Meet the Teachers (and other important information)

1. Meet the Teachers(and other important information) Dr R E McKechnie Elementary School September 19th, 2019

2. Introducing… Mr de Verteuil – Music Teacher MsKoke – Teacher Librarian MsLogie – Resource Teacher MsThurmeier – Resource Teacher Ms Wyllychuk – Area Counselor *not here today*

3. Introducing… Div 1 – Ms Puil – Grade 6 & 7 Div 2 – Mr Smitna – Grade 6 & 7 Div 3 – Ms Williston – Grade 5 & 6 *not here tonight* Div 4 – Mrs Wong – Grade 6 *not here tonight* Div 5 – Ms Lee – Grade 4 & 5 *not here tonight* Div 6 – Ms Gee & Ms. McPherson – Grade 4 & 5

4. Introducing… Div 7 – Ms Papageorgiou & Mrs Metcalfe – Grade 3 Div 8 – Ms Pawliuk – Grade 2 & 3 Div 9 – Ms Chang & MsKoke – Grade 1 & 2 Div 10 – Mr Fanning – Grade 1 & 2 Div 11 – Ms Christie – Grade 1 Div 12 – Ms Lum-Tong – Kindergarten

5. McKechnie Code of Conduct

6. Pick-Up, Drop-Off & Parking • Please park legally if you plan to come into the school to pick up your child. There is limited parking on 59th Ave, Maple St and 60th Ave on the school sides. Please respect all parking regulations. • Do not park in front of the school in the “No Stopping” zone. You are welcome to stop your vehicle & wait for your child in your car in the “3 minute parking” zone. • Absolutely NO PICK UP OR DROP OFF in the parking lot. It is unsafe to have cars driving in and out of the parking lot during heavy student traffic times. • Consider walking to and from school or riding a bike or scooter for the exercise and fresh air!

8. Wheeled Transportation • We encourage you and your children to use human propelled wheeled transportation to get to school. Bikes, scooters, skateboards are all welcome. • All students using wheeled transportation need to wear helmets. Please dismount when you enter school property between 8:30 am – 3:30 pm. For the safety of all, walk your wheeled transportation on school grounds during this time. • Pedestrians always have the right of way on the sidewalk. Please monitor your speed when riding on the sidewalk and when pedestrians are around. • Please dismount and walk at the cross walks.

9. Arriving and Leaving from School District Policy • supervision starts at 8:40 am – students should not be at school before this time. • Supervision ends at 3:15 pm – students must be picked up by this time. We have a bell that rings at 3:15 pm. All students not picked up at this time need to report to the office. Students involved in school sponsored activities will be supervised by a staff member. Outside programs are supervised by their staff. (Mad Science, Young Rembrandts, Chess, Lights Up!, Band)

10. School library • The school library is open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Please look for the signs on those days to confirm if the library is open. Generally, the library is open before and after school on those days. • Kindergarten and Grade 1 student parents are encouraged to come with your child to the school library to borrow books. • Please ensure that borrowed items are returned promptly so that other students may enjoy them!

11. Safe arrival We have a SAFE ARRIVAL program in the VSB. Please ensure that you call 604-713-5159 Ext 54 before 9 am if your child will be away. Please sign your child in and out of the school during school hours. If someone other than yourself will be picking up your child, please send a note with your child. Help us keep your child safe.

12. Rainy Wet West Coast Recess and Lunch Rainy Days – it is ALWAYS an outside day. We live in a rainforest. Please be prepared for rain and snow – sometimes unexpectedly! This includes footwear and outerwear. Students are expected to wait outside until the first bell rings at 8:55 am

13. Dress Expectations

14. Lost and Found • Please check, on a regular basis, the Lost and Found located in the downstairs hallway near the gym. We have a coat rack that garments are hung and a laundry basket for lunch items. All unclaimed items will be donated at Winter Break, Spring Break and at the end of the year in June.

