For the health and safety of all children, dogs are not allowed on campus at any time. Service dogs are welcome when they are working or in training. The Pet and Plant Show is the one time each year when the policy is suspended, and dogs, cats, and approved pets are invited to campus for a festive celebration.

Catlin Gabel is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and governed by a board of trustees. As an independent school, Catlin Gabel does not receive any public funding or religious support. Maintaining our excellence and comprehensive offerings depends upon tuition and fees, the school's endowment, and philanthropic contributions. Philanthropy is the distinguishing factor that allows us to further enrich the student experience. The school relies on the success of the Catlin Gabel Fund every year when making budget decisions; parent support is critical to ensure we reach our fundraising goals to maintain the quality of academic programs offered.

Gifts of every size are an expression of confidence in the school’s mission and community. A high level of parent participation (the percentage of parents who give annually to the Catlin Gabel Fund) also strengthens the school’s application to foundations and enhances our reputation when third-party surveys measure and rank schools across the country. All gifts to Catlin Gabel are tax-deductible as allowable by law.

In addition to raising essential operating support, the school conducts special campaigns for new programs, financial assistance, endowment support, and new buildings. For more information about making a charitable gift to the school, please email or call the advancement office at gifts@catlin.edu or (503) 297-1894 or visit the team in Toad Hall.

By setting guidelines we hope to achieve the following goals:

• Model work and life balance as a community

• Foster planning, problem-solving, and resilience in our community

• Encourage in-person communication

• Counter the prevailing culture of urgency and immediacy

• Support family time, childhood, and sleep

• Support professional boundaries for employees

THE GUIDELINES

We ask that you do not expect email to be read or responded to between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays, and at any time on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and school breaks. During the work week, employees are expected to reply within 24 hours to any email. If you have an emergency, calling is appropriate. Thank you for honoring the spirit and goals of these guidelines.

In addition, when parents and guardians want to send an email to the entire class regarding a school-related matter, they should send the email to their grade level PFA representatives to send on their behalf. Parents and guardians should consult the PFA regarding all communications on behalf of or about Catlin Gabel being sent to community members. For personal communications regarding birthday parties, Bar Mitzvahs, etc., parents and guardians should create their own email address list and send the communication from their own email account. Parents and guardians should use the directory in MyCG to access contact information.  Please refrain from sending parent and guardian contact information in other formats to honor privacy.

Equity and Inclusion goals include:

• Enrolling a diverse student body

• Attracting, hiring, and retaining diverse employees

• Creating programming that supports building and maintaining a strong sense of community

• Training employees to be culturally responsive

• Creating inclusive classrooms and educational experiences

For those who would like to do more, families may consider giving to the school’s Catlin Gabel Fund in honor of a particular teacher or teachers. Please do not send class emails regarding a group gift to a teacher or coach.

We recognize that current and potential community partners have diverse values and belief systems. Learning with and from others who have differing views and values is an important feature of a Catlin Gabel education; this is at the core of our commitment to educating for democracy, one of our pillars of progressive education.

Sometimes, however, those differing views may place members of our community in positions where they feel unwelcome or unsafe. We seek to understand if current and potential partners share our inclusive vision for society and our non-discriminatory policy and practices. If they do not, we seek dialogue to understand how their conflicting policies and practices may be experienced by members of our community in partnership activities. If there is significant value to the partnership despite policy conflicts, we may establish a partnership. In such cases, we will seek to communicate that conflict to our community members and respect their right to make individual decisions about participation.

BEGINNING SCHOOL

Phone: (503) 297-1894 ext. 1000

Email: BeginningSchoolOffice@catlin.edu

LOWER SCHOOL

Phone: (503) 297-1894 ext. 2000

Email: LowerSchoolOffice@catlin.edu

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Phone: (503) 297-1894 ext. 3000

Email: MiddleSchoolOffice@catlin.edu

UPPER SCHOOL

Phone: (503) 297-1894 ext. 4000

Email: UpperSchoolOffice@catlin.edu

If you have trouble accessing your myCG account, please contact:

Information Technology Department

Email: helpdesk@catlin.edu

Phone: (503) 297-1894 ext. 5555

In the case of divorce or separation, it is in the child’s best interest for the school to maintain communication with both original parents. Both custodial and non-custodial parents are listed in the online directory. In the case of joint custody, both families are listed. To remove a listing from the directory, the party listed must contact the school and make the request in writing providing documentation of the custody agreement.

Please call division administrative assistants if you do not have Internet access or need translation services to ensure you receive this communication.

Teachers use a variety of tools to communicate with parents including email messages, learning management systems, and grade-level newsletters. The communications office publishes the Catlin Gabel Caller magazine, with feature articles, and school and alumni news. The Caller is mailed to parents, alumni, employees, grandparents, and friends of the school, and is posted on the website.

The parent/guardian point of view is annually solicited through annual surveys. Division heads and other administrators carefully review survey results and use family feedback to help us improve our work with students and families.

If you have a concern or question, please bring it to the classroom teachers, or the division head if an issue arises that is beyond the scope of the classroom.

In order to foster open discussion of issues important to the Catlin Gabel community and to ensure that the process of addressing and solving problems has the community’s respect and trust, Catlin Gabel has adopted the following principles:

• We encourage and strive to make constructive use of differing viewpoints and ideas.

• We agree to disagree without being disagreeable.

• We will ensure that both the issue being addressed and the solution offered are clearly articulated and understood.

We will continually strive for processes and solutions that are inclusive, equitable, respectful, and affirming of our diverse community and the school’s mission and values.

Our curriculum addresses academics and students’ social, intellectual, and physical development, as well as their character and creativity. Deep understanding and transformative learning take place when teachers work closely with students to inquire, engage, and create. We continually review and refine our curriculum, allowing teachers to adapt instruction to the particular needs of their students. We are committed to responsive teaching and learning, a distinctive feature of a Catlin Gabel education. Questions about curriculum can be directed to teachers or division heads.

LOCAL DAY TRIPS

Most field trips are local day trips. Emails are sent home to announce these trips.

OVERNIGHT TRIPS

At least one overnight trip is planned for 3rd-12th grades, with the length of the trip depending on the age of the students. These overnights help children become independent and discover the necessities and the rewards of working together. Every outing contributes to the personal growth of individual students as well as to group camaraderie. Older students often take part in the planning for trips, gaining experience in the art of organization.

Families will receive trip information in advance of any trip extending beyond the school day.  A permission slip must be signed and returned to the school before the trip in order for a child to participate, typically completed at the beginning of the year in Magnus Health portal in myCG. The trip information will explain in detail when and where the group is going, special supervision or travel arrangements, and clothing or equipment needs. (The school can assist in securing necessary equipment.) Other required forms for long-distance trips include a medical form authorizing specified leaders to get emergency care for your child if treatment is needed when you can’t be reached. Any additional forms needed for trips will be provided via Magnus Health.

Written reports communicate the progress of each student in relation to effort and performance within the context of individual and classroom objectives. The writing of narrative reports is a flexible and individual process. Teachers take great care to be accurate, complete, and objective in their reports. If you have questions about your child’s reports, you are invited to check in with your child’s teacher. Conferences complement written reports and provide opportunities for students and parents to respond to written comments. In addition to discussion of an individual’s growth in intellectual realms, they provide opportunities to discuss personal and community concerns.

Parents, teachers, or students may initiate contact with the learning specialists in their division if they have any questions or concerns:

BEGINNING AND LOWER SCHOOL

Kristy Marling

marlingk@catlin.edu

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Veronica Halen

halenv@catlin.edu

UPPER SCHOOL

Jeffrey Silverstein

silversteinj@catlin.edu

The learning specialists seek to help students meet our curricular goals. Catlin Gabel is able to make some accommodations for individual learning styles, but we do not offer special education services. Accommodations are limited by the needs of other students and the staffing available.

Accommodations and modifications in the Beginning and Lower School are made on an individual basis, depending on student need and available resources. In addition, differentiated instruction in the classroom and small group remedial literacy and math support is provided. The Upper and Middle Schools provide appropriate learning environments for students through differentiated instruction, classroom accommodations, and course load adjustments. Modifications to curriculum and learning objectives are not provided.

In the Beginning and Lower Schools, providers include Speech/Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists, who work with children as independent contractors hired by parents. Need-based financial assistance may be available; parents can contact the learning specialist in their child’s division or visit the learning support portal page in myCG under PFA & Family Info to learn more and access the financial assistance request form.

Parents have the right to review education records within 45 days of requesting to do so. They have the right to authorize disclosure of educational records to people other than school officials who have legitimate educational interests or are under subpoena. Parents have the right to request amendment of the record, to have a hearing on the denial of amendment of the record by an independent hearings officer, and to insert a written explanation of the parent’s request within the education record. These rights transfer to students upon their 18th birthday. However, students do not have the right to view their parents’ financial records that are maintained by the school.

When a student transfers from Catlin Gabel to another school, the division administrative assistant forwards records to the new school within 10 days of the request. Parents of Upper School students, students over the age of 18, and alumni may request transcripts from the registrar. Parents should contact the appropriate division head with questions about their child’s education record. To the extent permitted by law, the school withholds transcripts of graduating seniors whose accounts are not current until their bill is resolved.

In the Middle and Upper Schools, students use online course websites, cloud-based and laptop software applications, interactive panels, and on-demand multimedia offerings. Students are regularly reminded about appropriate technology use.

Catlin Gabel’s beautiful campus offers a relaxed atmosphere for summer learning and fun. The Summer Camps course offerings are posted on the website in late winter.

The elected officers and student representatives of the MSSA and the CGSA have overall responsibility for student government. The president of the CGSA is a full voting member of the board of trustees.

We expect students to self-regulate and to cooperate with each other and employees. Ideally, lists of rules and regulations about unacceptable student behavior are not necessary, and ultimately student conscience, honesty, and good sense are the basic guidelines for behavior. The Middle and Upper School, respectively, have student community agreements to guide divisional expectations.  More information regarding all divisional student behavior expectations and responses is available in the Climate Guide section of the Family Handbook.

Catlin Gabel’s obligation to report a crime (such as a sex crime or other abuse subject to the mandatory child abuse reporting laws) does not end if the student withdraws. The school reserves the right to confiscate a student’s cell phone or other electronic device if it contains inappropriate images that could be a violation of Oregon’s criminal statutes.

The response protocol is based on the SIRC best-practice approach developed by Dr. Wilson Kenney that has been applied in school districts across Oregon. The protocol relies on collaboration with the parents and guardians of the students involved, a trained internal team, and consultation with outside experts when appropriate. A summary of the Catlin Gabel School protocol is described below.

When an incident comes to the attention of the school, the counselor and/or divisional administrator will gather information to collaboratively assess the severity of the incident. Parents of the students involved will be notified, and reports may be made to the Department of Human Services (DHS) and/or law enforcement, as appropriate. If behaviors are determined to be outside of what is developmentally normative, or if developmentally normative behaviors that are inappropriate to occur at school continue despite intervention, a team will assemble to review the case applying a specific Level 1 protocol designed to assist the Level 1 team (comprised of the division head and counselor, as well as the dean of students if appropriate) in making a determination regarding whether the sexual incident in question is normative or non-normative and to assist the school staff in the development of a management plan. Only the parents/guardians of the affected students or those who may be in immediate risk will be contacted. Using student and teacher interviews, parent/guardian reports, internal expertise, and external consultation, the Level 1 Team will assess the severity of student behavior and identify immediate needs for support, safety, and supervision. Results of the Level 1 process may include closing the case and taking no action, developing a school-based plan for the student, formulating a school safety plan, enlisting outside expertise and guidance, referring the affected student for outside evaluation and services, and/or convening a Level 2 protocol team with additional pertinent outside experts to further evaluate the situation. Outside experts on a Level 2 team may include an intervention specialist, physician, or law enforcement.

