Vision Statement

Holy Family Elementary, learning progressively to empower all students to

achieve in an inclusive and active environment.

Mission Statement

By 2016, the Holy Family Elementary school community will maximize student learning and

achievement by progressively engaging the 21st century learner through inclusive and

collaborative practices.

Welcome to the 2015-16 school year at Holy Family Elementary. We hope that everyone had a great summer! A special welcome to those of you who have children attending our school for the first time; it will be a very exciting year for both you and your child. We also welcome the Octagon Pond Area School kindergarten and grade one students, staff and their parents as they reside at Holy Family for this school year.

The education of children is a cooperative effort between the home and the school. As an integral part of Holy Family Elementary, you are encouraged to visit the school, attend meetings of parents and teachers and become involved in as many activities as possible. We look forward to working with you throughout the year in building a healthy learning community in which the educational needs of each individual child will be best met. Welcome back.

Throughout the year, please be sure to maintain open communication with your child’s teacher and the administration at the school. Newsletters will be sent out toward the end of each month explaining the exciting things that have happened in our school, as well as important information pertaining to the month ahead. Please take the time to read this newsletter as it addresses many issues directly affecting you and your child. These newsletters will be sent to you via email, posted on our website: www.hfsparadise.com or you may request a printed copy from the office.We hope that you find the following information useful as you plan your school routines. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to drop by, email, or call the school. Follow us on twitter @holyfamilyscho2.

Curriculum Night

Our annual Curriculum Night will be held on Thursday, September 24th at 7:00 p.m. Please reserve this date to come and meet the staff and hear your child’s teacher discuss the curriculum, classroom procedures and grade level expectations. The specialist teachers will also be available to answer any curriculum related questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you there! Parents are asked to please go directly to your child’s classroom.

CafeteriaOur new cafeteria is constructed and it looks bright and beautiful! New tables have been purchased and the students will begin eating their lunch there immediately. For the first few weeks all students are required to bring a lunch from home. The School Lunch Program will begin Monday, September 28 th. More information will follow shortly as to how this process will work. We look forward to having this service at our school. A reminder that we no longer have any recess ordering due to our partnership with the School Lunch Program.

Staff members for the 2015-16 School YearKindergarten: Ms. Kim Pottle kimberlypottle@nlesd.ca

Ms. Kelly Smith kellysmith1@nlesd.caMme Maria Penney mariapenney@nlesd.ca

Grade One: Ms. Trudy Burden trudyburden@nlesd.caMr. Andrew Greeley andrewgreeley@nlesd.caMs. Margaret McDonald margaretmcdonald@nlesd.caMme Katrina Moores katrinamoores@nlesd.ca

Grade Two: Ms. Valerie Green valeriegreen@nlesd.caMs. Tamara Reynolds tamarareynolds@nlesd.caMme Frances Cole francescole@nlesd.ca

Grade Three Ms. Tracey Forsey traceyforsey@nlesd.caMs. Louise Gullage louisegullage@nlesd.caMme Janna Sweetapple jannasweetapple@nlesd.caMme Michele Bell michelebell@nlesd.ca

*Mme Bell is replacing Mme Sweetapple until February 2016

Grade Four Ms. Jean Conway jeanconway@nlesd.caMs. Trish Hollett patriciahollett@nlesd.caMme. Virginia Fudge virginiafudge@nlesd.ca

Grade Five Ms. Rena Hutchings renahutchings@nlesd.caMr. Clarence Callahan clarencecallahan@nlesd.caMr. Peter Constantine peterconstantine@nlesd.ca

Grade Six Ms. Erin Hanlon erinhanlon@nlesd.ca

Ms. Colette Phelan colettephelan@nlesd.caMme Sadie Gambin sadiegambin@nlesd.ca

LRC (Learning Resource Teacher) Ms. Tina Costello tinacostello@nlesd.ca

IRT (Instructional Resource Teachers) Ms. Jeanette Baker jeanettebaker@nlesd.caMs. Krista Holden kristaholden@nlesd.caMs. Amanda-Rae Ross amandaraeross@nlesd.caMs. April Hardy aprilhardy@nlesd.caMs. Chrissie Careen christinecareen@nlesd.caMs. Rita McCarthy ritamccarthy@nlesd.caMs. Deborah Beaton-Miles deborabeatonmiles@nlesd.ca

