STUDENT HANDBOOK - T2Y 2B4 Our Lady of Peace Elementary and Junior High School 14826 Millrise Hill SW Calgary, Alberta Telephone: (403) 500-2097 ...

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STUDENT HANDBOOK - T2Y 2B4 Our Lady of Peace Elementary and Junior High School 14826 Millrise Hill SW Calgary, Alberta Telephone: (403) 500-2097 ...
STUDENT HANDBOOK

         Our Lady of Peace
  Elementary and Junior High School
       14826 Millrise Hill SW
          Calgary, Alberta
              T2Y 2B4

      Telephone: (403) 500-2097
         Fax: (403) 500-2297

  Website + BrightSpace (D2L) Login:
     www.cssd.ab.ca/schools/olp
Doucet after whom our neighbouring
      WELCOME MESSAGE
                                                school was named.

This handbook contains information              Peace is important for the full expression
about our programs and services which           of human life. Peace is the sign of union
are equally relevant to parents and             with God.
students. Please take the time to read it
together and then keep it for ready-            It was the last gift which Jesus gave to the
reference over the rest of the year.            world before he ascended into Heaven.
                                                He left us His peace – a gift the world
Children learn best in an atmosphere of         could not give. When we understand and
safety and respect. An active partnership       worship God as the origin of our being,
among the parish, the school and the            we are at peace with him. When we
home is a virtual guarantee of success for      perceive our neighbour as our brother
your child. We look forward to your             and sister, objects of our love and care,
support and involvement.                        then we are at peace with our neighbor.

Thank you for spending time to review           That perfect love of God and neighbour is
these pages with your children.                 the peace that all of humankind longs for.

Students, we hope you will read these           It was the intent of the Missionaries that
pages and make use of this agenda during        Southern Alberta, under the patronage of
the months ahead. It is an important tool       Mary, might know the peace of those who
in helping you to be successful.                love God and their neighbor.

          PATRON SAINT
                                                  PARENT RESPONSIBILITY
This school has been placed in the care of
the Blessed Mother under the title Our
                                                As partners in the education of our students,
Lady of Peace.
                                                we appreciate the support we receive from
                                                our parent community to ensure success for
It is an ancient title of the Blessed Mother,   our students. We are closely supported in
dating from the early days of the Church        this endeavor by our provincial government
and was often used to honour and                as outlined in the Education Act from
commemorate that Mary was in perfect            section 32. A parent has the prior right to
accord with her son Jesus - from the time       choose the kind of education that shall be
she agreed to be the Mother of God until        provided to the parent’s child and as a
her assumption into Heaven and perfect          partner in education, has the responsibility
union with the Father.                          to:

The Oblate Missionaries of Southern             1. To act as the primary guide and decision-
Alberta named their mission and the first       maker with respect to the child’s education,
church they built in Southern Alberta, Our
Lady of Peace. One of the first pastors at      2. To take an active role in the child’s
the Our Lady of Peace Parish was Father         educational success, including assisting the
student in complying with section 32,
                                                                         BELL TIMES
3. To ensure the child attends school
regularly,                                                Supervision is provided 15 minutes prior to
                                                          the school start bell and 15 minutes
4. To ensure the parent’s conduct                         following the end of day.
contributes to a welcoming, caring,
respectful and safe learning environment,                                 Junior High     Elementary
                                                           Entry bell     8:20            8:20
5. To co-operate and collaborate with school               Attendance
                                                                          8:25-8:30       8:25-8:30
staff to support the delivery of specialized               homeroom
supports and services to the child,                        Period 1       8:30 – 9:16
                                                                                          8:30-10:04
                                                           Period 2       9:18 – 10:04
                                                           Break                          10:04 – 10:24
6. To encourage, foster and advance                                       10:04 – 10:09
                                                                                          Recess
collaborative, positive and respectful
                                                           Period 3       10:09 – 10:55
relationships with teachers, principals, other                                          10:24 – 11:43
                                                           Period 4       10:57 – 11:43
school staff and professionals providing                   Lunch          11:43-12:20   11:43-12:20
supports and services in the school, and                   Entry bell     12:20         12:20
                                                           Attendance
7. To engage in the student’s school                       homeroom
                                                                          12:20 - 12:25   12:20-12:23
community.                                                 Period 5       12:27 – 1:13
                                                           Period 6       1:15 – 2:01     12:25-2:50
Education Act – Section 32                                 Period 7       2:03 – 2:50

                                                          Kindergarten          A.M.: 8:20-11:05
                                                                                P.M.: 12:05-2:50
  CHAMPION STATEMENT

