Policies & Procedures

Students must attend school regularly and be punctual. Parents should not allow their children to miss school for appointments, vacations or social events. Medical appointments should be scheduled on pedagogical days or after school.

Absences and Lates

When a student is absent or late, a parent must contact the school before 7:30 am and give the reason for the absence. If late, the student must report to the office before going to class. The school's answering machine is on from 3:30 pm to 8:00 am. When a student is absent, it is his/her responsibility to make up what was missed in class.

Early Dismissal

Students who must leave early must bring a written note to the homeroom teacher no later than that morning. In addition, please notify the school of any changes to the student's after school routine prior to 1:00 pm of that day. When parents arrive at school, they must report to the office.

Sickness

Students who are sick should remain at home. Parents will be requested to pick up their children, if they become sick at school. If the student is well enough to be at school, the student will go outside during recess and lunch.

Arrival at School in the Morning

Students walking to school are to arrive at school no earlier than 7:45 a.m. in the morning since teachers are not on supervision prior to this time.

Students must behave in a safe and cooperative manner at all times, both in and out of class. Follow all school and classroom rules.

General Conduct

All students are expected to treat other children with respect in all circumstances. Politeness, civil language, and consideration of others are expected. Swearing, rude behavior, pushing, shoving, yelling, fighting, play fighting, taxation and bullying are not permitted.

All school staff, which includes teachers, lunch supervisors, parent volunteers, caretakers, office staff and non-teaching professionals, are acting with the full authority of a parent. Students must obey them at all times. Insubordination can lead to serious disciplinary action.

Classroom Behaviour

Students must follow the rules set by each of their teachers and made known to them at the beginning of the year.

Lunchtime Behaviour

• On entering the lunch area, students proceed to their assigned area in a quiet and orderly fashion.
• Whenever announcements are made by a supervisor, they are expected to stop speaking and listen.
• Students are to remain seated during lunch.
• Students are to raise their hand and ask permission before going to the washroom.
• All trash is to be put in the plastic garbage bags.
• Food is not to be thrown and juice is not to be squirted at each other.
• Students are to line up and leave the gymnasium in an orderly fashion with their supervisors.
• There is to be no running or pushing in the hallway.
• Students' places must be left clean; i.e. table and floor.
• All students must go outdoors after lunch, except those students with lunch passes or those involved in activities.

Recess Behaviour

• Students must never leave the school yard.
• Snowball throwing in forbidden.
• Students should play in a courteous and respectful manner.
• Students should speak to each other politely.
• Only school balls or Nerf balls are allowed in the school yard. Footballs, baseballs, tennis balls, basketballs (other than the school one), soccer balls and plastic Frisbees are not permitted and may be confiscated by the supervisor.
• Once the bell has rung, all students must cease all play immediately, and prepare to enter the school.

Field Trips and Extra-Curricular Activities

All school rules and regulations are in effect during activities, whether in school or outside of school. The school dress code is mandatory.

Travelling within the School

Students must walk quietly in the school whether alone or with their class. Running is never permitted. Parents and visitors must report to the office when they enter the school.

Vandalism / Damage to School Property and Textbooks

If a child breaks or damages school property, or loses school textbooks, the parents must pay for the repair or replacement.

All books issued by the school are property of the school. Students must not scribble, draw or deface a book. Damaged or lost books must be paid in full. All books must be covered with clear plastic upon teachers' request.

Prohibited Items

Skateboards, baseball bats, all electronics, cell phones, iPads, mp3 players, laser pointers, and trading cards (i.e. pokemon, hockey, Magic) must not be brought to school or on the school buses. The school reserves the right to confiscate the above items.

Additional School Rules at a Glance

• Cigarettes, alcohol and all illegal drugs are not allowed on school property.
• Dangerous objects are not to be brought to school. These will be confiscated.
• Chewing gum is forbidden in school.
• No toys should be brought to school.
• Once students are dismissed at the end of the day, they may not return to their classes to get any material.
• Body tattoos and body paint are forbidden. Also, students are not permitted to write on their hands or on other body parts.
• Students must never open a school door to allow anyone to enter.
• It is not permitted to play in the staff parking lot where there are vehicles.
• Fighting and play-fighting are not permitted.
• Foul language and swearing are forbidden at all times. Verbal abuse will not be tolerated.

Students must follow the rules set by the bus driver, the bus company and the School Board. Students who misbehave on the school bus may be given a written notices or even suspended. In case of suspension, a student must be transported to school. The following Bus Safety Rules must be followed:

• Students must have their bus passes at all times when boarding the bus.
• The bus pass must be easily visible to the bus driver.
• Line up, wait for the bus to come to a complete stop, and then board the bus.
• Do not loiter on the steps of the bus or in the aisles. When you're on the bus, sit in your seat and stay there for the duration of the journey.
• While you are seated, your feet must be in front of you; never in the aisle.
• Nothing is to be thrown around the bus at any time; it's dangerous for the children and obstructs the driver's view.
• Arms, hands and heads stay inside the bus at all times.
• Loud noises, shouting, swearing and actions of this nature are not allowed.
• Throwing things out of the bus windows is not allowed.
• When you get off the bus, take your time and get off in an orderly manner.
• All sports equipment such as skates must be kept in a vinyl bag.

