Please review the John 23 Handbook of policies and adinistrative guidelines. You will acknowledge reading this document at the end.
Handbook of Policies and Administrative Guidelines for John XXIII Educational Center Volunteers
Mission and Goals of John XXIII Educational Center
Mission Statement:
The mission of John 23 Educational Center is to empower students for lifelong success in both the workforce and higher education while strengthening supportive home environments and families.
The Vision Statement:
John 23 Educational Center envisions a community where students are empowered to become lifelong learners as they grow in success as leaders. John 23 Educational Center brings this vision to life by providing students with resources that strengthen needed skills and support to families that help build positive relationships and a strong home environment.
Major goals include:
To prepare students for success in high school in order to raise the graduation rate in Racine and to bridge the divide between people of different cultural backgrounds;
to involve students in support programs of supervised study hall, mentoring and tutoring at a time of day that they are most at risk of behavioral teenage problems (4:00-6:30 M-TH)
to assist the students to build their self-confidence, motivation, self-determination and resiliency to respond positively to life’s challenges and choices;
to foster a commitment of social responsibility and leadership skills necessary for students to become contributing members to their families and to the Racine community;
to prepare students with those skills necessary to be successful in the workforce, including team work, communication skills, responsibility;
strengthen the families in their critical role of creating a supportive home environment that impacts on the success of their children through proactive approaches.
Non-Discrimination Policy for Enrollment at John XXIII Educational Center
The Educational Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation or religion in the administration of any aspects of the support programs offered at the John XXIII Educational Center.
Policy: Code of Ethics
Shared Values
The mission, vision and educational goals of John XXIII Educational Center provide the foundation for the Code of Ethics. The following shared values inform and guide the actions that the Board of Directors of the John XXIII Educational Center takes in developing the policies and practices:
Commitment to the mission of the Educational Center
Commitment to the public good
Accountability to the public
Commitment to the law
Respect for the worth and dignity of individuals
Inclusiveness and social justice
Respect pluralism and diversity
Transparency, integrity and honesty in all aspects of transactions
Responsible stewardship of resources
Commitment to excellence and maintaining the public trust
Confidentiality, Privacy and Security Policy
Confidentiality is the concept that if sensitive information about a person is disclosed without his/her permission, it could be damaging to that person. Privacy is a person’s right to control disclosure of his/her information. Security refers to the measures or controls that are put into place to protect information. Our value of respect, integrity and stewardship calls us to honor confidentiality and privacy of the students at John XXIII Educational Center. Demographic information on students may only be shared for use by the staff at the John XXIII Educational Center.
Employees, mentors, tutors may have information necessary to perform their job. Information pertinent to the students may not be shared with unauthorized persons and those not related to the services provided. Should some emergency arise, information may be shared with appropriate person(s) involved. In a situation of abuse, it should be reported to the Executive Director of John XXIII Educational Center and Family Service of Racine (1-262-634-2391) for his/her response and action.
It is the policy of John XXIII Educational Center to follow these professional and ethical guidelines with regard to the handling of information received from students. Information from students should be handled with strictest care and such information should not be shared with unauthorized persons or those not related to responding to the needs and care of the students and their families.
Volunteer Protection Act
John XXIII Educational Center will follow the Volunteer Protection Act, a law passed by the federal government that provides partial legal protection for volunteers who work for non-profit organizations.
The Act protects the volunteers in two ways:
It protects volunteers from being held responsible for acts of ordinary negligence (mistakes) done when they are working as a volunteer;
It limits the amount of damages for which a volunteer can be found responsible (liable).
The Act does not protect the non-profit organization which employs the volunteer. In other words the Act does not prevent anyone from suing the non-profit group for mistakes made (negligence) by the volunteer.
The Act only provides immunity for acts or conduct of ordinary negligence (honest mistakes). For a volunteer to be protected he/she must be acting within the scope of their responsibilities, that is, they must be doing a job or action that they were asked to perform by the John XXIII Educational Center..
Additionally, if a license is needed to do this job the volunteer is doing, the volunteer must be properly licensed to be protected by the Act. (Safeguarding God’s Children)
A volunteer is not protected by the Act, if he or she is doing any of the following:
Willful conduct or criminal misconduct
Gross negligence or reckless conduct
Hate crimes
Sex offenses
Misconduct which violates a federal or state civil rights law
Any act done under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol
Intentional and obvious lack of concern for the rights and safety of others;
Conduct while operating a motor vehicle or vessel of any kind (regardless of who owns the vehicle and whether doing so for volunteer purposes).
A background check will be done on all volunteers and non-certified personnel.