                                                           HOMEWORK GUIDELINES
A cornerstone of our schools is that every
student has a champion. That every child has              The district recognizes meaningful,
a one-on-one relationship with an adult in                carefully-planned homework can support
the school, and that the child knows who                  student success and be a complementary part
their champion is, and the adult knows the                of a student’s overall learning program. The
children for which they are responsible.                  district also recognizes:
                                                                   ● The potential impact of
                                                                       homework on family life;
   “Every child deserves a champion:                               ● The role homework may play in
                                                                       supporting students’ self-
an adult who will never give up on them,                               confidence as a successful
who understands the power of connection                                learner;
and insists they become the best they can                          ● The benefit of a district-wide,
                                                                       balanced, reasonable approach to
               possibly be”                                            homework.
                    -Pierson, TED Talks Education, 2013
                                                          The homework policy is further
                                                          supported by specifics topics as outlined
                                                          in Administrative Procedure 364:
1)   Types of Homework                        ● Acts of cyberbullying, harassment or
         2)   Guiding Principles                         intimidation;
         3)   Holidays and weekends                    ● Breaches of digital online safety;
         4)   Recommended times                        ● Inappropriate use of mobile devices.
         5)   Roles and responsibilities
                                                    Each school is thereby authorized to
Administrative Procedure 364 - Homework             establish, share publicly and implement site
www.cssd.ab.ca > About Us > District Governance >
Administrative Procedures
                                                    specific expectations and practices around
                                                    the use of mobile devices as a component of
Reading and other literacy or language              its Student Code of Conduct and
activities such as writing are part of daily life   Progressive Discipline Plan.
and are not considered to be homework.
                                                    All personally owned electronic devices are
The Practice of assigning homework                  the sole responsibility of the student. The
assignments is based on the following               school is not responsible for loss or
guidelines. Keeping in mind that the first          damaged items.
grade in each divisional range below should
reflect time at the low end of the scale, with a              MOBILE DEVICES
gradual extension at the upper end of the
division to the higher time range, the
recommended time guidelines are:                    The use of student devices can have both
                                                    very positive and very negative impacts on
At all levels, the time a student spends on         both learning and school climate and culture
homework may vary and individual student            of Our Lady of Peace School.
needs and capacity should always be considered.
                                                    Teachers will specifically define the
• Kindergarten – Grade 3:                           conditions when cell phones and
Occasional 5-10 minutes of homework per
                                                    headphones/ear buds are permitted to be
school night.
                                                    visible and in use. There are two basic
• Grades 4 to 6:                                    conditions which are:
Maximum of 30 minutes of homework per
school night.                                       1. The cell phone and/or
                                                    headphones/earbuds use in the classroom is
• Grades 7 to 9:                                    a component of instruction.
Maximum of 60 minutes of homework per               2. When it is a non-instructional period such
school night.                                       as lunch time (Gr. 7-9 only), before school
                                                    or after school.
      ELECTRONIC DEVICES
                                                    Unless one of these two conditions are
                                                    present, then the cell phone and/or
Governing the presence of and use in                headphones/earbuds must be secure in
schools of electronic or mobile devices such        the student’s locker (Gr. 7-9), or book bag
as cell phones is subject to the                    (Gr. 1-6) and NOT be visible or in use
responsibilities of students under section 31       until advised by the teacher.
of the Education Act and is covered under
the CCSD Student Code of Conduct (AP                Failure to comply will result in the device
351 – section 31). Specific to electronic           being confiscated for either:
mobile devices, the following unacceptable
behaviors include but are not limited to:
•    The reminder of the condition or                  www.cssd.ab.ca > About Us > District Governance >
                                                            Administrative Procedures
          instructional period as per the
          discretion of the teacher, OR
     •    Turned into the office for safe                           ATTENDANCE POLICY
          keeping. If this is the case the cell
          phone and/or headphones/ear buds                  Section 31 of the Education Act states that
          will be kept for the remainder of the             students must “attend school regularly and
          school day or until the parents can               punctually”. Regular attendance is expected
          collect it as per the discretion of the           of all students except when illness or a
          administration.                                   family emergency prevents attendance.

These devices should NEVER be brought                       Whenever possible, parents are requested to
into or left in the PE change rooms.                        schedule dental, doctor or other
                                                            appointments outside of school hours.
     DISTRICT INTERNET USE                                  Teacher professional days are an ideal
                                                            opportunity to book those appointments
                                                            without disruptions to the instructional
All staff, students and volunteers are                      process. Your cooperation is greatly
required to sign the Acceptable Use Policy                  appreciated.
form annually.
Administrative Procedure 351 - Student Code of Conduct      When students are absent without the school
www.cssd.ab.ca > About Us > District Governance >
Administrative Procedures                                   being notified, parents will be contacted
                                                            through the school automated absence
                                                            system, SchoolConnects and parents will be
         STUDENT ACCIDENT
                                                            asked to contact the school regarding their
            INSURANCE                                       child’s absence. This procedure is
                                                            undertaken to ensure the safety of our
The Calgary Catholic School District carries
                                                            students. When parents authorize their
a base coverage for all students, however, as
                                                            children to leave the campus during the
it is not comprehensive, it is recommended
                                                            school day, the District accepts no liability
that students involved in extra-curricular
                                                            for those students during those times.
activities carry additional coverage.
Information on insurance alternatives are
                                                            Each principal must have procedures for
sent home early in September. Parents may
                                                            monitoring and addressing irregular
opt to purchase student coverage with their
                                                            attendance. The plan must involve the
own carrier, but proof of coverage must be
                                                            School Resource Team (SRT) or counsellor
supplied before a student is allowed to
                                                            in proactive problem solving which could
participate in any interscholastic sports
                                                            include meetings with students/parents/legal
teams.
                                                            guardians and implementation of an
                                                            attendance improvement plan.
Every student who participates in JH/SH
                                                            Communication between home and school is
competitive sports must have a signed
                                                            essential.
Parental Authorization to Participate in
Competitive Sports form filed with the
                                                            Access information regarding Excused and
school. (This regulation includes Elementary
                                                            Unexcused Absences in AP 330.
Danceworks)
                                                            Administrative Procedure 330 - Student Attendance
Administrative Procedure 531 - Student Insurance Programs   www.cssd.ab.ca > About Us > District Governance >
                                                            Administrative Procedures
efforts fail, we will attempt to reach the
We encourage parents to leave a message on       “emergency contact” numbers that parents
the school answering machine at (403) 500-       have provided. Failing this, a call will be
2097 to report a late arrival, before the        placed to 911 and your child will be
event.                                           transported to hospital.

