PH: 705-264-8282 FAX : 705-264-8283 PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK 2017-2018

1. PH: 705-264-8282 FAX: 705-264-8283 PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK 2017-2018

2. Staff List

4. Also, we have a severe allergy to all shellfish, nuts and seeds (sesame seeds): Shrimp, lobster, crab, muscles, oysters, snails, foods with sesame seeds, oils etc. These items need to be eaten at home rather than having them sent to school. Your support is appreciated. Due to the rise in allergies and severe reactions of our little ones, we are not allowing baked goods whether purchased or homemade, to be brought into the school as a treat to be shared with students other than your child. (ie. Sending cupcakes for all students in the class on your child’s birthday) Your adherence to this rule will be appreciated by all those who have witnessed the frightening reaction a child can have when ingesting a food to which he/she is allergic. Leaving the School Grounds In the interest of pupil safety, we require all students to come directly into the school grounds upon arrival at school – either walking or by bus. A note is required for children to leave the grounds during the school day. Only students who are being picked up by a parent should use the front doors.

6. SCHOOL DRESS CODE: All students are expected to attend school well groomed and dressed in suitable school clothing. For safety reasons, proper shoes should be worn in the building at all times. An extra pair of shoes with non-marking soles should be left at the school for this purpose. Winter footwear is not acceptable apparel in the classroom. T-shirts and ball caps that display inappropriate sayings or images (eg: Reference to alcoholic beverages or edgy expressions) are not allowed at the school. During warm weather, students may wear walking shorts to school; however, they must be, in the opinion of the school, in good taste. Students are encouraged to wear shirts/blouses/tops that have short or long sleeves. Footwear: In order to prevent unnecessary sprains, students are encouraged to wear proper footwear. Flip flops and high heeled shoes are a danger to students when playing actively out on the school grounds or moving from location to location within the school. Students wearing flip flops will not be permitted to play on the play equipment. Physical Education Clothing: Physical Education is a very important component of the school’s program. Indoor running shoes and t-shirts are sufficient. Running shoes worn outdoors are not permitted for gym wear as sand, which collects in the sole, ruins the gym floor and makes the floor slippery and dangerous for all. An extra pair of running shoes (skateboard shoes are not acceptable) with a non-marking sole with good Velcro or laces must be left at school. Shoes must be properly fitting with laces done up to ensure the safety of all pupils. Dresses are not suitable for gym class because they limit students from participating actively in a variety of physical education skills. School Supplies TCPS will provide all necessary tools required for learning. However, sometimes students prefer to purchase their own materials. This is not necessary but permitted. Please ensure your child brings only relevant items directly tied to producing neat and tidy work. LOCKERS Students in grades 1-6 will have a locker to store clothing and backpacks. These lockers are small therefore, extra locker gadgets are not allowed. In the event that extra items interfere with his/her organization or speed at readying for class, they will be sent home. Locks are not permitted.

7. Student Agenda • Both research and experience show that planning and organization are key ingredients for success in school and in life. Timmins Centennial Public School and District School Board Ontario North East have purchased organizers for students in grade 1 to 6. Your responsibility will be to review the agenda nightly with your child to ensure you’ve read all communication and are aware of the homework which may have been assigned for the day. Your daily signature confirms that you’ve seen the homework completed. If a student loses his/her agenda, a cost of $5 will be charged for its replacement. • MEDICATION (prescribed and non-prescribed) • Medication for students shall be administered at home when possible. The pupil’s parent/guardian may be permitted to administer medication during school hours from within the • office area. Every attempt should be made to arrange times for such administration with the least possible disruption to all concerned. Where school personnel must administer oral medication, it shall be in the following manner: • The administration of non-prescription medication, including Tylenol, Aspirin, Anacin and other over-the-counter medications, must have written authority of the parent/guardian before administration by school staff • The administration of prescription medication must have the written authority of the parent/authority. A doctor’s signature is no longer required. The physician’s name and phone number is required and should be on the label of the pill container. • EPI PENS • For students with life threatening allergies, an epi-pen, as prescribed by your doctor is required for your child to have on his/her person (in an epi-pen belt). It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to ensure that his/her child have the appropriate EPI Pen and ensure that the child wears it on his/her person.

8. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL • Contacting the School • Please feel free to contact the school during the day to obtain or give information. Teachers are not usually available during teaching times, but will return your call at the first opportunity. The school secretary will forward messages • Phone Number: 705-264-8282 • Fax Number: 705-264-8283 • Report Cards • There will be two major progress reports this year, a mid-term progress report and a home communication report. They will be sent home on the following days: • Friday, November 16, 2018: Mid-term progress report • Friday, February 8, 2019: First Term Report Cards • Thursday, June 27, 2019: Final Report Card • Parent Interviews • Although there will be a scheduled parent-teacher conferences (November), we believe in continuous communication. If at any time you would like to meet, please call the school to arrange a time to meet with your child’s teacher. Teachers also communicate regularly throughout the year via the agendas, phone calls or notes/letters sent home. • School Blog • Access to monthly calendars, the school handbook, and information about events can be found on our blog at: https://timminscentennial.wordpress.com . To subscribe to the blog please email Christy.lafontaine@dsb1.caand you will be added. • Email Distribution List • Most communication from the school is provided via email. This includes important information sent from the main office regarding upcoming events and other important information. Please ensure that the office has a current email address for you and that you check your email account regularly.

9. Inclement Weather In the event of drastic inclement weather at dismissal time (thunderstorm), all students will be kept inside the school. Children regularly picked up, will remain inside until the parent/guardian enters the school to pick up the child. At other times during the year (large snow fall, cold weather), changes in bus schedules will be communicated on the radio after 7:00 a.m. and on the board website at www.dsb1.edu.on.ca Visitors to Timmins Centennial P.S. For the safety of the pupils and to avoid disruptions in the classrooms, all parents visiting the school are expected to report to the Office. The secretary or the principal will callstudents down to the office if needed, or we will gladly deliver items dropped off. No visitor is allowed to go directly to the classroom before the office has contacted the classroom teacher. This will protect the uninterrupted learning that all students deserve to enjoy. All visitors who will be moving about the school must sign in and be issued a VISITOR TAG to wear while in the building. This is for the safety and security of all. Volunteers Timmins Centennial Public School continues to be blessed with many excellent school volunteers. Volunteers have been involved in the library, supervising trips, spirit days, pizza lunch, School Advisory Council, Playground Committee, etc. Should you wish to volunteer, please contact the school. Extra-Curricular Programs and School Field Trips Throughout the school year, there are numerous extra-curricular programs provided for the students as well as field trips relating to curricular learning. All pupils are encouraged to become involved in an activity of their choice. Students are reminded that participation in these activities relies on demonstrated commitment to their academic and social responsibilities within the classroom, school yard, bus, and community. Students can be excluded from these privileges if they do not follow the expectations and routines of the school. Attendance is also an important factor in determining participation in any out of school activity. There is an expectation that a reasonable effort will be made by the student to complete work missed due to an absence and that he/she will take responsibility for ensuring he/she has caught up on notes, material or lessons that may have been missed. In the event that a lack of independence and responsibility is demonstrated, the student will remain behind in order to complete important work.

10. Lice In accordance with DSBONE policy, when nits or live lice are found, the student will be asked to come to the office. Parents will be contacted and informed that the student is being sent home for treatment to manage the pediculosis. Students will be re-admitted to school when all head lice and nits have been removed. This involves a meeting with the school principal to ensure the pediculosis is controlled and further outbreaks are avoided. POSITIVE INTERACTION WITH ADULTS AND PEERS Through interactions with friends, children learn important social skills such as co-operation, effective communication, emotional control, empathy and conflict resolution. We believe strongly in supporting the development of these skills and therefore have high expectations of student interaction and clear staff expectations on how to support these interactions in the school yard and class. Children look to adults as role models and often reflect behaviors observed in adults close to them. As a result, we ask your support in guiding our students in developing positive social interactions with all members of our school community. Students are expected to be courteous and respectful to all students, staff, volunteers, guests and family members. This includes the use of appropriate language, proper and safe use of play equipment and appropriate play. Staff continually supports student social development with all playground issues in developing in students the language and behaviours appropriate to different situations as they occur at recess and in the class. Students are expected to show proper care and respect when using school materials and equipment. Concern for maintaining a neat and orderly school environment is helpful to all.

