SEPTEMBER 2016: Welcome to the 2016-2017 school year! We are so excited to think, play, grow, and reach together this year.
With each new year there are important ‘housekeeping’ items that require attention and so we ask for everyone’s co-operation to ensure these items are addressed promptly. This week for example, students will carry home a package of important information. Within this package are a number of forms that require review, updating, and returning to the school. Of particular note are the school closure contingency forms, which will be used should we need to make contact with parents/caregivers in the event of a school closure mid day. As well, students from Grades 1-6 will receive their new agendas (cost $6 with a subsidy from School Council). Students in Grades 7 and 8 have an option to purchase. If they choose not to buy an agenda they must have an alternate method for time management/organization in place. Agendas are intended to be used daily by students and are an excellent communication tool for students, staff, and parents, along with our school and many classroom websites/blogs. Please take some time to review the initial school information pages of the Agenda with your child (Students in Kindergarten and Grade 7 & 8 will receive a separate package). Once this material is read, please complete the first page with your child. Should you have any questions about any of the information received at home, please feel free to contact us. We thank you for your prompt attention to these items. Please return all necessary forms/money by September 16th.
Communicating with our community is important to us and we continue to look for ways to enhance this communciation. We encourage all families to subscribe to our website. By doing this, you will receive regular emails to notify you when new information has been posted on this site, such as our newsletter, notices, community information, and daily announcements. You are able to subscribe to our school website by visiting www.hwdsb.on.ca/guybbrown You can also follow us on Twitter @GuyBrown_HWDSB
We strive to create a learning environment that enables all members of our community to Think, Play, Grow, Reach! Students will be supported academically, socially, and emotionally to facilitate learning and well-being. Throughout the year, we will work to develop positive relationships, to ensure a sense of belonging for all members of this community. Students will be encouraged to think critically about how their choices affect not only themselves but also those around them. Considering if their actions could cause harm to another, if it is fair, and if their actions serve to maintain or enhance positive relationships will be strategies used regularly to assist students in their decision making. Finally, we continue to look for opportunities to make a positive difference in our world by getting involved at a local and global level.
To help ensure that it is a highly successful year for all, we encourage members of our school community to get involved wherever possible. For students, a number of options, including: Student Council, Green Team, peer mediation, classroom monitoring (for Grade 5-8 students), intramural sports, band, and book clubs are all possibilities. As these opportunities become available, they will be announced as part of our opening exercises, and will be mentioned in newsletters. We encourage students to listen carefully, and to read the newsletter, to stay well informed. We also greatly appreciate parental involvement. Taking time to ask your child about what they are learning, checking out class/school web pages, volunteering your time, getting involved with our School Council or a sub-committee such as the Parent Student Teacher Action Committee (P.S.T.A.C.) which looks after our fundraising initiatives, are all options. Anyone interested in a voting position on School Council is asked to complete a nomination form enclosed in the ‘important information package’, and return it by September 29th. The election process will occur at the first School Council meeting, October 3rd, which begins at 6:30 p.m. *If you submit a nomination form, please plan to attend this meeting. Absolutely no experience is needed! We welcome all interested parties, even if you are not interested in running for a position.
Our staff team has many new members this year, among them: Mrs. Harrison (ECE), Mrs. Coakwell (ECE), Mme Thebaud (Gr. 3 FI), Mr. Straughan (FDKGN), Mme Sheldrick (Gr. 1 FI for Mme Griffiths), Ms. Wigood (Gr. 1/2 for Mrs. Gocentas ), Mr. Schroeder (French), Mme DiTomasso (FI Prep coverage), and Mrs. Rushton (FDKGN/Prep coverage). Mme Lewis returns in October, but until then we welcome Mr. Barrett. School needs, that may have changed from the time original staffing was assigned, will be reviewed this month. As the HWDSB completes this process, we may reorganize classes. In the event this occurs, some class placements will be affected. Further details will be shared once confirmed. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this process.
Ms. Rizzo and Mrs. Williams
(for Mme Glabb)
Together we will blaze the trail … think, play, grow, reach!
