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UNDERSTANDING THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

Student: Christa Kuhlman

School: Gower Middle School

Term: Summer

Your site visit experience offers you the opportunity to learn how schools operate as a large community promoting the growth of a
learner. School environment is determined by the schools culture, its history, its belief in how to do things and what is worth doing.
Become familiar with the school environment by completing the table below. Accomplish this by using the host schools website, the
Illinois Public K-12 School Rankings based on the Report Card and school personnel interviews.
Demographics
The following elements look at the demographic information of a school.
The demographic information of a school can provide an excellent look at the diversity of the school environment.
What is/are the
Answer
Resource for the Answer: Persons
name and title, document or website.
Current school enrollment
830
School report card
Percentage of various races and ethnicities

White: 63.4%
Black: 3.6 %
Hispanic: 8.1 %
Asian: 14/7%
Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander: 0 %
American Indian: 0%
Two or more: 10.2 %

School report card

Number of males and females as per school


report card
Percent of low income students

13.1 %

School report card

Percent of students with IEPs

12.3 %

School report card

Percentage of English Language Learners


Composite percent of students who meet
and exceed state standards
# of FTE (full time equivalency) teachers

4.5 %
25.8 %

School report card


School report card

website
School Organization
The following elements identify various aspects of the organization of the school.
By understanding the school organization, teachers can better plan their lessons and their day.
School Mission Statement
We, the Gower community, are committed to
website
fully developing each child as an engaged learner
and as an active, caring citizen in a safe,
respectful environment.
Length of school day for students
8-2 (elementary) 8-4 (middle)
Personal knowlegde
Length of school day for contracted
staff
Number of minutes per class or time
allotted for each subject
Number of minutes for specials
Art, P.E., Music, etc.
Elective classes offered
Extracurricular activities offered

80

Math: 42-60
Science: 42-45
English/ Language Arts: 84-120
Social Science: 42-45
42 per elective

School report card

School report card

P.E., Music, Art


Art Club
Chorus
Cooking Club
Dance Line
Drama Club/Readers Theater
Environmental Club
Fall Sports
Flag Line

Website and personal knowledge

Types of duties which teachers are


assigned
Types of communication between
the school, home, and community
Types of all-school or grade level
assemblies
School colors and mascot
Student and faculty dress code

Garden Club
Geography Club
Quilt Club
Robotics Club
Spirit Club
Spring Musical
Spring Sports
Student Council
Winter Sports
Teaching coursework, being available outside of
class time to help students, monitor events,
monitor students
Parent-teacher conferences, parental visits to
school, telephone conversations, email
correspondence
Musical, Dance Line performance, Talent Show
(Gowerpalooza), Guest speakers,
Green and white, Gladiators

Julie Spidale, ELA teacher


Julie Spidale, ELA teacher
Personal knowlegde
Personal knowledge

Dress and groom must not disrupt the educational Appearance Policy
process, interfere with the maintenance of a
positive teaching/learning climate, or
compromise reasonable standards of health,
safety, and decency
Assistance
The following elements identify various types of assistance available to students and faculty.
Identifying and understanding the various types of assistance available to students and teachers provides a teacher with a greater
sense of community.
Student intervention plans such as
Response to Intervention (RTI)
Provisions for students so that they
Bus transportation to and from away games,
can participate in extracurricular
conferences, field trips
activities (e.g. transportation)
Types of technology available for
Smart pad, projector, computer access,
teachers
printer/copier/scanner
Types of technology available for
Computers, IPads, Smartbooks,
students
Types of professional development
Superintendent shall implement a staff
General Personnel: Staff Development
available to staff
development program to update and improve the
Program Policy
skills and knowledge of staff members in order to
achieve and maintain a high level of job
performance
Policies
The following elements provide a greater understanding of the policies that exist in a school environment.
Read and summarize the Schools
Cell phones are not allowed
Policy Guidelines
digital etiquette policy for students.
Staff credentials to sponsor
Coaches and sponsors must have clear criteria for Extracurricular Activities policy
extracurricular activities
student participation in extracurricular activities.
Such criteria must comply with District
philosophy, policies, and program parameters.
Philosophy of the school library or
learning center
Study hall policies for students and
teachers
Lunchroom policies for students and Noise level at an acceptable loudness, clean up
Julie Spidale, ELA teacher
teachers
after yourself, ask Lunch Monitor to leave the
table, bring a lunch with you to school or bring
money to purchase a school lunch
Hallway policies: during class time
Walk in a single-file line, no talking
Julie Spidale, ELA teacher
and between classes
School discipline policy
Disciplinary measures, other than out of school
Student Discipline Policy

Emergency procedure plans (fire,


tornado, evacuation, and lockdown)

suspensions and expulsions, are decided by the


administration. Every teacher and school
personnel is authorized to impose disciplinary
measures, the District shall comply with the
provisions of IDEA when disciplining special
education students, only Superintendent,
Principal, or Assistant Principal may impose a
suspension
Each academic year, each school must hold a
minimum of 3 school evacuation drills, one bus
evacuation drill, one severe weather drill, and
one lockdown drill

Safety Procedure

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