PARENTSTUDENT ORIENTATION WELCOME CLASS OF 2024 A copy

PARENT/STUDENT ORIENTATION

WELCOME CLASS OF 2024

• A copy of the 2020 – 2021 Parent/Student Handbook is available for download on the GCIT Website PLEASE REVIEW THIS HANDBOOK WITH YOUR CHILD PLEASE CONTACT THE MAIN OFFICE WITH ANY QUESTIONS

Gloucester County Institute of Technology “Career and College Readiness” • VISION • Gloucester County Institute of Technology (GCIT) students will be prepared to compete in both higher educational and workforce environments. They will possess the knowledge, experience, and skills necessary to make meaningful career choices, to be productive in the workplace, and to build lifelong skills to function independently in the community. The GCIT administration and faculty will provide students with an atmosphere that is conducive to student learning and welcomes involvement in other school activities and organizations. Our vision for the school climate also includes a spirit of care, respect, inclusiveness, and support.

Gloucester County Institute of Technology Mission “What Makes GCIT Unique? ” It is the mission of the Gloucester County Vocational. Technical School District to enable students to become: • • • Life-long learners Positive contributors to the community Problem solvers Productive workers Ethical decision makers

Gloucester County Institute of Technology Mission “What Makes GCIT Unique? ” In order to achieve these goals, the district, in partnership with parents, trade organizations, institutions of higher education, local businesses and community organizations, will provide: • A challenging curriculum aligned to NJCCCS • Excellence in instructional practice • A safe, supportive, drug-free environment • Opportunities for exploration and discovery • Technological resources to promote learning • Activities designed to develop career-related skills Our pledge is to afford our students the experience, which encourage academic, vocational, and social growth with a special emphasis on pride, respect, and personal responsibility.

FRESHMEN ORIENTATION Communication Strategies • Calendar of Events (Event information found at www. gcit. org) • Email (Faculty/Staff Email Addresses found at www. gcit. org) • Facebook, Twitter, Newsletter, School Messenger, Website • Remind 101(Method in which staff contact students) • Power. School (Grades and Course Schedules found on Power. School) • It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to make sure that the school office has current contact information and advise us of any changes that occur during the school year. • GCIT will use the phone number and/or email supplied by families on the School Messenger Participation Form or parents may log into the Power. School Parent Portal and click on the School Messenger icon to update their information themselves • Gloucester County Educational Network • Channel 97 (Comcast) Channel 34 (Verizon) • Emergency Closing Number: 833

PARENT/STUDENT ORIENTATION General Information • 2020 – 2021 School Calendar • Located on the GCIT Website • School Day: 8: 00 am – 2: 27 pm – • Schedules: Drop/Add (BUILDING OPENS AT 7: 30 AM) • Students will only be able to drop/add courses during the first five days of each semester. • Students need to meet with their Guidance Counselor to make changes. • Required Forms: Complete On-Line Forms • Club Day Schedule • Will begin once all students return to full-time in-person instruction. • Note: Clubs will not take place during hybrid and/or all remote instructional models. • School Supplies/Materials: • Each instructor will give a supply/materials list. • Will be discussed by the Fitness for Life Staff. • Gym uniforms:

PARENT/STUDENT ORIENTATION General Information • Block Scheduling (Semesters) • Student Lunch Periods: • 5 th period lunch – Freshman • 6 th period lunch – Juniors and Seniors • 7 th period lunch - Sophomores • Following social distance protocols. • Student breakfast/lunch program • Students have an assigned number and accounts can be replenished using My School Bucks (see GCIT website). • Student Identification Barcodes are now linked with the Cafeteria Computer System. ID’s must be utilized in order to purchase food.

