Faculty & Staff Handbook

From CICwiki

Contents 1 Organization Chart 2 Mission-Principles 3 Professional Expectations 4 Daily School Expectations 5 Important Names & Numbers 6 Daily Schedule/Weekly Meetings 7 Important Events 8 Field Trips 9 Communication With Parents 10 Students 11 Uniform Policy 12 Academic Integrity 12.1 Academic Probation 13 Attendance Procedure 14 Homework Elementary 15 ESOL 16 Advisory Program 17 Suicide Prevention 18 Curriculum Development 19 Emergency Drills 20 Emergency School Closing 21 Technology 22 Mail Service 23 Telephone Services 24 Office Staff Procedures 25 SS End-of-Year Awards 26 End of Year/Semester Exams 27 Emergency School Closing 28 Ministry of Education 29 Accreditation 30 FAQs

Organization Chart

Mission-Principles

Colegio Internacional de Caracas is an English medium, PreNursery-Grade 12 school dedicated to the intellectual and personal development of each student in a caring and supportive environment. CIC offers a challenging program to prepare an international student body to excel in a variety of the world’s finest schools and universities.

Colegio Internacional de Caracas:

1. Offers students a nurturing and supportive environment, which treats each student as a unique individual and challenges all students to excel academically and, at the same time, model the behaviors expected of responsible citizens of both the school and society.
2. Gives each student the opportunity to learn the value of and to become involved in Community Service, Creative Arts, Athletics and Technology.
3. Imparts to each student essential knowledge and skills, a joy of learning and the intrinsic motivation to become a life long learner.
4. Develops a social climate in the school, which models international understanding, community service, and the acceptance of and cooperation with, the diverse cultures represented by the school’s community.
5. Emphasizes the importance of collaboration between parents and the school so that all parents have the opportunity and are encouraged to be actively involved in their children’s education. As a parent owned rather than corporate entity, our organizational structure reflects our commitment to this principle.
6. Continues to assess our professional standards by maintaining our membership in organizations such as the International Baccalaureate and AdvancEd (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools-SACS).
7. Focuses on building each student’s leadership abilities and self esteem.
8. Ensures that our faculty will apply current educational research and practices. The school’s curriculum will be guided by a goal of thorough student mastery and achievement through a Standards-based Curriculum rather than merely covering content.
9. Encourages appreciation for Venezuelan Culture and the ability to communicate in Spanish
10. Develops a school community, which believes in and acts upon these Principles.

Professional Expectations

Faculty is defined as all teachers and administrators.

1. Students will not learn efficiently unless the school forges a bond between the teacher and learner. All faculty are expected to do what they can to further this bond in and out of the classrooms. A critical part of this process is trying to get to know each student as an individual. In addition, attendance at school events, and your support of the CIC’s after-school program is a visible sign of your caring about the students.
2. Teaching overseas can be an isolating experience. Our faculty must do what it can to assist others to improve their teaching and feel comfortable in the school community. Being proactive within your teaching group, helping others to bounce back from a bad day and doing all one can to build a professional and personal community amongst the faculty can accomplish this. Teaching at CIC does not occur solely between 7:30am-3:00pm. All faculty should plan on remaining at school until 3:30 PM in order to fulfill the requirements of their departments or students who need assistance.
3. Professional development is the obligation of all faculty members. All faculty are expected to keep abreast of professional reading and information in their fields. Each department head should make time so that those in the department have the chance to share ideas and strategies for improving the teaching within the department.
4. Annual goals are one way to focus our energy on the areas where we feel we can improve. Every faculty member should think of several goals to work on each school year. These goals will be discussed within the department and with their Principal. In January, the teacher will be responsible for reviewing their progress.
5. It is important that we share our teaching goals. To this end, teachers should write quarterly (secondary) or trimester outcomes for each of their classes. These can and should be shared with others in their department, students and parents. This is one reason that all teachers are expected to maintain their own websites.
6. Teaching is an evolving and active process. Teachers are expected to adjust their teaching strategies to best reach out to their students. All of us should strive to incorporate Bloom’s taxonomy into our teaching so that the teaching of higher level thinking skills is the rule rather than the exception. As teachers discuss their lesson plans and strategies with other faculty, they should be able to show how they are teaching these higher-level skills.
7. All schools have ongoing professional projects and deadlines. Teachers are responsible for meeting their responsibilities in these areas. If one individual is late with, for example, their grades/comments, this impacts on the entire reporting process.
8. Sharing ideas is part of any school that wishes to improve. Teachers should be active participants in meetings. Two ways they can model for others is arriving on time and being prepared for the meeting.
9. The Handbook contains basic guidelines for how we treat late homework. Teachers must ensure that students are given a representative amount of homework during any one grading period. Do not wait until the end of a period to make up for lost time. All homework should be returned to the students within one week of its collection. All grades must be kept up to date at least once a week in our Power School System.
10. Each Department in the Secondary School will provide after-school assistance to students at least once a week. Elementary teachers will do the same. There will be no charge for giving students the assistance they need to succeed academically. A child study team should review any students needing tutoring.
11. Afterschool activities—each teacher is expected to support the school's after school programs. This is especially true for expatriate teachers.

Daily School Expectations

The following list of faculty expectations is designed to give CIC’s teachers and administrators some specific guidelines which will help all of us improve our performance and thus the school’s effectiveness with students and parents. If we adhere to both the letter and spirit of these guidelines, we will better be able to meet the goals set by the schools mission and philosophy.

Pastoral Care

• Provides a nurturing and supporting classroom environment
• Is approachable and makes an effort to relate well to students
• Makes an effort to work effectively with other teachers to support the school’s pastoral program
• Liaises with the school counselors and administration so they remain informed about student concerns
• Builds effective communication with students’ parents
• Works to be an excellent advisor by following the advisor's job description as described in the Teachers' Handbook

Professional Conduct

• Is punctual for all meetings and responsibilities and provides effective coverage while on any duties/responsibilities. ALL TEACHERS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ON CAMPUS BY 7:15 AM EACH SCHOOL DAY.
• Dresses professionally (no blue jeans, SPAGHETTI STRAPS , OR FLIP FLOPS).
• Models the behaviors expected of responsible citizens both in and out of school
• Contributes positively to the social climate of the school.
• Demonstrates cultural awareness
• Contributes and participates actively in departmental, committee and faculty meetings.
• Works to build faculty teamwork/cohesiveness
• Attends and supports school events as stipulated in the handbooks and school calendar
• Supports and is respectful of CIC in the wider community
• Is approachable and strives to be diplomatic in difficult situations
• Teachers should join others in their department to provide after school assistance to students on a weekly basis
• Is responsible for researching and acting upon information contained in the teacher and curriculum (IB, MYP, Elementary) handbooks and online curriculum centers
• Makes a significant effort to better himself/herself professionally