At each stage of the process, Catlin Gabel staff will work in partnership with the students and families immediately involved in the incident, as well as consult with local authorities and experts when needed, while meeting all legal requirements of mandatory reporting. In many cases, a child’s safety plan will include an expectation that parents/guardians inform other adults who may supervise their child about the concern or commit to excluding their child from less supervised activities. It may be the case that at the end of the evaluation process, Catlin Gabel deems a situation or ongoing student behaviors as unmanageable, resulting in the removal of a student or students from the school.

At all times in this process, consideration will be given to the privacy of students and families. Communication protocols will align with the SIRP assessment process, based on the need for internal and external assessment, supervision of school plans, and significant and proximate risk to other students.

BEGINNING AND LOWER SCHOOL

“Be Safe. Be Kind.” These two rules cover almost any situation in the Beginning and Lower School. As children are learning how to be in the world, we work to support positive behavior by fostering their social-emotional growth across five competencies—self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. We guide children in practicing social-emotional skills and coach them through restorative consequences when things go awry. Families are expected to partner with the school by supporting school consequences and their child’s responsible decision-making. For more detail on behavior expectations and consequences, see the Beginning and Lower School Climate Guide.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

In the Middle School, students and parents sign the Middle School Community Agreement that outlines behavior expectations in that division. Advisors, teachers, and administration investigate violations and decide appropriate consequences in partnership with families. Details regarding Middle School efforts to build a positive school climate in support of these community agreements, and Middle School disciplinary policy, can be found in the Middle School Climate Guide.

UPPER SCHOOL

Upper School students are expected to be familiar with and abide by the Upper School Code of Conduct and Behavior Commitment Form and the Upper School Climate Guide. In the Upper School, violation of the Climate Guide or other school rules will typically result in the student appearing before the Judicial Council, a committee composed of students and faculty members who review serious violations of the community’s standards of behavior. (Student-to-student sexual misconduct allegations do not go before the Judicial Council.) This committee makes recommendations for appropriate disciplinary action to the Upper School division head in response to such violations. After consulting with the Judicial Council, the division head ultimately decides the appropriate disciplinary action, at his/her/their sole discretion. It should be kept in mind that Catlin Gabel is an independent school and not subject to all of the same rules as public schools; the discipline system is not intended to be a “trial,” and there are no formal appeals to this process.

Students may be asked to report high school disciplinary history in their college applications. We expect students to respond truthfully to these questions, and when we are asked by students or parents for assistance in sharing information and context about the situation with colleges, we will provide it. If a college contacts the school directly about a student's disciplinary history, Catlin Gabel will respond truthfully as well.

In accordance with “The Statement of Principles of Good Practice” established by NACAC (The National Association of College Admission Counseling), Catlin Gabel will truthfully answer these questions and will support and encourage students to answer them truthfully as well. Catlin Gabel typically does not initiate contact with a college to report unsolicited information about a student but reserves the right to do so when it believes it is in the best interest of the college to be aware of a student’s recent criminal history or formal disciplinary action.

Catlin Gabel holds the physical, mental, and emotional safety and security of our students as a top priority. We recognize that involvement with alcohol and other drugs can interfere with a student’s academic, physical, emotional, and social development. We also have an obligation to abide by state and federal law and to require our students to do the same.

In furtherance of our mission and values, and in accordance with applicable state and federal law, Catlin Gabel prohibits the use, purchase, possession, distribution, or sale of alcohol or other drugs* on school property at any time by students, as well as at school-related, school-sponsored, or school-sanctioned events or activities regardless of location. If the school community is affected by the student’s alcohol or drug use, we consider it within our purview to act to protect the community. Violation of this policy will lead to an appearance before the Judicial Council and discipline could include suspension or expulsion.

We recognize that abuse of alcohol and other drugs is a treatable health problem. Students who are concerned about themselves or a fellow student are encouraged to take the initiative to seek help from an adult on campus. Any student identified, by self or others, as possibly having a problem involving alcohol or drug use may be encouraged to seek professional consultation and treatment, even if there has not been a violation of school rules. In such a situation involving the student’s strictly personal use of alcohol or drugs, no disciplinary sanctions will be imposed if the student is peer- or self-referred or not “caught” in violation of school policy.

It will be a violation of this policy for anyone to retaliate in any way against a person who reports drug or alcohol use by a student to the school or who participates in an investigation of violation of this policy. Retaliation is a serious matter and would be the basis of separate disciplinary action.

*The use of the term “drugs” does not include a student’s prescription or over-the-counter medication, when taken consistent with the instructions.

Any students engaging in sexually intimate behavior must have effective consent. Effective consent is defined as words or actions that show a knowing and voluntary agreement to engage in mutually agreed upon sexual activity. Effective consent cannot be gained by force, by ignoring or acting in spite of the objections of another, or by taking advantage of the incapacitation of another. Effective consent is also absent when the activity in question exceeds the scope of effective consent previously given. Past consent does not imply future consent. Silence or an absence of resistance does not imply consent. Read more about the school's response to sexual assault and resources available to students in Sexual Assault and Misconduct Support and Resources for Students.

Examples of inappropriate clothing may include but are not limited to clothing that displays the following: explicit language, implicit or explicit references to illegal drugs and substances, and insensitive and/or prejudiced expletives and references.

The Middle School has a more specific Dress Code; see below in Middle School-specific section.

Middle and Upper School students must abide by respective appropriate use agreements. All general school expectations concerning student behavior apply to digital communication and use of the school’s network, applications, and systems, both on and off campus. If faculty or staff become concerned about misuse of digital devices, network, applications or systems,  appropriate action will be taken to make sure that digital device and Internet use align with the Sschool’s mission. If a student’s activity or interaction on the Internet, social media, or utilizing AI tools violates any of our policies, the student will be instructed to cease such activity. Depending on the circumstances, the student may be subject to discipline.

We expect students to follow these guidelines:

• In the classroom, laptops and other mobile devices may only be used for relevant academic purposes except with the explicit permission of the instructor. Recreational game playing and social networking are prohibited in the classroom. Individual teachers may develop computer use policies for their classes and make their expectations known to their students.

  
  

• Repeated inappropriate use of a laptop or other mobile device will result in serious consequences that may include limits placed on the student’s use of digital technology. The school’s commitment to mutual respect extends to online interactions, social networks, and the use of AI tools. Online bullying, harassment, threats, ostracizing, and attempts to intimidate or belittle are not tolerated.

Beginning, Lower, and Middle School students must keep phones turned off and in backpacks during the school day. Cell phone use is prohibited by Upper School students during assemblies, and in classrooms, libraries, and the Upper School science building. Parents and caregivers should not text their students during the day. Call the division office and we’ll quickly reach your child.

Catlin Gabel School expects all students, employees and members of the school community to conduct them­selves in an appropriate and respectful manner, mindful of the personal dignity of fellow students, employees, and visitors. Students, employees, and visitors come to Catlin Gabel School from many different backgrounds and cultures, including different races, religions, genders and gender identities, sexual orientations, and ethnic ancestries. The school encourages its members to seek to under­stand the differences and similarities among us and to appreciate the richness that such diversity provides to an educational community. Respect and understanding of the differences among people are important dimen­sions of education that continue throughout a lifetime.

It is unlawful discrimination to deny employees equal employment or to deny students educational opportunities based upon the individual’s age, sex, race, color, physical or mental disability, religion, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or other legally protected status. Catlin Gabel School is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations requested based on any physical or mental disability and as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act for employees and students.

Catlin Gabel School does not tolerate unlawful discrimination, harassment of any kind, or retaliation against any member of the school community. This policy is intended to protect students in connection with all their academic, educational, co-curricular, athletic, and other programs, whether those take place off campus, during non-school hours, or on breaks from school.

This policy applies to conduct on our campus as well as off campus when the conduct interferes with the work of the school, is or may be disruptive of the educational process, impinges on the rights of others in our community, or has a direct or immediate effect on the safety or welfare of students or other members of the school community. Note that this includes digital and online communications, which could subject the student to discipline even if the communications are made outside of school.

Anyone with a concern about harassment, discrimination, or retaliation should follow the reporting procedures set forth below.

EXAMPLES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Conduct or comments that threaten physical violence;

• Offensive, unso­licited remarks such as slurs, jokes, and bigoted statements and questions

• Unwelcome gestures or physical contact;

• Display, circulation, or transmission of pictures, videos, emails, texts, other written materials, items, pictures, or digital artifacts degrading to anyone due to their gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or other legally protected status;

• Verbal abuse or insults about or directed to any student or group thereof because of their relationship to any of the groups listed above;

• Physical assault.

RACIAL, COLOR, AND NATIONAL ORIGIN HARASSMENT is based on a person’s race, color, or national origin and includes, but is not limited to, the use of nicknames emphasizing racial stereotypes; racial slurs; and derogatory comments or conduct directed at an individual’s manner of speaking, national customs, surname, ethnic characteristics, or language.

RELIGIOUS HARASSMENT is based on a person’s religion or creed and includes, but is not limited to, the use of nicknames emphasizing religious stereotypes; religious slurs; and derogatory comments or conduct directed at an individual’s religion, religious traditions, religious practices, religious symbols, or religious clothing.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION HARASSMENT is based on a person’s sexual orientation and includes, but is not limited to, name calling; using nicknames emphasizing sexual stereotypes; imitating physical characteristics or mannerisms associ­ated with a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression; bullying; or other social ostracism.

DISABILITY HARASSMENT is based on a person’s physical and/or mental disability and includes, but is not limited to, name calling; making derogatory references to the disabling condition; imitating manners of speech and/or movement associated with the dis­ability; or interfering with access to or use of necessary adaptive equipment or aides.

Examples include but are not limited to:

• Gender stereotyping;

• Sexual gossip or personal comments of a sexual nature;

• Sexually suggestive or foul language;

• Sexual or lewd jokes;

• Intimidating or suggestive remarks about an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, whether actual or perceived;

• Whistling, leering, catcalling, or making other suggestive or insulting gestures or comments;

• Spreading rumors or lies of a sexual nature about someone;

• Making obscene, demeaning, or abusive comments about an individual’s body or other personal characteristics;

• Obscene or sexually suggestive graffiti;

• Pressuring someone to share sexually explicit photos, images, video, messages, or digital artifacts via a digital device or cell phone (“sexting”), or posting these digital artifacts on social media or other online locations;

• Displaying or transmitting video, pictures, emails, texts, other written materials, items, pictures, or digital artifacts that are degrading to anyone due to their sex, sexually offensive, or pornographic;

• Audiotaping, videotaping, or otherwise recording individuals in sexual or other potentially embarrassing situations and/or transmitting or threatening to transmit the recorded material to others;

• Offensive or unwelcome sexual flirtation or advances;

• Offensive or unwelcome touching, pinching, grabbing, kissing, tickling, or hugging;

• Demanding sexual favors or forcing sexual activity;

• Stalking;

• Restraining a person’s movement in a sexual way;

• Physical assault, including sexual assault, rape, or any coerced or non-consensual sexual relations.

