Our Mission

• At Capilano School, staff and parents work together to provide a safe, challenging, and supportive learning environment. Students are encouraged to achieve their personal best in pursuit of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for lifelong learning and responsible citizenship.

Our Code of Conduct

• Respect
  
• Open-minded
  
• Cooperative
• Kind
• Safe
  

Our School Plan Goals

• To Improve Literacy Proficiency in Students K to 7
• To Increase Students’ Numeracy Success Rates
• To Provide and Maintain a Safe and Caring School Environment

WELCOME TO CAPILANO

This Handbook provides students and parents with information regarding school goals, procedures, safety, and communications. You are urged to review this booklet regularly and to discuss the topics with family members.

Capilano is a public elementary school providing instruction to approximately 300 students from Kindergarten through Grade 7, and is situated in the Pemberton Heights neighbourhood of North Vancouver.

Education at Capilano Elementary School is directed toward the development of the child's intellectual, social, aesthetic, and personal potential. Each of these areas is equally important and interdependent in the context of the school program. It is our belief that, while children learn in different ways and at different rates, they all can learn.

School Routines and Procedures

Students who arrive late early must check in at the office

Students who leave early must check out at the office

Call Back Program

• Attempt to contact parent through home or business number
• Call emergency numbers that you have provided
• Failing these contacts, we will notify the police

It is important that you assist us with this program by:

• Calling the school at 604-903-3370 (24 hours) if your child will be late or absent. When you call please state your child’s name, his/her teacher’s name or division, and a brief explanation.
• Letting us know if your emergency contacts change

Dismissal at 3:00 pm

Students may be detained after school to:

• Complete unfinished work
• Receive extra assistance
• Discuss matters related to behaviour

In most instances, students will be dismissed by 3:30 pm. Individuals will be required to call home if detained beyond 3:30 pm.

Valuables

Please leave your valuables (CDs, MP3’s, Gameboys etc.) at home. Valuable items can be damaged, lost, or stolen, so as a general rule please do not bring these items to school.

Student Use of Telephone

Students do not have general access to school phones unless there is an urgent need. Children require approval from a staff member prior to the use of a telephone. Approval will not be given to arrange visits with friends.

Cell Phones

Students who need immediate communication with parents regarding getting to school or home from school may utilize a cellular telephone, however, students may not use the cell phone between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. Students who abuse cellular privileges will be asked to give their cellular telephone to a supervising staff member for the rest of the day. Repeated abuse of cellular phone use will result in a loss of cellular phone privileges. Taking pictures with a cell phone or digital camera is strictly prohibited. Again, the school telephone is always available in emergency situations.

Emergency and Accident Procedures

If a student becomes ill or has an accident at school, a parent or designated alternate will be contacted immediately. Please be sure that our office is provided with up-to-date telephone numbers for your home, parents’ place of work, and the number of a relative, friend, or neighbour.

Medications

No medications will be administered without a written authorization by the family doctor. Please alert us to any acute medical situations we may need to know about, i.e. allergy to insect stings, possibility of seizures, diabetic needs, etc.

Supervision of Students

During lunch and recess times, Capilano aides supervise students’ activities in the building and on the playground. Students must stay on the school grounds unless the student goes home for lunch or has a signed and dated written permission from their parent / guardian on the day of the excursion.

Lunches

Whenever possible, we encourage students to go home for lunch. This provides for a change of scenery, exercise, and a "home cooked" meal. However, when this is not possible, children may bring their lunches to school. Lunch at school is considered a privilege for students. Our basic rules must be adhered to or the student will be asked to eat lunch at home. Students who stay for lunch must not leave the school grounds without written parental permission.

Guidelines for Eating Lunch at School

· Individual students who create problems will lose the privilege of eating lunch at school.

· Students who bring their lunch to school are not permitted to leave the school grounds at lunchtime unless the school has received, in advance, a letter or phone call from the parent. At no time during the school day and/or school year are students permitted to visit local stores except under parental supervision. The school will not call home at the request of a student to confirm that permission has been granted.

· We must have your permission on file if you wish your child to go home for lunch daily.

