Welcome to Kindergarten
We’re Glad You’re Starting School
at St. Anne!
WELCOME TO
ST. ANNE SCHOOL
We would like to welcome
your child to Kindergarten.
If this is your first child in
our school, we would like to
welcome you as a parent to
our school community. Together we will work to foster
your child’s spiritual, emotional, social, intellectual and
physical development.
The Kindergarten Program is
a half-day program that facilitates your child's social,
emotional, religious, language,
intellectual and physical development. The course of
the day will include individual,
small and large teacherdirected and child centered
learning opportunities. The
children will explore and experiment with a number of
different materials.
ADMISSION TO
SCHOOL
Students shall be admitted
to Kindergarten in September of any academic year
provided that they reach the
age of 4, on or before December 31st, in that same
school year.
PLACEMENT
The materials chosen for the
classroom have been selected
for their learning value.
Attempts will be made to
accommodate parental requests for afternoon or
morning placement. However,
the classes need to be balanced in numbers; therefore,
it is not always possible to
meet the requests.
September 2009
Kindergarten is a
half-day program.
Morning Session
Begins: 9:00 a.m.
Ends:
11:30 a.m.
Afternoon Session:
Begins: 1:00 p.m.
Ends:
3:30 p.m.
Principal: U. Pellecchia
Vice-Principal: J. Coughlin
What Will I Do All Day? (your child, not you)
Secretary: M. Villella
Custodian: C. Vivieiros
Trustees:
Please let your child know
that he/she will have many
opportunities to:
1. listen to stories and look
at books
2. play with play dough
3. make arts and crafts
4. bake and eat special treats
5. build with blocks
6. paint
7. sculpt sand and play with
water
8. learn about letters and
words
9. learn about numbers
10. play with a variety of toys
11. play outside
12. play in the gymnasium
13. make, listen to and move
to music
14. meet new friends and
work together
T. da Silva (905) 459-7089
L. Zanella (905) 840-2702
Superintendent of Schools:
G. Prajza (905) 890-1221
15. experiment with the
classroom computers
Parish: St. Anne’s Church
16. opportunities to write
and draw
Pastor: Fr. Damian Ali
Associate: Fr. Leo Llames
Telephone: (905) 453-1303
Ready, Set, Go...
PREPARING YOUR CHILD FOR
THE FIRST DAY
1.Talk about
school in a positive
way. Provide short examples or images
of events that may take place in school.
Reading books about school and dramatizing about starting school may help
your child feel more comfortable.
2.Show and demonstrate that trying
new things can be fun.
3. Let your child know that teachers are
there to help him/her enjoy, and learn
at school.
4. Remind your child that it is "okay" to
make mistakes. If your child feels
frustrated or unsuccessful encourage
him/her to keep trying.
Suggested Books:
"Franklin Goes to School"
"Will I Have A Friend?"
“I am Too Absolutely Small for School”
Whoo can be a wise owl?
You, you’re never too young
to start reading!
Your First Visit for Junior Kindergarten
MEETING
TEACHER
YOUR
CHILD’S
To help your child adjust to the school
environment, you and your JK child will
join the teacher for an initial interview
during the first week of school. During
the interview, you and your child will
have the opportunity to meet the
teacher, see the classroom and address
any questions that you may have about
the program.
GRADUAL ENTRY
Following the initial interview, the students' entrance to the Junior Kindergarten program will be staggered
throughout the second week of school.
By gradually admitting a few children
at a time into the class, the teacher
will have more time to give to each
child, thereby helping him/her feel
more secure in this setting. During
the interview, your child's teacher will
notify you of your child's starting date,
time and other classroom routines.
All JK children attend every day beginning the third week of school.
What Shall I Bring?
WHAT YOUR CHILD WILL NEED
peanuts/nuts.
Indoor running shoes
A daily snack
A school bag
We suggest your child bring in a piece
of fruit, a small sandwich or cheese and
crackers and water as a drink.
Large enough to hold picture books
from the library, any notes from his/
her teacher and any school work they
may have completed.
For gym and winter weather conditions
we ask that running shoes be left at
school. Can’t tie
shoes yet? Don’t
worry, bring slip-on or velcro shoes.
St. Anne is an allergen aware school and
as parents we ask that you read all labels of all food products and refrain
from sending in products containing
Personal labels
Label your child’ s clothing, boots, etc,
to reduce lost articles.
Play clothing
To allow for worry free play when your
child uses glue, paint, play dough, etc.,
please dress for play.
Page 2
What If I’m Away From School?