OBTAINING EFFECTIVE CONSENT

Effective consent requires communication. Each partner should feel free to communicate what they want out of a sexual experience. Partners need to openly state their expectations and how far they want to go. You should frequently check in with your partner to see if they are comfortable. Good communication means a good sexual encounter for everyone involved.

Effective consent must entail an uninfluenced yes. Consent cannot be established if one person is incapacitated or feeling pressured to do something. A person who is incapacitated from drugs or alcohol is unable to give consent. A person should not feel pressured or coerced into sexual activity.

Effective consent happens one step at a time, every time. If either partner agrees to one sexual act, that does not mean they agree to all sexual acts. For example, oral sex does not give consent for intercourse and vice versa. In addition, agreeing to engage in a sexual act today, does not mean they consent to the same sexual act tomorrow.

Effective consent is free to be taken back at any time. At any point during a sexual encounter each partner should feel free to change their mind and the other partner must respect their decision.

Catlin Gabel’s Sexual Assault and Misconduct Support and Resources for Students offers guidance and information to students who have experienced sexual misconduct in any form, including sexual harassment, teen dating violence, and sexual assault. This document also includes information about power differentials in sexual activity.

TEEN DATING VIOLENCE: Teen dating violence is unacceptable and strictly prohibited by Catlin Gabel. This policy applies to behavior on school grounds, at school-sponsored activities, and on school-provided transportation.

“Teen dating violence” refers to:

(A) a pattern of behavior in which a person uses or threatens to use physical, mental or emotional abuse to control another person who is in a dating relationship with the person, where one or both persons are 13 to 19 years of age; or

(B) behavior by which a person uses or threatens to use sexual violence against another person who is in a dating relationship with the person, where one or both persons are 13 to 19 years of age.

(“Dating” or “dating relationship” means an ongoing social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature between two persons. “Dating” or “dating relationship” does not include a casual relationship or ordinary fraternization between two persons in a business or social context.) Catlin Gabel provides age-appropriate education about the prevention and recognition of, and the reporting requirements for, teen dating violence for students in Middle and Upper School. Likewise, school employees receive annual training on the topic of teen dating violence.

REPORTING PROCEDURE

All students and employees are required to report to either the student’s advisor, a counselor, a dean, or the division head any incidents of teen dating violence that take place at the school, on school grounds, at school-sponsored activities, or in vehicles used for school-provided transportation. All such reports will be promptly investigated pursuant to this policy, and Catlin will offer support to affected students.

All employees of Catlin Gabel who become aware of any form of sexual violence (not just teen dating violence) are required to immedi­ately report the information to the appropriate Division Head and the Head of School, even if it is only a suspicion and regard­less of how they became aware of the matter. Reports of sexual violence are taken seriously with the safety and well‑being of all students is of paramount concern.

School employees also have an obligation to report suspected sexual, physical and/or psychological abuse pursuant to mandatory child abuse and sexual misconduct reporting laws. A Catlin employee is not permitted to maintain total confidentiality to a student (or parent) who informs the employee of an allegation of sexual violence or sexual misconduct if the allegation leads the employee to believe their mandatory reporting obligations have been triggered. Regardless of the actions taken by the authorities, the immediate focus of Catlin Gabel School following such a report is to support all students in every way possible.

For additional information, see Catlin’s Sexual Assault and Misconduct Support and Resources for Students.

WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEEK ADVICE AND SUPPORT. At any time, you are encouraged to consult your adviser, a counselor, the dean, or any other adult in the school community that you trust, to make them aware of your concerns and to seek their advice or support. Please be aware that Catlin Gabel employees are obligated to report certain misconduct that comes to its attention to law enforcement or the Department of Human Services (DHS), and they cannot promise 100% confidentiality.

IF IT FEELS RIGHT (AND SAFE), COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH THE OFFENDER. If you feel comfortable and safe approaching the individual who has engaged in the offensive conduct, you are encouraged to respectfully express your concerns honestly and directly to that individual and request an end to the conduct. You are under no obligation to approach the individual if you are uncomfortable doing so or believe it would not be helpful.

REPORT THE CONDUCT, WHICH WILL INITIATE AN INVESTIGATION. If you choose not to approach the individual directly, or if you have done so but the issue was not resolved, you are strongly encouraged to make a report, preferably in writing. The Division Head is the designated person to receive reports regarding conduct in their division, but Upper School students should also feel free to make a report to their advisor or the dean (they in turn will discuss the report with the Division Head). Parents and third parties are also free to file a complaint with the appropriate Division Head on a student’s behalf. If you believe that the person’s behavior may violate the law, you may also report the matter directly to the police.

Even if the student does not wish to make a formal report, Catlin Gabel School may still take action if the school learns of potential harassment, discrimination, or retaliation and determines it is in the school’s best interest to investigate the concern.

While Catlin Gabel’s investigation process may vary, the school generally conducts a prompt review of the report and considers whether any interim actions are appropriate (this could include loss of certain campus privileges, separation of certain students, seizure of a student’s phone, suspension, or some other appropriate intervention). The school (or the investigator) will then try to obtain all the relevant evidence (for example, this could include screenshots, emails, documents, images of offensive graffiti, etc.), interview all parties involved (including any witnesses), and make a determination whether a violation of our policy has occurred. If the school writes up its investigation in a written report, the report is confidential.) After the investigation, the school will promptly notify the individual who reported and the individual about whom the report was made whether a violation of school policies was found to have occurred, keeping in mind state and federal confidentiality laws that may affect how much the school can disclose. If warranted, we will implement disciplinary action, which could include restorative justice, referral to the Judicial Council, suspension, expulsion, or some other consequence that the school deems appropriate. The school may discipline a student for inappropriate conduct even if it does not meet the legal definition of unlawful discrimination or harassment.

At any point in our investigation if we have a reasonable suspicion that the conduct may constitute child abuse (including sexual abuse) or that some other serious crime has been committed, we will notify the Department of Human Services (DHS) or law enforcement. When the school makes a report to DHS or law enforcement, it is often instructed by law enforcement not to proceed with its own internal investigation until DHS or law enforcement complete their investigation. Catlin Gabel fully cooperates with all such directives.

CONFIDENTIALITY: Complaints will be maintained in confidence to the extent possible considering the school’s obligation to take appropriate responsive action; however, the school cannot guarantee total confidentiality to anyone involved in the investigation, including the complainant.

PARTICIPATION IN INVESTIGATIONS: The initiation of a complaint in good faith about behavior that may violate our policy, and the participation in an investigation, will not adversely affect the educational assignments or study environment of the student. Students are expected to cooperate fully in an investigation conducted by the school (with one caveat: we make a trauma-informed exception for sexual assault survivors, who may opt not to participate in an investigation if they do not want to do so). The school reserves the right to confiscate a student’s cell phone or other electronic device if it is believed to contain inappropriate images, video, or other digital artifacts that could be a violation of Oregon’s criminal statutes. If a student accused of wrongful conduct refuses to participate or cooperate at any stage of an investigation for whatever reason, including but not limited to pending criminal charges, the school reserves the right to take action, including proceeding without a statement from the student, asking the student to leave school while the investigation is underway, or requiring the student to withdraw from school enrollment. Catlin Gabel’s obligation to report a crime (such as a sex crime or other abuse subject to the mandatory child abuse reporting laws) does not end if the student withdraws.

SPECIFIC ADDITIONAL PROCESS FOR COMPLAINTS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT: When a student or a student’s parent or guardian makes a report alleging unwelcome sexual behavior that may violate our policy, the student or the student’s parents/guardians will receive a copy of the school’s Sexual Assault and Misconduct Support and Resources Guide for Students, which contains the following information:

• The rights of the student who filed the complaint.

• Information about Catlin Gabel’s internal complaint process that the student who filed the complaint may pursue, including the person designated by the school for receiving complaints.

• Notice that civil and criminal remedies that are not provided by Catlin Gabel may be available to the student through the legal system and that those remedies may be subject to statutes of limitation.

• Information about services available to the student through Catlin Gabel, including any counseling services, nursing services, or peer advising.

• Information about the privacy rights of the student and legally recognized exceptions to those rights for internal complaint processes and services available through Catlin Gabel.

• Information about, and contact information for, state and community-based services and resources that are available to persons who have experienced sexual harassment.

• Notice that students who report information about possible prohibited conduct and students who participate in an investigation under our policy may not be disciplined for violations of the school’s drug and alcohol policies that occurred in connection with the reported prohibited conduct and that were discovered as a result of a prohibited conduct report or investigation, unless the student gave another person alcohol or drugs without the person’s knowledge and with the intent of causing the person to become incapacitated and vulnerable to the prohibited conduct.

The person who initiated the complaint (and if applicable, the person’s parents/guardians) shall be notified when the investigation is initiated and concluded, and to the extent allowable under state and federal confidentiality laws, will be told whether a violation of our policies was found to have occurred.

For reports of sexual misconduct involving another student, the school will also initiate its Sexual Incident Response Protocol (SIRP). SIRP is intended to complement (and in some instances, intersect) the response of the school described in these policies and in the Sexual Assault and Misconduct Support and Resources Guide for Students. In the unlikely event any protocols of SIRP conflict with these policies or the guide, the school reserves the right to pick the response that will best achieve its goal of maintaining student safety and wellbeing and offering appropriate support.

Examples of retaliation include but are not limited to:

• Peers of a student accused of misconduct learning of the complaint and then socially ostracizing or otherwise mistreating the individual who made the complaint;

• Peers of a student reporting misconduct learning of the complaint and then socially ostracizing or otherwise mistreating the individual who is accused of misconduct, when the report has not been substantiated either because the investigation is pending or the investigation did not substantiate the allegations;

• Teachers giving an unfair grade to a student because the student reported misconduct, has been accused of misconduct, or has participated in an investigation;

• Unwanted attempts to contact the student(s) involved in the report;

• Spreading rumors about the student(s);

• Threats, bullying and harassment of any kind, either in person or online

Catlin Gabel School does not tolerate retaliatory behavior. If you (or someone you know) is being retaliated against, you should immediately bring it to the attention of your advisor, the dean, or your Division Head. Retaliation against any individual for reporting harassment or discrimination, for participating in an investigation, or for supporting a student who has made a good faith complaint will not be tolerated and students who engage in retaliation will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including suspension or expulsion from school.

A few examples of relational aggression and bullying prohibited by this policy include:

• Deliberately excluding or shunning a student as a way to humiliate or demean them;

• Spreading gossip or rumors about a student as a way to socially alienate them, in person or via email or social networking sites;

• Intimidating a student by name-calling or threatening in a manner that puts the student down or is cruel;

• Physical intimidation and assaultive behaviors, such as spitting, hitting, slapping, pushing, punching, and engaging in other physical aggression or conduct that causes or threatens to cause bodily harm to a student;

• Sexually harassing a student; and

• Hazing a student.

  
  

Also prohibited in this policy is cyberbullying, a form of bullying that is conducted through the online posting or transmission of messages, video, images, or other digital artifacts that are intentional, repeated, and hurtful as stated above. Methods can include but aren’t limited to posting on social media, text messaging, chat programs and sites, and emailing via cell phone, tablet, computer, or other electronic device.

Acts of social aggression are taken seriously. We proactively work with all students to prevent social aggression by explicitly teaching social-emotional skills and developing a culture of respect. Social aggression is viewed through a lens of age-appropriate social-emotional health; we intervene with our younger students by guiding children through social problem-solving processes and teaching to social-emotional skill deficits. Families are expected to partner with the school by supporting their child’s social-emotional health and the school’s problem-solving processes.

