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Queen Mary

COMMUNITY SCHOOL

2010 – 2011 HANDBOOK

230 Keith Road , North Vancouver , V7M-1L8

ph. 903-3720 callback. 903-3720 fax. 903-3721

www.nvsd44.bc.ca

Principal - Bill Reid

Vice-Principal – Debora Benedict

Administrative Assistant – Karin Scott

CONTENTS

Cover  page 1

Table of Contents page 2

School Map page 2

Mission Statements page 3

Code of Conduct page 3

Demographic Information page 6

General Information page 6

Attendance Area page 6

Hours of Instruction page 7

Registration Information page 7

Other Information page 7

Student Services page 8

MISSION STATEMENTS

Mission Statement For The B.C. Education System

The purpose of the British Columbia school system is to enable all learners to develop their individual potential and to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to a healthy, democratic and pluralistic society and a prosperous and sustainable economy.

North Vancouver School District Mission Statement

The purpose of the North Vancouver Public Schools is to ensure that each learner has opportunities to succeed in a challenging educational program.

Queen Mary School Mission Statement

In the Queen Mary community we seek to create a RESPECTFUL, SAFE, ENJOYABLE learning environment where adults and children are empowered to maximize their strengths in the PERSONAL, SOCIAL, and ACADEMIC areas..

Code of Conduct

QUEEN MARY COMMUNITY SCHOOL

North Vancouver School District (reviewed Jan ’09)

"The Board of School Trustees believes that all schools should be secure places for safe, purposeful learning."

The Board of School Trustees believes that appropriate student conduct which is based on respect for oneself and for others is essential to the development of responsible citizens. Student behaviour, dress and decorum shall be in accordance with generally accepted community standards and appropriate for the educational environment. Appropriate behaviour is a shared responsibility among the students, their parents and the school system.

The Board of School Trustees expects students to:

* attend school regularly,

* observe school rules and codes of student conduct,

* respect the rights of others and their property,

* respect the health and safety of others,

* respect the educational process and the learning environment of others,

* conduct themselves in a manner that brings credit to their school and community at all times,

* act with due regard to the authority vested by the School Act and the Board in School District Employees,

and encourages initiatives in schools to reinforce these responsibilities. Further, the Board authorizes administrative officers, teachers and other appropriate personnel to discipline students when discipline is warranted.

Each school shall, consistent with Board policy, establish written rules regulating student behavior and shall clearly communicate these rules and the consequence of unacceptable behavior to both students and their parents. School rules should give due consideration to the following:

* fostering, appropriate to age, a sense of personal responsibility and self-discipline,

* encouraging and promoting educational opportunities for students,

* maintaining a positive and safe learning environment,

* respecting the dignity of others, their rights and properties,

* providing positive guidelines for student behavior,

* fostering cooperation with other students in the achievement of their intellectual, social and career goals.

The Board of School Trustees forbids physical violence and verbal abuse; the possession, use or distribution of illegal drugs, tobacco or alcohol; and the carrying or possession of weapons. (School Board Policy #301-302)

CODE OF CONDUCT

Working together to support Social Responsibility in our students!

This Code of Conduct has been established to ensure a safe, caring and healthy learning environment for all students, staff and visitors at Queen Mary Community School.

We believe that all schools should be free of inappropriate

behaviours such as:

· Interfering with the learning of others

· Engaging in acts of bullying, harassment, intimidation and/or violence

· Using threatening language or behaviours (including Internet communication)

· Bringing weapons, including toys and replicas, to school

· Participating in unsafe and/or illegal acts.

Our Code of Conduct is part of daily life at Queen Mary, and helps students and staff to find common language and understanding of how to get along safely and respectfully with each other. All school staff intervene daily to teach, re-teach and reinforce the appropriate conduct of our students through discussions:

· in classroom meetings,

· during school assemblies,

· on the playing fields,

· in the hallways and washrooms.

