Teacher Agreement Addendum
CHILD ABUSE REPORTING POLICY
As educational professionals, we have a moral and legal responsibility to protect the children we teach from child abuse, neglect and abandonment.
Torah values, as enunciated by modern day Torah leaders, call upon all educators and caregivers of children to be proactive in protecting children from all forms of abuse.
The State of Florida considers any school teacher or employee as a ‘Mandated Reporter.’ This means, that any school teacher who knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is being harmed or threatened with harm by the person responsible for the care of the child, to report that information to the Department of Children and Family Services (“DCF”). Harm includes child abuse, neglect or abandonment. Failure to report child abuse can result in criminal prosecution. This policy is designed to provide you with guidance in recognizing child abuse and procedures for reporting child abuse.
Florida Statute § 39.01 defines abuse as any willful act or threatened act that results in physical, mental or sexual injury or harm that causes or is likely to cause a child’s physical, mental or emotional health to be significantly impaired. Corporal punishment by a parent or legal guardian for disciplinary reasons does not, by itself, constitute child abuse when it does not result in harm to the child. On the other hand, spousal abuse, even if the child is not physically harmed, can cause emotional harm to the child that could warrant a report.
Florida Statute § 39.01 defines neglect as depriving the child of necessary food, clothing, shelter, supervision or medical treatment. Neglect also occurs when a child is permitted to live in an environment that causes the child’s physical, mental or emotional health to be significantly impaired or to be in danger of being significantly impaired.
Florida Statute § 39.01 defines abandonment as a situation in which the parent or legal guardian of a child makes no provision for the child’s support and makes no effort to communicate with the child. This situation is sufficient to evince a willful rejection of parental obligations.
If you have any belief, concern or thought that you have witnessed, heard or learned about a situation possibly involving abuse, neglect or abandonment, you must do the following:
- Contact one of the following:
For Early Childhood:
- MRS. BATSHEVA MARLOWE – School Counselor, or
- MRS. TALIA LEVINE – EECC Director
For Elementary School:
- MRS. BATSHEVA MARLOWE – School Counselor
- RABBI KALMAN BAUMANN – Principal
For Middle School:
- RABBI GAVRIEL GROSSMAN – Principal
For High School:
- RABBI YAAKOV DREYFUSS
- RABBI YEHUDA BERGIDA
- The appropriate person will then discuss the situation with you to ensure the appropriate reports, if any, are completed.
While we recommend all employees follow this procedure, nothing in this policy prohibits a faculty or staff employee from reporting suspicion of abuse directly to the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Their hotline number is 1-800-96ABUSE or, 1-800-962-2873.
If you report suspicions of child abuse, neglect or abandonment, investigators from DCF may interview you or the student. This interview may take place on school premises. If contacted by DCF for such an interview, you should notify Mrs. Marlowe or Mrs. Levine immediately. This will allow the School to request information regarding the investigation. The School can also request that a member of the School be present during the interviews, but cannot insist. Parental permission is not required before DCF interviews the child. You should consult with Mrs. Marlowe or Mrs. Levine before sharing any information with the parents of the child. Interference with, or refusal to cooperate in any stage of the DCF investigation can result in criminal charges.
All reports of suspected child abuse, neglect or abandonment are strictly confidential. You are not permitted to maintain notes or any separate record of the investigation. Persons who make a report are immune from liability, in the event the report is determined to be false. Moreover, no one who makes a report can be dismissed, disciplined or harassed for making a report of suspected child abuse.
There are civil and criminal liabilities for not reporting when a report is warranted.
CONDUCT POLICY AND BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS
Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes is committed to providing a safe and appropriate environment for all students and staff and employees. Parents entrust their children to our Yeshiva. All students are taught to respect and trust their Rebbe, teacher, administrator and all school personnel (educational, clerical and custodial). The yeshiva strives to establish a safe environment for every child’s physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
This policy details a broad outline of proper faculty/student, student/student and faculty/faculty interaction and behavior. Because the yeshiva is an exemplar of role modeling in the community, these standards encompass conduct inside and outside the yeshiva during school hours, after-school activities and private interactions with students outside of school.
These guidelines place a special emphasis on unwanted touch and the exerting of any form of verbal, physical or inappropriate psychological influence or control on students. Any violation of these guidelines will not be tolerated. In keeping with its commitment to maintain a safe environment, the yeshiva will conduct a thorough investigation, report such violations when legally mandated to appropriate authorities and take necessary measures to counsel or remove individuals who violate these principles.
Any allegations of abuse, harassment or violation of behavioral standards should be reported promptly. See the “Child Abuse Reporting Policy” included with this document, for our school’s procedures.
To achieve these goals, all YTCTE Staff are expected to adhere to the following Conduct Policy and Behavioral Standards:
BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS
While the overwhelming majority of interactions between administration, staff and students fall well within the range of normal healthy relationships, certain behavior should be regarded as incompatible with goals and standards of Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes and therefore are always prohibited.
- Teachers/staff may not be alone with a child/children in an area which potentially cannot be seen or observed by other staff members or adults.
- Teachers/staff may not be in a locked classroom alone with a student.
