OVERVIEW
SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY
GENERAL INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES
Policies
The staff at Holden Elementary
includes a principal, specialists for music and physical education, ten
classroom teachers, a librarian, a secretary, teacher aides, and custodians. We
share a Family-School liaison worker, occupational therapist, and speech and
language specialist with other schools. All of our teachers collaborate in grade
level teams to implement Alberta Learning curriculum
We are on a four-day week program
that meets the attendance requirements of Alberta Learning. Our curriculum is
designed to enhance the total learning process, emphasizing basic skills, while
recognizing and valuing individual needs and differences. Parent involvement is
an integral part of the dynamic process of educating our children at Holden
Elementary. Volunteers dedicate hundreds of hours and an enormous amount of
energy to our children and our programs.
Office Hours:
8:00 A.M. to
4:30 P.M.
School Day Grades 1-6:
8:47 A.M. to
3:54 P.M.
Kindergarten (T & TH): 8:47
A.M. to 3:54 P.M.
Attendance
Line:
780-688-3858 (Call by 9:00 A.M. when your child is
absent)
Inclement Weather - Is
school in session?
Listen to CFCW, as information will be given out
starting at 7:00 A.M. (See Policy)
BRSD
Information:
Working together with the home and community to help
every student learn and excel.
Holden
School is a rural school located in the village of Holden, Alberta.
Our school is located in the Beaver Ward of the Battle River School
Division No. 31. Holden School has
200 students from grades K-6. These
students are from the Holden and Ryley attendance areas.
Over the past number of years, as the rural population decreased the
communities of Holden and Ryley have re-aligned their grade configuration to
make both schools more viable. A grade re-alignment has again occurred, making Holden
strictly an elementary school and Ryley a 7-12 school.
Holden
School provides a full program for elementary students. Beside the regular
academic programs, Holden School has a full music program. Our computer lab
provides up-to-date software and hardware. We have 26 computers in the lab and
29 computers in the classrooms. BRSD#31
has established a Wide Area Network to provide the schools of the district with
a comprehensive communications network along with high-speed Internet access.
With this hardware the staff and students have taken it upon themselves
to integrate the new the new Information and Communication Technology Program of
Studies into their teaching this year.
Holden
has a total instructional staff of 10.0 full-time equivalent teachers including
Special Education, Student Counselling Services, and Administration.
Support staff includes a school secretary, a part-time librarian, as well
as several aides (both Classroom and Special Needs).
Holden School enjoys an active parent community. Parents
are welcome in the school and frequently volunteer to provide assistance to the
school in a variety of areas. One
of the areas on the recent parent surveys asked the parents whether they were
made to feel welcome in the school. Overwhelmingly the response to this question
was “yes”.
Special Needs is addressed by both
"pull-out" programs to our Resource Room and integration in the
classroom with or without a teacher's aide as circumstances warrant.
There is also a High Needs room where we address the needs of those
students who are physically fragile and academically challenged. Of primary
consideration is the best interests of the student, as well as parental wishes,
and school resources. Parental
involvement in placement and program decisions is essential.
Although
our school population continues to fluctuate, as a staff and a community we
remain committed to serving the best interests of our students, regardless of
number, and providing them with the best programs available using the resources
at hand.
For
more information on the community of Holden or Ryley go to
www.brsd.ab.ca and
follow the links or call the Town Office at 688-3928.
The
role of the school includes:
·
following
the provincial Program of Studies
·
maintaining
a positive learning environment for the students
·
providing
opportunities, working closely with community and business to improve learning
experiences and provide educational opportunities
·
working
with parents, teachers and members of the community to establish a school-based
management system with significant community involvement, develop school plans,
policies, and budgets and develop the scope of the school program and extra
curricular activities
·
providing
teachers with the freedom to teach so that teachers may utilize their expertise
and experience most effectively
·
planning
for in-service and professional development of staff
·
working
to enhance learning with the application of technology
·
meeting
and exceeding provincial achievement and performance standards
·
reporting
school results to the community
·
informing
parents of their children’s progress in achieving provincial standards
·
maintaining
student records
·
utilize
the site-based budget to deploy the resources necessary to maintain and improve
the education provided for all children
·
preparing
school plans and budgets using financial and human resources efficiently and
effectively
·
managing
the facilities and equipment effectively
·
providing
a safe and secure environment where all students can learn
Our
rapidly changing world calls for new responses as we manage a constant state of
transition. We must instill a
climate of acceptance and thriving on change if we are to prepare our students
to adequately enter the 21st century. We
have to provide our students with the tools to enable them to survive in the
everyday world of work in a rapidly expanding and changing global economy.
Our
students and their parents will know what the student is expected to learn and
what their responsibilities are with respect to this learning.
This school will strive for excellence in student achievement by focusing
on our mission statement and working together to help students learn and excel.
Local and provincial test results will allow us to report to the
stakeholders what we have achieved and where we need to improve.
We will set high standards and expectations of our students, and we will
encourage and teach them to set their own high standards and to assume and even
greater responsibility for their own learning.