PARENT/STUDENT ORIENTATION General Information • School Security/Reporting: • Visitors: Lobby. Guard- All visitors must sign in using the 400 Wing Main Entrance. • Students will be required to travel inside the building when transitioning to each class period. • Visitors will be required to show proper identification via an outside camera system prior to entering the 400 wing office. • Visitors, during COVID-19, will be required to wear a mask and should establish a scheduled appointment to meet with any staff member. • Evening School Security Procedures/Personnel. • School Security Drills (Occur 2 Times a Month and Unannounced). • Lockdown, Shelter in Place, Intruder, Evacuation Drills

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Key School District Policies • Alcohol, drugs, tobacco/electronic cigarettes/juul/vape pen (Smoke Free Campus) • NOTE: Any infraction involving an electronic cigarette/vape/juul/ will result in mandatory drug testing. • Athletics • Absences: excused, credit completion (9 Unexcused absences) • Attendance (Must be in school 4 hours)(Impact on activities) • Bus Transportation (Sending District) • Cell phones/Communication Policy-Recording • Collegiate High School • Conduct/Discipline: progressive & consistent • Dating Violence – Policy aligned with code of conduct

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Key School District Policies • Early release and lateness to school –Sign In/Out Procedures • Field trips – good academic/disciplinary standing • Guidance services: CAP center • HIB: Harassment, intimidation, bullying • Identification (Student ID) Cards • Students must visibly wear their IDs on their lanyard. This is for safety purposes. Cost for replacement IDs is $10. 00. • Students may wear their own lanyard; however we will be selling GCIT lanyards for $5. 00.

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Key School District Policies Dress Code (Refer to Parent/Student Handbook): The following guidelines for student dress have been established: • Clothing must cover areas from one armpit to the other armpit down to fingertip length (See image below). Tops must have shoulder straps (2 fingers wide). • Rips or Tears in clothing should be LOWER than fingertip length. • Undergarments may not be worn as outer garments or be visible in any other way. • Appropriate footwear must be worn at all times—athletic shoes are required for physical education as are safety shoes in shops. Bedroom slippers are not acceptable. Beach sandals or “flip flops” may not be worn in any shop class. • Clothing must be clean and not tattered and worn in an appropriate manner; that is, the waistband of pants, skirts and shorts should be fastened at the waist. Pajamas are not to be worn. • Mesh or see-through clothing must not be worn without appropriate coverage underneath that meet the dress code requirement.

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Key School District Policies Dress Code (Continued): • Goggles, safety glasses, lab aprons, appropriate uniforms, hairnets, etc. , as required for a specific shop or lab, must be worn. • Headgear including hats, hoodies, and caps are not allowed unless permitted for religious, medical, or other reason by school administration. • Patches, decals, or sayings affixed to clothing are inappropriate if they are suggestive, drug related, obscene, violent in nature, or cause a disruption in normal proceedings. • Sunglasses, unless prescription and with a doctor’s note, are not permitted. • Blankets are not to be worn or carried through the building. • Wearing gang related clothing is prohibited, while on school property, any type of clothing, apparel, or accessory which indicates that a student has known membership in or affiliation with, any gang associated with criminal activities, …. to include distinctive identifying sign, symbol, tattoo or other physical marking, style of dress or use of hands signs or other indicia of association or common leadership (examples include: bandanas, baseball caps, beads worn around the neck or wrist, specific colors in combination with articles described above). N. J. S. A. 18 A: 11 -9 • Wearing clothing, decals, face coverings, or anything that depicts or implies racial hatred, racially divisive, prejudice, or creates ill will; is prohibited. Shall not be worn at school, on school property, or at school sponsored activities ***no warning, disciplinary***** • Clothing and/or apparel that causes or is likely to cause a disruption to school activities.

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Key School District Policies Dress Code (Continued):

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Key School District Policies • Lockers: Search & seizure • Medication • All must go through the Nurse • Personal items – Responsibility- Locks for Lockers • School Based Youth Services (SBYS) • Social activities: dances, prom, trips, events • Must be in good academic and behavioral standing • Student Assemblies • Student Agreement for Use of Computers, Software, Equipment and Access. 1: 1 Technology Initiative

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Key School District Policies • Substance abuse • Any student who is in violation of the substance abuse policy will be unable to participate in any extra-curricular activity; including trips, dances, athletics, loss of driving, etc. • Vandalism, Violence (Review of Threats – Verbal/Electronic) • Weapons, Dangerous Instruments • Zero Tolerance for Guns Act • Behavioral/Academic Expectations • Review of Expectations • Review of Student Behavioral Contracts • No Place for Hate • Return to District Policy

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Online Learning Code of Conduct • Student Code of Conduct for Virtual Learning/Virtual Meetings • Attendance: Students are expected to log into their course(s) and are expected to report to each class during their scheduled time slot. It is essential for students to maintain their involvement, by attending, in order to keep up with the course materials. Faculty, staff and administration are able to track the students’ activities online. • Class Sessions: Live sessions (Microsoft Teams) are an important component of Remote Learning. In large measure, they provide the needed interaction of a live traditional class. Given the constraints of the medium, all participants in the virtual live class sessions are expected to adhere to the following rules and best practices in order to ensure the best possible learning environment.