Classroom Practice

• Works to forge positive bonds with the students
• Provides differentiated work where necessary to ESOL students or those with different skills
• Imparts to each student essential knowledge and skills
• Inculcates in their students, a love of learning and an intrinsic motivation to become a life long learner
• Applies proven educational practices and educational research to their day-to-day class teaching, lesson plans/assessments
• Guides students to develop and practice higher-level thinking skills as evidenced in lesson plans and assessments
• Adjusts teaching strategies in an effort to reach all students
• Follows the curriculum specified for particular subject - is familiar with the specific demands of the curriculum/syllabi/programs they are teaching (IB, MYP, Elementary)
• Uses ongoing and varied assessments to drive teaching practices
• Seeks to share knowledge/assistance with other faculty

Curriculum

• Writes and updates clear unit plans for each class or subject area which include learning outcomes, teaching methodologies, assessment strategies and resources
• Submits unit plans to the Department Head and Administration punctually
• Maintains daily lesson plans
• Delivers stimulating and creative lessons as evidenced by classroom visitation and student feedback
• Gives suggestions and makes recommendations that will enhance the teaching of the curriculum
• Maintains student portfolios
• Evaluates and develops assessments which support the curriculum under guidelines set by the administration and department

Reporting

• Provides students frequent and periodic feedback about their accomplishments
• Collects evidence of students’ progress
• Submits Progress Reports and Report Cards by the designated deadlines
• Explains the curriculum and expectations of each class to the students and their parents
• Maintains grades in PowerSchool and updates grades each Friday (for secondary school teachers). Elementary teachers should keep grades in either Excel spreadsheet or grading book to support the report card grade.
• Maintains elementary grades in a transparent manner
• Familiarizes themselves with and complies with the specific demands of the IB/MYP reporting system

Professional Development

• Submits and strives to fulfill three professional goals per academic year
• Participates and contributes actively during professional development time
• Keeps up to date with recent educational initiatives and practices pertaining to their specialized area
• Reads professional articles and shares knowledge with other members of their department and the wider school community
• Maintains and updates the school professional development log
• Seeks professional assistance where needed with ESOL, resource students, or with other issues of concern

Extracurricular Activities

• Attends/supports afterschool/extracurricular activities and presentations
• Supports the school’s community service group, AyA
• Is available for and provides remedial help to students as needed

Home-School Liaison

• Communicates effectively and respectfully with parents
• Encourages parents to become actively involved in the school
• Supports the school's PSTA by attending designated functions throughout the school year
• Contributes to the departmental website

Important Names & Numbers

• Superintendent - Carmen Sweeting - cell - 0416-621-0652
• Elementary & Middle School Principal - Brian Lettinga - cell - 0412-638-3269
• High School Principal - Chris Walker - 0412-285-9958
• Superintendent's Secretary - Lourdes Ristic
• Secondary Secretary - Ana María Sookermany
• Elementary Secretary - Alicia Macario
• Billing - Luz Matuz - Business Office
• Personnel Manager/salary information - Marienella Leandro - Business Office
• Purchasing Department - Claret Padron
• Network Administrator - William Mendez
• Technology Department Head - Karela Hernandez

Daily Schedule/Weekly Meetings

• All faculty are asked to be at school by 7:15am. The duty schedule may require you to be here earlier since it starts at 7:05am. Secondary staff duty is in the canteen between 7:05am – 7:35am and the lunch period. Those on duty should ensure that the students are well behaved and that they clean up the canteen before leaving. Elementary staff has duties in the early morning, morning break and 12:25-12:40pm.
• Classes end at 3:00pm. Faculty should plan on remaining at school until 3:30pm in order to attend any meetings or work with students. If you have to leave before this time please notify and sign out with the ES or SS secretary.
• All faculty should be available for meetings on Monday afternoons. These meetings will be over before 5:00pm.
• The administrators and department heads/team leaders will make meeting schedules for other specific groups of faculty.
• Departments will schedule monthly meetings. These will be held at a time so that all teachers in the department can attend. Meetings with departments may have to take place after school.
• Faculty should be prepared to offer weekly review/support sessions after school as agreed within each department. These are usually held between 3-5pm.
• All faculty are expected to become involved with afterschool activities and AyA (Ayuda y Amistad) Program.

Important Events

A 2007-08 calendar is available on your CIC-Google account. A description of professional and personal days is included in your faculty benefits sheets. Please read these over. Make sure that your travel plans do not require that you leave school early on the day before a holiday. Our advice is to plan your trip so that you arrive at least one day prior to the reopening of the school.

Parent Communication

We will have several dates where parents can come in and visit with faculty. The administrators will send you information about the expectations and goals for these meetings. It is critical that all teachers keep the parents aware of what is going on in their classes. Parents should be contacted about any change in the student’s performance. At the secondary level teachers must keep advisors informed of a student’s progress.

College Visits

From time to time during the year, universities from North America and Europe will visit the country. These visits can be very valuable for our students as it gives them the chance to speak directly with the representatives from these colleges and get an idea about the colleges. These visits are also important because it gives us a chance to show the school to the representatives. Whenever possible the school's college counselor will try and plan these visits during the advisor or 5th period time. When this is not possible, students may miss some class time. The counselor will try to give advance notice about these visits, but this is dependent upon the information we receive from the colleges.

Early Dismissal Days

We have built several of these days into the calendar to be used as Professional Development Days. On these days, when students are dismissed at 1:00pm, faculty should plan on staying until 4:00 PM. The faculty and administrators will work together to set up the agendas for these days. Your input is essential, as the effectiveness of these meetings will reflect the effort we have put into them.

VANAS

The annual VANAS teachers' conference is usually held at the end of January. The teachers in the Venezuelan international schools attend it. For the 2007-08 school year, CIC will host the conference on Friday January 25th. All teachers are encouraged to submit presentations at the conference. These can be made by individuals or by teams of teachers. Please help make the conference a success by taking the time to present. Speak with Alan or Carmen if you have questions about this event.

Open House

This school year, Open House is scheduled for August 28th for Elementary and August 30th for Secondary families from 7:00-9:00pm. The purpose is to provide the parents and opportunity to meet their son/daughter’s teachers and learn about their academic program.

Welcome Back BBQ

This event is scheduled for September 22rd in order to welcome all CIC families to the new school year. All teachers are expected to attend.

Field Trips

Educational Purpose

Field trips can be an essential part of each curriculum. As such, they should be viewed as an enhancement, not an infringement of the learning process. Teachers are encouraged to organize field trips, which both enhance the curriculum and have assessment outcomes. These trips can be either during the school day or overnight. All trips should have a direct connection with the curriculum being studied. The principal must be notified prior to finalizing a field trip.

School Rules for Field Trips

All school rules apply for all students for all trips. Trip specific rules (i.e. curfews, meeting times, dress code, etc.) will be set by the trip chaperones. The chaperones must use their judgment as to the maturity and responsibility of the students and the nature of the trip in deciding whether students may go in trios or groups without a chaperone. Chaperones are expected to model the behavior expected of the students. No alcohol is to be used by either students or chaperones. Students may not smoke. Chaperones who need to smoke should do so out of sight of the students.

