École Opasquia School Parent / Student Handbook

2015-2016

École Opasquia School PO Box 4700

#27-8th Street West The Pas, Manitoba R9A 1R4

Telephone: 204-623-3459 Fax: 204-623-6599

ÉCOLE OPASQUIA SCHOOL STAFF 2015-2016

Grade Room Days Teacher KgA 21 2,4,6 Mrs. Ronlee Cruz KgB 20 1,3,5 Mrs.Veronica Fenner KgC FI 21 1,3,5 Mme. Ronlee Cruz 1A 4 Mrs. Sandra Smith 1B 6 Mrs. Meredith Truong 1C FI 2 Mlle. Brittany Bernier 2A 8 Mrs. Megan Gislason 2B 7 Mrs. Noella King 2C FI 3 Mme. Megan Murray 2/3C FI 19 Mme. Megan Dunnigan 3A 12 Mrs. Lisa Moule 3B 16 Mrs. Jennifer Little-Mathews 3/4C FI 11 Mme. Mireille Gallant 4A 17 Miss Megan Chartrand 4B 13 Mrs. Lindsey Enns 4/5C FI 18 Mme. Elizabeth Naodjide 5A 14 Mrs. Amanda Bird 5B 15 Mrs. Leah LaRocque

Specialists Principal - Mr. Gavin Smith Assistant Principal / Behaviour Support - Mr. Cam Nagle Learning Support / Reading Recovery - Mrs. Bev Jackson – Upstairs Room 99 Learning Support – Mrs. Kristen Welsh Resource - Mrs. Lynda Geswin- Resource Room 66A Phys Ed - Mme. Anne Guilmaine - Gym Phys Ed - Mr. Jamie Smith - Gym Guidance – Mr. Kevin Bate - Room 5 Music - Mrs. Joanne Penner - Room 23 FI Music - Mme. Mireille Gallant - Room 25 Occupational Therapist - Ms. Marni Streit Speech Language Pathologist - Mrs. Carla Bonar Psychologist - Ms. Marina Vinnik Student Services Coordinator –Ms. Linda Markus

Support Staff School Secretary Ms. Kim Needham Secretary Mrs. Tina Steppan Librarian Mrs. Valerie VanDamme Teacher Assistants: Ms. Cheryl Antonio Mrs. Kim Coulter Ms. Sandra Gates Mrs. Amy Johnson Miss.Georgie Hagborg Mrs. Pat Scott Mrs. Tina Donaldson Mrs. Cynthia Thomas Mrs. Jessie Freese Mme. Jennifer Marcheterre Mrs. Leslie Lagimodiere Head Custodian Mrs.Rosemary Haggstrom Custodians: Mrs. Chris Patenaude Ms. Esther Coma

KSD POLICIES

You will find these on line at - www.ksd.mb.ca PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES (November & March) Detailed formal reporting on each individual child's progress will take place during the months of November and March. Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held in conjunction with the November and March reports on Thursday, November 26th in the evening & Friday, November 27th during the day; and Thursday, March 17th in the evening & Friday March 18st during the day.

NOTIFICATION OF ABSENCE Parents are asked to call the school daily if students are going to be away, advising of the reason. If during the child's absence it appears the child may be away for an extended period of time, please feel free to phone the school to arrange for some work that might be sent home to keep him/her up to date. NEWSLETTERS All teachers provide information & updates in monthly newsletters. You can find these online, and can be accessed via the school’s website. http://ecoleopasquiaschool.com

THE SCHOOL DAY 8:30 AM Supervision starts on the playground 8:45 Students enter the building 8:55 - 9:00 Opening exercises (O'Canada and any announcements) 10:00 - 10:15 RECESS - grades 4 & 5 10:30 - 10:45 RECESS - grades 1, 2 & 3 12:00 - 12:30 LUNCH grades 1, 2 & 3; OUTSIDE grades 4 & 5 12:30 - 1:00 OUTSIDE grades 1, 2 & 3; LUNCH grades 4 & 5 2:05 - 2:20 RECESS grades 1. 2 & 3 2:35 - 2:50 RECESS grades 4 & 5 3:30 Dismissal for Kindergarten students 3:45 Dismissal of all students KINDERGARTEN

9:00 AM - 11:30 AM 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM

*** There is NO supervision after 3:30 for ANY kindergarten students who do not ride the bus. STUDENT ARRIVAL TIMES We have had many calls to the school regarding hours of supervision. The school doors DO

NOT open until 8:30am. There is supervision on the school playground starting at 8:30am. The

1st buzzer rings at 8:45am, when students from the playground enter the school. The 2nd buzzer

rings at 8:55am and O’Canada starts to play. Students who are not in the classroom prior to

8:55am are marked late. If a students is late for school (arrive after 8:55am), they are to stop at

Eva’s room for a late pass to take to the teacher. If not, they will be marked absent and a call will

be made to their home.

