Policy Handbook
2020/2021
Rycroft School Mission Statement
Rycroft School strives to be a:
Respectful and safe environment where we promote
Achievement
Individuality
Diversity and
Equality/equity to foster our students to become
Responsible and
Successful citizens
Welcome from Principal
Welcome back to Rycroft School! I hope you are all ready for a wonderful and exciting school year!
Our goal is to provide the best academic instruction and support for our students in a safe, positive and caring environment.
I wish us all a successful school year!
Mrs. Julie Hynes
Principal
780-765-3830
juliehynes@pwsd76.ab.ca
Over the course of a school year, there are often questions that arise regarding certain policies or procedures at Rycroft School. This handbook is meant to provide a brief overview of that information, as well as our expectations of students. This year we are including a condensed version of the handbook with our agendas. I hope that this will be useful to parents and students.
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this handbook or about the programs or policies in the school, please phone, or stop in. We believe communication between parents and the school is key to operating a successful school. The staff are concerned with your child's progress and development and we will make every effort to do what is in your child's best interest.
We hope everyone will take the opportunity to be involved in the special events and activities within the school so you can get to know the staff and school better. Your involvement makes our school such as great place for everyone.
Peace Wapiti Public School Division: Grande Prairie 780-532-8133: Spirit River 780-864-3741
Rycroft School Profile
Rycroft School is located in the Village of Rycroft, seventy kilometers north of Grande Prairie, Alberta. Rycroft is one of twenty-five schools in the Peace Wapiti Public School Division. Our school has an enrollment of approximately 85 students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade Eight. Our classes begin at 8:30 am and run until 3:30 pm. Due to our extended day, Rycroft School operates on a Compressed School Week (CSW) schedule and the school is closed on thirteen Fridays throughout the year. Our double graded classes vary in size from fourteen to twenty-three students.
Students learn and practice the important qualities of good citizenship on a daily basis. Our school rules reflect this philosophy:
Be Safe.
Be Responsible.
Be Respectful.
Students receive a well-rounded education and we are proud of their many successes, whether it is in academics, arts, or athletics. Elementary and junior high students participate in daily physical education classes.
Opportunities abound for students to find success outside the classroom. Extra-curricular sports include cross-country running, volleyball, basketball, badminton, track and field and softball at the junior high level, and cross-country running, soccer, floor hockey, volleyball, and softball at the elementary level.
Student Accident Insurance Program
Peace Wapiti Public School Division has a Student Accident Insurance Program that protects students and their families from some of the high costs of injury from accidents. The Student Accident Insurance program provides coverage for medical, dental, disability, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance on behalf of students participating in any school activities, including student transportation and school sanctioned events and field trips. All students are covered under the Division plan.
Parents/Guardians may wish to purchase additional coverage (summertime, weekend, and other non-school days) at their own cost; information packages are available at the schools. For all claims, please contact your school for a claim form.
