[BHS etree] ADMIN: Contacting Students During School Hours

[bhs at idiom.com]

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY to the etree, contact: Janet Huseby
jhuseby at pacbell.net

At today's Staff Meeting a large number of teachers (over 50)
complained that their classes were being disrupted by calls asking for
students. These calls from the Front Desk are for students who need
reminding about doctor's appointments, forgotten keys, after school
plans.  The teacher and the whole class hear the call on his or her
speaker phone. According to Principal Slemp studies have reported that
every time a class is disrupted it takes eight minutes on average for
the class to refocus.  In an effort to enhance learning a new plan is
being implemented re disruptions as of today.  

1. The school is ordering a "message board"  which will be installed
in the hall near the Front Desk. If a parent calls in, the staff will
post the fact that there is a message for the student. In other
schools where the message board is used if the student in question
doesn't catch his or her name on the board a friend usually notices
the name and passes the fact on--"Hey, there's a message for you in
the Front Office."  

2.  If your child has a doctor's appointment, please give him or her a
note for their teacher. The teaacher will allow the student to leave
the classroom.  You do not have to come to the front desk and have
your child paged. In fact, we are no longer going to be paging. 

3. If you have an emergency and absolutely MUST contact your student
during school hours, the office will ask that you first talk to an
administrator before it disrupts the classroom.