Safeguarding All God’s Family Program Requirements
As a Ministry of St. Patrick’s Parish all employees and volunteers will need to follow certain guidelines from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee:
Submit to a criminal background check carried out by the Archdiocese; ∙ Read and sign the Code of Ethical Standards and the Mandatory Reporting Responsibilities;
Volunteers will attend the “Safeguarding God’s Children” awareness session within 30 days of the start of services. Although the Center does not explicitly teach religious doctrine, its teachers and volunteers provide witness to sound values, morals and ethics through their interactions with students and their families. If students have school work from a religion class, teachers and volunteers may help them with their homework.
Providing a Safe Environment
Wisconsin Law – s.48.981 (2): Child Abuse or Neglect
According to Wisconsin State Law, Sec.48.981.Stats. the staff, volunteer, or related professional who has reasonable cause to conclude that abuse or neglect will or has occurred is obligated to report the case immediately (not more than 24 hours) to the Executive Director of the John XXIII Educational Center and Family Services of Racine (1-262-634-2391). By the term “abuse”, the law includes intentional physical injury, sexual intercourse or sexual contact, sexual exploitation or emotional damage. By the term “neglect”, the law includes the failure to provide necessary care, food, clothing, medical, dental care, or shelter so as to seriously endanger the physical health of the child. By the term “child” the law includes any person less than eighteen (18) years of age.
The Executive Director of the John XXIII Educational Center or the person who has the information about any abuse must complete a written report to be maintained in the office. If the Executive Director of the Center or person with the information suspects child abuse or neglect, together they will contact Family Services of Racine (1-262-634-2391). No person making a report under this subsection may be discharged from employment for doing so. Anyone failing to report suspected abuse or neglect may be subject to criminal charges of $1,000.00 fine and/or six (6) months in jail.
Employees and volunteers shall not conduct themselves in a manner that may lead to questionable concerns. They should not have any type of pornographic or obscene items at the John XXIII Educational Center. They need to be especially careful about forming intimate friendship relations with the students.
The John XXIII Educational Center is committed to providing a professional work environment which is totally free from physical, psychological or verbal harassment. A broad range of physical or verbal behavior can include but is not limited to the following:
derogatory ethnic/bi-racial slurs or insults;
unwelcome sexual advances or touching;
sexual comments or sexual jokes.
bullying harassment
Sexual Harassment
It is imperative to maintain an educational environment that encourages optimum human growth and development. Respect for the dignity of each person is essential. It is vital that the John XXIII Educational Center maintains a learning environment free of any form of sexual harassment or intimidation toward personnel or students.
“Sexual harassment” means unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and physical contact of a sexual nature.
“Unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature” includes, but is not limited to, the deliberate, repeated making of unsolicited gestures or comments, or the deliberate, repeated display of offensive, sexually graphic materials.
Any employee, volunteers, or students subject to such harassment shall immediately report the incident to the nearest staff member who will inform the Executive Director of the John XXIII Educational Center. An investigation shall be conducted immediately and, if the allegation is confirmed, appropriate action (warning, suspension, demotion, or termination) shall be taken against the aggressor. (4116.23)
Physical Contact/Sexual Relationships
The working environment at the John XXIII Educational Center will be free of sexual misconduct of any kind, as well as, physical, emotional, or verbal abuse. If this policy is not followed, any employee’s contract or volunteers’ service may be terminated.
Relationships are built on trust. We seek to honor and respect the dignity of each person and the integrity of our various relationships. All violations of this policy are to be responded to in accordance with local authorities such as Human Services or Children and Family Services of Racine (262-634-2391). In a situation where students or personnel are the reported victims, the appropriate civil authorities will be contacted.
The only acceptable areas of touch are head, arm, back, hand, and shoulders. Students should initiate a hug, not the teacher.
The cultural prospective and personal context of touch from the student’s perspective must be taken into consideration. Cultural influences, beliefs, and personal history may affect a student’s
comfort level regarding personal boundaries. Some children are not inviting of touch and may want more personal space and that should be respected. Never touch a child when upset or angry unless the child is physically threatening others or putting others in danger.
Specific guidelines for implementing the policy on relationships should include the following:
When working with students who need individually-guided assistance the door should always be open and easily visible by those who pass by the door or there should be clear visibility through doors or windows.
Students are never allowed to go to a mentor/tutors or faculty/staff member’s home without another adult present and without the express knowledge of the student’s parents/guardians. The Director of the John XXIII Educational Center should be informed of any such proposed visits.
While on trips, the staff and volunteers should maintain a professional stature and socialize with the utmost discretion and the highest professional standards and be in the presence of other reputable chaperones.
There should never be any trip with a student alone, especially any overnight trip. ∙ Faculty should never stay overnight in the same room with a student, even if there are two beds.
