Visitor/Volunteer Policy

SCHOOL VISITATION and VOLUNTEER POLICY

VISITORS 

The staff and students value our limited time together, during which uninterrupted instruction is a priority. We do not allow visitors in the classroom to protect our students’ privacy and maximize our learning time. Classroom teachers will invite parents and other supporters to events designated for visits. We welcome our families and friends during these times. 

Students and families are not allowed to bring additional visitors to school. Occasionally, a teacher may ask a family member to serve as a mystery reader or guest speaker or attend a classroom celebration or school event. Some of our learning celebrations are open to the public. However, students and staff are not permitted to bring friends, relatives, or acquaintances to school at other times.

Adults may visit their children during lunch and recess. 

CLINICIAN VISITS

Only authorized clinicians are permitted to observe our classrooms. These visits must be pre-approved by the principal. Please adhere to the following guidelines to protect the safety and dignity of our students:

1. We only permit visitors in the classroom who have made arrangements with the office and the teacher before their arrival.

2. Student observations may only be made by clinicians authorized by the principal. Parents/guardians or prospective families may not observe classrooms.

3. Please sign in at the main office and wear your visitor’s badge in a visible place. Please sign out when you leave.

4. You are only permitted in the area assigned. Please refrain from walking around campus unescorted.

5. Please do not take any photos or videos on campus. Electronic devices should be silenced and put away.

6. no interactions with the children or teacher should exist unless authorized in advance.

7. We work hard to protect privacy and respect all students' dignity. Please refrain from using any student names in your notes or reports. Do not discuss other students with anyone.

8. Our instructional time is valuable. Please do not interrupt instruction or the regular flow of the classroom.

9. Cell phone use is not permitted in the classrooms.

10. Please make sure you are adhering to the rules for accessing the Navy base and driving while on base. The main office can share these rules with you.

11. Sigsbee Charter School is not responsible for incurring any charges from visits requested by a parent or other clinician.

VISITOR CHECK-IN

All individuals not employed by SCS must enter through the main office. Should anyone wish to go beyond the main office, their identification must be scanned through the Raptor system which will print a badge to wear, identifying that the volunteer has properly checked in the office with proper protocols followed. Have your driver’s license with you when entering the campus.

Staff members monitor the halls to ensure all visitors have checked into the office properly. Individuals without an appropriate name badge will be returned to the office to ensure they are signed in properly.

BACKGROUND CHECK CONCERN

If, during the office check-in, an individual is identified as having a background as a sexual predator as defined by Florida Statutes, the Principal will immediately be notified by the system. The person running the check will notify the Principal and School Resource Officer (SRO). The following guidelines are applicable in the event a background check returns that the person is a sexual predator:

• If the person trying to gain entry has a relative who is a student attending the School, and there are no outstanding court orders barring that person from having contact with the child, the person may enter the School only with a staff member escort. The individual may not be left alone with any student on school property.

• If the person trying to gain entry has a relative who is a student attending the School, and there are restrictions on visitation, the appropriate action will be taken as identified by the court documents. In most situations, the SRO will handle this situation.

• If the person trying to gain entry has no relatives attending this school, they will not be permitted access to the building, and the SRO will be notified.

• If the person trying to gain access is a volunteer, they will not be granted entry until after their information has been entered into the school district’s volunteer background check system and clearance is given from the appropriate district offices.

VOLUNTEERS/CHAPERONES

The individual must pass a background check if an adult plans to volunteer with students (such as field trip chaperones, student tutoring, etc.). If the adult will be responsible for student supervision (such as running an after-school club, chaperoning an overnight trip, or coaching a team), the parent must undergo a Level 2 background check, the cost of which the adult is responsible for.

The school district conducts the background check to ensure the individual is clear of anything in their past that would prevent them from working with children. The adult may not volunteer until the Principal receives and approves the background check in writing.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Please turn off your electronic devices while on school grounds.  Ringers and conversations are distracting for our young learners.  Visitors are not permitted to record or photograph staff or students while at school.