Students with paid lunch fees – or out of town bus students are allowed to stay for the lunch

hour.

Students with unpaid lunch fees who go home for lunch should leave the school at 12:00noon

and not return before 12:55pm. There is no supervision prior to class starting.

School is dismissed at 3:45pm for grades 1-5, and 3:30pm for Kindergarten only. Please make

arrangements with your child for pick up location if they are not a bus student.

In order to limit disruption we ask that parents not remove students from their classroom early at

the end of the school day. This can be very disruptive for the classroom, and disrupts the routine

that teachers have set. We understand that appointments/emergencies will happen periodically

which makes early pick up necessary, however, when possible please pick your student up at

dismissal time.

Parents: If making changes for your child after school, please let the school office know

prior to 3:00pm. There are an abundance of calls coming into the school late in the day,

we need to ensure that every student gets safely to their destination after school.

If you have any questions, please call the office at 204-623-3459.

USE OF SCHOOL PHONES IN THE OFFICE Use of telephones located in the school office by students is limited to emergency calls only such as a student being sick or injured and needing to call their parents/guardians. Non-emergency use of the office telephones is restricted and monitored by the school staff. SYNERVOICE: AUTOMATED TELEPHONE CALL SYSTEM

École Opasquia School uses the Synervoice automated call out system which enables the school to send the same message to all students in our database. Automated calls home will be sent from the school to the main telephone number listed in our database to inform you of school events, school closures etc. These calls are usually issued after school hours, please do not return calls made from the automatic system. PLAYGROUND

If school playground rules are not adhered to, recess playground passes and “walking with a supervisor” or time in Eva’s room may be used as an alternate. STUDENTS EATING LUNCH AT SCHOOL For all students - bus and town, permission to eat lunch at school is conditional upon proper behaviour and acceptance of the rules. Continued disregard of these rules will result in the loss of privilege to eat lunch at the school and parents may be required to make alternate arrangements. Policy Code: JCA Any town student who wishes to stay for lunch must pay lunch fees. These are payable at

Division Office at the start of the year. Exceptions are as follows:

1. Rural students 2. Intramurals / choir / clubs 3. Special events ie. pizza day/hot dog day

MEDICINE In the case that medicine is needed for your child during the school day, parents must complete

a medical form at the office prior to dispensing any medication. Classroom teachers are not permitted to dispense any medication.

INDOOR FOOT WEAR

All students must have indoor shoes that are appropriate for physical education classes. Children are asked to remove outdoor shoes at the door to help us keep our school clean.

VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL

Parents are asked to report to the office when picking up students, dropping off lunches etc. ALLERGIES Opasquia is an allergy aware school. We ask parents not to send peanuts and peanut products or fish to school as we have students with allergies to these products. If your child does bring fish or peanut butter products, they will be directed to eat in the Student support room. We also ask that you not wear scented perfumes/body sprays to school.

HEALTHY SNACK

Every morning, between 10 am and 11 am, we permit the students to have a Healthy Snack. Children may bring any of the following to eat: cheese, crackers, fresh fruit, vegetables, yogurt tube, or a granola bar (as long as it does not have chocolate). Healthy snack is not provided by the school. As well, students are not allowed to eat other foods from their lunch kit during snack time. LOST AND FOUND

Please check the lost and found by the office regularly if you seem to be missing any items. Please remember to label all your child’s belongings to help us return lost items to their owners. PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL Parent Advisory Council (PAC) meetings are held once a month. All parents, guardians and interested community members are invited to attend these meetings. The purpose of the Advisory Council is to support, promote, and enhance meaningful involvement and participation of parents in order to improve the education and well being of children in our school. The first PAC meeting will be held Tuesday, September 29th, 2015 at 7:00pm in the school library. Everyone is welcome. ***Please call the school at any time if you wish to be a volunteer.

