S - Stay Safe

O - Take Ownership

A - Always Achieve

R - Respect Yourself,

Others and Your Environment

PETITE RIVIERE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Parent Information

2015-2016

“Joy – you can create it, you can make it grow!”

This information has been prepared to give a brief description of some of the operating routines of Petite Riviere Elementary School. If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Telephone Number: 688-3200 Fax Number: 688-3201 E-mail: pres@ssrsb.ca

Where We SOAR Like Osprey

Table of Contents

Vision Statement ...................................................................................................................... 1

Belief Statements ..................................................................................................................... 1

Staff 2015-2016 ......................................................................................................................... 2

Student Support ....................................................................................................................... 2

School Calendar 2015-2016 ..................................................................................................... 3

School Hours ............................................................................................................................ 4

Embedded Collaborative Learning Time ................................................................................ 4

Early Dismissal/Embedded Collaborative Learning Time Schedule .................................... 5

Registration Forms ................................................................................................................... 6

Children Leaving During the School Day ............................................................................... 6

Arriving Late At School ............................................................................................................ 6

Absences ................................................................................................................................... 6

Illness/Accidents While At School .......................................................................................... 6

Medications at School .............................................................................................................. 6

School Safety ............................................................................................................................ 6

Recess and Noon ..................................................................................................................... 7

Buses ......................................................................................................................................... 7

Bus Behaviour Expectations 2015-2016 ................................................................................. 7

Unscheduled Bus Stops/Bus Changes ................................................................................... 8

School Cancellation/Early School Dismissal ......................................................................... 9

Term and Report Card Dates for 2015-2016 ........................................................................... 9

Five Day Cycle .......................................................................................................................... 9

Hot Lunch Program .................................................................................................................. 9

Milk........................................................................................................................................... 10

Breakfast Program ................................................................................................................. 10

Weekly E-Newsletter.............................................................................................................. 10

Agendas, Communication Folders and E-mail .................................................................... 10

Lunch and Recycling.............................................................................................................. 10

Home & School Association .................................................................................................. 11

School Advisory Council (SAC) ............................................................................................ 11

Appendix ................................................................................................................................. 12

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Vision Statement

Petite Riviere is a creative school which respects the individual and nurtures intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth in a challenging and safe environment.

Belief Statements

Our students:

• feel safe, secure and valued

• become responsible, active participants in their own learning

• respect self and others Our learning:

• is purposeful, relevant and challenging

• expands through cooperation

• is a developmental process Our teaching:

• is understanding, planning and acting to meet the needs of individuals

• fosters creativity, enthusiasm for learning and respect for others

• is an integrated effort Our school:

• provides a quality environment for learning

• works in partnership with family and community

• is committed to the world community

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Staff 2015-2016

Noon Supervisor Dawn Teal

Custodian Sherry Ingles

Speech Language Pathologist Charlotte Griffiths

PATHS Coach Karen Seamone

Guidance Counsellor Kristy Boutilier

Teacher Assistant Margo Tulk

Resource Teacher Kristy Boutilier

Resource Teacher Nancy MacIntosh

Physical Education Teacher Adam Hallett

French Teacher Gwen Rowe

Music Teacher Gwen Rowe

Grade 5/6 Homeroom & Gr. 5/6 Music Teacher Nick Jeffrey

Grade 3/4 Homeroom Nina Matthews

Grade 1/2 Homeroom Teacher Holly Gregorash

Grade Primary/1 Homeroom Teacher Valerie DeLong

Administrative Assistant Mary-lin Tinney

Principal Leslie Jones

Student Support

South Shore Regional School Board provides a variety of support personnel that assist the school in evaluation, remediation, and consultation. They include:

• Speech-Language Pathologist – assists students in developing age-appropriate articulation and language development;

• Occupational Therapist – assists students in the development of appropriate fine motor and self-help skills;

• Physical Therapist – assists students in the development of gross motor skills and mobility;

• School Psychologist – assists in the evaluation and identification of students having problems in learning and behaviour.

• Special Education Consultant – assists in program planning with special education teachers.

