School Partnership Agreement

Welcome to the Center for Learning in Action (CLiA) and the Williams College/North Adams Public Schools (NAPS) Partnership. Thank you for joining us as we embark on a new academic year!

As a Williams Fellow working and volunteering in the North Adams Public Schools, you will support elementary school students in person during the 2024-2025 academic year in various activities and/or as a co-curricular mentor. In order to ensure Fellows and local students have a safe, productive, and rewarding experience, CLiA and the local school district require you to comply with the following guidelines and agree to the provisions for ALL in-person and ALL online interactions as set forth below.

Williams Fellows (WFs) may serve as support partners and mentors at the following partner schools:

North Adams Public Schools

• Brayton Elementary School and Colegrove Elementary School

Welcome to the Center for Learning in Action (CLiA) and to the Williams College/Pittsfield Public Schools (PPS) Partnership. Thank you for joining us as we shift our current school-based programming to online formats and navigate new ways of connecting remotely with our local partner schools.

As a Williams Fellow working and volunteering in the Pittsfield Public Schools, you will support support learning in various academic areas and/or as a co-curricular mentor. In order to ensure Fellows and local students have a safe, productive, and rewarding experience, CLiA and the local school district require you to comply with the following guidelines and agree to the provisions for online interactions as set forth below.

Welcome to the Center for Learning in Action (CLiA) and to the Williams College/Williamstown Elementary School (WES) Partnership.

As a Williams WES Fellow working or volunteering in the Mount Greylock Regional School District (MGRSD), you will support elementary school students and teachers in various academic areas and/or as a co-curricular mentor. In order to ensure Fellows and local students have a safe, productive, and rewarding experience, CLiA and MGRSD require you to comply with the following guidelines and agree to the provisions for online and in-person interactions as set forth below.

Welcome to the Center for Learning in Action (CLiA) and to the Williams College/Lanesborough Elementary School (LES) Partnership.

As a Williams Fellow (Classroom Helper or After School Tutor) working and volunteering in the Mount Greylock Regional School District (MGRSD), you will support elementary school students and teachers in various academic areas and/or as a co-curricular mentor. In order to ensure Fellows and local students have a safe, productive, and rewarding experience, CLiA and MGRSD require you to comply with the following guidelines and agree to the provisions for online and in-person interactions as set forth below.

Welcome to the Center for Learning in Action (CLiA) and to the Williams Center at Mt. Greylock (WC@MG).

As a Williams Fellow at Mt Greylock (MG), you will support in-person and online middle and high school students in various academic areas and/or as a co-curricular mentor. In order to ensure Fellows and local students have a safe, productive, and rewarding experience, CLiA and the local school district require you to comply with the following guidelines and agree to the provisions for all interactions as set forth below.

All Williams Fellows will be prepared and supported to work with local students at the above elementary schools. Students will carefully follow guidance and work together with teachers and administrators at the schools in order to provide the most enriching and beneficial experiences possible.

Williams Fellows will also carefully follow the North Adams Public Schools guidance and the Williams College guidance on any health policy changes, protocols, or guidelines. If students need virtual support, the Williams Fellows may provide resources online synchronously or asynchronously to local students through worksheets, uploaded videos, and other enriching and engaging materials as directed and in partnership with their North Adams Preceptors and Williams College Advisor. Specifically, all Fellows hired through CLiA will:

• Be required to review the orientation materials and links as sent by the Williams College Assistant Director of these programs.
• Be assigned a school-based advisor or CLiA group leader (in addition to a CLiA staff contact) who will serve as a guide for student learning and engagement.
• Participate in regular online or in-person (TBD) check-in/feedback sessions with CLiA staff and/or school partner representatives.
• Complete a mandatory CORI background check administered by the school district. This is required every three years OR if North Adams Public Schools is on their three-year CORI cycle, such as this year (2024-25). Please ask the Assistant Director of North Adams Elementary Outreach if you need clarification.