Any student who is the victim of relational aggression or bullying should refrain from retaliating and immediately report the incident to their Division Head. Any student found to have engaged in relational aggression or bullying will be subject to discipline, which may include suspension or expulsion. Any bullying that is reasonably suspected to constitute child abuse will be reported to appropriate authorities, as required by law.

Any student who is the victim of hazing should report the incident to their Division Head. Any student found to have engaged in hazing will be subject to discipline, which may include suspension or expulsion. Any hazing that is reasonably suspected to constitute child abuse will be reported to appropriate authorities, as required by law.

“Domestic violence” means the following abuse between family and household members:

• Attempting to cause or intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing bodily injury;

• Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly placing another in fear of imminent bodily injury; or

• Causing another to engage in involuntary sexual relations by force or threat of force.

Students should report domestic violence to their advisor, a counselor, a dean, or the division head. Catlin Gabel will then coordinate efforts to take the actions necessary to ensure the student is safe and protected. Any domestic violence that is reasonably suspected to constitute child abuse will be reported to appropriate authorities, as required by law.

Catlin Gabel has posters on its campus that contain information regarding domestic violence, including a toll-free hotline number that students may call to obtain information and help regarding domestic violence.

Catlin Gabel also provides age-appropriate education to its Middle and Upper School students on the prevention and recognition of, and reporting requirements for, domestic violence. Likewise, school employees receive annual training on the topic of domestic violence.

Catlin Gabel’s policies regarding gender and sexuality are aligned with the Oregon Department of Education’s “Supporting Gender Expansive Students” guidance, as well as federal laws. (20 US 1681, 34 CFR 106, Enforcement of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 With Respect to Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Light of Bostock v. Clayton County). It is also in keeping with the American Medical Association’s guidance regarding medical care for children.

Each child in the Beginning and Lower School has a space to keep a lunch box, coat, and some school supplies. We suggest that young children who must bring money to school give it to a teacher for safekeeping at the start of the day. Lost items should be reported to the Beginning or Lower School office. Lockers are assigned to each Upper School student and open cubbies to each Middle School student for books and personal effects. Lockers are also provided in the athletic locker rooms for Middle and Upper School students. Students must use locks to ensure their contents are safe.

Laptops should be with the student or in a locked locker at all times. All laptops and bags should be clearly labeled with the student’s name. The school does not maintain insurance covering theft or damage for students’ electronic devices; this is the responsibility of families. Laptops should not be borrowed or loaned to or from other students.

Parents also have the option to take the digital health file with them after their child graduates.

Parents should notify the school promptly of changes to their contact information by logging into myCG and selecting Update my profile from the Family Info menu. To ensure data security and privacy, updates will no longer be accepted via email. Updates to your child’s health information, medications, and medical requirements should be made in Magnus Health which is also accessed from within myCG.

myCG PORTAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Email: helpdesk@catlin.edu

Phone: (503) 297-1894 ext. 5555

Every emergency or accident is different, but in general:

• If the symptoms or injury are serious, the school will make arrangements to transfer the child to the hospital, where emergency personnel will be involved as authorized by the child’s emergency procedures authorization. Simultaneously, we begin efforts to reach the parents.

• For everyday scratches, bumps, cuts, bee stings, and so forth, first aid supplies are available in each division office, the Extended Care office, physical education and athletic offices, and the Health Hub, and are carried on all off-campus trips.

Should a school-related injury occur, please contact the appropriate department or division within 72 hours. In the event a claim will be filed with the plan administrator, please get in touch with the Business Office for a claim form. This claim form must then be filed within 90 days of the date of the first physician’s visits or as soon as reasonably possible.

Beginning and Lower School students arriving before their arrival time need to be enrolled in Extended Care. Students who arrive early in the Middle School (7:15 to 8:20) will report to Tennis Court 1 for morning care. If you have students in different divisions, please make sure that all of them arrive at school at the appropriate time, regardless of whether there is a late start for any of them.

If a storm develops while school is in session and it appears that travel conditions will deteriorate rapidly, children will be sent home early. Under circumstances requiring early dismissal, parents will need to arrange for midday transportation for their children. A staff member will remain with students until parents/guardians arrive for pick-up. Division administrative assistants will be available to answer questions and to help with transportation problems. Catlin Gabel does not necessarily follow the decisions made by Portland Public or Beaverton schools because our students come from a wide geographic area. In the event of school closure, please check with the divisional office regarding school work expectations during those days.

If the school has three or more unplanned closures during the school year, the school will first seek opportunities to make up the lost school closure days during the school year. If that is not possible, we may use three make-up days that have been reserved for the three days that follow the planned last day in June.

A planned absence requires filing a completed permission form to miss classes five days before the absence. Forms are available in the division offices and, for Beginning & Lower School, the form is also available in myCG here. The form will be initialed by teachers when the student and teacher arrange how missed work will be made up, then by the advisor, and then by the division head.

Teachers are happy to help but catching up students on classes missed because of a vacation is beyond reasonable expectations and diverts teacher attention from his or her responsibilities to the entire class. Further, make-up conversations with teachers and homework cannot replace the learning that happens in class as a result of class discussions, participation, and collaborative activities.

All students admitted to Catlin Gabel are required to meet the standards for admission. The special relationship that children and grandchildren of alumni, children of employees, and siblings of current Catlin Gabel students have is noted during the admission process. However, legacy status and affiliation does not guarantee admission for any student and does not carry more weight in the admissions decision than such factors as academic preparation and potential to contribute to the school community.

The admission section of the website outlines deadlines and procedures for application and for financial assistance and other scholarship programs. Admission decisions are released in early March.

No student may be considered for re-enrollment or financial assistance for succeeding academic years or semesters unless their Catlin Gabel billing account is considered current.

If any payment is delinquent for 60 days following the due date, the student may be excluded from school attendance. The school reserves the right not to invite a student to reenroll or to require the withdrawal of a student if it is determined to be in the best interests of the student or the school. Reasons may include, but are not limited to, the student’s unsatisfactory academic performance or behavior by the student, parent, or guardian that is detrimental or disruptive to the school.

Reenrollment to a particular grade depends upon the returning student’s grade-level readiness and academic standing. A non-refundable leave of absence deposit, ten percent of tuition (the same as the reenrollment deposit), will be applied to the tuition when the student returns. It is the parents/guardians’ responsibility to notify the enrollment office of their interest in returning from the leave by January 15. The family will be asked to complete aspects of the admission process including submitting their child’s current school transcript. If the family decides to remain away beyond one year, the leave of absence agreement is null and void and the family will forfeit its enrollment deposit.

A two-year leave of absence from Catlin Gabel is considered only in the rare event that a parent’s employer offers an opportunity to work abroad for a minimum duration of 2 years. The request and approval process for two-year leaves of absence are the same as one-year. Families will need to submit transcripts for both years of the leave, a teacher evaluation, and update the admission office on their intentions mid-way through the leave period. A family on a two-year leave of absence is not required to visit campus as part of their reentry to Catlin Gabel, but if the family decides to remain away beyond the two years, the leave of absence agreement is null and void and the family will forfeit its enrollment deposit.

Students are only allowed to park on campus only in the designated spaces for students, and they are required to follow all the posted rules for driving and parking. Drivers are required to register their vehicles and can use this link to do so. Alternatively, students may park on only the seventh and eighth floors of the St. Vincent’s West Parking Structure.

BUS DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS

In cases of inclement weather, morning or afternoon buses may be delayed or canceled.

MORNING BUS DELAY OR CANCELLATION

If buses are delayed or canceled in the morning, you will be informed by 6 a.m. through our emergency notification system, which sends messages via text, email, and phone. If you receive a message that buses have been delayed by two hours, you can plan to board your usual bus, at your usual pick-up spot, exactly two hours later than usual. For example, if you normally board the Blue Bus from the NE 9th and Knott stop at 7:02 a.m., you can plan to board this bus at 9:02 a.m. instead.

For questions about MORNING BUS SERVICE SCHEDULES, contact:

TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR

Helen Romero

Email: romeroh@catlin.edu

Phone: 503-297-1894 x5100

AFTERNOON BUS DELAY OR CANCELLATION

If buses run in the morning, they will also run in the afternoon. Unless you receive an additional notification from Catlin Gabel, you can plan to use the after-school bus service at the usual time, even if buses were on a delayed schedule in the morning. Afternoon bus service will only be canceled if we experience rapidly changing weather conditions. In that case, we will decide and communicate by noon whether afternoon buses will operate.

For questions about AFTERNOON BUS SERVICE SCHEDULES, contact:

CATLIN GABEL EXTENDED CARE

Email: asp@catlin.edu

Phone: (503) 297-1894 ext. 1055

For more information, including bus schedules and routes, visit the Transportation page (www.catlin.edu/transportation) on the Catlin Gabel website.

Trimet bus 20-to Gresham runs approximately every 15 minutes from the Sunset Transit Center and can drop students one block from the Catlin Gabel entrance.

Whenever possible, Catlin Gabel vehicles or vehicles chartered from another organization may transport students on field trips. Catlin Gabel-sanctioned drivers are appropriately licensed drive these vehicles. Occasionally, TriMet service may be part of a trip plan.

We host a diverse array of poets and writers. The Esther Dayman Strong Lectureship in the Humanities was created in 1987 as a living memorial to the values that Esther Strong nurtured throughout her life, and especially as principal of the Catlin-Hillside School from 1944 to 1957 and the first head of Catlin Gabel. The Karl Jonske ’99 Memorial Lectureship was created in 2005 to honor Karl’s love of literature.

The alumni director and staff work with the alumni board and other volunteers to plan and coordinate alumni activities, including alumni speakers on campus, joint alumni and student activities, regional alumni events, and Alumni Homecoming Weekend. Alumni news is a regular feature in the Catlin Gabel Caller.

• THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE is composed of the board’s officers, the Head of School, and committee chairs. It can act for the board between regular meetings. The committee meets regularly to prepare topics for discussion by the board, plan the annual retreat, and is responsible for annually evaluating the Head of School and reviewing the school’s long-range planning.

  
  

• THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE is responsible for the education and development of trustees to help them fulfill their duties. The committee recommends and nominates individuals for election to the Board of Trustees and the slate of officers. The committee may propose changes to the school’s bylaws for adoption by the board. The committee is responsible for board evaluations.

  
  

• THE FINANCE COMMITTEE provides oversight for financial planning, the yearly budgeting, managing maintenance reserves, and any proposed changes to financial standards and practices of the school.

  
  

• THE ENDOWMENT COMMITTEE is responsible for overseeing and managing the school’s endowment assets in accordance with the Endowment Investment Policy of Catlin Gabel School. Committee members, elected by the Board of Trustees, oversee investment policies and the performance of investment managers. The committee provides regular reports on the status of the endowment to the board.

  
  

• THE AUDIT COMMITTEE is primarily responsible for providing a review and oversight of the school’s external auditors. The committee reviews with the external auditors the financial statements, the financial reporting process, the system of internal controls, the audit process, and the school’s monitoring of compliance with laws and regulations during our annual review. They also oversee the retirement plan and operational risk management.

  
  

• THE INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE oversees board policies and procedures that lead to increased diversity in students, faculty, administration, the board, and parent leadership and promotes inclusivity and equity in the school community and beyond. The committee works to educate and inform the board about inclusivity topics, identifies and helps implement best practices, and recommends strategic diversity priorities that seek to ensure a safe and inclusive community for all.