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Online Learning Code of Conduct • Student Code of Conduct for Virtual Learning/Virtual Meetings Preparation: • Never enter, or attempt to enter, a live session fraudulently using the name of another student, faculty or staff member. • Never enter a live session for a class that is not part of the regular schedule, and more so, never enter a session for a class at another school. • Class meeting IDs are never to be shared with others outside of the class. • Students should only use the meeting IDs that pertain to the classes on their schedule. • The background for a live session must be appropriate to the other participants and follow all student code of conduct polices.

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Online Learning Code of Conduct • Student Code of Conduct for Virtual Learning/Virtual Meetings Participation: • Arrive on time for the class session. • Only GCIT email addresses will be used. Personal emails will not be accepted. • Report to session properly groomed and dressed for class. GCIT dress code is expected to be followed. • All classroom rules apply in a live session. • The device being used should be identified by the student’s full name. Changing your name to something inappropriate is unacceptable behavior and will be addressed immediately. • Posture before the camera must be conducive to active learning and participation (e. g. , no reclining). The student’s full face must be visible in the camera frame.

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Online Learning Code of Conduct • Student Code of Conduct for Virtual Learning/Virtual Meetings Participation: • As expected of any class interaction, participants are to treat each other with courtesy and respect. • Offensive or inappropriate language is not to be used in any form of communication. This extends to emails, discussion postings, group projects, and submitted assignments which may be part of or an extension of the live session interaction. • Use of any profanity - written, drawn, displayed or spoken - during a meeting is unacceptable. • Taking screenshots or screen recordings of live sessions without the explicit permission from the teacher and class members is unacceptable.

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Online Learning Code of Conduct • Student Code of Conduct for Virtual Learning/Virtual Meetings Disciplinary Action for Unacceptable Behavior: • Disruptions to a live session may lead to the removal of the student from a remote learning session for part or the entire session. • Students with an unexcused absence or who are removed from a live session for disruptive behavior may not receive any credit for the activity, class work, assessment, or participation that took place during their absence. • Repeated disruption will be reported to the Assistant Principal and may lead to suspension from class sessions altogether.

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Online Learning Code of Conduct • Student Code of Conduct for Virtual Learning/Virtual Meetings Suspension or Return to Home School district (Policy 5115) for any of the following major infractions: • Entering a meeting fraudulently. • Creating negative images of meetings using screenshots or screen recordings of any member of the faculty, staff, students or administration. • Using profanity or obscenities in any form. • Verbal or physical abuse in the form of intimidation, harassment, or threatening behavior directed toward the teacher, fellow students or administrative staff. HIB investigation. • Academic Integrity violation.

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (Refer to Policy 5512) Policy Statement • The Board of Education prohibits acts of harassment, intimidation, or bullying of a pupil. A safe and civil environment in school is necessary for pupils to learn and achieve high academic standards. Harassment, intimidation, or bullying, like other disruptive or violent behaviors, is conduct that disrupts both a pupil’s ability to learn and a school’s ability to educate its pupils in a safe and disciplined environment. Since pupils learn by example, school administrators, faculty, staff and volunteers should be commended for demonstrating appropriate behavior, treating others with civility and respect, and refusing to tolerate harassment, intimidation, or bullying.

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Respect the Rights of Others • Physically, sexually, and verbally (spoken, written or electronic), including but not limited to hazing, harassment, ridicule, embarrassment, inflammatory statements, slurs, and racial/religious comments. ** • Disciplinary Infractions regarding these offenses: • Possible HIB and/or Title IX referral • 3 -6 Detention • In-School Suspension • Out of School Suspension • Possible Removal and Recommendation to Return to District • GCIT will not tolerate these offensive acts as we promote a safe and positive culture and climate. • IF a student is unable to follow these specific guidelines then we will ask that you consider another educational option. GCIT has no place for hate, bigotry or cowardice acts of bullying. • Students may be asked to return to district if they commit these offenses. It will not be tolerated.

