The Principal’s Handbook: Practical Details for a Smooth Operation

By Cynthia Mathews B.S. M.S. C.A.S.

The Principal’s Handbook is ungraded. All of the routines, practices, and policies suggested can be use in all school settings. Specific information can be initiated to serve the grade level of the school environment.

This handbook was prepared for the principal to use as a guide to bringing to all personnel in the school a ready reference in regard to current instructional practices and existing routines, which will form a part of the policy of the school.

All of the documents are meant to be examples which could easily be transformed to meet the needs of any building administrator. This model handbook is a resource to be used by the principal to create a similar booklet reflecting the principal’s personal leadership style.

The material in this handbook is the “nitty gritty” of the routines and policies which are needed to assure a good start, AND MAINTAIN A PRODUCTIVE ACADEMIC YEAR.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9781663203656

Cynthia Mathews B.S. M.S. C.A.S.

Cynthia Mathews is a retired principal and mother of two. On July 1, 2010, she retired with 36 years of service. She is a published poet, orator, and blogger. Her book of poems “Begin, Buffalo!” (1982); “Poet’s Corner” broadcast, on WUFO-AM radio, (1976-1982) and “Food for Thought” blog (2011-2016). Ms. Mathews' teaching career began in the Buffalo, New York District as a Reading Teacher in January 1978. She is the former principal at Roosevelt Early Childhood Center #65. During her leadership the school maintained the status of “School in Good Standing.” On July 1, 2010, she retired with 36 years of service.

Book preview

THE

PRINCIPAL’S

HANDBOOK

Practical Details

for a Smooth

Operation

Cynthia Mathews,

B.S., M.S., C.A.S.

38875.png

THE PRINCIPAL’S HANDBOOK

PRACTICAL DETAILS FOR A SMOOTH OPERATION

Copyright © 2020 Cynthia Mathews, B.S., M.S., C.A.S.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,

graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by

any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author

except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6632-0364-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-0365-6 (e)

iUniverse rev. date:  08/19/2020

Dedication

To Principals everywhere….

Let us not forget Education is Essential!

CONTENTS

Introduction

The Principal’s Handbook

Registration

Rules Of School

Arrival Procedures

School Business Hours

Dismissal Procedures

Absence Of Teachers And Paraprofessionals

Effective Classrooms

Plan Books - Emergency Plans

Lesson Plans - Schedules

Student Discipline – Buffalo Public Schools

Classroom Management And Control

Suspensions

Teacher-Pupil Relations

Materials To Be Displayed In Each Room (Pre-K - 4)

Release Of Pupils During School Hours

Field Trips

Lunchroom Rules And Procedures

Auditorium

Awards Assemblies – Grades 3 And 4

Substitute Procedures

First Responders

INTRODUCTION

The author is a professional practitioner whose thirty-six years in education has enabled her successful leadership as a school principal and instructional leader.

This handbook was prepared for the purpose of bringing to all school leaders and personnel a ready reference in regard to current instructional practice and existing routine, which will be a part of establishing an effective school policy and forming reliable practices.

The Principal’s Handbook is ungraded, with most of the practices developed while administrating in a Pre-K to Eight building. High school Principals will also benefit from information shared in this handbook.

THE PRINCIPAL’S HANDBOOK

The mission statement becomes important in order to remain focused on your instructional intentions and beliefs. In fact Steven Covey believes, The mission statement becomes the DNA for every other decision we make.

Understanding how the state’s intentions enhances your district’s mission should become the catalyst by which you relate your mission statement.

EXAMPLE:

(New York State Education Department Mission:

"Our mission is to raise the knowledge, skill, and opportunity of all the people in New York. Our vision is to provide leadership for a system that yields the best educated people in the world.")

District Mission:

School Mission:

(Organizational Mission: An organizational mission statement – one that truly reflects the deep shared vision and values of everyone within that organization- creates a great unity and tremendous commitment. It creates in people’s hearts and minds a frame of reference, a set of criteria or guidelines, by which they will govern themselves.)

By Steven Covey

(Optional)

School Slogan:

District Slogan:

Information on the following pages serve as examples of all procedures needed to provide a smooth opening and fluid operation.

The Principal’s vision, mission and goals are essential and should be made clear to all stakeholders in the beginning of the school year and reviewed and referenced to throughout the academic year.

SAMPLE ADMINISTRATION’S VISION, MISSION AND GOALS

(Insert Federal Initiative) will be the philosophy used for our mission of reorganizing, restructuring and rethinking. The continued challenge of adapting these goals means implementing a change with new, innovative and highly creative methods which are linked directly to a newly enriched focus on student improvement and success.

(The Learning Standard for State) is a directory of the types of objectives necessary to meet the high expectations of the state of New York for each subject category. Our district’s curriculum is linked directly to the State’s standard.