STUDENT HANDBOOK

Prospect Hill School
1000 Washington Avenue
Pelham Manor, New York 10803
Telephone 914 738-6690
Fax 914 738-8258

Ms. Jeannine Carr, Principal

Vision Statement

Prospect Hill is a community whose members are always learning and growing.  We set high standards for ourselves and challenge each other to achieve our best.  We are a caring community where everyone is treated with fairness, kindness, and respect.  Each member of our community is valued for his or her own unique abilities, efforts, and contributions. We recognize that learning involves struggle and taking risks, and we support and encourage each other’s progress. We envision Prospect Hill as a community that produces joyful, independent and life-long learners; and adaptable, productive compassionate human beings.

At Prospect Hill:

• We commit to creating a safe school environment in which children are encouraged to persist and to work hard and where they are comfortable taking the risks necessary to learning.
• We commit to making whatever accommodations and modifications are necessary in order to assist students to reach their academic and social potential. We feel a particular responsibility to illuminate the strengths we see in each child and to build upon those strengths.
• We commit to providing a strong system of communication that will connect our district, school, classroom and home communities. Good communication implies good listening in which we try hard to understand and empathize with the perspectives and experiences of others.
• We commit to demonstrating to our students, that we too, are on a journey of learning that extends beyond formal education, and that we share with them the triumphs, joys and difficulties such a journey entails.

Code of Behavior

At Prospect Hill School, the principal, teachers, staff, parents, and students partner to create a community where everyone takes pride in learning.  We know the importance of striving for academic success and for accepting responsibility for our words and actions. The following Code of Behavior will help all members of our school community to achieve their personal best, to be good school citizens, and to attain the standard expressed in our Vision Statement.

Student’s Rights

All Prospect Hill Students have the right to:

• A safe, secure, and happy learning environment
• Be treated fairly with respect
• Feel important and feel a sense of belonging
• Learn to the best of their ability

Students are expected to accept responsibility in the following areas:

Respect for Themselves and Each Other by:

• Treating all students with respect and acceptance
• Showing a positive attitude
• Allowing others to speak without interruption or comment
• Listening carefully to others
• Treating personal property, school property, and the property of others with respect
• Using appropriate language with peers and adults

Good School Citizenship by:

• Being polite, respectful, and supportive of each member of our school family
• Following established school and classroom rules
• Understanding and accepting the consequences for not following school rules



Academic Achievement by:

• Listening attentively during instruction
• Understanding all directions and expectations
• Completing home and class assignments to the best of their ability and on time
• Seeking help and asking appropriate questions when they don’t understand
• Looking over all work and checking it carefully
• Handing in work that they are proud of and reflects their best work
• Finding out about work that was missed due to absence, lateness, or for any reason

General School Rules

All Behavior Expectations and Rules Stated in the Pelham Public Schools Code of Conduct apply and must be adhered to by all students.

1. Fighting, hurtful words, inappropriate language will not be accepted
2. Rollerblades, skateboards, “rollers” of any type, bikes and scooters may not be used on school grounds before, during, after school, or on weekends
3. Toys, gadgets and trading cards are discouraged and are not allowed during instructional times
4. Invitations to parties may only be issued when the whole class is invited
5. Hats are removed when in the building
6. Students must have permission from an adult to leave a classroom, the play areas, lunchroom, and all other areas of the school
7. Students are expected to solve problems with words and to ask for adult help when it is needed
8. Students must walk in the hallways and use inside voices while in the building
9. Clubs or groups that exclude others are not permitted   
10. Cell phones and other electronic devices may not be used without permission.
11. We reserve the right to restrict any play items that might be deemed unsafe on school property

Arriving at School

1. Students are not permitted in the building without adult supervision
2. Students should not arrive at school before 8:15am because there is no supervision.
3. On days when the weather is pleasant, kindergarten meets on the rear blacktop.  Grades 1- 5 meet in the area outside of the main entrance. On inclement days, Grade 1 – 3 students report to the auditorium, while K, 4 and 5 students report to their classrooms.
4. The field near Grade 1-5 assembly area may be used in the morning
5. Running and ball play on the grass area only, not the morning blacktop assembly area
6. Students may not sit on the steps, the ledges, or wait inside the building
7. Students may not leave the school grounds without permission
8. Students may not report to a classroom or remain in a classroom without adult supervision
9. If a student reports to a classroom and an adult is not present, the student should report to the auditorium or to the school office
10. Students are expected to arrive at school on time. The morning line up bell (8:18 am) is the official start of the school day.
11. You must notify Mrs. Medley the morning of an absence.  It is also helpful if you email the teacher and the school nurse.