All Williams Fellows will be prepared and supported to work online with local students and/or provide resources in the form of worksheets, uploaded videos, and other enriching and engaging materials. Specifically, all Fellows hired through CLiA will:

• Be required to attend mandatory, online, program-specific orientation session scheduled by CLiA staff.
• Be assigned a school-based host, advisor and/or CLiA group leader (in addition to a CLiA staff contact) who will serve as a guide for student learning and engagement.
• Participate in regular online check-in/feedback sessions with CLiA staff and/or school partner representatives.
• Complete a mandatory CORI background check administered by the school district if not done so within the past three years or if the Fellow is interacting directly (even online) with K-12 students. This is not applicable for students who are just uploading resources and videos and will not be mentoring or interacting online with students.

All Fellows hired through CLiA will:

• Be required to attend a mandatory orientation session in early fall, scheduled by CLiA staff and Williamstown Elementary School representatives.
• Be assigned to a teacher or administrator at the elementary school who will serve as the supervisor for student learning and engagement. Fellows will also report to the CLiA staff member who oversees the program in which they work. WES Fellows will report to Sarah Brill.
• Participate in regular feedback sessions with CLiA staff and teachers.
• Complete a mandatory CORI background check administered by MGRSD if not already done within the past three years.

All Fellows hired through CLiA will:

• Be required to attend a mandatory program-specific orientation session in early fall, scheduled by CLiA staff.
• Be assigned to a teacher at the elementary school who will serve as the supervisor for student learning (in-person or remote) and engagement. Fellows will also report to the CLiA staff member who oversees the program in which they work.
• Participate in regular feedback sessions with CLiA staff and teachers.
• Complete a mandatory CORI background check administered by MGRSD if not already done within the past three years.

All Williams Fellows (WFs) will be prepared and supported to work in-person or online with local students. Specifically, all Fellows hired through CLiA will:

• Be required to attend a mandatory, in-person, program specific orientation session in early fall, scheduled by CLiA staff and school representatives.
• Be assigned to a school-based coordinator/teacher who will serve as a guide for student learning and engagement. The coordinator will be available via email ([email protected]) or phone (413-458-9582 x1050), and will be present during scheduled club/program times.
• Participate in regular in-person or online check-in/feedback sessions with CLiA staff and/or school coordinator.
• Complete a mandatory CORI background check administered by the school.

Middle School Programs (Homework Fellows, Writing Fellows and Clubs):

• Williams Fellows will be monitored during in-person sessions by a school-based coordinator.

High School Programs (Homework Fellows, Writing Fellows and Clubs):

• Williams Fellows will be in-person and unsupervised with MG students in grades 10-12 for Sunday evening tutoring. Other in-school programs/clubs will be monitored by the school coordinator. MG students will be required to sign up in advance and will complete the necessary permission form provided by the school coordinator.

Consistent, ongoing communication between CLiA staff, Williams Fellows and school partners is essential to programs' continued successes.

• WFs should have the contact information for their CLiA staff advisor and school-based advisor (if working directly with such an advisor is part of the program) in their cell phones.
• WFs will receive weekly updates from school advisors, CLiA staff or group leaders to encourage feedback.
• WFs should direct any questions and concerns to their school partner contact and/or CLiA staff members or Williams College North Adams Student Leader(s).
• WFs should be responsive to requests from school partners and CLiA staff.
• In the case of an emergency, serious problem, or question or concern regarding comments or behavior made by local students, WFs should report issues to school partners and/or CLiA staff members.
• WFs should always report or discuss any uncomfortable interactions or conversations with students to school teachers or administrators as well as to CLiA staff members. To build and maintain a strong, effective, and enriching relationship it is critical for both the WFs and the members of the North Adams school community to be open, honest, and report any concerning behaviors, conversations, or incidents as soon as possible. (See below for mandatory reporting.)

Consistent, ongoing communication between CLiA staff, Williams Fellows and school partners is essential to programs continued successes.

• WFs should have the contact information for their CLiA staff advisor and school-based advisor (if working directly with such an advisor is part of the program) in their cell phones.
• WFs will receive weekly updates from school advisors, CLiA staff or group leaders to encourage feedback.
• WFs should direct any questions and concerns to their school partner contact and/or CLiA staff members.
• WFs should be responsive to requests from school partners and CLiA staff.
• In the case of an emergency, serious problem, or question or concern regarding comments or behavior made by local students during online sessions, WFs should report issues to school partners and/or CLiA staff members.