Students leaving for extended                    If a student has ongoing medical concerns or
periods or vacations                             any conditions that may need attention
                                                 during the school day, please contact the
It is recommended that vacations and             office to discuss this with administration. If
absences take place during scheduled school      your child requires medication, or has
breaks. Since most of the learning activities    serious allergies, please contact the office to
that take place in the classroom cannot be       discuss necessary procedures. Authorization
replicated when a child is absent, it is not     to Administer Medication forms can be
possible for teachers to provide extra           obtained from the school office and require
programming or work during extended              a doctor’s signature. The school is unable to
breaks.                                          provide any medication to students until
                                                 these documents are in place.
Our Lady of Peace does not grant approval
to be absent, but simply records parental
intent to have the student discontinue                   INCLEMENT WEATHER
attendance. The reason for absence will be
entered as “Vacation – Unexcused” in the
student record. If it is unavoidable that a      When conditions reach -20 Celsius or
student must be away during instructional        colder including the wind-chill factor, it is
time, please contact the office and report the   recommended that students be kept inside
absence.                                         for recess or lunch breaks.

Student Illness and Emergencies                  Final responsibility to prepare a child for
                                                 inclement weather belongs to the
(Leaving During the School Day)
                                                 parents/legal guardians.
The safety and security of students is our       Administrative Procedure 133 - Inclement Weather
first priority. If a student becomes ill or      www.cssd.ab.ca > About Us > District Governance >
needs to leave the school, he/she must report    Administrative Procedures

to the office. Students are not to contact
parents on personal devices but rather
through the office phone. The office will          EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
contact the parents or emergency contact
numbers. For their own personal safety,          Schools are required to complete
children will not be permitted to leave the      announced and unannounced fire drill and
school unless a parent picks up the student      lockdown safety drill practices throughout
and signs them out. This includes students       the school year. These safety drills are
leaving at the lunch break for afternoon         intended to give students an opportunity to
appointments.                                    practice procedures to be followed in the
If a student is seriously ill or injured, any    event of a real emergency and to help them
necessary first aid will be administered.        develop confidence and self-control if
School staff will make every effort to           faced with an emergency situation.
contact parents immediately. Should these        Research shows that individuals will
respond in an emergency the way they have                    what our collective responsibility is as a
been trained to do so. Please be assured the                 community
district has emergency plans in place and               •    We strongly encourage those with
all school personnel have been trained in                    allergies to continue to be vigilant about
emergency preparedness.                                      avoiding allergens
                                                        •    We encourage families to avoid
Administrative Procedure 165 - Safety Drills                 packing food products at school that
Administrative Procedure 132 – Emergency Closings and        contain nuts
Cancellations of School                                 •    We encourage a safe environment for
www.cssd.ab.ca > About Us > District Governance >
Administrative Procedures                                    everybody in our learning community,
                                                             by working together with increased
                                                             awareness and shared vigilance
                    SECURITY
                                                        Administrative Procedure 316 - Identifying And
                                                        Managing Students’ Medical Needs
During the instructional times of the day               www.cssd.ab.ca > About Us > District Governance >
access to schools is restricted to the front            Administrative Procedures
door.