Discussions of a sexual nature are to take place only in an educational context as part of a specific curriculum or in an official licensed counseling context. Sexual terms and innuendos must be avoided when interacting with students.
Sexual contact can include exploitative behavior such as verbal stimulation of a person, taking or showing sexually explicit photos of a person or exposing a person to pornography or adult sexual activity.
Faculty may never supply or serve alcohol to minors nor should faculty consume alcohol in the presence of minors.
Suicide Prevention
Any employee or volunteer who has reason to believe, by direct knowledge or from other information sources, that any student or staff member is in danger of harming himself/herself, should report the situation to the Executive Director of the John XXIII Educational Center immediately who would call Racine County Human Resources (262-697-4500) directly. A decision will then be made if parents and/or Family Services of Racine (1-262-634-2391) should be contacted.
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Any employee/volunteer suspecting drug and/or alcohol use by a student should notify the Director of the John XXIII Educational Center immediately who needs to call police.
Students, staff, and parents will be informed that all violations of school rules and regulations of State and Federal Laws regarding drug and/or alcohol will be enforced by school officials. See Contract of Understanding signed by students and their parent(s)/guardian regarding drug and alcohol abuse.
Staff and volunteers are not permitted to smoke on building grounds or in the presence of the students.
Alcoholic beverages cannot be consumed on the premises during normal service hours or in the presence of the students.
Gang Affiliations
If you observe any student engaging in any public demonstration of gang affiliation or display of gang symbols,notify the Executive Director of the John XXIII Educational Center immediately. The Executive Director will contact the parents to pick up the child immediately. A meeting will be scheduled with the parent(s) and the Executive Director of the John XXIII Educational Center regarding the consequences. See attached Contract of Understanding signed by the students and their parent(s)/guardian regarding gang affiliation.
Weapons and Dangerous Instruments
Students in attendance at the John XXIII Educational Center are prohibited from using, possessing, handling, manufacturing, transmitting, selling, or concealing any object that can be classified as a weapon or dangerous instrument, including explosive or corrosive materials. Weapons and dangerous instruments include any object that may be used or is used to inflict physical harm. Possession of any firearm or dangerous instrument will result in immediate suspension and possible expulsion. Teachers need to inform the Executive Director of the John XXIII Educational Center immediately if they observe any violation of this rule and the Executive Director will contact the police immediately.
Students: Policies and Guidelines
Behavioral Expectations and Disciplinary Program
A central goal of the John XXIII Educational Center is to help students develop self-discipline, rather than external control. A climate of mutual understanding, respect and trust based upon the worth and dignity of each individual does much to promote self-discipline. Standards and rules are necessary for the successful operation of the John XXIII Educational Center. If these rules are established in light of reasonable and foreseeable consequences, pupils are more likely to comply.
Conferences with the parents should be the first thought in attempting to help a student correct behavior patterns that are interfering with his/her own development and the rights of others. A general rule at the John XXIII Educational Center is that students must respect the right of all students to learn and they must have respect for the learning environment.
For safety reasons, only students who are currently registered will be allowed to participate in the programs at the John XXIII Educational Center. Friends of the enrolled students will not be permitted to attend without an official registration form from their parent except if they are there to decide if they want to enroll at the John XXIII Educational Center.
Acceptable Use of Computer Policy
All students must have an Internet Permission Form signed by the parent(s) or guardian as well as the student, on file in the office prior to using computers. This form releases John XXIII Educational Center and its employees and representatives from any liability arising from, or related to, the student’s use of the Internet and other networked information resources.
Contract of Understanding
Students and parent /guardian are required to read the Contract of Understanding and sign their commitment to follow the expectations described in the contract prior to using the John XXIII Educational Center’s Services. See attachment.
Accident/Sick Report
The supervising staff member/volunteer must notify the Executive Director of the John XXIII Educational Center or the designated staff member if any child or adult is injured on the school premises. An Accident/Sick Form is to be completed by parent/guardian and returned to the office where it is kept on file.
If a student is injured, the Executive Director or designated staff member must inform the parents immediately. If an illness or injury is serious enough to warrant immediate medical attention, the staff at John XXIII Educational Center has the right to contact emergency services (911). If urgent, the student will be transported by ambulance to the Emergency Room at Ascension All Saints Medical Center. The decision to transport the children to the hospital is the right of the emergency medical staff. In such instances, the student’s family will be notified promptly and asked to meet their child and staff member at the hospital. Parent(s) are requested to sign their approval of this service on the Emergency Medical Release Form. It is imperative that the school has an Emergency Medical Release Form on file for each child so that the Emergency Room physician can begin treatment. Without this form, the physician must withhold treatment until a parent or guardian arrives.