VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL South Hadley Public Schools The School Committee welcomes parents and guests to visit classrooms to observe and learn about the instructional programs taking place in our schools. Such visits can prove most beneficial in promotion of greater school-home cooperation and community understanding of how we carry out the school system’s mission and goals. Visits by parents to several classrooms in a given grade for the purposes of comparing teaching styles to provide a basis for a request for student assignment to a particular teacher are strongly discouraged because the school district’s policy of assigning a student to a particular class is the sole responsibility of the building principal in consultation with the staff of that school. The following guidelines to classroom and school visits should be followed: 1. Parental requests for classroom visitations will be welcomed as long as the educational process is not disrupted. To this end we request that such requests be made at least three (3) business days in advance to allow for proper arrangements to be made. 2. The principal and/or his/her/their designee may accompany the visitor throughout the duration of the school/class visit. 3. Recordings (ex; audio, video) of any kind are prohibited during the duration of the visit and in all parts of the school building unless approved in advance by the Superintendent or their designee. 4. The building principal has the authority to determine the number, times, and dates of observations by visitors. This will be done in consultation with staff members so as to give adequate notice to the staff members of the impending visits. 5. For security purposes all visitors must report to the principal’s office upon entering and leaving the building and sign a guest log showing arrival and departure times. 6. Under ordinary circumstances classroom observations will be strongly discouraged during the first three weeks of school in September and during the month of June. 7. Any student who wishes to have a guest in school must ask permission of one of the administrative staff three (3) business days in advance of the proposed visit. If permission is granted, the guest is expected to follow the standards of behavior expected of all students. Upon arrival the guest must register in the office. Any guest who fails to comply with student regulations or with requirements outlined in this policy will be asked to leave the school building and grounds immediately. File: KI VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL South Hadley Public Schools During non-school hours or on non-school days, access to the school buildings is limited to those attending school and district events or for uses authorized by the Superintendent or their designee. Building access will be allowed only to those participating in or attending authorized events, including appropriate bathroom access. Please note enforcement of this policy is informed by and relies upon the following policies of the South Hadley School Committee. Student Conduct – File: JK Student Conduct / Student Discipline – File: JIC-R-2/JK-R-1 Bully Intervention and Prevention – File: JICFB Civility – File: GBEBA Adoption: 01/10/2006 Update History: 07/08/2014; 11/02/2023; 09/16/2026