Policies & Procedures

OUR RIGHTS and RESPONSIBILITIES

Maddaugh Elementary students, staff, and parents have the RIGHT:

To be safe.
To learn.
To speak and be heard.
To be valued and to be treated considerately.

Maddaugh Elementary students, staff, and parents have the RESPONSIBILITY:

To be safe at all times.
To always do their personal best in learning.
To listen.
To respect the rights of others and speak up when someone needs help.
To help solve problems.
To contribute actively and positively in developing a caring, collective school culture.

Our values for learning and thriving apply to all members of our community in classrooms, in the school building, on school grounds, and in the community.

INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR

Inappropriate behaviour can consist of, but is not limited to:

Actions that are unsafe such as running inside the school, leaving the school grounds unattended, violence of any sort, possession or use of weapons, replicas, firecrackers, or fireworks
Actions that do not share care for school community members, such as the use of foul language, interfering with the teaching and learning process, rudeness, acts or threats of verbal, physical, or sexual abuse (intended or not), or theft.
Actions that lead others to feel unsafe, such as acts of bullying, harassment, threats, intimidation, racism or discrimination, or retribution against a person who has reported incidents
Actions that do not show care of self, such as poor school attendance, use or possession of illicit or illegal substances, including cigarettes, matches, or stolen merchandise
Actions that do not show care of the school and community, including littering, or acts of vandalism

Or Misuse Of

• Cyberspace/Cell Phones/Electronic Devices/Computers – Students are responsible for the safe and responsible use of school and personal electronics as well as the use of the internet.

REPORTING

It is the student’s responsibility to report to a person of trust (parents, staff members, Principal, or Vice Principal) activities related to the behaviours listed above, whether the student is a witness or a victim.

It is the responsibility of staff members to establish and maintain trusting relationships to that students have someone they trust with serious information.

Serious breaches of our values for thriving and learning will be communicated to parents and may be reported to School District personnel as well as external agencies such as the R.C.M.P., the Ministry of Children and Families, or others as deemed appropriate at the time in order to best support the student.

CONSEQUENCES

All students make inappropriate choices from time to time. Our goal is to use these opportunities to promote problem-solving, accountability, responsibility, and learning. Consequences will be applied in a fair and consistent manner, and every effort is made to ensure they maintain the dignity of the student, while being progressive and appropriate to the offence. They can include:

• discussion and think sheet • temporary loss of privileges • restitution or duty to the school

• home contact • additional supports put in place

In the case of serious or repeated issues, the following consequences may be applied:

• in-school suspension • expulsion

• placement in a special program • out of school suspension

There are continual reviews of referrals to the office, in order to assess what structures and strategies can be put into place to support the student. During suspensions, every attempt is made to ensure that the student’s educational program continues. Serious or repeated offence with be communicated to parents so that a team-based approach may be taken to support the student. All serious incidents will be documented and may be reported to the School District and, if deemed necessary, to the School Liaison Office.

DRESS EXPECTATIONS

Students and staff are expected to dress in a manner appropriate to establish a positive learning atmosphere at an elementary school. Appropriate clothing allows for active learning and is not restrictive for engaging in activities. Clothing for school should follow these guidelines:

Hats and hoodies are worn outside the school building.
Tops must cover the stomach area. Tops must be long enough to reach the pants, shorts or skirt worn, with no skin showing between the tops and bottoms, even if a student bends over.
Female students may not wear short skirts, short shorts (fingertip length or longer), spaghetti straps, low cut tops, or anything too revealing.
Male students may not wear tight “muscle shirts”, undershirts, or tank tops.
Undergarments must not be in sight.
Clothing should be free of alcohol or drug references, or any other inappropriate wording or images.

Maddaugh Staff will use their discretion when applying these expectations, and will do so in a respectful and discreet manner.

SCHOOL VISITORS

All visitors to Maddaugh Elementary are asked to register at the office where they will be given a visitor badge to wear.

Students from other schools or friends of our students are allowed to visit during the school day if there has been prior permission granted by the teacher.