Consistent, ongoing communication between CLiA staff, Williams Fellows and school partners is essential to the continued success of our programs.

• Williams Fellows (WFs) should have the contact information for their CLiA staff advisor and/or school-based advisor in their cell phones.
• WFs should direct any questions and concerns to their teacher and/or CLiA staff members.
• WFs should be responsive to requests from school partners and CLiA staff.
• In the case of an emergency, serious problem, or question or concern regarding comments or behavior made by students during sessions (online or in-person), WFs should report issues to school partners and/or CLiA staff members.
• WFs should always report or discuss any uncomfortable interactions or conversations with students to school teachers or administrators as well as to CLiA staff members. To build and maintain a strong, effective, and enriching relationship it is critical for both the WFs and the members of the Williamstown Elementary School community to be open, honest, and report any concerning behaviors, conversations, or incidents as soon as possible. (See below for mandatory reporting)

Consistent, ongoing communication between CLiA staff, Williams Fellows and school partners is essential to the continued success of these programs.

• Williams Fellows (WFs) should have the contact information for their CLiA staff advisor and teacher in their cell phones.
• WFs should direct any questions and concerns to their teacher and/or CLiA staff members.
• WFs should be responsive to requests from school partners and CLiA staff.
• In the case of an emergency, serious problem, or question or concern regarding comments or behavior made by local students during sessions (online or in-person), WFs should report issues to school partners and/or CLiA staff members.

Consistent, ongoing communication between CLiA staff, Williams Fellows and school partners is essential to the program's continued success.

• WFs should have the contact information for their school coordinator and CLiA staff in their cell phones.
• WFs will receive weekly updates from school coordinator, CLiA staff or group leaders to encourage feedback.
• WFs should direct any questions and concerns to their school coordinator, classroom teacher or CLiA staff members.
• WFs should be responsive to requests from school partners and CLiA staff.
• In the case of an emergency, serious problem, or question or concern regarding comments or behavior made by local students during in-person or online sessions, WFs should report issues to school coordinator and/or CLiA staff members.

The Williams College North Adams Student Leaders and North Adams Fellows are paid positions. Students are hired through the college through submitting the common application and are required to submit biweekly timesheets. Positions are compensated for 1-4 hours/week depending on the position and arrangement at hiring and are only compensated for when Williams students are in classes in accordance with the Williams College 2024-2025 academic calendar. Students will be reminded biweekly by their student leader(s) or CLiA staff to submit hours. Hours must be submitted by 11:50pm on Saturday evening at the end of the two-week pay period. Volunteers are not required to submit hours, but are held to the same expectations and guidelines as the paid fellows. Volunteers should fill out the volunteer interest form.

The Williams College Classroom Helper and After School Tutor positions are paid through CLiA.

Paid positions range from 1 to 4 hours per week and run when Williams classes are in session.

Students are hired through the College and required to submit timesheets every other week on Saturday by 11:50pm.

WFs and volunteers who commit to this work are expected to attend and be punctual to all scheduled sessions or commitments. If a Fellow cannot attend a scheduled session or complete assignments, they should reach out to the school-based coordinator, student tutee/group leader and contact a CLiA staff member as soon as possible. This communication should ideally take place at least 24 hours before the scheduled session. We understand that sometimes emergencies come up, but please try to give advance notice AND make sure to email school partners, cancel any reserved transportation, and email the CLiA staff advisor.

WFs who commit to this work are expected to attend and be punctual to all scheduled online sessions or to meet all online deadlines.

If a Fellow is unable to attend a scheduled session or complete assignments, they should reach out to the school-based coordinator, student leader or contact a CLiA staff member as soon as possible. This communication should ideally take place at least 24 hours before the scheduled session or from when the lesson or uploaded resource is "due."

WFs who commit to this work are expected to attend and be punctual to all scheduled sessions and to meet all deadlines set forth for their work.

• If a WF is unable to attend a scheduled session or complete assignments, they should reach out to the supervising teacher or contact a CLiA staff member as soon as possible. This communication should ideally take place at least 24 hours before the scheduled session.
• If a WF is sick at all, they should not come into work, but let their teacher and CLiA supervisor know as outlined above.
• WFs will comply with all current Williams College and MGRSD designated COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

WFs who commit to this work are expected to attend and be punctual to all scheduled in-person or online sessions and to meet all deadlines set forth for their work.

