Hatzic Elementary
Student Handbook
Revised September 2010
Home of the Huskies…..where “Effort Makes a
Difference”
Hatzic Elementary School
Student Handbook
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Hatzic Elementary where students, staff and parents work together to
achieve our goals of Literacy, Numeracy, Healthy Lifestyles and Fine Arts in a safe and
caring environment with academic success for every child. We believe that every child, parent
and staff member has a vital role in achieving these important goals. We appreciate your
involvement and are pleased to be working together with you to meet your child’s unique
needs.
At Hatzic Elementary we are very fortunate to have a highly supportive parent community and
we appreciate all the work they do to support our school climate, extra-curricular activities
and the learning environment. We are eager to encourage involvement, whether it be with the
School Planning Council, the Parent Advisory Council, as a volunteer, as a helping parent, or
by simply keeping in close communication with your child’s teacher. Parental involvement
and effective communication are essential for your child’s success and we encourage all
parents to be partners with us in your child’s education.
The beginning of the school year is always an exciting time for setting personal goals with
your child whether it be getting more involved in curricular or extra-curricular activities,
walking to school, getting more rest, or committing to nightly review of school work, it is an
excellent time for reflection, change and renewal. High expectations for children, in a
supportive environment, with adults who love them will lead to more confident and capable
students who enjoy trying their best. Remember at Hatzic Elementary, Home of the Huskies,
we believe that “effort makes a difference”.
We are delighted to have your child attend our school and I am looking forward to getting to
know you and your child over the course of this year. At any time during the school year, if
you have a question or concern, please contact me by phone at (604) 826-248, by e-mail at
carolynn.schmor@mpsd.ca, or stop by the office.
Sincerely,
Carolynn Schmor
Principal
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Student Handbook
Table of Contents
School Goals……………………………………………………………. 3
School Mission and Beliefs………………………………………. 4
School Procedures and Operations……………………..…… 5
Health and Safety…………………………………………………….. 7
Home/School Connection………………….…………………….. 8
Code of Conduct……………………………………………………… 11
District Support Services…………………………………………. 13
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School Goals 2010-2011
Numeracy
Improve the knowledge, skills and attitudes in numeracy
Literacy
Improve the knowledge, skills and attitudes in literacy
Healthy Lifestyle
Improve the knowledge, skills and attitudes in choosing a
healthy lifestyle
Fine Arts
Improve the knowledge, skills and appreciation in fine arts
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Student Handbook
HATZIC MISSION AND BELIEFS
Mission Statement
Hatzic Elementary School offers organized and sustained programs of instruction. It provides
opportunities for self-directed learning, for remedial education, for co-curricular and for extracurricular activities. Hatzic students acquire knowledge and skills of value. They adopt attitudes
which promote an improvement in their quality of life. They are taught to be good citizens. The
staff believes this school to be a strong positive influence in the lives of its students.
Hatzic Elementary School Belief Statement
We expect that Hatzic students:
..... will improve and progress, in an amount and proportion consistent with their age, grade
and ability levels
..... will gain skill in both oral and written communication and that they will develop some
understanding of the value of these skills to the process of critical thinking.
..... must have basic mathematical skills to permit them to live comfortably and efficiently in our
economic society and that, accordingly, they will develop their ability in this area.
..... will acquire knowledge and experiences of Social Responsibility, the Social Sciences (Social
Studies, History, Geography) and the Natural Sciences.
..... will develop their powers of reason, analysis and decision making.
..... will develop healthy lifestyle choices habits
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Student Handbook
SCHOOL PROCEDURES AND OPERATIONS
Bell Schedule
08:40 Warning Bell
08:45 Instructional Session #1
10:45 Recess Break
11:00 Instructional Session #2
12:15 Lunch Break
12:55 Warning Bell
1:00 Instructional Session #3
2:30 Dismissal
Kindergarten
Mon. to Fri. 8:45-11:15
Office Hours: 8:00-3:30
School Phone: 604-826-2481
Fax:
604-826-8331
School Arrival Time
Students are expected to arrive at school
between 8:30 and 8:45 unless prior
arrangements have been made with a staff
member. Students must not be inside the
school prior to 8:30 without permission.
Attendance
Please call after 8:00 AM to inform us if
your child will be away from school. We ask
this because we want to be sure that all
students who leave for school in the
morning have arrived here safely.
School Records
Inform the school as soon as possible of any
change in address, phone number or
emergency contact information.
Telephone
Students must obtain teacher permission
before using the office telephone. Students
may not use the phone to make personal
arrangements, i.e. permission to visit
friends. These arrangements must be made
prior to arriving at school and teachers may
need to be informed as well
depending on the age of
the child.
