Communication

Parents and teachers communicate regularly through emails, phone calls, classroom websites and this daily agenda planner. This planner is an excellent tool to ensure good communication between teachers and parents. Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher at any time if you have concerns.

Parent Volunteers

Parent volunteers are most welcome at our school. There are two approaches you may take to provide classroom assistance. We would ask that all volunteers please register at the office.

1. Talk with the classroom teacher to see how you can help out. We often need help for such things as reading with children, supervising on field trips or helping with special events
2. If you would like to volunteer for school wide activities such as food days, fundraising, PAC committees or sports events, please contact our PAC President or the Principal. These extra-curricular activities are an important part of school life. Thank you for your help.

School Visitors / Volunteers

Parents and staff are becoming more and more concerned about strangers entering our schools. As such, all doors including the front are locked, and visitors or volunteers are asked to call the office to make an appointment. This is a safety issue.

Student Lates

Students who are late for school must report to the office before going to their classroom so that we know they are here. If your children are to be late, when they arrive, please call the office and we will open the door and sanitize their hands before heading to class.

Importance of Regular Attendance For Your Children

If you know your child will be absent, please contact the office or leave a message on our voicemail. Extended absences often create difficulties at school for your child and the teachers. We would like to urge parents to avoid keeping children out of school except for the child’s own illness or the most serious family matters. We prefer not to send assignments home for children on trips, as this is not a satisfactory replacement for classroom instruction and interaction with others.

Student Responsibilities

Peterson Road Elementary School operates on the belief that all students have the right to learn and the responsibility to create a positive and productive climate. No student has the right to behave in a manner that infringes upon the rights of others. We believe that home and school must share the responsibility for teaching children appropriate behaviour. By working together we can increase the probability that students will learn responsibility and respect for others. Peterson Road has a Code of Conduct that outlines student expectations.

Peterson Road Elementary School has adopted a school wide behavior policy (C.A.R.E.S.). Most students behave responsibly. The school wide behaviour policy is premised on the belief that behaviour is learned. Therefore when students have chosen to behave inappropriately we teach them the acceptable alternatives. CARES stands for: Community, Achievement, Respect, Empathy and Safety.

Student Behaviour and Conduct Expectations

It is expected that students will:

• treat all Peterson Road community members and property with respect
• take responsibility for their actions, learning, and choices
• take pride in one’s work, and strive for your personal best

In order to ensure the protection of individual and school property and the safety and rights of others, the following are examples of unacceptable behaviour:

• disrespect stealing
• smoking/drug use fighting
• swearing spitting
• vandalism possession of dangerous objects

Further information can be found in the School/District Code of Conduct.

Classroom Expectations

Each teacher has developed a code of behaviour that will contribute to a positive learning environment in his or her classroom. This code of behavior will be explained to the students in the first weeks of school and reviewed and reinforced throughout the year.

Students Staying at School for Lunch

We expect that students who bring their lunches will be prepared to eat lunch in their classrooms in a reasonable manner, to remain at their desks for a minimum of 15 minutes, and to demonstrate reasonable and responsible behaviour for the duration of the lunch break. It is a privilege, not a right, for students to stay for lunch. This privilege could be withdrawn depending on a child’s behaviour. In addition, Peterson Road is attempting to ‘go green’. Please help by sending lunches and snacks, whenever possible, in reusable containers. Our hope is to decrease the amount of garbage, especially plastic baggies, that end up in our landfills.

Parents who wish their children to go home for lunch must give written permission. This request is made to ensure that we know the whereabouts of all children at all times so that we can provide for their safety.

Lunchtime Behaviours

We insist on the following behaviours while students are eating: being seated, speaking in a normal, calm voice, eating the food provided by parents, using the three coloured “green team” bins, and practicing proper manners.