St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School Student Handbook 2013-2014 St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School: A Catholic Community where we are Accepted and Respected for our uniqueness as we strive for Excellence. We care. ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Student Handbook & Agenda 2013-2014 WELCOME! It is our pleasure to welcome new and returning families to St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School. I wish you all a successful and fulfilling year at St. Joseph. Our experienced staff is dedicated to providing every student with the best Catholic Education focusing on spiritual, academic, social and athletic development. We realize the importance of developing in each student an attitude of respect for self, others and property. We provide a variety of opportunities for students to form meaningful and responsible relationships and to grow and develop a virtuous lifestyle following the example of Jesus. Close co-operation between home, school and parish is essential to promote the best interests of the student. Parents and guardians are our partners in the important task of educating the children of this community. We welcome parents’ suggestions and encourage their involvement with our Catholic School Advisory Council. To this end, we encourage you and your child to use this agenda on a daily basis. We are glad you are here. • Every aspect of the curriculum being taught in the light of our Gospel Values • Liturgies, Masses, Sacraments, Retreats and Morning Prayer Meeting schedules for the preparation of the sacraments will be posted in the monthly newsletter. ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL: The School Advisory Council Executive is a vibrant and enthusiastic group of parents, guardians, teaching and non teaching staff and a parish representative from St. Joseph Parish. Elections to sit on the executive council are scheduled in the fall of each new school year. Monthly meetings are open to all members of the community and parents/guardians are encouraged to attend. Approved minutes of meetings are posted on the bulletin board at the school front entrance area. The council is very active in fund raising for the students of St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School. The staff of St. Joseph School looks forward to working together with you in the development of the spiritual growth of our school community. This is accomplished through… Being Christian to one another in our interactions with students, parents and fellow staff members Parish Team visits to the school We assist the parish team in preparing students for the Sacrament of: First Reconciliation (Grade 2), First Holy Communion (Grade 2) and Confirmation (Grade 8). Meetings are organized for parents so you can be an integral part of your child’s spiritual growth in these sacraments. We anticipate that you will be sharing the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist with your child at St. Joseph Parish, on a regular basis. Family participation is the most valuable part of a child’s faith development. SHARING THE FAITH • • Novena to St. Joseph the Worker O God, the Creator of all things, You have laid the law of labor upon the human race. Grant, we beseech You, that by the example and protection of St. Joseph we may perform the work You command and attain the rewards that You promise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 2 ATTENDANCE, PUNCTUALITY, REPORTING ABSENCES GENERAL INFORMATION: Regular attendance at school is critical for the student’s learning and achievement of curriculum expectations. Each student has the responsibility to be in attendance at all classes and scheduled activities on time and with the appropriate materials required for full participation. If your child is to be absent, we request that you please call the school prior to 8:45 a.m. to report your child’s absence. Voice mail will record your message. If a child is absent and we have not received your message, we will telephone you. Students who arrive late at school must report to the office and receive a late slip. SCHOOL HOURS: Kindergarten to Grade 8 Morning 8:45- 11:45 Lunch: 11:45 – 12:45 Afternoon: 12:45 – 3:15 Grades 1-8 Recess Recess 10:50 -11:05 2:10 - 2:25 Please see the 2013-2014 School Year Calendar included in this agenda for information regarding School Holidays and Professional Activity Days. Homework is one way that students are prepared for class. Please read the “K to 12 Homework Policy and Procedures: Elementary Summary” inserted in this agenda. VISITORS We like to greet our visitors! We request all visitors, including parents and former students to check in at the main office before proceeding to any part of the school. If you need to bring a forgotten lunch or book to school, please leave it at the school office. Volunteers will sign in and wear a school badge while in the school to indicate authorization. Staff is instructed to challenge unknown visitors beyond the lobby who are not wearing a badge or sticker. EMERGENCY FORMS Each year, we ask you to verify emergency information. It is urgent that our data be accurate and current. If information changes throughout the school year, please let us know. Information Changes… Please help us keep our records up to date regarding the following: DRESS CODE • • • • We ask for parent and student co-operation to adhere to the high standards of modesty, neatness and good taste in their attire within our Catholic school. We need to remember that what is appropriate for a six year old is not considered appropriate for a twelve year old. Halter tops, tight pants/ leggings and tight short shorts, muscle shirts and the like are better suited to the beach than the classroom. Shirts need to be an appropriate length without violent or inappropriate language. Sunglasses and hats are recommended for outdoor wear. We ask for your continued support for a dress code which reflects the school as a place for serious work, accompanied by standards of sensitivity, politeness and decorum. All of our students are encouraged to dress in keeping with the values and standards of our Catholic School. • Change of address Change of business phone number Change of cell & home phone number Change of babysitter - name and phone number Change in medical needs MEDICATION AT SCHOOL: Your child’s safety and the safety of other students is of great importance to us. In order for the school to store and to administer medication to students, your doctor must complete a form provided by the school. This includes daily medication as well as shortterm emergency administration. For safety reasons, students are not permitted to have any form of medication on their person or in the classroom with the exception of epi-pens that the office staff has approved following medical documentation. When a child participates in a field trip, the teacher will carry the medication for students. 