Reporting Absences

Please notify the school each day that your child will not be attending school.  All unverified absences will be checked by a phone call to the parent. We will do our best to contact you, but please remember that it is the primary responsibility of the parents / guardians to let the school know if their child is going to be absent. Please leave a message on the school Attendance Line (Option #1) before 8:30 am the day of the absence, fax or send a note with a sibling.

After an absence of three consecutive days your child is to bring a note explaining the reason for the absence. This note is required to be kept with the Ministry of Education Registers of Attendance for each class.

Picking Up Students

If you are sending someone to pick up your child, please inform the office or your child's teacher of this intent. Only those individuals listed as your emergency contacts have clearance to pick up your child from school if needed.

Visitors

All visitors must report to the office. All visitors including parents must sign our Visitors Log and wear a Visitor's Badge (provided in the office) when in the school building. For safety reasons, all doors except for the front door are locked during class time. All visitors are asked to use the front doors when entering the school and report to the office.

Sign Out Book

If your child needs to leave school for medical or dental appointments during the school day, we would appreciate you notifying the teacher in writing that day. Before leaving the school, you or your child must sign-out in the school office. This helps us to ensure the safety of your child at all times.

Entrance and Dismissal Procedures

Students are expected to be in the school yard by 8:30 am to line up with their classmates at their assigned entrance doors. On inclement weather days, students will be permitted to enter the building at 8:15 am. We ask that children do not arrive in the school yard before 8:15 am as the school playground is not supervised until then. At Dismissal time, all students are to leave from their assigned dismissal doors.

Attendance and Punctuality

According to the Education Act, students of compulsory school age must attend school and parents have the obligation to ensure that they do attend. Each student has the responsibility to be in attendance at all classes and scheduled activities on time and with proper materials required for full participation. Regular attendance at school is critical for the students learning and achievement of course expectations. Students who habitually miss class may suffer in the evaluation process. It is required that students who are consistently absent or late be contacted by the school social worker for attendance counselling. Student are responsible for bringing to class the proper materials required for full participation. Each school will address this responsibility and the associated consequences.

When Children Are Sick

In fairness to all, please do not send your child to school if there are definite signs of ill health in the morning. We have neither the facilities nor the personnel to care for sick children. Good health is necessary for effective learning.

Students who become ill or who are injured during the day are to report it directly to their teacher.  Our policy is to get students who are ill home as soon as possible. Our practice is to call parents (or if necessary emergency contact) and ask that the student be either picked up or given parental permission to go home.

For this reason, it is important that parents keep work and emergency phone numbers current. Please notify the office if any changes of these numbers occur during the school year.

Changes in Student Information

If you change your address, home, work, or emergency contact telephone numbers, place of employment, etc., please keep us informed.  Up to date information is essential should the school have to contact you in case of illness or an emergency. We must have on file the name and telephone number of at least one person to call should we be unable to contact you in the event of an emergency. Please be sure that your child knows who the emergency contact is and is comfortable with that person should they need to pick up your child. For changes, please contact our school secretary.

Medication for Students

On occasion we have been asked by a parent to ensure their child receives prescribed medication. Please be aware that in order to do so, we require the completion of the Request for Administration of Medication at school form signed by a physician. This form is available from the office.

Communication Between Home and School

We do our best to keep parents involved in and informed about all our activities. Our monthly newsletter includes upcoming events as well as school and student news. Individual classes may also send supplementary newsletters or calendars home highlighting their classroom activities. The Student Agenda is an excellent tool for home / school communication.

Newsletters are posted monthly on the school website www.dpcdsb.org/PATRK. In order to promote a more environmentally friendly school we will continue to post our newsletter online monthly or alternatively, you may submit your email address to the office to receive your newsletter by email. For those parents who wish to continue to receive a paper copy, a request form will be provided in the September newsletter.

Attendance and Punctuality

According to the Education Act, students of compulsory school age must attend school and parents have the obligation to ensure that they do attend. Each student has the responsibility to be in attendance at all classes and scheduled activities on time and with proper materials required for full participation. Regular attendance at school is critical for the students learning and achievement of course expectations. Students who habitually miss class may suffer in the evaluation process. It is required that students who are consistently absent or late be contacted by the school social worker for attendance counselling. Students are responsible for bringing to class the proper materials required for full participation. Each school will address this responsibility and the associated consequences.

Valuables

Expensive items should not be brought to school. The school is not responsible for the lost or stolen items.

Anaphylactic Allergies

We are an allergen aware school. There are pupils in attendance who suffer from severe and life threatening allergies to certain foods, such as peanut, nut products, and seafood.  Please avoid sending any of these products in student lunches. For class celebrations such as birthdays, please send non-edible treats. At the beginning of the year, parents will be notified by letter of the specific allergies within your child's classroom.