Our
students will receive an intensive grounding in the core areas of language arts,
mathematics, science, social studies, technology skills, health and physical
education, while gaining a broader background through an appreciation of
literature, fine arts, and the world in which they live. Parents and community
will take on increased responsibilities in helping the school decide how to best
use available resources in order to maximize student achievement. The focus for all decisions should answer the question,
“What impact will this have on student learning?”
We
will be accountable for student learning. This
school will demonstrate both by local and provincial measures that students are
learning. Teachers will have the
freedom to teach and take every opportunity to continue learning as they develop
new skills and take advantage of new methods and research on effective teaching.
Students will have the freedom to learn and take responsibility for
actions in regard to their learning and behavior.
Each
school year, our supervision needs are assessed and a supervision plan is
developed accordingly to provide supervision coverage during the school day.
To make this plan effective, we request that arrival times be planned as
close to 8:25 AM as possible on school days.
As well, students should leave the school building and grounds as soon as
possible after dismissal at the end of the day, unless they are staying for some
school-sponsored activity. Students
are welcome to return to play on the school grounds after they have been home.
By having students return home as soon as possible after dismissal, we
assist parents and/or babysitters in knowing where children are after school.
Some
students must remain at the school at the end of the day to wait for a ride home
or to some other parent arranged destination.
We would ask that these students please wait outside when the weather is
nice. When the weather is
inclement, students may wait inside the school, in the front entrance.
We ask parental assistance in ensuring that students do not have a
lengthy wait at the end of the day.
School
assemblies will be held twice a month, at 9:00 a.m. on the second and forth
Thursday of each. Assemblies
are for the education and enjoyment of all. Student responsibilities include entering and leaving the area
quietly and respectfully, sitting in the area designated for your class, remain
seated and quiet until the program is over, show appreciation by applauding (no
whistling or booing). A
student’s conduct in assemblies must meet the same standard as in the
classroom. A student who is tardy or who does not follow school rules of conduct
during an assembly will be subject to disciplinary action.
School
attendance is mandatory (School Act: Section 8), except on those days indicated
on the school calendar. If your
child is to be away, for whatever reason, parents are requested to contact the
school. If students do not arrive at school, parents will be called.
Whenever possible parents are asked to call the school or write a note in
advance if their child will not be attending due to illness, appointments, or
for some other reason. Poor attendance and chronic lateness adversely affect
learning and are issues that parents should address with their children.
Excused
absences are absences for the reason of illness
or injury, death in the family of the student or a medical appointment. Other
absences may be considered “excused” by administration based on
consideration of the facts. Examples include attendance at an important public
function, travel with parents in urgent circumstances and other situations with
parental permission and the approval of the principal.
All absences not deemed “excusable” should be considered to be
unexcused. These absences will be
dealt with based on the Battle River Attendance Policy Guidelines, which can be
found following the links at
www.brsd.ab.ca
or by contacting the Battle River School
Division office.
Awards
for academic and personal achievement are given to students each month at
assembly; parents are notified in advance.
Awards are also presented at various times during the school year, either
by teachers or organizations within the community.
On the last day of school, at the end of June, there is an Awards
Assembly where year-end awards are presented to students as a culminating
activity for the school year.
The
Honor Roll is a standard set for those students in grades 4-6. At the end of
each of the three reporting periods student marks will be checked to see if they
have achieved Honors standing or the Honors With Distinction
standing. Those students making the Honor Roll will be presented with a
certificate of achievement at an assembly.
Students
achieving the following standard qualify for the Honor Roll:
1.
All core subjects must be 70% and over.
2.
Core subject average must be 80% and over.
3.
All non-core subjects must have an achievement rating of S or E.
Those
students achieving the following standard of excellence qualify for the Honors
with Distinction:
1.
All core subjects must be 70% and over.
2.
Core subject average must be 85% and over.
3.
All non-core subjects must have an achievement rating of S or E.
Bicycle stands are available for
the parking of bikes and scooters on the east side of the school. The school cannot accept responsibility for the safekeeping
of bicycles but encourage that they be locked when being left.
Please assist us in fostering good bicycle safety habits.
We ask that students walk their bikes and scooters as soon as they are on
the school grounds.
Unless
the entire class, or all boys, or all girls are invited to
a classmate's party, students may not receive invitations in school. This is in
order to avoid emotional hurt feelings among the students.
If a parent wishes to send invitations to only few students in the class
they are asked to do so out of school.
The Child Welfare Act states
“…every person who, in the course of his/her professional or official
duties, has reason to suspect that a child has suffered or is suffering from
abuse that may have been caused or permitted by a person who has had charge of
the child, shall report the suspected abuse to a child caring agency.”
If staff members at Holden School have reasonable cause to suspect child
abuse, the case will be referred to the Social Services and/or the R.C.M.P.
Throughout
the year there will be a number of times that parents and guardians will need to
take their children out of school. Whenever possible, please schedule
appointments for a time outside of school hours or on Friday’s.
If this is not possible, please either phone the school and inform the
office or send a signed note to the teacher stating the date and time early
dismissal is required.
Occasionally, we find that cases
of communicable diseases occur in our school.
These include pediculosis (lice), pink eye, and skin infections.
When we discover such cases, we immediately inform the public health
nurse. It is her duty to examine
the child(ren) and recommend a further course of action.