Day Trips Definition

Day Trips are to locations in Caracas, which leave after the morning buses have arrived and return in the afternoon prior to the end of the school day. Chaperones: An average of 1 chaperone to 15 students is standard. If students will be engaged in activities which require them to split into smaller groups or which require greater than normal physical activity, take more chaperones. STUDENTS ATTENDING DAY FIELD TRIPS ARE TO BE DRESSED IN THE CIC SCHOOL UNIFORM UNLESS CIC ADMINISTRATION HAS WAIVED THIS REQUIREMENT PRIOR TO THE TRIP.

Permission

Students must have signed parental permission to attend a day trip. A sample form is provided in the Appendix.

Cost

The cost for Day Trips should be low or non-existent. CIC will supply the transportation in school buses. The students will pay other costs (lunches, entrance fees). Chaperones expenses will be reimbursed if receipts are turned in to the Elementary School Office.

Transportation

CIC will provide a school bus and a driver for day trips as long as a “transportation request” is received no less than 1 week in advance of the trip. The “transportation request” is part of the "Field Trip" Permission Form. Please ask Liseth or Claudia for these forms.

NO field trips will take place during May or June for Secondary School students.

Communication With Parents

The communication between the school and parents is a critical factor in our success with students. The time you spend making your expectations clear and getting to know parents will promote a relationship and will help if and when there are difficulties during the year. All classroom teachers will give out introduction and expectations letters during the first week of school.

Type these letters on CIC letterhead and include the following information:

• A brief introduction (credentials, previous teaching experience, etc.)
• An outline of the course content. This may be in the body of the letter itself or it may be a separate attachment.
• Types of assignment students can expect, grading procedures, etc.
• Your expectations of the students and what the students can expect of you
• Set goals by the subject for the quarter. Course overviews are available through the teacher.
• Assessment methods.

Please let Alan, Carmen, Brian, or Chris read these, prior to sending them to the parents.

Thursday Folders

A Thursday folder with the week’s information and other student work will be sent out to the parents each Thursday for grades PN-5.

Ongoing Communication

Teachers are responsible for keeping parents aware of their children’s progress. This can be done by telephone or email.

Report Cards/Progress Reports

The CIC calendar has the due dates for Elementary and Secondary reports.

Progress Reports in the Secondary School

Dates for Progress Reports are identified in the school calendar. The process is as follows:

• All teachers update assignments and grades on PowerSchool.
• Teachers make comments on Power School for students who have Ds and Fs (PowerSchool Administrator will send an email explaining how to enter comments).
• Advisors send an email to parents of advisees reflecting on comments and grades from PowerSchool and impressions of advisees overall performances. Advisors request parents to contact the teacher where the student is exhibiting difficulties.
• Email is sent to parents on the date assigned on the calendar.
• Emails are copied to appropriate counselor and assistant principal if needed.
• ALL TEACHER AND ADVISOR COMMENTS NEED TO BE DATED.

Example of an advisor's email to parents

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Smith,

Please see Johnny's updated grades in PowerSchool since we are currently at mid-quarter. Johnny seems to be having difficulties in Chemistry since he has earned a D. Mr. H says that his assignments are not turned in on time and it is affecting his grade. Johnny needs to focus on turning in his assignments on time and for further information, please contact Mr. H. for an appointment. Socially, Johnny has adapted well to CIC and he is participating in after-school activities. I am confident that with some support, he will overcome this situation.

Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions or concerns.

Students

Our students come from over 30 countries. Many are attending their first international school. One of the school's strengths is that we do an excellent job of treating each student as an individual. They enjoy CIC and discipline is not an overwhelming concern at the school. To a great extent, this is due to the work our teachers do at making our expectations clear and ensuring that the students have the feeling that the school is their family. It is critical that our teachers work as a team in terms of discipline and academic issues.

Discipline

Please check the Student Handbook on CICwiki.

Uniform Policy

CIC has a uniform policy for two reasons. First, school uniform policy is mandated by Venezuelan law/practice. Second, a uniform policy assures that there are fewer distractions for the students in terms of less wasted time worrying about what to wear to school.

These rules are discussed and shared with all CIC students at the beginning of each school year. This policy is posted in all classrooms and has been given to all students and parents. Although it is easy to comply with this policy, the school needs the parents’ and students’ support so that the adherence to the policy does not become an important concern at the school. Parents should check that their children have the required clothing and that they are wearing the correct uniform as they go to school in the morning. First period teachers will regularly check to see that their students are in compliance with our policy. Students will not be allowed in class unless they are properly dressed, and parents may be called to bring their children any needed clothing. Students must be in uniform from the time they enter campus in the morning until THEY LEAVE CAMPUS. Parents have the responsibility to ensure that their child wears the correct uniform.. ANY MISSED CLASSES DUE TO ARRIVING TO SCHOOL OUT OF UNIFORM WILL RESULT IN AN UNEXCUSED ABSENCE.

School uniforms are sold at the PSTA store in the canteen. The store is open in the early morning and at the end of the school day. PSTA profits go back to the school in the form of gifts to specific sections of the school.

The Uniform policy for CIC students (at all times on the CIC campus) is:

Pants and Skirts

• Secondary students should wear solid colored, dark, navy blue full-length pants or knee-length or longer skirts. Blue jeans are not allowed. Skirts and pants should not be faded, or have holes, rips, or frayed bottoms. Capri pants and embroidered pants or skirts are not allowed for secondary students. Navy blue pants are available locally in school uniform stores such as the one in the Centro Commercial San Luis.
• Elementary students may wear solid colored, dark, navy blue shorts to school. Elementary girls may wear Capri pants.

Shirts

• CIC Polo shirts with the school insignia:
  • Red (Pre-Nursery – Kindergarten);
  • White (Grades 1-5)
  • Blue (Grades 6-8)
  • Beige (Grades 9-12)
• The collar of the polo shirt must always be visible even when an outer sweatshirt, sweater, or jacket is worn. The polo shirts are available for purchase in the PSTA bookstore.
• Shirts worn under the polo shirt may be any color or style. The undershirt must not hang out beneath the polo shirt.

Sweatshirts

• The CIC sweatshirt or a solid navy blue (no design or writing) sweatshirt, sweater, or jacket may be worn. Dark blue jean jackets are also permitted as long as they are NOT decorated. Please make sure to purchase this during the times of the year when the weather requires some extra warmth.

Shoes

• Secondary students are encouraged to wear comfortable dress shoes or sneakers. Secondary Girls may wear formal sandals, but NOT flip-flops.
• Elementary students should wear lace-up or velcro shoes (i.e. sneakers/athletic shoes). Elementary students may not wear sandals.
• No shoes with wheels (skateboarding shoes) may be worn.

Piercing/Hair

• Girls may have piercing on their earlobes. Boys may have no more than one piercing on each ear. Hair should be tidy and of natural color.

