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Best Practices on School Visitors

Kelly Hall

Executive Director of Elementary Schools & Title I

F. Mike Wyant

Director of Safety & Security

March 13, 2013

Policy KI: Visitors to Schools (Adopted 9/9/98)

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School and Community Concerns

Elementary principals expressed concerns with existing practices at their schools related to safety; classroom disruption, and interactions with students.

Parents expressed similar concerns.

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Visitor Committee

As a response to the continuing concerns, a SMCPS committee was formed and co-chaired by Kelly Hall, Executive Director of Elementary Schools & Title I and Mike Wyant, Director of Safety and Security.

Group membership included the administration and parental representatives from 7 elementary schools:

– Evergreen, Lettie Marshall Dent, Piney Point, Leonardtown, Lexington Park, Benjamin Banneker, and Town Creek.

CCPTA leadership was included.

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Visitor Committee Work

The group met for 2-hour work sessions on:

September 25, 2012

October 11, 2012

October 23, 2012

November 20, 2012

It should be noted that the group was formed in response to safety concerns prior to Sandy Hook.

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Agenda Items

The group discussed:

• Existing practices in each school

• Difference between policy and practice

• The policy and practice in other counties in Maryland and across the United States.

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Committee Membership

Kelly Hall, Executive Director of Elementary Schools & Title I

Mike Wyant, Director of Safety and Security

Evergreen Elementary

– Kim Summers, Principal

– Elizabeth Unangst, Parent

Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

– Kelly Courtney, Principal

– Debbie Meadows, Parent

– Rosalynn Adams, Parent

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Committee Membership

Piney Point Elementary

– Audrey Ellis, Principal

– Jennifer Liles, Parent

Leonardtown Elementary

– Denise Eichel, Principal

– Monique Marsh, Parent

Lexington Park Elementary

– Susie Fowler, Principal

– Brandy Blackstone, Parent

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Committee Membership

Benjamin Banneker Elementary

– Debra Bowling, Principal

– Kathy DeAngelis, Parent

Town Creek Elementary

– Marie Hankinson, Principal

– Sherry Whittles, Parent

CCPTA

– Trisha Post, President

– Kathleen Tydings, Vice-President

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Best Practices

A list of Best Practices and Procedures similar to regulations were developed for the areas discussed.

There was intense discussion on each point and the group reached consensus with the document that follows.

The work group supports and endorses these Best Practices for the Cafeteria, the Playground, the Classroom, and within the School.

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Celebrations are encouraged to avoid food if possible; food celebrations require store bought baked goods to ensure that ingredient list is available for students with allergies and other health issues;

Outside food brought into the cafeteria should only be shared with the child with the visiting parent;

Parents visiting in the cafeteria should refrain from disciplining another child;

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Cafeteria Best Practices:

Parents visiting in the cafeteria should not hug or touch another child;

Parents visiting in the cafeteria should not travel with the class when leaving the cafeteria;

Parents visiting in the cafeteria should follow the established rules and procedures;

Parents and visitors may visit at lunch time following the established sign-in procedures, they would be expected to follow the procedures that are unique to each school (day of week, table seating, etc.);

Siblings and other non-enrolled children should not visit in the cafeteria;

Prior approval is not necessary to visit at lunch.

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Cafeteria Best Practices:

Playground Best Practices:

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Registered volunteers are permitted on the playground;

Visitors who are not registered volunteers are not permitted on the playground;

Registered volunteers should sign-in at the office using the BAM system indicating the playground as the location;

Prior approval for registered volunteers on the playground is not needed;

The school administration will determine the number of registered volunteers on the playground to ensure a safe and orderly environment;

Playground Best Practices:

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Siblings and other non-enrolled children may not visit the playground;

Registered volunteers may observe on the playground from a designated area;

Registered volunteers may play or interact only with their own child (i.e., pushing on a swing);

Registered volunteers should not engage the on-duty teacher in a conference or conversation during recess;

Registered volunteers may interact with their child(ren) and should not engage in prolonged conversation or play with other students;

School administrators can accommodate specific requests when appropriate related to the playground.

Visitors’ Committee

Recommendations to Date

The purpose of these best practice procedures are to assist in ensuring a safe and orderly environment for students and staff.

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All established sign-in procedures need to be followed explicitly;

Administrative approval is required to visit in a classroom;

Siblings and other non-enrolled students should not visit during the school day;

Parent-teacher conferences need to be scheduled in advance and should not take place when the parent is visiting or volunteering at the school.

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Visitors at School:

Communication with Families:

Party invitations should not be distributed at school;

The school or the PTA may generate a directory of students’ phone numbers and email addresses with parental consent for the purpose of outside events.

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Consistency Goal

The goal of the Best Practices document is to provide consistency between schools while allowing schools to make needed adjustments based on capacity, enrollment, and class size.

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Our World Changed

The Visitor Committee was already engaged in this needed work prior to Sandy Hook.

Since Sandy Hook, there have been many expressions of concern, anxiety, suggestions for safety enhancements.

Mr. Wyant and his team have addressed each of those concerns and many mirror actions being put into place with the Best Practices document.

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Next Steps

Elementary Schools will implement the Best Practices effective immediately for the remainder of the school year and provide detail level feedback to Mrs. Hall and Mr. Wyant.

Principals will:

– Meet with Staff

– Meet with SIT Members

– Meet with PTA Leadership

– Post information on websites

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Next Steps

Kelly Hall and Mike Wyant will:

– Socialize and support the message

– Meet with the CCPTA

– Meet with the Press about the Best Practices

Secondary Schools will work with Mr. Smith to adapt the practices for secondary schools.

Additional practices or revisions to the practices may occur.

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Practices Will Inform Policy

The existing Policy KI was last reviewed and revised in 1998.

During the late spring and summer, Policy KI will be reviewed and revised and brought to the BOE for their review and consideration.

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Policy Review

As a revised policy is adopted, the school level regulations will be modified to address more current practice.

The Best Practices document will be subsumed and considered for inclusion as Regulations KI-R.

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The Time Is Now

The world has changed and we believe that these Best Practices are fair, reasonable, and strike the right balance between parental involvement and safety.

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