INCLEMENT WEATHER
ILLNESSES & ABSENCES
DROP OFF & PICK UP
If your child has a contagious illness,
such as a serious cold, chicken pox or
pink eye please keep him/her at home.
This will help to make sure that staff
and other students do not become infected. If your child is going to be absent from school, please call the school
before classes begin (9:00 a.m. for the
morning session and 1:00 p.m. for the
afternoon session) and leave a message
on the attendance line. Please note:
Please inform the teacher if there is a
change in your child's routine at arrival
and dismissal; i.e. if your child will be
picked up by a new sitter or will be
picked up instead of riding the bus.
Once you register
your child for Kindergarten, daily attendance and punctuality is expected.
CHANGES
Please inform the school of any change
in home, office, emergency, babysitter's or day-care phone number.
LATE FOR SCHOOL
If your child arrives late to school, you
must come to the office and sign your
child in. If your child must leave school
early, you need to sign your child out at
the office.
During the winter months inclement
weather may cause disruption of bus
transportation and regular school operations. A decision to cancel school
transportation and/or to close schools
is usually made by 6:00 a.m. and will be
announced on the following radio stations:
CKFM 99.9 CHUM 1050 CFTR 680;
CFNY 102.1; CJCL 590; CHFI 98.1;
CFRB 1010 CJEZ EZ ROCK; CJBC (FR)
860 AM
CJMR/CHWO1250; ZI3.5;93.1FM; CBC
CFTO; CITY
PULSE;
FOXY
88.5
FM
CHIN 100.7 FM/1540 AM; THE
WEATHER
NEWWORK;
GLOBAL
NEWS.
Riding the School Bus
Kindergartens who live further than 1.0
km from the school may ride the school
bus. There will be bussing to and from
school for afternoon Kindergartens, and
to school only for morning classes.
During the initial interview with the
teacher, your child's teacher will inform you of the bus times and bus stop
locations. You will also be asked to complete a safety protocol form. Parents
are asked to check the windows on the
front doors of the school during the
last week of August for posted bus
schedules.
picked up at the school. If the problem
persists, bus privileges will be cancelled.
Your child must be accompanied to the
bus stop and wait for its’ arrival at least
5 minutes before the designated time.
The person responsible for picking up
your child from the stop must be waiting 5 minutes before its arrival time to
meet your child. If a caregiver or parent does not meet your child at the bus
stop, the bus driver is required to take
the child back to school. Parents are
then responsible to have the child
Your child's teacher will provide a bus tag
to all Kindergartens riding the bus. The
tag should be securely attached to your
child's bag. It will indicate your child's
name, school, bus run and bus stop location. If the tag is destroyed, please make
a new one or request one from the
teacher.
At Home Tips to Encourage Learning
1. Show a positive attitude towards education and 100% school attendance.
Taking children out of school unnecessarily is disruptive to learning.
2. Talk about the environment around
you such as colours, objects, shapes,
signs, smells and noises.
3. Read aloud to your child every night
if you can.
4. Play games such as Simon Says, Hopscotch, I Spy, and Bingo.
7. Encourage your child to dress him or
herself.
5. Provide a variety of materials for
your child to use, such as scissors, glue,
paper, string, empty boxes and crayons.
8. Count objects with your child during
everyday activities e.g. setting the table.
6. Model and encourage your child to
talk to and listen to others. Try mock
telephone conversations. Your child
needs to talk, talk and talk, whether in
English or your first language.
9. Encourage recognition of letters and
numbers e.g. Jell-O begins with J and
ends with O.
10. Sing songs with your child, e.g. the
ABC Song, Itsy Bitsy Spider.
Page 3
GUIDING PRINCIPLES AT ST. ANNE CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Students have responsibilities that increase
as they proceed through their years at
St. Anne Catholic School.
Parents have an important role to play in
their children’s learning. They can encourage
learning by:
• working collaboratively with the school to
help students develop their annual education
goals;
• supporting and helping students with critical decision making;
• monitoring students’ progress and reviewing
their work; • maintaining contact with students’ teachers;
• supporting and taking an interest in all of
their children’s assignments and activities,
both inside and outside the school.
The staff of St. Anne School will strive to provide a positive Catholic learning
environment.
•
•
The staff will strive to maximize students’ growth intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and socially.
•
It is the hope of the school team that students respond positively to opportunities provided for them.
•
Student management will be guided by common sense, co-operation, respect and
the goal of self-discipline.
•
Every individual has great dignity and deserves the right to live in an environment
where the gospel values embodied in Jesus Christ are demonstrated.
