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DASA, Safety, and Code of Conduct
- Code of Conduct
- DASA
- Safety
- Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct
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Code of Conduct
The Niagara Wheatfield Central School District is committed to providing a safe and orderly school environment where students may receive and district personnel may deliver quality educational services without disruption or interference. Responsible behavior by students, teachers, other District personnel, parents and other visitors is essential to achieving this goal.
The Code of Conduct is reviewed annually by the Board of Education. The updated Code of Conduct is available below as a pdf.
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- DASA
DASA
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Dignity for All Students Act
In July 2012, the New York State Department of Education issued the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA). DASA mandates that all New York State elementary and secondary students are entitled to attend school in a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying on school property and at school sponsored functions.Please contact your school's DASA coordinator for any further questions, or to report an instance verbally. You may also complete a Dignity Complaint Form and send that directly to your school's DASA coordinator.The DASA Coordinators for the Niagara Wheatfield Central School District are as follows:
Senior High School
Marissa Vuich, PrincipalEdward Town Middle School
Morgan Johnson, Assistant Principal
Kevin Gaume, CounselorColonial Village Elementary School
Jeffrey Cacicia, Principal
Maria Zawistowski, Assistant PrincipalErrick Road Elementary School
Jennifer Henry, Counselor
Elizabeth Antonelli, CounselorWest Street Elementary School
Theron Mong, Principal
Lenore Palmeri, CounselorTuscarora Indian School
Elizabeth Corieri, Principal
Katherine Thurman, CounselorYou may report these instances verbally or by using the Niagara Wheatfield DASA reporting form linked below or in any school's main office.
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DASA-Related Parent Tip Websites
Here is a list of websites that can provide parents with valuable tools for anti-bullying strategies.National Bullying Prevention Center
Spark Action - Resources created by students
Anti-Bullying Thinkfinity - Verizon Foundation
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Defining Bullying Behavior
What is bullying? At first glance, many people might think this behavior is easy to define. Their first image of bullying might be of a physically intimidating boy beating up a smaller classmate. While that can still be considered bullying today, parents need to know that bullying behaviors can be much more complex and varied than that typical stereotype. For example, harmful bullying can also occur quietly and covertly, through gossip or on the Internet, causing emotional damage. Let’s consider a few definitions of bullying.
Although definitions of bullying vary, most agree that an act is defined as bullying when:
- The behavior hurts or harms another person physically or emotionally. Bullying can be very overt, such as fighting, hitting or name calling, or it can be covert, such as gossiping or leaving someone out on purpose.
- It is intentional, meaning the act is done willfully, knowingly and with deliberation.
- The targets have difficulty stopping the behavior directed at them and struggle to defend themselves.
Bullying can be circumstantial or chronic. It might be the result of a situation, such as being the new student at school, or it might be behavior that has been directed at the individual for a long period of time.
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Policy #3420 Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment in the School District
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- Safety
Safety
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District-Wide Safety Plan
Every student deserves a safe and orderly school, an educational environment where they feel welcome and supported. In accordance with New York State’s Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) Legislation, Niagara Wheatfield's district-wide school safety plan identifies specific safety and security programs that focus on prevention, intervention and crisis response. This district-wide plan is available for review at the district office.
Building-based emergency response plans are in place at all Niagara Wheatfield schools detailing how to respond to emergencies that could affect the health and safety of children. These plans reflect the protocols defined in the district-wide plan. Each school has designated staff members who have been trained to respond in emergency situations.
During an emergency, every possible step will be taken to insure student safety. If a crisis occurs during school hours, we are prepared to keep your children secure and safe at school should a situation arise that prevents or postpones dismissal (e.g. weather emergency; biological or chemical incident). Our schools, government officials and first responder agencies will make every effort to provide a steady, reliable flow of information, using the mass media and every means possible (e.g. telephone, e-mail, website).
Please be sure the school has current phone numbers to reach you or your designee. If you have questions about your child’s school, please contact your principal.
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Internet Safety for Parents
According to the Children's Internet Protection Act, all school districts are required to address Internet Safety instruction within our student's curriculum instruction. Our district would like to extend this awareness of Internet Safety by also addressing the more global issues of Digital Citizenship and parent involvement in our students' digital lives.
Below, you will find online resources that we have identified that correspond to the same topics of Digital Citizenship your children will be exploring throughout their Kindergarten to Grade 12 school career.
These resources are not intended to be legal advice nor are they all inclusive. We as a school district are not the experts regarding the continually changing digital landscape. We will continue our study of advice and guidance that is provided to our students. At any time, if you have a resource you have found to be excellent, please contact your child's school.
Federal Bureau of Investigation: Parent's Guide to Internet Safety
Center for Democracy and Technology
Pew Internet and American Life Project
Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use
Parent's Guide to Internet Safety
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Technology Policies
The following folder contains technology-specific policies including the Acceptable Use Policy that is electronically signed when NWCSD students and staff log into their NWCSD accounts.
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Parents' Bill of Rights
Niagara Wheatfield Central School District is committed to protecting the privacy and security of student, teacher, and principal data. In accordance with New York Education Law § 2-d, the district wishes to inform the community of the following:
- A student's personally identifiable information cannot be sold or released for any commercial purposes.
- Parents have the right to inspect and review the complete contents of their child's education record.
- State and federal laws protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable information, and safeguards associated with industry standards and best practices, including but not limited to, encryption, firewalls, and password protection, must be in place when data is stored or transferred.
- A complete list of all student data elements collected by the State is available for public review at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irs/sirs/documentation/NYSEDstudentData.xlsx, or by writing to the Office of Information & Reporting Services, New York State Education Department, Room 863 EBA, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12234.
- Parents have the right to have complaints about possible breaches of student data addressed. Complaints should be directed in writing to the Chief Privacy Officer, New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12234. Complaints may also be directed to the Chief Privacy Officer via email at: CPO@mail.nysed.gov.
APPENDIX
Supplemental Information Regarding Third-Party ContractorsIn the course of complying with its obligations under the law and providing educational services, Niagara Wheatfield Central School District has entered into agreements with certain third-party contractors. Pursuant to such agreements, third-party contractors may have access to “student data” and/or “teacher or principal data,” as those terms are defined by law.
Each contract the district enters into with a third party contractor where the third party contractor receives student data or teacher or principal data will include the following information:
- the exclusive purposes for which the student data or teacher or principal data will be used;
- how the third party contractor will ensure that the subcontractors, persons or entities that the third party contractor will share the student data or teacher or principal data with, if any, will abide by data protection and security requirements;
- when the agreement expires and what happens to the student data or teacher or principal data upon expiration of the agreement;
- if and how a parent, student, eligible student, teacher or principal may challenge the accuracy of the student data or teacher or principal data that is collected; and
- where the student data or teacher or principal data will be stored (described in such a manner as to protect data security), and the security protections taken to ensure such data will be protected, including whether such data will be encrypted.
Special Note: The Niagara Wheatfield Central School District participates in services provided by the Western New York Regional Information Center (WNYRIC) that involve most of the third party contractors who would be required to comply with New York Education Law § 2-d on behalf of our students and staff. Under these circumstances, the WNYRIC would establish the written agreements with third party contractors to comply with New York Education Law § 2-d.
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