Any course of action taken will have the safety and best interests of the
entire student body in mind. Please see “Student Health and Wellness” for
further information.
School staff reaches out to parents in many ways to facilitate ongoing, positive communication. Monthly school newsletters are sent home with the youngest or only child. As well, a number of our teachers send home classroom newsletters to keep parents abreast of daily events.
Although
there are two formal parent/student/teacher interview scheduled during the year,
parents may set up an appointment to speak with their child’s teacher any time
they feel there is a need. Staff will also have informal contact with parents
throughout the year via phone calls, agenda books, e-mail and other forms of
communication.
It
is our belief that the partnership between home and school is critical to
programming appropriately for individual needs. Knowing a child has had an
exciting event take place in their life or knowing they are suffering a loss can
help staff set children up to be as successful at school as possible.
We have formed a partnership with
the Tofield R.C.M.P detachment so that our students can be involved with the
D.A.R.E Program. The DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program provided to
the grade six students is just one of the many valuable services.
The 17-week program incorporates many of the objectives required by the
health curriculum and includes such topics as considering consequences, building
self-esteem, decision making, and of course the effects and beliefs about drug
use. Although education
professionals design this program, it is presented by a uniformed police officer
Emergency
contacts are important for us to have at the school in case we cannot reach you
at home or at work. If your child becomes seriously ill or is injured seriously
at school and we cannot reach you, we will use the emergency contact information
you have provided. Please remember, we cannot keep seriously ill or injured
children at school, and may send a child home with the person you have
designated as an emergency contact The emergency contact person should be know
to your child, live in close proximity to the school and have a telephone.
We should have their full name, and they should also know that they might
be used as an emergency contact.
Occasionally
teachers will plan field trips to extend learning on a given topic. When these
excursions are planned, parents will receive information regarding the planned
trip, any accompanying costs, mode of transportation, etc., and will be asked to
give their permission for their child to participate.
Responsibility
for the welfare of the child remains with the teacher just as it does in the
classroom. The permission slip/waiver form that parents sign is to ensure that
parents are aware of the trip and that they are permitting their child to
participate. Those students who are not permitted to participate will remain at
school in alternative learning activities. All field trips that require an out
of town bus must have a parent signature. Permission
cannot be given over the phone nor can anyone who is not a legal guardian grant
permission for that child.
Fire
drills are performed on a regular basis. Teachers will review the fire drill
procedure with the students on the first day of school. During a fire drill,
absolute silence is the rule. Students should proceed as quickly as they can to
their assigned places. The teacher will take a head count and send the fire
drill sheet to the front of the school. In the event of an emergency evacuation,
faculty, staff and students will proceed to The Complex.
Holden
School also has a Crisis Management Plan that is activated in serious situation
such as a gas leak or a bomb threat. This
Plan is kept confidential for obvious reasons. However, if you have serious
concerns regarding any issue that may be considered a crisis, please contact the
principal at the school.
The Freedom of Information and
Protection of Privacy form is sent home for each student.
These forms need to be completed for each student attending school.
Please read the F.O.I.P. handouts that are sent home. The F.O.I.P Act aims to strike a balance between the
public’s right to know and the individual’s right to privacy, as those
rights relate to information held by public bodies in Alberta.
The F.O.I.P Act, which can be linked to from the Battle River Site, will
not dramatically change normal school activities; it will not prevent parents
from participating in their children’s education. It will allow parents and students broader rights of access
to information and it will obligate schools to protect privacy.
For more information or clarification of what F.O.I.P. involves, contact
the school principal, access the Battle River web page or read the Act itself.
The
counselor at the school will provide The preventative
and supportive guidance services to pupils in the areas of social, emotional,
and academic development. The counselor works with parents, staff, and community
resources in the best interest of the student. If problems develop, parents are
encouraged to contact the counselor.
The
counselor works under the direction of the school principal and engages in
individual and small group counseling with parental permission, classroom
instruction, testing, and any other guidance-oriented activities to ensure
continued student growth and well-being.
Students
may be referred to the counselor by a teacher or seek the advice of the
counselor themselves. In addition,
parents may contact the counselor if they have concerns regarding their
child’s school program, career planning choices or personal well being.
In
addition to the school counselor there is a Family Liaison Councelor at the
school. This person works in the home with the family as well as in the school
with the child in order to assist in the creation of a healthy and supportive
environment for the student. Joint
funding by Battle River Regional Division #31 and Ribstone Children’s Services
supports this enterprise.
The family-school liaison worker
is available to act as a liaison between the home and school where a child is
experiencing academic, emotional or social difficulty.
They are also available to assist students with a wide range of
emotional/behavioral disabilities. Some
students may receive service as a result of difficulty they experience from the
breakdown of the family or loss and bereavement. Parents may request the
assistance of the family-school liaison worker by contacting the school
principal.
The liaison worker may also
receive referrals from the school. Parental
consent is required for the involvement of the liaison worker.
The infirmary is located in the
main office and is managed by the school secretary.
There are numerous individuals on staff with current first aid
certification if required. Make sure the
office has current home, work, and emergency contact phone numbers.
