1. education
2. school

DOVERWOOD
PUBLIC SCHOOL
We are pleased to present every family in our school with
this school handbook. Please keep it for future reference.
If you have any questions or comments please do not
hesitate to call our secretary or our principal at 519-5830830. You might also wish to send us an e-mail at:
[email protected]
Principal:
Secretary:
Mr. Giancarlo Crotta
Mrs. Debbie Carroll
Our Mission Statement
Together, at Doverwood, we will lead the way to a
stimulating learning environment that will develop
enthusiastic, lifelong learners.
Bell Times
Entry Bell
8:40 a.m.
First Instruction Block
8:40a.m. – 10:20 a.m.
Nutrition Break
10:20 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Second Instruction Block
11:00 a.m. – 12:40p.m.
Nutrition Break
12:40 p.m. - 1:20 p.m.
Third Instruction Block
1:20 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Dismissal Bell
3:00 p.m.
At 8:20 am daily, teachers m eet the school buses and begin supervising the
playground. Students must not arrive at school prior to that tim e.
W e Have A Balanced Day Timetable
The “Balanced School Day” tim etable divides the school day into 3 one
hundred m inute blocks of instructional tim e. Each one hundred m inute block
is divided into 2 teaching periods. Two nutrition breaks are provided, one in
the m orning and one in the afternoon. Each of our nutritional breaks is 40
m inutes long, broken up into a 20 m inute eating tim e and a 20 m inute tim e to
play outdoors.
Your child will need to bring two, sm aller nutritious lunches to eat during the
two twenty m inute nutrition breaks. For younger children it m ay be helpful to
label the lunches as “one” and “two”.
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We Are A TRIBES School
Most of our staff has had extensive training in TRIBES, a program designed to
create an inclusive, caring culture in the school and the classroom . The goal
of the TRIBES process is to develop a positive environm ent that prom otes
hum an growth and learning. TRIBES builds com m unity through three stages
of group developm ent using four agreem ents am ong the students and adults
who work together in the school. The four TRIBES agreem ents are:
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Attentive Listening,
Appreciation / No Put Downs,
The Right to Pass
Mutual Respect
The TRIBES process not only establishes a caring environm ent for
cooperative learning, but provides structure for positive interaction and
continuity for groups in the classroom and in the com m unity.
The four TRIBES agreem ents will be taught in all classroom s while using
teaching strategies from the TRIBES curriculum . Com e and see TRIBES in
action at our appreciation assem blies on the last Friday of each m onth.
Contact your child’s teacher for the exact tim e of the assem bly.
For m ore inform ation visit; www.tribes.com.
Roots Of Empathy
Som e students will have the opportunity to participate in the Roots of Empathy
program . This program , developed by Mary Gordon, teaches principles of
inclusion, respect, problem solving, perspective taking, infant developm ent
and safety and a literacy of feelings. Research shows that as levels of
em pathy rise, aggression and incidents of bullying fall. For m ore inform ation
visit; www.rootsofempathy.org.
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Punctuality
Accepting responsibility for being punctual is an im portant life skill. Students
are expected to arrive prom ptly for school. Late students interrupt classes,
distract others and often m iss routines and announcem ents.
If your child will be late for school, please call our secretary (519-583-0830) in
advance. Students, who arrive late at school for any reason, should enter
through the front door, and report to the office to fill out a late slip, before going
to class.
Attendance
If your child will be absent please phone the school (519-583-0830). W e
do have an answering m achine. If you leave a m essage please rem em ber to
tell us your child’s nam e, your child’s teacher’s nam e and the reason for the
absence. Regular attendance is necessary if a student is to achieve
satisfactory progress in school. Plenty of rest, good nutrition and physical
activity are key ingredients for a healthy lifestyle along with good attendance.
Illnesses or fam ily em ergencies occasionally can prevent a child from
attending school. To ensure a full recovery and to avoid spreading germ s to
others, we respectfully request that parents keep children at hom e until they
are feeling well enough to participate fully in all school activities.
Under norm al circum stances, children who are well enough to attend school
are expected to participate in outdoor play.
