Student Agenda
Welcome to St. Christopher Catholic School!
Information below will acquaint you with the routines and programs at St. Christopher Catholic School. This information is a reference throughout the school year.
With the support of you, as parents, our highly competent staff, and the St. Christopher community, we look forward to a rewarding year.
Sincerely,
Valerie Cappuccitti, Principal and Esther Glover, Vice-Principal
Address
431 Annapolis Avenue,
Oshawa, Ontario L1J 2Y5
Phone (905) 725-7672
Fax (905) 725-3361
Email: stchristophercs@dcdsb.ca
Twitter: @St_Chris_dcdsb
Please take some time to review the contents of our student agenda listed below with your child. Thank you.
| Durham Catholic District School Board's Mission | ||||
| We are called to celebrate and nurture the God-given talents of each student as we serve with excellence in the light of Christ. | ||||
| St. Christopher - Patron Saint of Motorists/Travellers | ||||
|
There are many legends concerning St. Christopher that are confusing and contradictory. One of the most popular legends holds that St. Christopher was a giant who helped people across a raging stream. It is believed that he carried the Christ Child across this same stream, hence, his name Christopher, Christ-bearer. He is the patron of travellers, and is invoked against storms, plagues, etc. He died a martyr during the reign of Decius in the 3rd century. The Feast Day for St. Christopher is July 25th. |
||||
| School Prayer | ||||
|
God our Father keep us safe at St. Christopher Catholic School. Help us to use our special gifts to grow in knowledge and to make our school a place where peace, love, caring and friendship can be seen and felt in all our words and actions so that we can be faithful followers of Jesus and good examples to others. Amen. |
||||
| Religion and Family Life Program | ||||
|
The distinctiveness of a Catholic education is especially evident in two closely connected programs: Religion and Family Life.
|
||||
| Our Parish - St. Mary of the People | ||||
| Our school's parish is: St. Mary of the People Parish
|
||||
| Spiritual Development | ||||
|
|
||||
| Reporting Schedule | ||||
|
NOVEMBER FEBRUARY JUNE |
||||
| School Procedures | ||||
|
Our school hours are as follow: 8:50 a.m. - Supervision Begins 9:05 a.m. - Entrance Bell 10:30 a.m. - Morning Recess 11:50 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. - Lunch Hour 2:15 p.m. - Afternoon Recess 3:35 p.m. - Dismissal
All walkers are required to enter and leave the property through Fernhill Blvd. gate. There are some exceptions for Kindergarten students, please refer to procedures sent home by your child’s Kindergarten educators. If you are driving your child to school, please ensure that your child walks through the school yard to their designated play area. Children and parents are not to be using the front door to gain access to the playground. Following our Access to Premise policy, parents are asked not to be on the school yard at any time during the school day as well as during school arrival and departure times. When you feel your child is responsible enough to walk to school, make sure he/she knows to:
Please note that any changes in your child’s routine need to be reported to the office. Where a Safe Crossing Area is designated, all students are required to cross under the direction of the Crossing Guard. |
||||
| Inclement Weather | ||||
| Any decision to withdraw school bus service or to close the school will be made by the Director of Education or designate. When this occurs, radio bulletins will commence from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on the local television and radio stations. If you require further information you may visit Durham Student Transportation website at www.dsts.on.ca, call 905-666-6940 or simply follow the school on Twitter: @St_Chris_dcdsb In the event that weather and/or road conditions force the cancellation of transportation services in the morning, it must be understood that services will be considered cancelled for the day. Parents who elect to transport their children to school in the morning are responsible for providing transportation home. |
||||
| Allergies | ||||
|
We encourage parents to discuss any food allergies that their children may have with their child’s teacher at the beginning of the school year. Please provide the school with any pertinent medical information and physician’s protocol for treatment which would assist us in your child’s health and safety. Please encourage your child to eat only foods prepared and packed at home for school to avoid any potential allergic reaction. Classroom teachers will be in contact with those parents of children who need to restrict their own child from bringing certain foods due to particular students in the class who are extremely allergic to those foods.