All visitors must report to and sign in at the
                                                                  COMMUNICATIONS
office and wear a visitor badge.
                                                        All CCSD schools communicate with
              ADMINISTERING                             parents / guardians through School
               MEDICATION                               Connects, an automated system, that sends
                                                        out emails, texts or phone messages.
In creating a safe and supportive
environment for students and staff with
                                                        Parents, students and teachers are to
medical conditions, the district develops
                                                        establish and maintain clear lines of
appropriate processes, procedures and plans
                                                        communication throughout the school year.
to address medical needs.
                                                        If concerns arise, please follow these
                                                        procedures:
No student will be given any medication
unless an “Authorization for Administering
                                                                  a) For a class matter, contact the
Medication Form” has been filled out
                                                                     teacher first. If further
annually and submitted to the school.
                                                                     discussion is required, please
             STUDENTS WITH                                           contact an administrator;
               ALLERGIES                                          b) For a school-wide matter,
                                                                     contact school administration;
CCSD schools are not “Nut-Free” as we are
                                                        School Website - Each school maintains an
unable to guarantee that nuts will not be a
                                                        informative website where pertinent school
part of student snacks and lunches.
                                                        and district information and calendar events
Although sending nut-free food items is
                                                        can be found. Parents and students are
encouraged, parents make decisions
                                                        encouraged to regularly visit the school
regarding food items for their child.
                                                        website for updated information:
To support a safe environment for all
students with allergies:
                                                                   www.cssd.ab.ca/schools/olp
• We talk to staff and students about
    knowing who has an allergy and about
Kindergarten - Grade 6                                             •    Phone calls or notes
The school agenda (electronic and/or paper                         •    Parent meetings
versions) is an effective tool providing                           •    Weekly electronic newsletters
ongoing communication between parents                              •    Calendar of events
and teachers. Some schools and teachers                            •    Special memos
may use various social media platforms to                          •    Surveys
share information.                                                 •    E-mail
                                                                   •    Social media opportunities
Grades 7 - 9
BRIGHTSPACE (D2L) is an online
communication platform that allows                                       SCHOOL COUNCIL
students and parents to monitor homework,
grades and utilize other educational tools.                   All parents/legal guardians with children
Student agendas are no longer commonly                        attending school are members of their local
used in junior high schools, and not in                       school council and are encouraged to
senior high schools, students are expected                    participate in council activities.
to use Brightspace to plan their homework
activities and monitor assignment due dates                   Councils usually meet on a monthly basis.
and academic progress. Electronic                             School Councils are established in all
organizers are also available on                              schools and serve as a vehicle for
BRIGHTSPACE. Students can                                     parents/legal guardians, principals and
communicate directly with teachers through                    teachers to meet and work together towards
Brightspace.                                                  common goals. School council chairs also
                                                              meet with one another, district
Parents are encouraged to review their                        administrators and members of the Board
child's homework and grades regularly                         of Trustees at district-wide meetings.
through this platform.                                        Please speak to your child's school
                                                              principal to get involved.
Consistent with Alberta Education’s
mandate, the reporting process requires                       School Council Handbook
                                                              www.cssd.ab.ca > Parents > School Council > Documents
teachers to ensure that they effectively
communicate to parents/legal guardians
about what the child’s progress in relation                     STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS,
to the provincial programs of study.                               CLUBS AND EXTRA-
Scheduling of parent teacher conferences                         CURRICULAR OFFERINGS
throughout the school year also facilitates
in-person communication and deeper                            To ensure a well-rounded educational
conversations about student learning                          experience for all students, our school
between home and school. Most schools                         community may provide several extra-
use Conference Manager to facilitate this                     curricular offerings during the school year.
process.                                                      These may include the following, all of
                                                              which will be facilitated by school staff and
Administrative Procedure 361.1 - Parent Teacher Conferences   aligned with Catholic teachings:
www.cssd.ab.ca > About Us > District Governance >
Administrative Procedures
                                                                   •    Athletic teams and activities
                                                                   •    Choir
We will also keep you informed through a                           •    Drama Productions
variety of other mediums:                                          •    Fine Arts Clubs
•    Games clubs such as Lego Club                      AIR RIFLES/GUNS
     •    Music clubs and bands
     •    Social justice clubs and activities
     •    Voluntary student organizations or        The district prohibits students from
          activities that are aligned with          possessing weapons or engaging in violent
          Catholic teachings and promote            or threatening acts on school property, and
          equality and non-discrimination           at school sponsored functions and activities.
          with respect to race, religious belief,   "Weapon" means any object, device, or
          colour, gender, gender identity,          instrument designed or through its use is
          gender expression, physical               capable of threatening or producing bodily
          disability, mental disability, family     harm to oneself or others. By this definition,
          status or sexual orientation.             air rifles/guns are therefore considered
                                                    weapons. As it is challenging to visually
If you wish further information about any           identify these weapons as air rifles/guns,
of these offerings, please contact the              school staff, Calgary Police Services and the
principal.                                          RCMP will likely respond in the same
                                                    manner as they would an actual rifle/gun.
Administrative Procedure 350 –                      For the safety of all students, staff and
Welcoming, Caring, Respectful, and Safe             visitors in the school, these items are not
Learning Environments                               allowed on school property or at school-
www.cssd.ab.ca > About Us > District Governance >   related activities under any circumstance.
Administrative Procedures