If a student will be absent for longer than four days for reasons other than
illness, parents are asked to fill out our School Board’s “Request for
Tem porary Absence” form which can be obtained from the school office.
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Em ergencies
An illness or an injury can happen at any tim e and our first concern is to give
im m ediate attention to the student. If the injury is m inor, the student receives
first aid and when ready, returns to class. Parents will be contacted to pick up
a student who is not feeling well enough to participate in the classroom
program .
For serious injuries, em ergency personnel will be called and parents will be
notified im m ediately. If a child has fallen and is in obvious distress, an
am bulance will be called. Parents will be responsible for the cost of the
am bulance.
This em phasizes the im portance of accurate and current
inform ation being kept on file in the office. Notify the office as soon as
possible if there are any changes in your fam ily such as telephone num bers,
em ploym ent, em ergency contacts or guardianship.
Fire drills are held and em ergency procedures are reviewed regularly.
Students also practice a safety drill which is used to prepare them in an
em ergency situation. A variety of reasons m ay necessitate the im m ediate
evacuation of a school at any tim e. If circum stances warrant the evacuation of
the school, students will rem ain safely at the Com m unity Centre until parents
can be notified using the phone fan-out system .
It is im perative that students wear shoes while at school. Leaving an extra
pair of shoes at school is required. In an em ergency dism issal, there m ay not
be sufficient tim e for students to put on boots and coats.
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Nut Free – Reminder
Students with severe nut allergies are in danger of a life threatening reaction
in seconds. In som e cases just the nut oil left on a chair or desk could trigger
a reaction.
W e appreciate the co-operation of all fam ilies in keeping nut products out of
the school. W e ask for your support by voluntarily avoiding:
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nuts in any form ,
Peanut butter,
Peanut oil,
Baked item s containing nut products,
Foods cooked in peanut oils such as hom e style potato chips.
Inclement W eather
On days when weather is unsuitable for outdoor activity, we advise walking
students to arrive no earlier than 5 m inutes before classes begin and go
directly to their classroom s.
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Students benefit from active play outdoors and should com e dressed
appropriately for a variety of weather. In case of rain or freezing rain, students
will have their break indoors.
In extrem e weather conditions, parents should listen to CD98.9 FM , CKPC
92.1 FM, CHAM 820 AM Ham ilton, CHML 900 AM Ham ilton, CKOC 1150 AM
Ham ilton, 102.9 FM Ham ilton, 107.9 or Y108 FM Ham ilton early in the
m orning for announcem ents regarding the delay or cancellation of bus
transportation. You m ay also check the board’s website at www.gedsb.net for
information about cancellations due to the weather. If at all possible the decision to
cancel buses will be made prior to 6:30 A.M.
The radio announcem ent and the website will refer to specific school zones.
W e are Zone 1. Please note that if the buses are cancelled then the
school will be closed to all teachers, students and custodial staff.
Please do not send your child to school if the buses for Zone 1 have
been cancelled.
In the event that weather conditions deteriorate after school has started in the
m orning, regular afternoon bus schedules m ay com m ence earlier than norm al.
Should the School Board decide to dism iss students early, a phone fan-out
system is used to notify parents. If a parent cannot be notified that the child is
com ing hom e early, the child will be kept at school until a parent or guardian
com es to pick the child up.
Nutrition Breaks
During both nutrition breaks, students eat in their classroom s and are
supervised by staff.
All students are expected to rem ain at school during the first nutrition break. If
a student who usually stays at school during the second nutrition break plans
to go to a friend’s hom e or an alternate location, the student is required to give
the classroom teacher a note from their parents advising of the change in
routine. In this way both the parents and school staff are aware of where the
student will be during the nutrition break. If a note is not received your child
will not be allowed to leave school property.
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All students will follow clear expectations for positive behaviour during the
nutrition breaks and assist with recycling and clean-up.
If you have given your child perm ission to leave the school property during the
second nutrition break, you are responsible for your child’s actions at this tim e.
Please discuss responsible behaviour with your child.