General

• All clothing must be modest, neat, and clean with no rips or tears. Clothing may not be written on or stained.
• Clothing must be of solid color, and may not bear any alcohol, tobacco, or drug advertisements or symbols.
• NO hats, bandanas, or other headwear are permitted during the school day (except during activities at the athletic field or court)

PE Uniform

• Grades 4-12: Red CIC PE T-Shirt, solid black athletic shorts or sweat pants, appropriate running shoes (with laces or Velcro – not slip-ons), and white socks.
• Pre-nursery-Grade 3: Daily polo shirt, blue athletic shorts, appropriate running shoes and white socks.

Out-of-Uniform Days

• Occasionally, students will have an opportunity to come to school “out of uniform.” Seniors (12th Graders) have this privilege every Friday. Other non-uniform days may be approved and announced by the school administrators. All regular uniform rules still apply, but shirts and pants may be colors other than prescribed by our policy above. ARTICLES OF CLOTHING THAT ARE CONSIDERED INAPPROPRIATE FOR STUDENTS TO WEAR WHILE OUT OF UNIFORM AS CREATED BY SS STUCO 2006-2007:
  • Ripped clothing of any kind
  • Baseball hats
  • Flip Flop style sandals, or a sandal that might be thought of as a Flip Flop sandal.
  • Mid-drift shirts, no stomach showing- This includes t-shirts that are too small
  • Spaghetti strapped tops
  • Offensive printed clothing
  • Shorts/Capri Pants/Long Shorts, both boys and girls
  • Pajamas or articles of clothing that could be considered pajamas

Academic Integrity

As set forth in both the CIC and IB or mission statements, part of becoming a globally-minded, responsible citizen of the world is the ability to develop and cultivate a set of values and ethics that are based on honesty, diligence and respect. The International Baccalaureate Organisation defines academic integrity as "a set of values that promotes personal integrity in examinations, the authenticity of work and intellectual property rights. It is a belief, and as such is influenced by the school’s values, peer culture and parental pressure" (Academic honesty: guidance for schools, IBO, September 2003). Consequently, all students at CIC are expected to maintain the highest of ethical standards in completing their assignments. CIC takes the issue of academic honesty very seriously. Unless otherwise specified by the teacher, all work completed by the student should be his/her own. In the case where information or ideas are borrowed, these should be referenced using the MLA system of documentation. When a student fails to properly identify/cite ideas that are not his/her own, he/she is guilty of plagiarism or malpractice. The following offenses meet the criteria of plagiarism and have been divided into different levels according to severity:
Level 1

• Copying another student's work
• Allowing another student to copy work
• Using cheat sheets or seeking help from another student during an assignment, quiz or test

Level 2

• Intentionally or unintentionally using the words and/or ideas of another as if they were your own
• Failing to properly give credit to sources

A student who fails to maintain exemplary academic integrity can expect the following consequences:
Level 1

• First offense: The student receives a zero for the assignment and is issued a detention. Parent/guardian is notified of the offense by teacher and advisor.
• Second offense: The student receives a zero for the assignment and serves one day of in-school suspension. A conference is called with the student, parent/guardian, teacher, advisor and administrator. Review of the academic probation policy.
• Third offense: The student receives a zero for the assignment, serves two days of in-school suspension and is placed on academic probation. A second conference is called and the academic probation policy is reviewed.

Level 2

• First offense: The student receives a detention and may revise the assignment for full credit. Parent/guardian is notified of the offense and of the academic probation policy.
• Second offense: The student receives a zero for the assignment and serves one day of in-school suspension. A conference is called with the student, parent/guardian, teacher, advisor and administrator, and the student is placed on academic probation.
• Third offense: The student receives an "0" for the quarter in the class of offense and goes before a review committee of parents, teachers and administrators.

Academic Probation

A trial period of one calendar year in which a student is given an opportunity to try to redeem failing grades or poor conduct. If during this time the student fails to maintain integrity in academics, he/she will go before a committee of teachers, parents and administrators who will evaluate the situation and recommend either out-of-school suspension or expulsion. A Behavior contract will be developed and presented to both students and their parents with monthly revision.
Supplemental Assistance In an effort to help the student complete accurate, legitimate and well-researched projects, the school offers a thorough training in the MLA documentation system in all of the English classes in middle and high school. CIC also maintains a subscription with www.turnitin.com where students can (and in most cases will be required to) check their work and thus maintain the high degree of academic integrity expected by the school. Major infractions of the Behavioral and Academic Guidelines include smoking, cheating, plagiarism, theft, use of alcohol or illegal substances, possession of weapons or firearms. A detailed description of each of these infractions and their consequences is included in the Addendum at the end of this handbook.

Attendance Procedure

Secondary school

In order for the administration, teachers, and parents to take advantage of PowerGrade, it is important for each teacher to enter attendance information at the beginning of each class period. Here is a suggested procedure to help simplify the process and to reduce the workload on the faculty.

Take attendance beginning on the first day of class, August 16. Because students will be learning their way around for the first couple of days, don’t be draconian on tardies until Thursday at which point we ask that all teachers follow the policy as strictly as is reasonable. Jim and Karela will be going around to see if you need help using PowerGrade.

Here's the procedure

• Before class begins, start PowerGrade.
• When the second bell rings, check the hallway for any stragglers. Any students who arrive after you have closed the door should be considered tardy.
• Using the “Classes” menu, select the class for which you will be taking attendance. The class list should open.
• Click on the “Attendance” icon at the top of the screen.
• Enter the attendance for each student by right-clicking on the correct cell for that date. Select either “P” or “A” from the drop-down menu.
• When you have taken the attendance for the class, click the “Save” button in the lower-right corner of the screen. The data will be uploaded to the master database.
• Close the window for the class. Quit PowerGrade or lock with your password (Ctrl-L).
• Students who arrive late should have a pass. If they don’t, send then back to the Ana Maria (the receptionist). We are doing this because Liseth is in/out of the office and we don’t want the kids to wait for her return if she is out.
• Do not change the status of students who arrive late. Liseth will do that in the office later in the day.

We expect that once students learn how the system works, they will immediately go to Ana Maria for a pass rather than coming up to your room, go down to Ana Maria, and then come back up. We will explain the system to all students at the first assembly.

Your cooperation will help make the implementation of PowerGrade a success. We intend to try this plan for two weeks and then evaluate whether or not it is successful.

Homework Elementary

Elementary Homework

Teachers in grades 6-12 must keep accurate homework records on Power Grade. Assignments should be entered and have both the date the homework was assigned and its due date. These entries should be updated at least every Friday. Teachers should ensure that the amount of homework will give both the teachers and students a representative sampling of the work assigned each quarter. Teachers should also ensure that this work is spread out over the quarter so that there is not an undue amount of work just before the quarter grades.

Homework Agenda: Each student is required to have an agenda. Teachers should check to see that the students are using these. It is also a good idea for the teacher to check the amount of other homework being given the students so that we avoid having a number of assignments/tests due on the same date. Teachers are required to grade any homework within one Friday of its receipt.

The Handbook contains basic guidelines for how we treat late homework. Teachers must ensure that students are given a representative amount of homework during any one grading period. Do not wait until the end of a period to make up for lost time. All homework should be corrected and returned (to the students) within one week of its collection. All grades must be kept up to date on our Power School System.

