HANDBOOK
SCHOOL HOURS are
The best times to call to speak with a
teacher are:
If no one is available to take your call
the answering machine will take your message. Extended Care voice mail is
checked everyday at
On rare occasions, we may need to close the
school early and/or cancel extended care because of rapidly deteriorating
weather conditions. We will notify parents by phone if that happens. We will
NEVER leave a child here alone—a staff member will stay until the last child is
picked up.
NCCL closings are announced on the NCCL
Parents' Page, WILM 1450AM, TV Channel 10 (NBC), TV Channel 6 (ABC),
http://www.wjbr.com/operation_snowflake.php, and http://www.NBC10.com/closings.
Please look or listen for the NCCL announcement; we operate separately from the
We also encourage parents to use common
sense. If you commute from far away or live in an area that ices quickly, then
your best bet might be to stay home that day. Safety is more important than one
day of school.
FOR INFORMATION
CONCERNING: CONTACT:
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
ABOUT YOUR CHILD TEACHER OF
THE CLASS
OR
ABOUT CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES AND
CURRICULUM
PROBLEMS
OR CONCERNS WHICH ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
YOU
HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO WORK BETTE
BALDER
OUT
WITH THE TEACHER
SPECIFIC
QUESTIONS ABOUT ADMINISTRATIVE
DIRECTOR
ADMINISTRATIVE
PROCEDURES BETTE BALDER
GENERAL
QUESTIONS ABOUT EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR -
SCHOOL
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION, MARILYNN CARVER MAGNANI
CURRICULUM
DEVELOPMENT
SPECIFIC
QUESTIONS ABOUT TREASURER -
YOUR
FINANCIAL ACCOUNT AND RAY MAGNANI
FINANCIAL
AID
GENERAL
QUESTIONS ABOUT SCHOOL
MEETING CHAIR -
ADMINISTRATIVE
POLICIES (SEE
CURRENT COMMITTEE
AND
PROCEDURES ASSIGNMENT
LIST)
TO
HAVE AN ITEM PUT ON THE SCHOOL SCHOOL MEETING CHAIR -
COMMITTEE
AGENDA (SEE
CURRENT COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT
LIST)
TO
HAVE AN ITEM PUT ON THE TEACHER’S
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
MEETING
AGENDA BETTE
BALDER
QUESTIONS
ABOUT MATTERS COVERED COMMITTEE CHAIRS
BY
COMMITTEES (SEE
CURRENT COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT
LIST)
NONE
OF THE ABOVE ADMINISTRATIVE
DIRECTOR
BETTE
BALDER
"The
mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited."
Plutarch
Our goal at the
Because of our small
size and emphasis on community, children are in a supportive environment where
exploration and self-challenge is not only invited but
nurtured. In addition to a 12:1 student to teacher ratio, children spend an
average of two years in each homeroom. This allows teachers to really get to
know where each child’s strengths and struggles are and help them work through
all types of challenges – whether they be academic or social.
At NCCL, social and
emotional development is emphasized as much as academic development. We feel
it’s important to help children build healthy relationships with their peers
and adults and understand that principles like trust, caring, and cooperation
form the foundations of these relationships. Ultimately, we hope children
become responsible, open-minded, and kind adults who see themselves as world
citizens.
We value the Arts.
Through art children get in touch with their emotions, thoughts, and dreams.
Art teaches children to take risks, problem solve, share ideas, and persevere.
We study art history, draw, paint, and sculpt. We perform an annual school
play, sing songs each week at All-School Meeting, and everyone participates in
chorus. Art enables children to express themselves, discover their
relationships with their peers, families, and their world.
We evaluate students
at NCCL by assessing their progress in each subject area but we also look at
their attributes as a learner - the level and range of curiosity, how they work
independently and within a group, and how well they sustain their effort. This
allows us to look at the whole picture. Parents receive written reports three
times a year and have conferences twice a year where information is shared.
Evaluating children in this way helps us see each child as a unique learner,
rather than a grade.