• If a WF is unable to attend a scheduled session or complete assignments, they should reach out to the supervising teacher or contact a CLiA staff member as soon as possible. This communication should ideally take place at least 24 hours before the scheduled session.
• If a WF is sick at all, they should not come into work, but let their teacher and CLiA supervisor know as outlined above.
• WFs will comply with all Williams College and MGRSD designated health and safety protocols.

WFs who commit to this work are expected to attend and be punctual to all scheduled sessions.

• If a Fellow is unable to attend a scheduled session, they should reach out to the school coordinator, their classroom teacher or contact the director of the WC@MG as soon as possible. This communication should ideally take place at least 24 hours before the scheduled session (whenever possible).

WFs and volunteers are ambassadors of Williams College and CLiA and should serve as role models in our school communities at all times. Below are the recommendations and requirements around NAPS staff and within the NAPS community or Volunteer/Intern behavior and presentation:

• Dress appropriately; casual clothing is fine, but nothing too tight or revealing. College students should wear program t-shirts if these are available.

Williams College student volunteers/interns are not permitted to:

• Wear hats in the elementary schools or in remote interactions.
• Chew gum.
• Use cell phones when children are in the room.
• Pursue dating or sexual relationships with students.
• Invite students to campus events or invite students to meet in-person outside of the designated hours of the program.
• Use, discuss, or share information or photos (online or otherwise) with inappropriate content, including, but not limited to, nudity or illegal substances such as alcohol or drugs.
• Take pictures or videos (privacy and safety) unless the college student has been asked to take them by members of the NAPS staff who have written permission from the child’s caregiver/parent.
• Engage in dishonest activity including, but not limited to, plagiarism, cheating or falsifying information.
• Engage with students outside planned program sessions without prior approval of school advisor and knowledge of the CLiA staff advisor. This includes any email interaction between mentor and mentee as even any approved communication requires that the school district and/or CLiA staff be copied. In general, do not engage in any online contact outside of school.
• Engage with students in one-on-one mentoring programs without the presence of an adult advisor or another college student (with permission from CLiA staff and school advisor).
• Interact with students on any platform, including social media, outside of those designated and approved by the North Adams Public Schools.

Food - Williams College students may not:

• Bring food into the classroom, share food, eat any food while in the classroom.
• Bring in foods/rewards for students without permission from the classroom teacher. Each school and classroom has their own policies about food as well as their own student body which may have different allergies. Please be respectful of any rules and always ask.

Bathroom

• College students do not assist or take a child alone to the bathroom. In case of emergency, the college student should seek out another adult's assistance.

Mandatory Reporting

• All adults working at the school are considered mandatory reporters. That means if a child discloses sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, you are legally required to report it to your superior -- the teacher in the classroom, or a member of the school's administration.
• Whenever a child says or does something that does not feel right, please report it to a leader -- gut instincts are important.
• Review the mandatory reporting resources provided in the 2024-2025 orientation packet.

Appropriate Physical Contact

• Be respectful of students’ space. Do not engage in any unwanted or inappropriate contact, physically aggressive or harmful contact whether it is “playful” or not.
• You should not be left alone with a student in a room.
• We will go over more on this during orientation. Examples; a young student wants to hug you or hold your hand; if you are unsure, please ask CLiA staff and the classroom teacher for guidance.

Safety/Security

• Williams College students should ask the NAPS teacher that they are working with or administrator about the safety protocols in terms of ventilation, doors opened, etc.
• You will be required to buzz in the front door of either Brayton or Greylock Elementary.
• You will sign in at the front desk and grab a visitor pass every time you visit the school.
• You will respect directions from staff in case of lockdown/shelter-in-place scenarios and/or fire drills.
• CLiA hired, assigned, trained and CORIed Williams Fellows are the only people who may conduct sessions with local students. You MUST be CORI-checked specifically for North Adams Public Schools. Please contact Amy Sosne ([email protected]) with questions.