MILK PROGRAM Opasquia School offers a milk program. Students may either buy milk or juice daily for $1.00 each or pay for the month in advance. Notices will be sent home whenever a new milk cycle begins. The milk program begins on the first school day of each month, and ends on the last school day of each month. Kindergarten students follow a separate schedule. SWIMMING

K-4 students participate in a swimming program each year. Swim schedules will be sent home from your child’s classroom when it nears their time to swim. It is also available on the school website. RAILWAY TRACKS Hudson Bay Railway property is "Private Property" and trespassing is dangerous. Please

respect HBR's request that the public use the Seventh Street crossing. These regulations are in effect to ensure the safety of your children. Taking a shortcut across a marshalling yard is a very dangerous practice. EMERGENCY EVACUATION

Should an emergency evacuation of Opasquia School become necessary, we have received permission to utilize Mary Duncan School as an alternate location until the problem is resolved. If needed, buses will be sent to transport the students. COMMON DISEASES If we suspect that your child has lice, eye infections, scabies etc, you will be notified and will be

asked to pick up your child in order to get the appropriate medical intervention. If your child has already been treated, please let us know. SUPER STUDENT RECOGNITION

During the last week of each month, an assembly is held in the gym at which time students are recognized from each classroom. Parents of children receiving the recognition are notified and invited to attend. Dates and times of the assemblies are published in our calendar which is sent home monthly with the students, and on our school website. In the event that a class is unable to attend the assembly (ie. swimming lessons) they will defer their super students to the following month.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

A list is available at the office at the beginning of the year or from the classroom teacher. - ALL BELONGINGS SHOULD BE LABELLED WITH THE STUDENT'S NAME PRIOR TO COMING TO SCHOOL. ( boots, running shoes, binders, books, etc.)

- White out is not permitted at Opasquia School.

OPASQUIA CODE OF CONDUCT - Declaration of Rights and Responsibilities In all disciplinary situations, we will attempt to be fair and consistent. We will also consider the special circumstances, as well as the individual child’s emotional well-being and their level of understanding, in order to determine the appropriate action.

* Remember at Opasquia School, it is “Nice or Nothing” We don’t hurt people’s insides or outsides.

We also expect our students to follow the 3R’s of Respect: 1. Respect for self 2. Respect for others 3. Respect for property

Sand stays on the land No tag on equipment or tires Snow stays low

If it looks like fighting – it is fighting BULLYING

“Bullying is learned aggressive behavior. It is repeated, persistent and directed at a person

or group of people and is intended to cause fear and/or harm to another person’s feelings,

self-esteem, body or reputation.”

In 2004, The Manitoba government made it law that schools must ensure safe and caring environments for all students. In 2008 Manitoba introduced the Cyber-Bullying and Electronic devices Amendment to The Public Schools Act. In 2012, The Public Schools Act was amended to require adults in schools to report unacceptable student conduct.

SCHOOL BUS RULES AND REGULATIONS A school bus is an extension of the school and as such, students are required to conduct themselves on the bus in a manner consistent with established standards for classroom behaviour. The Principal of the schools whose pupils are being transported in the school bus has the same disciplinary authority over the conduct of the pupils during the period in which they are in, entering upon, or leaving from the school bus, as is provided by the regulations under The Education Administration Act. Should a student exhibit behaviour that violates the expected standards necessary for the safety of welfare of others riding the bus, the misbehaviour will be addressed through the Kelsey School Division Bus Code of Conduct. Policy JFCC Bus passes are distributed by the Assistant Principal for emergency situations only. Passes will not be issued to transport students to visit friends, birthday parties, sleep overs or other non- school related activities. OUTDOOR/INDOOR RECESS: Regular outdoor recess breaks occur to temperatures of -29˚ C. When the temperature is between -30˚ C to -34˚ C students will go outside for the two 15 minute recess breaks, but remain indoors for the 30 minute lunch hour break. Indoor recesses occur when the temperature is -35˚ C or lower. Please ensure your child dresses appropriately for the cold weather. EXTREME WEATHER POLICY: As we return to colder temperatures, KSD would like to remind parents of Divisional Extreme Weather Conditions Policy. Policy EBCA, subsection C, D and E are outlined below. C – Closing of all schools in the Division. This would usually occur because of very severe weather conditions. The decision to close will be made by the Division Office Administration who will notify local radio stations. D – Cancellation of Busses only. Kelsey School Division buses will not run at temperatures in