· If students occasionally have lunch at home or other locations you must send a note with specific details to the classroom teacher on that day. Students are also required to sign out and in on these occasional days.

· Students do not have access to staff room facilities, such as microwave, spoons, etc. for lunch.

Bicycles, Rollerblades, Skateboards, Scooters

In order to keep other students safe, students who ride bicycles to school are not permitted to ride their bikes on school grounds during the school day and should lock their bikes on the bike rack located at the front of the school. In-line skates may only be used during a school- or recreation-sponsored activity and may not be used at any other time on the school grounds during the school day. Skateboards and scooters are not permitted for use

on the school grounds until after 3:30 pm.

Inclement Weather

Students need the opportunity to go outside for fresh air and play during recess and lunchtime at school. They will need to have appropriate clothing for the weather. On days of “heavy” rain, a 12-noon PA announcement will invite students to stay indoors.

All recesses are outside.

Traffic Safety

Your child’s safety is dependent on all Capilano parents and caregivers recognizing that picking up or dropping off children requires following safety regulations. Dozens of automobiles converge on our school at 8:50 a.m., 11:33 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. If you drive or pick up your child from school, please observe the following:

Do Not:

• Enter the staff parking lot or use it to drop off students

(The exception is access for handicapped students only)

• Park in the “drop-off zones”
• Stop in the crosswalks or fire lane
• Make U turns in the front of the school
• Use the neighbourhood driveways for turning around

DO:

• Spend time explaining street and traffic safety procedures to your child
• Please remember that you are in a school zone and small children move quickly and unpredictably
• Consider parking a block or more away and walking with your child to school

Areas where children can be dropped off or picked up include designated areas on: Bridgeman Avenue, West 20^th Street, Pemberton Avenue, or West 21^st Street.

Communication

School Website – Current school information can be accessed through the school website. Classroom, newsletters, photos, and other information can be accessed at http://www.nvsd44.bc.ca/Sites/SitesViewDefault.asp?SiteID=14
last Friday of each month. You may subscribe to an email version through the school website.

Home/School Communication

Communication between home and school is vital to the education of students. Teachers will initiate a parent/teacher conference if they have a concern/recommendation regarding a child’s progress.

Teachers welcome parent requests for conferences at any time. Since changes to classroom schedules occur (fieldtrips, etc.), it is requested that parents phone/email to set up appointment.
Home Study/Homework

It is recommended that students have 10 minutes of homework per grade. It is hoped that this home study is initiated by the student and encouraged by the parent. This study may be in the form or review, extra practice, pleasure reading, informal writing, etc.

Homework that is teacher-assigned is intended to provide time for:

• Additional practice of basic skills
• Working on extended projects and reports
• Catching up if a youngster has been absent
• Reviewing material in preparation for a test
• Completing assignments that have not been completed in class time

Some tips for parents:

• Be supportive, encouraging and interested—help clarify but stop short of doing the work yourself
• Provide a degree of regularity—a special place, well lit and ventilated, and away from distractions (such as TV or radio)
• Encourage your child to seek the teacher's help if "stuck"—if your child has difficulty with homework, please discuss this with your child’s teacher

Reporting Student Progress

Report cards are issued three times annually (November, March, and June). The teachers may also inform parents of the progress achieved by their child through notes, emails, telephone calls, visits, and conferences (student-led / teacher-parent / 3-way).

Parents as Important Teachers

You are an important teacher to your child and a valuable partner to your child's teachers in school. What you do as a parent helps your child to be successful in school and in life. A few suggestions to consider:

• Always speak of the school and staff in positive, constructive terms. If you have a concern, share it with us. We can explain it or solve it together.
• Send your child to school each morning with a cheerful parting
• Show interest in your child's schoolwork
• Provide a special time for you and your youngster each day—a few minutes to talk and to enjoy each other's company
• You are a powerful model—your child should see you reading, writing, solving problems and enjoying these activities.

Juice Machine

A juice/water machine is located by the office. Students can purchase juice or bottled water from the machine at recess, lunch, and before and after school.

My Goals for the Year: Describe goal and how I will achieve it.

Goal 1 _________________________________________________________

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Goal 2 _________________________________________________________

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Goal 3_________________________________________________________

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