THE QUEEN MARY CODE OF CONDUCT emphasizes :

· Respect for myself and others

· Safety for myself and others

· Responsibility for my learning and actions

HOW DO WE TALK WITH STUDENTS ABOUT THEIR CONDUCT (BEHAVIOUR) AT QUEEN MARY ?

Student behaviour is always considered in the context in which it occurs. The age of the child, frequency of the behaviour and the circumstances surrounding the incident are all taken into account.

All school personnel at Queen Mary can respond to the behaviour of students that they observe or witness.

· If the student's behaviour supports or demonstrates our Code of Conduct a student may receive a Gotcha!

· If the student's behaviour does not support the Code of Conduct they may:

- Be asked to stop and talk about their behaviour,

- Be warned about their behaviour,

- Receive a BEHAVIOUR REPORT from a staff member

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A STUDENT RECEIVES A ‘GOTCHA’ ?

A student takes their Gotcha to their classroom teacher. Gotcha's are collected in each classroom and once the Gotcha target has been reached the entire class celebrates their appropriate behaviour by having a Gotcha Party!

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A STUDENT RECEIVES A BEHAVIOUR REPORT ?

The staff member and student meet and complete the Behaviour Report together, and:

· The student learns about how their observed behavior does not support the Code of Conduct

· The student signs the Behaviour Reports to acknowledge they understand how their behaviour did not support the Code of Conduct

· The Behaviour Report is given to the student's classroom teacher

· The classroom teacher monitors student Behaviour Reports and determines an appropriate action including;

- Discussion with the student,

- Contacting the home (parent/guardian)

- Entry in to the L.O.F.T. program at Queen Mary

- Meeting with the Principal regarding the student’s behaviour

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS

At Queen Mary, we believe all students and staff members

should contribute to our positive school environment by:

· Providing and respecting a purposeful learning environment

· Promoting and demonstrating self-discipline

· Modeling cooperation and consideration of others

· Modeling safety and responsibility.

We expect all students to follow our Code of Conduct both on and off the school grounds so that their behaviour brings pride to themselves, their home and to their school at all times.

By following our Code of Conduct, we believe students, visitcrs and staff members are able to establish a safe, respectful and responsible environment in which there is an appropriate balance between the rights of the individual and the rights of others.

RISING EXPECTATIONS

While we expect all Queen Mary students and visitors to support our Code of Conduct to the best of their ability, it is understood that we do have higher expectations of students and visitors as their time as a member of the Queen Mary Community grows.

Older students are, and will continue to be, given more responsibility and maintain a clear ability to model the appropriate behaviour that supports and teaches our Code of Conduct to both new and younger students at Queen Mary. In this respect, inappropriate behaviours from established and older students at Queen Mary will be dealt with greater consequence than for younger students or those new to our school.

However, serious breaches of the Code of Conduct (acts of violence; weapons/drugs; or other unsafe or illegal acts); depending on circumstances, could result in serious disciplinary actions.

HOW CAN PEOPLE IN THE STUDENTS’ HOME, SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITY CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD A STRONG SENSE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THESE CHILDREN WE SHARE?

We can support our children in building social responsibility by:

· teaching and re-teaching safety and safe behaviours in many settings (roadways to and from school, gymnasium, playgrounds, in the community)

· continuing to model socially appropriate behaviour while we are with our children

· helping to teach our children to find safe ways to express anger or frustration

· listening to our children's concerns and feelings and help teach (and re-teach) ways to solve problems appropriately

· seeking help from each other when we are challenged by the behaviours and actions of our children.

ALL OF US (PARENTS/GUARDIANS/TEACHERS) WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER CAN HELP STUDENTS GROW AS MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. TOGETHER, WE CAN GUIDE THEM IN THE CHALLENGING AND COMPLEX PROCESS WE LIKE TO CALL . . . . GROWING UP!

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

Queen Mary Community School is a kindergarten to grade seven elementary school with a student population of approximately 400. All students/ families are responsible for their own transportation arrangements to and from the school.