*Ms. McCarthy is replacing Ms. Careen until April 2016

Music: Ms. Rose Suter rosesuter@nlesd.caMr. Aubrey Grandy aubreygrandy@nlesd.ca

Physical Education Ms. Carmel Roule carmelroule@nlesd.ca

Guidance Ms. Jennifer Grandy jennifergrandy@nlesd.ca

Student Assistants: Ms. Terry Lynn ClarkMs. Marie FarrellMs. Genny SpearingMs. Carol Ann LovelessMs. Natasha Lucas

Secretaries Ms. Loretta O’Brien lorettaobrien@nlesd.caMs. Victoria Elliott victoriaelliott@nlesd.ca

Maintenance Mr. Keith MillerMr. Perry CahillMs. Elizabeth Coughlan

Assistant Principal Ms. Lynette Ivany lynetteivany@nlesd.caPrincipal Nancy Elkins nancyelkins@nlesd.ca

Student Information FormsYou are asked to complete your child’s Student Information Form this week. Please complete and return it to your child’s teacher as soon as possible. We realize that you are asked to do this each year, but it is important that school records and student information are updated annually. This form is extremely important in case of emergencies. The data is also used for Synrevoice, our automated calling system, which is used for unscheduled school closures. Please ensure that telephone numbers provided for Synrevoice are direct lines. Additional contact numbers may be written on the form as well.

Parking Lot ONE WAY traffic between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday-

Friday. Traffic will enter from Ridgewood Drive and exit onto St.Thomas Line. Entering the church or school parking lot from St.Thomas Line is not permitted. The only exception will be our school buses and marked Day Care Buses.

STOP, DROP and GO. Parents / Guardians will be able to stop at the sidewalk in front of the school to drop off their children in the morning. Parking along there will not be permitted. Please respect the traffic flow and keep moving.

Staff Parking will be in the upper parking lot. Parking for parents is available in the lower parking lot by the church.

Buses only. This area is on the side of the school. There is room for our buses and Day Care Providers to pull in and a sidewalk to allow students to safely exit the bus and walk to the front door. For safety issues, this area is reserved for buses only.

When entering the parking lot from Ridgewood Drive, please do not park on any side of the entry.

Dismissal Practices and Building Security Beginning the first day of school, all parents/guardians will be required to wait for their child outside of the school during dismissal time. This practice will be implemented in order to enhance our security, thus improving safety for all of our students and staff. We appreciate your team work in helping improve our practices. District policy requires us to maintain security by having access through the main door which will remain locked. Access will be accommodated via an intercom system. Please check in at the office before proceeding to another area of the school.

AllergiesThere are students in the school who have severe allergies to one or more of the following foods: peanut products, shellfish, fish, nuts, sesame seeds, and eggs. This includes food which “may contain traces of nuts”. We ask for your co-operation in not sending these products to the school. Due to the severity of these food allergies, we will not be accepting any “treats” to be passed out to students at any time throughout the school year. As a reminder, no pets are permitted inside the school building. We also have a “Scent Aware Environment” at our school. Children and parents are asked not to wear scented products to school. Scents from perfumes and other personal care items can trigger allergies and asthma attacks in some people. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.

Computer Acceptable Use Policy – Digital CitizensComputer/technology access has grown rapidly.  With this growth comes a need to make students aware that there are many advantages of technological use and using the Internet as a tool, but that there are also situations whereby students may inadvertently access material that is not suitable.  We will continue to educate our children in becoming digital citizens. With this in mind, the school district has a standard Network Use Policy.  It may be found on the Newfoundland Labrador English School District’s website at www.nlesd.ca, under the section District Policies, Eastern School Board Policy Archive (policy E-EHAA).  A separate form will be sent home for your signature. We ask that you return the signed form to your child’s teacher.  If you would like a paper copy of the policy please contact the school.

