Policies & Operations

School Operations

1. Important Dates

   Calendars of upcoming events will be attached to our monthly newsletter.

   Regular Staff Meetings for the 2010 - 2011 school year will take place on the following dates:

   • September 8
   • October 13
   • November 10
   • December 8
   • January 12
   • Feb 9
   • March 9
   • April 13
   • May 11
   • June 8

   *Dismissal time at 12:00 p.m. (Logos bus dismissal at 11:45 a.m.)

2. Office Hours

   The school office will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

   Telephone - (780) 923-2898
   Answering Machine - (780) 923-2899

3. School Hours

   Students should arrive at school between 8:20 – 8:30 a.m.
   Please do not drop children off prior to 8:20 a.m.
   Classes begin at 8:36 a.m.
   Bus students are dismissed at 2:55 p.m.
   Town students are dismissed at 3:01 p.m.

Policies

1. Absentee Reporting Program

   When your child is absent and you have not contacted the school to inform us of your child’s absence, you will be telephoned to ensure that your child is safe at home and not lost on the way to school. You may leave a message on the school’s answering machine before or after school regarding your child’s absence. (780-923-2899)

2. School Fees:

   Grade 1- 4:

   Sturgeon School Division Instruction Material Fees are $45.00 per student. Landing Trail School charges mandatory fees for: student agenda @ $7.00 / student and $20.00 / student for field trips. All three fees apply to students in Grade 1 through Grade 4 and are due Sept 3, 2010. If you are unable to make payment according to these guidelines, please contact the school to make alternate arrangements. Please contact the school if you require additional assistance.

   Headstart & Kindergarten:

   To be determined by their respective Local Advisory Committee which will be established in September of the current school year. Fees are due the last Friday of September.

3. Student Agendas

   Student Agenda Books are required for Grades 1 to 4 as part of our school wide personal planning curriculum. Agendas are used for organizing homework, planning projects, parent/teacher communication and keeping track of special events.

4. Newsletters

   In an effort to keep our school community well informed about special events, school policies and other happenings a Newsletter will be issued monthly and sent home with the oldest child in each family during the last week of the month. Emergent items will be communicated by News Bulletins.

5. Visitors

   All visitors at the school must sign in at the office. This procedure ensures the safety of students and prevents unwanted individuals from coming into contact with our children.

6. Guidelines for Volunteers

   Landing Trail School welcomes our volunteers. The staff of Landing Trail School believe that “Together We Can Make a Difference.”

   Important components of all Volunteer Programs at Landing Trail School are that they are cooperative and constructive.

   In order to make your visit to our school both helpful and beneficial to the students, yourself and the staff, the following guidelines for volunteers have been developed.

   1. For the safety of the students, it is important that we know who is in the building. Please sign in at the office when you arrive at the school and out when you leave. There is a duo tang on the front counter for this purpose. Volunteers will be asked to wear a laniard while working in the school.
   2. Volunteers work under the direction of a teacher.
   3. Activities will vary depending on student and/or class needs. However, you may be involved in:
      • Working with individual students and/or small groups of students on teacher determined tasks.
      • Setting up classroom and hall displays.
      • Preparing materials and/or resources.
      • Assisting in the Gym, Library, or Computer Lab.
      • Carrying out other specific activities as needed.
   4. For insurance purposes, siblings may not accompany their parents when they are acting as volunteers in classrooms or while involved in student supervision duties for activities planned on the school grounds or on field trips. Siblings may accompany parents who are volunteering for duties not involved in providing student supervision or work that takes place in classrooms.
   5. When volunteering in the school, cell phones must be placed in “vibrate only” mode. Calls should not be made or answered in classrooms during instructional times or when the volunteer is supervising or providing support for students.
   6. If you are outside on the playground and an accident or incident occurs please find an outside supervisor and they will determine a course of action.
   7. In order to establish effective communication, if you have any questions or concerns please discuss them with the teacher as soon as possible after they arise.
   8. Because we have many students who are in unique situations, we would like to remind you that confidentiality is important both within the school and the community.

   Thank you for being a part of your child’s learning team. It is through caring support from home that our children thrive!

7. Recess

   The school staff encourages students to be outside during morning and noon recesses (unless the temperature is colder than -20ºC with wind chill). Parents are responsible to ensure that children come dressed appropriately for the weather. Hats, toques, headbands, ski-pants, gloves or mitts and snow boots are essential for outdoor activities. Please label all outerwear including boots / shoes.

8. Inclement Weather / Transportation

   Parents are encouraged to ensure that their children who are riding the school bus are properly dressed for the weather conditions.

   School bus service may be cancelled due to inclement weather, which includes:

   • A weather forecast temperature indicating that the temperature is equal to or less than -40 degrees Celsius, as forecasted at the Namao Airport.
   • A school bus operator determines that, in his/her opinion, road or climatic conditions in his/her area of service would make operation of the school bus unsafe.