excess of -45° Celsius. (As defined by Environment Canada, The Pas Airport). The decision as whether to operate the buses for the whole day will be made at 6:00 am. The local radio

stations will be notified if they will not be running. E – Parental Discretion. “With a windchill in excess of -45 Degrees Celsius” as defined by

Environment Canada (The Pas Airport), parents will be advised via media that attendance will be at their discretion and the students will not be penalized. Parents can choose to keep children home if they feel weather conditions are too severe, even if the school remains open. The school needs to be notified the child will not be attending. FIRE DRILLS:

All schools are required to conduct ten (10) fire drills over the course of the 2015-2016 school year. All classes begin with a walk-through without bells before we conduct our first regular fire drill.

SECURITY ALERTS:

In the event that there is a sudden emergency as a result of, a person armed with a fire arm, or imminent danger, these procedures with be initiated. Community Lockdown

The PA announcement will be made upon advice from the RCMP. The announcement will be: “Hold and secure in place”.

1. Once the announcement is made, all exterior doors will be locked and the

custodian/administration will lock, post signs and monitor exit doors.

2. The principal/designate will make the following announcement, “Attention, the school is

now in hold and secure.” This will be repeated several times along with any specific

instructions that need to be added.

3. During this situation, classes can continue to function.

4. Students, staff and parents who are outside of the building should be moved inside

prior to locking external doors. EA’s will blow their whistles indicating that everyone is to

immediately move indoors.

5. Hold and secure in place continues until the “All Clear” announcement is given.

School Based Lockdown

1. The principal/designate will make the lockdown announcement and 911 will be called.

2. The announcement to the school will be “Security Alert – Code Blue…the school is in

lockdown remain in your secure areas.”

3. EA’s will blow their whistles indicating that everyone is to immediately move indoors.

4. Once the announcement is made and everyone is inside the school…all exterior doors

will be locked and the custodian/administration will lock, post signs and monitor exit

doors.

5. Everyone is to remain in their secure areas until the Principal/designate gives the “All

Clear” announcement.

6. All staff members are to remain in a secure area. Most staff members will be with the

students in their care, but if alone, remain in your secure area. Staff should not re-enter

the school if signs indicating a lockdown are posted. It is possible that you could allow

access to the school to the intruder or anxious parents. You could possibly be entering

into an already dangerous situation.

7. Administration/designate and office staff will remain at the command post. The initial

command post will be established in the main office, but will move to the Assistant

Principal’s office if required. If a site needs to be established away from the main office,

the Resource Room will become the command post.

8. During lockdown, the fire alarm would be ignored. However, in the event of a real fire

during the lockdown staff must be prepared to respond differently depending on the

immediate threat from fire.

9. The Principal/designate stays in the control area.

10. Field trips – information must be passed to busses via radio systems and to field trip

leaders (cell phones) to remain where they are, or if they are near to the school facility

they should go to a safe area not near any school ie. A&W.

11. The use of external classroom doors to exit and move to the safe area will be dependent

on the situation and will be done under the direction of the RCMP.

12. The Superintendent will be informed as soon as possible.

13. Division Office will use Syner-voice to communicate with parents about the situation.

14. After the lockdown has been lifted, schools will meet with the students and staff to talk

about the situation.

15. The Crisis Intervention Team can be activated for the school bye the Superintendent, if

needed. The Superintendent will communicate with parents after the incident.