- Doors equipped with windows to permit external viewing of the classroom must remain unobstructed at all times.
- Physical force must never be used other than to safeguard against immediate physical danger.
- There must never be unwelcome physical contact, such as patting, squeezing, pushing and physical assault and inappropriate touching.
- Teachers/staff must refrain from denigrating students publicly or privately, or from attempts to control or manipulate students through psychological means.
- Teachers/staff may never forbid students to share any conversations or information with parents or administration, nor instruct students to “keep secrets” from their parents.
- Teachers/staff must refrain from sexual attention towards others in the form of remarks, jokes or innuendoes about a person’s body or clothing, including threats of such behavior.
- Teachers/staff shall not display demeaning, suggestive or pornographic material, nor may they be brought onto the campus.
- There can be no indirect or explicit invitations to engage in inappropriate or suggestive activities which may or may not include a promise to reward for complying or a threat of reprisal for not complying.
- All YTCTE employees must review the summary of mandated child abuse reporting laws which has been submitted to you along with this Conduct Policy and Behavioral Standards.
TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
Technology, when utilized in a responsible, efficient, ethical and legal manner, offers valuable, diverse and unique resources to administrative staff, teachers and students, and promotes educational excellence. Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes is committed to helping students and staff utilize technology as an effective educational and administrative tool and to meet educational standards. It is understood that faculty and staff will utilize technology in a mature and professional manner, and in accordance with the Yeshiva’s Acceptable Use Policy.
The Yeshiva staff and faculty are responsible for appropriate behavior and acceptable use when accessing technology in the schools. This includes but is not limited to computers, copy machines, still and video cameras, phones, document cameras, SmartBoards, projectors, cell phones, iPads and all electronic devices. Use of technology shall be considered a privilege, not a right of each individual. Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes will cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation related to illegal activities conducted within or through the school system. As with all
written correspondences, digital correspondences are subject to subpoena as required by law.
Internet, email and phone use (landline and cell) throughout the Yeshiva is solely for work purposes. However, Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes (YTCTE) recognizes that limited personal use by full-time administrative staff and faculty is sometimes necessary and is therefore allowed, provided that said use does not interfere with the employee’s duties, those of other employees and/or the policies of Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes.
It is important to recognize that while traditional instructional resources and library materials can be screened with reasonable selection criteria, technology that links to any public file server provides access to material that may not be considered educationally sound and/or appropriate in the context of our school setting. Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes has taken precautions to restrict access to unacceptable information by employing the use of a firewall/filter which is automatically and
continuously updated to provide protection against current threats. However, it is important to understand that no solution is 100% perfect, and at times, educational sites may be inadvertently blocked. Conversely, inappropriate sites may, at times, be accessible.
YTCTE will make no guarantee regarding the reliability of its data connection and therefore will not be held liable for any data loss or data corruption occurring while using the YTCTE network. YTCTE
computers are not a reliable storage medium. Only network drives are backed up.
Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes reserves the right to make amendments to the terms and conditions of this policy.
Technology Terms and Conditions
YTCTE System Security
● Users should take all reasonable precautions to prevent others from gaining access to their account(s). (Example: private, strong passwords) All users are responsible for their individual account(s).
● Users are not permitted to sign on to a computer or email account, or to access a voicemail account using another employee’s credentials.
● Users are not permitted to use a copy machine with someone else’s credential, unless given specific permission to do so from the account holder. This applies to printing and copying.
● At the conclusion of a session, the user will log off/lock the system he/she is using.
● If a user suspects a possible security breach, the user should immediately contact his/her administrator and the IT Director.
● Users will not share passwords, access codes, telephone numbers, account numbers, grades, or other individuals’ documentation with unauthorized persons.
● Users should not have any expectation of privacy regarding information contained in the Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes computer system or any of its contracted web-based accounts such as Google Apps, offsite backup, InfoGrasp etc. All of Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes’ electronic resources and the data stored on them are, and remain at all times, the property of Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes. As such, all messages or other data created,
sent or retrieved over the Internet or Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes’ electronic resources are the property of Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes, and should be considered Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes information. Even when a message is deleted or erased, it may be still possible to recreate the message; therefore, ultimate privacy of a message cannot be ensured. Passwords are intended to prevent unauthorized access to Yeshiva Toras Chaim
Toras Emes’ computer systems, and do not confer any right of privacy.
● Users should be aware that computers can be switched, replaced, upgraded or wiped clean at any point without notice.
● Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes reserves the right to, and frequently does, monitor or spot-check any activity occurring on any school equipment or accounts. This includes but is not limited to remotely viewing computer screens as well as computer logs.
● Users will not purposely infect the network or computers with spyware, malware or viruses.
● No equipment, including laptops, may be removed from school property without administrative approval in advance.
● Laptops, even when removed from the premises with permission, are considered the property of Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes. All policies and good-faith efforts as outlined above apply to their off-premises use as well.
Illegal Activities (including but not limited to)
● Users will not attempt to gain unauthorized access to the YTCTE systems, or to go beyond their authorized access.
● Users will not deliberately attempt to disrupt the performance of any computer system or destroy data via a virus or any other means.