                                                    As outlined in the Education Act, students
                                                    can be held accountable for conduct that
          STUDENT CODE OF
                                                    occurs outside of the school building or
         CONDUCT/DRESS CODE                         school day and electronically (e.g. social
                                                    media), if the conduct negatively affects a
The student code of conduct ensures that            member of the school or interferes with the
each student enrolled in a school operated          school environment.
by the District is provided with a
welcoming, caring, respectful, and safe
learning environment that respects diversity          PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE
and fosters a sense of belonging to support                   PLAN
Catholic Communities of Caring; and to
support the District’s Mission, Value, and          Students who engage in unacceptable
Vision Statements.                                  behavior will be held accountable through
                                                    the school’s progressive discipline plan.
The student code of conduct guides our              Consistent and logical consequences, rather
students and staff regarding appropriate and        than punitive measures, are important to
inappropriate conduct, dress code and               support students in making appropriate
activities as outlined in section 31 of the         choices and help shape their future actions.
Education Act.
                                                    In any disciplinary situation, each student
Administrative Procedure 351 - Student Code
of Conduct
                                                    will be dealt with on an individual basis, and
www.cssd.ab.ca > About Us > District Governance >   will take into account the student’s age,
Administrative Procedures                           maturity and individual circumstances. As
                                                    well, parental or district administration
                                                    involvement may be requested to support
                                                    school discipline procedures.
The school’s use of the progressive               ● involvement of external services and
discipline plan will determine the                supports.
expectations, consequences and the
progression of actions to be taken depending      The principal may involve police in
on the severity and/or frequency of the           disciplinary matters when criminal activity
occurrences. At all times, teachers and           has become evident. When police are
administrators will use their professional        involved, the principal will conduct a
judgment in applying consequences.                separate, parallel investigation at the school
                                                  level and provide disciplinary action
Consequences must have a positive effect on       separate from any criminal charges that may
the student’s journey through reconciliation,     be issued.
either formally or informally, with the
school community and those affected by the
student’s behaviour. The following                            SUSPENSION
consequences are progressive in their degree
of intervention and will be enacted
depending on the frequency and severity of        Serious infractions of school expectations
occurrences.                                      can result in a suspension. A student under
                                                  suspension from school may not enter
Progressive discipline is a whole-school          school property during the term of
approach that utilizes a continuum of             suspension.
interventions, supports, and consequences,
including:                                        A suspended student may not participate in
● prevention measures and initiatives;            or attend any school activity or athletic
● early and ongoing intervention strategies;      event during the time of the suspension.
● strategies to address unacceptable
behaviour.                                        Student support
                                                  Support will be provided to students
Interventions and consequences increase           impacted by inappropriate behaviour and to
when:                                             those students who engage in inappropriate
● the concerning behavior is persistent;          behaviour. This is significant because while
● the concerning behavior escalates;              the student code of conduct must address
● there is a very serious infraction of the       the consequences for inappropriate
code of conduct.                                  behaviour, such as bullying, it also ensures
                                                  that support (not just consequences) is
Interventions and consequences may                provided to those students who engage in
include, but are not limited to, the following:   unacceptable behaviour. Examples of how
● informal conferences;                           support could be provided to students who
● restriction of privileges;                      have engaged in unacceptable behaviour
● parent conferences;                             include mentoring, restorative processes,
● in-school suspensions;                          regular check-ins with teachers or schools’
● risk assessment;                                counsellors, counselling, etc.
● suspension / expulsion (AP 356, AP
356.1);                                           Consideration of student diversity
● student relocation (AP 357);                    The Education Act requires that the student
● Behaviour Support Plan (as part of the          code of conduct address consequences for
Learner Support Plan);                            unacceptable behaviour and that these
● involvement of Instructional Services and       reasonable consequences take into account
supports;
the student’s age, maturity and individual       understand that any medical information
circumstances. The specific circumstances        requested would be collected for the
of the situation and of the student need to      purpose of student safety during field trips,
be taken into account when determining           including student athletic events (which are
appropriate consequences. For example,           generally considered to have an inherent
any diverse needs that the student has –         element of risk of injury despite all safety
whether they are physical, behavioural,          precautions), and, that in the event of a
communicational, mental health, trauma,          medical emergency, the supervising teacher
etc. – must be considered. The age and           or any one of the volunteer chaperones may
maturity of students involved should be          seek medical advice and/or treatment
considered when determining the                  deemed necessary for the health and safety
consequences and support required.               of the student/child and the parent/legal
                                                 guardian shall be financially liable for the
                                                 provision of such medical emergency
             FIELD TRIPS                         services.

The district arranges for students/children      Parents/legal guardians shall agree to
in the district to participate in field trips,   release and hold harmless the Calgary
tours, off-campus activities, athletic events    Catholic School District, the school, and
and/or other excursions (“field trip”) which,    their respective agents, servants and
in the opinion of the district, have definite    employees, from and against any and all
educational, athletic or cultural value.         claims for damages or bodily injuries
                                                 arising out of the student/child’s
The district, through the relevant school,       participation in an authorized field trip. The
will provide parents/legal guardians a Field     district will, however, be responsible for
Trip Consent form which shall include the        any injuries and damages suffered by the
following particulars of any field trip two      student while participating in any such field
weeks, if possible, and at least three school    trip that arises as a result of the negligence
days, at minimum, prior to the intended          of the district.
date of the field trip:
 (a)    destination;                             Parents/legal guardians have the right to
(b)     arranged supervision;                    advise the district, through the relevant
(c)     date(s) and time(s);                     school, in writing, at least two school days
(d)     transportation plans;                    before the commencement of any particular
(e)     associated risks that should be          field trip, that they do not consent to the
highlighted regarding the field trip;            student/child participating in the field trip,
(f)     costs, if any;                           in which event their consent and
(g)     a telephone number through which         authorization will be considered as
additional information on the field trip may     withdrawn for the particular field trip and
be obtained; and,                                the student shall not be allowed to
(h)     parent/legal guardian consent and        participate in such field trip.
waiver form.