11. The following District School Board Ontario North East Policies are reviewed when establishing consequences for inappropriate behaviour or interactions and can be found on the DSBONE website at www.dsb1.edu.on.ca. • Bullying prevention policy • Managing Violent and Aggressive Behaviour Policy • Student Code of Conduct (distributed the first week of school) • Suspension Policy • BULLYING PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION • We continue to teach students to identify bullying and to use strategies to deal with, and stop it from happening. • Bullying is typically a form of repeated, persistent and aggressive behaviour targeted at another person that is intended to cause (or should be known to cause) fear, distress and/or harm to that person’s body, feelings, self-esteem or reputation. Bullying occurs in a context where there is a real or perceived power imbalance. • When someone experiences or observes bullying behaviour, he/she is expected to report it to a teacher, teaching assistant or school administrator immediately. Bullying behaviour will be dealt with using a progressive discipline approach along with opportunities for the bully to make amends (Restorative Practice). • PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE • Timmins Centennial Public School encourages, supports and recognizes acceptable behaviour in our students through a variety of positive practices. Progressive discipline is an approach that makes use of a continuum of interventions, supports and consequences, building upon strategies which promote positive behaviours. • We encourage students to take responsibility for their behaviour and to accept the consequences, building upon strategies which promote positive behaviours. • A progressive discipline approach will be used to deal with inappropriate behaviour. This may include: oral reminders, review of expectations, contact with parent(s)/guardian(s), written reflection, volunteer services in the school community, conflict mediation and resolution and/or referral for support services. • We recognize that each student is a unique individual and that every situation that requires disciplinary action has its own set of extenuating circumstances. All factors that may have affected the student’s behaviour will be considered before progressive discipline is applied. Students who behave inappropriately will receive an age and developmentally appropriate consequence. For a student with special education or disability-related needs, all progressive discipline approaches will be consistent with his/her Individual Education Plan and his/her demonstrated abilities.

12. HOMEWORK GUIDELINES • The purpose of these guidelines is to communicate a general description of homework expectations for the students and parents of Timmins Centennial Public School. • Homework should be appropriate and relevant to the student’s progress. Homework is recorded in the student agenda and reflects: • completion of work not finished in class • time to review or study for upcoming assessments • math games/problems • time to collect material or research items for a class project etc. • reading time in both languages • journal writing • In the event that your child indicates that he/she does not have any homework, developing a system at home to review Math and Literacy skills by allotting quiet time to read, write or play a card or dice game. • Also, starting a “tell me about” system at home which links directly to a subject or event at school will not only help you become better informed about your child’s day but will also strengthen your child’s oral communication skills. • Those families choosing to take a vacation for a week or longer during the school year may be given a journal in which the students can write about and include pictures of their vacation. Since independent student work is assigned after a concept is taught, the teacher will not be assigning work while the child is on holidays. If the student is absent for a longer period of time, it is possible that the student’s achievement in a specific unit is not reportable.

13. BUS REGULATIONS https://geoquery.netribus.ca This is the website that allows you to check your child’s transportation eligibility and route information. Parents are asked to refer to it before calling with questions about bussing. Each student who rides a school bus is to follow the “Regulations Governing the Conduct of Students in School Buses”. The regulations are sent home with each pupil and outline the expectations for student behaviour and consequences for noncompliance. Our prime concern is the safety of all children on the bus as well as the safety of the bus driver as he/she transports your child to his/her destination.