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School Calendar 2015-2016

Tuesday, September 1, 2015 Orientation day (first day for teachers)

Wednesday, September 2, 2015 School Based In-service Day

Thursday, September 3, 2015 First day for Students

Thursday, September 3, 2015 Term One Begins

Monday, September 7, 2015 Labour Day Holiday

Friday, September 25, 2015 Regional In-service Day

Monday, October 12, 2015 Thanksgiving Day Holiday

Friday, October 23, 2015 NSTU Provincial Conference Day

Wednesday, October 28, 2015 Regional Parent/Teacher Day

Wednesday, November 11, 2015 Remembrance Day Holiday

Sunday, November 15, 2015 Term One Ends

Monday, November 16, 2015 Term Two Begins

Friday, November 27, 2015 Regional In-service Day

Friday, December 18, 2015 Last day before Holiday Break

Monday, January 4, 2016 Return to school following Holiday Break

Monday, February 15, 2016 Heritage Day Holiday

Friday, March 11, 2016 Last day before March Break

Monday, March 21, 2016 Return to school following March Break

Friday, March 25, 2016 Good Friday Holiday

Monday, March 28, 2016 Easter Monday Holiday

Sunday, April 3, 2016 Term Two Ends

Monday, April 4, 2016 Term Three Begins

Friday, April 29, 2016 School Based In-service Day

Monday, May 23, 2016 Victoria Day Holiday

June 24, 27 & 28, 2016 Marking Days

Wednesday, June 29, 2016 Term Three Ends/Report Cards Go Home

Wednesday, June 29, 2016 Last day of school

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School Hours

*7:50 – 8:00 Announcements/O’ Canada

8:00 – 10:00 Classes in session

10:00 – 10:15 Recess (outside playtime)

10:15 – 11:45 Classes in session

11:45 – 12:15 Playtime outside

12:15 – 12:30 Lunch

12:30 – 2:00 Classes in session

1:50 Dismissal (Board Buses)

Embedded Collaborative Learning Time

During the past three years, our schools have adopted the Embedded Collaborative Learning Time model to enhance professional learning for teachers. There is overwhelming evidence that student learning and student engagement increase when teachers have opportunities to work together as Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). This year’s evaluation of the collaborative learning teams from all schools indicates that teachers are engaged in valuable learning and are adjusting their teaching practices to improve student engagement and achievement. Teacher Survey results are available at http://www.ssrsb.ca/family-information/. What will “embedded collaborative learning time” look like?

• To support the early dismissal dates, instructional time will be extended by an average of seven to 10 minutes each day for the entire school year.

• On designated days of the school year, the school day will be reduced by 90 instructional minutes for staff to collaborate and engage in professional learning.

• The added daily instructional time exceeds the time given to the 14 ninety-minute early dismissals spread over the school year on various afternoons (schedule below).

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) has been a leader in working with the following partners to review research and develop a framework for moving forward with collaborative learning time:

• Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU)

• Nova Scotia School Boards Association (NSSBA)

• University Schools of Education

• Nova Scotia Educational Leadership Consortium (NSELC)

• Association of Nova Scotia Educational Administrators (ANSEA) Benefits to students and their families include:

• Decrease in the number of times teachers will be away from their students for professional development

• Enhanced examination of student work so supports are in place sooner

• Continued support for inquiry-based learning and student engagement

• Increased student achievement in all areas, including math and literacy

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• Improved assessment practices

• Issues, such as cyber bullying and the development of social emotional competencies of students, are more effectively addressed

• A classroom environment that allows students to work from their preferred learning styles and talents

Evidence-based Nova Scotia documents that support this direction include:

• Report and Recommendations of the Education Professional Development Committee (EPDC) – 2009

• Department of Education Response to the above Report – 2009

• Report of the Professional Learning Communities Study Committee – 2011

• Steps to Effective and Sustainable Public Education in NS – 2011

• Kids & Learning First – 2012 Principals and Regional staff consulted with school staffs and their SACs and developed a modified schedule that will occur in all SSRSB schools during the 2015-2016 school year.