Medical

• If you have any medical concerns, please call the main office and they will connect you with the nurse.
• Staff and administrators (as well as Williams College students) DO NOT administer medications.
• DO NOT COME TO SCHOOL IF YOU ARE EXHIBITING SIGNS OF ILLNESS, BUT DO EMAIL YOUR TEACHER, TRANSPORTATION, AND CLiA STAFF ADVISOR!Signs of illness include a fever of 100.4 or higher, nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, bad cough or sore throat not associated with allergies, and testing positive for COVID.

WFs are ambassadors of Williams College and CLiA and should serve as role models in our school communities at all times.

WFs should always be dressed appropriately and sit or stand in an engaged, welcoming and professional manner when working online with students (this includes all videos and photos that may be uploaded or posted to the resource site). WFs should also make sure that their backgrounds are school appropriate and, as such, do not include questionable materials (beer cans, inappropriate messages, posters, etc.). In particular, WFs will not:

• Pursue dating or sexual relationships with students.
• Invite students to campus events or invite students to meet in person (all programs are remote and there is no interaction, unfortunately, permitted at this time).
• Use or discuss or share information or photos (online or otherwise) with inappropriate content, including, but not limited to, nudity or illegal substances such as alcohol or drugs.
• Engage in dishonest activity including but not limited to plagiarism, cheating or falsifying information.
• Engage with students outside planned program sessions without prior approval of school advisor and knowledge of CLiA staff advisor. This includes any email interaction between mentor and mentee as even any approved communication requires that the school district and/or CLiA staff be copied.
• Engage with students in one-on-one sessions without the presence of the school advisor( or her/his staff designee) or another Williams college student (requires permission from both the school advisor and CLiA staff).
• Students should interact with WFs only through designated Pittsfield Public Schools approved platforms (no social media networks).
• CLiA-hired, assigned, trained and CORIed Williams Fellows are the only people who may conduct online sessions with local students. To have ANY interaction, even online/remotely, with an elementary student, you MUST be CORI checked.

WFs are ambassadors of Williams College and CLiA and should serve as role models in our school communities at all times.

WFs should always be dressed appropriately and present in an engaged, welcoming and professional manner when working with students.

While working with students, WFs must:

• Not share names of students or specific information about students in any public way. In written communications, WFs will use students' initials. No posting student names or images in any public way or on personal social media accounts
• Not accept or extend invitations from/to WES students to connect on social media or engage with WES students through any media not designated as MGRSD approved platforms
• Not take any photographs of WES students at any time
• Not record any portion of interaction with WES students, teachers, or classes
• Not invite students to campus events or engage with students outside planned program sessions without prior approval of school advisor and knowledge of CLiA staff advisor
• Not pursue dating or sexual relationships with students
• Not use, discuss or share information or photos (online or otherwise) with inappropriate content, including, but not limited to, nudity or illegal substances such as alcohol or drugs
• Not engage in dishonest activity including, but not limited to plagiarism, cheating or falsifying information

In addition, while in the school building, WFs must:

• Sign in and sign out at the front desk every time you visit the school
• Wear WES-issued name tag at all times
• Not use cell phones when children are in the room
• Not eat food outside of designated time and space
• Not share or give food to children
• Not enter a bathroom with a child alone
• Not be left in a room with a single student
• Be mindful that your physical contact with children is appropriate -- side hugs are fine, as are high fives, fist bumps
• Respect directions of staff in case of lockdown/shelter in place or fire drills
• Not communicate with outside world through social media during any emergency
• In case of medical emergency, contact the School Nurse at extension 107
• In case of emergency, stay with the person in need and send another child to get the nurse
• Not administer any medications; only the School Nurse administers medication
• Understand that all adults working at the school are considered mandatory reporters. That means if a child discloses sexual abuse, physical abuse or neglect, you are legally required to report that to the teacher in the classroom or a member of the school’s administration.

WFs are ambassadors of Williams College and CLiA and should serve as role models in our school communities at all times.

WFs should always be dressed appropriately and sit or stand in an engaged, welcoming and professional manner when working with students, whether online or in-person.

If engaging online, WFs should also make sure that their backgrounds are school appropriate and, as such, do not include questionable materials (alcohol, inappropriate messages, photographs or posters not suitable for children, etc.)