STUDENT/PARENT ORIENTATION Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Respect the Rights of Others • Student(s) shall not racially harass or intimidate other student(s) by name calling, using racial or derogatory slurs, wearing or possessing items depicting or implying racial hatred or prejudice. Shall not at school, on school property, or at school activities, wear or have in their possession any written material, either printed or in their own handwriting, that is racially divisive or creates ill will or hatred. (Examples: clothing, articles, material, publications or any items that denotes Ku Klux Klan, Aryan National – White Supremacy, Black Power, Confederate flags or articles, Neo-Nazi or any other “hate” group. This list is not intended to be all inclusive). Violations of this policy shall result in disciplinary action by school authorities. Consequently, a first offense of the above would be a 1 - to 3 -day suspension followed by a 10 -day suspension and referral to the Superintendent to return student to their sending district. Policy #5115.

GCIT: START OF SCHOOL PROCEDURES • For online courses, each instructor will send the students an introductory e-mail indicating that they have been invited to a Teams Group/Class. • All assignments will be posted to that Microsoft Teams Class page and students will enter their attendance and get all of their assignments/work from their instructor using Teams. • Reminder that students should ALWAYS check their schoolissued email account for reminders and “announcements” from the staff and school district. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR TEACHER FOR ANY QUESTIONS

ENTERING THE BUILDING • 9 TH AND 10 TH GRADE PARENT DROP OFF • 600 entrance • 11 th and 12 th GRADE ENTRANCE (Driving or Drop off) • East gym • 10 th grade bus • West gym lobby • 9 th grade bus • 400 entrance • COMPLETED ONLINE HEALTH HISTORY (SNAP) • MASK ON PROPERLY • HAND SANITZER • REPORT TO PERIOD 1

HALLWAYS • BATHROOMS • Can not use during passing times • Must use QR code • SOCIAL DISTANCING • MASK ON PROPERLY AT ALL TIMES • FOLLOW STAIRWAY SIGNS • Up only • Down only • WATER FOUNTAINS: only to fill up water bottles • TEACHER AT THEIR DOORS; OPEN

CLASSROOMS entrance / exit • 5 mins before class ends, students wipe down desks • Split class into 3 groups; allow them to leave 30 seconds apart from the end bell. • As students enter classroom, grab a wipe from container and clean desk/chair • Restrooms; only to be used during class time. Remind students to use QR code and complete form. • NO FOOD ; water is allowed • Assigned seating; complete chart (for tracing purposes)

STAIRWAYS • WE HAVE MARKED VARIOUS STAIRWAYS AS UP ONLY OR DOWN ONLY • 1200 TO 1100 : DOWN ONLY • FOREIGN LANGUAGE TO BUSINESS/IT • 1100 TO 1200 : UP ONLY • ALLIED HEALTH TO ENGLISH • DOWN ONLY • 300 TO 100 CAFE • UP ONLY • COSMETOLOGY TO 300/200

SENIOR EARLY DISMISSAL • EXIT OUT 1 OF THE 4 LOCATIONS CLOSEST TO YOUR LAST PERIOD CLASS • Wings: 100, 600, 400, 1100 • SCAN QR CODE • COMPLETE THE FORM • DO NOT ALLOW SOMEONE TO ENTER FROM OUTSIDE THE BUILDING • ANY STUDENT WHO DOES NOT COMPLETE THIS PROCESS WILL FACE DISCIPLINART CONSEQUENCES FOR LEAVING SCHOOL GROUNDS WITHOUT PERMISSION.

LUNCH • ONE STUDENT PER TABLE • DO NOT PUSH DESKS TOGETHER OR ADD A CHAIR TO A TABLE • 6 FT APART AT ALL TIMES • MASK ON WHEN NOT EATING/DRINKING • MUST EAT AT THE SAME DESK/TABLE EVERYDAY • 3 LUNCHES • 5 TH Period : Freshman • 6 th Period: Juniors and Seniors • 7 th Period: Sophomores

BEST WISHES TO THE GCIT STUDENTS