Lost and Found
Unclaimed articles
accumulate over the school year. These
articles are placed in our lost and found box
located in the school hallway. Items are
retained by the school for a period of time
(usually half the school year), after which
time they are forwarded to local charities.
To ensure minimal losses, please label your
child’s belongings.
Lost Books
Embellishing our library collection is a
constant goal. While
children are greatly
encouraged to sign
out library books on
a regular basis, they
must also bear the
responsibility for
those which are lost. Should your child lose
a library book that he/she has signed out,
you will receive notification of this by the
Teacher-Librarian.
Subsequent to this, if the library book is not
returned, parents will be asked to
reimburse the school for its cost. We
appreciate your assistance in helping us to
develop and maintain a plentiful and
current library collection.
Classroom Supplies
Students are expected to have all supplies
listed on the supply list. Students are
encouraged to take good care of supplies
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Student Handbook
and to replace broken, worn out or lost
items.
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Dress Code
Students are expected to come to school
dressed in a manner acceptable for the
weather and the environment. Clothing is
expected to cover shoulders, back and
midriff. Beachwear and t-shirts with
offensive slogans, graphics or profanity
(including those which promote alcohol,
tobacco, and other drugs) are not
acceptable.
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Head Lice
Several times a year all students are
checked for head lice by a team of parent
volunteers. Should a case be detected, the
child’s family will be notified. Students will
be rechecked before returning to class.
Check your child’s hair often. If you do
detect head lice, please let us know so that
we may inform other parents to be on the
lookout. For more
information on head lice,
contact the Mission Public
Health Unit.
Lunch Time Procedures
All students staying for lunch are to conduct
themselves in a responsible manner.
Students are expected to go outdoors at
recess and lunch on outdoor days. Children
with injuries will be accommodated. On
inside days students are expected to stay in
their rooms for quiet activities.
No weapons, real or toy, are
allowed at school such as guns,
knives, laser pointers
Cell Phones. It is understood that
some parents wish their students to
have a cell phone for safety,
particularly going to and from
school. In order to maintain a safe,
caring and orderly environment for
learning cell phone or other
electronic device use during the
school day (8:45-2:30) will not be
permitted unless permitted by a
staff member. Students not
complying with this rule will be
subject to discipline and the phone
may be taken away and returned to
the parent.
Front Door Use
To ease congestion and aid organization,
the front doors of the school are to be used
by staff, parents, and visitors.
Supervision
Additional supervision is provided for 15
minutes before and 15 minutes after
school. Students are expected to arrive and
leave within these times unless prior
arrangements have been made with staff.
Bicycles
Bicycles are to be walked on the school
grounds and locked at the bicycle racks.
Students riding bicycles are expected to
follow the rules of the road including
wearing a helmet.
Personal items at school
Some specific school policies to take note of
are:
 Valuable electronic games and
gadgets, ipods/mps players, etc.
may not be brought to school.
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HEALTH AND SAFETY
Student Injury/Illness
The British Columbia School Act gives
teachers the same responsibility as that
of prudent parents. In the event of
minor bumps, cuts, and bruises, we will
administer the appropriate first aid.
If there is any question as to the
seriousness of the injury or illness, we
will err on the side of caution and make
contact with the guardian or designated
emergency contact.
We will take your child to the hospital if
necessary. In obvious emergency
situations, for example, head or back
injuries, breathing problems, broken
bones, or other serious injuries, we will
not hesitate to call 911 and then
attempt to contact you or your
designate.
Guests/Visitors to the School
All guests, visitors and parent
volunteers are required to report to the
office and sign in. This is particularly
important at lunch as our Noon Hour
Supervisors are unfamiliar with many
parents.
Students on School Grounds
Students are not permitted to leave the
school grounds unless they are going
home for lunch and have signed
permission to do so.
Hospital/Homebound
This program is designed to assist those
students who are missing regular
classroom instruction because they are
either hospitalized or homebound for at
least a two week period. Arrangements
will be made regarding the pick up of
school work.
Dispensing Medicines
On occasion, a student may be required
to take medicine at school. We will
require a signed form by your doctor for
any dispensing of medicine as well as
the prescription bottle indicating the
drug and the dosage. This includes
over-the-counter drugs as well.
Emergency Preparedness
Comprehensive emergency plans for
internal and external crises are in place
at Hatzic and they are regularly
reviewed with the staff.