School Year At A Glance
2020/2021
August 27 Professional Learning Day February 1 Early Dismissal 3:00pm
August 28 Professional Learning Day February 12 CSW – No School
August 31 Organizational Day February 15 Family Day – No School
September 1 First Day of Classes for K-8 February 26 CSW – No School
September 2 First Day of Classes for Jr. K March 1 Early Dismissal 3:00pm
September 7 No School Labour Day March 4 Teachers Convention
September 14 Early Dismissal 3:00pm March 5 Teachers Convention
September 18 No School PD Day March 19 Non Operational Day
October 5 Early Dismissal 3:00pm April 2 Good Friday – No School
October 9 No School CSW April 5 Easter Break begins
October 12 Thanksgiving Day April 12 Classes resume
October 30 No School CSW April 12 Early Dismissal 3:00pm
November 2 Early Dismissal 3:00pm April 30 CSW – No School
November 11 Remembrance Day, No School May 3 Early Dismissal 3:00pm
November 20 PD Day – No School May 7 CSW – No School
November 27 CSW – No School May 21 CSW – No School
December 7 Early Dismissal 3:00pm May 24 Victoria Day – No School
December 11 CSW – No School May 28 CSW – No School
December 21 Christmas Break Begins June 4 CSW – No School
January 4 Students Return to School June 7 Early Dismissal 3:00pm
January 4 Early Dismissal 3:00pm June 16 Last day for Jr. Kindergarten
January 15 CSW – No School June 17 Last day for Kindergarten
January 29 PD Day June 18 CSW – No School
June 25 Last day for students
Bell Schedule
Reg Day
(Bell) 8:15 Buses unload, Student Entry Permitted
8:25 Warning Bell
8:28 National Anthem and Announcements
8:30 Period 1 begins (30 min)
9:00 Period 2 begins (30 min)
9:30 Period 3 begins (30 min)
(Bell) 10:00 Recess starts (15 min)
10:15 Period 4 begins (30 min)
10:45 Period 5 begins (30 min)
11:15 Period 6 begins (30 min)
11:45 Noon Recess starts (30 min)
12:15 Lunch break starts (30 min)
12:45 Period 7 begins (30 min)
1:15 Period 8 begins (30 min)
1:45 Period 9 begins (30 min)
(Bell) 2:15 Recess starts (15 min)
2:30 Period 10 begins (30 min)
3:00 Period 11 begins (30 min)
(Bell) 3:30 (3:00) Dismissal (Early Day dismissal -1/2 hour earlier)
Early Dismissal is on the first School day Monday of every month.
Attendance
Regular and punctual attendance is essential for every student in order to have the best chance of success at school. The School Act of Alberta requires all students to attend school each day that the school is in session, unless he or she is unable to attend school because of illness or some other unavoidable cause. When a student accumulates a significant number of absences (10 – 15%), an attendance notification letter will be sent home. Further accumulation of absences will necessitate a conference with parents, student, teacher and principal. Please call the school if you plan on keeping your child home from school for any reason.
Any student who is not at school, will be marked absent for attendance if we have not heard from the parent or guardian. If we have been contacted we will mark the student as per one of the following: Late or leaving early, Health Appointment, Illness, Absent Family (no reason given for student to be away), Absent Vacation or Cancelled bus. Students who are ill are asked to request assigned work from a classmate or the teacher(s) when they return. Teachers may adjust timelines for work missed due to an excusable absence. Parents, who plan to have their student out of school, should notify their teacher(s) as early as possible. Teachers will make an effort to provide the student with assigned work for their absence, provided that the student asks for the work and that the work is readily available.
Discipline Policy
Focus:
At Rycroft School, all staff supports a school environment where children are safe, responsible, and respectful.
Be Safe
Be Responsible
Be Respectful
Whether it is in the hallway, on the playground, toward another student, or toward a staff member, it is expected that all persons in the school are safe, responsible, and respectful to both themselves and others around them. Everyone who abides by these three simple rules contributes to an enjoyable work place for all.
Procedure:
There may be time when students do not live up to these expectations and actions must be taken to promote safe, responsible, and respectful behaviors. The following steps are to be considered whenever dealing with inappropriate behaviors:
1. The teacher / supervisor is the first line of discipline and must employ a variety of strategies including reminders to keep students on task and displaying appropriate behaviors. At this stage, the focus of such strategies should be on improvement rather than punishment.
2. Communication with parents / guardians is essential.
3. The role of the school administrator is to support teachers and assist when necessary. Should assistance be required, the teacher / supervisor will inform the school administrator.
4. If disciplinary actions are necessary, they may include retribution, assignment of extra work, detention, suspension, or referral to Peace Wapiti Public School Board for an extended suspension or expulsion.
5. Students who fail to improve behavior following disciplinary action will be subject to increased consequences.
6. Recommendation of suspensions for periods exceeding five days will be referred to the Peace Wapiti Public School Board.
Definitions:
Unacceptable behaviors are those that contravene the school expectations of being safe, being respectful, and being responsible and including all aspects of bullying:
Physical Aggression: pushing, hitting, grabbing, pinching, spitting, tripping, etc.
