News from John Howitt ElementarySeptember 8, 2009 Issue #1

“Creating a caring, joyful school environment that inspires respectful interactions, recognizes individual strengths and needs, and encourages life-long learning”.

Welcome to an exciting year of learning! A very special welcome goes out to all new students and their families as well as to our new staff members. We hope that all our families enjoyed a safe and relaxing summer.

Teaching staff and support staff have been in and out of the school over the last three weeks with an air of anticipation and excitement in preparation for your children.

PRINCIPAL Mr. D. Homan

Div. 1 Grade 4/5 Mrs. J. DawsonDiv. 2 Grade 4/5 Ms. M. GirardDiv. 3 Grade 3/4 Mrs. L. BoyceDiv. 4 Grade 2/3 Mrs. J. ChaseDiv. 5 Grade 2 Mrs. G. LeakeyDiv. 6 Grade 1/2 Mrs. L. SoutherDiv. 7 Grade 1 Ms. J. LenormandDiv. 8 Kindergarten AM Mrs. C. YochimDiv. 9 Kindergarten PM Mrs. C. Yochim

Learning Assistance Mrs. WoodfinMusic Mrs. E. PlatzLibrarian Mrs. E. PlatzTech Ed Mrs. TomsSpecial Ed. Resource Teacher (SERT)/ Mrs. M. Woodfin / Mrs. B. SmithCounsellor Mrs. RossGuided Reading Teacher Mrs. Woodfin/Mrs. PlatzNative Education Support Teacher Mrs. S. Cook

Speech and Language Pathologist Mrs. C. Low

Personal Attendant Mrs. H. LaviolettePersonal Attendant Mrs. T. ClydesdalePersonal Attendant Mrs. S. GillPersonal Attendant Mrs. G. SewardIntegration Support Mrs. J. LongeuayIntegration Support Mrs. J. Clarke

Secretary Ms. T. Gunderson

Noon Hour Supervisors Mrs. J. ClarkeMrs. LavioletteMrs. GillMrs. SewardMrs. Longeuay

Custodian Mr. C. Mallon

CLASS COMPOSITION

The cooperation and understanding of parents is always appreciated during the month of September when adjustments to classes may be necessary to meet Ministry guidelines. If it becomes necessary to relocate students from one room to another, both the student and parent will be notified prior to the move.

STUDENT SAFETY

Safety has been and continues to be a number one priority at John Howitt. Over the last few years the safety committee worked on a safe drop-off and pick-up procedure, before and after school. Please note the following directions and follow the traffic flow patterns.

KEEPING OUR STUDENTS SAFE

School Drop-off and Pick-up:

To ensure that all our students are safe at the beginning and end of the school day, we are asking you to respect the BUS LOOP ZONE at the paved west end of the school. The only vehicles that have access to this area besides buses and day-care vans are those that are transporting students who have special physical needs.

To ensure student safety at the beginning and end of the day, we ask that those of you who are approaching the school from the South on Tebo continue along Shaughnessy after you have dropped off or picked up your child. Similarly, if you are approaching the school from Shaughnessy, we ask that you continue along Tebo for a block before turning for your return home. These plans avoid the need for turning around at the end of Tebo, a practice that has caused congestion in the past and threatened the safety of our children.

Simply put - PLEASE, NO ‘U’ TURNS near the school.

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Parents follow the route our buses take, Tebo – Shaughnessy, preventing the second trip through the crossing area.

Shaughnessy

XTebo X buses

X

Parents parked on the opposite side of the street, please approach via Shaughnessy.

XX TeboX

This prevents turning at the end and doubling back through the crossing.

In addition: Kindergarten parents are asked to back in to the Kindergarten lots prior to dismissal time so that you can leave facing front to allow you maximum visibility of arriving and departing older students.

Similarly, we ask that any parent using the main staff parking lot to also back in to maximize visibility and safety of students. We also ask that you leave “Staff” designated parking spaces for the staff only. Many arrive and leave with large bundles of classroom business each day.