• The instructional time has been lengthened by an average of 10 minutes, through extending and/or reorganizing the school day. Daily instruction in Nova Scotia must be at least 240 minutes per day, including recess, for students in grades primary to 2; 300 in grades 3 to 6, including recess; and 300 in grades 7 to 12, not including recess. All P-12 schools have exceeded the minimum of 300 instructional minutes per day by an average of 10 minutes.

• On designated days throughout the school year (schedule below), students will be dismissed early. Staff will remain at school for collaborative learning time after the students leave. This structured time will be used to examine student achievement data and to plan for specific strategies to improve student learning and student engagement.

We appreciate your support as we continue to find creative ways to encourage professional learning for our teachers and to improve on student achievement and engagement. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the principal.

Early Dismissal/Embedded Collaborative Learning Time Schedule

2015-2016 School Year

The schedule for early dismissals for embedded collaborative learning time for the 2015-2016 school year is as follows:

School Start Times Dismissal Time for CLT Days

PRES 7:55 12:24

1. Wednesday, September 30 2. Wednesday, October 21 3. Wednesday, November 4 4. Wednesday, November 18 5. Wednesday, December 2 6. Wednesday, January 13 7. Wednesday, February 3

8. Wednesday, February 24 9. Wednesday, March 9 10. Wednesday, March 30 11. Wednesday, April 13 12. Wednesday, May 4 13. Wednesday, May 18 14. Wednesday, June 1

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Registration Forms All students will receive a registration form. Please update the information on the form, sign/date and return it to the school. If the information on the form changes during the year, please notify our administrative assistant. Thank you.

Children Leaving During the School Day

Parents who are picking their children up during the day are asked to:

1. If possible, send a note to inform the teacher. 2. Sign out your child at the school office.

Arriving Late and/or Leaving School Early

On the occasions that parents bring their children to school after classes begin or take them before classes end, they are asked to “sign-in/sign-out” their children in the office binder.

Absences Regular attendance at school is necessary. A written excuse is required for all absences. Ms. Tinney will contact parents of students who are absent. We make this extra effort to contact parents as a safety measure.

Illness/Accidents While At School

If a child becomes ill during the day, parents are contacted and asked to take the child home. If a child is injured, every attempt is made to contact parents immediately. Please make sure we have your contact information for home, work, etc.

Medications at School

Our Resource Teacher may administer prescription medication to students at school; however, first the parents must complete and sign an “Authorization of Administration of Medication” form before this can be done. Forms are included at the back of this handout and also in the office. Medication is secured in a locked cabinet.

School Safety

Keeping all children safe is a priority of all schools and depends on the cooperation of students, parents, staff and the community. Each school has a team of teachers and staff who are First Aid responders. All elementary students who ride school buses review bus safety rules at the beginning of the school year and are reminded of them throughout the year. Our school has eight fire drills at various times throughout the school the year. Our entire school practices other safety drills such as isolation drills so that we all know what to do in emergency situations

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in our building. Petite Riviere Elementary staff and students engage in various activities, including guest speakers and special events, aimed at teaching our students safe practices.

Recess and Noon

Weather permitting, children are expected to play outside under the supervision of the duty teacher(s) or the playground supervisors. All of our Outside Play times are electronic free. We want to exercise our whole bodies – not just our thumbs.

Buses

p.m. only (River Rd. In Petite & Green Bay Rd.) Route # 235 Petite Riviere (up Drew's Hill) Driver: Jamie Hebb Crousetown Watermills Rd. (Crousetown) Conquerall Mills Rd. Italy Cross Rd. to and including Somerset Rd. Green Bay

Broad Cove Route # 238 Cherry Hill Driver: Peter Naugler Vogler's Cove East Port Medway Hirtle Road (Vogler's Cove) Crousetown Road Tannery Road/River Road Route # 244 Mount Pleasant Driver: Ron Reinhardt New Cumberland Rissers Beach Crescent Beach Bush Island West Dublin

Bus Behaviour Expectations 2015-2016

Upon boarding the bus, students come under the jurisdiction of the school and the bus driver. Anything that happens on the bus to divert the driver’s attention from his/her job immediately endangers the safety of the riders. Student refusal to adhere to bus rules may result in transportation privileges being withdrawn. Each student will have a designated seat on the bus. Expected Behaviours on the bus are:

• Sitting in designated seat – no skipping to another seat, driver will sit you in seat

• Sitting properly in seat – no legs or bags in aisles, face the front

• Talking appropriately to seatmates around you in normal, low voice, using nice words

• Playing with electronic games in appropriate manner is fine

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• Playing music on MP3 players, iPods, use ear buds (no loud speakers) is fine

• Listen to the driver. The driver is the boss of the bus.

