all students have an opportunity to participate. Parents who do not return permission slips in
a timely fashion need to be called. Feel free to ask Rosemary, our Parent Coordinator, for help
with this.
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You must notify the cafeteria at least two weeks in advance if you need school lunches (fill out a
Field Trip Meal Request Form) and/or if your class is not going to be in the lunchroom on a
particular day.
Websites
Chris Matthews will maintain the Crescent website at www.ps57.org and updating this website is a
clear priority for the fall. This website will have lots of information for parents and teachers to
access at any time. The Department of Education website, www.nyschools.nyc.gov also includes a
lot of useful information including the Chancellor’s Regulations, and maps and directions to all DOE
schools.
Word Study
Word study provides students an opportunity to manipulate words (and parts of words) in
meaningful and enjoyable activities and games. Reading ability can develop dramatically as word
study lessons develop experience with:
1. Letters and their corresponding sounds.
2. Components of words, such as roots, prefixes, and suffixes
3. Patterns of how words are spelled, such as word families.
4. How parts of words often will give hints to the meaning of a word, as well as its spelling or
pronunciation.
After children are assessed, teachers will decide what word study activities are best for their
classes. Word study activities call for active problem solving. Students are encouraged to look for
spelling patterns, form hypotheses, predict outcomes, and test them. These activities require
students to continually ask themselves, "What do I know about this new word, and how is it similar
to words that I already know?" Word study should be done at least 3-4 times a week to enhance
student’s vocabulary.
Writing
Writing at Crescent is founded on the deep belief that children have a tremendous amount to say
and that they can express themselves through the written word. Writer’s Workshop takes place
daily from Kindergarten through Grade fifth grade. The usual structure includes a 5-10 minute
mini-lesson; a time, approximately 30 minutes, when children are writing and the teacher is
conferring or teaching strategy lessons to small groups; and, a share time. Predictability of the
structure, like in reading, is crucial. Our Reading and Writing Curricular Calendar (Grades K-5) will
be distributed in the early days of school.
The expectations are as
 In Kindergarten through
folders). These folders
teachers, and filed in a
follows:
2nd grade, children keep their writing in folders (or notebooks in
should have current work in them. Ongoing work is assessed by
separate folder or envelope and used for assessment purposes.
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



Work should be sent home periodically, but always be sure to save some benchmark pieces
for each student. All writing must be dated.
In 3rd through 5th grades, children keep Writer’s Notebooks. These notebooks, which go
between home and school, are containers for collecting a variety of observations,
experiences, memories, wonderings, reflections and ideas. We want children to understand
that these notebooks are an important part of their lives. As part of their homework,
children should be required to write in them minimally three times in a five day school
week.
Each grade will follow the curricular calendar that was developed this summer. Sometimes,
the unit of study is a whole class genre study such as a personal narrative, non-fiction,
poetry or essay, and the children learn skills specific to that genre. At other times, a nongenre study is taught, such as an author study. In an author study, children learn craft
techniques specific to that author and then learn how to incorporate them into their own
writing.
In all grades, children publish their writing. Publishing ends with a celebration, which might
be very simple (reading pieces to their partners) or more elaborate (a celebration with
parents invited and refreshments served). Many teachers sometimes use a “museum”
celebration where children sit with their pieces and visitors walk around and read the
pieces and make written comments.
Some excellent resources for Writers Workshop are Lucy Calkins’ The Art of Teaching
Writing; Joanne Hindley’s In the Company of Children; Katie Wood Ray’s Wondrous Words;
and Carl Anderson’s How’s It Going: A Practical Guide to Conferring with Student Writers
and his new book, Assessing Writers.
Chancellor’s Regulations
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Please refer to the DOE website to review and become very familiar with all of the Chancellor’s
Regulations. Below are a few that you should pay special attention to. All of the Chancellor’s
Regulations can be viewed at:
http://schools.nyc.gov/RulesPolicies/ChancellorsRegulations/default.htm
Chancellor’s Regulations
A-412
Security in the Schools
A-420
Corporal Punishment
A-421
Verbal Abuse
A-443
Student Discipline Procedures
A-750
Child Abuse
A-830
Discrimination & Harassment
A-831
Peer Sexual Harassment
A-832
Bias-Based Harassment, Intimidation and/or Bullying
C-105
Background Investigations of Pedagogical and Administrative Applicants and
Procedures in cases of the Arrest of Employees
C-601
Attendance and Service of School Staff
C-603
Absent Employees
C-604
Timekeeping
C-605
Salary, Attendance and Leave of Pedagogical Employees
C-810
Tobacco Product and Smoke-Free Air (No Smoking) Policy
D-130
Political Activities in School Buildings
It is the responsibility of every Department of Education employee to read all of the
Chancellor’s Regulations, not just those Regulations listed above, and to comport their
conduct to those Regulations.
Please keep this document accessible. Feel free to add administrative memos to it as the year
proceeds. You may also want to keep “The Roman Chronicle” and professional articles in it as
well.
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CS 57
The Crescent School
Bryant Romano, Principal
Greta Gallas, Assistant Principal
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much…”
2012-2013 Crescent Handbook
And Chancellor’s Regulations Receipt
Wednesday, September 5th, 2012
I, _______________________________________________________, do hereby acknowledge
that I have read and understand the contents of this staff handbook and the
Chancellor’s Regulations.
I will adhere to policies and procedures set forth in this
book and failure to do so will result in disciplinary actions. I understand that I will be
held accountable for the contents in this handbook.
Please sign and return this form to Aracelis, no later than Friday, September 14th,
2012 by the close of the school day.
__________________________________
__________________
Staff’s Signature
Date
__________________________________
__________________
Principal’s Signature
Date
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