3 EMERGENCY RESPONSE, FIRE DRILLS & EVACUATION PROTOCOL which contains peanut oil. Another product that affects some students with nut allergies is WOW Butter which contains sesame oil. The school strives to keep our entire student body safe by encouraging students to bring snacks and lunches that are nut free. Parents or guardians are notified via a letter if their child is in a classroom with a student who has allergies. Based on Sabrina’s Law, St. Joseph will maintain an anaphylactic policy. Please speak to your child’s teacher before you send food to school for parties. It is important to check the label. We strive to make sure that our school is a safe, caring, healthy and inclusive place in which to learn and to work. Fire drills, visitors’ badges/sign in and the installation of a front door speaker/buzzer/video monitoring system are important components of our commitment to maintaining a safe and secure school environment. Regular fire drills and lock-down drills are held throughout the year to practice student safety procedures. If an emergency requires the total evacuation of the school population, students and teachers will walk to the Vic Johnson Arena. Parents would be informed as soon as possible as to the safety and whereabouts of their children. IMMUNIZATION In June 1982 an act was passed making it mandatory for all school pupils up to their 18th birthday to be immunized against diphtheria, Measles, Mumps, Polio myelitis, Rubella, and Tetanus. Grade 7 students participate in the 3shot Hepatitis B program. As part of our registration procedure, in co-operation with the Peel Regional Health unit, we request an immunization record for each child. ILLNESS AND ACCIDENTS During the course of a school day, a child may become ill or suffer an accident. In such events: • • The parent will be notified at home or at work to come to the school and see your child safely home. CHILD IN NEED OF PROTECTION If we cannot reach a family member by telephone, we attempt to contact the emergency number, which we request from all families. We will then place your child in the care of this person. Ontario’s Child and Family Services Act (CFSA) provides for a broad range of services for families and children, including children who are or may be victims of child abuse or neglect. The paramount purpose of the Act is to promote the best interests, protection and well being of children. The Act recognizes that each of us has a responsibility for the welfare of children. It states clearly that members of the public, including professionals who work with children, have an obligation to report promptly to a children’s aid society if they suspect that a child is or may be in need of protection. If your child feels unwell early in the morning, please make arrangement for him/ her to be cared for at home or at a sitter’s. Please do not send your child to school until they are well enough to participate actively. When a child suffers a concussion, a doctor’s note is required before the child is allowed to resume full activities. Please give priority to your child’s health and comfort. A major accident requires immediate action and paramedics will be called. It is imperative that the emergency forms be completed and returned to the school In September. Please inform the school of any change of contact numbers during the year. LUNCH POLICY Students staying for lunch will eat lunch in their designated areas (usually their own classroom). Students are expected to clean up their own garbage and to remain on school property under the direct supervision of lunchtime supervisors and teaching staff. The adjacent park and city facilities are off limits. MEDICAL ALERT / PEANUT ALLERGIES: There are students with severe life threatening nut/peanut allergies registered at St. Joseph School. These allergies prevent students from eating any kind of nuts or having any product . 4 LEAVING SCHOOL PROPERTY OUTDOOR RECESS: Recess is at 10:50-11:05 in the morning and at 2:10-2:25 in the afternoon. During the lunch hour the students spend 40 minutes outdoors from 12:05-12:45. All children are expected to spend their recess outdoors. Therefore, they are expected to dress appropriately for the season. Inclement weather conditions include rain, severe cold and severe heat temperatures. General Administrative Procedures assist in determining whether students can safely play outside. Students are encouraged to use unscented sunscreen to protect from harmful UV rays. Unless inclement weather requires the children to stay inside, all students should spend recess outdoors. If a student is too ill to go outside, he or she should probably not be at school that day. Should a student need to stay inside, please send a doctor’s note indicating the reason and the time period that permission is requested to stay inside. Snacks are not permitted outside. Snacks will be consumed during regular class time. Students are not permitted to leave school property prior to regular dismissal without parental authorization. Parents will sign-out and pick up the child from the office area. When someone other than the custodial parent is picking up the student, a written request from the parent/guardian is required for each occurrence. If an emergency