  
  

• THE ENROLLMENT AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE is responsible for overseeing and supporting the school's enrollment and marketing and communications efforts. The committee works with school leadership to carry out long-term strategies to ensure a high-quality and diverse admission pool, and manage the school’s brand and reputation.

Guest speakers might include the Head of School, division heads, college counselors, or students. All parents are invited to these meetings. The PFA leadership is listed in the online directory. PFA elections take place in the spring. Feel free to call your PFA representatives with questions and ideas.

We foster this capacity through social-emotional learning (SEL), which comprises five competencies: self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. As a learning community, students and adults practice these as they navigate learning and community expectations and, in the process, work to balance the needs of a group while learning to articulate and share their individual needs and experience.

The following principles guide our responsive stance:

• We assume children want to feel connected and a sense of belonging.

• We believe positive relationships are fundamental (student-student, student-teacher, school-parent) and we work together with students and families to solve problems.

• We understand that children will make mistakes and are working toward improvement rather than perfection.

• We leverage strengths as we work to support areas of challenge.

• We guide children in practicing social-emotional skills and coach them through the process of reflection and restoring their place in the community when things go awry.

In the Middle School, students and parents sign the Middle School Community Agreement that outlines behavior expectations in that division. Advisors, teachers, and administration investigate violations and decide appropriate consequences.

The division head ultimately decides the appropriate disciplinary action, at his/her/their sole discretion. It should be kept in mind that Catlin Gabel is a private school and not subject to the same rules as public schools; the discipline system is not intended to be a “trial” and there is no formal appeals process.

Many colleges request disciplinary history information from the student and the school as part of their applications for admission, and subsequent notification in the event any disciplinary issue arises post-admission.

No child may be left unattended, so supervising teachers and coaches will send children to Extended Care if they are not picked up on time. Those students who are not enrolled in a formal program are not regularly supervised. You may contact Extended Care by email at asp@catlin.edu.

Families who would like to secure placement in Extended Day have the option of choosing to attend 3, 4, or 5 days a week.

DROP-IN OPTIONS

Families who would like to use Extended Day on an as-needed basis will be able to schedule attendance using the drop-in program. Registration for each day will close at 12 p.m.

ATTENDANCE WITHOUT NOTIFICATION

Due to the limited number of spaces available in Extended Day, students must be registered for the annual rate or a drop-in spot to attend. If a child was signed up for drop-in Extended Day and they do not attend without canceling or notification, there will be an automatic charge for the first hour ($8.75).

ALL-DAY PROGRAMS

Extended Day provides care on days when Beginning and Lower school classes are not in session due to conferences, professional development, and teacher workdays. Registration for these days opens in myCG 2 weeks prior to the day of the program. Space is limited.

• Student attire must permit the student to participate in learning and be appropriate for the task at hand.

• Students must wear clothing including both a shirt with pants or skirt, or the equivalent (for example dresses, leggings, or shorts) and shoes.

• Shirts and dresses must have fabric in the front and on the sides.

• Clothing must cover undergarments (waistbands and straps excluded).

• Fabric covering breasts, genitals and buttocks must be opaque.

• Hats must allow the face to be visible and not interfere with the line of sight. Hoodies must allow the face to be visible. On occasion students may be asked to remove hats and hoodies for specific activities.

• Attire depicting or advocating violence, criminal activity, use of alcohol or drugs, pornography, or hate speech are prohibited.

The responsibility for the dress of a student rests primarily with the students and their families. Families are responsible for ensuring student compliance with the school dress code.

The school will communicate all unexcused absences to parents/guardians. If a student accrues three unexcused absences, the school will contact the parents/guardians directly, via phone or email. If the student accrues another unexcused absence after this contact, the school will schedule a meeting with the student, their advisor, and their parents/guardians. Additionally, unexcused absences could negatively impact a student’s overall grade, e.g., a student who skips a class may receive no credit for the content missed, and the student’s credit for participation may be negatively impacted.

The Upper School Workload Policy on academic workload outside of class, as well as school-based co-curriculars, includes the following elements:

• Upper School classes generally assign between 30 and 45 minutes of homework per night.

• Honors and upper-level classes may assign up to one hour.

• During the school year many classes will have exceptional assignments, such as term tests and term papers. Teachers will coordinate the timing of these assignments such that an individual student does not have more than two of these assignments on any one day, or more than three such assignments over a two-day period. Students who find themselves with more than this number of major assignments should ask a teacher to move one of the due dates to a mutually agreeable time. This policy does not apply during final exam periods.

• Advisors will counsel students as they sign up for academic courses, JV and varsity sports, and major extracurricular activities. Advisors should discourage students from signing up for more obligations than they can handle.

• No JV or varsity sport or major co-curricular activity shall require a commitment of more than two hours per day (with exceptions for game, performance, and competition days). JV sports shall meet for no more than four days a week, unless the coach chooses to have five one-and-a-half hour practices per week.

• Athletic teams and co-curricular activities may schedule practices on weekends, but students are permitted to attend conflicting academic, extracurricular, or family engagements on those weekends, provided the student gives the coach or extracurricular director adequate notice of the conflict.

• Any co-curricular or sporting event that requires students to miss more than one class period or takes more than six hours of a student’s time (including transportation) on a single day shall not hold practice the following day, to allow students time to catch up on their academic work. Exceptions shall be made when certain teams must prepare for a game the following day and for playoffs.

• Students are responsible for communicating with coaches and co-curricular leaders in a clear and timely manner when obligations will cause them to miss practice or games.

• All classes at Catlin Gabel are equally important, and students are expected to attend all classes unless they have an excused absence or are excused for an officially sanctioned field trip. Students should never miss class time in one class to meet obligations in another class.

As part of this review for academic standing, students will meet with their teacher(s), advisor, and/or the dean of students to create a plan to discuss the pattern of absences. This may include a plan to make-up missed work or an agreement to curtail certain activities until back on track with a follow-up meeting to track progress. Should the student not follow the plan or their pattern of absences continues, this could result in too little evidence being available for grading of one or more competencies, leading to a lower grade, withdrawal, or a failing grade for the class in the most extreme cases.

If a student misses 40% or more of the meetings in the term for any given class, they will be unable to earn credit for the class for that term. (This might mean that a student can earn 0.5 credits for the completed term of a year-long course.)

For extenuating circumstances such as extended illnesses, students and parents will meet with the dean of students in anticipation of or after the absences to review the circumstances and to develop a plan to address the absences (see Medical Leave policy below).  A student on an approved leave of absence may have an adjusted expectation for total attendance in a term to earn credit, as determined by the Upper School Head.

A voluntary or mandated medical leave of absence may be authorized in consultation with the Upper School Head and student support team to address physical or emotional illnesses that, in their judgment, cannot be adequately treated while the student is in the school setting. These same administrators will determine whether and under what conditions that student should return to the school.

Under certain circumstances, a leave may be granted by the administration when requested by parents. The request should be made to the Upper School Head in writing and should be accompanied by medical documentation. In these cases, families are required to remain current in their financial commitments to the school. All contracts remain binding. Failure to comply with any specific requirements could jeopardize a student’s enrollment.

There are generally three forms of medical leave:

Short-Term: An approved absence from the school for health reasons, lasting no more than two weeks. Once a medical leave decision is made as outlined above, the upper school counselor and/or the appropriate dean will notify the student’s teachers. Though extensions are granted for medical leaves, the ultimate responsibility of keeping up with the coursework lies with the student.

Long-Term: An approved absence from school for health reasons lasting longer than two weeks but no more than one academic year. Often this may require the rest of the current semester, plus one additional term for stabilization of the student’s condition. Though extensions and special arrangements are granted for long-term medical leaves, the ultimate responsibility of keeping up with the coursework lies with the student. 

Medical Separation: A voluntary or mandated absence from the school for health reasons requiring more than an academic year. This leave is reserved for the student who has demonstrated efforts to adjust but for health reasons cannot meet the requirements of the school community, academically or socially. While it involves the loss of the student’s space in the school, it is distinguished from a withdrawal or dismissal in that it leaves open the possibility of application for readmission.

ASSIGNMENTS AND SCHOOLWORK DURING MEDICAL LEAVE

When a student is away from school on a medical leave that lasts more than a week, it is typical for “minor” assignments (i.e. daily reading quizzes, etc.) to be excused. Major assignments related to prominent course content or course skills may be rescheduled and adjusted as needed on a case-by-case basis. The Student Support Team, under the direction of the dean of students, will coordinate and document a make-up plan and calendar, in collaboration with the student, the family, and teachers.

RETURN FROM MEDICAL LEAVE

Prior to a student’s return to school, the student and their family must provide the school with information and access to the treating professionals, as well as reports of social and academic function. When it is deemed appropriate for a student to return to school, students and their families can expect a re-entry meeting to take place. The meeting typically involves the student support team, advisor, student, and their family. At the discretion of the school, others may be invited as deemed necessary or appropriate. Upon return to school, student support systems will be put into place to determine an appropriate academic program with input from the student’s teachers.

REQUIRED PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL CARE

The school reserves the right to make professional medical care and/or counseling a requirement of a student’s continued attendance at Catlin Gabel. Parents are responsible for all costs for such care.

The duration of the plan will be determined by the Dean of Students and Upper School Head.

Once a student is placed on an academic support plan, the following support steps are taken:

• A meeting will be held with the student, family, advisor, and dean of students to develop an academic support plan, including defining a timeline and the range of consequences if the conditions of the plan are not met.

• The dean of students will notify students and their family with a formal letter that specifies the conditions of the academic support plan.

• A student will be required to check in consistently with a learning specialist, counselor, and/or advisor. With whom the students will meet and the frequency of the meetings will be determined by the needs outlined in the support plan.

• A student may be placed on Student Status Reports (“weeklies”) organized by the Learning Center, which will be shared with the student and family.

• Additional resources may be offered/suggested as applicable (e.g., math cafe, science cafe, writing lab, mental health support from school counselors, etc.).

• As part of the support plan, we may revisit the student's upcoming course schedule to see if any adjustments need to be made (reducing course load, selecting different course level, etc.).

Academic support may signal to the student and their family that the student’s academic performance raises concerns about the student’s status at Catlin Gabel. Conditions of academic support can include the loss of school privileges to be determined by the student support team. Students can work their way back into good standing by increasing all grades to C or above. Although most students do achieve good academic standing again, the family of a student on academic support should begin to explore alternative educational options. The final decision whether to re-enroll a student is made at the school’s discretion. On occasion, when a student, whose enrollment contract has been issued and returned with the required deposit, continues to decline academically, we will reconsider the student’s standing for the next school year. In such cases, the school administration reserves the right to revoke the contract.

The college counselors work with students and parents individually and in small groups to explore the options available and prepare them for the application process. The single most important role for a parent in the college planning process is to support the student in whatever way he or she needs most. The college counselors can help parents assess the situation.

The college counseling page provides helpful information about the application process and links to websites of interest for admission, testing, and financial aid. There is also a personalized website for students who are in the college application process.

Plans must be made so that no appointments are missed; abuse of the privilege will result in its loss. The school does not assume responsibility for students driving other students during lunch or other unrelated school activities. Any parents objecting to their child leaving for lunch should discuss their concern or prohibitions with the child.

These three students will be guaranteed re-enrollment upon satisfactory performance in their off-campus program. Additional students beyond the committee-approved students may participate in an off-campus educational program but they will not be guaranteed re-enrollment.