Step 5 Move to Step 2 major physical. OPASQUIA CODE OF CONDUCT Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Responsible In all disciplinary situations, we will attempt to be fair and consistent. We will also consider the special circumstances, as well as the individual child’s emotional well-being and their level of understanding, in order to determine the appropriate action. * Our motto is: “Nice or Nothing…we don’t hurt people’s insides or outsides.” Respect for ALL – At Opasquia School there are two reasons to touch someone …helping or

Respect: Self, Others,

Property

Regular Office

Minor Physical

Major Physical

Step 1

(Warning)

*Office warning * apology if appropriate

*Office warning

*Office warning

*Parent Contact *Loss of 15 minute recess for 2 days, and/or Playground Pass *Loss of intramurals & clubs for the month

Step 2

(Parent/Con

tact)

*Parent Contacted and advised of next step. *apology if appropriate

*Office warning from * Parent Contact *Loss of intramurals & clubs for the month

*Parent Contact and notified of future consequences *Office consequence

*Parent Contact *In school suspension (1 to 2 days) *Followed by one week loss of 15 minute recesses and /or Playground Pass

Step 3

(School

Suspension)

*Parent Contact *Loss of intramurals & clubs for the month and/or *Recess pass or loss of 15 minute recesses

*Parent Contact *Loss of intramurals & clubs for the month *Loss of 15 minutes recesses for 2 days, and/or Playground Pass

*Parental Contact *Loss of intramurals & clubs for the month * Loss of two 15 minute recesses and/or Playground Pass

*Parent Contact *In/Out of School Suspension *Behavior Intervention Plan Referral

Step 4

( School

Suspension)

*Parent Contact *One day In school suspension.

*Parent Contact *Loss of 15 minute recesses for 3 days, and/or Playground Pass

*Repeat previous Step

*Contact Superintendent *Alternate behavior plan *2-5 day Out of School Suspension

being a friend. The 3R’s of Respect are: 1. Respect for self. 2. Respect for others. 3. Respect for property We believe… Sand stays on the land. No tag on equipment or tires. Snow stays low. If it looks like fighting – it is fighting. Unacceptable behaviours are those that interfere with learning, or threaten safety, security or welfare. In these cases, removal from the environment could be an immediate consequence, with follow up as is necessary. Re: Discipline Policy - All students start fresh at the beginning of each month, there is no carry-

over from the previous month.

STUDENT CELL PHONES & ELECTRONIC DEVICES

These devices are not allowed at school without prior approval of Opasquia School Administration.

KELSEY SCHOOL DIVISION Calendar for 2015-2016

September 7 Labour Day - NO SCHOOL September 8 Administration Day for Staff - All Schools - Students do not attend September 9 Opening Day Teacher Conferences with Students and Parents

Day 6 - KE, OP, SB, GE Registration Day at MBCI – Bus pickup 12:00 Noon (MBCI only)

September 10 Day 1 - All Schools

September 25 Professional Development – NO SCHOOL October 9 EARLY DISMISSAL – no school in the afternoon October 12 Thanksgiving Day - NO SCHOOL October 22 & 23 SAG Conferences – Professional Development – NO SCHOOL November 11 Remembrance Day – NO SCHOOL November 13 EARLY DISMISSAL – no school in the afternoon November 26 Parent/Teacher Conference - evening - all schools

November 27 Parent/Teacher Conference - all schools – NO SCHOOL December 18 Last Day of school before Christmas Break December 21 – January 1 Christmas Break January 4 First Day after Christmas Break January 22 EARLY DISMISSAL – no school in the afternoon

February 5 Administration Day for MD and MBCI – NO SCHOOL February 8 Semester II begins at MBCI, MD February 15 Louis Riel Day – NO SCHOOL February 19 Trapper’s Festival - Professional Development for Teachers - NO SCHOOL for Students March 4 EARLY DISMISSAL-no school in the afternoon March 17 Parent/Teacher Conference – evening ALL SCHOOLS March 18 NO SCHOOL Parent/Teacher Conferences – all day ALL SCHOOLS

March 25 Good Friday-NO SCHOOL March 28 – April 1 Spring Break – NO SCHOOL April 4 Classes Resume April 29 NO SCHOOL – PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT May 20 EARLY DISMISSAL – no school in the afternoon May 23 Victoria Day - NO SCHOOL

June 3 Placement Day - KE, OP, SBMS, MD – NO SCHOOL SCHOOL for MBCI June 24 Graduation Day for KLC students June 28 Administration Day - NO SCHOOL for MBCI SCHOOL for MD, KE, OP, SB, students June 29 Graduation Day @ MBCI Administration Day – NO SCHOOL for KE, OP, SB, students SCHOOL for MD students June 30 Last Day of School before Summer Vacation – Dismissal at 10 a.m.