Bus Contracts
All JK and SK students require a signed transportation contract before boarding
any bus. A student will be allowed to com e to school without the contract but
the bus com pany will not return your child hom e at the end of the day - you will
have to com e and pick them up at the school.
W e ask that any change in routine be authorized by the custodial parent in
writing. Perm ission can not be granted for birthday parties, hom ework
assignm ents, public skating, etc. All queries can be directed to Sally O’Brien at
Transportation (519)751-7532. Thank you for your cooperation.
Bus Transportation
The Grand Erie District School Board has set clear expectations for students
who ride the bus. The following bus routines and expectations are set down by
the Board and are for all students.
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Be at the bus pick up location prior to the arrival of the bus.
Be certain that the road is clear and traffic is stopped before crossing.
Cross at least 3 m eters from the front of the bus.
4.
Be picked up and dropped off only at designated stops.
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Rem ain seated while the bus is in m otion.
6.
Keep the centre aisle of the bus clear at all tim es.
7.
Keep com plete body inside the bus at all tim es.
8.
W eapons, any illegal substances or anim als are not allowed on the
bus.
9.
Any object deem ed dangerous m ust be transported in a protective
bag.
10.
Profane, abusive, threatening or disrespectful language and/or
behaviour towards anyone on the bus, on the street, while waiting in bus areas, while
riding the bus or when boarding or disem barking will not be tolerated.
11.
Eating, drinking or sm oking on the bus in not perm itted.
12.
Respect the bus property. Repair of dam age is the responsibility of
the student or their fam ily.
13.
Board or disem bark from the bus at transfer points when directed by a
supervising staff m em ber or the driver.
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Respect and respond appropriately to the directions of any and all
supervising staff or the bus driver at all tim es.
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Abide by the directions of safety patrollers.
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Ride only on the designated bus / bus route.
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Sit in designated seats when requested by staff or drivers.
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Respect each other on the bus at all tim es. Bullying behaviour will not
be tolerated.
W here students do not follow these expectations, the following consequences
will be applied:
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notified.
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3.
A bus report will be subm itted to the school and parents will be
Repeated bus reports (3) will result in a suspension from the bus.
Continuing bus reports will result in perm anent rem oval from the bus.
Transportation by Volunteers
W e appreciate the m any parent volunteers who provide transportation for our
students who are on sports team s. It is the requirem ent of the Grand Erie
District School Board that volunteer drivers have a m inim um of $1,000,000
public liability and property dam age insurance.
The Board has prepared a declaration form that m ust be com pleted and filed
in the school office before a volunteer is perm itted to transport students. This
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form needs to be com pleted only once during the school year. Please notify
us of any subsequent change to your coverage.
All students will be transported by school bus while on class trips.
Picking Up Your Child During School
A parent wishing their child to be excused from school early m ust send a note
to the classroom teacher. It is preferable that parents do not call the school
office to m ake this request as instructions can easily be confused.
W hen picking up your child from school for an appointm ent, please report to
the office and have the secretary call your child out of class via our intercom
system . This will ensure that we know where each child is and who they are
leaving with for safety reasons.
Children leaving in the m iddle of the day m ust sign out at the office (parents
m ay sign out a younger child) and sign back in at the office when they return.
Children leaving and returning in the m iddle of the day m ust leave and return
via the front doors of the school.
A note m ust be sent if you wish som eone other than those listed on your
“Em ergency Contact Form ” to pick up your child from school. A phone call will
not suffice as it is im possible to identify the caller.
Please under no circumstances should you remove your child from the
play ground w ithout notifying the person on duty and signing your child
out at the office.
Crossing Guards
Our dedicated Crossing Guard is on duty 8:25am – 9:00 a.m ., 12:30 p.m . –
1:30 p.m . and 3:00 p.m .-3:30pm . Children are encouraged to cross with the
Crossing Guard whenever crossing the street. All students m ust obey the
instructions of all Crossing Guards.
Parking, Pickup & Drop Off
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The back driveway of the school is for buses only and is also a fire lane that
m ust be kept clear. Cars parked in the bus loading zone illegally m ay be
ticketed by the O.P.P.