It is the parents/legal guardians
responsibility to advise the school of any
medical condition(s) that may affect the
student/child’s participation in the field
trip. Parents/legal guardians need to
Calgary Catholic School District provides
        STUDENT SUPPORT                             academic, social-emotional, behavioural,
            SERVICES                                cultural and faith-based supports to
                                                    teachers and students with a goal to support
Diverse Learning Teacher: This position             student excellence.
supports classroom teachers and students in
Grades K-12 identified by Alberta                   The Instructional Support team includes
Education coding and with unidentified              district consultants, district counsellors,
learning needs. Support is provided in              psychologists, in-home family support
conjunction with the homeroom teacher               workers, intercultural and multicultural
and within the framework of the Alberta             support workers and more.
Education Programs of Study.
                                                    Please speak with your child’s classroom
A key component of this support is the              teacher or school administration if you feel
development and implementation of the               you or your child would benefit from any
Learner Support Plan (LSP), which guides            of these supports.
teachers, parents and the diverse learning
teacher during the year as they deliver the
instructional program. The LSP is                         STUDENT ASSESSMENT
developed annually with parental
involvement and student input and is
intended to be a working document that is
consulted, reviewed and adapted with all            Grade 6 and 9 students write Provincial
stakeholders on an ongoing basis                    Achievement Tests in May and June.
throughout the school year.
                                                    Parents will be informed of their child’s
Administrative Procedure 214 - Special Education    performance in June and in the fall.
www.cssd.ab.ca > About Us > District Governance >
Administrative Procedures
                                                    This is completed through a School Council
                                                    presentation, overall results are posted on
School Resource Team: The School
                                                    our website, and individual student reports
Resource Team (SRT) is a school-based
                                                    are generated and shared with
team consisting of teachers, diverse
                                                    parents/guardians.
learning teachers, and administration who
engage in a collaborative process for
supporting diverse student needs. Through                        SCHOOL FEES
the process, the SRT team may identify
learning needs, brainstorm possible school-
                                                    In accordance with Bill 1 all parents of
based strategies and supports, and/or
                                                    students in the Calgary Catholic School
request additional support from the
                                                    District (CCSD) are expected to pay school
district’s Instructional Services team.
                                                    fees. Fees are collected for several reasons
                                                    and allow your child to participate fully in
At Our Lady of Peace, the school resource
                                                    educational enhancements and activities.
team would include, classroom teachers,
counsellor, diverse learning teachers, and
                                                    School fees can include:
administration.
                                                       1. Activity and field trip fees (core
                                                           subjects): used for special class
District Support Services: The
                                                           activities, presentations, and field
Instructional Services team within the
                                                           trips
2. Programs of choice and CTF fees           library books. Fees may be applied if they
      (junior high and high school only)        are lost or damaged.
   3. Extracurricular fees (junior high and     Administrative Procedure 505 - School Fees
                                                Administrative Procedure 511 - School Generated Funds
      high school only)                         Including Fees
   4. Noon hour fees (elementary and            www.cssd.ab.ca > About Us > District Governance >
      junior high school only)                  Administrative Procedures

   5. Optional fees: used for
      school/program specific
      requirements (such as recorders,                      SCHOOL VISITORS
      yearbooks and gym strip)

The school fees charged per student vary        Any person in a school other than students
from school to school and parents will          and school staff is considered a “visitor.”
receive notice from their school in             This includes volunteers, parents,
September of each school year outlining fee     caregivers, district personnel and the public.
amounts and payment options.                    To ensure a safe learning environment for
                                                our students, Occupational Health and
There must be provisions at each school to      Safety regulations require all visitors to
waive fees for students who cannot pay due      report and sign in at the front office upon
to financial hardship. These provisions must    entering the school.
be communicated clearly and explicitly to
parents and students.The CCSD fee               All volunteers and district personnel are
management and online payment system is         required to wear a tag while in the school,
an easy and secure way to pay school fees       including those who are at the school on a
from the comfort of your home. Payments         regular basis.
can be made by credit or debit card. For
more information or to pay fees online,                         VOLUNTEERS
please visit www.cssd.ab.ca and click the
“Online Fee Payment” icon. Email
feeinquiry@cssd.ab.ca for more                  Volunteers are an important part of our
information.                                    school community. The support of
                                                volunteers is beneficial to students and
Fees can also be paid directly to the school    teachers and enables schools to provide
by cheque or cash.                              opportunities for students that would not be
                                                possible otherwise. We value the time and
In cases of financial hardship, a fee payment   energy you put into supporting our school.
plan may be discussed with the school
principal or designate. Please contact your     The principal of the school has the
school directly.                                responsibility, in consultation with staff,
                                                parents, and the community,
                                                to determine who will volunteer in the
  LOST OR DAMAGED BOOKS                         school and what form each school’s
                                                volunteer program will take.
Students are responsible for returning their    The principal is guided in all decisions,
textbooks and library books. All books          including those related to volunteers, by the
must be returned in good condition.             provincial Education Act as well as district
Students will be held responsible for the       policies, regulations and practices. It is
loss or the misuse of textbooks and/or          expected that all schools will have a
                                                volunteer handbook and will ensure all
volunteers attend an annual orientation
prior to service.                                               LOST AND FOUND
In developing their school specific
Volunteer Handbook, principals will use                Each school has a Lost and Found area
this guideline and attached documents.                 where students and parents may find
                                                       missing items, please contact the office for
Volunteers taking part in overnight field              its location. Students should refrain from
trips and/or volunteer coaching must have a            bringing valuables, collectibles and large
current police security clearance. This must           sums of money to school. The school
be updated every three years.                          cannot be responsible for lost or stolen
                                                       items.
Volunteer orientation meeting dates will be
announced in the Important Dates list                  Sweaters, jackets, book bags, lunch kits, etc.
published each spring.                                 may be claimed from the lost and found box.
                                                       At Christmas, Easter and the end of the year,
There are many ways one can help. A                    any unclaimed items will be given to a
volunteer orientation will be held early in            charitable organization or discarded. We ask
the fall. All volunteers must attend an                that you label all items: runners, gym
annual orientation prior to service.                   clothes, winter boots, lunch kits, binders,
Volunteers must also sign in when doing                jackets, mitts, etc.
service and wear a volunteer nametag.