Practise drills are conducted several
times throughout the year. Students
are taught to how to duck and cover in
the case of an earthquake. They are
taught how to evacuate the building in
an efficient and orderly manner,
gathering in a designated place a safe
distance from the building.
In the case of a natural or man-made
disaster, students are expected to
remain at school until contact is
established with a parent or designate.
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HOME/SCHOOL CONNECTION
Attendance
Regular attendance at school is
important for two reasons:
- absentees miss important concepts
which are taught and are often
extremely difficult to replicate outside
the school classroom environment
- student absence with parent
permission due to any other reason
except illness places a lesser value on
school education in the eyes of the child
Parents should carefully consider plans
to take a child out of school for reasons
other than those stated in the Provincial
School Regulations which are: student
illness, contagious disease in the home
and danger to student’s health due to
exposure.
For the system to operate successfully,
parents are requested to:
 phone the school in the morning
if a child will be late or absent
from school for any reason, or
 send a note with another child in
the family, or
 give advance notification,
preferably written, of
dental/medical appointments or
any changes from the usual
routine.
How can Parents help?
 Ensure that your child has
enough sleep every night.
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Make sure your child has
breakfast.
Make sure your child arrives at
school on time.
Homework
Home learning helps prepare students
for academic success. Research has
suggested that keeping television
viewing and electronic game use to a
minimum will increase the ability for
students to learn.
 Homework assignments will not
require resources which are
unavailable to the student.
 Formal homework will not be
assigned to students in the
Primary Program although there
are home support activities we
recommend to you.
 Intermediate students should
complete between 30-60
minutes of homework/study per
day.
 Discuss/Review homework to
help extend student learning and
understanding.
 Read with your child.
Newsletters
Newsletters are sent home regularly, to
keep parents informed of school
activities and share success stories. One
newsletter is issued per family and sent
home with your youngest child in the
school unless you request a different
arrangement. Extra copies of
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newsletters are available at the office if
you did not receive yours.
School Photos
The opportunity to purchase individual
photos of your child usually occurs in
time for Christmas gift giving. A retake
day is always scheduled for students
who were absent or unhappy with their
photo. Later in the year, class photos
are taken and each student receives a
complimentary copy.
Assemblies
Weekly assemblies are held in our
gymnasium on Wednesdays at 8:55.
Parents are invited and encouraged to
attend. Assembly times offer the
opportunity to showcase student
learning, recognize student
achievement, share a special event,
provide information and generally
increase a sense of community.
Communication Policy
It is important to establish good twoway communication between home and
school. A child’s needs are best met
when communication is honest and
open.
If a parent has a concern, it is desirable
to discuss it first with the child’s
teacher. It is the teacher’s responsibility
to keep the principal informed. The
principal will become involved at the
request of either the teacher or the
parent.
Student Progress Reports
There are three official reporting
periods (November, March and June).
In addition to this, there are two
informal reporting times. Teachers may
choose when these informal reports are
provided and what format will be used.
We encourage parents to formally meet
with teachers to discuss student
progress at least once per year. Parents
should fell free, however, to contact
their child’s teacher at any time to
discuss student progress or other
concerns.
Parent Involvement/Volunteers
There are a great many ways in which
parents may participate in the
education of their children. Some ways
are:
 shared reading
 playing instructional games
 helping students link their
learning with the world around
them
 supervising and monitoring use
of computers (web browsing,
chat rooms…) as well as video
games
 assisting with a special project in
the classroom
 acting as a “guest speaker” to
talk about a special interest
 assisting in many cutting,
pasting, and sorting activities
 helping on field trips
 transporting students to sporting
activities
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It is important that each parent acting
as a helper in a classroom understand
that all school information and all
matters dealing with students or school
personnel must be kept strictly
confidential. This is the same code of
ethics by which each staff member is
expected to abide.
*Please note that all volunteers and
volunteer drivers must complete a
criminal record check and, if driving
students, an annual volunteer driver
form. Both may be obtained at the
school office.
Parent Advisory Committee
PAC meetings occur monthly. All
parents are welcome to participate. We
welcome ideas and suggestions.
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School Planning Council
The School Planning Council (SPC)
assists in analyzing school data and
settings future school goals. The result
is a document called the School Growth
Plan. Invited to participate on this
committee is 3 elected parents, 1
elected teacher and the principal of the
school.
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School Events and Activities
In addition to the general curriculum,
our school offers many more student
opportunities. Activities may vary from
year to year.