Parking spaces are at a prem ium during dism issal tim es. Please consider
parking next door at the Kinsm en Park to wait for your child.
W e request that parents do not wait in their cars for their children in the front
school loop. A dangerous situation occurs when children walk through the
parking lot to their parents’ cars unaccom panied by an adult.
To reduce the num ber of vehicles around the school, please consider walking
your children to school.
Doors, Doors and M ore Doors
All students should enter the school through their assigned door. Except:
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when students arrive late and require a late slip
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when students return from an appointm ent and m ust sign in at the
office
At these tim es students should enter through the front doors.
In order to track visitors in and out of the school and still ensure student
safety, the side door and prim ary pod doors will be locked when the students
are NOT outside. If you are picking up or dropping off your child, please com e
through the front door and report to the office.
Administration of M edication
From tim e to tim e, a physician will prescribe oral m ediation that needs to be
taken during the school day. In these cases, The Grand Erie District School
Board procedures require that a form be com pleted by the doctor authorizing
the adm inistration of m edication at school. The form m ust include the nam e of
the drug, the dosage, the tim e it should be adm inistered and the reason for the
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m edication. A copy of this form is distributed to parents at the beginning of the
school year; additional copies m ay be obtained by contacting the school office.
Medication is kept in a locked cabinet in the school office and adm inistered by
school staff. All m edication m ust be brought to school in a pharm acist’s
container and clearly labelled with the nam e of the patient and the nam e of the
drug. It is a parent’s responsibility to ensure that m edications, such as
inhalers or epi-pens have not expired and that we have sufficient m edication.
Non-prescription m edication, including Tylenol or cough syrup, cannot be
adm inistered by school personnel. For obvious safety reasons students m ust
not keep any m edication in their desks or knapsacks.
Ontario Health Cards:
Students are responsible for carrying their Ontario Health Cards (or
copy) with them when going on trips outside their local school
com m unity. Please ensure that your child has a copy of their Health Card in
the front of their Agenda.
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Bicycles, Roller Blades, Scooters, Skateboards and “Heelies”
Parents who give perm ission for their child to ride a bike to school are
encouraged to review the traffic safety rules with their child. Storage racks are
provided for bicycles at the front of the school, but the school cannot assum e
responsibility for loss or dam age to a bicycle. It is strongly recom m ended that
students lock up their bicycles with a com bination lock. Rem em ber that the
law requires children to wear a CSA approved helm et. Bicycles cannot be
brought into the school for storage.
If students ride their bicycles to school they m ust dismount and walk
their bike on and off school property. For obvious safety reasons and in
keeping with our “no wheels” playground policy, roller blades, skateboards,
scooters and “heelies” (shoes with wheels in the heel) are not perm itted on
school property or on school buses.
Telephones
Use of the school office telephone by a student is lim ited to im portant
circum stances and approval m ust be given by a staff m em ber. The school
phone cannot be used to m ake social arrangem ents.
W e encourage fam ilies to m ake arrangem ents for after school activities,
babysitting or transportation, in advance.
Although we do not encourage students to bring cell phones to school we do
appreciate their use for safety reasons when students are traveling to and
from school. W hile on school property cell phones m ust be turned off and
kept out of sight. Cell phones are not allowed in the washroom s, classroom s
or gym change room s. The school will not take responsibility for lost or stolen
cell phones or personal electronics.
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Dress Code
The following dress code has been approved by Doverwood Parent Council:
Students, staff and volunteers are required to wear proper attire that displays
good taste and dem onstrates respect for them selves and others.
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Hats (or headwear) m ust be rem oved when in the school, unless for a
specified activity (hair bands are allowed).
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Safe footwear m ust be worn at all tim es, both inside and outside.
Inside shoes are required. Shoes with wheels are not allowed at school.
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Clothing m ust be appropriate to a school setting:
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Shirts m ust be at least waist length and overlap pants during all
activities.
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Shoulder straps on shirts m ust be at least 3 fingers wide.
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Necklines, shorts and skirts should fit appropriately and reflect
m odesty.