In
regards to immunizations, parents
must comply with Alberta and Canada provincial and national laws and have
up-to-date immunizations or a signed exemption form on file before students may
attend class in September. Some immunizations, such as Hepatitis B shots, are
provided at the school.
There
is a Medical Alert list at the school that has the names of students that have a
medical problem, which may pose difficulty for the school such as allergies and
penicillin reactions. Please supply the office with current medical information
on your child and update records yearly or as needed
1.
Guidelines for keeping child home sick (other than obvious illness or
injury):
·
Fever,
vomiting, diarrhea
·
Frequent
and uncontrolled coughing and/or sneezing
2.
Report any of the following conditions to school personnel as soon as
possible:
·
Strep
throat - may return to school 24 hours after antibiotic is started, child feels
well and temperature is normal
·
Chicken
Pox - should be kept home until child has no new spots and old ones are scabbed
over (usually 7-10 days)
·
Head lice
- may return to school after treatment and hair is free of nits
·
Impetigo
- may return to school after treatment; cover with band-aid if possible
·
Pink eye
- may return to school if under treatment of physician and 24 hours after
antibiotic treatment is started
·
Measles,
mumps, rubella - highly communicable diseases need to be diagnosed by a
physician and reported to the school office
Grade
1 and 2 >15 minutes/day
Grade 3 and 4 >30 minutes
Grade 5 >30 to 40 minutes
Grade 6 45 to 60 minutes
These times are meant as guidelines only, recognizing that students are all
different and some may get things done in class more efficiently than others.
Others may be working on larger projects and will be responsible for pacing
themselves. There may also be times when homework is not assigned.
It should also be noted that homework is assigned work, not work that a
child may have chosen not to do during allotted class time.
If a child misuses their class time they will have more work to do at
home.
Lunch
hour is the only time some students have to complete the homework that was
assigned in the morning or to catch up on missed homework.
During the noon recess (12:19-12:41) members of the teaching staff are
assigned to the grade 6 room to assist students with their work. This gives students one-on-one access to a teacher who can
assist with work that the student may be having difficulty with. As well,
assigning a student to the Homework Hotel is only one consequence that can be
administered by the classroom teacher or the administration for homework
problems. When incomplete homework
becomes a serious problem for a student other measures may also be considered.
School
hours are dependent on bus schedules and are therefore subject to change.
However, unless change is necessary, they are:
8:47 a.m. to 3:54 p.m. Four Days a Week
10:21
a.m. to 10:35 a.m. -Morning Recess
12:04 p.m. to 12:19 p.m. -Lunch Break
12:19 p.m. to 12:41p.m. -
Lunch Recess
2:10
p.m. to 2:24 p.m. -
Afternoon Recess
Kindergarten
classes run full days twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday
Note:
Although Holden School has a 4-Day school week, the days that the
students attend school may change. Make
sure to check the school calendar to determine when children should be in
school.
An active and extensive
intra-mural and extracurricular sports program is available to Holden students.
House Leagues are organized at the beginning of the school year and the
students participate in a number of sports.
Points for each event are awarded to each team based on member attendance
as well as victories. Awards are presented throughout the year as well as at the
end of the year.
Kindergarten
is a busy part of Holden School, with classes every Tuesday and Thursday.
The program, which starts in September and finishes in May encompasses
475 hours of instruction. Many of the kindergarten children have older brothers or
sisters in the school, who make them feel welcome in the school.
Parents wishing to enroll their children in Kindergarten can do so as
long as their child turns five prior to December 31.
The
library supports the educational program of the classroom by providing students
with library skills instruction, opportunities to do research, recreational
reading, and other types of media. Students
have access to the library on a daily basis under the supervision of the
librarian or their classroom teacher.
Students
will be held responsible for damaged or lost library materials
Lockers,
textbooks, workbooks, and library books, are provided for student use.
All of these items remain the property of Holden School. Students who
lose or abuse books will be expected to reimburse the school directly for the
loss or damage incurred. Students
who damage lockers will have the privilege of using a locker taken away from
them. As the lockers remain the
property of the school they may be searched is there is reasonable cause to
believe that there is something in the locker that should not be there. Lockers,
texts, binders, notebooks, etc., should be kept neat and free from scribbling.
A
school supply list is sent home at the end of each year for the next year. Lists
are also available in the office. You are encouraged to check with your child
throughout the year for supplies that need to be replaced. Assistance is
available for families who are unable to provide supplies; contact the school
office if needed.
Many
students remain at school to eat their lunch.
Teacher supervision is provided during this time.
Students are required to eat their lunch from 12:04-12:19 and are
reminded that remaining at school for lunch is a privilege, and as such
carries certain expectations for appropriate behavior.
At 12:19 students are expected to go outside, weather permitting.
Monthly
school newsletters will be sent home in the first week of the month with the
youngest child in each family.
These newsletters provide an opportunity for formal written communication
between the school and home, notifying the home of upcoming events. It also
provides an avenue for students to write and publish classroom news events and,
in some cases, their written assignments. Parents
who wish to have something included in the newsletter may submit the item in
writing two days in advance.