We strongly believe
that a diverse group allows for a more robust and integrated community. We see
diversity in many ways and this has important implications for admissions. We
strive to have an ethnically diverse group of children, as well as children who
have a range of skills and abilities.
Much of what we do at NCCL is about giving children the space, support, and time necessary for growth. When we do this, children take chances. They immerse themselves in projects, take on challenging problems, and ultimately, responsibility for their own learning. When we provide an atmosphere conducive to these principles, we ignite in children the kind of passion for learning we have ourselves.
Admissions decisions are made by the staff,
based on the needs of the school. Before a child enters the school, we like to
interview both parents and have the child visit the school for at least a day.
We are able to accommodate a small percentage of students with special
needs. Our goal is to have a school
population that is well-balanced as to age and gender, with a variety of
children from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, and parents who support
our educational goals and methods.
Priority is given to siblings of children already enrolled in the
school.
NCCL’s budget includes an
amount to be awarded as financial aid.
The available money is divided on the basis of need among those families
who apply. The sole intent of this aid is to make it possible for children to
attend NCCL who might otherwise be unable. NCCL receives no outside funding for
financial aid.
The teachers at NCCL take very seriously
their commitment to be positive role models for children. We believe that
children learn to be thoughtful and responsible toward themselves and others by
being cared for by us in a thoughtful and responsible manner. Because we hope
to help our students to grow in initiative and self-confidence, we emphasize
praise and appreciation for positive behavior and achievement rather than
negative criticism and comparisons. However, inappropriate or hurtful behavior
is stopped and a child may be separated from the group or denied privileges for
a time if the behavior continues.
Whenever possible we allow children to experience and learn from the
normal consequences of their behavior.
In the inevitable conflicts that arise from
group living, we try to recognize opportunities for children to learn to listen
to other points of view, to state clearly their own feelings and perspective,
and to try to arrive at mutually agreeable solutions.
By and large, we feel that behavior that
occurs at school should be dealt with at school. We involve parents only in
unusual cases when we feel that the behavior is so out of bounds or pervasive
that both home and school need to be mobilized to help the child bring it under
control.
In the event of illness, death in the family, other emergencies,
or religious holidays, please notify the school. If a prolonged absence is
expected, please inform your child’s teachers. Gym excuses, as with all others,
may be either verbal or written.
School hours are
NCCL provides before and after school care and holiday care (if
demand warrants it) for its students on a regular or drop-in basis. Care starts at
To provide staff meeting time, NCCL has a half day beginning at
In general, each student will need comfortable, utilitarian
clothing that can stand a touch of paint or glue. It is extremely important
that children are prepared for inclement weather, i.e. boots, mittens,
raincoats, snow pants. If children come to school without the necessary
clothing for these and other conditions, they may not be able to participate in
the activities of their class or may not be able to go outside when
appropriate. The clothing needs of students vary, as they will be involved in a
variety of activities daily. Younger children require a full change of clothing
in reserve left at school. When special needs for trips or activities other
than the norm arise, you will receive notification.
On days when rain or snow has made our play area muddy, children
must have two distinct types of footwear at school - one for indoor and
one for outdoor. If they don’t have the necessary footwear, they will not be
allowed out during break and lunch. The purpose of this rule is to preserve our
floors from tracked-in mud. Children also need a pair of soft-soled,
light-soled shoes to wear in the gym. These may by the same shoes as the
“indoor” shoes.
CHILDREN’S MEDICAL INFORMATION
Emergency Form - Parents must fill out an Emergency Information Form for
each child. No child will be permitted to attend school without an Emergency
Information Form on file.
Immunization - An Immunization Record
must be submitted for each child. All children must have the following
immunizations, boosters, and tests before they may attend NCCL: DPT, Polio,
Measles, Rubella, Mumps, HIB, Chicken Pox (or have had Chicken Pox), and a TB
skin test. Individual children may be excused for religious reasons. Parents
must submit documentation to support this claim.