Child Study Team: The purpose of a Child Study Team (CST) is to evaluate students who are not being successful in their classes or who are experiencing social or emotional problems.

• Elementary School - The Team is headed by Carmen Sweeting, Brian Lettinga or José Acevedo and consists of ESOL teachers, and the class teachers, and occasionally Alan Benson. It meets at least twice a month and more often if needed. The CST determines whether there is a need for interventions, special testing, referral for psychological screening, or other forms of assessment. If you have a student who is not succeeding in your class or who seems to be experiencing special problems, let Dalma, Brian, Jose or Carmen know. They will then determine if this is a general or an isolated problem and determine the appropriate next step.
• Secondary school - The team will consist of Zöe Losada, José, Carmen Sweeting, and Alan Benson.

ES Resource Rooms: These exist to give students specialized and individual help. Students who have learning difficulties in a subject may be in the Resource Room instead of the regular classes. The number of hours will determine who gives the grades.

ESOL

CIC's program of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) has three levels of classes: beginners, intermediate, and advanced.

Elementary

Students entering with no English go to the beginners’ level. These students are in ESOL during Language Arts sessions and, if necessary, they will be withdrawn during Science and Social Studies time for additional ESOL support. Intermediate and advanced level students go to Language Arts with their grade level and receive in-class support from the ESOL teacher. Students are exited from ESOL in the middle and end of 1st and 2nd trimester. Since many students spend their summer speaking their native language, no one is exited at the end of the school year. At the beginning of the following school year, students who appeared ready for exiting will be reviewed. Students are assessed throughout the school year to determine appropriate placement.

Secondary

1. Sheltered Program for Grades 6-10: Non-English speaking students could be enrolled in the Shelter Program for one school year and develop English proficiency skills. Specific goals for English language development are identified and review each semester. At the end of the year the ESOL committee will recommend placement in either the following grade level with ESOL classes or retention in the grade completed.
2. Beginning/Low Intermediate Level students receive ESOL classes every day and attend all other subject area classes with their grade level.
3. Intermediate/Advance students attend ESOL/Transitional English class with their grade level
4. When a student is ready to be exited from the program will attend the English class with their grade and a Transitional English class also with students of their grade level.

Advisory Program

The main goal of the advisor program is to build a positive rapport with each one of our advisees and foster a trusting relationship with each and every one of them. While advisory is listed as a class, it is much more than that. Each advisor should become acquainted with their advisees and strive to build a strong relationship with each student built on trust and friendship.

Key Responsibilities of the advisor:

1. Build a positive relationship with each of your advisees.
2. Be the principal advocate for his/her advisees.
3. Send out progress reports on your advisory group. ALL students get a progress report. Please see the CIC Calendar for dates and Zoë or Carmen if you have any questions about how this has worked in the past.
4. Keep abreast of your advisory students and how they are doing in all of their academic classes and their lives in general in and out of CIC.
5. Work with the guidance department when specific social or academic issues should arise, especially situations or behaviors that are self-defeating and dangerous.
6. The advisor should be a positive role model for the advisees by modeling behavior and attitudes consistent with the goals of the program.
7. The advisor should engage in positive communication with the parents and administration of all advisees.
8. Talk about important issues that involve the students during your advisory class time.
   • New uniform policy, dress code in general
   • Out of uniform days on Fridays and what is expected to be worn to school by seniors
   • Keeping healthy- mentally and physically
   • Review the CIC Student Handbook – take kids to the computer lab and read this with them, or read the hand book to kids in class. Print the Student Handbook and keep this copy for future advisory classes.
   • Assembly ideas
   • STUCO activities
   • Social events they would like to see at CIC
   • Current events from around the world
   • International events taking place around the world
   • How to organize their time
   • How to use their agenda more efficiently
   • How to manage their books and personal space here at CIC
   • Lunch room expected behaviors
   • Student Computer Use Policy
   • Community and Service books, advisors help keep track of these
   • CAS hours ideas, start a service project.
   • Discuss the MYP areas of interaction
   • How to approach their teachers with important issues
   • The wide variety of bullying that can take place during and outside of school
   • This list can go on and on and on…………..
9. The advisor should be the group leader. Each advisor should set the tone and structure of the advisor period, and work with the other advisors on class projects when possible.
   • Students should not be allowed to wander. Any library visits must have an advisor note. Students are to be kept in advisory until class ends at 10:00.
   • This is not a time for the teacher to work on their own work, but a time to relate and work with the students.
   • It is the advisors responsibility to build structure to their advisory period.

Most of all, have fun and make your advisory class time a memorable one for you students.

Suicide Prevention

According to a 2004 study, suicide has become the third leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States, following unintentional accidents and murder (which could sometimes be considered suicides). The suicide of a young person is a tragedy that affects not only him/herself and his/her family, but also the entire school community. Although, ultimately, nobody can stop another person from committing suicide, a timely intervention can relieve some of the pressure a person is experiencing, give him/her some time to reflect and get treatment, and perhaps save his/her life. It is, therefore, very important that every person in the school community (including teachers and parents, be aware of signs of the suicidal, which are mentioned as follows, and the steps that should be taken when these signs are noticed.

Common Signs of Suicidality

In assessing the suicide risk of a student, his/her 1) suicidal ideas, 2) suicide plan, and 3) suicide risk factors must be considered. However, when a teacher or other member of the community who is not an administrator or counselor observes clear indications of suicidal thoughts in a student, he/she has the responsibility to contact a counselor immediately, even though suicidal thoughts do not, by themselves, mean that a suicide is imminent. Examples of suicidal thoughts include statements (either spoken or written) such as: "I'm tired of life," "I want to sleep and never wake up," "I want to die," "My life is worthless." Sometimes suicidal thoughts are expressed strongly, but indirectly, such as in a song or piece of artwork. Sometimes these thoughts are expressed in a humorous fashion, or, when asked, the student could say that he/she was not serious or was "just kidding." Nevertheless, the student must be taken seriously and his/her risk of suicidality must be evaluated.

Assessing Suicide Risk

When a student who has expressed suicidal thoughts is referred to a school counselor, the counselor has the responsibility of evaluating if the student is imminently suicidal by finding out if the student has a suicide plan and assessing the student’s suicide risk factors. This must be a priority for the counselor, no matter what else is on the schedule for the day. Suicide plans can indicate the level of impulse control of the student, as well as his/her anger and hostility. Major risk factors include seriousness of intent, indication of drug or alcohol abuse, a history of impulsive behavior, a history of previous suicide attempts, hopelessness, and extreme fluctuations in mood, few social supports, and a recent loss.

Consultation

After meeting with the student and assessing his/her risk of imminent suicidality, the counselor must consult with the administrative team in order to review the student’s situation and determine if the student is an imminent suicide risk. (The administrative team must include the appropriate Principal, the school Director, and any other counselor working in the school.) In addition, the team might wish to consult with outside mental health professionals. The student should be informed that the counselor will have to do this, in accordance with school policy and ethical considerations.