Personal Electronic Devices on Board Premises and/or at Sanctioned Events for Educational Purposes:

The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board acknowledges the value of the use of technology to support learning. Dufferin-Peel's newly revised policy indicates that students will be permitted to register and use personal electronic devices (PEDs) on board premises and/or at sanctioned events for educational purposes, under the direction of staff per the Personal Electronic Device Used With Wi-Fi Network Student Agreement, which includes parental permission.

The use of personal electronic devices during school- sanctioned activities for designated purposes is only permitted within instructional spaces and is absolutely prohibited in the hallways, school yard or in the washrooms.

Students in senior grades will be permitted to bring Personal Electronic Devices onto school premises for educational purposes. This opportunity is for educational purposes only and not to be used as a communication tool with parents.

Communication home will still occur through the main office. Students are required to ensure that they are in compliance with the Catholic Code of Conduct, the Student Network User Application and Agreement and the Personal electronic Device used with Wi-FI Network Student Agreement. Any failure to comply with these guidelines may result in confiscation of the PED, discipline, a loss of PED privileges, police involvement and/or any other consequence deemed necessary by school administration.

Use of the Office Telephone

We understand that situations may arise during the day when either you or your child may need to communicate with each other. Please remember that the school phones are available for student use in emergency situations only, with the teacher and / or office staff determining the severity of the emergency. Students will not be called out of class to answer calls. Important messages can be forwarded to them.

Similarly, staff will not be asked to respond to a telephone call while in class, but a message can be passed along to return the call. Staff will try to return calls within 24 hours.

School Bus Rules:

Time schedules provided by the school for each bus stop are approximate. Students should be at their bus stop at least ten minutes before the designated times. Parents are responsible for ensuring their child's safety while getting to and from their bus stop and while at the bus stop.

Ensuring your child's safety is a very important goal for all those working with him/her. Parents are asked to carefully review the following expectations for students while they are riding on school buses.

Students not following these rules may lose the privilege of riding on a school bus.

Students are required to:

• Travel to school and return home on the assigned bus according to the transportation address registered at the school
• Carry their bus card at all times if issued by the school
• Be at their stop 10 minutes before pick up time
• Listen to the driver when getting on and off the bus, especially when a road must be crossed
• Go directly to their seat and stay seated until they are let off the bus
• Follow all instructions from the bus driver, especially about where they put their belongings
• Not eat or drink, fight, swear or other types of poor behavior
• Not open or close windows unless the driver permits it
• Keep all belongings inside the bus
• Not damage the bus seats (students will be held responsible)
• Respect private property while waiting for their school bus
• Not talk to the bus driver while the bus is in operation unless it is necessary
  
   
  
  Child and Family Services Act
  
  The Child and Family Services Act requires that we must report all suspected cases of child abuse. In those situations where emotional, physical, or sexual abuse is suspected by a teacher, secretary, custodian, or principal, we are obligated to follow Board protocol and Children's Aid Society directions. It is the role of the C.A.S. to investigate the suspicion.

Bus Loading:

Parents are asked to review the bus policy with their children. For their own safety, students are expected to obey the following rules:

• Board the bus in single file, without pushing or shoving
• Remain seated while the bus is still moving
• Talk quietly
• Do not eat or drink on the bus
• Keep hands and arms inside the bus at all times
• Cross the street in front of the bus, when the arm of the bus is extended
• The Bus drivers are there to help; please obey them and be courteous.
• Every effort must be made to maintain a high standard of discipline and safety in the operation of school buses
  
   
  
  Bus Cancellation
  
  If the radio stations below announce that Dufferin- Peel buses are cancelled, this means that ALL TRANSPORTATION SERVICES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED.
  
  If buses are cancelled in the morning, there will be no buses in the afternoon. If school buses cannot run because of poor weather conditions, the Board will make public announcements over the radio or television stations listed below.
  
   
  
  CHUM AM1050      CFTR AM680         CJBC (FR) AM860 CFNY FM102.1         CFNY AM640        CJCL AM590 CFRB AM1010         CHIN FM100.7      CHIN AM1540
  
  EZ ROCK FM97.3     VIRGIN FM99.9    FM 93.1
  
  FM Z 103.5              CBC FM99.1           GLOBAL NEWS CTV                             CITY PULSE
  
   
  
  Or on the school board website at: http://www.dpcdsb.org Please note: It is not necessary to report the absence of a bus student(s).
  
   
  
  Lost and Found
  
  Frequently items such as hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, gym clothing, and books are misplaced. We encourage students and parents to check the lost and found box if something has been misplaced. It's easier if the items are labeled. Smaller items, such as keys or jewelry are normally kept in the office.
  
   
  
  Vandalism
  
  Anyone who destroys, defaces or otherwise damages property will be required to make restitution where appropriate.