Medication - If a child needs to take
medication while at school a Prescription Authorization Form must be
submitted and the medication must be given to the teacher in its original
container. Children may not self-medicate. If a child has a severe allergy,
asthma, or another condition that may require immediate medication, the
medication must be provided to the teacher before the child may attend school.
A Prescription Authorization Form must be submitted and the medication
must be given to the teacher in its original container.
ILLNESS AND INJURY POLICY
For the protection of
other children and the staff, children may not attend school when they are ill,
i.e., have a fever, rash, upset stomach, etc. Children should not return to
school for 24 hours after symptoms have disappeared or until the child’s doctor
indicates that the child is no longer contagious.
If a child is ill when
he/she arrives at school the parents will be asked to take him/her home
immediately.
If a child becomes ill
while at school but does not need medical or hospital care the school will make
the child as comfortable as possible. Medication may be administered at the
discretion of the staff, if parental permission has been given to do so. The
school will then call the home. If there is no answer, the school will call the
mother’s, father’s and/or guardian’s place of employment, and cell phone and/or
pager numbers. If there is no answer the school will call the emergency contact
numbers listed on the Emergency Information Form.
If the child has a
minor injury the staff will treat it. More serious injuries will also be
reported to the parent.
ACUTE ILLNESS OR INJURY PROCEDURE
If a child becomes
seriously ill or injured while at school and needs medical or hospital care the
school will administer first aid. The school will then call the home. If there
is no answer, the school will call the mother’s, father’s and/or guardian’s
place of employment, and cell phone and/or pager numbers. If there is no answer
the school will call the emergency contact numbers listed on the Emergency
Information Form. If there is no answer the school will call the physician.
If none of the above answer, the school will transport the child, or call an
ambulance to transport the child, to a local medical facility.
Based upon the medical
judgment of the attending physician, the child may be admitted to a local
medical facility. The parents are responsible for all ambulance and medical
expenses required to treat their child.
An area in which NCCL differs greatly from
more conventional educational approaches is that there is no lock-step
progression from homeroom to homeroom or teacher to teacher. Although as
teachers we have specialized somewhat, most of the staff enjoy teaching a wide
range of ages and abilities. A child might remain with the same group of
children for many years, or might be the youngest in a group one year and then
have the experience of being “on top.” Similarly a student could be with the
same teacher for two or even three years before moving on to another. Such a
situation might have little to do with the child’s abilities. Because we
maintain our academic class size at 10-12 students, we are able to accommodate
a variety of learning styles and abilities.
Each homeroom group has two teachers with
whom they spend the day. The teachers
plan the daily schedule and form smaller groups from the larger homeroom.
Morning classes usually consist of language arts, social studies, and math. In
the afternoon we offer a wide variety of classes, including art of many kinds,
social studies, music, nature study, and sciences. We also have a Spanish teacher
and an art teacher who offer classes for all of the children.
Three or four times a year, for the
children in the two oldest homerooms, we have a delightful breather for both
teachers and students called Workshop Week. For one week we suspend all regular
classes and solicit suggestions for classes from the children. There are three
class periods each day, and they meet every day. Everyone enjoys the change,
and we return to our regular class schedule refreshed.
The curriculum includes lots of field
trips. Beginning with short trips into the nearby community, to explore the
natural world, and then gradually branch out to places of specific interest
such as museums, public services, historical sites, beaches, etc. Camping,
hiking, and backpacking trips start early on a small scale and grow in duration
and complexity. Some of our traditional longer forays have included the
Smithsonian museums, seining at
There are occasions when spontaneous
investigations and visits take place.These are
short-distance treks without parental permission slips. For most class and school trips you
will receive permission slips with full explanations of event, time, and dates.
Our parents enjoy participating in trips by chaperoning, driving, etc. A fee is
charged to finance the costs of some trips. No child will be excluded due to
inability to pay. You may contact the Administrative Director if you need
assistance in this area. One objective of class trips is to familiarize our
children with the resources available to them in a diverse community and to
learn how to utilize them. Children are involved in the preparations necessary
for trips, which can include site selection, planning, purchasing, preparing
foods, and packing.