Treatment

The administrative team has the responsibility to maintain strict confidentiality about any conversations regarding the referred student, with the exception of the student’s parent or guardian, who must be notified as soon as possible. If the team’s conclusion is that the student is at imminent risk for suicide, parents must come to school by the end of the school day, pick up the student, and arrange to have him/her evaluated by a competent mental health professional, preferably on the same day. The administrative team should assist the parent or guardian in arranging this evaluation, if necessary.

Curriculum Development

Curriculum is reviewed in a cycle to be determined at the beginning of this school year.

• Departments involved with curriculum review examine the scope and sequence and effectiveness of their curriculum. Departments then make recommendations about changes to the current curriculum. Purchasing new books or adding other resources will be reviewed by administration.
• Each faculty member is responsible for working to improve our curricula. Our professional development efforts will be negated unless every person shares his/her expertise with others in their department or team.
• The school's curricula are available for viewing and review on the school’s common drive.
• Each semester or trimester you will need to give your Principal a curricular outcome statement. A sample is in each office.
• As an international school we have many different cultural viewpoints. Make sure to discuss anything you feel will be controversial with an administrator. We do not shy way from teaching what we must. At the same time, it is best if we are not caught unawares if what we will teach will knowingly anger a sizable group of parents.
• The department heads will lead these reviews.

Emergency Drills

Fire Drill - Elementary School

• Ground Floor - exit to the covered area via the play area.
• First Floor - hallway nearest Naranjal - exit via the covered area stairways
• Grades 3-4 - nearest stairs to play area to covered area
• Grad3 2 - stairs to canteen, to covered area
• ESL/Spanish - outside stairs between buildings, play area, to covered area

Fire Drill - Secondary School

Everyone in the Middle School classrooms, High School classrooms, Technology Department, Secondary School Library, Administration Office, and Business Office will assemble AT THE GREEN SPACE IN FRONT OF THE MUSIC ROOM.

Take your class quietly down the hallways to the assembly point. Rooms 210 and 211 (Clive Russell and Pat Bradley) should leave through the doors opening toward the Elementary School. Go down the far steps in front of second grade and on through the canteen to the assembly point. FIRE ESCAPE MAPS ARE LOCATED IN ALL CLASSROOMS.

All other classes and offices, close your door behind you and take your class down the nearest stairwell and pass the Administration Offices. Continue straight across TO THE GREEN SPACE IN FRONT OF THE MUSIC ROOM.

Students will meet with their advisors once they arrive at the assembly point. Advisors should assemble according to grade level. LOOK FOR GRADE LEVEL SIGNS BEING HELD BY ADVISORS.

Remember to bring grade books if you have them and your current advisor roster so you can take attendance once your advisory group arrives.

Earthquake Drill

• All students move under desks
• After the first shock:
  • ES - all students exit via the ES play area, through the canteen into the parking lot.
  • SS - all students exit as per the fire drill to in front of the music room.

Civil Disturbances Drill

• In the case of a problem on school grounds those in the office will dial the Baruta Police and radio the American embassy. Students will remain locked in the areas described below until the all clear is given by the administrators.
• ES students go to the library. Librarian to lock doors
• SS students go to the auditorium.
• Music students stay in room, which will be locked by the teacher.
• PE students and those on the top floor of the PE building will go to the PE storage room via the weight room. The teachers will lock these doors.

We have several types of emergency drills

Violence in the city - An administrator or secretary will announce this type of drill. Teachers and students will go to the room to which they have been assigned and wait there until further notice. Teachers and students are assigned to rooms based on the area of the city in which they live. It is essential that you keep the students in the room at all times. Do not let them out to look for anyone else or to wander the halls. This type of evacuation is used only in the most serious of emergencies when the students must be sent home as soon as possible. Buses will run to various areas of the city as we get word that an area is clear; parents will also be coming to pick up their children.

Earthquake - Take the following steps in case of an earthquake. The schools windows have been treated so that they are shatterproof.

• Exit to playground (Not under the gym).
• Follow the regular fire drill and line up in playground with your list.
• Ground floor exit immediately.
• 1st/2nd floor gets under the desk face down, away from windows.
• When it stops go to playground.
• If the building is in danger, try to evacuate.

Emergency School Closing

If we have to close school on short notice we will use a telephone tree. Each teacher will be assigned a group of parents to call. You will receive the telephone tree in early September.

Technology

The school is well equipped with computers, software and hardware. There are Internet connections in all the classrooms, the computer labs and the library. A Users Guide is enclosed with this booklet. Please make sure to read this over and speak with any of the technology people if you have questions.

PowerSchool: This is software used to enter grades on the school’s website. All teachers are responsible for using this system.

If you have needed repairs, please send an email to Karela Hernandez.

The Technology department will be giving workshops during the year to all faculty and staff.

Mail Service

Letters

The school's courier address is:

CIC
PAKMAIL 6030
PO Box 025304
Miami, FL 33102-5304

Packages

CIC
PAKMAIL 6030
7701 N.W 46.St. Unit 1-A
Miami - Florida
33166
Phone: 786-464-1888

This is an expensive service. Expatriate faculty are allowed 2 kilos monthly and local hire teachers can receive 1 kilo monthly. This will cover a reasonable amount of letters and weekly magazines. Anything over this amount will be charged to the teacher at the rate charged to the school. At the moment this is $18.50 per kilo. Teachers will receive a monthly invoice for any mail over the limit. There is a good deal of theft from the Miami and Caracas offices, as any mail has to be checked by customs officers. Sending anything of value is risky.

Outgoing mail will be sent using the local mail system. If you use the courier service for this it will be costly.

Telephone Services

The school has a system whereby each teacher is given his/her individual code. You must use this code when making outgoing calls. Teachers need to pick up this code from the business office. Teachers are given credit for 30 minutes for personal local calls monthly. The business office will send each teacher a monthly list of calls registered to their code. Each teacher is responsible for checking this and sending the list back to the office with notations as to whether the call is school business or personal. In order to do this efficiently, teachers are urged to keep a log of all the calls made.

There is a phone at the teacher’s lounge. Please use this phone to communicate with your student’s parents. Please avoid long personal phone conversations since we are trying to cut down on expenses. Cellular numbers amount to almost 70% of the monthly bills. Please call a cellular number only in an emergency.

Office Staff Procedures

Maintenance

Jhonny and his maintenance staff are very willing to help you with whatever you need. However, do not expect your maintenance requests to be filled immediately because there is always a lot of priority work going on. Email any maintenance requests to Claudia Ramirez, ramirezc@ciccaracas.com.ve. If you have sent in a request and it has not been done, mention the problem to your Principal. The administrators and Jhonny Martinez set maintenance schedules.

Keys

All the teachers can ask the school secretary for keys to their rooms.