   Any cancellation of school bus service will be communicated as quickly as possible via radio announcements on CFCW (790 AM), K-ROCK, MIX 96, CHED (630 AM), POWER 92, CISN (104 FM). See also the Sturgeon School Division website www.sturgeon.ab.ca.

   Specific details regarding information and procedures related to school bus services being cancelled are provided in the division’s policy on School Bus Operation During Periods of Inclement Weather or Hazardous Road Conditions. Fire Drills

9. Fire Drills

   There will be a minimum of 3 fire drills per year. Fire evacuation plans are posted in each room and each teacher will inform the class about proper procedures and where to line up.

10. Lockdown Drills

    One of our primary concerns is the continued safety of the children and adults at Landing Trail School. The staff and students will discuss and participate in periodic lockdown drills throughout the school year in order to gain familiarity and comfort with these procedures. Research has shown that the potential for a fearful or traumatic reaction among students, who are faced with an emergency situation such as lockdown, is drastically reduced when responses become routine through practice.

11. Student Allergies

    We have students in our school with life threatening allergies. The allergic reactions occur when the child comes in contact (eating, touch, smell, etc) with any form of nuts or nut based products.

    Because of the severity of these allergic reactions, we request that no peanut butter sandwiches, cookies with nuts or nuts of any sort be brought to our classrooms.

12. Medication

    As per Sturgeon School Division Administrative Practice:

    Non-prescribed medication shall not be distributed to any student enrolled in a Division school.

    If your child must receive prescribed medication during the school day or during extra-curricular activities, and that child is not capable of self-administration, medication will only be administered upon completion of required documentation and compliance to the standards as outlined in Section 3.4 Administrative Practice; Student Services 12. Please contact the school office to obtain the required documents and information.

13. School Student Conduct Policy

    1. School Beliefs

       At Landing Trail School our staff is committed to helping each child behave appropriately and assume responsibility for their actions within the context of a safe and caring learning environment. Throughout the process, a conscious effort will be made to maintain the child’s dignity.

    2. Procedures and Possible Consequences

       1. Each teacher will address the discipline problems in his / her classroom. The teacher will communicate to the parent any persistent classroom concerns.
       2. Parents will be informed if the behavior is serious or ongoing. A conference may be arranged.
       3. If a serious or unsafe behavior pattern is not corrected a recommendation for suspension may be warranted. This may be “in school” or “out of school”.

    3. Students may be sent to the office for inappropriate behavior. This may be a major offence or a series of minor offences. When it is apparent the child needs support in addressing behavior issues, a staff member will work with them using a variety of strategies to help the child understand the problem and develop skills to address it.

14. Evaluation and Reporting of Student Achievement

    1. Reporting Periods

       Curriculum Summaries will be distributed to parents at the beginning of the school year outlining the content and criteria for student evaluation. Detailed Handbooks are available to parents through Alberta Education @ http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/parents/handbooks/

       Student Progress will be formally reported to parents as follows:

       Reporting Period 1

       September 2010 to December 2010

       Report Card 1 – December 3, 2010

       Interviews: Nov. 9 & 10, 2010

       Reporting Period 2

       December 2010 to March 2011

       Report Card 2 - March 21, 2011

       Interviews: Feb 16 & 17, 2011

       Reporting Period 3

       March 2011 to June 2011

       Report Card 3 - June 24, 2011

    2. Student Placement

       Student placement will normally be one grade each year with successful completion of general and specific learner expectations in Language Arts and Mathematics being the deciding factor.

       Retention, acceleration or placement in a special program will be determined as early in the school year as possible, and such placement will be made in consultation with parents / guardians. It must be evident from assessment and evaluation strategies that the placements are in the best interest of the child.

       The school, in consultation, will make the final decision surrounding student placement based upon the above criteria.

    3. Provincial Achievement Tests

       All grade 3 students are expected to write the Provincial Achievement Tests unless exempted by the Superintendent of Schools for unique and specific reasons. Schedules for testing will be issued each year in the spring. For further information visit http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/testing/

15. Healthy Interactions:

    Schools in Sturgeon School Division aim to be as open in their communication and dealings as possible and welcome the involvement of community members, especially parents, in a variety of activities. As with all human interaction, concerns will arise. The Healthy Interactions program is intended to help deal with those concerns in a consistent, comprehensive and credible manner.

    To ensure that concerns are handled with consistency, comprehensiveness and credibility and that all steps in the process have been taken, a template has been developed. This template will be used throughout the Division and is currently available from Sturgeon Schools and on the Sturgeon School Division website.

    The steps in the process as outlined in the template are:

    1. Involvement of the right parties
    2. Correctly defining the problem
    3. Determining the interests of all parties
    4. Generating Solution alternatives
    5. Development of an action plan
    6. Follow-up action

    For more information regarding the Healthy Interactions Program contact your local school or Sturgeon School Division.

Guidelines

1. Footwear

   Students are required to have two pairs of shoes at school. One pair for inside and gym use, the other pair for outside use only. All students will be encouraged to wear shoes inside the school. Wearing of shoes promotes a healthy lifestyle and also prepares children in the event of a fire drill. It is recommended to label all footwear with the child’s name.