Dismissal 3:05 PM

1. Please observe all traffic and parking regulations posted around the school area.
2. Please make sure that your child uses crosswalks and follows all of the rules of safety.
3. Please do not ask children to come to your car. Please park your car and walk to school to meet your child.
4. Please note that Grades 1-3 will dismiss out the semi circular driveway door while Grades 4 and 5 will dismiss from the front door. The Kindergarten classes will continue to dismiss from the blacktop entrance and their procedures remain the same.
5. If your child’s routine changes, if a different person comes to meet them or another family is picking them up for a play date, please call Mrs. Medley and notify the teacher.

Behavior in the Lunchroom

1. Walk quietly into the dining hall.
2. Sit while you eat. 
3. No sharing of food! Eat only what is yours.
4. Use indoor voices to speak quietly with friends who are near you.
5. Clean up when told.
6. Line up quietly and respectfully when it is time to leave.

Behavior on the Playground

1. Walk, run and play safely. Use the equipment appropriately.
2. Be kind and caring by including others in your play.
3. Show good sportsmanship when winning or losing a game. 
4. Use your words to speak to others if there is a problem. Find an adult if you still need help.
5. Follow the directions of the adult in charge.
6. When you hear the signal, stop and line up. 

Behavior at a Performance or Assembly

1. Enter and exit by walking quietly.
2. Sit in your chair with your feet on the floor, hands in your lap.
3. Be quiet. No talking during the performance.
4. Be a good listener.
5. Applaud appropriately.
6. Be courteous and respectful to the performers and others in the audience. 

Behavior in the Bathroom

1. Walk in the bathroom with a quiet voice.
2. Flush.
3. Wash your hands.
4. Put garbage into the trash can.
5. Respect others' privacy.

Behavior in the Hallway

1. Walk. Do not run.
2. Keep your hands to yourself. Do not touch other people or hallway displays.
3. Be quiet in the hallway.
4. Be respectful of the learning that is taking place. 

What does a GREAT Prospect Hill student look and sound like?

Lunch Room

1. Cleans up after self
2. Eats using good manners
3. Listens when it is time to line up
4. Waits quietly to buy lunch.

Playground

1. Uses words to solve problems
2. Walks, plays and runs safely
3. Listens when it is time to line up
4. Follows directions

Assemblies and Performances

1. Sits quietly in chair with feet on the floor
2. Applauds respectfully
3. Sits quietly and is a respectful listener
4. Walks quietly in and out of assembly

Bathroom

1. Respects privacy
2. Washes hands
3. Puts trash into the garbage can
4. Is very quiet

Hallways

1. Gives a quiet wave to a friend or a respectful greeting to an adult
2. Keeps hands to self and is mindful of the hard work that is on display!
3. Is very quiet when walking in the hall
4. When working in the hallway, uses responsible actions and quiet voices. 

The Dignity for All Students Act

The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) seeks to provide the state’s public and secondary elementary school students with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment and bullying on school property and/or a school function.

The Dignity Act states that NO student shall be subjected to harassment or discrimination by employees or student’s based on a person’s race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation.  

All reports concerning bullying and other violations of The Dignity for All Students Act should be reported immediately to:

Dr. Sarah DeSoye, School Psychologist; DASA Coordinator - sdesoye@pelhamschools.org

Ms. Jeannine Carr, Principal - jcarr@pelhamschools.org           

These reports will initiate a full investigation following our district protocols.

Partnership Agreement

As Prospect Hill School, we the students, principal, teachers, staff, and parents commit to fostering a bully free and non - discriminatory environment through a proactive partnership to foster a safe, respectful and accepting school environment.

We pledge the following:

• To create and foster a school community where everyone takes pride in learning, and can achieve to the best of their ability
• To treat every person in our school with fairness, kindness, respect and acceptance
• To work proactively to eliminate bullying of any form
• To help maintain a clean and attractive learning environment
• To help all feel important and a sense of belonging
• To resolve our problems with words and to not use physical force
• To strive to learn to the best of our ability

We understand that the following progressive actions will help us to achieve our pledge:

• Verbal warnings and restatement of the reason for the warning by the adult
• Counseling with student verbal or written reflection on the behavior
• Restitution  
• Notification of parents  
• Time Out with student telling, writing, or drawing a plan of correction
• Probation
• Detention
• Suspension from school activities
• In-school suspension
• Suspension out of school
• Superintendent’s Hearing

We acknowledge that we have read and reviewed the contents of the Student Handbook.  
We acknowledge our responsibility to follow the guidelines of the Code of Behavior.