Social Alienation: gossiping, embarrassing others, verbal or racial slurs, group exclusion, etc.
Verbal Aggression: mocking, put-downs, swearing at others, etc.
Intimidation: threats, dirty tricks, etc.
Sexual Harassment: remarks, gestures, or actions of a sexual nature
Behaviors that may warrant automatic suspensions include:
fighting,
theft,
vandalism,
swearing at others,
lying,
disrespectful behavior,
compromising safety,
repeat offenses,
bullying
Suspensions from classes for one to five days may be issued for any of the above actions. Suspensions may be: in-school or out-of-school, subject to the decision of the school administrator.
Dress Code
Students are expected to dress in a manner that is consistent with self-respect and which is acceptable to everyone. Clothing with offensive graphics or slogans or which attracts undue attention is not acceptable.
Different forms of dress are appropriate in different situations. Dress of students should contribute to a school atmosphere conducive to learning. Rycroft School encourages students, under the supervision of their parents, to maintain high standards of dress, grooming and appearance that comply with the dress code. Parents and students carry the responsibility for adhering to the school's dress code.
Rycroft School dress code prohibits the following"
- Clothing that is offensive, discriminatory, suggestive, violent, gory, or has inappropriate language or graphics;
- Clothing that promotes alcohol or drug use;
- Clothing that reveals undergarments;
- Clothing that exposes the breast, buttocks, and/or majority of the midriff;
- Clothing that obscures the face
Students wearing unacceptable clothing or lack of clothing will be asked to change, or cover up. Headgear or hats for all students in all grades are not acceptable in the classroom, with the exception of special events. Footwear that will damage the floors will not be permitted. All students need a pair of "inside shoes‟ as well as their outdoor footwear in order to help maintain the cleanliness of the building.
Homework
In order for homework assignments and review to contribute to the educational growth of a student, it needs to be done on a regular basis.
Parents can support a child's interest in lifelong learning by encouraging good study habits and providing a quality-learning environment in the home.
- Provide a quiet, well-lit place for students to do homework and study.
- Set aside a pre-determined and regular homework and study time.
- Take an active interest in what your child is doing in school. Ask for an explanation of particular assignments and what is being learned.
- Compliment good work.
- Praise your child when improvement is shown.
- Make constructive suggestions, but allow students to do their own work.
- Regular school attendance is important for your child's continued learning.
- Consult your child's teacher as soon as a problem arises.
- Read your newsletters.
- Ask to see your child's agenda daily
Rycroft School Advisory Council and Friends of Rycroft School
The School Advisory Committee (SAC) is a volunteer organization that operates in support of the school. The group normally meets six times during the school year, most often on a weekday evening. Some exceptions do occur. An Annual General Meeting is also held in October to elect officers. For a list of current officers, please contact the school. Any parents of a student at Rycroft School, as well as community members, are welcome to attend council meetings.
The Friends of Rycroft School was formed in 2006 with the goal of raising funds for a new school playground. All persons over the age of eighteen years making a contribution of time or money are eligible to be members of this association. The group is overseen by an elected Board of Directors. They have obtained a Casino license. Funds from such Casinos will be used to enhance and augment the educational opportunities available at the school.
Parental Involvement and Communication
In an effort to keep parents informed of the many happenings and achievements in the various classrooms of our school, a monthly newsletter will be published. This newsletter is also directed at informing parents of some of the upcoming events in our school. Community groups are welcome to submit items for publication, if space permits.
School Volunteers
Rycroft staff encourages adults who would like to volunteer at the school to become involved. There is always room for an extra pair of hands in the classroom, office, library, gymnasium, or during field trips, special events, or recesses. To volunteer time, simply call and inquire. Be sure to sign-in in the volunteer record book. Both the staff and the students appreciate the extra help.
