Peacock Primary School

3. We set goals and it is the responsibility of all staff and students to achieve these goals with the highest possible outcomes.

4. We recognize the worth of each individual, encourage respect for differences and instill in each individual a sense of self-pride.

5. We accommodate all around growth – academic, artistic, physical, moral, social, etc.

6. We expect each staff member to make a personal commitment to provide a pleasant, positive school atmosphere.

7. We assess the needs of all students at the end of the year with a view to providing an organized program to address identified needs.

The A.S.K. program designates expected behaviours at Peacock Primary, to create a positive, safe and cooperative environment.

Our aim is to provide consistent guidelines for behavioural expectations for students and provide a safe opportunity for them to use their best judgement in meeting expectations. Consequences for unacceptable behaviour will be based on “how serious” and “how often” such behaviours occur.

A.S.K. Rules

In order for all staff to be consistent with all students the following standards apply:

In the hallway we:

walk facing forward
stay to the right
remain quiet
stay in line
dress in the classroom
ask permission to go to the washroom
socialize in our own classroom, not the hallway

At lunchtime we:

wash our hands
say grace
use our manners and are polite
use inside voices
eat healthy things first
stay seated while eating
clean up our eating area
wait in our class if we need a teacher unless it is an emergency

On the playground we:

stay off the fence
play safely and kindly
go down the slide only
wait our turn
pick up all garbage and put it in the garbage can
line up when the bell rings
use good language
stay out of the trees and bushes outside the fence
treat others the way we like to be treated
stay away from the garbage dumpsters and the sheds

At the arena we:

go to the dressing rooms to put on our skates. Non-skaters go too.
wait until a teacher lets us on the ice.
stay where the teacher tells us if we are not skating or we need a rest.
skate on our feet and say no when someone offers to carry us.
skate by ourselves and say no when someone tries to get us to make a human train.
all skate in the same direction.
say no when someone tries to get us to play tag or similar games.
say no when someone tries to buy us drinks from the vending machines

Lunchtime at school consists of two parts, 11:30-11:55 eating, and 11:55-12:25 supervised play. Our policy for supervised play is that all students go outside from 11:55 to 12:15 on days when the weather is suitable unless they are involved in some in-school activity, i.e. Intramurals, Choir.

We have had requests in the past to keep children inside but we are unable to do this since all teachers on lunch duty are required outside and students cannot be left unsupervised in the building.

The following guidelines have been established to determine when we stay inside:

We encourage you to have your child dressed appropriately every day for outdoor play.

In an effort to make our lunch breaks run as smoothly as possible, we request that all parents follow the guidelines listed below:

Ø If you are dropping off a lunch for your child, please assure it is here by 11:30.

Ø If lunches arrive late, the parent must stay to supervise their child while he/she eats their lunch. The teachers on duty will be going outside with the other students.

Pizza is provided by Pizza Delight every Friday at a cost of $2 per slice. Orders are taken on Thursday morning and faxed by 9:45 a.m.

We go outside to the playground at lunchtimes unless conditions are unacceptable and temperature is below -15°C windchill. An announcement is made just before lunch as to whether we will be going out.

In planning for the safety of our children during winter weather and on other occasions, the following guidelines will be used by school authorities for closing schools:

NOTE: The temperatures listed are the new windchill factors approved, published and reported by Environment Canada in 2001-2002.

All announcements concerning cancellation of schools should be made by the appropriate local media (CBC and VOCM) servicing the community not later than 1 hour before the commencement of the morning session and for closure of the afternoon session at least 1 hour before the end of the a.m. session. These announcements will identify closure of schools for either the day, morning session or afternoon session, depending on the grade level/severity of the weather and forecast of the day.

The following procedures will be implemented for closure of school in Labrador East.

If schools are closed in the morning for only Kindergarten – Grade 3, then a further announcement will be made regarding the afternoon session at least 1 hour before the end of the a.m. session. Announcements will be made via the media as classes may resume or may be cancelled for the afternoon session, depending on weather conditions. If schools are open in the p.m., busses will begin their routes at 11:30 a.m. and classes will begin at 12:15 p.m. and dismiss at the regular time.

If schools are closed in the morning for only Kindergarten – Grade 7, then a further announcement will be made regarding the afternoon session at least 1 hour before the end of the a.m. session. Announcements will be made via the media as classes may resume or may be cancelled for the afternoon session, depending on weather conditions. If schools are open in the p.m., busses will begin their routes at 11:30 a.m. for Peacock Primary School and Queen of Peace Middle School. Afternoon classes will begin at 12:15 p.m. and dismiss at the regular time at these schools.

If schools are closed in the morning for Kindergarten – Grade 12, then a further announcement will be made regarding the afternoon session at least 1 hour before the end of the a.m. session. Announcements will be made via the media as classes may resume or may be cancelled for the afternoon session, depending on weather conditions. If schools are open in the p.m. busses will follow these guidelines:

a) Buses for Kindergarten to Grade 7 will begin the regular bus routes beginning at 11:30 a.m. School for Kindergarten to Grade 7 will reopen at 12:15 p.m. and dismiss at the regular time.

b) Busses for Grades 8 – 12 will cover their regular routes beginning at 12:15 p.m. School for Mealy Mountain Collegiate will reopen at 1:00 p.m. and dismiss at the regular time.

a) If schools are open in the morning, then they will remain open until the next normal dismissal time for students.

ii) Students who would normally remain in school for lunch and the normal dismissal time is at the end of the school day then they will remain in school. In this case, parents should expect their children home at the regular time. Busses will drop students off as per the regular routes. Busses may take a little longer if weather conditions are poor. Safety is the priority.