We thank you for your cooperation and understanding in this matter as we all work together for the safety of our students.

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BIKE SAFETY

Be Bike Smart! Wear your helmet and lock your bike! A big hurrah for all those students who brought their bikes with locks and helmets. You are being very road-wise and safe. In the interest of student safety, this year we will be enforcing the helmet law. This week students without helmets will be reminded of the legislation. Next week, any student not wearing a bike

helmet while riding his/her bike will have the bike retained at the school until an adult can pick it up.

STUDENT AGENDAS

The purchase of agendas for divisions 1 – 5 have been supported by the PAC. The PAC has generously covered the full cost of the agenda books this year. On behalf of the Howitt community we thank you. Please ignore the important dates section of the agenda as an error was made and the dates are wrong. Please refer to the school calendar section of this newsletter for the correct dates. Sorry for the inconvenience.

COMFORT KITS

During the next couple of weeks we will be sending home a newsletter to new students regarding the materials required in student comfort kits. The comfort kits will be stored in our emergency preparedness container in case of an emergency.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS HELP HOWITT HUM!We have a long tradition of parent involvement at John Howitt Elementary with a wide variety of opportunities available for parent volunteers. For its size, our school community is very rich in resources and opportunities for our students thanks to the committed efforts of our parents over the years as they have worked with staff to make John Howitt a cohesive learning community dedicated to student success.

To ensure consistency among our volunteer forces, Mr. Homan will be meeting with each group of volunteers before a particular activity begins.

Parent Classroom Support and/or Sports Coaching Opportunities: Individual teachers and sports sponsors will contact you regarding opportunities that will exist in their classrooms or as extra-curricular activities as specific needs arise over the course of the year.

Volunteers will sign in at the office and pick up a “volunteer” button to wear so our student population can recognize those folks as another helpful adult they

may approach.

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SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM

This program, designed to ensure that all our students arrive safely to school each day, operates in most schools in SD 70 (Alberni). It is well respected and supported. We are always in need of more parent volunteers to ensure the full operation of this program. The more volunteers we have the shorter the shift for each person. Please contact Tanya Tardif at 724-6255 if able to volunteer.

How the Program works: If your child is unable to attend school on a particular day you can phone 723-1674 to let us know. You will get a recorded greeting on our Safe Arrival answering machine that instructs you about what to do. The answering machine is used only for the Safe Arrival Program and is available to you 24 hours a day. The leaflet at the end of the newsletter explains in detail how to access the service. If you prefer you may email your child’s absence to tgunderson@sd70.bc.ca

At 9:00 am the teachers will take attendance and the information will be collected in the office. At 9:05 am, a volunteer parent, as a member of the Safe Arrival Team, will call the home of each absent student whose parent had not called into the answering machine. The caller will simply say, “Your child has not arrived at school today.” To avoid our call please call us first. Thank you, in advance, for your support of this valuable service.

PARENT LIBRARY HELPERS

For many years our library has benefited from a large group of dedicated volunteer parents. We are always in need of new volunteers for this service. If you have signed up as a volunteer for this service, you will be called for an orientation meeting within the next few weeks.

IMPORTANT SCHEDULES

SCHOOL HOURS

As we have several parents new to our school again this year we would like to clarify our hours of operation. We run from 9:00 am to 2:45 pm We are asking that you keep your child(ren) home until at least 8:40 am since that is when the teachers begin their supervision duty (unless a prior arrangement has been made with the classroom teacher or a sports coach, of course).

Recess is at 10:30 am. We urge all children to go outside at this break for fresh air and a stretch. Children should be prepared with appropriate dress for the changing weather during the recess breaks. Layers of clothing are especially important for the fall and spring seasons. As you are well aware, temperatures vary greatly from morning to afternoon in these seasons in the valley.

Our lunch hour is from 12:00 noon to 12:45 pm. Children play outdoors for the first 30 minutes and eat their lunch for the last 15 minutes. “Rainy Day Games”, computer lab and gym activities are offered on the rainy days. We also allow students who are dressed appropriately to go outside on poor weather days if they desire. Children will only be kept inside if the weather is extreme (heavy rain or wind).

