FAQs


 * “Frequently Asked Questions” ** (Written by Susan)

Below is a list of frequently asked questions for new teachers. Let us know if we forgot anything or you need further clarification about something.

**What should I do when I arrive on campus? ** Many of us will be away in July, so the best thing to do when you arrive is to head to the Main Office and see who is on hand to help you settle in. Ask your neighbors, too; buttonhole anyone you come across on campus. We are a friendly bunch and want to help you with anything you need to know. If you know when you will be arriving, just let me or Liz Thornton know (see below), and we will make arrangements for someone to welcome you.

Essential resources will be Bicente DeLeon, who maintains our campus, and Sandy Bartholome, our Business Manager. I've asked Bicente to put a "campus set" of keys in your mailbox; he can also answer questions about your housing. Sandy is your main point person for “human resources” issues and, most importantly, for your paycheck. You are most likely to find someone in the Office during usual daytime business hours. You will have an appointment set up with Sandy on August 1st, first day you are expected to be on campus.

Although it may not necessarily be the first thing that you should think about when designing your classes, selecting and ordering books is probably a high priority for you in July. Due to budget constraints, which are fairly tight, you should make use of books we already have on hand, if possible, and order replacement copies only when necessary.
 * How do I order/track books? **

Each teacher is responsible for inventorying and ordering the books and materials needed for his or her classes. If you can place orders for replacement copies in July, you should be in decent shape for the beginning of school on August 23rd. Copies of books we have in inventory are in various classrooms and closets around the campus, usually in the classroom where the book was last taught. You may need to look several places. If you are out of town and you need us to check inventory for you, let me know. Also, if you need help with ordering, let me know. If you wish to choose different books for your courses, please check the inventory of books that we already have copies of on hand.

All orders for replacement copies, teacher's editions, and other classroom materials, should be made by the individual teacher. Teachers have pre-approval to buy items to start the year -- up to $200 for full-time teachers and $100 for part-time teachers (including Fellows).

All new additions to the curriculum need to be approved by the Dean of Faculty (Susan Davis.)

Whenever you are ordering books, please consider the most economical alternative that serves your needs. You can often request review or desk copies from publishers – but be sure that you check the terms because some must be returned or you will be charged for them. Teachers often order used copies of books on their own and submit receipts for reimbursement. [|__Half.com__]  and [|__alibris.com__]  are good resources for this. We also have accounts with many major publishers. Check with Sandy ( __sandy@chinquapin.org__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ) if you have any questions. I have also set up an account with Prestwick House, where many English/Language Arts books can be purchased at good prices. We have a corporate account with Amazon as well, which works for used or new books. See Sandy if you need to be added to that account.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Generally speaking, we charge students only for workbooks that cannot be used again or lost books or books returned in unusable condition. Most books are expected to be used multiple years, and students are not charged for them. It is the teacher’s responsibility to keep track of the books for his or her class and to notify Sandy of any charges for replacement copies that need to be made to students' tuition.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Books can be shipped to Chinquapin’s main address (2615 E. Wallisville Rd., Highlands, Texas 77562). Boxes are usually stacked in the library as they start to accumulate throughout the summer. When you ascertain that the correct number of books have been shipped, you should okay the packing slip with your signature and put it in Sandy’s box.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">6th: 20-22 students <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">7th: 24 students <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">8th: 25 students <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">9th: 25-32 (all classes are split into two sections) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">10th: 24 (Math and Spanish are split by placement – query about numbers) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">11th: 20 students (Math, Spanish, and English are split by placement – query about numbers) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">12th: 16 students (Math and English are split by placement – query about numbers)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How many students are in each class or grade? **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Expect to need a couple of extra copies for any students who might be admitted during the summer or for students who lose their books during the year.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once you know your classroom assignment, you should check it out to see what is already on hand. Check with Bicente for furniture in the storage area. We have many basic supplies in the Office as well.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What about purchasing materials or supplies for my classroom? **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">These orders are subject to the same economic considerations and review as are your book orders (see above). Check with Sandy regarding prices at Staples online, with whom we have an account, for general office/teaching supplies; deliveries are usually received the next day. Be sure that you get tax exempt numbers/forms from Sandy for your purchases -- the school does not reimburse for taxes paid. Give any receipts to Sandy for reimbursement; don't forget to put your name on them!

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you have some needs for bigger ticket items, consult with Susan; consider putting them on your Wishlist for submitting to our donors at our annual fundraiser.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Francisco Perez will set you up with access to our shared network folders and provide access to the school website during the New Teacher Orientation.
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">How can I access my Chinquapin email and other technology resources? **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you are interested in developing your course in our “distance learning” resource, Moodle, prior to the start of school, let me know your needs and I can create courses for you to play with.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The school's online calendar is accessible when you sign in to your Chinquapin email. Be sure to highlight the calendars on the left of the page to access what you need. More details on using the school calendar will be part of the New Teacher Orientation on August 6th.


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is the best way to contact Susan, Ray, or Liz over the summer? **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Susan Davis <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">email: __sdavis@chinquapin.org__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">cell: 713/702-3465) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Skype: susanlucilledavis (email me first -- I'm not usually signed in)

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ray Griffin <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">email: rgriffin@chinquapin.org <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">cell phone: 281/475-7007

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Liz Thornton <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">email: __lthornton@chinquapin.org__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">cell phone: 713-389-0351 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Skype: lizthornton25

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Office phone number is 281/426-5551 -- that's where you can reach Francisco (fperez@chinquapin.org),Sandy (sandy@chinquapin.org), or Marissa Garcia (mgarcia@chinquapin.org), our receptionist.