Considerations include the student’s academic standing and the off-campus program’s suitability. Students should contact the Upper School Head for further information about the process. If a student is approved for a full-year program, families complete the leave of absence form and are expected to pay a non-refundable 10% tuition deposit to be applied to tuition for the following year. If a student is approved to take a semester away in the fall, we charge 60% of our tuition. If a student is approved to take a semester away in the spring, we ask them to get the tuition refund insurance, and forgive them 10% additional. That way we receive 90% of the tuition for the year (approx. $3,000 less for the school), and they also pay 60% (~70% to insurance co., 10% less to us). Families should meet with their students’ advisors and the head of the Upper School to determine how a leave of absence will affect graduation requirements and course options upon return.

Once we receive the request, the following steps will take place:

• The Director of Equity and Inclusion (Connie Kim-Gervey) and Upper School Head (Aline Garcia-Rubio) will communicate all of the above with the recommending committee and will coordinate a meeting to discuss the possibility of the speaker visit. The recommending committee includes: Assistant Director of Inclusion and Outreach, Dean of Students, Head of Upper School, CGSA President and Vice-president, PFA Division Coordinator, and Student Inclusivity Coordinator.

• The recommending committee will review the submitted materials, define if other people need to be involved in the conversation/decision, and will make a recommendation to the Assistant Head of School. If more people need to be involved in the conversation (for example, a student club, affinity group, Head of School) they will be invited to review materials and suggest input to the committee. The committee will then send a recommendation to the Assistant Head of School.

• The Assistant Head of School will discuss with the Upper School Head and the Director of Inclusion and Outreach and arrive at a decision.

• The decision will be communicated to the student(s) who proposed the speaker.

• If the decision is to bring the speaker, a budget will be allocated by Inclusion Office or speaker budget (depending on topic).

• The assembly will be scheduled by the Dean of Students.

• The student who proposed the assembly will immediately become the point person for the execution of the assembly with support from the Upper School office and Inclusion Office.

This handbook governs all conduct and relationships involving students that occur on or off school property or with any school-sponsored program or event. The policies apply to all adults interacting with Catlin students in conjunction with the school’s programs, including employees (faculty, staff, coaches, etc.), contractors, volunteers, and any other third parties acting in any school-related capacity.

This resource is designed to raise awareness of issues and situations that may arise, prompt reflective behavior, and provide guidance. It is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of unacceptable or “at-risk” behaviors which may breach the boundaries associated with adult-student relationships. Likewise, this resource is not exhaustive of the policies that apply to our employees. Additional behavioral standards and policies may be found in the Catlin Gabel Employee Handbook.

We require all adults affiliated in any way with Catlin Gabel School to maintain appropriate adult-student relationships at all times, both on and off campus. All interactions between members of the Catlin Gabel community should be based on mutual respect and trust and should be consistent with the mission and values of the school. Every member of our community should expect an environment free of abuse, misconduct, and harassment, where appropriate adult-student boundaries are respected and maintained.

Catlin Gabel prohibits and will not tolerate child abuse, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment or boundary violations. Any reasonable belief of a violation of our policies, including a reasonable belief of inappropriate adult-student boundaries, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, and/or child abuse, will be reported to the appropriate authorities. Those authorities may include law enforcement; Child Protective Services ("CPS”), an agency within the Department of Human Services ("DHS"); Oregon Department of Education (“ODE”); and/or the Oregon Teachers Standards and Practices Commission (“TSPC”), as appropriate. To report, please refer to the “How to Report” section of this guide. All employees are required by law to report any suspected child abuse to authorities. All community members are encouraged to report suspicious behavior as well. To make a report, please refer to the “How to Report” section of this guide.

No retaliation against individuals for working in good faith to report adult-student boundary violations, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, or child abuse will be tolerated. Individuals who demonstrate retaliatory behavior towards a reporting adult or student shall be subject to discipline or, in the case of non-employees, other consequences as appropriate.

At the same time, it is never acceptable for these relationships to cross a boundary into one of an overly familiar, personal, romantic, abusive, or sexual nature. Employees and other adults in our community are required to exercise sound professional judgment with regards to adult-student boundaries at all times. Faculty and staff are in a unique position of trust, care, authority, and influence with students. This means there is always an inherent power imbalance such that if that trust is ever abused, the student’s welfare is compromised.

Some conduct will clearly breach appropriate boundaries with students. At other times, it will not be as clear. While there may be some “gray areas,” adults must take the responsibility for knowing, establishing, and maintaining professional boundaries and should always err on the side of protecting and acting in the best interests of students.

Roles. Maintain clear and appropriate roles when interacting with children

• Serve as a role model

• Act consistently with your appropriate adult role, such as teacher, mentor, coach, tutor, or other representative of the school

• Avoid acting as a peer or an alternative parent

Boundaries. Set and promote awareness of appropriate boundaries in all relationships with children and adolescents

• Establish and maintain healthy boundaries to ensure interactions with children are safe, healthy, and positive

• Be alert to the comfort zones of different children and how culture and identity may affect perceptions of boundaries

Power. Use your influence and authority to promote the healthy development of children

• Be alert to the imbalance of power between adults and children

• Use your influence to promote the healthy development of children

• Put the well-being and emotional needs of children before your own

Accountability. Be accountable for your own and other adults’ interactions with children

• Always act in the best interest of children

• Take responsibility for the impact of your actions on children and others

• Seek and accept assistance for personal issues before they impact children

• Actively support others in the effort to meet these behavioral standards

• Communicate concerns about possible misconduct to the appropriate persons

General Professional Guidelines

• Avoid any conversations of a sexual nature with students. This includes conversations that involve sexual banter or questions about a student’s dating relationships, or other conversations that are flirtatious or have a romantic tone.

• Do not use swear words, share risqué jokes or photos or video, engage in gossip or overly familiar conversations with students.

• Avoid addressing students or allowing students to address adults with personalized terms of endearment, pet names, or otherwise in an overly familiar manner.

• Do not discuss your own personal problems (particularly personal relationships, sexual activities, or use of drugs/alcohol), or other non-academic matters about your personal life, with students. If a student comes to you to discuss their own personal problems, encourage the student to talk to a counselor or to the student’s advisor.

• Avoid adopting an “emotional welfare role” beyond the scope of your school role (for example, in the Upper and Middle School it is appropriate for a counselor or a dean to offer support to a student, and for the student’s advisor to check in with a student in order to support and track the student’s development in academics, athletics, their social interactions, and well-being, as well as their involvement in clubs and activities). If you have any questions about whether it is appropriate for you to adopt an “emotional welfare role,” please check with your division or department head.

• Keep student and adult interactions readily interruptible or within hearing or sight range of another adult.

Digital Communication

• Send communications only from school email or instant messaging accounts, not from personal email or instant messaging accounts.

• All communications with students should be related to your professional relationship with that student as a teacher, coach, etc.

• Do not text students unless it is an emergency or urgent matter. Use school-sanction instant messaging accounts rather than texting. When in question, copy a supervisor and/or parent on a text and email communications.

• Consider the subject matter, content, purpose, timing, and frequency of electronic and online communication. Any communication that is sent to a student should be one that can also be viewed by the student’s parent and your supervisor.

• Make class-related social media and Internet sites available to supervisors and parents.

• Do not “friend” a student on social media platforms.

• Apply the same communication standards for electronic and online  interactions that you would for in-person interactions.

• Do not post images or video of students on your personal social media sites without consent of the parent/guardian.

In-Person Interactions

• When meeting with students outside of class, whenever possible leave the door open or meet in a room with a window or glass panel in the door, where you are in view of others.

• Unless you are authorized, do not cover classroom windows in a way that restricts viewing from the outside or hallways.

• Do not invite student(s) to your home or a location off campus without prior approval from your supervisor and parent/guardian.

• Do not transport students in personal vehicles. The only exception is for emergency situations when an ambulance cannot be reached, and even then, you must contact a parent/guardian and supervisor as soon as possible.

• Ask permission before touching any student. Examples of generally accepted physical personal contact in safe-touch areas (i.e. shoulder, upper back, arm) if the behavior is obviously appropriate, such as when giving a handshake, pat on the back, a high five, or brief embrace from a coach after a score is generally acceptable. Do not have any student beyond kindergarten sit in your lap. Sitting in an adult’s lap is only allowed in the preschool and kindergarten class and should be initiated by the student (not the adult) unless a child is hurt. Parents may request that their child not sit on any adult’s lap at school or any school-sponsored activity.

• For students participating in a non-school activity for a Catlin Gabel employee such as babysitting, tutoring, or coaching, both the parent and school need to be notified in advance of this arrangement.

If at any time the school learns that a current employee is dating or having a sexual relationship with a Catlin alumna or alumnus under the age of 21 and/or is within 90 days of the student’s departure from the school, that employee will be terminated. In the event the alumna or alumnus is under the age of 18 or has left school within 90 days, we also will notify the appropriate authorities.

The following recommendations may assist employees in these circumstances:

• Social contact should be generated via the relationship the employee has with the parents or by the event.

• Employees should avoid being alone with students in these situations. Where it is unavoidable, do so with informed consent of the parent.

• Faculty should politely avoid discussing matters relating to their workplace and should not discuss students’ learning or progress at social or sporting events.

• Consuming alcohol in these situations may affect or impair your judgment, so alcohol should be limited when students are present at a social event.

• An employee with concerns about whether a situation may be compromising or may breach professional boundaries should discuss the concerns immediately with their supervisor or human resources.

What You Should Know About the Grooming of Students

THE SIGNS: WHAT IS GROOMING?

“Grooming” is a pattern of behavior in which a perpetrator lures a child into an abusive relationship and conceals that relationship so the abuse can continue. Offenders groom victims for abuse, but they also manipulate the people around the child, such as parents or teachers. This is often referred to as “grooming the environment.” Grooming helps “overcome resistance, maintain access, and minimize disclosure,” notes Stephen C. Brake, a psychologist whose practice centers on the evaluation of sex offenders.

People who abuse children are often extraordinarily charismatic. Offenders may use personal charm to gain access to children and to lure them closer. Personal charm provides an alibi because no one can believe that someone so likeable could harm children. Grooming typically involves the following stages:

• TARGETING THE VICTIM: Abusers look for children with vulnerabilities they can exploit, such as low self-confidence, unmet emotional needs, strained bonds with caregivers, and low supervision.

• BUILDING TRUST: The offender learns about the interests and needs of the targeted child and gets closer without raising suspicions.

• ESTABLISHING A BOND: The offender works to fill a need in the child’s life and may offer gifts or extra attention, often lavishing praise on the child. The offender may treat the child like an adult, making the child feel special or chosen.

• ENCOURAGING RELIANCE: The offender may make the child feel like the offender is the only person who cares for or truly understands him or her. This makes it harder for the child to stop the abuse when it happens because the loss would be so great.

• ISOLATING THE VICTIM: The offender creates situations to be alone with the child, such as taking the child for a ride in a car or meeting the child in a place away from peers or known adults. The offender also isolates the child psychologically, making the offender the only person the child can turn to for support. This reduces the likelihood of disclosure and it also makes people less likely to believe the child when they disclose the abuse because the child may be viewed as distant or weird.

• SEXUALIZING THE RELATIONSHIP: Offenders typically try to desensitize children by touching them in nonsexual ways first and then gradually advancing to sexual touch. The offender may also violate boundaries by talking about inappropriate or overly personal matters or exposing the child to pornography.