• Only move on the bus when the bus is at a complete stop! Wait for the driver to tell you

when to leave or move.

Minor Misbehaviours include:

• Standing, changing seats, using a loud voice

Action Taken for Minor Misbehaviour problems (age and grade will be taken into consideration)

• The driver will tell the student to stop.

• If behaviour continues, driver will report the problem to the principal.

• Principal will talk to the student; help them come up with a plan to correct their behaviour.

This plan will be made during their recess break.

If minor behaviour problems become chronic (4 or more) they will be treated in the following way:

• Phone call home

• Loss of recess/lunch (1 -5 days) to review expected bus behaviours and rethink their plan

Major behaviour Problems

• Moving while the bus is moving

• Fighting

• Throwing objects

• Swearing

• Disrespect to driver or other passengers

Action taken for Major Behaviour Problems (grade and age will be taken into consideration)

• Phone call home by principal

• Loss of recess/Lunch (1-5 days) to review plan and go over bus rules

• Written Bus Discipline Report sent to Bus Garage for tracking

• Possible suspension from the bus (1-5 days)

• A recommendation may be made to Bus Garage to have student suspended from bus for

remainder of the school term

• Parent collaboration/cooperation in passing along and describing the expected

behaviours to their children is crucial. It is very much appreciated!

Unscheduled Bus Stops/Bus Changes

Should your child need to get off the bus at a stop other than his/her usual one, a written request must be given to his/her teacher. The requested stop must be a scheduled bus stop, as bus drivers are not permitted to make extra stops without authorization from the transportation department. The teacher will sign the note and the child will give it to the bus driver. This helps both parent and teacher be aware of the child's whereabouts.

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Please note: Transportation will not be provided by the School Board outside our catchment area. This means no student will be bussed to Bridgewater or Hebbville.

School Cancellation/Early School Dismissal

If school is cancelled because of bad weather, etc. CKBW or CBC usually starts its cancellation announcements just prior to, or shortly after 6:30 a.m. Should school be dismissed during the course of the school day, the parent phone committee will be notified. They will attempt to notify every parent and inform them of the early dismissal. Parents are to make prior arrangements for their children in the event of an early dismissal. Children are to be made aware of where they should go when school dismisses early. If your child is to go to a different stop on such a day, please notify the school ahead of time. If school is cancelled during the day, then any evening activities such as Home and School meetings, etc. are also automatically cancelled.

Term and Report Card Dates for 2015-2016

Term 1 - September 3 – November 15, 2015

Report cards go home – November 18, 2015

Parent Teacher Evening – November 25 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Parent Teacher Afternoon – November 26 from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Term 2 - November 16, 2015 – April 3, 2016

Report cards go home – April 7, 2016

Parent Teacher Evening – April 13 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Parent Teacher Afternoon – April 14 from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Term 3 - April 4 – June 29, 2016

Report cards go home – June 29, 2016

Parents are encouraged to contact the school and/or their child's teacher if there are concerns or questions.

Five Day Cycle

Petite Riviere Elementary School will operate on a Monday to Friday week. Look for a detailed class schedule from your child’s teacher that will indicate Phys. Ed, Music, French and Library times.

Hot Lunch Program

A Hot Lunch program is offered to students every Thursday. Parent volunteers prepare the lunches. Being a Hot Lunch volunteer involves coming in to the school from approximately 10:00–12:00 on Thursdays. Parents work in teams of two and usually only have to work once a

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month. If anyone is interested in helping with Hot Lunch, please call the school at 688-3200. We would love to have some new helpers.