|
||||
| Administration of Medication | ||||
|
The responsibility for the administration of medication for students is primarily that of the parents and/or guardians. There will be special cases and circumstances where a student must have medication during regular school hours. The principal or school staff is authorized, if requested in writing on the appropriate Board form by the student’s parent or guardian, to administer medication. All prescribed medication to be administered at school must have the qualified medical doctor’s statement for documented use and the instructions clearly stated. The medication should be kept in original containers. |
||||
| Lunch Hour | ||||
|
Our lunch hour is from 11:50 - 12:50pm. Students are expected to remain on property for the duration of lunch unless they are picked up by a parent; or have pre-established arrangements in EDSBY to go home for lunch on a consistent basis. Students are expected to observe and follow the guidelines which have been established and clearly explained to them. Children eat their lunch in designated classrooms from either 11:50 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. Students are expected to remain in the playground area (weather permitting) when outside for lunch recess. |
||||
| School Information | ||||
|
We are a GOLD Certified Eco-School! As such, all school information that was previously sent home via monthly newsletters and calendars will be exclusively available through our school website or will be emailed directly to parents/guardians. Visit the website to subscribe to the monthly calendars and various news items. It is essential that the school has the most current and valid email address for every family as the school will often use email to communicate with families rather than sending home notices on paper. Also, for the most up to date information, families are encouraged to follow the school on Twitter: @St_Chris_dcdsb |
||||
| School Cash Online | ||||
|
School Cash Online is the preferred method of submitting payments to the school, including paying for this agenda. Please register online at the following link: http://durhamcatholic.schoolcashonline.com You will need your child’s OEN number which can be found on his/her report card. |
||||
| School Bus Safety | ||||
|
As outlined in the DCDSB Transportation Policy and Procedures, bus privileges may be removed by the Principal, if student behaviour warrants. Each student shall:
|
||||
| Homework | ||||
|
Research supports that homework done and evaluated, reinforces what has already been taught in class, helps students develop self-discipline, responsibility, organizational skills, and improves achievement. Parents are the key to making homework a positive experience for their children. If you notice your child is having difficulty with assigned work, please share this as soon as possible with the teacher. Homework does not need to be written work. Time spent reading with your child, or discussing what was learned in class, is invaluable. Edsby is our teachers' primary communication tool. Homework, reminders, upcoming test dates, or special communications will be communicated through Edsby. The school also uses email to communicate with parents, so please check your mailbox frequently and ensure school communications are not in your "junk" folder. |
||||
| Catholic School Advisory Council | ||||
|
Working as partners, members of the council include: parents, teachers, non-teaching staff, clergy, community representative, vice-principal and principal. They meet regularly to support school/parent activities that enhance student learning and build home/school/parish ties. The more parents are involved in our school, the greater the benefit to our students. Please refer to our school website to keep informed and to get involved. |
||||
| Program Support | ||||
|
The staff of St. Christopher Catholic School believe that each student is an individual with unique strengths and needs. Our Board policy of inclusion means that students with special needs participate in age appropriate placement and activities. The program support staff work collaboratively with the Principal, classroom teachers and parents in planning for individuals or small groups in an inclusive manner. If a teacher or parent has a concern about a student, a school team meeting may be called to include the Principal, parent, classroom teacher, the program support teacher, and support personnel. |
||||
| Parent Volunteers | ||||
|
Parent volunteers will be limited this year due to Covid-19 restrictions. Any essential volunteer must be double vaccinated as well as complete a mandatory police background check. |
||||
| Nutrition Guideline | ||||
|
St. Christopher Catholic School recognizes that food served in school should reinforce healthy nutritional practices emphasized in the Ontario Curriculum and in educational programs. The Durham Catholic District School Board provides an administrative procedure to assist principals, teachers, students, volunteers, and parent groups to make informed decisions regarding the selection of nutritious foods. It is available at http://www.dcdsb.ca under policies & administrative procedures. The school administrator and/or designate(s) shall endeavour to provide the support and resources necessary for the implementation of this guideline. The school community supports staff and parents in providing an environment in which students are encouraged to avail themselves of healthy food choices on a regular basis. |