For a look at the current and archived newsletters, please go to: http://www.brsd.ab.ca/holden/news
At Holden School we have an open
door policy. Administration is in
the school early each morning, in order to be available for early telephone
calls from parents. School
administration welcomes parent input, ideas and comments.
Parents are also encouraged to attend the School Council meetings to
discuss ideas and assist with projects. Parent input and active participation is
always welcome. Parental involvement may
include listening to children read, assisting with the intramural program or
assisting students with projects or demonstrations.
Parent volunteers are always more than welcome to offer their service in
the areas of co-coordinating special activities or events that would enhance our
school program.
Generally,
children are expected to go out of doors during recess and noon hour periods.
The fresh air and exercise they get during these play periods are invigorating
and healthful if children are properly dressed for prevailing weather
conditions. Also recesses and noon hours are a welcome break to the routine of
the classroom and they provide excellent opportunities for unstructured
sociability, play, and physical activity.
When
a child is recuperating from an illness or injury or has a health problem that
temporarily requires his/her remaining indoors, the parent should so notify the
child's teacher by written note. Children who must remain indoors will be sent
to an area in the building where there is adult supervision during recesses and
noon hours. For more information see “Playground Rules”.
Students
are expected to remain on the premises during school hours. To leave the grounds
written permission is required from parents. Parents are discouraged from giving
their child permission to go downtown for lunch. It
should be reiterated that students who eat their lunch at school must
have a parent's written
permission and office permission to leave the grounds during the lunch
break. If a student breaks this rule, it will be handled as a serious
infraction.
It
is important that children learn early in their school years the need for proper
behavior, respect for authority and the rights of others, and the need to follow
established rules for the good of all concerned. The home and the school best
develops proper attitudes towards others working cooperatively. School rules and
expected behavior is made clear to students and enforced consistently.
Following
are playground rules of which parents and students should be aware:
1.
Pupils must have written permission from home to leave the school grounds
during school hours except when they go home for lunch.
2.
Students
will play only at designated areas of the playground.
3.
Bicycles
or scooters are not to be ridden on the playground or sidewalks at any time and
will be parked at the bike racks provided.
4.
No
games or activities are permitted in the schools or grounds that involve undue
bodily contact or whose purpose is throwing or pushing children to the ground.
This includes such activities as: wrestling, tackle football, horseback fights,
king-of-the-hill, etc.
5.
Snowballing
on grounds is prohibited.
6.
There
is no sledding with sleds brought from home unless specific permission is
obtained by the student’s teacher.
7.
Playground
equipment will be used properly at all times - no standing on slides and swings,
swinging sideways, jumping from slides, walking on the support beams, etc.
8.
Children are asked to leave the building at recess times unless other
arrangements have been made with their classroom teacher or administration.
Provincial
Testing takes place in schools across Alberta, at the grade 3 and 6 levels.
Grade 3 students write exams in Language Learning and Math.
Grade 6 students write exams in Language Learning, Math, Science, and
Social Studies. The exams are
intended to determine that the subjects are being covered.
The school may use marks from these tests to determine a student’s
final marks. All students in the
two grades take the tests during May and June.
Parents will receive information from teachers during the year and
individual results will be sent to parents in October of the following school
year.
For more
information regarding the Provincial Achievement tests please visit the
government site at
http://ednet.edc.gov.ab.ca/
Formal
written reports of student progress will be issued in November, in early March
and on the final day of school in June. The final report cards will be mailed
out to students on the Friday following the last student day.
Informal parent-teacher discussions will take place throughout the year.
All report cards are fully computerized and may be kept by the student.
Student
marks are cumulative, meaning that the report card mark is a record of a
student’s progress up to that point. In
grades 1-3 all reporting will be by letter grade. In grade 4-6 all core courses
will be given a percentage while non-core subjects will be given letter grades.
Teachers
at the grade 4-6 levels will provide the students with course outlines at the
beginning of the school year. This outline will contain the course evaluation
procedures. Students will be graded according to their performance on a number
of assignments, projects, quizzes and tests.
See
“Grading Policy” for more information.
Reading
Buddies is a program that has as its goal the love of reading and the fostering
of a sense of school community. Every
Thursday morning students are paired up and given an opportunity to read to one
another. As the pairings are multi-grade, the students get an opportunity to
mix/socialize with students from other grades.
School councils are required by
provincial government legislation and are active in most schools.
Holden School council has done a great deal to enhance the goals of the
school and supply support to the administration.
A committee of the School Council is currently involved in raising money
for a new playground at the school. The
bylaws of the Holden School Council are available for all parents to read and
the minutes of each meeting are placed in the monthly newsletters. All parents
are encouraged to become active participants in the school Council business.
Instructional materials fees
are charged each school year. Cheques
should be made payable to Holden School.
If at all possible, we ask that fees be paid during the first week of
school. Should you require
special arrangements for payment, please don’t hesitate to contact the school
office. The bulk of these fees are
turned over to the Battle River Regional Office and become part of the
centralized textbook fund from which schools are allocated textual materials.
Please check with the school office for a determination of the fee amount.
Traditionally our school
does one major fundraiser a year. Funds
raised are used to support co-curricular and extra-curricular school activities,
to purchase capital equipment such as playground material as well as to support
professional development activities. In the past few years our fundraising has
occurred around October, with a fundraising drive to sell chocolates. Other
fundraisers have been the sale of advertising space on our school calendar,
magazine and cookbook sales.