The following consequences are in effect for students who violate any Rules of Conduct and Safety:

1. Discussion, reprimand and warning
2. Written report
3. Communication with parents written assignment related to the action
4. School detention
5. Loss of recreational activities
6. Case conference with parents
7. Pay for damage, where appropriate
8. In-school suspension
9. Out-of-school suspension

The safety of children is always a priority at Gerald McShane School. Parents must assist by respecting the following rules:

• It is forbidden to use the teachers' parking lot as a drop-off and pick-up zone.
• Also never block the entrance to our parking lots.
• Parents/relatives who accompany their children to school on foot or by car should escort them to the school yard entrance.
• It is prohibited and dangerous to park your cars on Rolland where other cars are forced to double park to drop off their children who, as a result, have to walk between parked or moved cars.
• Do not allow your children to cross a street between parked cars. Teach your children to cross at street corners. Please stay out of the school yard. It is only for children and staff.
• Parents visiting the school are only to use the main front office door entrance and must always report to the office.
• Parents are not to accompany their children to class or go to class to pick-up their children. The office will be pleased to help you.
• Parents must be on time when picking up their children. Children whose parents are late may be sent to daycare, in which case the regular fee will apply.

The student agenda book is compulsory. Parents are asked to verify that their child's homework is done. Please sign. Also verify communications from the teacher.

What is Homework?

It is based on lessons taught in class. Children should be able to do it alone. However, parents may have to help. Assignments can be of various types; written homework studying reviewing or memorizing material taught in class preparing a project reading a book or doing research.

Why do Teachers Give Homework?

To develop regular and independent work habits To reinforce class work To develop responsibility To complete work no finished in class To reinforce skills taught in class

Approximately How Much Homework is Given?

Considering that each student is different, the following is what we consider to be the time to be spent on homework each night:

What are the Responsibilities of the Student?

• To write his/her homework down in an agenda used only for this purpose.
• To bring home all the materials needed to do the homework properly.
• To do all the written work as neatly as the teacher would expect it to be done in class.
• To bring home the appropriate books to study or read.
• At the senior levels, if a long term project is assigned, to do it gradually and not all at the deadline.

What are the Responsibilities of the Teacher?

• To assign homework based on material taught in school.
• To notify parents if a pupil is not doing his/her work on a regular basis.
• To ask that a parent sign the homework copy if necessary.
• Within a few days, to correct the written work and test the study assignments.
• To provide students with guidelines when a project is assigned and to explain the process of preparing a project.

What are the Roles of the Parents?

• To make sure that the homework is done and to support the child and school.
• To provide a quiet, well-lighted place for study, not near a T.V., computer, etc.
• To schedule a regular (not too late in the evening) time for homework and insist that this time is only for school work.
• To sign the agenda each day, if requested by the teacher, and to do this after having checked that the work is done.
• To encourage your child to read. Reading is one of the main keys to success in school. Parents should read to their younger children as often as possible so as to instill in them a love of reading.
• To inform the teacher if your child, on a regular basis, is spending too much or too little time on homework. It is only by working together that children will succeed.

The habits which children acquire at Gerald McShane are those which they will carry to high school and later endeavors.

As providing a safe environment for our students is a major concern, we wish to remind all parents that a peanut/nut free environment cannot be guaranteed in our school as complete avoidance of all allergens is not possible.

Students at risk of anaphylactic reactions should only eat food prepared from their home. They should refrain from buying food from outside suppliers (hot lunch programs, fundraising pizza lunches) or school cafeterias and from consuming food offered through nutritional support programs. Although peanuts or nut products are not used in the preparation of the meals/snacks in these suppliers’ production kitchens, cross-contamination may have occurred on site, in transit or at the original source of the primary ingredients (e.g. Plant X producing chicken nuggets as well as products containing nut/peanut derivatives).

Furthermore, please take particular note that:

• Peanut or nut free labeling is not government regulated, since the presence of peanuts or nuts cannot be tested.
• A list of ingredients free of peanuts/nuts does not equal safe, since “May contain traces of peanuts/nuts” labeling is not mandatory or controlled. Consequently, it it is not possible to reduce the risk to zero and to create a peanut/nut free environment.

Therefore, no packaged/processed food can be guaranteed as peanut/nut free. To prevent accidental exposure to peanuts or nuts, all parents should prioritize fruits and vegetables and milk products as snacks and desserts.

All students must come to school wearing white tops (shirts, t-shirts, blouses). There must be no designs, advertising, team name, picture or drawings on these white tops. The bottoms (pants, skirts, tunics) must be black with no words or pictures on the pants.

Students may wear a red sweater over their white top. Jeans and jean look-a-like pants (double stitching, outside pockets or metal studs) may not be worn at school. mdiuniform

Students must wear closed shoes or running shoes in school at all times. For safety reasons on sandals with a back strap are permitted.

Students may not wear make-up of any sort; the midriff must be covered at all times. Only natural color of hair or streaks (natural colors only) will be permitted. It is recommended that students not wear gaudy (flashy, showy, excessive) jewelry.

During the warm months, students may wear black bermudas.

Students are not to wear spaghetti-strap tops, jogging pants, tights, spandex shorts or spandex pants, mini-skirts, army fatigues or denim jeans, jackets, vests or skirts.

For physical education students must wear the Gerald McShane physical education t-shirt with the school name and the black shorts or jogging pants with the school name.

The dress code is to be followed every day during classes as well as at Daycare.

Physical Education

In order to develop good health habits and a good sense of well being at school, students must change into their gym outfit for physical education class.

For the same reason, students are expected to change back into their school dress code after physical education class. The running shoes should fit and be in good form in order to avoid accidents. Any other form of shoes is not permitted.

Jewelry, including bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings and watches, cannot be worn on days when physical education is scheduled. Also students with long hair should have it tied back in a pony tail or at least in such a way that it is out of their faces.

Older students are strongly encouraged to have with them a stick deodorant that they may use prior to physical education class.

GMS Student Agenda 2020-2021