Administrative Procedure 490 - Volunteers in Schools
www.cssd.ab.ca > About Us > District Governance >               TRANSPORTATION
Administrative Procedures
Volunteer Handbook
www.cssd.ab.ca > Parents > Documents                   Kindergarten to Grade 6: Students must
                                                       reside within the school boundaries and live
                                                       at least 1.8 kilometers from the school to be
          SCHOOL PHONE USE                             eligible for charter busing. District policy
                                                       states that students must have completed a
                                                       transportation application form and have
Should an emergency occur, or an urgent                made arrangements with the school for
need arise, and you wish to contact your               payment before they will be permitted to
child, then please call our office (403) 500-
                                                       ride the bus. Students who reside further
2097 and we will call your child to the                than 1.8 kilometers from their designated
office to speak to you. This way, we are               school must complete a transportation
assured that critical messages do not go
                                                       application form. Kindergarten are not
astray. Should the student have an urgent              required to pay transportation fees.
reason to contact the parent, the teacher and
office staff will be happy to facilitate the           The school does not have the ability to
use of the school telephone. Please note               change routes or create stops. Please
that the school phone is to be used for                contact the school to complete a
urgent matters only and is not to be used to           Transportation Change Request form.
arrange playdates or other extracurricular
activities. These should be arranged at                During unpredictable weather conditions
home between the parents and the students              please consult the My School Bus App.
before or after school times.
Junior High/Senior High Students:                       Peace has student patrols to assist students
Students in the City of Calgary residing 2.4            in crossing immediate school crossings.
kilometers or more from their designated
school are eligible to receive subsidized bus
passes.
                                                                 STUDENT
                                                           RECOGNITION PROGRAM
Student Conduct on Buses/Taxis (includes
charter services and City Transit)                      A comprehensive awards program is in
Students riding the bus/taxi must remember              place recognizing numerous areas of
they are accountable to the driver and                  achievement in junior high.
through him/her to the principal of the                     • Students who are on the Honour Roll
school. Continued violation of any of the                       are acknowledged at the end of term
rules listed in AP 351 may lead to the loss                     one and two. Honour roll standing
of riding privileges, loss of bus pass or,                      indicates (i) an 80% average (overall
suspension from school.                                         not including those courses taught
AP 351                                                          off-campus) and no mark lower than
                                                                70% with all 3’s and 4’s for effort
Please see AP 560 for further details on                        marks or (ii) at least six (6) 4’s for
students residing in the Rocky View School                      work habits with no 2’s or 1’s.
division, programs of choice or alternative                 • Honours with Distinction indicates a
schools, special education students, special                    90% average with and no mark lower
circumstances, and payment in lieu of                           than 75%.
transportation.                                             • Year-end awards are presented in
                                                                June to the top students in
Administrative Procedure 560 - Student Transportation           academics, fine arts, sports, Husky
www.cssd.ab.ca > About Us > District Governance                 Hut volunteers and other leadership
> Administrative Procedures                                     and spirit / citizen categories.