The money raised from the Hot Lunch Program is collected by the Home and School--Hot Lunch Committee for fundraising purposes. It is because of this that we ask parents to send in hot lunch money separate from money for milk. (e.g. separate cheques).

Milk

Students may buy milk for ¢40 a carton. Although we sell milk on a daily basis, we do prefer that it be purchased weekly or monthly. Milk will be available beginning on September 3.

Breakfast Program

Our Breakfast Program is ready to begin on September 9. We are looking for parent volunteers. If you are able to help out or would like more information, please contact the office at 688-3200.

Weekly E-Newsletter

Every Friday, an e-newsletter is published and posted to our web site to notify parents of school events for the upcoming week. Our e-mail address is: http://petiteriviere.ednet.ns.ca If you do not have access to a computer, please write a note or contact the school and we’ll make sure a paper copy is sent home.

Agendas, Communication Folders and E-mail

The agendas, communication folders and e-mail are the most important communication tools between you and the teacher. Please read every evening and initial. That lets us know that messages were received. Additionally, if you have a note, reminder, or any money that needs to get to school the front folder is the place to put it. Share your e-mail address with your child’s teacher for convenience and speed. We place an ownership and responsibility for the Agenda on our older students. However it has been our experience that even those in Grade 5/6 need daily checking. So please check your child’s agenda every evening. We would also suggest looking into book bags once a week to find stray notices or assignments that have drifted down into the depths.

Lunch and Recycling

***There are new students that have peanut/nut allergies; so, until further notice, we ask parents to refrain from using peanut/nut products in their children’s' lunches. We ask that parents send pre-cooked meals (i.e. heated soup in a thermos). Noon hour supervisors are willing to warm up meals as long as it takes only 20-30 seconds. Due to time constraints, supervisors do not have time to prepare soup or frozen dinners. If parents do send in meals that require warming, please ensure the container is microwave safe. Our Green Team looks after recycling milk and juice containers. They also look after emptying our classroom food compost bins. Cleaning out ‘dunkeroos’ or pudding cups, we have no time

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for. So, please include a zip lock bag for your child to take his/her garbage home in. The use of re-useable food containers is also a good way to go. Thanks for helping us out with this!

Home & School Association

The Home and School Association is a volunteer organization that consists of both parents and school staff who are actively committed to ensuring that the education, health, safety and social well-being of our children are a priority. Meeting dates and time will be announced in the weekly newsletter and on the website. These meetings are open to every parent and/or guardian. We encourage your participation and input. The Home & School is guided by two parents who act as treasurer and communications recorder. At the first meeting in September, the parents in attendance can forward their names as willing participants for the two guiding positions. Every voice/vote heard at each meeting counts. Your membership is included with your child’s enrollment. We talk about everything and anything that is important to the Petite Riviere Elementary School community. Meetings generally include reports from the members organizing current or upcoming events, a financial overview and discussions of plans for future activities. Our main priority is raising funds to provide supplies, resources and special opportunities for our students. Our goal is to use our funds to enhance student life at our school. Our events may include our Christmas Theatre/Dinner, Nutrition Week and Spring Fair (held in May). The Home & School is instrumental in providing extra funding for Art Workshops, Visiting Performance Artists as well as extra items such as musical instruments, sports jerseys, field trips and technology upgrades. Meeting dates and time will be announced in the weekly newsletter and on the website.

School Advisory Council (SAC)

The School Advisory Council (SAC) is a legally recognized body composed of the principal and

elected representatives of teachers and support staff, parents and community members who

work together in an advisory capacity to enhance the quality of education being provided by the

school.

The purpose of the SAC is to ensure that all students receive the best possible learning

opportunities by engaging all partners in an ongoing process of shared discussion, planning and

development of our Continuous School Improvement goals (CSI).

Our SAC meets seven times a school year. Elections for open executive positions are held each

September. This year’s SAC elections will be held on September 17 during the Welcome to

School session from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. All SAC meetings are open to the public. Meeting dates

and time will be announced in the weekly e-newsletter and on the website.

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Appendix

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