Parents are advised to use their own discretion in sending their children to school when school remains open in poor weather. They should take into consideration their child’s age, maturity, health, the road conditions and visibility in the community, and whether their child walks to school or waits for a bus.

It is very important that all students dress properly for the weather. The temperature guidelines for closing schools have been established with safety as priority. Students should dress adequately in cold weather.

Parents must call the school if their child is not attending for the day. When students return to school they must bring a note explaining why they have been absent from school.

Parents/Guardians are requested to identify to the principal all students who may have life threatening allergies to food, as well as any medical conditions dealing with the health of your child that the school should be aware of.

Many children have allergies. A few, however, is life threatening. Some children, for example, are severely allergic to peanuts and nuts (anaphylaxis). This is a medical condition that causes a severe reaction to specific foods and can result in death within minutes. This includes any food that has peanuts, peanut oil, or peanut flour in it. The child may have a reaction if any item containing peanuts is even in their proximity. At this time we know we will have at least 5 students with life threatening allergies to peanuts.

Prevention, of course, is the best approach, and therefore, we are requesting your cooperation in refraining from sending these food products to school with your child. Food labels should be checked for ingredients as some foods may have peanuts or peanut oil as a hidden ingredient. I realize this request poses an inconvenience for you when packing your child’s snack and lunch; however, I wish to express our appreciation for your support and understanding with this.

We understand that vacation times for some families do not coincide with school breaks. However, this does sometimes cause problems for students and teachers when the students return to school after a long absence.

It has been our experience that long absences from school often have a negative impact on the academic progress of students.

We encourage you, therefore, to help us by preventing this where possible. If this is not possible please discuss it with your child’s teacher at least one week before leaving on vacation.

Grades 2 and 3 classes at Peacock participate in swimming and all grades participate in skating on a regular basis. Check your child’s monthly calendar for times.

Research shows the most stressful and hurtful event for a child is not receiving a birthday invitation while others around them do. Therefore, the school will not permit the distribution of birthday invitations. Teachers often find themselves being asked to pass out some invitations or permit students to do so. Teachers also find themselves having to deal with the hurt created by this situation.

- We cannot make exception if parents say they have an invitation for all students. This approach would give special privileges to some because they are having a bigger party than others.

Students in grades 1, 2 and 3 will be informed of their new teacher in September

If parents are going to pick up their child on a regular basis or periodically they are to wait in the foyer by the Library or the Principal’s Office. Parents are to let their child know where they will be waiting and they will be sent to the appropriate area before busses are loaded.

Students are required to have a note if they are being picked up. If parents are picking up their child on a regular basis one note to the teacher will suffice. If they are picking up their child periodically a note is required each time. If a student does not have a note he/she will be put in the bus line.

Classes end at 2:05 and dismissal starts at this time. For safety reasons we cannot accept children “just telling” us they are being picked up. If we do not have a note from a parent they will be put on their regular bus.

Students are not permitted to bring electronic games (gameboys, etc.), trading cards (Yu-gi-oh, etc.), or toys to school. Past practice shows expensive toys get lost or broken and trading cards can create problems and bad feelings between students. Students should not bring toys to school with the exception of Show and Tell Days. During non-structured time, students are to be encouraged to socialize and utilize classroom resources and centres.

Knowledge	Skills
Math concepts Geography Family, community, country, world Self awareness (strengths, weaknesses, learning style, feelings) Healthy living Aesthetics (art, music, drama, dance) Cultures Scientific facts and concepts Environmental issues Socially acceptable norms Knowing where to find information About change and changing Solving problems Computer literate (know how computers can help you) Geography and history	Language (reading, writing, speaking, listening) Math Science experiments Computers (games, keyboarding) Independence (i.e., dressing) Problem solving Research Communicating/cooperating with others (people skills/social skills) Ø Expression Ø Interaction Ø Sharing Ø Managing differences and conflicts Work habits Ø Time management Ø Organization Ø Presentation Social skills Ø Self discipline Ø Manners Leadership Dealing with change Physical (fine and large motor)
Values	Experiences
Respect for self, others, and property Respect for diversity Friendship Empathy Kindness and caring Honesty Responsibility for actions and behaviours Love of learning Harmony/resolving differences/sharing Work ethics Sportsmanship Pride in work/accomplishments Persistence Healthy life style nutrition, fitness and personal hygiene Family	Concerts Assemblies Physical activities (swimming, skating, bowling) Recycling Labrador Culture (ski-dooing, ice fishing, military exposure) Art, exhibitions, theatre, dance (as a participant and as a spectator Outreach (community service) Field days/field trips Church Teamwork Music (singing for pleasure) Experiential French Canadian Culture Career fair Heritage (i.e., veterans) Transition activities Creative Arts, Music Festival Life Skills Volunteering

Peacock Primary School Guiding Principles