While working with students, WFs must:

• Serve as role models for students
• Wear appropriate clothing
• Not wear hats
• Not chew gum
• Refrain from wearing strong scents (perfume, cologne, body sprays) which may cause headaches for sensitive kids and staff
• Not share names of students or specific information about students in any public way. In written communications, WFs will use students' initials. No posting student names or images in any public way or on personal social media accounts
• Not accept or extend invitations from/to LES students to connect on social media or engage with LES students through any media not designated as MGRSD approved platforms
• Not take any photographs of LES students at any time
• Not record any portion of interaction with LES students, teachers, or classes
• Not invite students to campus events or engage with students outside planned program sessions without prior approval of school advisor and knowledge of CLiA staff advisor
• Not pursue dating or sexual relationships with students
• Not use, discuss or share information or photos (online or otherwise) with inappropriate content, including, but not limited to, nudity or illegal substances such as alcohol or drugs
• Not engage in dishonest activity including, but not limited to plagiarism, cheating or falsifying information

In addition, while in the school building, WFs must:

• Sign in and sign out at the front desk every time you visit the school
• Enter the building through the main entrance
• Not use cell phones when children are in the room
• Not eat food outside of designated time and space
• Not share or give food to children
• Respect and be mindful of student allergies and health conditions
• Not enter a bathroom with a child alone
• Not be left in a room with a single student
• Be mindful that your physical contact with children is appropriate -- side hugs are fine, as are high fives, fist bumps
• Respect directions of staff in case of lockdown/shelter in place or fire drills
• Not communicate with outside world through social media during any emergency
• In case of medical emergency, contact the School Nurse at extension 106
• In case of emergency, stay with the person in need and send another child to get the nurse
• Not administer any medications; only the School Nurse administers medication

All adults working at the school are considered mandatory reporters. That means if a child discloses sexual abuse, physical abuse or neglect, you are legally required to report that to the teacher in the classroom or a member of the school’s administration.

WFs are ambassadors of Williams College and CLiA and should serve as role models in our school communities at all times.

WFs should always be dressed appropriately and present in an engaged, welcoming and professional manner when working with students. In particular, WFs will not:

• Pursue dating or sexual relationships with students.
• Invite students to campus events/parties without prior approval from CLiA staff and the school coordinator.
• Use or discuss or share information or photos (online or otherwise) with inappropriate content, including, but not limited to, nudity or illegal substances such as alcohol or drugs.
• Engage in dishonest activity, including, but not limited to plagiarism, cheating or falsifying information.
• Engage with students outside planned program sessions without prior explicit approval from the school coordinator.
• Interact with students on social media.

CLiA-hired, assigned, trained and CORIed Williams Fellows are the only people who may conduct online sessions with local students.

Ongoing communication between WFs, CLiA and local school partners serves as informal evaluation and provides valuable feedback for all parties.

• CLiA evaluates its programs through end-of-year surveys and ongoing feedback from students working in the schools and school personnel. CLiA welcomes feedback at any time over the course of the year. You should provide feedback to student leaders as well over the course of the semester.

Ongoing communication between WFs, CLiA and local school partners serves as informal evaluation and provides valuable feedback for all parties.

• CLiA evaluates its programs through end-of-year surveys and ongoing feedback from students working in the schools and school personnel.

Ongoing communication between WFs, CLiA, and local school partners serves as informal evaluation and provides valuable feedback for all parties.

CLiA evaluates its programs through end-of-year surveys and ongoing feedback from students working in the schools and school personnel. Responding to such surveys is an expected part of your responsibilities for this role.

Ongoing communication between WFs, CLiA and local school partners serves as informal evaluation and provides valuable feedback for all parties.

CLiA evaluates its programs through end-of-year surveys and ongoing feedback from students working in the schools and school personnel.

Ongoing communication between WFs, CLiA and local school partners serves as informal evaluation and provides valuable feedback for all parties.

• CLiA evaluates its programs through end-of-year surveys and ongoing feedback from students working in the schools and school personnel.

Williams students may contract directly with local parents for tutoring services.

• While CLiA may serve to refer Williams students as private tutors, all payment, scheduling and oversight of these sessions will be monitored and supervised by parents or guardians, and are not under the supervision of CLiA or the school district.