School Rules and Respect

Teachers will be taking the time early in the year to review school rules and procedures with students. Research indicates that a safe and orderly environment is an essential part of any effective school, and we ask students and parents to cooperate to this end. Although you may not agree fully with everything that is in this Code, rules and procedures are there to address needs and concerns.

                                                                              8:25 Homeroom Period

                                                                              8:30 Morning Classes begin

                                                                              10:00 Recess

                                                                              10:12 Students head back to class

                                                                              10:15 Classes resume

                                                                              11:40 Lunch

                                                                              12:25 p.m. First bell

                                                                              12:30 Homeroom period

                                                                              12:35 Afternoon Classes begin

                                                                               2:30 Dismissal

Parents are reminded that supervision is provided in the morning at the arrival of the first bus, at approximately 8:00 a.m.. Walking students, or those dropped off by parents, should not arrive at the school prior to this, as they will not be able to enter the building, and no supervision is provided outside.

Students, who go home for lunch, should not return to school grounds until 12:20.

Please note that homeroom periods are necessary in order to take attendance, complete lunch and recess orders, make announcements etc.. All students are to be in their homeroom and prepared for class by 8:25 a.m. and 12:30 p.m..

The Western School District recognizes that it is sometimes necessary for students to take medication during school hours. A policy exists in order to guide school personnel in the administration of medication to students. This policy attempts to ensure the safety of students taking medication as well as other students in the school. Please read this section carefully.

1. School personnel will agree to administer only that medication which is prescribed by a physician and only when it is essential the medication be administered during the regular school day. Consent forms must be signed by parents/guardians before any medication can be administered. These forms and the medication will be held in the area of the General Office.

2. Over-the-counter medication is not supposed to be given to students by any school personnel. Students therefore will not bring over-the-counter medication to school. However, if a parent has a specific request regarding over-the-counter medication, they are to contact the school administration.

SCHOOL BUS RULES

Students and parents are reminded that the bus is an extension of the school, and as such, students are expected to conduct themselves as they would in school. If a student does not comply with the regulations set down for the safe operation of the bus, he /she may be suspended from the bus for a period of time. If the behaviour of the student continues to be unacceptable, the student will have to be removed from the bus for the remainder of the year, and parents will have to assume responsibility for transporting their child to and from school.

Specific school bus regulations will be reviewed by the administration and teachers at the start of the year. Please bear in mind that we insist on proper conduct on the bus for the safety and comfort of students and this will not be compromised.

All students are expected to complete assigned tasks, either in school or as homework, on time and to the best of their ability. Dedication to quality work is the key to success. If students are to achieve their very best, parents and teachers must set high expectations for academic performance. Accepting incomplete work, or work done poorly, leads to the formation of poor work habits, which inevitably does the student more harm than good.

Homework is an area where some students often fail to focus quality attention. Homework is an extension of what is happening in class, and is used to reinforce what is learned that day. Expectations regarding homework will be clearly communicated to students at the start of the school year. This same information will be discussed with parents during our ‘Open House’ early in September.

Parent meetings are usually held in September (orientation night), November, February, and April (student-led conference). The exact dates will be communicated to you when decided upon. At the first progress report (November), we would like to see all parents. For the February report session, we only schedule appointments for parents if there are concerns that need to be addressed. Of course, parents can request an appointment with a teacher, if one has not already been set up.

COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR CHILD’S TEACHERS

Communication between the home and the school is extremely important. Teachers are encouraged to make contact with the home with the good and the not-so-good news. Please do not hesitate to call your child’s teacher if you have a concern, or you need to ask a question. If necessary, an appointment can be set up at any time throughout the school year. You do not have to wait for scheduled Parent-Teacher Nights. To ensure that parents are aware of events happening at the school, we send out a calendar and newsletter at the start of each month. We also send out memos when they are needed.

One of the greatest contributions parents can make to a child’s education is to ensure that they are read to and that they are reading. Please try and ensure that this happens on a daily basis. Provide quality books for your child at home or have them borrow from our Library/ Resource room. Research indicates that children who develop good reading habits early in life go on to achieve at higher levels than those who do not. A child becomes a better reader only if he /she READS, READS, READS! We cannot emphasize enough the importance of parental involvement in this area.

Regular attendance at school is an extremely important factor contributing to academic success. Students are expected to be in regular attendance at school, and to arrive in the morning and afternoon on time (8:20 a.m. and 12:25 p.m.). If a child is late or is absent, we ask parents to please call the school as early as possible with this information. By calling in, you reduce the number of telephone calls the school has to make to check on students who are absent. As well, all teachers in all schools are required by law to obtain a note from parents explaining any absence. Please cooperate fully with this request. You can use this agenda planner to write your note to the teacher. Students should be absent only because of illness, or some other unavoidable cause.

If a child is remaining after school for one of our extra-curricular activities, a note must be sent to the teacher on each day the activity takes place, granting permission for the child to do so. Once again, this note should be written in this planner. Students will not be permitted to phone home if they forget their note.

This requirement to have a note does not apply to our junior high students, as we assume they are mature enough at this time to have made proper arrangements to be transported home after school.

No student is to leave school at recess time.

Junior high bus students may be permitted to leave school grounds at lunchtime with a written note from a parent or guardian. Primary and elementary bus students are not permitted to leave school grounds at lunchtime.

Walking students who go home for lunch are asked not to return to school property until 12:20 p.m.

