op-6001 – safe arrival procedure

TRILLIUM LAKELANDS DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE Approval Date

2013 Replacing

All previous procedures Review Date

2018 of 8

Contact Person/Department Superintendent of Elementary School Improvement and

Operations

Identification OP – 6001

SAFE ARRIVAL 1.0 PURPOSE Trillium Lakelands District School Board believes that elementary school safe arrival programs enhance a safe and supportive learning environment by ensuring a mechanism that schools and parents can use to account for any student’s unexplained failure to arrive at school. Each school’s safe arrival program reflects the local needs and particular circumstances of the school and its community. 2.0 REFERENCES/ RELATED DOCUMENTS

2.1 Education Act, Section 265 2.2 Ministry of Education Policy/Program Memorandum No. 123 2.3 Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act 2.4 TLDSB Volunteer Helpers in the School Policy/Procedure ES-5000/5001 2.5 TLDSB Transportation Policy/Procedure BU-3025/3026

3.0 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

3.1 Safe Arrival – a system of procedures for elementary schools which

are performed together with daily school attendance-taking and parent communication to account for any student’s unexplained failure to arrive at school.

4.0 PROCEDURE

4.1 Development of Safe Arrival Program

4.1.1 In designing its safe arrival program, a school community should take into account, the unique circumstances of the school such as:

SAFE ARRIVAL 2 OP - 6001


(a) the number of staff available; (b) the size of the student body; (c) the geographic conditions in the vicinity of the school; (d) the kind of transportation used by students to travel to school; (e) twinned or annexed facilities; and (f) the number of parents/guardians who commute to work out of

the area.

4.1.2 School Safe Arrival Programs are to be developed and implemented by: (a) school staff; (b) school councils; (c) parents/guardians; (d) community members; (e) Band councils; (f) volunteers.

4.2 RESPONSIBILITIES

Parents/guardians, students, the school staff, school councils, and volunteers play distinct roles in the implementation of a safe arrival program. The overall effectiveness and efficiency of the program depends on the way in which each group works co-operatively to fulfill its responsibilities.

4.2.1 Parents/guardians are responsible for:

(a) their children’s safety until they arrive at school during the

supervised hours, are picked up by the school bus and/or once they have left school, or are dropped off at the bus stop;

(b) reinforcing with their child(ren) that it is a family responsibility for the child(ren) to report on time to school or to the school bus stop;

(c) submitting written notification of participation/non-participation in the school’s safe arrival program;

(d) reading and responding promptly to information sent from the school about the program;

(e) communicating all planned student absences or lateness to the school in a timely manner prior to the start of the school day;

(f) providing the school with up-to-date emergency contact

information throughout the school year;

(g) ensuring that the emergency contacts are aware that they are emergency contacts and their responsibility as an emergency contact;



(h) receiving telephone calls to confirm student safety;

(i) responding promptly to messages left regarding student safety;

(j) notifying the school that their child will not be in attendance on

inclement weather days if the child walks to school. Safe arrival calls will not be made for bussed students on inclement weather days because it is assumed that all bussed students will be at home unless parents/guardians choose to drive their child(ren) to school.

4.2.2 Emergency Contacts are responsible for:

(a) performing the responsibilities of the parents/guardians until the parents/guardians can be contacted.

4.2.3 Students are responsible for:

(a) attending school and arriving on time for morning and afternoon classes; (b) following school procedures with respect to attendance; (c) reporting promptly to the designated location when arriving

late to school; (d) delivering promptly, all written communication between

school and home, home and school.

4.2.4 The Principal in conjunction with school staff is responsible for:

(a) developing and implementing a safe arrival program with

advice from school staff, school councils, parents/guardians, volunteers and community members, Band Councils if applicable;

(b) conducting the safe arrival program in conjunction with

procedures for the accurate daily attendance-taking of all students;

(c) communicating clearly and effectively the scope, frequency,

and features of the safe arrival program; (d) ensuring that training is arranged for school staff, parents

and community volunteers involved in delivering the program;

(e) providing an appropriate working area and the necessary

equipment when volunteers are delivering the program;



(f) ensuring that forms developed for the program are user-friendly and include a return deadline (App. B and C);

(g) assuming responsibility for the specified steps to be taken

when a child’s safety cannot reasonably be confirmed through the safe arrival emergency contacts. When direct follow-up contact cannot reasonably be made, immediate notification must be made to the school principal who will then determine appropriate action. This may involve contacting the police;

(h) protecting the privacy of confidential information;

(i) ensuring that volunteers have signed “Confidentiality Form

For Volunteers” App. 5.2 of Volunteer Helpers in the School ES-5001;

(j) supporting the efforts of volunteers when they are involved in

delivering the program; (k) reviewing the program annually to confirm its effectiveness; (l) informing parents that on inclement weather days when

buses are cancelled, the safe arrival program will be in effect for walking students only (schools may choose to use the newsletter flyer Appendix A);

(m) maintaining a log of outgoing calls to notify emergency

contacts about unexplained student absences; and actions taken by school staff in accordance with the provisions of the safe arrival program;

(n) maintaining a record of all “opting out” forms.

4.2.5 The school council may be responsible for:

(a) acting as a partner in the development and implementation

of the program;

(b) publicizing and supporting safe arrival as a school/community program designed to assist parents/guardians;

(c) assisting in the annual review of the program;

4.2.6 If used, volunteers are responsible for:

(a) signing the Volunteer Agreement (TLDSB Volunteer Helpers

in the School Policy/Procedure ES 5000/5001);



(b) making a commitment to the program for a specific length of time and then fulfilling the commitment as agreed;

(c) finding a trained replacement as soon as possible and

informing the school if unable to fulfill their commitment; (d) taking part in the training provided as part of the school’s

safe arrival program; (e) maintaining confidentiality with respect to privileged

information; (f) keeping accurate records as required; (g) referring immediately to the school administration, any

problem encountered; (h) discussing suggestions or concerns about the safe arrival

program with the school principal.

5.0 APPENDICES

5.1 Appendix A – Standard Newsletter Wording 5.2 Appendix B – Parent Agreement without opt out option 5.3 Appendix C – Parent Agreement with opt out option

SAFE ARRIVAL OP-6001 APPENDIX A

To be used as standard newsletter wording during winter months:

SCHOOL WEBSITE Our school has a safe arrival program. This helps us to account for any student’s unexplained failure to arrive at school. Parents / guardians are responsible for notifying the school that their child will not be in attendance. Safe Arrival procedure – [Describe school procedure]. Inclement Weather – Parents/guardians are responsible for notifying the school that their child will not be in attendance on inclement weather days if the child walks to school. Safe arrival calls will not be made for bussed students on inclement weather days because it is assumed that all bussed students will be at home unless parents/guardians choose to drive their child to school. SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook – Our school has a safe arrival program. We ask all families to participate in this program to ensure a safe and supportive learning environment. Please see our website [website name] for more information. Twitter – Our school has a safe arrival program. Call the school if your child is going to be absent ###‐###‐#### link‐to‐web

Safe Arrival Procedure During Inclement Weather

Parents/guardians are responsible for notifying the school that their child will not be in attendance on inclement weather days if the child walks to school. Safe arrival calls will not be made for bussed students on inclement weather days because it is assumed that all bussed students will be at home unless parents/guardians choose to drive their child(ren) to school.

SAFE ARRIVAL OP-6001 APPENDIX B

Parent Agreement without opt out option:

SAFE ARRIVAL OP-6001 APPENDIX C

Parent Agreement with opt out option

op-6001 – safe arrival procedure

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