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Pyjam a tops, bottom s and night shirts are not acceptable clothing at
school.
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Appropriate undergarm ents are necessary and m ust not be visible.
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Clothing with inappropriate language/graphics or m essages
(prom oting/ depicting drugs, tobacco, alcohol or violence) is unacceptable
at all tim es.
Please take the tim e to clearly label all of your children’s clothing, gym outfits
and personal belongings. The school cannot accept responsibility for item s
lost at school.
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Lost and Found
The Lost and Found Boxes are located in the prim ary and junior end. You are
urged to check them often! Item s rem aining in the collection at the end of
each term are donated to a local charity.
School Newsletter
W e want you to be inform ed of the quality program s and m any activities
occurring at our school. W atch for the newsletters which are distributed at the
end of each m onth. They are sent hom e with the youngest child in each
fam ily attending our school.
If you are not receiving your m onthly school
newsletter please call us right away and we will m ake sure you get updated.
In addition, teachers prepare a m onthly calendar and/or classroom newsletter.
Please take tim e to review this inform ation with your child.
Head Lice
Even though it is very com m on, m any parents never have dealt with head lice
and are not sure what to look for. You m ay be frustrated and confused by the
m yths and not know how to treat it.
Head lice are tiny, greyish insects which live and breed on hum an hair. Nits or
eggs appear as tiny white specks attached to the individual hair shafts. Head
lice prefer to live on clean, healthy hair. They are m ost likely spread by head
to head contact and cannot jum p, fly or be spread by pets or anim als.
Please check your child for head lice and/or nits (eggs) regularly, especially
before they return to school after a holiday period. If you discover head lice,
inform ation about the best treatm ent can be obtained by contacting your
doctor or pharm acist.
Please notify the school office if you find that your child has head lice. W e
understand parents’ and students’ need for confidentiality but we are obliged
to inform parents or other students in the sam e class of the presence of head
lice.
O nce head lice have been found, students m ay not return to school until they
have received proper treatm ent and all the nits have been rem oved from the
hair.
Any questions or concerns should be directed to the Health Unit.
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Playground Behaviour and Safety
W e are fortunate to have a large playground. Students of all ages enjoy a
variety of outside activities such as square ball, basketball and tag. Each
classroom has playground equipm ent for outdoor play. During recess there
are several staff m em bers on duty in the areas of our yard.
General playground expectations include:
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Playing safely: No body contact,
Keeping the snow on the ground,
Lining up prom ptly when the entry bell rings,
Using only polite and appropriate language,
Listening to and obeying supervisors and peacekeepers,
Being respectful of our trees, buildings and equipm ent.
Our Discipline Process
A problem -solving process will be followed when students do not
follow our TRIBES agreem ents of Mutual Respect, Attentive Listening
and No Put Downs. Students will be treated fairly and given an
opportunity to explain their side of the situation. The problem will be
identified and solutions will be discussed. Consequences will be in
accordance with the severity of the situation.
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Consequences m ay include:
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Tim e out,
Rem oval of privileges,
Restitution,
Behaviour contract,
In school suspension,
Form al suspension,
Police involvem ent,
Expulsion.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call our Principal.
Expectations for Behaviour at Doverw ood Public School
Here at Doverwood we have high expectations for behaviour.
Students have the right to:
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Be treated with respect, courtesy and kindness,
Learn without interruption,
Be safe at school,
Be happy,
Help decide the consequences for unacceptable behaviour,
Receive encouragem ent and assistance with their work,
Express them selves politely,
Question the things of which they are not certain,
Attend school regularly.
Students have the responsibility to:
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Treat others with respect, kindness and courtesy,
W ork cooperatively in class without disrupting the learning of others,
Solve problem s peacefully,
Use appropriate language,
Be punctual,
Com e to school with appropriate m aterials,
Show respect for school property ,
Accept the consequences for inappropriate behaviour,
Com plete their work to the best of their ability,
Dress appropriately for the weather, activities and safety.