2. Bicycles / Roller Blades / Skateboards

   Bicycle racks are provided north of the school. This area is out of bounds to students except when parking or picking up bikes. All bicycles should be locked. Roller blades should not be worn in the school or on sidewalks adjacent to the school. Skateboards are not allowed.

3. Lost and Found

   A lost and found box is located outside the office for articles that have been unclaimed. Please check regularly for lost items. We strongly encourage parents to put children’s names on outdoor clothing.

4. First Aid

   First-aid is given to any child having an injury at school. If the injury is minor, first aid is administered and no contact is made with the home. If the injury is of greater concern, the child’s parents are contacted by telephone. It is very important that the school has emergency numbers plus necessary medical information. In severe cases, the school will contact the Emergency Rescue Unit for assistance.

5. Cell Phones / Electronic Equipment / Special Toys & Collector Cards

   Students are not permitted to bring cell phones to school. They are also highly discouraged from bringing electronic equipment, special toys and collector cards except for special events such as show & tell. School staff can not be responsible for the loss of any of these items

6. Pet Visits

   For health and safety reasons, pets are not allowed on school property without pre-arranged approval from the homeroom teacher.

School Programs

1. “Riders’ Pride” Assemblies

   This program is designed to promote school pride, celebration and showcase student work / activities. School pride is fostered by participating in a dress theme (example: wacky hair day). A draw is made from all “Wall of Fame” certificates (2 classes) for Ice Cream Sundaes with the principal. Assemblies generally feature a special presentation by students and / or guest speakers. We hold 8 monthly assemblies (excluding September and January) in the year. Parents are encouraged to come and join in the fun!

2. Hot Lunch Program

   The School Hot Lunch Committee offers hot lunches usually on Friday, for students to purchase during the winter months. The hot lunch program begins operating in October. Hot lunch pre-order forms are sent home regularly with your child after the start of the program. Volunteers for the preparation of lunches are always welcome. Volunteers help from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in preparing, delivering and clean up of the kitchen area. The Program Coordinator plans monthly menus, purchases supplies and records student lunch orders.

3. Milk Program

   Our school offers a weekly milk program for students. Milk will be offered on a preorder/prepaid basis and will be available twice weekly - Tuesdays and Thursdays. Prizes are awarded to students that drink milk. It is not necessary for your child to purchase milk from our program, but in order to earn milk prizes, milk must be drunk at the school. A chart provided by the Alberta Milk Producers is posted in each homeroom and each time your child drinks milk it is recorded on the chart. Prizes are awarded at intervals marked on the chart.

Parent Committees

• School Council

  The mission of Landing Trail School Council is to support continuous learning of staff, students and parents by promoting open and effective communication while working cooperatively within the community to facilitate a strong and healthy educational environment for our children to learn and prosper.

  The function of the School Council is to give feedback, advice and input to assist with planning and operation of school programs. Our School Council members promote staff / parent communication to ensure that community needs are also considered by the school staff.

  School Council members are elected at an Annual General Meeting and School Council meetings are open to all school parents. Table of officers for the School Council consist of Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Secretary.

  Members include:

  • parent of child enrolled in Grade 1
  • parent of child enrolled in Grade 2
  • parent of child enrolled in Grade 3
  • parent of child enrolled in Grade 4
  • 1 representative from the L.A.C. and appointed by the L.A.C.
  • 2 members at large (1 PIA representative, 1 LOGOS representative)
  • up to 2 community members
  • School Principal

  Meetings are held in the music room on the third Thursday of each month (excluding Dec.) from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. All parents are welcome to attend.

• Parent Involvement Association

  The Parent Involvement Association (PIA) is a registered society which sits as a sub committee of the School Council. The PIA is responsible for major fundraising for the school. The Association has its own table of officers including President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer. The meetings take place within the School Council meetings.

• Local Advisory Council of Kindergarten Parents

  A committee of parents of kindergarten children is elected each September to help the kindergarten teachers in the planning and organizing of field trips, special events and volunteers. The committee usually meets every second month. All kindergarten parents are welcome to attend the meetings. Local Advisory Council Members are elected at the Kindergarten Fall General Meeting for Parents in September. Table of officers include:

  • Chairperson
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Secretary
  • Volunteer Coordinators (1 per class)
  • Field Trip Coordinator
  • Events Coordinators(1 per class)

• Local Advisory Council of Headstart Parents

  The purpose of the LAC is to assist in the planning and implementation of activities, special events, fund raising, as well as field trip selection and scheduling. Early in the school year a Local Advisory Committee is created for Headstart consisting of:

  • Headstart Teacher
  • PUF Principal

  in conjunction with the elected positions of

  • President
  • Secretary
  • Field Trip Coordinator
  • 2 Social Conveners
  • Treasurer

  The committee usually meets every 5 to 6 weeks and all parents are invited to attend.

• LOGOS Advisory Committee

  In consultation with the school, an Advisory Committee provides direction for the Logos Program to assist with unique challenges of the program, enhancing the program and fostering future expansion of the program.