arises and it is absolutely necessary for a student to return home, the custodial parent must contact the school to give permission. SCHOOL YARD SAFETY The safety of children is a priority for all school communities. Our school participates in several activities to assist in creating a safe environment for children to learn, to develop and to grow. Although these activities assist in making the school environment as safe as possible, the school and playground are not always risk free. It is everyone’s responsibility to teach safety practices to our children. Students are aware of the “hands off” policy to promote safe play in the school yard. Please reinforce this policy with your children. SAFE SCHOOL POLICY Bullying is typically a form of repeated persistent and aggressive behaviour that is intended to cause fear and distress and/or harm to another person’s feelings, self-esteem or reputation. Bullying occurs in a context where there is a real or perceived power imbalance. St. Joseph School Administration is committed to suspending those students who engage in bullying or cyberbullying. The St. Joseph Catholic School Community is committed to increasing awareness and building system-wide capacity towards the development of a comprehensive whole-school approach to bullying prevention, and progressive discipline within our Catholic faith perspective. Throughout the year, the students are provided with presentations and curriculum to help them in identifying and responding to bullying activities. A guide for parents is available in 22 languages from… www.ontario.ca/safeschools KISS N’ RIDE: Parents are expected to use the Kiss N’ Ride Lane before school and after school to drop off and pick up students. At entry time, students exit the vehicle and proceed to the schoolyard. Kindergarten students are met by a teacher supervisor and led to the kindergarten area. At dismissal, the students line up at the edge of the parking lot. Parents are requested to stay in their cars. There can be no parking in the Kiss N’ Ride or Bus lanes at any time. We are very grateful to the parents who volunteer their time to ensure that the Kiss & Ride is run safely and efficiently. Please offer them respect and courtesy. If you can spare 15 minutes per week, please consider volunteering. Please see the Dufferin-Peel document, “Safe, Caring, Healthy & Inclusive School Communities” included in the agenda “Support, Defend, Report, Be a Friend" 5 TRANSPORTATION: Parents are responsible for assuring their child’s safety in going to and from the bus stop and while waiting at the stop. Schedules are approximate therefore students should be at their stop at least 10 minutes before the designated time. INCLEMENT WEATHER /TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURES During the winter months, we are challenged by the inclement weather/ bus cancellation procedures. Generally, there are two different situations which dictate the use of such a procedure. On arrival in the morning, student bus monitors take kindergarten students to the kindergarten play area where they are met by a teacher supervisor. At the end of the day, intermediate student-bus monitors accompany kindergarten and grade-one students to their bus. Just a Reminder: The board provides transportation from the local bus stop to school and school to the local bus stop… • Students may travel only on their assigned bus. Parents are responsible for transportation arrangements regarding their children’s appointments, visits to friends and birthday parties etc. • Transportation is NOT provided for students who live outside the school boundaries. • Transportation eligibility is based on the home or baby sitter address. • Transportation Eligibility Policy: Kindergarten –Grade 1 - 1.0 km Grades 2- 4 1.6 km Grades 5 – 8 2.0 km Secondary 4.8 km • At the end of September, those students who are not eligible for bussing can apply for any empty seats under the “courtesy seating policy”. To identify whether your child is eligible please go to the Geoquery website…http://businfo.stopr.ca and follow the information box prompts. 1. type in the website address: businfo.stopr.ca 2. click “student login” 3. enter your child’s OEN number, street/house number, school and grade 4. click “login” The first is where transportation is cancelled due to poor weather conditions. This normally occurs before school begins in the morning. Our school board is The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. If bus transportation is cancelled in the morning, it will NOT be available at the end of the day. If you drive your child to school on a day that transportation is cancelled, it is then your responsibility to pick the child up promptly at dismissal. When transportation services are cancelled only, the school remains open. Information regarding bus cancellation and other emergency information announcements can be obtained by listening to the following radio stations or by visiting www.dpcdsb.org CHUM 104.5 FM CHFI 98.1 FM CHIN 100.7 FM CBC 740 AM CKDX 88.5 FM CISS 92.5 FM SRC 90.3 FM Q107 107.1 FM Make sure the announcement is for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. St. Joseph is not a Caledon or Dufferin region school. A second situation occurs when the school is closed during the day before dismissal due to poor weather conditions. It is then the responsibility of the Board and school personnel to make emergency arrangements with the safety of the students being prime consideration. If the school is closed early, bus students will be sent home. If deteriorating conditions require an early school dismissal, please be certain that your child has a plan to go to a neighbour, sitter etc. Remember riding the bus is a privilege. Students are reminded that they must follow the rules. They are encouraged to place their backpacks on their laps to ensure that they travel safely. 