As indicated in the 1998 Program and Facilities Review document for the school district, projections for the Queen Mary school area indicate a stable student population within its attendance area.

Geographically, the school district itself is a long narrow area of some 152 square kilometers situated on the north side of Burrard Inlet. According to the federal census of 1990, the population of North Vancouver was in excess of 104,000 people, comprising 29,000 families. Approximately 62 % of these families have children at home. The average number of children per family is estimated at 1.1. District education levels are considerably higher than those for the province as a whole. Nearly 15 % of the District's population hold a university degree and an additional 15 % have attended university.

Thirty percent of the population hold a trade certificate, a diploma, or some other form of non-university credentialling. Less than 5 % of the people in the district have less than a grade 9 education (Fleming, Every Learner a Promise. p. 18).

General Information

School Entry:

We ask parents to remember that students who arrive at the school before 8:50 am will not be supervised. Exceptions to this guideline apply to students who are participating in extra-curricular school activities which are supervised by teacher sponsors e.g. choir, school sports teams, teacher request for student presence, computer lab. helpers. There is NO supervision of students provided before 8:50 am.

Personal Property:

The personal safety of all students on the school grounds is a clear priority, therefore students may not bring any personal possessions to the school that might jeopardize their personal safety and the safety of others. The following apply:

Bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, and scooters may be ridden to and from school for transportation only. Areas around the perimeter of the school are out of bounds except when arriving or departing. Students are reminded to use safe procedures at all times when riding to and from school. Inappropriate use of bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, and scooters to and from school and while on school grounds will result in one warning. Further violations may result in the student being asked not to ride to and from the school or the equipment being confiscated until the end of the day.

Inside Days / Outside Days / Recess / Lunch

Students may not leave the school ground at recess without permission from an appropriate authority. All students are encouraged to go home for lunch. Eating lunch at school is a privilege that students must respect. Students who wish to leave the school grounds must submit written permission from parents or guardians to their classroom teacher or the main ofice Students must also make prior arrangements with their parents if they are inviting friends home for lunch. Violation of the above rules will result in the student losing these privileges and the parents being informed.

Students are encouraged to go home for lunch if at all possible. Throughout the year, students that stay at school for lunch are required to stay in their classrooms until the 12:15 bell sounds, indicating the end of mealtime, and the beginning of their activity / free time. On rainy days, an announcement will be made indicating that it is an INSIDE day, and then students will be free to participate in quiet activities in their classrooms, OR any other activity that is organized or sponsored by school staff or parents. They are encouraged to go outside to play, but appropriate clothing is required. All students are expected to bring appropriate clothing for the weather every day. On dry days, all students are expected to go outside for the remainder of the lunch period. Whether an inside or outside day, supervision aides are provided to monitor student activity.

Attendance Area

Queen Mary accepts children from the following area (limited by program and space availability)

-South from the waterfront

-East from foot of Lonsdale heading N to W. 13^th, then E to St. Andrews, then N to 16^th, then E to St. Georges then N to 18^th then E to Lonsdale

-North from Lonsdale and 18^th to 19^th, then E to Mahon, then N to 20^th, then S to 16^th.

-West following Wagg Creek to Waterfront

Hours of Instruction (2010-2011)

Grade 1 to Grade 7 and All Day Kindergarten

8:55 warning bell

9:00 - 10:30 1^st instructional period

10:30 - 10:50 recess

10:50 - 12:00 2^nd instructional period

12:00 - 12:40 lunch

12:40 warning bell

12:45 – 3:00 3^rd instructional period

Parents are requested to have their children arrive NO EARLIER THAN 8:40 a.m., unless the children are involved in supervised activities.

