Policies & Regulations
Student Dress Code
In warm weather very short skirts or short pants (i.e. above mid thigh), cropped shirts (i.e. shirts which expose the stomach area) “tube tops” and some tank tops (i.e. “spaghetti straps”) are not suitable for school. Backless sandals pose a threat to safety in crowded halls and staircases (no rubber “thongs” or “flip flops” please!) and are prohibited. Wearing pajama tops and pajama pants are not appropriate for school.
In cold weather students should wear warm clothing, including long sleeved shirts, sweaters and sweatshirts. Appropriate outerwear is expected which would include hats, coats and hoods.
On rainy days waterproof coats and hats are necessary. Umbrellas are discouraged since they can create a safety hazard in school.
Attendance Policy
It is universally accepted that regular school attendance is the foundation upon which successful educational and social development are based.
It is expected that all students will attend school every day unless, of course, personal illness prohibits it.
It is also expected that all students arrive at school on time. Chronic absence and lateness is unacceptable. Please remember that attendance is a criteria from promotion.
An “absent note” must be given to the classroom teacher upon a child’s return. The note must explain the student’s absence and be signed by a parent or guardian.
Homework Policy
Homework provides a meaningful extension of the day’s lesson or preparation for planned activities. Assignments are carefully planned to provide higher-level thinking skills.
Homework is assigned daily, Monday through Thursday. Teachers will use discretion when assigning work on weekends and during vacations.
The commonly agreed upon policy is that homework time on task should increase by ten minutes each year:
Homework is checked daily by the teacher.
Students must begin homework assignments with a proper school heading when appropriate. Work must be neatly and carefully completed.
Parents should match assignments to completed work each night and sign homework.
Students should read or be “read to” for pleasure at home each day.
Many Middle School teachers use Edmodo to post daily homework
assignments. Please have your child show you this website once the Parent Consent Form is signed and returned to your child’s teacher.
Parents will be notified promptly via phone or letter of
failure to complete homework assignments.
Visitor Policy
Upon entrance into the school building, a Safety Officer will greet all visitors. Visitors will then be requested to show photo identification, sign the visitor book and state the nature of their visit. The visitor must get a “Visitor’s Pass” from the School Safety Agents. When the visit is terminated, the visitor must return to the security desk to sign out and to exit through the Main Entrance.
Translation Services are available in 8 designated languages.
Care of School Property
We are very proud of our building, equipment and school grounds. Please encourage your children to take care of school property. The cooperation of parents and school staff members is needed to help students learn to respect books, materials, furnishing, equipment and grounds.
School Trips
It is the discretion of each teacher to plan class trips that support and augment their curriculum throughout the year.
Students must have written permission to go on a class trip. Verbal permission is not acceptable. Parent chaperones are needed on every trip. We encourage all students to attend class trips, however, disruptive students must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.
Respect For All and Sexual Harassment Prevention
The PDF of the following letter can be found here: Letter RFA and SHP to Parents.docx
September 30, 2021
Dear Parents and Students:
Each student and staff member brings to our school community the richness of our city’s cultural diversity and the desire for respect. We are committed to promoting respect for diversity among students and between students and staff so that all of our students feel valued, safe and supported.
It is the policy of the New York City Department of Education (DOE) to maintain a safe and supportive learning and educational environment that is free from harassment, intimidation and/or bullying, sexual, harassment, and discrimination on account of actual or perceived race, color, age, creed, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship/immigration status, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, or weight.
It is a violation of DOE policy for any DOE employee to discriminate against or create a hostile environment for a student by conduct and/or verbal or written acts on school property, or at a school function, on the basis of any of the above-noted grounds. Please see Chancellor’s Regulation A-830 for additional information regarding this policy.
It is also a violation of DOE policy and of the Citywide Behavioral Expectations to Support Student Learning (DOE’s Discipline Code; https://www.schools.nyc.gov/DCode) for any student to discriminate against another student on account of actual or perceived race, color, creed, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship/immigration status, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, or weight, or to harass, intimidate or bully another student or to sexually harass another student. Please see Chancellor’s Regulations A-831 and A-832 [https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/policies/chancellors-regulations/volume-a-regulations], and the Discipline Code, for additional information regarding DOE’s policy.
It is further the policy of the DOE to prohibit retaliation against any student, parent, or DOE employee who in good faith reports or participates in an investigation of allegations of student-to-student harassment, intimidation and/or bullying, sexual harassment, and discrimination.
Our school’s Respect for All (RFA) Liaison(s) to whom students and parents can make reports of student-to-student discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying, is (are) Masiel Dominguez- MDominguez13@schools.nyc.gov
Our school’s Sexual Harassment Prevention (SHP) Liaison to whom students and parents can make reports of student-to-student sexual harassment is Kris Babakitis- KBabakitis2@schools.nyc.gov
The RFA and SHP Liaisons can be reached by calling the school at 718 446-3308.
Please feel free to contact me or our schools RFA and SHP liaisons if you have any questions regarding this issue.
Any student or parent of a student who feels that the student has been discriminated against by a DOE employee may file a complaint with the DOE’s Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) by contacting:
Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management
65 Court Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201
718-935-3320
OEO Complaint Form (https://www.nycenet.edu/oeo)
Gender-based discrimination and harassment (including sexual harassment), whether by a staff member or a student, can also be reported to our district’s Title IX Coordinator at Title_IX_Inquiries@schools.nyc.gov.
Some of the conduct that is prohibited by Chancellor’s Regulations A-831 and A-832 is also prohibited by Title IX, which is a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination and harassment in schools and DOE’s programs and activities. The U.S. Department of Education recently adopted new regulations which revise the type of behavior prohibited by Title IX and the procedures for investigating allegations of Title IX student-on-student sexual harassment, stalking, domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault. In some cases, depending on the nature of the allegations, the Title IX Team will conduct its own separate investigation, in addition to the investigation conducted by the school. If this occurs, a member of the Title IX team will reach out to you. Please refer to the Title IX webpage [https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/policies/non-discrimination-policy/title-ix] for additional information regarding Title IX and the new regulation.
We look forward to a productive school year as we work together to promote Respect for All [https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/school-environment/respect-for-all/respect-for-all-handouts]. Please feel free to contact me or our schools RFA and SHP liaisons if you have any questions regarding this issue.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Cathy Weinstein
Principal
Respect for All Brochure
Download information about the NYC Respect for All Program: RFA Brochure.pdf
Sexual Harassment Prevention Brochure
Click here to read about the Department of Education's ways of preventing and identifying sexual harassment: Sexual Harassment Brochure.pdf