Files-Student Information

In order to be more efficient and to secure the information held by the elementary office, we will need your cooperation with the following:

Elementary Files: Under no circumstances should the student’s files leave the school premises. Any student’s file should be given to one of the secretaries. Elementary teachers should not enter the file room. Claudia will help you find or file the information you need.

Secondary Files: Speak with Zöe Losada or Steven Ramsammy.

Bookroom (Purchasing)

Any book/material order needs to be approved by either Carmen or Alan. Do not go out and purchase items for which you will expect the school to reimburse you.

The great majority of our texts are purchased from the US and UK. These orders are sent in March and arrive in August. The department heads and team leaders will be working with the faculty to collate these orders between September and January. The school has a curriculum review cycle. Departments that are under review receive the needed funding. Departments not under review will just purchase materials needed to replace those that have been worn out or lost.

Each department head has a budget and must coordinate the orders from their Department members and set Department priorities, if necessary. Overseas orders must be turned in with all information-vendor; address, phone, and fax name of catalog; page number, item purchase code; description of item; cost. To ensure that you get what you need in a timely manner, give your department head all relevant information.

At the same time we do the overseas order, we place a Local Order for most of the educational supplies for the following year. The Book Room staff will help you locate items and determine prices. Please speak with the staff well ahead of time for any local orders.

If you need supplies during the year, one of the secretaries will give you an order form. Once approved by your Principal, the order will be sent to the purchasing office. Please give this office time to find the material. Be aware that sometimes we are required to get three bids on an item so the process can be slow.

Every school has a concern about excessive copying. We are no exception. Be conservative in your copying and fill out the forms in the copy room so we can keep track of usage. Be aware that Eglee is sometimes called upon to help in other areas of the school; try to avoid a panic situation where you need something "right now." Channel your copies through your assistant. Laminating is another concern. Please ONLY laminate material that will be kept for other years and warrants it. Do not laminate borders - they are cheap!

Forms

Schools have a lot of forms to be filled out - maintenance forms, field trip forms, personal day forms, purchase order forms, etc. You can get most of these forms from the secretaries. If they don’t have a particular form, she will know who does.

Teacher Absences

If you are ill and cannot come to school, please call one of the secretaries or an administrator. Please give us as much notice as you possibly can. All teachers are expected to have meaningful lesson plans during absences.

Teachers should plan any vacations so they do not have to leave early or return late. Salary deductions will be made for any violation of this policy.

Personal Days

See Benefits descriptions.

SS End-of-Year Awards

Senior awards are given at graduation. Teachers will vote on these towards the end of the school year Awards are the following:

• CIC Sportsmanship
• Goss Theater Award
• CIC Fellowship Award
• ECIS Award
• CAS Award

6-11 Awards

• Academic/Achievement Awards: A maximum of 3 awards per grade can be given using the categories listed below. Not all categories need to be awarded, and it is possible to give more than one award in a category.
• Academic achievement- highest GPA
• Improvement-most improved during the year
• Consistency- most consistent effort during the year

Teachers may give individual class or subject area awards, but these should be given during class and will not be included in the Secondary Awards Assembly.]

Additional Awards - Given to students in 6-8 and 9-11

• Citizenship award criteria- The student demonstrates excellent citizenship through positive involvement in the school community and community at large, shows respect/caring for others and CIC’s goals and values, and makes CIC a more inclusive school by modeling a positive example of group involvement and personal integrity- consists of leadership/helping make CIC a more inclusive school.
• International Understanding- awarded to the student who is a good representative of his/her own country, who has a positive attitude toward the life and cultures of others, able to converse in at least two languages, contributes positively to the life of the school, and has the ability to bring differing people together into a sense of community, thus furthering the cause of international understanding.
• AyA - given to the student who has participated most productively in the AyA program

End of Year/Semester Exams

All Secondary students will take a semester exam in December and June. Dates have been scheduled in the CIC calendar.

Emergency School Closing

If we have to close school on short notice we will use a telephone tree. Each teacher will be assigned a group of parents to call. You will receive the telephone tree in early September.

Ministry of Education

CIC is "registered" with the Venezuelan M.E. This means that we are approved as a school but do not have to follow the Venezuelan curriculum. Every year, CIC has to become re-registered. In order to do this, we have to submit a list of all employees, copies of the new teachers’ certification, permits from: fire department, health department for both, all personnel and the cafeteria.

Health Department Certificate

In order to get this, every CIC employee must have a blood test done in Venezuela and be vaccinated for tetanus. CIC contacts the Health Department who come to do the tests and administer the vaccines. All female employees need to submit the results of a recent Pap smear test that has been performed by a certified Venezuelan gynecologist. School can provide the names of some excellent gynecologists if you are new to the country and need help in this area.

Accreditation

CIC is accredited by: SACS (Southern Association of Schools and Colleges) and by IB for the MYP (Middle Years Program) and the DP (Diploma Program). In times of re-accreditation, different committees are formed in order to prepare the visit. Teachers are expected to support this process by serving on various committees.

FAQs

How do I make phone calls while at school?

The school has a system whereby each teacher is given his/her individual code. You must use this code when making outgoing calls. Teachers need to pick up this code from the business office. Teachers are given credit for 30 minutes for personal local calls monthly. The business office will send each teacher a monthly list of calls registered to their code. Each teacher is responsible for checking this and sending the list back to the office with notations as to whether the call is school business or personal, in order to do this efficiently, teachers are urged to keep a log of all the calls made.

There is a phone at the teacher’s lounge and in the Elementary Secretary’s office. Please use these phones to communicate with your student’s parents. Please avoid long phone conservations since we are trying to cut down on expenses. Cellular numbers amount to almost 70% of the monthly bills. Please call a cellular number only in an emergency.

If you need to call an international number for school reasons, you can use the Skype Phone Service that is installed on a number of computers at school, including the Superintendent’s Secretary and the Superintendent’s computer.

How do I receive and send mail?

The school has contracted with the PAKMAIL Courier service to handle the school’s mail. Because this is a very expensive service, we are forced to limit the allowance of mail provided by the school to faculty. Expatriate Hired Faculty is allowed two kilos monthly and local hire teachers can receive _ kilo monthly. This will cover a reasonable amount of letters and weekly magazines. Anything over this amount will be charged to the teachers at the rate charged to the school. At the moment this is $ 10.oo per kilo. Teachers will receive a monthly invoice for any mail over the limit. There is a good deal of theft from the Miami and Caracas offices as any mail have to be checked by customs officers. Sending anything of value is risky.

You can send mail using the courier system but it is costly. Better is to wait until a faculty or staff member is traveling to the US and ask them to mail any letters you may have.

Letters sent via PAKMAIL from overseas should be mailed to:

CIC, PAKMAIL 6030, PO BOX 025304, MIAMI FL 33102-5304

Packages sent via PAKMAIL from overseas should be mailed to:

CIC, PAKMAIL 6030 NW 97 Ave., MIAMI, FL 33172, Phone: 768 464 1888

Be aware that there is an additional cost for packages, which will be charged to your personal accounts.

When and how do I get paid?

Local hire employees – Salaries are paid on the 15th and last day of each month.