Use of Cell Phones and Personal Electronic Devices
For elementary students, SMART phones, game, and music devices are not a necessary component of the educational environment and are discouraged from being brought to school. If a device comes to school with an elementary student it will stay with the teacher until the end of the day.
All students needs digital citizenship skills to participate fully in their communities and make smart choices online and in life. At Rycroft School we are committed to growing all of our student's digital citizenship skills and have decided to take proactive steps in supporting all of our students in this area. As a staff we feel it is important to have guidelines and parameters that ensure we are supporting our students to be responsible technology users.
We are living in an age of technology and we are having children bringing personal devices to school on a regular basis. These devices are very distracting to students in the classroom. We will be asking students to leave all personal devices in their lockers during the school day. Students will be allowed to check messages and reply during breaks, but will be asked to leave the device in their locker.
If you need to contact your child at any time during the school day, please call the school at 780-765-3830 and Ms. Hawrylenko will take a message and either ask your child to call you at a convenient time or pass on the message.
Computers and the Internet
Students under the supervision of a staff member may use Chromebooks and laptops that are supplied to each classroom. Students are each assigned an individual log-on access code. All individual work saved must be saved in a file assigned to them, or on their personal disc. All students who wish to use the Internet must abide the Peace Wapiti Internet Usage Policy and have a signed agreement on file with the school. Students may lose their Internet access privileges for failure to abide by the policy.
Lockers and Valuables
Students in grades 5 – 8 are assigned a school hallway locker and a gymnasium change room locker if they choose. Combination locks are provided free of charge by the school. Students can use their own locks, as long as the passcode is provided to the classroom teacher and the office. Students are strongly advised to keep their locker and valuables secure, as the school cannot be held responsible for lost or stolen property.
Lockers and combination locks are school property and are issued to students for use during the school year on the condition that the school reserves the right to search and/or repossess the locker at any time without notice.
While students are free to decorate the inside of their assigned lockers, all decorations must be in good taste and maintain a standard acceptable to everyone. Students who do decorate a locker are responsible at the end of the school year for completely removing all decorations without damaging the surface of the locker.
Textbooks
Students are responsible for all school materials assigned to them. Excessive damage or loss will result in the cost of repair or replacement being charged to the student or parent. Students are also responsible for returning each textbook or item to the teacher from whom it was received. Leaving books or supplies in a classroom, locker or the office does not constitute returning it.
Picking Up and Dropping Off Students
The safety of our students is of utmost importance. The following procedure will reduce the risk when picking up or dropping off students. When picking up or dropping off your children, you may park along the south side of the school, Please be aware that during spring thaw there may be ice and water build up. Please try to drop your child off in a dryer area. Our bus pick up and drop off location is now in the east parking lot. Please be sure to leave extra room for the busses to safely come and go.
Should you wish to pick up your child during school hours, proceed into the school office to sign out your child in person. Students can wait in class until you arrive. They will then be called to the office to sign out with the parent.
Students Leaving School Grounds
For the safety of all, students (of all grades) may not leave school grounds during school hours, including lunch time, unless they have a note and or phone call from parents granting them permission to do so. Parents must enter into the office to sign out their child from school. Students who live in town and regularly go home for lunch, may have a single permission note on file for the entire school year, and may sign themselves out for lunch. All students must sign back in when returning to school during school hours.
Extra-curricular Activities
Rycroft School offers a variety of opportunities for students in grades five to nine to become involved in extra-curricular activities. Rycroft School Raiders sports teams include cross country running, volleyball, basketball, floor hockey, badminton, soccer, and softball. Students must be in good standing both academically and behaviorally, in order to exercise the privilege of participating in any extra-curricular activity. Student who do not maintain a positive work ethic in school may have their participation status reviewed.
While the school will subsidize the cost of participation and transportation to a certain degree, there may be a user fee associated with each activity or event. Students are also required to have been granted permission from their parent or guardian for each activity or event. Parents who wish to transport their own child to an event are welcome to do so. Students and parents are welcome to arrange their own transportation to extra-curricular events provided they inform the supervisor of any such arrangements.