School CouncilAs outlined in the handbook for School Councils from the Department of Education,“A School Council is established for the purpose of enhancing the quality of school programs and improving the levels of student achievement in the school. It meets once a month to receive and disseminate information, and to review policy on school issues. The School Council is responsible for working with parents, teachers, students and the community to review the direction of the school, identify education priorities, recommend strategies for achieving goals, and assess and report progress. It is a formal mechanism whereby parents, students, school staff and concerned community representatives can pool their knowledge, talents and resources in order to improve the teaching and learning at the school level.”Holy Family Elementary School has an active School Council that consists of elected and appointed representatives from the school community. There are 9 members – 3 teacher representatives from among our teachers, 3 parent/guardian representatives, and community representatives appointed by elected council members. The principal is an ex-officio member. This year we will have 2 parent vacancies which will need to be filled for our council. Meetings will take place on Thursday evenings beginning at 5:30 PM and ending at 7:00 PM. The following dates are scheduled for School Council meetings: October 29, November 26, December 17, January 28, February 25, April 28, and May 26. More information will follow within the next two weeks. Please consider offering yourself as a candidate for the next Holy Family Elementary School Council.

Bus Policy for K-6 StudentsDuring the 2008-2009 school year, the Eastern School District carefully put together a bus policy as it relates to K-6 students. These guidelines were developed following extensive consultation with stakeholders involved in the transportation of young children. It is hoped that these guidelines will improve upon existing policy and procedures to help ensure the safety of young children travelling to and from school. It is important to note that in order for a child to avail of bussing; their place of residence must be located 1.6 km or more away from the school.

Options for student bus stop:

1. Students can avail of one bus stop on their assigned bus route.2. In extenuating circumstances, students can avail of a second stop on

assigned bus route if it is on a continuous/regular basis. (i.e. switch in Kindergarten cycle from mornings to afternoons, parent works away for an extended period of time, dual families)

3. Students can avail of one stop on a different bus if space allows and if it is on a continuous/ regular basis.

Please note: Daily/weekly requests for changes to bus stop will not be permitted due to safety concerns.

Guidelines for Parents/Guardians:

Parents must communicate in writing to the school’s administration their preferred option for bus drop-off if different from assigned bus. Parents are also requested to abide by the established procedures as it relates to choice of student bus stop options.

Parents must ensure that Kindergarten children are met by a responsible adult at the designated bus stop or provide written notification if Kindergarten student is to be escorted from the bus stop by an older sibling. Any Kindergarten child not met by a caregiver at the bus stop will remain on the bus and will be returned to the school at the end of the bus run to await the arrival of a caregiver.

Parents should immediately inform the bus driver if a child does not get off at the designated stop, and then should proceed immediately to the school.

Parents are encouraged to have their Kindergarten child avail of bus service immediately to ensure final stops and routes can be confirmed in a timely manner. As a reminder, Kindergarten bus routes begin on Wednesday, September 16th.

School Closeout Days for Professional Development PurposesThroughout the school year parents will note that our school is closed for Teacher Professional Development/Workshops. In the previous teacher contract, the Provincial Government negotiated an extension to the length of the school year. The result is that school now dismisses for the summer break one week later. The three extra days added were designed for teacher professional development. These days, in addition to the two days already designated for this purpose, allow for a total of five days when school may be closed to allow staff to receive training, without negatively impacting the total amount of instruction our students receive.During this year our “Close-out Days” may take the form of a full day or part day school-wide closeout when all students remain home. An alternative may be to identify one grade level for school closeout. The general rule is that for any given

student the total amount of time that they would be expected to stay home because of teacher in-service is five days. As soon as our PD days have been scheduled, you will be notified so that alternate arrangements can be made for your child(ren). We will attempt to do this as soon as possible, so that ample time is given for you to make alternate plans.Our first two scheduled school closures for Professional Development will take place on Friday, October 9th and Tuesday, October 20th.

School PhotosSchool photos by Life Touch are scheduled for Thursday, October 1st. More information will be sent home as it becomes available.