ELECTRONICS

Maddaugh Elementary has a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy in certain classes. If your child is in one of these classes, you will be notified and your child will be encouraged to bring their electronic device for educational purposes. Of course, as parents/guardians you will make the decision of whether or not devices come to school. Guidelines will be in place and these will be shared with you. The school will not assume responsibility for any devices damaged or stolen, to, at, or from school.

SCHOOL FEES

Each school year, parents support their child(ren)’s formal learning experiences in a wide variety of ways. We appreciate all that you do to ensure a successful year!

We have provided an itemized school supply list based on grade. Parents may opt to purchase supplies directly from the company. However, parents may choose to wait to do the purchasing themselves.

In addition to providing the school supplies itemized on a grade list, parents are periodically asked for monies to cover specific items and/or special events. No student will be denied the opportunity to participate in any school activity due to the inability to pay. Please contact the Principal should you require any financial assistance.

As we plan for the upcoming school year, we anticipate the following costs. School Supply Fees for 2021-2022 may change due to circumstances in schools as a result of COVID-19.

Student Planner: We encourage all students in Grades 1-7 to purchase a School Planner at a cost of $5.00. Included in the planner is our school code of conduct, school calendar and school district information. We find this to be an excellent tool for facilitating home/school communication, as well as for developing our students’ organizational skills. However, using our school planner is optional as a parent may purchase their own version.

Field Studies and Field Trips: Classes often enjoy educational visits to community facilities which extend and enhance the curriculum. While we use school monies or fundraise to cover the costs of such activities wherever possible, there are times when parents are asked to contribute towards the cost of the trip. If you choose to have your child not participate in a field study, a suitable program will be provided at the school.

Musical Instruments: Grade 4 students may learn to play the recorder. Students will have the option of purchasing one through our music teacher for $10 (cost tentative) or receiving one on loan from the school. Also, our Grade 7 students who opt for/take band either purchase or rent an instrument. Costs vary depending on the instrument.

Parents have the option of purchasing their child’s school supplies on their own utilizing the grade supply list or for your convenience you may wish to purchase supplies as a package through School Start. Payment is made directly to School Start. Costs for supplies vary based on grade.

Important Notes:

Our Kindergarten teachers will buy bulk supplies for Kindergarten students and will be asking for $40 from each family to cover the cost of these supplies.
Supplies for Grade 1-7 will not exceed $60.

STUDENT PLACEMENT POLICY

A great deal of time and effort goes into the appropriate placement of students. When assembling classes, meetings are held which combine input from last year’s teachers, the Learner Support Teacher (LST), the Counsellor, the Child Care Worker and the Administration Team.

The following beliefs guide this process:

Building classes is a collaborative process that includes current and future teachers, administrators, support staff, students, and parents.
Classes are organized to create the most positive learning environment possible for all.
The "goodness of fit" between individual students, groups of students, and the teacher, matters.
Classes are formed so that academic and behavioural supports are in place.
Students may or may not be placed together based on how they have interacted in the past.
There are ministry guidelines that determine the maximum size of classes and number of designated students in each class.
Parent input is considered in helping us better understand their child's strengths and stretches. It would be appropriate for parents to recommend a specific kind of learning environment, but not a specific teacher.
Combined classes are considered to be equally effective learning environments as single-grade classes.

Given the above criteria, our staff works hard to ensure that each class will form a solid and effective learning group. If parents have educational concerns about the placement of their child, they are welcome to discuss them with their teacher and, if agreement is not achieved, with the school administrator.

STUDENT DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP

Please obey and respect all posted signs and staff members directing traffic.

WEAR SEATBELTS
The DROP ZONE is FIRE LANE. Please do not leave your vehicle unattended in the DROP OFF zone. Thank you!
Encourage your child to meet you quickly after the final bell if you are picking them up
Be patient
Walk to school whenever you can
If you have to drive, park further away than usual and walk a minute or two
Observe school zone speed limits

ASSEMBLIES

Once permitted to meet in larger groups again, assemblies will be held at the end of every month. Please see our website for details. Students are expected to enter gym quietly and display appropriate audience manners. Parents are always welcome to attend assemblies and other special events at Maddaugh Elementary.