||||
| Dress Code | ||||
|
Appropriate dress defines the standard of student dress that meets the school community’s expectation of modesty, decency, neatness and promotes a safe and respectful learning environment. Students are expected to attend to personal grooming and cleanliness. Safety in dress should also be kept in mind. This means wearing a hat, putting on sun screen and covering up when outside. Our children are out in the yard during the day when the intensity of the sun’s rays is highest from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. During the winter, students will be outside according to acceptable temperature norms and should dress appropriately (hats, mitts, boots). Students are expected to:
|
||||
| Safe, Caring and Healthy Elementary Schools | ||||
|
The Durham Catholic District School Board recognizes that a school should be a place that promotes responsibility, respect, civility, and academic excellence in a safe learning and teaching environment. A positive school climate exists when all members of the school community feel safe, comfortable, and accepted. It is the responsibility of all members of the school community to work together to create a positive learning environment where all members feel supported. |
||||
| Access to Premises | ||||
|
Parents/guardians are welcome to visit the school to discuss any concerns with teachers or administrators. In keeping with the Board’s Access to School Premises Policy, all doors will remain locked during school hours. Our Safe Welcome Program provides an intercom and camera at the main door of the school for all visitors to communicate with the office prior to entering the school. This enhances the safety of students and staff. Please remember that anyone coming into the school must first sign in at the office and obtain a Visitor’s badge (Parents/guardians are not allowed access to the school yard before school or during recesses and noon hour.). At recess time, the school yard is well supervised and staff will question anyone whose presence is not expected. Each member of staff is wearing photo ID and is identified on duty with a safety vest. If a parent/guardian needs to pick up his/her son/daughter during the school day, this must be facilitated at the office. Members of the office staff will call the student down to the office to be signed out. If parents send a friend/relative/designate to pick up their child, please advise the school in advance and ask the designate to provide photo identification at the office. If the student returns to school before dismissal, he/she must sign back in at the office so that his/her attendance can be monitored. |
||||
| Attendance Matters - Make Every Day Count | ||||
|
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Now is the time to start building this habit so your child learns right away that going to school on time, every day is important. Good attendance will help children do well in high school, college or university and in the world of work. Did You Know?
Research shows:
School success goes hand in hand with good attendance! What You Can Do:
|
||||
| Safe Arrival - Automated Attendance | ||||
|
In June 2018, The Durham Catholic District School Board adopted a new automated attendance system, called Safe Arrival, for reporting student absences. Safe Arrival reduces the time it takes to verify student attendance making it easier for you to report your child’s absence and easier for staff to respond to unexplained student absences. Parents are able to report their child’s absence quickly and conveniently using three different methods: 1. Parents can log into a website: go.schoolmessenger.ca to report student absences. 2. Parents can call into the automated interactive telephone system using the toll free number 1-844-288-7628 through which absences can be reported. 3. Parents can download the SafeArrival app for iOS and Android smartphones. Search for the keyword school messenger in the Google Play store or the Apple App store. Select Canada, select sign up, enter your email address that is on file with the school, enter a password. All three methods are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Future absences, like doctor’s appointments can be reported ahead of time. For more information, please visit the school website. |
||||
| Restorative Schools | ||||
|
We believe that safety begins with positive connections between the students, staff and parents. To foster these relationships, staff in the Durham Catholic District School Board use restorative practices, including classroom circles and small group conferences to build community within the classroom and the school. Restorative Practice is rooted in the same philosophical approach as Canada’s Native Aboriginal communities. It rests on the belief that it is best to do things with people, rather than to them. When conflict arises, using restorative practice engages students in a fair process that responds to behavior in ways that strengthen and repair the relationship. It is collaborative rather than adversarial in nature. The aim of restorative practice is to hold individuals accountable for their actions while restoring and repairing any relationships amongst each other and within the community that may have been harmed. Catholic Restorative Schools will:
|
||||
| Code of Conduct | ||||
| Click here to read the Code of Conduct. |