This is accomplished through:
•
being Christian to one another in our interactions with students, parents and fellow staff members;
•
teaching every aspect of the curriculum in the light of the Gospel;
•
celebrating the Eucharist at our school masses;
•
having parish team visit the school;
•
sharing liturgy of the word celebrations.
ST. ANNE SCHOOL COUNCIL
As determined by the Education Improvement Commission, the purpose of
the school council is to improve student
learning. The main thrust of this report
is,
“…that the single best way to accom-
plish this purpose is for school councils
to make their primary focus the involvement of as many parents as possible in
the education of their own children”.
All of the research clearly indicates
that parent involvement in the education of their children is one of the most
powerful factors in bettering student
achievement. We are all working together to build a spirit of
community and to enhance the educational experience of our children.
“Community building must become the
heart of any school improvement effort.
Whatever else is involved: improving
teaching, developing sensible curriculum, relating new forms of governance,
providing more authentic assessment,
empowering teachers and parents, increasing professionalism; it must rest
on a foundation of community building”.
Allergen Awareness
In addition to our Board Policy, the
passing of Sabrina’s Law serves as a
reminder of the seriousness of anaphylactic reactions. As there are a
number of students in our school
who have a severe life threatening
allergy to nuts we continue to encourage our families to refrain from
sending to school any food, etc., that
contains nut products, e.g. peanut
As parents, there are many ways you
can impact and enhance the school environment. A great school community
takes planning and ideas from students,
teachers, support workers, the church
and parents working together. We welcome your enthusiasm, ideas and devotion of time. We encourage you as parents to come forward and be active in
the enrichment of your child’s school
life. One way of doing so is becoming a
member of school council or attending
the council meetings as a participant.
Accident Insurance
with nuts, etc. While we cannot guarantee a ‘nut free’ or allergen free
environment, your continued cooperation in support of our efforts to
create a safe and healthy learning
environment for all is appreciated.
The Dufferin-Peel C.D.S. Board has
arranged for low cost accident insurance coverage. Participation in the in
the plan is optional and forms are
distributed in September. Parents
return the forms directly to the
Insurance Company if they wish the
coverage.
Page 4
Access to School – Safe Environment
During regular school hours, all parents,
visitors and/or volunteers shall report
and sign in at the office upon entry into
the school. An identification badge
shall be worn while in the school. Without such identification all persons are
considered strangers to the students
and subsequently will be asked to report
to the office.
Supervision in the school yard is
provided 15 minutes before the school
day begins and after the school day is
completed, as well as during recesses.
To avoid confusion amongst the
students, only designated /identified
supervisors shall be in the schoolyard
during these times;
Parents using motorized vehicles are
Freedom of Information and
Protection of Privacy Act
The Municipal Freedom of Information
and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) sets out the general rules which
school boards must follow regarding the
collection, use, disclosure and retention
of personal information.
Please be
aware that recording of students
through printed form (photographs), on
film, by electronic means (video taping)
or by any other means is considered a
“collection of personal information” and
Personal Electronic Devices (PEDS)
To promote respect for the dignity of
all members of our school community
and to enhance student achievement
and safety, the Board has implemented
a policy prohibiting the use of Personal
Electronic Devices (PEDs) on school
property. This policy applies to all students, employees and visitors.
“It is the policy of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board that all PED’s be
asked to use the Kiss and Ride Lanes;
When students arrive at school, they
are to walk along the sidewalks to the
school yard where adult supervision is
scheduled and provided;
Kindergarten parents are asked to
leave their child in the supervised
fenced area.
Dogs on School Property
Students shall enter/exit the school by
the doors indicated by their teachers;
The Board has a Policy based on the
Child & Family Services Act, 2000, concerning children in need of protection.
If there is any reason to suspect that a
child may be abused or neglected, the
teacher or Board employee must report
suspicions directly to the Children's Aid
Society. It is not the school’s responsibility to investigate, evaluate or assign
blame.
Bicycles are to be walked onto and off
of school property and locked in the
designated area;
Skateboards, scooters, rollerblades and
wheelies are not permitted on school
property.
therefore certain rules apply for its
collection, use, disclosure, etc. While
the privacy rules in the Act are strong,
signed parental consent forms may or
may not be required in ALL situations.
The photographing/recording of students would not be permitted without
the required informed parental consent.
Immunization
The Mandatory Immunization of School
Children Act (1982) makes it compulsory for all students, up to the age of
18, to be immunized against Diphtheria,
kept out of sight, turned off and not used
within school premises (including portables)
or during school-sanctioned activities
(retreats, field trips, sports events, etc.).”
To prevent the loss or damage of PEDs,
students are encouraged to leave their
PEDs at home as the school cannot be
responsible for their safe keeping.