Expatriates hires – The transfers are made on the 15th of each month. The transfers for expatriates can take up to one week. :Expatriates hires also receive a certain percentage of their salaries in local currency and these two are deposited into local bank accounts on the 14th of each month.

How do I get keys to my room?

All the teachers will receive a set of keys to their rooms, If not, please ask the school secretary for keys to their rooms.

How can I access my students' file?

In order to be more efficient and to secure the information held by the elementary office, we will need your cooperation with the following:

• Elementary Files: Under no circumstances should the student’s files leave the school premises. Any student's file should be given to one of the secretaries. Elementary teachers should not enter the file room. Claudia will help you find or file the information you need.
• Secondary Files: Speak to Zöe or Steven Ramsammy. Students’ files are in the Guidance Office.

Where can I get supplies like paper and pencils?

The Purchasing Department is the source for common supplies such as pencils, staples, tape, erasers and cardstock paper. The Purchasing Department is currently behind the infirmary.

Because the Purchasing Department staff also have to handle all of the school’s orders, they have asked that teachers only ask for their supplies on the following days and times: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 8:00am-12:00pm, and from 2:00pm-4:00pm.

What if I need something that the school doesn’t have in stock?

Any book/material order needs to be approved by the Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent. Do not go out and purchase items for which you will expect the school to reimburse you. You must fill out a requisition form that is sent out at the start of the school year by the Purchasing Department staff, get this requisition approved by the Administration and submit it to the Purchasing Department. They will inform you when the item has arrived. If the cost of the item you need is high, then the Purchasing Department is required to obtain three bids, which can delay the process so plan accordingly.

What is the process for ordering something for the next school year?

The great majority of our texts are purchased from the US and UK. These orders are sent in March/April and arrive in August/September. The department heads and team leaders will be working with the faculty to collate these orders between September and January. The school has a curriculum review cycle. Departments that are under review receive the needed funding. Departments not under review will just purchase materials needed to replace those that have been worn out or lost.

Each department head has a budget and must coordinate the orders from their Department members and set Department priorities, if necessary. Overseas orders must be turned in with all information-vendor, address, phone, and fax name of catalog; page number, item purchase code, description of item; cost. To ensure that you get what you need in a timely manner, give your department head all relevant information.

At the time we do the overseas order, we place a Local Order for most of the educational supplies for the following year. The Book Room staff will help you locate items and determine prices. Please speak with the staff well ahead of time for any local orders.

How and when do I make copies?

The copy room is located next to the High School Guidance Office and is run by a lady called Eglee. As in every school we too are concerned about excessive copying. Be conservative in your copying and fill out the forms in the copy room so we can keep track of usage. Be aware that Eglee is sometimes called to help in other areas of the school; try to avoid a panic situation where you need something "right now." Elementary teachers are expected to channel their copies through their respective assistants.

How do I get something laminated?

There is one laminated machine in the school, and it is located in the High School Library work area. As laminating paper is very expensive, please ONLY laminate material that will be kept for other years and warrants it. If you do not know how to use the laminating machine, please ask for help from the library staff, as a broken laminator can be very frustrating for all teachers.

What do I do if a student or I feel sick?

The school provides an on-campus nurse whose hours are from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The nurse will evaluate the situation and, in the case of students, call parents if the student needs to go home. The nurse will notify the respective secretaries who will inform the teachers and administrators. If a teacher feels sick and the nurse recommends that they should be sent home, the teacher in question must notify administration in person. Administration will arrange cover for classes and ensure that the teacher can get home safely.

What do I do in case of a medical emergency?

Notify the Administrator

Go to the emergency room of the recommended hospitals with your insurance card and the copy of your Cedula/Passport

Follow the instructions given by the insurance agent.

Use the recommended doctors

What does the school canteen provide?

The school canteen is open for the purchase of food from about 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. The canteen serves an assortment of sandwiches, salads, fruit drinks, and a daily lunch plate. No sodas are sold on campus. Students may not bring sodas. Facilities are checked on a weekly basis by the school administrators and health office, and formally by outside company at least one every two months. Teachers may maintain a “tab” at the canteen that can be paid weekly or monthly. Teachers can also purchase additional items from the canteen for class or staff parties and can use the facilities to heat large plates of food, etc.

What if I need something fixed in my classroom?

The school maintenance staff is very willing to help you with whatever you need. However, do not expect your maintenance requests to be filled immediately because there is always a lot of priority work going on.

Email any maintenance request to the Elementary School Secretary, currently Claudia Ramirez, ramirezc@ciccaracas.com.ve. If you have sent in a request and it has not been done, mention the problem to your Principal. The Administrator and Johnny, and Claudia set maintenance schedules.

What do I need to know about the school’s transportation system?

Parents who want their children to take the school bus pay extra for that service. They have the option of choosing either or both pick-up in the morning and drop-off in the afternoon. Teachers are allowed to ride the buses to and from their homes at no extra charge.

What do I need to know about my bank accounts?

Expatriate faculty will get their dollar salaries deposited in their US-based bank accounts. If you do not have a US-based bank account, the school will help you set one up upon your arrival. The local portion of salaries will get deposited into a local bank account. This account comes with a cash card.

If you need to withdraw money from your local account, you may use your cash card, or you may send the school’s driver with a check to the bank to withdraw money on your behalf.

You may also apply for a local credit card from the bank but be aware there is a good deal of credit card fraud in the country. Be very careful how you use your credit cards. One article suggested that you follow the vendor to where the card is being entered into the system. This will ensure that your card is not misused.

Also, be very aware when you withdraw money from an ATM as some ATMs have bee altered with second card readers and video cameras than can tape you as you enter your password. If you think that a particular ATM looks odd, don’t use it.

I've heard that Caracas is dangerous. What precautions should I take?

All faculty should take common-sense precautions to avoid being the victim of a crime. Do not wear fancy jewelry in the street and be aware of who is around you when you withdraw money from a bank machine. It is not advised for faculty to walk home alone from school. Walk with at least one other person or wait for someone to give you a lift. If you do walk, walk on the left-hand side of the street, away from the bushes. If you owned your car, make sure you use the parking lots. When taking a taxi, either call them from "Taxi Tour" or find a taxi stand.

What about technology at the school?

The school is well equipped with computers, software and hardware. There are Internet in all the classrooms, the computer labs and the library. There are scanners in the High School Library as well as in the HS Technology classroom.

If you have needed repairs for school computers, please send an email to our Technology Department, tech@ciccaracas.com.ve . If you need repairs in your computers at home, you can pay for one of the school computer technicians to go to your house, but this too, should be scheduled through the Head of the Technology Department.

The school maintains a number of digital cameras for teacher use. These must be checked out from the high school library. These cannot be taken home and are for school-related activities only.

Each teacher or floor is assigned a television and VCR or DVD player at the start of the school year. It is up to the teachers assigned to a particular machine how to allocate use.

The Technology Department will be giving workshops during the year to all faculty and staff.

* All revisions will remain in CAPITAL letters for SY 07-08.