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SECRETARY HOURSMs. Gunderson is in the office 8:30 – 3:00. If you need to phone the school it is best to phone between those hours.

TOBACCO CONTROL ACT

Section 2.2 of this new legislation came into effect on September 2, 2007. With a limited exception for the ceremonial use of tobacco, the new legislation prohibits all persons from smoking or using tobacco, or holding lighted tobacco, in or on school property.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES

We ask that all children refrain from bringing electronic devices (DS, IPODS, digital cameras etc.) In the past we have not had a policy prohibiting these devices from school however, we are finding far too many children indulging in these activities rather than being active and socializing during their recess and lunch breaks. We have also had a few issues with children losing them or having them damaged. It is for those reasons we are asking you to please leave all electronic devices at home. Thank you for your support.

SCHOOL PHONE

Please note that our school phone is only available to students for emergency situations. For example the child is ill and needing to go home or the child was not picked up after school. The phone is not intended for student use to arrange “play dates” after school.

Please ensure children have arranged “play dates” prior to arrival at school.

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SCHOOL CALENDARTo assist you in your long-term planning the following days are listed as days that will not be in session for students at John Howitt Elementary:

September 25 - Curriculum Implementation DayOctober 12 - Thanksgiving DayOctober 23 - Provincial Professional DayOctober 27,28,29,30 - Parent/Teacher InterviewsNovember 11 - Remembrance DayNovember 27 - Professional DayDecember 21 – January1 - Winter VacationFebruary 26 - Professional DayMarch 8-12 - Spring Vacation April 2 - Good FridayApril 5 - Easter Monday April 19 - Professional DayMay 24 - Victoria DayMay 31 - Professional DayJune 29 - Last day of school for students

UPCOMING DATES

September 24 - Open House September 25 - Curriculum Implementation Day – no school for children

October 8 - Picture Day

Mr. D. Homan

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John Howitt Elementary SchoolSafe Arrival Program

We are ready to begin this program. Parents will be “manning” the answering machine beginning the first Wednesday.

The Safe Arrival number is: 723-1674

You can call this number at any time up to 9:00 am on the day that your child is absent. The answering machine will always be operational.

When you call, please be ready to say:

This is _________________________calling. _________________ (your name) (Child’s first and last name)

who is in _______________________class will be absent (or late) today. (teacher’s name)

At this point you may add any other necessary information.

Here is the procedure we will be following if we do not know where your child is:

1. Check with a sister or brother at school.2. Phone home again.3. Phone “emergency numbers” 1, 2, and 3.4. Phone parent work numbers.5. Contact principal or secretary to see what to do next.6. Final option - when all else fails – call police.

SO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, BE SURE TO CALL 723-1674.

May we suggest that you post this new phone number near the telephone so it is available when you need it. The phone will ring twice and then you will hear the message.

Remember the number is: 723-1674

(LATE STUDENTS MUST CHECK IN AT THE OFFICE!)

Parents picking student up early must check your child out at the office.

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PARENT QUESTIONNAIRE

I would like to help out at John Howitt Elementary School

__________________________________ ___________________ Name Phone Number

__________________________________ Child’s Name

Safe Arrival Program____________________________________________________

Library Helper __________________________________________________________

Food Days _____________________________________________________________

Book Fair Volunteer ____________________________________________________

Coaching ________________________________________________________

Other __________________________________________________________

E-MAIL ADDRESSES

If you would like to receive Newsletters and updates via e-mail we will add your address to our confidential school e-mail list.

______________________________ __________________________________Name E-mail address

______________________________ __________________________________Name E-Mail Address

With this newsletter is a Verification Form that shows the information we have for your child in our schools computer system. If you could look over the form, make any changes necessary directly on the form and return them before September 18 we will bring our system up to date. Please return them even if no changes have been made so we can confirm you have checked the information. If for some reason you didn’t receive the Verification Form please contact the Secretary, Ms. Gunderson, for another one.

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