Registration Information

Kindergarten

Registrations will be accepted for Kindergarten during the month of October, for the following September's classes. Admission requirements:

- the child will be at least five (5) years old on or before December 31st of the enrolling year

- proof of age (Birth Certificate) must be presented at the time of registration

- parents who are not Canadian citizens or do not have Landed Immigrant status must apply for admission through the School District Office

- evidence of immunization must be presented within 45 days of the date of registration

- French Immersion registrations are processed at the Leo Marshall Curriculum Centre (LMCC), at 810 West 21st. St. North Vancouver. 987-6667. Admission requirements are the same. Students will be placed in the Immersion school closest to their address, on a space availability basis.

New Students

Families moving into the Queen Mary attendance area should report to the Central Registration Office at 1232 Hamilton Avenue, North Vancouver. School preferences and registration details will be processed at the Centre. For further registration deadlines, transfer and withdrawal procedures, and attendance areas, see: www.nvsd44.bc.ca .

ESL Students

All English as a Second Language students who plan to register at a North Vancouver public school must first be processed through the District's Reception Centre at 2132 Hamilton Street, North Vancouver. 903-3334

Other Information

Call Back System

Parents are requested to notify the school at any time prior to their child being late or absent for a morning or all day. If a child will be away in the afternoon we request notification by 12:55 p.m. The call back telephone number is our main number at 903-3720. If the school does not receive such a notification a staff member will attempt to advise the parent, or emergency contact person, that the student is not at school.

Parking, Traffic, and Safety

For the safety of all students the Staff Parking Lot is out of bounds to all students, therefore PARENT DROP OFFS ARE STRICTLY FORBIDDEN IN THIS AREA.

A few traffic concerns to keep in mind:

· Please make every attempt to have your child(ren) walk to school. The number of cars dropping off at the school cause extreme traffic congestion at arrival and departure times.

· Please obey all marked traffic and parking signs.

· Please assist our traffic patrollers, who supervise students crossing on Coleman

STUDENT SERVICES

Learning Assistance Centre (LAC)

The Learning Assistance teachers work with individuals and small groups of students who require support with the regular classroom program. This usually takes place within the classroom environment. Some students will require more individual attention on a one-to-one and group basis.

As well as assessing and teaching, the LAC teacher consults with classroom teachers and parents regarding the learning concerns and programs of students.

The LAC teacher may make referrals to other District specialists such as speech and language pathologists, English as a second language programs, etc. All referrals are made only after consultation with, and approval of, parents.

School Counsellor

Queen Mary offers the services of a school counsellor (approximately two days per week). Counselling services are available to students, parents and teachers. Appointments may be arranged by telephoning the school. (903-3720)

Medical Services

The district Community Health Nurse is the primary health professional providing health service to your child's school. These services include: - Immunization

- Vision and Hearing Screening

- Communicable Disease Control

- Health Counselling and Education.

English as a Second Language (ESL)

Queen Mary is fortunate to have students from various cultures who have the help and support of a specially trained English as a Second Language (E.S.L.) teacher. The students are integrated into regular classes and come to the E.S.L. teacher for special instruction in English skills include speaking, writing and reading.

Programs are individualized to suit the students’ needs. The E.S.L. teacher does collaborative teaching with the classroom teacher and works with teachers to provide in-class exercises.

In addition to teaching languages, the E.S.L. teacher teaches Canadian culture to newly arrived immigrant students in school activities throughout the year. The students at Queen Mary and their parents are learning about other cultures from the students and are trying to promote a friendly, supportive and helpful atmosphere in the school and the community for newly arrived community members.

Additional Services Available

- Speech and Language Pathologist

- School Psychologist

- Visual and Hearing Impaired Resource Teacher

- Occupational and Physical Therapist

- Music Therapist

- RCMP Liaison Officer

- District Special Needs Resource Teacher

Out-of-School Care

A number of Queen Mary students avail themselves of the services of a variety of Out Of School Care providers. Please contact our main office for more information, and phone numbers.

FINALLY: If you have comments, suggestions, or questions regarding Queen Mary School, please feel free to Email the school at : queenmary@nvsd44.bc.ca