MATCHES/LIGHTERS/CIGARETTES

As the school’s student population is comprised of minors, being in possession of cigarettes will be considered an illegal act, and will be treated as such. For the safety of students, we will not allow matches or lighters to be carried onto school grounds either.

Students may place orders in the morning, during homeroom period, for recess snacks or lunch items served by a private caterer. All lunch items (including such items as a cookie or drink) must be ordered during homeroom. Junior high students may go to the cafeteria during recess to eat their recess snack.

We must use a split lunch at noon hour, given the fact that we have such a large number of students who stay for lunch. Elementary students will eat lunch from 11:40 to 12:00, and primary will eat from 12:05 to 12:20.

Children are expected to conduct themselves properly in the cafeteria, respecting the right of other students to enjoy their lunch. We require the children to stay in the cafeteria for a certain amount of time to try and get them to take their time while eating their lunch.

Parent volunteers at lunchtime are a must, as they provide for those students who need to use the microwaves. We can only continue this service, if we have parental support with this. If you can be of assistance, please let our Home-School Association know. These microwaves cannot be made available to students until parent supervision is in place.

Because of the risk of students being scald, you are asked not to send in ‘noodles’ to be heated. We also ask that you not send in any sharp-edged cans/ containers (for example, cans of sausages and fruit cups) as these also present a danger.

BOOKS/SUPPLIES/COURSE FEES

Textbooks and workbooks are provided free of charge for all students. These textbooks must not be marked up, destroyed or lost. If they are, the Department of Education expects us to charge the student a full replacement fee. Other necessary school supplies are purchased by parents.

The ‘dress code’, which applies to all students of the school, includes the following guidelines;

1. All clothing must be in good taste for a school setting. Clothing is to cover the full torso; therefore, spaghetti straps, tank tops, and shirts which show the mid-section, back, and /or shoulders are not to be worn.

2. Skirts and dresses must be appropriate for a school setting. Mini-skirts must be below mid-thigh and worn with tights or panty hose. Shorts will be permitted in school during the fall and spring when temperatures are relatively high. The shorts should be walking shorts. Pants must be worn appropriately.

3. Students are not to wear any clothing or accessories which promote violence, drugs/ alcohol, foul language, inappropriate slogans, etc..

4. Pyjamas are not to be worn in school.

5. Outside boots, coats/ jackets, hats, bandanas, and other headwear are not to be worn in school and are to be stored in lockers.

6. Footwear. Students are expected to have separate footwear for inside the school. For safety reasons, students are not to wear platform shoes. Sneakers, purchased for school, should be non-marking.

Students should be dressed appropriately for gym classes (see dress code). For our primary students, Kindergarten to grade 3, we do not require that they change for gym class given the nature of their activities. Elementary and junior high students must have separate gym clothes. Students are not to wear platform sneakers to gym.

For health reasons, we do not permit

students to borrow physical education clothing and footwear belonging to other students.

DISMISSAL FOR WEATHER, ETC.

It is sometimes necessary for school to close early for weather or other unexpected causes. It is extremely important that we have a contact number to reach parents in cases such as these, PLUS another number in the event that you cannot be reached, and your child has to go elsewhere. Please ensure that the school has telephone numbers to be used in the event of an unexpected closure. On bad weather days, please make sure someone is available to receive your child at home. Coming to the school to pick up your child is a great help!

Parents must make sure that children understand fully what they must do in the event that school is closed on short notice. It is very possible that we may have to close school in an emergency with no time to make phone calls. Therefore, the student must know what to do in the event that this happens.

Please remember the following when on the parking lot:

1. Do not block the bus route, or bus parking spaces.

2. Please drive carefully when on the lot.

3. Students who walk will be dismissed after buses and vehicles picking up students have cleared the parking lot.

SCHOOL COUNCIL

There are many benefits to children if parents work closely with school personnel. For this reason, the Education Act requires all schools to have a School Council. We set up our first School Council four years ago; the council will hold its first meeting of the school year in late September.

We are looking for volunteer support for the Breakfast Program, which runs from 8:05 to 8:30 each morning. All students are invited to come into the cafeteria for juice and other breakfast items. In addition to helping out with volunteering, parents can also support this program by donating breakfast items (juice, cereal etc.) to the program.

Students are provided with lockers in which to place their things. Primary and elementary students do not need a lock on their locker.

All students should keep their lockers in good order. Lunch containers, gym clothing etc., should be taken home on a regular basis rather than being left in the locker for long periods of time.

The Kindergarten to Grade 6 students are on the upper level, and the Grade 7 to 9 students are downstairs.

We have designated the side entrance for use by our K to Grade 6 students and the main entrance for the Grades 7 to 9 students. Students are expected to use the entrance designated for them.

Students are not to congregate in stairwells, bathrooms, or other rooms designated as off-limits.

It is very important for students to bring nutritious recess snacks and lunches to school each day. We discourage bringing ‘junk food’ to school in favour of more healthy snacks. We encourage you to try as much as possible to promote healthy eating habits with your child.

Like other schools in this district, we issue agendas to our students to help them learn to manage time and plan their days, and to keep you as parents and guardians informed of school activities.

We require that students keep their agendas with them throughout the school year. Teachers require students to write in their daily homework assignments, and have parents sign each night after the homework has been completed. As indicated earlier, parents may use this agenda to write ‘Absentee’ or other notes to the teacher, and the teacher may send home notes the same way.

This agenda will only be of benefit if it is used daily by students, and monitored daily by parents and teachers. Please make a special effort to form this habit early in the year.