FIELD
TRIP DRIVERS POLICY
Due to insurance
company requirements, anyone driving on field trips has to provide the school
with:
1. A copy of your driver’s license,2. A copy of your automobile insurance card, 3. A copy of your car’s registration, 4. Your driving record,*
The records that you provide
to the school will be confidential. Only NCCL staff and possibly the insurance
company will see them.
*
“How much homework
will my child have?” is a frequently asked question. The answer, of course, is
that it will vary. We do not give
homework simply in order to occupy a child’s time outside of school, because we
think it essential that children have important and stimulating lives that have
nothing whatever to do with school.
Generally speaking, we begin giving homework to some children in the
6and 7 year old group, primarily to familiarize them with the idea of taking
something home and bringing it back the next day. Then, as children mature,
they receive small assignments to reinforce the day’s lesson. New work is never
introduced in a homework assignment. Homework
assignments are often individualized within a class. As children get older they
will receive a variety of homework types: some due immediately, some due the
following week, and some longer projects that require learning to pace one’s
work. A great way for parents to help is to provide a regular place and time
when it is expected that nothing else will happen besides homework or
recreational reading, if no homework has been assigned. We also believe it is
important for parents to talk with their child about assignments and offer
support. Because assignments and children vary, it’s best to talk with your
child’s homeroom teachers if you have any questions about how much help you
should offer.
All-School meetings
are held once a week so that students and teachers can discuss common concerns.
The older children are responsible for planning and leading these meetings.
Meetings can be called on short notice when necessary, and can involve part or
all of the school.
Currently all
children except those in the youngest homerooms have gym scheduled each week.
We try to accommodate both those children who thrive on team sports and those
who prefer individual efforts. We are fortunate in being so close to
In addition to our
regular program, NCCL has an arrangement with the
Parents are
encouraged to participate in and visit classrooms whenever possible. NCCL
believes a parent’s active involvement in a child’s education and school makes
a real difference in how a child relates to the school. If you would like to
visit, contact the teacher for a time, as schedules can vary.
Instead of letter
grades, NCCL offers conferences twice yearly and a yearly written report. The
yearly report consists of an overview of the class activities and specific sections
on your child’s development, both academic and social. A parent may request a
conference at any time convenient to both teacher and parent/s. A portfolio of
your child’s work is available for you to enjoy at any time.
Classroom meetings
for parents are planned several times a year for the purpose of group
discussion of child development, school philosophy, and NCCL curriculum.
NCCL has a lending
library for students. Please help your child to take responsibility for the
care and return of borrowed books. Teachers have lots of ideas for additions to
our library. Birthday donations in your child’s name, gifts, and memorial books
can be purchased from these suggestions or from your own favorites. Donations
of used books are welcome, also.
We also have a
small library of books for parents located in the front entry hall. These books
may be checked out.
NCCL is not able to provide
transportation to and from school. We have too few students from too large a
geographical area to make it practical.
The state of
Please provide a
lunch and a snack each day for your child/ren. A
light snack is eaten mid-morning and lunch is eaten at
Just a reminder:
breakfast is essential to good concentration and learning.
Occasionally an
individual class or the school as a whole will undertake a service project. In
the past we have collected items for the needy; had a sister school in
Parents and
teachers often organize social events such as a family square dance, concerts,
guest speakers, and picnics. Parents are often invited to help with special
events and trips. Usually the students make their own party foods and do the
planning for holidays and special occasions.
There is a
receptacle near the front door where things left around the school are
collected. Please check this frequently; the things left at the end of the
school year are given away. We discourage children bringing money, “TV” toys,
jewelry, and expensive sports items to school. Our play equipment and materials
are carefully selected to support our curriculum and to promote cooperation and
sharing. Please feel free to share books and materials that relate to current
areas of study or of special interest to your child. We will try, but we cannot
guarantee their safe return.