• MAINTAINING CONTROL: Offenders manipulate victims emotionally to continue the abuse. An offender might treat the child as a co-conspirator, making the child believe that he or she is to blame and might get in trouble if the “relationship” is discovered. The child may conceal the abuse because the potential loss of the emotional connection and gifts or special privileges would be too great. The child may also worry that he or she will not be believed because the abuser is well-liked and trusted within the community.

In the school setting, abusers may exhibit many of the positive traits of great teachers: warm personality, a deep understanding of children, and willingness to work long hours to help students out. Someone who is grooming children for abuse, however, will exhibit boundary violating behavior. It’s important to train teachers to recognize grooming behavior as well as signs of potential abuse in children. It is also critical to empower every member of the community to report suspicions of abuse in order to protect children.

Source: Excerpted from “Protecting Students from Sexual Abuse,” NAIS Magazine Summer 2019, by Myra McGovern, Steve Mandell, and Kathleen Buckstaff. Language was changed to remove masculine references made regarding offenders.

What You Should Know About Reportable Child Abuse

WHAT IS REPORTABLE CHILD ABUSE?

Child abuse is a crime under Oregon Law. It is also strictly prohibited under Catlin Gabel policy, and concerns about potential abuse should be reported immediately. The law establishes several categories of child abuse.

CHILD ABUSE CATEGORIES

• Any assault, as defined in ORS chapter 163, of a child and any physical injury to a child which has been caused by other than accidental means, including any injury which appears to be at variance with the explanation given of the injury.

• Any mental injury to a child, which shall include only observable and substantial impairment of the child’s mental or psychological ability to function caused by cruelty to the child, with due regard to the culture of the child.

• Rape of a child, which includes but is not limited to rape, sodomy, unlawful sexual penetration, and incest, as those acts are described in ORS chapter 163.

• Sexual abuse, as described in ORS chapter 163.

• Sexual exploitation, including but not limited to: (i) Contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor, as defined in ORS chapter 163, and any other conduct which allows, employs, authorizes, permits, induces, or encourages a child to engage in the performing for people to observe or the photographing, filming, tape recording, or other exhibition which, in whole or in part, depicts sexual conduct or contact, as defined in ORS 167.002 or described in ORS 163.665 and 163.670, sexual abuse involving a child or rape of a child, but not including any conduct which is part of any investigation conducted pursuant to ORS 419B.020 or which is designed to serve educational or other legitimate purposes; and (ii) Allowing, permitting, encouraging, or hiring a child to engage in prostitution as described in ORS 167.007 or a commercial sex act as defined in ORS 163.266, to purchase sex with a minor as described in ORS 163.413 or to engage in commercial sexual solicitation as described in ORS 167.008.

• Negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child, including but not limited to the failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical care that is likely to endanger the health or welfare of the child.

• Threatened harm to a child, which means subjecting a child to a substantial risk of harm to the child’s health or welfare.

• Buying or selling a person under 18 years of age as described in ORS 163.537.

• Permitting a person under 18 years of age to enter or remain in or upon premises where methamphetamines are being manufactured.

• Unlawful exposure to a controlled substance, as defined in ORS 475.005, or to the unlawful manufacturing of a cannabinoid extract, as defined in ORS 475B.015, that subjects a child to a substantial risk of harm to the child’s health or safety.

  
  

Catlin Gabel School is subject to Oregon’s mandatory child abuse reporting laws. This means that every school employee is a mandatory reporter and is required by law to report child abuse. An employee having reasonable cause to believe that any child under 18 with whom the employee comes in contact has suffered abuse or neglect, or that any person with whom the employee comes in contact has abused a child, must report or cause a report to be made to the Oregon Department of Human Services or a local law enforcement agency.

WHAT IS “REASONABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE” THAT CHILD ABUSE HAS OCCURRED?

Mandatory reporters do not have to—and must not—wait to “make certain” or confirm that child abuse occurred before making a report. “Reasonable cause” is not defined in the law but is generally considered to be equivalent to “reasonable suspicion.” If a mandatory reporter (such as a Catlin Gabel employee) has a suspicion or reason to believe that child abuse may have occurred, it must be reported.

An employee who, based on reasonable grounds, participates in good faith making a child abuse report has immunity from any liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred or imposed as provided by law.

Source: CPS Guide on Child Abuse Reporting https://apps.state.or.us/Forms/Served/de9061.pdf

What You Should Know About Catlin Gabel’s Background Checks

All employees (including all regular faculty and staff, as well as substitutes, temporary workers, and coaches) are required to submit to a background check, as are all chaperones, volunteers, and contractors who have individual access to students. The screening process varies according to the adult’s role in the school community:

FOR ALL NEWLY HIRED EMPLOYEES

• Oregon State Police Background Check

• Fingerprinting via the Oregon Department of Education

• Sexual Abuse/Misconduct Verification Check (Sent to at least 3 of the employee’s most recent former employers)

FOR NEWLY HIRED BEGINNING SCHOOL EMPLOYEES

• All the above including enrollment in the Criminal Background Registry (CBR), which includes a second process of being fingerprinted

FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS

• Oregon State Police Background Check

• If a volunteer will have contact with students without the presence or supervision of a Catlin Gabel School employee, they must also be fingerprinted

• This includes parent chaperones who must also be fingerprinted in order attend an overnight school trip

Any individual required to submit to a criminal records check and/or fingerprinting in accordance with law and school policy will be terminated from employment, or not permitted to volunteer or chaperone, immediately upon (a) failure to pass the criminal records check; (b) the refusal to consent to criminal records check and/or fingerprinting; or (c) notification that the individual has made a false statement as to conviction of crimes prohibiting employment with the school as specified by law.

We voluntarily follow the Oregon Department of Education’s provisions pertaining to criminal records, including those pertaining to Forever Crimes. Subject individuals who have been convicted of any of the crimes listed under ORS 342.143 (i.e. “Forever Crimes”), or the substantial equivalent of any of those crimes if the conviction occurred in another jurisdiction or in Oregon under a different statutory name or number, shall be refused employment.

As Grade Level Representatives, Special Coordinators, and Executive Committee Members, we have been entrusted with the job of supporting faculty, staff, parents, and guardians, as well as liaising between the school and parents/guardians while fostering an inclusive community, communicating information, and organizing classroom volunteers.

On behalf of the entire Catlin community, we want to thank you in advance for everything you will do this year. As a community, we are grateful for your hard work and dedication. The contributions that you make this year will have a meaningful impact on our community.

We will hear from outside speakers, Catlin Gabel faculty, administration, parents, and students. Catlin Gabel has also launched a series of Town Hall meetings that will be supported and promoted by the PFA.

The Catlin Gabel Tech team has created a notification email that will be sent to your personal email address informing you when an email has been sent and or received; it will include the webmail link allowing you quick access.

• SPEAK FOR YOURSELF: Say what you believe, think, and feel. Use “I” statements rather than “you” statements or “they” statements.

  
  

• CONTRIBUTE FACTS ONLY WHEN YOU KNOW THEM TO BE TRUE

  
  

• RESPECT DIVERSITY OF OPINIONS: Through a variety of ideas and perspectives, new plans and paths are developed. Make room for new ways of doing things.

  
  

• MAINTAIN CONFIDENTIALITY: To nurture a safe, supportive parent-school community, it is ESSENTIAL that references to people, what they said, or how they feel, not be shared with others outside a meeting or conversation. It is particularly important that information shared by parents about their children not be shared with other students.

  
  

• AVOID GOSSIP: Remember, you are a representative of the school when you volunteer for the PFA.

  
  

• CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY PARENT AND GUARDIANS: If a parent or guardian is expressing a concern or issue that they feel needs addressing, please ask that they bring it directly to the attention of the teacher(s)/C&C. If the concern is still not addressed, then speak with the Division Head. Please also refer to the Feedback procedures.

We offer translation and interpretation services for our parents/guardians that do not speak English as a first language. We also have affinity groups for employees, students, and parents/guardians. Any parent/guardian can start an affinity group. Please contact Mayen Dada and Maya Burgos, Parent Inclusivity Coordinators, at pfainclusion@catlin.edu for more information about Parent/Guardian Affinity Group.

• For more general information around inclusion at Catlin Gabel, please refer to the website section on Equity and Inclusion.

• For Affinity Group Leader contact information, please refer to Parent/Guardian Affinity Groups.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

• CULTURAL COMPETENCY: Practicing an ongoing awareness of one’s own identity and biases, and taking action to learn and honor the varying cultural and community norms of students and their families.

• DIVERSITY: The range of differences represented in our community.

• EQUITY: Everyone getting what they need in order to have access, opportunities, and a fair chance to succeed.

• INCLUSION: Active engagement that supports every individual’s identity and sense of belonging.

• MULTICULTURALISM: The practice of promoting the respectful coexistence of diverse cultures.

Please Note: The PFA is a non-commercial entity and may not be associated with commercial activities, endorsements or soliciting of funds from parents, faculty, staff, students or any other stakeholders in the Catlin Gabel School community. PFA Executive Council Members or Grade Level Representatives MAY NOT solicit funds from any of the aforementioned.

Please note: The PFA does not host or facilitate events that are not inclusive of all families; for example, moms/dad’s night out which are, by definition, exclusive of either moms or dads. This budget is intended to defray the costs of non-alcoholic beverages, food, and supplies. PFA Reps are not expected to host these events or pay for these events, but they are encouraged to organize and facilitate at least one event each year. We recommend that these events be kept simple and are sensitive to everyone’s budget. Potlucks are a great way to keep costs down and help every family feel included. Some suggestions are listed below.

These expenditures will be reviewed and must be approved in advance by the PFA Treasurer prior to submission to the Business Office for reimbursement. To ensure that you get reimbursed, please email the PFA Treasurer prior to your event with the following: a description of the event, the date of the event, and the approximate cost. After the event, email a photo or scan of receipts from the event to the PFA Treasurer (pfatreasurer@catlin.edu).

Please copy the PFA Treasurer on all Barn orders and expenses that are billed to PFA accounts. Having centralized information on how funds are spent is an essential part of our annual budget and review process. It also provides an order and expense history for those following in your footsteps.

Sample Grade Level Gatherings (from previous years)

Many parents have limitations as to when they can view personal email and which days they can participate in classroom events. Being inclusive as a community means taking the steps necessary to ensure that everyone has a chance to participate. As you are sending out sign-ups for special events, please be sure to communicate to your class that they are being specifically asked to wait to sign up so that those with less flexible schedules / those who haven’t yet had a chance to participate can have an opportunity to facilitate their participation. It may be helpful to clarify what the expected wait period is. Many LS classes have been successful with sending out all signups for the year at the beginning of the year and letting parents know that they are limited to signing up for 1-2 events per parent, depending on the number of volunteers needed.

EACH NOMINEE/NOMINATION WILL BE CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY. In an effort to ensure inclusive, equitable representation, parents are discouraged from nominating groups, or sets of parents for any PFA position.

The nomination period begins in March with notices posted on the school website and in newsletters describing open PFA positions and grade-level representative responsibilities. Parents are encouraged to nominate themselves or other parents by emailing pfavicepresident@catlin.edu before the spring deadline.

The Nominating Committee meets to review nominations and submits a recommended slate to the PFA Executive Council (EC). The PFA EC votes on the final slate at the May Executive Council meeting. Incoming PFA Reps and Executive Council Members are announced at the June PFA General Meeting.

The PFA provides volunteer support to the faculty throughout the year, hosts parent events, sponsors guest speakers and organizes a wide range of events that enrich the Catlin Gabel community.