● Users will not use the YTCTE system to engage in any illegal act.
● Users will not use the YTCTE system to disseminate threatening or harassing messages.
● Vandalism of any kind will require restitution for costs associated with hardware, software and
system restoration.
Unacceptable Use; Access to Inappropriate Material (including but not limited to)
● Users may not download onto, or play games on, any internet or technology device.
● Except in an emergency situation, faculty may not use their phones in the classroom to initiate or respond to calls, texts or emails.
● Users may not access personal accounts, including but not limited to email, music, banking and shopping. (As stated previously, YTCTE recognizes that limited personal use by full-time administrative and faculty members is sometimes necessary and is therefore allowed, provided that said use does not interfere with the employee’s duties and/or the policies of Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes.)
● Users may not use the Yeshiva’s technology to access material that: is profane or obscene ie:pornography), advocates illegal or violent activities, or advocates discrimination towards other individuals or groups.
● If a user inadvertently accesses inappropriate material, he/she should immediately notify his/her administrator, thereby avoiding an allegation of intentional violation of the Technology Acceptable Use Policy.
● Users may not use the Yeshiva’s technology to further personal causes such as political, religious or commercial views.
● Users will not deliberately attempt to override or circumvent the firewall or attempt to gain unauthorized access to computers, servers or Google Apps accounts, nor may they encourage others to do so.
Respecting Resource Limits
● Users may only use Yeshiva’s internet and technology equipment for items relating to their job function.
● Users may stream Jewish music at a low volume at their desk providing that 1) it does not interfere with their job and 2) it does not disturb their co-workers. (Note: Only Jewish music is permitted. Radio/talk shows compromise the work environment.) This privilege is subject to the approval of an employee’s direct supervisor or administrator, and can be revoked at any time.
● Users may not stream videos that are not needed for their job function.
● Users may not download or upload any data or material not specifically related to their job function.
● Users may not download or install any software programs without the authorization of the System Administrator. Software, particularly if it is offered as “free”, often comes with undetectable spyware and advertising that can disable a computer or an entire system.
● Users may not alter in any way the configuration of a computer or network without permission
of authorized staff.
Social Networking Sites
● Employees may not use the Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes network to access social media websites or conduct personal blogging unless express permission is provided by Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes to use such outlets for purely professional purposes.
● Unless specifically instructed, users are not authorized and therefore restricted from speaking on behalf of Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes. Users may not publicly discuss any work-related matters, whether confidential or not, outside company-authorized communications.
● Be aware that your actions captured via images, posts or comments reflect on Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes. As a Yeshiva employee, you are held to a higher standard in the public eye and therefore are instructed to use caution with all text and photos which you may display.
● If you choose to identify yourself as a Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes employee, you must post a clear disclaimer that the views expressed by the author are the author’s alone and do not represent the views of Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes.
Google Apps for Education
● Google Apps (our web-based email solution) is currently available to all staff and faculty members. All Google Apps accounts and the information contained, including email that originates from or is received by an account, are the property of the Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes. The same holds true for voicemails stored on YTCTE phones and systems.
● YTCTE reserves the right to log into and view a user’s email at any time.
● Users are responsible for messages sent from their accounts. Users should exercise extreme caution with their passwords and never let anyone use their account.
● No employee shall use their YTCTE Google Apps account to operate a personal business.
● Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes reserves the right to terminate, either temporarily or permanently, a Google account if used inappropriately.
● Following usage of your Google Apps account, the user is expected to log out or lock their computer to prevent another user from accessing his/her account.
● Inasmuch as YTCTE assigned Google accounts can be accessed outside the boundaries of our schools (web-based accounts), users are required to maintain the same behavior that is expected of them while in school. Additional care must be taken outside of the work area to make sure no one (including employees, spouse and family members) may obtain access to their Google Apps account.
Removable Media
Removable media can be defined as but not limited to: CDs, DVDs, USB devices, camera flash media cards, hard drives physically removed from their laptops or computer-based machine.
● Extreme caution should be exercised with regard to the safe handling and security of removable devices and their contents. Removable media is not a recommended method of transport for confidential data.
Limitation of Liability
● Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes makes no express or implied guarantees that the activities or services provided by technology will be error-free or without defect.
● YTCTE is not responsible for any damages to users, including but not limited to loss of data, interruptions of service, personal or psychological damages, or financial loss. YTCTE is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of content obtained through our network or stored on our systems.
● YTCTE is not responsible for unauthorized financial obligations incurred from use of our technology or any components of our technology system.
Android Phones
● All Android users accessing their Google Apps email, calendar and contacts are required to install and setup the Google Apps Device Policy app on their devices. This application enforces policies on your Android device that protect it should it be lost or stolen.
● Android users will also be able to access the following device management features from your My Devices page: Reset PIN, Ring Device, Lock Device and Locate Your Device.
● Use these features to lock and recover your device if you misplace it. If you lose your phone, please contact us immediately, and we’ll help you recover it or remotely wipe it.
Support
● The Yeshiva employs IT personnel to maintain the Yeshiva’s technology. Requests for support must be sent to [email protected].
