Britten School prides itself on its involvement and communication with parents/guardians. This partnership of home and school is critical for the success of each student. In an effort to achieve this, several forms of communication have been put into place.
The most common and daily form of communication is the home/school log. Please remember faculty always writes in pen and students always write in pencil. The log includes homework assignments given that day and behavioral data. The parent/guardian is expected to read and sign the log daily. In addition, the parent/guardian is encouraged to write comments and ensure that the log returns with the student on the following day. Logs or individual log sheets are always sent home, even on a day with early dismissal. The school should be called immediately if a student arrives at home without a log.
Telephone calls to Britten School are answered between 7:30 am and 4:00 pm. Social Workers/Licensed Professional Counselors are available by phone throughout the day and have confidential voice mail. Messages for teachers and/or counselors will be taken during the day and phone calls returned before or after school. All faculty members also have email access. During the registration process, parents will be asked what type of routine communication they would prefer.
Additional Concerns
For other school concerns please note the following:
- IEP meetings with referring school districts and moves between school districts should be directed to Ms. Ann Biala, Academic Coordinator.
- For attendance issues and clinical concerns, calls should be directed to Dr. Elaine Moor, Dean of Students. If Dr. Moor is not available, then please direct your call to Ms. Olena Hartline, Coordinator of Student Services.
- For issues regarding academic standards, approval of family vacations or concerns about school programming, please direct your call to Ms. Michele F. Hixon, Principal.
- For issues regarding vocational programming and post-secondary placement, please direct your call to Ms. Tracy O’Hare, Vocational Education Coordinator.
In-School Support
After the enrollment of each student, a home/school team will be developed, consisting of the student’s social worker/licensed professional counselor, teacher, classroom counselor, and an intervention specialist. Middle school, junior high and high school students are generally part of this team. Attention will be given to acquiring other resources as deemed necessary by the team. The Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2) is utilized as the basic tool to build the framework of a treatment plan.
Home-School Communication
Home-school communication takes many forms. Britten School faculty strives to openly communicate and support parents/guardians through both written and verbal communication. Written communication includes emails, faxes and the daily home/school log. Verbal communication includes phone calls with and without the student and parent meetings at the school.
Please note that all Britten School faculty members are mandated reporters to the hotline of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
In order to ensure the maximum security and safety of all students and faculty, the parent/guardian will be asked to provide Britten School with the following:
- Copy of any divorce decree covering custody/guardianship concerns
- Copy of any protection orders relevant to the student
- Copy of any student-related court order of supervision or probation report