The
Battle River Regional Division provides basic coverage for each student
registered in school. Parents have
the option of extending coverage should they choose.
Central Agencies in Camrose distribute information pamphlets to the
school at the beginning of the year and we will get them out to you as soon as
possible. All questions regarding
the plan should be directed to Central Agencies (1-780-672-4491). Further
information regarding the school insurance may be found at
http://www.iapacificlife.com/seaboard.
Students are expected to come to
school dressed for the weather. If
students are riding the bus it is important that they
follow the guidelines established in the transportation policy (found on the
www.brsd.ab.ca
site)
Holden
School has access to the services of the Battle River Regional Division’s
Special Education Team. This team
provides the school with testing services, and based upon their testing and
recommendations we are able to determine which
programs best suit the needs of students. The
team also assists in the setting up of programs, the acquisition of resources
and where necessary, the provision of classroom aides. A link to the Special
Education Department can be found at www.brrd.ab.ca.
The special education services at Holden School
are designed to help students who require extra assistance, primarily with
language arts and/or mathematics. An
individual student assistance plan is developed and, with parental consent, students receive assistance
in reaching the goals as defined in the plan.
An individual program is discontinued when the classroom teacher and the
resource teacher feel that sufficient progress has been made. Students are given
a variety of tests prior to being placed on an Individual Plan.
The resource teacher makes arrangements for this assessment.
There
is also a High Needs Program within the Special Education Services at Holden.
This Program assists students who require assistance with their basic
needs. The goal of this program is to assist students in their basic care.
Speech,
language, and hearing as well as physical and occupational therapy
services are provided for the purpose of identifying, assessing and
developing programs for the remediation of speech and language problems found in
children. This includes working with parents, school personnel and community
agencies on individual cases. These problems include articulation, dysfluency,
hearing loss, vocal problems and delayed language. Parents are urged to become
involved in the student's program.
Students
should not arrive at school prior to 8:30 in the morning. All students are
requested to remain outside until the 8:50 a.m. bell. At recess and both
lunch breaks, supervision is provided by teachers and/or support staff. We
strongly encourage students to go home for lunch, since this provides a break in
surroundings as well as a chance for parents and children to 'touch base' during
the day. Any after school arrangements should be made well in advance so
the students may clear the grounds as quickly as possible. The grounds are
supervised until 4:10 or when the last bus leaves.
By this time the students should have left the grounds unless there are
scheduled extra-curricular activities. Please let us know as soon as possible if
extenuating circumstances will cause you to be late in picking up your child and
we will make every effort to insure his/her safety.
Our
telephones are very busy. Students
should attempt to make all arrangements before they come to school.
Only in case of an emergency should they find it necessary to use the
phone. Students are requested to
ask the permission of their teacher before coming to the office to ask
permission to use the office phone.
Students
are discouraged from bringing toys to school as they create a distraction. If
students bring toys to school it is at their own risk.
Toys that go missing are the responsibility of the student – not the
school as Holden School is not responsible for the toys in any way.
Being
that this school serves a large rural population and that a great number of our
students come from Ryley and that there are a number of field trips each year, ,
bus transportation is a fact of life for many students. The Board has a policy which lays out a number of guidelines.
To view to Battle River Policy on Transportation go to
www.brsd.ab.ca
and follow the links or contact the Battle River Board office.
At
the school level, in order that
students are ensured a safe and comfortable ride on the school bus, there are
a number of simple behaviors that should be displayed:
Furthermore,
in order to verify misconduct, the BRSD School Board finds that it is
appropriate to provide for the use of video camera surveillance in its
transportation vehicles. Video surveillance shall only be used to promote the
order, safety and security of students, staff and property. Remember, riding the
school bus is a PRIVILEGE. If you follow the rules you will never lose
your bus riding privilege. Our goal in transporting children is to get them to
school and then back home SAFELY.
Students shall be held responsible
for damage to school property resulting from willfulness, neglect, or
inappropriate action. Restitution
for all damages may be required.
For safety and security reasons ALL visitors to the school are required to stop at the office before proceeding to the classroom. If you are on the playground during recess or noon, please identify yourself to the supervisors.
B.R.R.D #31 – Policy HIBGA
PREAMBLE
Holden School wishes to allow its students to be able to access curriculum based information resources. To this end, the school permits its students to access the Internet. The responsible use of the Internet is the overriding goal of this policy. This interconnected worldwide web of computers can provide the students with access to the most recent research, statistics and opinions. However, the Internet can also provide the students with access to less than desirable material. While it is, in fact, impossible to completely protect students from accidental exposure to inappropriate materials, it is important that the school have an Acceptable Use Policy to provide guidelines for the use of this informational
Reference:
B resource by its students.
The following school policy is based on Board policy.
Holden School in now connected to
an electronic communications system or wide area network (WAN) that provides
access to the Internet and allows unprecedented opportunities for students and
staff to communicate, learn, access, and publish information. This WAN is serviced and operated by the Battle River School
Division. Holden School, along with the School Board believes that the resources
available through this network, and the skills that students will learn in using
it, are of significant value in the learning process and their success in the
future. Therefore, the school
supports the use of the wide area network and the Internet to facilitate
learning and teaching through interpersonal communications, access to
information, research, and collaboration.