6 TEXTBOOK POLICY ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST HAVE A CRIMINAL REFERENCE CHECK Textbooks and library books are the property of the school and are loaned out to students with the expectation that they will be returned. The teachers record each textbook that each student is given. Students will be responsible for lost or damaged books. In compliance with the recent Ministry directives regarding Criminal Reference Checks, volunteers are required to provide an original copy of their Criminal Reference Check dated within 90 days of the activity date. If you are planning to volunteer on school trips and/or in the school, and do not have a reference check on file, please pick up a form at the office.. Library books are tracked in a new data management base. Students will lose their privilege to borrow library books if they are not returned punctually. REPORTING PROCESS Parents, students and teachers have many opportunities for ongoing communication during the school year. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s teacher at any time to review progress. Student evaluation is ongoing and assessment includes the many aspects of their school performance, i.e., class work, assignments and contribution to school life. Teacher observation, projects, tests, along with peer and student self-evaluation are all part of the evaluation process. There will be two formal report cards throughout the school year. TECHNOLOGY POLICY Computer hardware and networking equipment have an increasingly important role in our schools. Computers are the property of the school and are available to be used by the students as an integral part of the curriculum. All students and parents/guardians will be asked to sign the Network Use Application and Agreement to ensure proper usage and the respect of privacy. Any infringements of the agreement shall result in loss of usage and/or disciplinary actions. LOST AND FOUND Frequently items are mislaid. If the items are labeled with names, it greatly assists in their speedy return. A lost and found box is kept in the school for mislaid items and we encourage students and parents to check this box if something has been misplaced. Smaller items, such as keys, jewelry and glasses, are normally kept in the office. At the end of each term, unclaimed articles are turned over to charitable organizations. PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES (PEDS) The personal privacy and dignity of students, staff and visitors may possibly be invaded by the inappropriate use of PEDs on school premises. Therefore, the following Board and subsequently the school policy is in effect. VALUABLES “To promote respect for the dignity of all members of our school community and to enhance student achievement and safety, the use of a PED is strictly prohibited in the school or during school related activities (such as retreats, field trips, sports events, etc.). Failure to comply with this policy may result in the confiscation of the PED and/or disciplinary action as outlined in the Catholic Code of Conduct 2001. The school and the Dufferin-Peel District School Board assume no responsibility for the loss, recovery, repair or replacement for any PED brought onto school property. There is no place in the school to store valuable belongings. Please ensure that children do not bring any valuables (jewelry, skateboards, I-Pods, cell phones, cameras) to school as we cannot be responsible for their safekeeping. Bicycles should be locked to the racks. It is the policy of the Dufferin-Peel District School Board that PEDs are to be kept out-of-sight, turned 7 off and not used within school premises or during school sanctioned events. To prevent the loss or damage of PEDs, the school encourages students to leave their PEDs at home or in their lockers.” EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES When considering a total education, there are certain aspects of development and social interactions which fall outside the realm of the academic curriculum. Extra-curricular activities provide an opportunity for meeting with a variety of situations requiring social interaction and engendering personal growth. Since these activities are school supervised, it is necessary that rules and regulations be established for the safety and well- being of all concerned. This year, your son or daughter will have the opportunity to take field trips or to participate in extra- curricular activities, academic skills competitions and athletic teams. Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) are Wireless and/or Portable Electronic Handheld Equipment that include, but are not limited to, existing and emerging Mobile Communication Systems and Smart Technologies (cell phones, smartphones, walkietalkies, pagers, etc.), Portable Internet Devices (mobile managers, mobile messengers, BlackBerry handsets etc.), PDAs (palm organizers, pocket PCs, etc.), Handheld Entertainment Systems (video games, CD players, compact DVD players, MP3 players, iPods, Walkmen, etc.), digital or film cameras, digital or analogue Audio Recorders or Video Recorders (tape recorders, camcorders, etc.), Spy Gadgets (spy cameras, covert listening devices, etc.) and any other Convergent Communication Technologies that do any number of the previously mentioned functions. Prior to these events, permission forms will be sent home. It is important that these forms be filled out, signed and returned to school. No student will be allowed on any trip without a signed permission form. Thank you to the teachers and parent volunteers who make trips possible. STUDENT PLANNER EXPECTATIONS AND AGREEMENT The purpose of this planner is to assist the student in developing the organization and planning skills necessary to succeed. It is also intended to keep parents informed of your child’s school activities. Students are required to keep their agendas with them throughout the school year to record homework, assignment due dates and events on a daily basis. To indicate that you have read through this handbook, and have discussed its contents with your child, please sign the space below. Thank you! ______________________________________________________ ________________ Student Signature Date ______________________________________________________ ________________ Parent/Guardian signature Date 8