The PFA has a General Meeting (“Parent Community Meeting”), normally scheduled on the third Thursday of each month. Meeting dates are listed on the school calendar and the PFA web page. All members of the PFA (parents, faculty, and administration) are invited to attend these meetings. The PFA Executive Council also meets on the second Tuesday of each month. Members of the PFA Executive Council and PFA Grade Level Representatives are listed on the website under the Parent Faculty Association.

Volunteering in the PFA allows parents, faculty, trustees, and the administration to exchange ideas and work together. The PFA asks every parent to give at least 8 volunteer hours to the school per year. There are a wide range of activities and events that are important to the school and that would benefit from volunteer support.

Section 3.2 Budget

The School shall provide an annual amount to the PFA to fund the activities of the PFA. The fiscal year of the PFA shall be from September 1 through August 31.

The Officers, Division Coordinators, Communications Coordinator, New Family Integration Coordinator(s), and Parent Inclusivity Coordinator(s) shall be elected by members of the PFA Council based on nominations submitted by the Nominating Committee. The Executive Council shall submit a nomination for any positions left unfilled. If an elected position other than the President becomes vacant, the vacancy shall be filled by vote of the remaining members of the Executive Council. Terms of office shall run from July 1 through June 30, with the exception of the New Family Integration Coordination position. The position runs 14 months, from March 1 to May 1 of the following year. The President and Vice President shall serve two-year terms, except otherwise vacated by choice. All other positions shall be for one or two years as provided below.

Section 5.2 Officers

• (a) President(s):The President or Presidents shall have the primary responsibility for directing the PFA. The President(s) shall call and preside over meetings of the PFA Leadership and the Executive Council. The President(s) shall coordinate the work of all other officers and committee chairpersons, and shall perform such other duties as may be authorized by the Executive Council. The President(s) represents PFA interests as an ex-officio member(s) of the Board of Trustees of the School where the office of the PFA President carries one vote. The President(s) works with the chair of the Board of Trustees to appoint parent representatives to Trustee Committees and works with the Head of School to promote parent involvement.

• (b) Vice President(s): The Vice President or Vice Presidents shall be President(s) Elect. The Vice President(s) shall perform the duties of the President(s) in the absence or disability of the President(s). The Vice President(s) shall chair the Nominating Committee and shall perform such other duties as may be authorized by the PFA Executive Council. If the office of the President becomes vacant for any reason, the Vice President(s) shall become President(s) and the resulting vacancy in the Vice Presidency shall be filled per Section 5.1.

• (c) Treasurer: The Treasurer shall track expenditures, prepare the annual budget, and shall perform such other duties as may be authorized by the PFA Executive Council. Each year the Treasurer shall prepare a budget with the assistance of the President and the School’s Director of Finance showing anticipated reserve and expenditures. The budget shall be presentedto the Executive Council for review at their September meeting and then presented to the PFA Leadership for approval at the September General Meeting. The Treasurer shall serve for a term of one year, renewable for an additional term.

• (d) Advisor(s): The Advisor(s) shall be a person who has served on the Executive Council in past years and who shall give advice on continuity, historical issues, and traditions of PFA programs and the School. The Advisor(s) shall serve for a term of one year, renewable for an additional term.

Section 5.3 Division Coordinators

The Division Coordinators shall represent each of the three divisions of Catlin Gabel School (Beginning, Lower, Middle, Upper). The Division Coordinators shall lead the Division Advisory Committee. The Division Coordinators shall facilitate Division Advisory Committee meetings with the Division Head and Grade Representatives. The Division Coordinators shall be responsible for coordinating the PFA programs within their respective divisions. A Division Coordinator shall serve for a term of one year, renewable for an additional term.

Section 5.4 Communications Coordinator

The Communications Coordinator shall oversee all communications within the PFA and all communications among the PFA Council, the PFA Leadership, and the School. The Communications Coordinator is responsible for the recording and circulation of minutes from the Executive Council meetings, and managing content for the PFA sections of weekly school-wide newsletters. The Communication Coordinator shall partner with the Director of Communications. The Communication Coordinator shall serve for a term of one year, renewable for an additional term.

Section 5.5 New Family Integration Coordinator(s)

The New Family Integration Coordinator(s) support new families as they join the Catlin Community. The position runs 14 months, from March 1 to May 1 of the following year. The volunteer will work closely with Admissions Office and Division Coordinators to facilitate the Host Family Program in its efforts to welcome and integrate new families to the school throughout the year. The New Family Integration Coordinator shall serve for a term of one year, renewable for an additional term.

Section 5.6 Parent Inclusivity Coordinator(s)

The Parent Inclusivity Coordinator(s) work to foster a spirit of belonging amongst families. They provide support and guidance to all families and work with the New Family Integration Coordinator to welcome new families to Catlin Gabel. The Parent Inclusivity Coordinator(s) partner with the Director of Inclusion and Outreach on school-wide inclusion initiatives and in overseeing parent affinity groups. The Parent Inclusivity Coordinator(s) also represents the Executive Council on the Diversity Action Council (DAC) and the Board Inclusivity and Diversity Committee (BID). The Parent Inclusivity Coordinator shall serve for a term of one year, renewable for an additional term.

Section 5.7 Administrative Liaison

The Administrative Liaison shall be appointed by the Head of School. The Administrative Liaison is a member of the school administrative team who works with the Executive Council and represents its questions and concerns to the senior faculty and administration. The Administrative Liaison shall serve for a term of one year, renewable for any number of additional terms.

Section 6.2 Spring Festival Coordinator(s)

The Spring Festival Coordinator(s) shall be appointed by the President(s). The Spring Festival Coordinator(s) plan and coordinate the annual Spring Festival for the School community. The Spring Festival Coordinator(s) shall work in partnership with the Head of the Lower School and the LS Music Director. The Coordinator(s) will be provided a budget and the opportunity to create a team/committee to perform the duties. The Spring Festival Coordinator(s) shall serve for a term of one year, renewable for an additional term.

Section 6.3 Heritage Day Coordinator(s)

The Heritage Day Coordinator(s) shall be appointed by the President. The Heritage Day Coordinator(s) shall partner with the Director of Inclusion and Outreach and all four Division Heads to plan and coordinate an annual event for the school community while working in partnership with the Parent Inclusivity Coordinator. The Coordinator(s) will be provided a budget and the opportunity to create a team/committee to perform the duties. The Heritage Day Coordinator(s) shall serve for a term of one year, renewable for an additional term.

Section 6.4 Upper School Spirit Coordinator(s)

The Upper School Spirit Coordinator(s) shall be appointed by the President. The Upper School Spirit Coordinator(s) shall partner with the Athletic Director, all Division Heads, and other CG staff members to coordinate school-wide spirit building activities around Spirit Week, Homecoming Weekend, Sea of Blue, and the Baseball Barbecue. The Coordinator(s) will be provided a budget and the opportunity to create a team/committee to perform the duties. The Upper School Spirit Coordinator(s) shall serve for a term of one year, renewable for an additional term.

Section 6.5 Grade Level Representatives

(a) Purpose: The Grade Level Representatives shall be appointed by the Nominating Committee and approved by the Executive Council. There shall be two Grade Level Representatives per grade and in some cases three. The Grade Level Representatives shall work with the teachers in their grades to coordinate volunteers for the classroom and plan social events for parents (on and off-campus) to help build the class community. The Grade Level Representatives shall meet periodically with the Division Coordinators and Division Heads as well as coordinate with the New Family Integration Coordinator and/or Representatives. Grade Level Representatives shall serve for a term of one year.

(b) Duties:

• Serve as a liaison and information source for all parents in your grade.

• Regularly communicate with parents via email about upcoming events and respond to questions.

• Provide direct support to classroom teachers and coordinate volunteers for activities ranging from field trips to Portfolio Nights, potlucks, and other events.

• Work with faculty and administration to coordinate volunteers for PFA supported school‐wide events such as Back‐to‐School night, Welcome Coffees (fall), Parent-Teacher Conferences (food), Auction, Spring Festival, Spirit Events, and Graduation(s).

• Attend periodic meetings with the Division Coordinator and Division Head(s) and other Grade Level Representatives.

• Plan a summer get‐together for your grade to welcome new families; work with the New Family Integration Coordinator and/or Representatives to welcome new families to the school and help them integrate into the community.

• Partner with the US Spirit Coordinators to promote cross-divisional school spirit.

• Express appreciation to teachers, parents, and staff, as appropriate, for their hard work and community efforts.

• Attend PFA General Meetings on the third Thursday of each month and additional PFA meetings in the evenings, if they are scheduled.

Section 6.6 Middle and Upper School Theater Coordinator(s)

The Theater Coordinator(s) shall help facilitate parent involvement in student theater productions including work on marketing, scenic construction, stage properties, costume management, and memorabilia. Responsibilities could also include facilitating sign-ups for student support during productions – meals and snacks. The Coordinator(s) can incorporate their areas of interest and creative expertise. This role includes organizing parent volunteers for all areas. The Coordinator(s) shall collaborate with the Production Manager to determine needs and timelines for three productions per year, a play in the fall, a musical in the winter, and a one-act play festival. The Theater Coordinator(s) shall serve for a term of one year, renewable for an additional term.

• (b) Process: The nomination period shall begin in March with notices posted on the school website and in school newsletters describing open PFA positions and Grade Level Representative responsibilities. All parents are encouraged to nominate themselves or other parents by emailing pfavicepresident@catlin.edu before the spring deadline. All nominations shall be acknowledged in writing, and the Nominating Committee shall confer with nominated individuals to determine their willingness to serve. The Nominating Committee shall meet to review the nominations and submit a recommended slate to the Executive Council in April. The final slate of nominations shall be voted on by the PFA Leadership at the April (or May) Annual Meeting.

  
  

• (c) Selection Criteria: The goal of the Nominating Committee shall be to be equitable and unbiased when considering all nominations. Positions will be filled according to the best judgment of the Nominating Committee about what is best for the school overall, considering but not limited to the following criteria:

• Experience necessary to performing well in the position

• Broadening the base of participation by bringing in new volunteers each year

• Considering a diverse group of candidates (gender, ethnicity, socio/economic background)

• In the case of Grade Level Representatives, combining those that are new to the school or to a division with those who have the experience, where possible

• Aligning candidates to the school’s philosophy & mission

• EACH CANDIDATE/NOMINEE SHALL BE CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY.

Section 7.2 Division Advisory Committees

Division Advisory Committees shall consist of the Division Coordinators and the Grade Level Representatives for each grade and shall meet periodically with the Division Heads of School.

Section 7.3 Additional Committees

The Executive Council may create additional committees for such purposes and on such terms as it determines in its discretion.

Section 8.2 Meetings of the PFA Leadership or “Parent Community Meetings”

• (a) General Meetings of the PFA Leadership are referred to as “Parent Community Meetings” and shall be held on the third Thursday of each month of the school year, at the discretion of the President and Executive Council. Meetings may be added, or dates/times adjusted as necessary to conduct PFA business.

• (b) A majority (51 percent) of the PFA Leadership shall constitute a quorum at any General Meeting (“Parent Community Meeting”).

Section 8.3 Meetings of the Executive Council

• (a) The Executive Council shall meet on the second Tuesday of each month of the school year, or approximately one week before PFA General Meetings to finalize the General Meeting agenda and to discuss issues that pertain to PFA activities. The Executive Council is responsible for evaluating proposals submitted requesting funding, volunteers, or other types of support. The Executive Council shall report on actions taken to the PFA Leadership.

• (b) A majority (51 percent) of the Executive Council shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Executive Council.