15. Electronics • All students are expected to adhere to the Acceptable Use of Technology Protocol. All students have acknowledged this protocol and it is kept in their student files – it is signed when the student is first enrolled. NO photography of others without their expressed permission and the teachers’s permission. • Cell phones and other devises should stay in student backpacks or out of sight until they leave school at the end of the day, except with the permission of the teacher. Cell phone use during recess and lunch is NOT PERMITTED. • If your child’s device is taken away, expect to come to the office to pick it up from me.

16. Toys and other personal items • All toys and trading cards are safe at home. We encourage students NOT to bring toys and trading cards to school. We cannot be responsible for loss or damage to items from home. Toys that depict or symbolize violence are not permitted. This includes accessories for Hallowe’en costumes. • Please discourage your child from “gifting” items to friends at school. It may be a small or insignificant item; however, it can lead to hurt feelings and misunderstandings.

17. Personal Celebrations • Birthdays and other personal events are wonderful! Children are not expected to invite all their classmates but please do not distribute invitations in the classroom unless all the students are invited. • You are welcome to bring special treats or food to the classroom to celebrate. Please consult with the classroom teacher well in advance of the event to ensure that you are aware of food allergies or restrictions. The teachers must ensure the safety and respect of all the students.

18. Holidays • We acknowledge that each family has their own beliefs around cultural and religious activities and endeavor to honour this the best we can in a public school setting. As soon as possible, please let your child’s teacher know about any dietary/activities you do not want your child involved in so that we can be prepared with this information when we are planning events and units of study. If you would like to share a special event, please speak with the teacher. • If your family does not observe holidays, please speak to your child’s teacher and me so that we ensure we are respecting your child at school.

19. Pets • Family pets are wonderful, but not all our students find them wonderful. We have students with allergies and students with intense fears. Please do not bring any animals inside the school except for specific events on the invitation from the teacher. • Animals must be kept under control at all times and on leash. If your dog is not good around children, it should not be on school property. It is VSB policy that there are no dogs on the school grounds during school hours. • All excrement must be removed and placed in a receptacle or taken home to dispose of. Do not leave little baggies on school property.

20. Volunteering • Thank you, thank you, thank you. Being involved in your child’s school is a valuable part of their school experience. • There are many opportunities within the school: • With the PAC • In the Library • In the classroom • With special events

21. Volunteer drivers • Please fill out a Volunteer Driver form and submit it to the office for approval well before you will be driving. A copy is retained in the office and is valid for one school year. • Be aware that you are not permitted to have a child under the age of 12 in the front seat where there is an airbag. Please take this into account when counting the seats in your vehicle.

22. Where to find information • School Website • School Newsletter • PAC Webpage • Class Newsletters • School and PAC email

23. Communication & Concerns • Please ensure you contact the classroom teacher first with your concerns if they are regarding the classroom, educational programming or expectations in the class. • If the issue is not resolved, please make an appointment to meet with the principal. Making an appointment ensures sufficient time and attention is allotted to meet. You are welcome to drop in, however, making an appointment will guarantee that time is put aside for you. • Relationships are central to our school community. We want to preserve relationships and work together to a positive resolution. We thank parents for advocating for their children, alerting us when there are concerns and their understanding that at times, resolutions can be easy and other times, a complicated process.

24. Parent Advisory Council • Chair – Joyce Huang • Treasurer – Geoff Kennedy • Secretary – Angie Kovats • Volunteer Coordinator – is this you? Parent Social is on September 18th at 7:30 pm at Milltown. First PAC meeting is on September 25th at 7pm in the Library.

25. Questions? If you have any questions at the end of the evening, please contact the school office or your child’s teacher. We are happy to help!

26. Now to meet the teachers If you have more than one child in the school, you decide which teacher to visit first. You are not obliged to visit all the teachers and are also free to move to more than two teachers if you need to do so. There will be a bell at 6:29 pm. • Session One – 6:00 pm • Session Two – 6:30 pm • Tonight teachers will talk informally about their programs. This is not a time to discuss personal concerns or individual students. Please make a separate appointment with the teacher to discuss personal matters. • Parent-Teacher Goal Setting Conferences will be on October 22 and 23 Thank you for coming and thank you for being an incredibly supportive parent community!