Homework Expectations
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W e believe that Doverwood students should develop good work and
study habits. Student responsibilities will include regular com pletion
of hom ework (assignm ents, special projects, nightly reading or/and
studying for tests). The agenda program helps students to keep track
of these responsibilities. The Ministry of Education recom m ends 10
m inutes per grade every night, excluding reading. (By grade 6, 60
m inutes is quite norm al)
Com puter and Internet Acceptable Use Policy
Com puter technology is a powerful tool for teaching and learning
when em ployed in an appropriate m anner. Com puters will be used to
enhance educational program s and as tools to assist students in
achieving the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum .
Students will be given access to the Internet for research purposes
and will be supervised by a staff m em ber at all tim es. In order to
m ake the best use of the Internet, students need to be aware of
proper etiquette and potential risks.
Students have the responsibility to:
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Obtain perm ission to use the com puter or to access the Internet,
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Use only their own log in and password,
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Keep their personal log in and password confidential,
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Use com puter hardware and software without causing dam age,
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W ork on the com puter without disturbing others,
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Use only polite, appropriate language,
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Respect copyright and refrain from software piracy,
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Refrain from illegal access to com puter system s,
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Use the com puter and Internet for educational purposes only,
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Keep personal inform ation (nam e, address, phone num ber)
confidential,
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Refrain from using the network or Internet for com m ercial gain,
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Refrain from subscribing to m ailing lists or services through the
internet,
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Refrain form downloading inform ation or pictures without teacher
perm ission,
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Refrain from printing excessively large docum ents,
Only surf the web within teacher approved param eters.
Should students encounter inappropriate m aterials on the com puter
m onitor they should:
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Refrain from responding to pictures or messages that are cruel, abusive, and
profane or in any way make them feel uncomfortable.
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Im m ediately turn off the m onitor,
Inform the adult in charge that a situation has occurred.
Volunteers
Volunteers contribute greatly to our school. They offer a variety of
talents and skills to our students; they are a m ost valued resource for
our staff.
W e appreciate the m any parents and m em bers of our com m unity who
help in the classroom , accom pany students on class trips, prepare
learning m aterials, organize special events, publish students’ books,
listen to children read … . The list is endless!
If you are available to help in any way, please express your interest to
your child’s teacher. No experience is necessary! Tim e com m itm ents
and volunteer assignm ents can be negotiated.
As per board policy all volunteers must have a police check done
before volunteering in the school or on class trips.
Volunteer Code of Conduct
Our School Com m ittee has drafted a “Volunteer Code of Conduct” to
protect students, staff and volunteers. School volunteers are asked to
read and abide by the following rules while in our school:
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1.
Upon arrival, please report to the office to sign in and to obtain an
identification badge to wear,
2.
Refrain from public criticism of the school, staff, students and other
volunteers,
3.
Speak and act in a professional m anner while in the school,
4.
Keep the interest of the students in m ind while perform ing your
volunteer duties,
5.
Respect the confidentiality and privacy of students, staff and other
volunteers,
6.
W hen dealing with students, if a situation arises that is beyond your
scope as a volunteer please involve the student’s teacher or our principal,
7.
Be aware of the procedures for accident illness or em ergencies,
8.
Sign our confidentiality agreem ent which will be kept on file at the
office.
At Doverw ood Public School we value the support and
contributions of many enthusiastic volunteers. Your family is
invited and encouraged to participate.
Doverw ood Parent Committee
Our DPC is an advisory body of elected volunteers who work together
to m aintain good com m unication am ong the school, parents and
com m unity. By sharing ideas and inform ation, we strive to provide the
best possible learning environm ent for all our students.
All interested parents are m ost welcom e to attend all DPC Meetings.
Meeting tim es will be posted in our School Newsletters and on our
School Sign.
Elections for DPC positions are held in June.
The DPC strives to facilitate a variety of special events and program s
throughout the year, which m eet the needs and interests of the
fam ilies in our school com m unity. Som e of these activities and events
include:
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Santa Sale,
Annual Meet the Teachers Barbeque,
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Hot Lunch Days,
Fam ily Dances,
Teacher reading incentives,
Other special events.
Any parents, guardians or grandparents are m ore than welcom e to
participate in the DPC.
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