 Wednesday Assemblies
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Fine Arts Performances
Christmas Productions
Christmas Sing-a-long
DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance
Education)
Drama Club
Christmas Bazaar
Book Fair
Sports Day
Choir
Band
Hot Lunch Days
Stop, Drop and Read
Books for Breakfast
Ready-Set-Learn
Spring Carnival
Buddies
House Teams
Spirit Days (Pajama Day, Bad
Hair Day)
Peer Counsellors
Chess Club
Sports Teams
o Soccer
o Mountain Biking
o Basketball
o Floor Hockey
o Volleyball
o Track and Field
o Cross Country Running
Jump Rope for Heart
School Patrol
Talent Show
Terry Fox Run
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Behaviour Expectations
Belief about Discipline
At Hatzic Elementary School, we believe that discipline should be a learning experience for
students. Teachers devote class time to discussing appropriate behaviour with students.
Students learn to monitor and adjust their own behaviour. All consequences are applied with
this goal in mind.
Consequences For Inappropriate Behaviour
Students who display inappropriate behaviour will receive one or more of the following
consequences:
 warning
 on the spot counseling by the supervising adult
 thinking paper/learning package
 time out
 written citation
 phone call to parents
 loss of recess/lunch hour privileges and assignment of cleanup or other service task
 detention
Code of Conduct
Purpose:
 To maintain a safe, caring and orderly environment for learning
 To establish and maintain an appropriate balance among individual and collective rights,
freedoms and responsibilities
 To clarify and publish expectations for student behaviour while at school, while going to
and from school, and while attending any school function or activity at any location
Conduct Expectations:
1. Treat yourself and others with RESPECT
2. Demonstrate RESPONSIBILITY
3. Ensure the SAFETY of yourself and others by making wise choices
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Acceptable Conduct:
Be respectful to yourself, others and property
Be helpful to others by thinking and playing safe
Report to an adult if you think someone needs help
Think before you act
Everybody has the right to learn in a positive environment
Take pride in your accomplishments and strive for your personal best
Avoid situations where you may be assumed to be guilty by association
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Unacceptable Conduct:
These behaviours are examples only and are not an all-inclusive list.
Unacceptable behaviours are ones that:
 interfere with learning
 interfere with the orderly environment
 create unsafe conditions
 involve name calling or inappropriate language
 involve bullying, harassment, intimidation or defamation
 Involve physical violence
 Involve retaliation against a person who has reported incidents
As students progress through maturity we expect increasing personal responsibility and selfdiscipline.
Consequences:
Discipline will be similar to that of a kind, firm and judicious parent. The severity and frequency
of unacceptable conduct as well as the age and maturity of students is considered in
determining appropriate action. For example:
 Responses to unacceptable conduct are pre-planned, consistent and fair
 Disciplinary action, wherever possible, is preventative and restorative rather than
merely punitive
 Students, as often as possible will be invited to participate in the development of
meaningful consequences
Notification:
Our school personnel will advise other parties of serious breaches of the code of conduct. For
example, parents of student offenders and victims, school district officials, as required by law,
and others, when deemed to be important to reassure members of the school community that
school officials are aware of a serious situation or incident and are taking appropriate action to
address it.
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DISTRICT SUPPORT SERVICES
Itinerant Teacher of the Hearing
Impaired
This teacher provides direct teaching as
well as consultative services to students
who have a hearing loss. These services
will be provided within regular
instructional time.
Itinerant Teacher of the Visually
Impaired
This teacher provides direct teaching as
well as consultative service to visually
impaired students within regular
instructional time.
School Counselor
This is a service designed to assist
students who may have difficulties with
learning, emotional and/or behavioural
problems and to help guide parents to
seeking further information from
outside sources. Other examples of
services offered would be for grief
counseling, anxiety or other family
issues.
Our school counselor is assigned to
several schools and offers a portion of
time to serve our needs.
(speech and language). During the
kindergarten year, students are
screened to detect potential problems.
School Psychologist
School District #75 employs a school
psychologist to provide further
information and testing for students
who are referred by school personnel.
In most cases, children referred for this
service are experiencing severe
difficulty in acquiring basic academic
skills.
The major goals of psychological
assessment are threefold:
1. Identify the referred child’s specific
strengths and weaknesses by the
administration and careful
interpretation of tests of general ability
and academic skills
2. Offer recommendations to staff
about how a particular child’s learning
strengths and weaknesses might be met
within the regular classroom.
3. Psychologists discuss testing results,
detail educational options and make
recommendations to assist the child’s
learning.
Counseling referrals may be initiated by
a staff member or parent. Parents are
required to authorize requests for
regular on-going counseling visits.
Speech Pathologist
District Speech Pathologists provide
assessment, therapy and consultative
help for disorders in communication
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