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Important Start-Up Reminders for Parents and Students
Published on Sep 8, 2017 15:37
It’s hard to believe that we are finishing our first week of school. We hope your son/daughter has had a wonderful start to the school year. We are confident that your son/daughter will have an enjoyable and rewarding first semester. At this time, we kindly request that the following school policies and procedures be reviewed with your son/daughter. More detailed information regarding school policies, procedures and code of conduct can be found on our website under ‘For Students’ in the electronic version of the Student Handbook on the school website. These expectations have also been reviewed with students at grade level assemblies and with classroom teachers.
Communication:
It is important that positive communication is maintained with all parents and guardians of our school community to assist in the success of all students. In this age of environmental awareness, we are trying to make our communication with you more eco-friendly. We will be sending regular electronic communication via the JVA website ‘e-newsletter ’ tool. If you have not yet subscribed to this e-tool, your are encouraged to register through our website (http://jva.schools.smcdsb.on.ca ). From the home page simply click on ‘e-newsletter’ then ‘subscribe’ and enter your email address. You will then receive notifications for important happenings at JVA (ie. dates, report card info etc..). Remember to also follow us on Twitter @JvchsC for live updates and information.
A reminder that open communication is the key to building a strong positive relationship. Please contact your son/daughter’s teacher if you have questions or concerns.
Catholic School Community Council (CSCC):
The JVA Catholic School Community Council meets regularly to discuss school issues. Our objective is to provide a caring, nurturing, educational environment steeped in the Catholic tradition. All parents are welcome to attend our meetings. Our first CSCC meeting and election will be on Wednesday, September 20th at 5:30 PM in the library. Thank you to our present and future members for your commitment to our Catholic school community.
Attendance:
Daily attendance in school is imperative for the academic success of your son/daughter. Students are expected to attend all classes daily, unless prevented from doing so by personal illness or family emergency. If your son/daughter is going to be absent from or late to school or a class, parents are asked to contact attendance at 705-445-2043 x353 PRIOR to the start of the school day on the day your son/daughter is going to be absent or late. There is an answering machine 24 hours per day.
If a parent/guardian phone call is not received the day of the absence by 3:00 pm, students are responsible for providing a parent/guardian note to the Attendance Office prior to 8:50 am upon return to avoid further missing class time. Absences not resolved prior to the start of class will be dealt with as truancies. Consequences for truancies include detention, internal suspension or out of school suspension.
Punctuality:
Being on time is so important for academic success! Students must arrive to school and all classes on time. In addition, arriving on time will also avoid interruptions to the learning of their classmates. Consequences for tardiness to class include detention, internal suspension, and out of school suspension. Please remind your son/daughter of the importance of being on time for class.
Class Preparedness:
Students are expected to arrive to class prepared to learn, with all necessary school supplies, notebooks, textbooks, and all assigned work completed.
Uniform:
It is our hope that students wear their uniform with pride as a visual representation of our school. Students are to be in full uniform each day and will not be permitted in class unless in proper uniform. Students are not permitted to change into other clothing attire throughout the school day, including between classes or at lunch. Please review the uniform policy with your son/daughter. Your assistance with ensuring that your son/daughter adheres to the uniform policy is greatly appreciated.
Outstanding Textbooks:
Each semester students are loaned textbooks by the school in order to complete coursework and achieve success. Vanier wants to ensure school success by providing such resources to every student for courses that require them as vital resources for curriculums. Unfortunately, students may have forgotten to return their textbook or have not paid the replacement cost for lost books, which in turn creates a shortage of texts to be distributed for the next course for student use. If your son/daughter has an outstanding textbook from last year, please ensure that the text(s) are returned by the end of the second week of school. If the text(s) cannot be located, please bring a cheque for the full replacement amount to the Main Office. Failure to return outstanding texts will result in your son/daughter being unable to sign out new textbooks or obtain a student card.