COMMUNITY NEWS
Emergency Procedures and Fire Drills
As you may recall from your own days in school, fire drills are conducted regularly throughout the year to help ensure that students and staff understand clearly, how to respond in the event of a real fire. In addition to these practices, we are now required to practice Emergency Procedures (i.e., shelter in place, hold and secure, and lockdown). Hold and Secure is used when the school is secured due to an ongoing situation outside, not related to the school, that requires all persons to remain in the building (e.g., bank robbery near a school). In these instances the school continues to function normally, with the exterior doors locked until the situation is resolved. Lockdown procedures are used when there is a violent incident or threat of serious violence within the school, or in relation to the school. The threat is inside the school, or is on school property, and poses an immediate threat to the students and staff. In these instances all movement within the school and into and out of the school is restricted. These procedures will be reviewed with students and practiced over the course of the school year. Should your child have any questions or concerns, please reassure them that these practices are intended to help keep everyone safe, and we hope to never need them. Volunteers will receive information about these practices in their orientation session in October. Should you have any further questions regarding these procedures please contact Mrs. Williams, Ms. Rizzo or speak to your child’s teacher.
Medical Concerns
If your child requires any medication to be administered at school, a form must be completed by your child’s physician (i.e., inhalers, antihistimine). Children with Anaphylaxis require an Anaphylaxis Plan to be completed each year, complete with photo. The required forms can be obtained from the office. Should an Epi-Pen be required it is recommended that the student carry one on their person, and a second one is kept in the office. Please speak to the office admin team for assistance. Thank you.
Safe Arrival Line/Call out system
It is a parent’s responsibility to notify their child’s school if they will be late or absent from school. Please call (905) 689-8254 (available 24 hours a day) to advise us if your child will be late or absent. Thank you!
In the event that a child is reported absent and we have not received a call to explain the absence our office administrators will place a call to the primary contact number for parents/guardians to notify them of the unexplained absence. Note: Late students must check in the office before reporting to class in order for us to update our attendance, and secure an admit stamp/slip. Students who are chronically late will be spoken to, and where necessary, arrangements made for them to complete missed work during break time. In situations where attendance continues to be a concern a letter will be sent home and a copy will remain on the student’s file. Social work support may be required to address chronic attendance issues.
Parking at Guy B. Brown
Please note that our parking lot is for staff only. Limited visitor parking is available along the eastern side of the old driveway (alongside the playground) and at the top of the old driveway. Street parking is on Braeheid very limited so we recommend you park on a neighbouring street (Bryan Blvd. or Rockcliffe for example) and enjoy a short walk to school. We encourage all families within walking distance to walk/bike to school. If you must drop children off in the morning, there is a ‘kiss and ride lane’ (the lane closest to the school) at the front of the school, however please note, it is not available between 8:20 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. as increased numbers of buses must be able to access this area. Parking is not permitted in this lane. For the safety of all, we ask that everyone take great care before pulling away from the curb and that students only exit cars onto the sidewalk.
Volunteers
Our volunteers are an integral part of our school community. Parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles, who may be interested and able to give some of their time for our students are most welcome. Volunteering takes many forms, preparing materials at home, giving a class/school talk, being a guest reader, a regular classroom volunteer, a member of our Parent Student Teacher Action Committee, or trip chaperone, to name a few. If you are interested in getting involved in this way we encourage you to attend our volunteer orientation on October 20th at 9:00 a.m. (tentative). Please note, Vulnerable Sector Screening (Police Check) is required for all volunteers working directly with students. These are valid for 3 years. A Criminal Reference Check must be signed annually by returning volunteers. Please aim to do this by October 14th. Questions can be directed to any member of the Guy B. Brown staff. Volunteer handbooks can be obtained from our school office and online at http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/secondary/get-involved/volunteers-in-schools/#http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/VolunteerHandbook-Oct20-002.pdf
Courtesy Transportation Arrangements
Please note that courtesy busing must be applied for on an annual basis. Those families who were granted courtesy busing privileges last year must apply again this year and refrain from taking the bus until a new application has been submitted and approved. Courtesy busing applications are available from the school office or can be downloaded from the board website. If you would like your child/children to have courtesy busing, please fill in an application and submit it to the office. Applications will be reviewed at the end of September or sooner if possible (once we have finalized both our total enrollment figures and the number of students who qualify for busing). Currently we have five buses. If you have any questions, please contact our office administration team.
Student Fees
From time to time we look to extend the walls of our classrooms with excursions and or bring additional enriching experiences to the building. We do try to limit the number of times we request funds for these purposes to 2 per term as we recognize costs can climb quickly for families. Our goal is to see that all students who wish to participate in these experiences have the opportunity to do so. Should there ever be a financial concern regarding any school experience, please speak to Ms. Rizzo or Mrs. Williams.
Meet the Teacher
Families are invited to join us on September 22nd from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. for our annual Meet the Teacher evening. This is a perfect time for parents to meet their child’s teacher, and visit the classroom. Due to the busy nature of this evening, it is not an ideal time to hold an interview. Should you wish to speak to your child’s teacher about any student specific questions, please feel free to contact them by telephone.