1)The
use of network facilities shall be consistent with the mission of the school,
school division and provincial curriculum requirements, taking into account the
varied instructional needs, learning styles, abilities, and developmental levels
of students.
2)
Use of the network by students must be in support of educational
objectives of the school. The
Internet access at the school is not for personal, non-educational use. The
school reserves the right to prioritize and limit use and access to the system.
3)
Any use of the network must be in conformity with provincial and federal
laws, and with division and school policies within and outside of this document.
4)
The electronic information available to students does not imply
endorsement of the content by the school, nor does the school guarantee the
accuracy of information received on the Internet.
5)
Student users shall be responsible for any unauthorized charges or fees
resulting from their use of the school division network to access the Internet.
6)
Files of students are logged and are accessible to school administration,
as are the Internet locations that each student visits. Though there is no
intention of policing everything a student does, school administration reserves
the right to request the logs from the School Division of any student as well as
gain access to the files of any student.
7)
In order to prevent students from visiting inappropriate sites,
“surfing” the Internet will be a rare exception.
Appropriate pages or sites will be book-marked by the teacher so that
each student will only have to access certain sites and there will be no need to
look through many sites for information. When there becomes a need in the upper
grades to “surf” the Internet due to curriculum demands, immediate
supervision will be provided.
8)
The use of the school’s network and Internet access is a privilege, not
a right. Inappropriate,
unauthorized and illegal use will result in the cancellation of that privilege
and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.
1)
The school will make every effort to ensure that students use this
educational resource responsibly and that proper supervision is provided. The
school principal shall have the authority to determine the appropriate level of
supervision. The school cannot, however, guarantee that unauthorized or
inappropriate sites will not be accessed.
2)
The following uses of the WAN and Internet are strictly prohibited:
·
Use of
the network to facilitate illegal activity.
·
Use of
the network for hate mail, discriminatory remarks, and offensive or inflammatory
communication and material
·
Unauthorized
or illegal installation, distribution, reproduction, or use of copyrighted
materials.
·
Use of
the network to access age-inappropriate sites.
·
Use of
inappropriate language or profanity on the network.
·
Use of
the network to intentionally obtain or modify files, passwords, and data
belonging to other users, or disrupt the work of others.
·
Impersonation
of another user and the use of pseudonyms.
·
Use of
network facilities for fraudulent copying, communications, or modification of
materials in violation of copyright laws.
·
Downloading
or installing games, programs, files, or other electronic media without the
prior authorization of division staff.
·
Destruction,
modification, or abuse of network hardware and software.
·
Quoting
or forwarding personal communications without the original author’s prior
consent.
·
Furthermore,
the principal reserves the right to determine what else may be considered
“inappropriate use” and add to the list of prohibited activities at any
time.
3)
Students have the responsibility to respect and protect the rights of
every other user in the school, school division and on the Internet.
4)
Only the authorized owner of a network account will use it for its
authorized purpose. Any misuse of
unauthorized use of someone else’s password and files will result in severe
penalty.
5)
Students are expected to act in a responsible, ethical and legal manner
in accordance with accepted rules of network etiquette, school division and
school policies, and provincial and federal laws.
6)
System security will be protected through the use of passwords.
Failure to adequately protect
or update passwords could result in unauthorized access to personal or school
division files. To protect the integrity of the system, the following procedures
shall be followed:
·
Students
shall not reveal their passwords to another individual.
·
Users
shall not use a computer that has been logged in under another person’s name.
·
Any user
identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other
computer systems may be denied access to the network.
7)
To
the greatest extent possible, users of the network will be protected from
harassment or unwanted/unsolicited communication.
Any network user who receives threatening or unwelcome communications
shall immediately bring them to the attention of a teacher or administrator.
8) Student users shall not reveal personal addresses or telephone numbers to other users of the division network, or to other individuals, companies or organizations on the Internet.
9)
Parents shall have the option of requesting that their child not be
provided with access to the Internet while at school.
To Mr. Brian Horbay, Principal,
Holden School
I have read the BRRD Policy HIBGA Acceptable
Use of the Wide Area Network and the Internet and the Holden School
Policy HS-HIBGA .
I
am now requesting that my child, ___________________________, who is in Grade
______ at your school, NOT be provided with access to the Internet
while at school.
PARENT NAME
(Please print): ___________________________
PARENT SIGNATURE:
______________________________
DATE:
_______________________________
MEDICAL
POLICY
HS – IHCD
Reference:
B.R.R.D #31 – Policy IHCD
The
school has a fairly comprehensive discipline policy that conforms to the
Provincial School Act and Battle River Regional Division
policies, which can be found at www.brsd.ab.ca or by
contacting Central Office. The staff at Holden School believes in the
maintenance of proper order and discipline and feels that all stakeholders must
share the responsibility for student behavioral management at school.
While all students have the right to be safe and secure in school, with
this right comes the responsibility to respect the rights of those around them,
and to accept the rewards and consequences of their behaviour.