PRESCRIBED MEDICATION & LIFE-THREATENING MEDICAL CONDITIONS

If your child requires on-going prescription medication, please obtain the appropriate form at the school office to be completed by your doctor and signed by yourself. This procedure complies with School Board Policy regarding prescription medication to be taken at school.

Also, if your child has any life-threatening medical conditions such as extreme allergies, it is imperative that you notify us so we can be prepared should the need arise.

JUICE AND DISPOSABLE DRINK CONTAINERS

Maddaugh Elementary will open as a learning community free of sticky, sugary juice and disposable drink containers that create many challenges such as cleaning, removal of straws, and disposal.

All learners will be strongly encouraged to drink water and to use reusable drink containers.

The Canada Food Guide provides research that drinking water is:

Important for your health
A great way to quench your thirst
A way to stay hydrated without calories

NUT AWARE SCHOOL

At Maddaugh Elementary we have a large number of students who have life threatening allergies to a variety of nuts and nut products. Even touching a desk that another student has touched with nut product residue on his/her hand can cause the allergic student to go into anaphylactic shock.

As a result, we ask that students do not bring nuts or products containing nuts to school. While this can be an inconvenience, it is an extremely dangerous issue for a number of our students, and we appreciate your support.

ILLNESS OR INJURY AT SCHOOL

Students, parents and staff who are sick must stay home until symptoms clear. Please call the school if you child will be absent.

Given our current context, students who become ill at school will be quarantined immediately and monitored and parents will be contacted to come to pick up their child. If an accident causing minor injury occurs to your child while at school, the supervising teacher will document the injury in the office. The school will always err on the side of caution and notify parents at the time of the accident. If the injury is in anyway considered serious, the school will call 911 and notify parents.

DOGS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS

Please be advised that the school community is not allowed to bring dogs with them when attending school activities. With a school full of active children, dogs can become frightened and agitated and may bite someone, even if it is not in the dog’s general nature. For the safety of the dog and the students, please leave your dog at home during events.

Having said this, parents are permitted to bring their dogs when walking children to and from school. We ask that when dogs are on the grounds before and after school, they are kept on a short leash and in control. Thank you!

FIELD TRIPS

Educational field trips are an important part of a child’s experience at school. If your child’s class is taking a field trip, they will bring home a permission slip describing the activity and the purpose. A signed and returned field trip experience form is required for your child to participate.

Parents may be asked to pay part of the costs for field trips. No students will be excluded from an educational field trip as a result of not being able to pay.

TRANSPORTATION OF STUDENTS

Transportation of students will generally be by School Board bus. Parent drivers are acceptable under the following conditions:

the parent driver must fill out the District volunteer driver form (please see the office)
the teacher in charge must visually inspect parent vehicles to ensure they are safe
the teacher in charge must ensure that the parent is in an appropriate condition to drive

EMERGENCY OR SCHOOL CLOSURE

Sometimes extreme weather conditions or other unusual circumstances can cause class cancellations at a school, or district-wide on short notice. In the event of class cancellations, the Surrey School District will post information on its website at www.surreyschools.ca and provide updates to the following radio stations: CKNW (980 AM) NEWS 1130 (1130 AM)

Weather, power, road and safety conditions can change substantially within a few hours, therefore assessments and decisions must be made as close to school opening as possible for the information to be reliable. However, the district will do its best to communicate the status of schools by 7:00 a.m., when possible.

In the event of an emergency school closure, students will be sent home or to one of the contacts identified on the student registration form. Students will not be released until contact with a parent or a designated adult is made. Please discuss with your children where they should go in the event of an emergency school closure. It is important that the information at school be kept up to date. Parents should also listen to the radio station CKNW (AM 980) or CKWX (AM 1130) for information about school closures.