In the interest of student
please be reminded that dogs
permitted on school property.
behaviour and response around
ers can be unpredictable.
safety,
are not
A dog’s
strang-
Child Abuse
Measles, Mumps, Poliomyelitis, Rubella,
and Tetanus. In co-operation with the
Peel Regional Health Unit, we request an
updated immunization record for each
child upon registration. Please note that
doctors do not report immunization records to Peel Public Health, it is the
responsibility of the parent/guardian to
forward records.
Call Peel Public Health 905 799-7700
Fax records 905 789-0597 or
905 458-9217.
Smoking on School Property
Consistent with the Tobacco Control
Act, the Board’s policy prohibits smoking and holding lighted tobacco anywhere in the school or on school property by anyone, at any time.
Library Books
Students, who lose or damage school
library books or textbooks, will be required to make restitution.
Page 5
Special Services
Every effort is made to provide programs and services to support children
with exceptionalities in the regular
class setting. We believe that children
with exceptionalities should:
• receive appropriate special education
programs and services;
• have access to the most enabling setting that will meet their needs;
• have opportunities to interact safely
with their peers, to enjoy the life of
the school and to participate in local
community activities.
As parents, you are most aware of your
child’s strengths and needs. You are
invited to discuss these strengths and
needs with your child’s teacher. Open
discussion with teachers, principal, viceprincipal and/or the school team are the
first step in coming to a shared understanding of your child’ s strengths and
needs.
Special student services offered by the
Board include:
• psychologists;
• speech/language pathologists;
• social workers;
• child youth workers;
• augmentative communication services;
• special education resource teacher;
•
outside services through Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) i.e.
Occupational
Therapy,
Physical
Therapy, Speech Therapy.
Reporting
Parents, students and teachers have
many opportunities for ongoing communication during the year. In Kindergarten formal written reporting process
occurs at the end of the year. Parents
are encouraged to contact their child's
teacher at any time to arrange an interview to review progress.
Safety Programs
The safety of children is a priority for
all school communities. Our school participates in several activities and programs to assist in creating a safe environment for children to learn, to develop and to grow. Some of our resources include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bus Safety Programs;
Teacher Yard Supervision;
Emergency and Fire Drills;
Region of Peel Public Health
Yard Supervision
We ask parents/guardians NOT to visit the
schoolyard during the school day.
The
schoolyard area is private property and parents/guardians are strangers to children
other than their own. The exception to this
rule is first thing in the morning when parents/guardians may use the walkways around
the yard while they wait for their child(ren)
to enter the building, as well at the end of
the day when picking up their child(ren).
Services / Anti Bullying Class room
Program
Seasonal Safety Programs (i.e. Hallowe'en);
Peel Regional Police Youth Bureau;
School Council Initiatives;
Peanut Allergy Awareness;
Peel Safety Village.
Although these activities assist in making the school environment as safe as
possible, the school and the playground
are not always risk free. It is everyone's responsibility to teach safe practices. Parents share this responsibility
with school staff, supervisors, the police and fire department, and other
community service agencies. A totally
risk-free environment is not possible in
a healthy school system. We ask parents to understand and co-operate with
us. By working together we can create
safe environments and practices to
benefit our children.
Emergency Response & Fire Drills
Parents may never engage in conversation or
reprimand another person’s child while on
school property. Incidents should be reported to the office.
The catwalks and walkway adjacent to the
field are the boundaries and off limits to the
students. All staff will be vigilant in enforcing these boundaries. All staff wear bright
orange vests for easy identification.
Regular fire drills and emergency response
drills are held throughout the year to practice safety procedures. If an emergency
required the total evacuation of the school ,
students and teachers would walk to Sir
John A. MacDonald Public School (905) 4575535. The nature of the emergency may
affect more than one school in a neighbourhood or region. In this event, we would receive direction from the Peel Regional Police.
Parents would be informed as to the safety
and whereabouts of their children.
Page 6
Volunteers
“No Child Without Program”
St. Anne’s School is a participant in
the Canadian MedicAlert
Foundation’s “No Child Without”
Program. This is a free program for
children from JK up to their 14th
birthday, living with chronic medical
We are always looking for volunteers: for an hour,
a day, an event. There are volunteers needed for
School Council luncheons, reading to students,
counting money, photo copying, special events,
class trips, special interest groups, etc. All volunteers who have regular contact with students
must have a Criminal Reference Check which is
provided free of charge through Peel Police.
conditions, allergies or special needs
to receive MedicAlert protection.
Students have a choice of idents
(necklace or bracelet) listing their
medical condition and membership
number. Students also receive a
wallet card and access to the 24
Hour Emergency Hotline.