Cell phones-Cell phones must be turned off and not used at school. If a child needs to use a phone, he or she should ask a teacher for permission and then use the land line phone.
IPODs-We think it's great that kids can share music so easily these days and we want that to continue. They learn new songs, artists, and even genres from each other and play them at break during card games and other social activities. So that adults can be aware of what is being played and to keep it communal, we tell students that they must play the music on speakers rather than listening to it through headphones.
There are a couple of other groundrules that we require and that involve your support. Students who have songs on their ipods or cds with explicit lyrics or that deal with inappropriate subject matter that demeans others (women, religion, etc.), glorifies violence, or is of the sexual nature should leave them at home. Obviously, we as a staff cannot screen everyone's music so we ask that you be aware of what your child is bringing to school. We've let the kids know that if inappropriate material or songs are played here at school that they will get their device back when their parent can come in to talk to teachers about it.
We're also aware that many ipods now have video capability. We understand that your child may have shows, music videos, or other clips on their ipod. Students are not to play those here at school. They tend to discourage rather than compliment social interactions and are more difficult to monitor for teachers.
We appreciate your help as we try to keep up with the technological advances the kids bring to our school. So much of it is great but we all need to be proactive to keep it a positive influence in their lives.
We hope parents
will assume the responsibility for bringing their concerns and/or suggestions
to the appropriate staff people before a problem develops. An open exchange
between parents and teachers provides the optimum learning environment for us
all. Concerns about classroom performance or behavior or personality conflicts
within the groups should first be discussed with the child’s homeroom teacher.
If a situation remains unresolved at this level, other staff members or the
Administrative Director, Bette Balder, are available to help find a solution.
For financial questions, call the treasurer, Ray Magnani. Please tell us your concerns. We can only be
helpful if we know a problem exists.
NCCL is a
non-profit corporation. The corporate board is made up of representatives from
the teachers and the parents (minimally the current chair of the School
Meeting). The School Meeting meets monthly and makes decisions about the
management and day-to-day running of the school, decisions about hiring and
firing and the curriculum are made by the staff, and the corporate board may
review any of these decisions at its yearly meeting.
The School Meeting
is composed of three elected officers, the heads of the standing committees,
the Administrative Director, School Treasurer and the Educational Director.
These meetings are open to all contracted parents. Items may be added to the
agenda by any member of the school community.
Each year the
School Meeting reviews the year’s finances and works out a budget proposal for
the coming year. The tuition for the coming year is based on this budget, which
must be approved by a vote of those present at the meeting. Also at this
meeting the parent body must select from a slate prepared by the School Meeting
its three elected officers: the chair, the parent treasurer, and the secretary.
In order to provide continuity to the School Meeting, these generally serve for
a minimum of two years.
“manage the
property and business of the corporation”
Members:
President - Ann
Brown
Vice President –
Tina Maclary
Secretary - Bette
Balder
Treasurer - Ray Magnani
Directors
Educational Director – Marilynn Magnani
School Meeting Chair
“advise the Board
of Directors on the management of the business and affairs of the corporation”
Responsible for
advising the board on general policies and procedures including financial
policy, budget, enrollment procedures, service obligations, etc.
Members:
Chair -
Secretary -
Treasurer -
Members of the
Board of Directors
School Treasurer -
Ray Magnani
Administrative
Director – Bette Balder
Educational Director
- Marilynn Carver Magnani
Committee Chairs
All Contracted
Parents
Responsible for
curriculum; scheduling and grouping of classes; staffing; staff evaluation;
purchase of educational supplies.
Responsible for
implementing policies and procedures; enrollment and admissions; coordinating
committee activities, committee assignments, service obligations, chairs School
Service committees; daily plant maintenance; compliance with state regulations
Responsible for
implementing financial policy; collecting tuition and buy-out fees; paying
bills.
Responsible for
monitoring educational program; interpreting school’s philosophy of education;
guiding overall curriculum coordination; staff development; parent workshops.