St. Jerome ECC Volunteer Handbook
BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT
The goal of Catholic centers is to instruct students in the formation of a Catholic conscience so that they will choose behaviors which foster responsibility. In order to accomplish this, volunteers are requested to manage students in positive and constructive ways while they uphold the center’s Code of Conduct. This can be accomplished through intervention and encouragement techniques and strategies, which are administered through proximity, eye contact, and privacy. In addition to supporting the Code of Conduct, volunteers are requested to support the decisions of administrators and teachers. A volunteer may not use corporal punishment as a means of controlling a student who has misbehaved. Our Disciplinary Policy can be found in our Family Handbook and on our website.
HEALTH EMERGENCY & SAFETY PROCEDURES
All situations should be dealt with individually, with prudent, adult judgement as the primary response to any illness or injury. Simple scrapes, small cuts, bruises, etc. will be taken care of by the classroom teacher or by bringing the student to the school office. If a child falls or bumps himself/herself, the situation should be taken seriously. Please observe a few seconds and check vital signs. If everything seems to be normal, an adult should accompany the student to the office for observation. Do not send the child with another student. Serious injury, such as a broken bone, severe bleeding, or allergic reaction should be dealt with immediately and with caution. DO NOT MOVE THE CHILD. DO NOT LEAVE THE CHILD. Send someone to the office for assistance. Remove other students from the proximity of the situation as soon as possible. Keep the child as still and comfortable as possible until assistance arrives. Never dispense any medication to any child. All volunteers are encouraged to undergo first aid and CPR training. Please take a moment to use protective gloves when there is a possibility of contact with any type of body fluids. Check with the teacher for the location of gloves in the classroom.
CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT REPORTING PROCEDURES
Chapter 415, 504, Florida Statutes protects children from abuse and/or neglect. Abuse is defined as including any non-accidental injury to the intellectual or psychological capacity of a person by the parents or other persons responsible for the child’s welfare. Neglect is failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, or needed supervision. Under Florida law, anyone who suspects child abuse is legally obligated to report that abuse. It is the volunteer’s responsibility to inform the school administrator of any suspicions of abuse. If, for some reason, the administrator declines to make a report based on the volunteer’s suspicions, the volunteer still has a legal obligation to report. The child abuse hotline number is 1-800-342-9152.
HARASSMENT POLICY
St. Jerome Early Childhood Center strives to establish a Christian, professional and supportive educational community for administrators, faculty and staff, parents, and students. The Diocese of St. Petersburg has adopted and promulgated a harassment policy for its schools that addresses behaviors that interfere with fulfilling the school’s mission. We, at St. Jerome ECC, condemn any form of harassment and will address all credible allegations in accord with the diocesan policy.
REPRODUCTION & USAGE OF COPYRIGHT MATERIAL
Our school is closely following the legal guidelines for use of videos in the school and the reproduction of software, videos, and printed materials. All volunteers must be aware that the reproduction of copyrighted material is illegal. All videos and software must be approved by the administrator before being used in the school setting.
St Jerome Early Childhood Center extends our appreciation and thanks to our ever-faithful volunteers!
Rev. 8/11
BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT
The goal of Catholic centers is to instruct students in the formation of a Catholic conscience so that they will choose behaviors which foster responsibility. In order to accomplish this, volunteers are requested to manage students in positive and constructive ways while they uphold the center’s Code of Conduct. This can be accomplished through intervention and encouragement techniques and strategies, which are administered through proximity, eye contact, and privacy. In addition to supporting the Code of Conduct, volunteers are requested to support the decisions of administrators and teachers. A volunteer may not use corporal punishment as a means of controlling a student who has misbehaved. Our Disciplinary Policy can be found in our Family Handbook and on our website.
HEALTH EMERGENCY & SAFETY PROCEDURES
All situations should be dealt with individually, with prudent, adult judgement as the primary response to any illness or injury. Simple scrapes, small cuts, bruises, etc. will be taken care of by the classroom teacher or by bringing the student to the school office. If a child falls or bumps himself/herself, the situation should be taken seriously. Please observe a few seconds and check vital signs. If everything seems to be normal, an adult should accompany the student to the office for observation. Do not send the child with another student. Serious injury, such as a broken bone, severe bleeding, or allergic reaction should be dealt with immediately and with caution. DO NOT MOVE THE CHILD. DO NOT LEAVE THE CHILD. Send someone to the office for assistance. Remove other students from the proximity of the situation as soon as possible. Keep the child as still and comfortable as possible until assistance arrives. Never dispense any medication to any child. All volunteers are encouraged to undergo first aid and CPR training. Please take a moment to use protective gloves when there is a possibility of contact with any type of body fluids. Check with the teacher for the location of gloves in the classroom.
CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT REPORTING PROCEDURES
Chapter 415, 504, Florida Statutes protects children from abuse and/or neglect. Abuse is defined as including any non-accidental injury to the intellectual or psychological capacity of a person by the parents or other persons responsible for the child’s welfare. Neglect is failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, or needed supervision. Under Florida law, anyone who suspects child abuse is legally obligated to report that abuse. It is the volunteer’s responsibility to inform the school administrator of any suspicions of abuse. If, for some reason, the administrator declines to make a report based on the volunteer’s suspicions, the volunteer still has a legal obligation to report. The child abuse hotline number is 1-800-342-9152.
HARASSMENT POLICY
St. Jerome Early Childhood Center strives to establish a Christian, professional and supportive educational community for administrators, faculty and staff, parents, and students. The Diocese of St. Petersburg has adopted and promulgated a harassment policy for its schools that addresses behaviors that interfere with fulfilling the school’s mission. We, at St. Jerome ECC, condemn any form of harassment and will address all credible allegations in accord with the diocesan policy.
REPRODUCTION & USAGE OF COPYRIGHT MATERIAL
Our school is closely following the legal guidelines for use of videos in the school and the reproduction of software, videos, and printed materials. All volunteers must be aware that the reproduction of copyrighted material is illegal. All videos and software must be approved by the administrator before being used in the school setting.
St Jerome Early Childhood Center extends our appreciation and thanks to our ever-faithful volunteers!
Rev. 8/11