RecyclingIn cooperation with Evergreen, a local recycling company, we are continuing with our school-recycling program. Students will be given 4 tickets for a garbage bag full of recyclables and two tickets per small bag. These tickets will be entered into a draw for a prize at each grade level. Please remember that all bottles must have the caps off and no straws are to be left in the containers. The Recycling Blitz Schedule is as follows:

Primary Dates Elementary DatesSeptember Thursday 17th October Thursday 15th

November Thursday 19th December Thursday 17th

January Thursday 14th February Thursday 18th

March Thursday 17th April Thursday 14th

May Thursday 19th June Thursday 16th

The next 2 sheets summarize important dates that will hopefully help you plan for this school year. Attached to the newsletter you'll find 5 sheets that need to be completed and returned to your child's teacher.

Healthy Living Walks Permission Slip

Acceptable Use of Information and Communications Technology

Media Consent Form

School Medical Plan (Please complete for your child. If no medical concern exists, please put none across the sheet and sign)

Student Information Plan

Important Dates to Remember:Thursday, September 17 Primary RecyclingThursday, September 24, 2015 Curriculum NightMonday, September 28, 2015 School Lunch Program beginsThursday – October 1, 2015 School PhotosFriday, October 2, 2015 Terry Fox WalkThursday, October 8, 2015 Thanksgiving Day Assembly - Gr.

3 @ 11:00 A.MFriday, October 9, 2015 Teacher professional Development Day No school for studentsMonday, October 12, 2015 Thanksgiving Day

(No school for students) Thursday, October 15, 2015 Elementary RecyclingTuesday, October 20, 2015 Teacher professional Development Day (no school for students)Friday, November 6, 2015 Remembrance Day Assembly -

Gr. 5 @ 11:00 A.MWednesday, November 11, 2015 Remembrance Day

(No school for students)Thursday, November 19, 2015 Primary RecyclingTuesday, December 1, 2015 Term One Reports ReleasedThursday, December 3, 2015 School closes half day for Parent

Teacher Conferences (Gr. 1-6). No school for Kindergarten

Thursday, December 10, 2015 Gr. 2 Christmas Concert @ 7:00Wednesday, December 16, 2015 Lunch time Band ConcertThursday, December 17, 2015 Elementary RecyclingWednesday, December 22, 2015 Last Day of school prior to

Christmas Monday, January 4, 2016 School ReopensThursday, January 14, 2015 Primary RecyclingThursday, January 14, 2016 KinderStart Meeting for parents

(for children born in the year 2011)Friday, January 29, 2016 KinderStart Session #1Friday, February 12, 2016 Friendship Assembly - Gr. 1

@ 11:00 A.MFriday, February 19, 2016 KinderStart Session # 2Friday, March 11, 2016 KinderStart Session # 3Tuesday, March 15, 2016 Term 2 Report Cards ReleasedThursday, March 17, 2016 School closes half day for Parent Teacher Conferences (Gr.1-6)

No School for KindergartenThursday, March 17, 2016 Primary RecyclingThursday, March 24, 2016 Last Day of School before EasterMonday, April 4, 2016 School ReopensThursday, April 14, 2016 Elementary RecyclingFriday, April 15, 2016 KinderStart Session # 4Thursday, April 21, 2016 Spring Concert - Gr. 4 @ 7:00 PM

Thursday, May 19, 2016 Primary RecyclingMonday, May 23, 2016 Victoria Day - no schoolFriday, May 27, 2016 KinderStart Session # 5Tuesday, May 31, 2016 Band Concert @ 7:00 PMFriday, June 3, 2016 Kindergarten Celebrations @

11:00 AMTuesday, June 14, 2016 Grade 6 Leaving CelebrationThursday, June 16, 2016 Elementary RecyclingThursday, June 23, 2016 Last day of School for Students

Reminders of these dates will be repeated on subsequent newsletters, as well as any additional dates to note. All other newsletters will be sent out electronically at the end of each month, unless a hard copy is specifically requested at the office.