All
of us at Holden School are working toward the common goal of providing quality
education in a safe a secure environment. In order to accomplish this goal,
certain attitudes must prevail: a respect for all involved, a desire to learn
and, above all, respect for oneself. Therefore, any student who shows disrespect
for or continually disregards the school rules or the directions of a teacher or
who disrupts a class will be called to account for his/her actions.
1.
GENERAL EXPECTATIONS
a. Work Ethics:
·
Students
must attend school regularly and punctually.
·
Students
will complete all assignments and homework.
·
Students
will work to the best of their ability.
·
Students
will continually strive for excellence in all endeavors.
b. Respect for Self and Others:
·
Students
will dress appropriately and use appropriate language and deportment.
·
Students
will respect the safety and well being of all the school.
c. Respect for Authority:
·
Students
will adhere to all Board and school policies and rules.
·
Students
will cooperate fully with everyone authorized by the Board to provide
educational programs and services.
·
Students
will conduct themselves with respect for legal authority.
d.
Respect for
Property:
·
Students
will respect school property.
·
Students
will respect the property of others.
2. CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
Each teacher has developed
a code of behaviour that will contribute to a positive learning environment.
This code of behaviour will be communicated to and/or discussed with the
students in the first weeks of operation of the school.
Please discuss the expected behaviour with your son or daughter and feel
free to contact your child’s teacher at any time.
3. EXPECTATIONS ON BUSES
Bus
drivers are responsible for the safety and the conduct of students being
transported. Students are therefore
expected to give the bus drivers total cooperation in carrying out their
instructions and requests. The bus
driver is in charge.
B. BASIC
SCHOOL RULES
There
are many rules at Holden School. Some govern conduct on buses while others deal
with conduct on the playground or in the classroom.
However, there are four basic rules that deal with serious, unacceptable
behaviour that if broken will garner immediate and serious consequences. These
basic rules identify behaviour that will not be accepted under any
circumstances.
The
basic rules of Holden School are:
C.
MAJOR AND MINOR OFFENCES
1.
MINOR OFFENCES
The
classroom teacher will deal with classroom management of minor offences such as
talking out of turn and unfinished homework.
Administration will deal with minor misconduct if there is an on-going
problem and parental contact by the
teacher has not solved to problem. The
playground and lunch supervisors will carry out playground discipline.
2.
MAJOR OFFENCES
Major
offences are those behaviours that threaten the orderly function of the school,
are threatening to the safety or the well being of others and go beyond the
scope of the classroom teacher or supervisor. These usually include open
defiance to authority, physical or mental abuse of others, and continuous
disruptive behaviour.
Major offences will be handled by school administration with the input of the teacher and the parents. A plan of action will be decided, discussed by all parties concerned and acted upon. The consequences for major offences will be determined for each individual case. Continuous, major misbehavior will result in a progression of agreed upon consequences which may include in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, transfer to another school or program, assistance of out of school agencies and expulsion.
It
must be stated that only a very small segment of a school population ever
reaches this level of misbehavior. In
keeping with the school philosophy, the student will continue to receive all the
positive support we can muster to help him/her stay in school.
The school will continue to provide an appropriate program for the
student in an encouraging atmosphere.
D. POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
CONSEQUENCES
Teachers
will ensure that positive behaviour is given recognition. Students will know
when they have chosen behavior that is unacceptable.
They will be made aware of an appropriate way to behave in the situation.
Our goal is to help students see that they are responsible for their own
behaviour and that they are in control of themselves.
The choice is always with the students.
Where
student behavior and conduct is deemed inappropriate, the consequences and/or
corrective action will depend upon the seriousness/severity of the behaviour.
In many cases the consequence(s) may be actions, which result in the
student acknowledging and appreciating the inappropriateness of the behaviour
and suggesting a course of action, which may help them to prevent further
inappropriate behaviors. Central to such an approach is a belief that most children of
school age are capable of understanding the inappropriateness of their actions
and may, with assistance, suggest courses of action/consequences, which will
prevent further inappropriate behaviors of a similar nature.
In
many cases, contact with the home will also be made to describe the
inappropriate behavior(s) and the corrective action and/or consequences.
Attempts will be made to involve parents through several steps or levels
of consequences in situations of a reoccurring or enduring nature.
Depending upon the nature of the inappropriate behaviour, students may
also be referred to the School Resource Officer.
In cases of persistent unacceptable behaviour, a referral for
educational/psychological assessment, family counseling or to community or
government agencies will be considered. The
principal may proceed to a more serious consequence by omitting intermediate
steps in the discipline plan if the action is warranted in the principal’s
opinion.
The staff is committed to
increasing communication not only between teachers and students but also between
school and home. This may come in
the form of encouraging phone calls, positive notes home and positive
parent-teacher conferences. The school also keeps a record of all e-mail
addresses so contact through the Internet can also be maintained.
In summary, when inappropriate
behaviour occurs, the focus will be upon consequences that:
·
Are
natural and make common sense.
·
Are
designed to ensure the future safety of others in the school, and/or
·
Are
most likely to change the behaviour of the individual student whose behaviour
has been deemed inappropriate.