Should
your child move to another school in
Canada, they are still protected. We
hope that parents who have children
with medical conditions have taken
advantage of this wonderful free
opportunity and register with
MedicAlert.
Please contact the
school for information or visit
www.nochildwithout.ca to learn more
about the program.
Pediculosis
Head lice are parasites which have been
common among human beings for centuries. They are not connected in any way
with dirt or neglect. Anyone can be
infested with head lice. If a case of
head lice is found, we shall inform parents. If you are aware that your child
has head lice, it is your responsibility to
inform the school to prevent an outbreak in the class.
If your child is infested, we will be asking you to keep your child out of school
until after treated with the correct
shampoos and the nits (eggs) are completely removed from hair. Keep in mind
that once your child has had head lice,
regular check-ups are required even
after you have treated and removed all
visible nits.
Forms are available from the office.
Remind your child that sharing of hats,
combs, brushes, hair elastics and barrettes is not recommended. If we all
co-operate in these procedures, we may
not escape outbreaks, but we will be
able to bring them under control
quickly.
Verification Forms
Each year, we ask parent/guardians to
check Student Verification Forms, it is
imperative that these forms be accurate and current.
If information
changes during the school year, please
inform the office of:
•
change of address
•
change of home phone or cell numbers
•
change of business phone number
•
•
change of child care provider
change of emergency contacts
Medication at School
Students who must bring medication to
school, or who must take regular medication during the school hours, require
specific form to be filled out and signed
by parent/ guardian and the physician.
It is the responsibility of the parent/
guardian to monitor the quantity of
medication stored by the school. All
medications are to be kept in the office
and administered at the office. Students must have their medication with
them for off-site excursions i.e. epipens and asthma inhalers.
ST. ANNE SCHOOL
SCHOOLYARD / DRIVEWAY SAFETY
SCHOOL YARD
Parents/Guardians in order that we may maintain safety in the schoolyard we ask that all parents/
guardians drop off their children at the Kindergarten/general playground or Kiss ‘n Ride no earlier than
8:45 a.m. We kindly request parents in the playground to say goodbye to their children as soon as they see
staff on duty wearing an orange vest. Because our playground area is so open, it is often difficult to distinguish strangers from parents and therefore we request that parents only use the walkways around the
yard and refrain from walking across the playground when students are outside. Parents should consistently
follow these procedures even in the morning, as it will make it easier for staff on duty to spot unwelcome
guests and strangers. It is important that parents / guardians do not engage in conversation with students
who are not their children.
Please remember to remind your older High School students that they are not to be on school property
during school hours. Should they be picking up a sibling, they should come alone, meet the brother or sister
and leave the yard promptly. Use of roller blades, bikes, skateboards etc. are not permitted on school
property at any time.
DRIVEWAY
There is NO PARKING in front of St. Anne School, in the Kiss ‘n Ride lanes or in the marked Handicapped
spot unless with an authorized sticker. Parents/guardians please note that the driveway is a designated
fire route and therefore you cannot park the car in the driveway to go and walk your child to the
schoolyard or sit waiting in the car to pick up your child in the Kiss 'n Ride lanes at any time. Kindergarten parents/guardians as well cannot park their vehicle in the driveway to go and pick up their
Kindergarten student at 11:30 a.m. dismissal. There are a few visitor parking spots in front of the
small gym to the left of the front doors of the school building.
These rules apply 24 hours a day. Parking control has advised that they will be issuing tickets to those who
park and leave their car in the driveway or come prior to school dismissal and park in the driveway while
waiting for school dismissal.
Should there not be space for you to park at the school in front of the gym, please park at St.
Anne’s Church and walk over, utilizing the lights and crossing guard. Alternatively, parents/guardians may
also choose to wait at the church for a few minutes and circle through the Kiss 'n Ride area by car a few
minutes later once again. At the end of the day, students are instructed to use the yellow painted walkway
and attached path area leading from the schoolyard and to wait for parents on the sidewalks beside the
Kiss ‘n Ride lanes. Students are never to be dropped off and picked up from the inside driving lanes, in
front of the school or walk across the driveway between cars.
PLEASE NOTE: with traffic lights at the end of the driveway, there are two lanes for cars to exit the
driveway – the left lane for making a left turn and the other a right turn lane. A portion of the right lane
closest to the traffic lights is a designated area for making a right turn only; and is not available for cars
to park, stop to drop off or to pick up students.
If parents/guardians come to the school for the day (i.e. volunteer or assist on a school trip), please park
at the church to free up the few parking spots for parents picking up and dropping off students.