Exams and Other Summative Evaluations:
Please note the dates for final exams this year. Full attendance during exams is essential to success. In the weeks prior to exams many classes have additional in-class exam components, at which attendance is also mandatory. The last 3 weeks of all courses are designated for completing Course Culminating Tasks. The summative mark in each course, consisting of the CCT assignment and final exam constitutes your mark in each course. It is imperative that students be in full attendance during these busy times.
Our semester one final exams are scheduled for January 25 to January 31, 2018. Our semester two final exams are scheduled for June 21 to June 27, 2018. Students are expected to be in attendance. Out of school activities such as vacations, tournaments, or employment is not to be scheduled during this time.
Cell Phones:
Cell phone use in the classroom will be allowed at the discretion of the classroom teacher and for learning purposes. Student are permitted to use personal electronic devices during their own time, before and after school, lunch and during spares, but use is limited to the cafeteria and main foyer. Students using cell phones outside of these guidelines will be directed to the office. Parents may then be asked to come directly to the school to retrieve the device. Please contact the school office should you need to pass along a message to your son/daughter during class time. Thank you for your cooperation.
Electronic Devices:
Please note that the school is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged cell phones or other personal electronics. Please have your son/daughter leave all valuables at home, including expensive iPods, iPads, etc...
Allergies:
Jean Vanier is an allergy aware school. Many of the students who attend Jean Vanier have severe allergies to foods, predominantly to peanuts, nuts and shellfish. Please avoid bringing these items to school. If your son/daughter has a severe allergy, it is absolutely critical that you let us know. If your son/daughter has a severe allergy, and you have not updated the medical plan on file for the 2017/2018 school year please contact Ms. Leest in the main office x351.
Student Fees:
As in previous years, we are currently collecting the annual $40.00 Student Fee. This fee will be directed towards support materials and curricular programs that extend your son/daughter’s participation in a variety of activities and opportunities beyond the classroom. Examples include helping to cover the cost of school spirit activities, guest speakers, clubs, and athletics. Student Fees will be collected on the morning of Wednesday, September 13th. Cash or cheque will be accepted and receipts will be issued.
Grade 9 Parents: Please disregard if fee was paid during our recent Orientation Day.
Bus Transportation:
Please be reminded that bus transportation is provided for those students outside of the school 3.2 km walking boundary. Students are permitted to ride only the bus assigned to them and will not be picked up/dropped off at a bus stop other than their own stop. School bus transportation is not permitted for students wanting to go to a friend’s house or who need transportation to work.
Student Drop Off:
To ensure student and staff safety, when dropping off students you are asked to drive very slowly through the parking lots.
Student Accident Insurance Information:
Please note that the school board liability insurance coverage is not extended to students for any injuries sustained on board premises, or while participating in school or board-sponsored events. There is no obligation for parents/guardians to purchase the insurance, however, the benefits of this coverage is an excellent reason for families to consider purchasing Student Accident Insurance, especially for families who otherwise do not have benefits through their employment. This insurance coverage is ideal for those students involved in sports, co-op education, shop, etc... The coverage provided by the policy is comprehensive and reasonably priced. Information on purchasing student accident insurance was sent home with students on September 5th, 2017.
Extra-Curricular Student Athletic Insurance:
Our schools continue to run a fantastic range of excellent co-curricular programs for our students. While every effort is made to complete all due diligence to ensure the care and safety of each student, all athletic programs have the possibility of students getting injured. In many instances, many families do not have the appropriate insurance coverage to support them through the injuries. The SMCDSB Insurance coverage does not insure these students for these injuries.
For the 2017-18 school year, it is strongly advised that all students participating in co-curricular sports have student accident insurance. Information on purchasing student accident insurance was sent home with students on September 5th, 2017.
Thank you in advance for discussing school policies and procedures with your son/daughter. If you have any questions or concerns regarding school expectations, please do not hesitate to contact us at the school.
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