                                                                        LOCKERS
   PARKING: STUDENT DROP
       OFF & PICK UP                                    1. The Calgary Catholic School District,
                                                           through its agent, Our Lady of Peace
To ensure student and staff safety, it is                  school, provides lockers for student use
imperative that parents follow the                         and convenience. The school owns and
directions of the school regarding pick                    controls the lockers. Students are
up/drop off and use of staff parking lot.                  welcome to use the lockers to store
                                                           items. If possible, lockers will be
In the interest of safety, the school parking              assigned to students near their
lot is out of bounds at all times. Parents                 homeroom classroom.
dropping off or picking up students must do             2. The school reserves the right to search a
so in the areas along Millrise Hill or in the              student’s locker when there is
community parking lot. Please do not stop                  reasonable cause to believe that the
or park in the staff parking area or within                locker is improperly used for the
designated bus zones. Your close attention                 storage of any substance or object, the
to the signs will help to ensure that your                 possession of which is illegal, or any
children are safe. Please ensure students are              substance or materials which pose a
using identified crosswalks. Our Lady of                   hazard to the safety and good order of
                                                           the school.
3. In registering for and using a locker, it   each day.
   is agreed and understood that use of the
   locker is at the student’s own risk. The    Concession
   district, its administrators, school        A concession is available for student use.
   administrators, teachers and other          A hot lunch is available each day and a
   employees are not responsible for loss      variety of snacks, milk and juice are
   or theft of any goods or articles stored    available. A concession menu will be
   in the student’s locker.                    advertised at the start of each year.
4. Combination locks may be purchased
   from the school or purchased                Noon Hour Procedures
   independently. All combinations must        All students bringing lunch to school are
   be registered with the office. Any          expected to eat in the gym under the
   locker with an unregistered                 supervision of Administration and Noon
   combination will have its lock cut off.     Hour Supervisors. After eating, students are
5. It is essential that combinations are not   to remain on the school property where they
   shared with anyone. Valuable articles of    are supervised. When the weather is
   clothing, possessions or money should       inclement, students may remain indoors
   not be left in lockers. The school is not   after they eat.
   responsible for items that are lost,
   misplaced or stolen.                        Backpacks
                                               Students may enter and exit the school with
      LITURGIES AND                            their backpacks, gym bags, purses, etc.
 RELIGIOUS CELEBRATIONS                        however they are not permitted to carry
                                               them from class to class. Small nylon gym
                                               strip bags will be permitted for PE classes.
Numerous liturgies and celebrations are
planned throughout the year. These are         Student Illness
prepared and presented by students and         If a student is seriously ill or injured, any
teachers in order to highlight the church’s    necessary first aid will be administered.
liturgical calendar. Families are always       Parents will be called immediately to pick up
welcome to join us in all of our               their son or daughter. No child will be
celebrations. Receiving the sacraments is      permitted to leave the school without having
the responsibility of the family with the      contacted a parent. In a case of emergency,
parish. Teachers support sacramental           the student may be taken directly to the clinic
preparation through classroom instruction.     or hospital. No drugs will be administered by
All communication about the sacraments         the school, not even Aspirin or Tylenol.
will be conducted through the parish. The      Should ambulance service be required,
parish will directly inform you as to dates    parents will be responsible for the cost. In
of meetings, retreats and celebrations.        certain situations, ambulance costs may be
Please contact St. Patrick’s Parish for more   reimbursed by Seaboard Life.
information
                                               School Supplies
                                               Parents are responsible to provide all school
   GENERAL
Office Hours INFORMATION                       supplies. To facilitate this task, teachers
                                               have prepared lists of recommended
The school office is operational from 7:30     supplies. These are posted on the school
AM – 4:00 PM. Telephone calls during           website.
non-school hours are recorded on the
school answering machine and are retrieved
Physical Education and Gym Clothing             assist us in providing a safe, organized and
Physical Education is a compulsory subject      well supervised environment for all our
that all students must participate in unless    students over the lunch hour.
they are excused because of medical reasons
supported by a medical certificate.             Skateboards, Longboards, Rollerblades,
                                                & Scooters
In Junior High, school gym strip is             Skateboards, longboards, rollerblades and
encouraged and sold by the school.              scooters will be treated in the same fashion
Students must wear non-marking rubber-          as bicycles: once on school property, they
soled shoes in the gym.                         are not to be used. Lockers do not provide
                                                adequate space for storage of these items.
Immunization – Booster Shots
The policy of the Public Health Board is that   Safety Patrols/Student Safety
a Grade 9 student must sign his/her consent     Our Lady of Peace Patrols have a very
form before being immunized. The Health         important role in providing safe crossing for
Nurse will immunize only those students         our students. Members of the patrol team are
whose authorization forms have been signed      grade five and six students who are given an
by both parents and themselves.                 opportunity to develop and practice
                                                leadership skills. They strive to model safe
Hepatitis B immunizations are also available    and courteous traffic safety behaviour in
to Grade 5 students. Parental permission is     order to provide students a safe passage to
required.                                       and from school. All students are expected
                                                to obey the rules of the patrol team. Parents
Student Record Changes                          are the best role models for their children.
Please notify the school if you have a          Please ensure you practice safe and correct
change of address or phone number at any        pedestrian procedures and DO NOT jaywalk
time during the year. It is vital that school   on Millrise Hill SW when dropping off or
staff can reach parents or guardians in the     picking up your children. As adults we set
event of an emergency. Therefore, if you        the example.
change your address, home or work phone
numbers, the names or numbers of                School Website
emergency contacts, or any other important      Our school website includes information
information, please forward to the school so    from our Handbook and Agendas, the year’s
that records can be kept up to date             calendar of events, and more information as
                                                it relates to Our Lady of Peace. The website
Indoor Shoes                                    address is:
To keep our school clean and inviting, all      https://www.cssd.ab.ca/schools/olp
students must have one pair of shoes for
indoor use only. Students must have non-        School Supplies
marking running shoes for physical              All students at Our Lady of Peace School
education classes.                              are expected to attend class ready to learn.
                                                This requires students to have the necessary
Noon Hour Supervision Fee                       school supplies. For those students who
ALL parents of Elementary and Junior High       were unable to take advantage of the school
children are requested to pay a Noon Hour       supply pre-order program, a grade-specific
Supervision Fee set by Administration and       school supply list may be picked up from the
School Council each year. This fee covers       school office or can be found on the school
the salary of several noon hour supervisors     website.
for two hours each day. These employees
Learning Commons
The school has an extensive learning
commons area to support literacy and
learning. Students may borrow books for a
two-week loan period. Elementary students
will have scheduled time in the Learning
Commons.

Technology
Our Lady of Peace School is equipped with
multiple portable technology carts including
laptops, and chrome books. All classrooms
are equipped with Smart Boards, and LCD
projectors.

Internet access is also available, and all
students and volunteers must sign and abide
by the conditions outlined in the school
district’s Internet User Form before
accessing this resource.

Misuse of the internet will result in serious
consequence in line with our progressive
discipline plan.

Guidance Counselor
Our Lady of Peace has a counsellor
available for students K- 9. The objectives
of the counselling program are to promote
self-awareness, to encourage effective
problem-solving practices, foster healthy
relationship strategies and to develop
decision making strategies which in turn
foster student success.
Student / Parent Acknowledgement

Parents,

As parents, you are an important part of Our Lady of Peace School. Because you are vested in
your child’s education, we want you to have all the necessary information to help ensure successful
school years. The importance placed on school and learning by parents is reflected in the
student’s performance and behaviour at school.

Please review the handbook with your child. It is an important reference during this school year.
Please note that this handbook is adopted with age appropriateness in mind. If a portion of this
handbook does not apply to your child, please look it over so that you have insight as to what is in
the educational future for you and your child.

Understanding the policies, programs and procedures that are outlined is crucial for open
communication, active cooperation and positive learning. We appreciate your involvement and
interest.

Once you and your son/daughter have read this School Handbook carefully, please sign the form
below and have your child return this page in to their homeroom teacher to indicate that you
and your child have read, and are familiar with the policies, program and procedures as outlined
in this handbook.

 We have read and are familiar with the policies, procedures and programs outlined in the
                         Our Lady of Peace school handbook.

Parent’s name:

Student’s signature:

Homeroom:

Date:
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