St. Gabriel the Archangel School

18 Pages·2015·0.57 MB·English

St. Gabriel the Archangel School
Grades 7-12

STUDENT HANDBOOK

2015-2016

197 Invermere Drive T1X 1M7
Chestermere, Alberta
[phone]
Website: www.cssd.ab.ca/stgabriel

Principal: Mr. M. Bolder
Vice Principal: Mr. J. Patrician

Student Name:

Grade/Teacher: ___________ / __________________
“Home of the Guardians

WELCOME

Welcome to St. Gabriel the Archangel School. It is our sincere hope that you will discover the warm,
Christian atmosphere within the school. We believe that when children feel safe and are treated
extraordinary respect
with dignity and they can be expected to achieve success in any
venture they undertake.

We are all partners in your child's education. As parents, you are the primary educators of your
children. We take our responsibility as educators seriously and constantly strive to be the best
teachers we can be. We are counting on your support, so that together we can offer a quality
Catholic education for your child.

It is with a great deal of anticipation and enthusiasm that the Administration and Staff welcome you
to St. Gabriel. We hope you will have a successful and enjoyable year with us. Two of the main
goals of this school community are to work in close partnership with you and your children and to
create the best possible learning environment for the students.

St. Gabriel takes great pride in establishing and nurturing an environment where Catholicity is
permeated among students, staff and parents. We create a learning community which empowers
staff and students to problem solve in a creative, critical and flexible manner. We continue to
enhance the quality of teaching and learning to promote academic excellence and pride in all our
school achievements. Our staff strive to foster effective, open lines of communication while
organizing the trifocal partnership between home, school and parish. We continually improve
classroom instructional programs through a process of program review, student achievement
analysis and teacher supervision and evaluation. We support a positive, collaborative school
environment and a clear sense of community. We look forward to your continued interest, support,
and involvement in the education of your child.
TO THE PARENT

Parents, you are an integral component of St. Gabriel the Archangel School. You are vested in
your child’s education and you are the primary educator it is critical you work in partnership with the
school in the education process. You can help your children by asking them to share their school
day, ask questions, encourage their endeavors and nurture a love and interest in learning. The
importance placed on school and learning by parents is reflected in the student engagement.

The education of children is a shared responsibility and one that requires a supportive and co-
operative relationship between the home and the school. This is the primary ingredient needed for
a successful schooling experience and the instructional team at St. Gabriel the Archangel welcomes
active parental involvement in the education of the child. A parent survey is conducted each spring
and parental input is used in formulating a School Plan for the following year.

Please review this handbook with your child. It will be an important reference during this school
year. It is meant to be used by students to keep track of their homework, assignments, home
reading, and school activities; by parents as a communication tool with their child’s teacher(s);
and by teachers to communicate with parents about the day to day events within our school.

Understanding the guidelines, programs and procedures that are outlined will support open
communication, active cooperation and positive learning. We believe that with your help, we can
create an atmosphere of mutual respect and participation for everyone.

TO THE STUDENT

Please read this handbook carefully. The responsibility for knowing and observing the rules and
guidelines of our school rests with you, the student. For this reason you are expected to become
familiar with the information in this handbook. Not only does his handbook outline the rules of
conduct, but also, equally important, it provides other information relative to curriculum and
extracurricular activities. All students are encouraged to celebrate their gifts and talents and
participate in developing our school community through developing leadership. You have the
responsibility to apply yourself and do your personal best. You have the opportunity to make your
school experience meaningful, enjoyable and productive. Make it great!

Parents and Students: The handbook was created to communicate school expectations,
services, and requirements. Carefully read and discuss these pages with your child. If you
have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher at (403) 500-
2110. Once you and your son/daughter have read this School Handbook, please sign the
form below to indicate that you have read, and are familiar with the procedures as outlined.
We have read and are familiar with the policies, procedures and programs outlined in the
St. Gabriel the Archangel 2015 – 2016 handbook.
Parent’s Signature:
Student’s Signature:
Teacher’s Signature:
Homeroom:
Teacher:
ST. GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy of education at St. Gabriel the Archangel School is to provide opportunities for every
child to develop to the maximum of his or her potential. These learning opportunities will try and
make each child feel successful.
The school is built on the foundation of “Extraordinary Respect”. Extraordinary Respect is defined
by three traits: I) Treat people better than you want to be treated, II) Do the right thing for the right
reason and III) With integrity we all need to be accountable. This philosophy will be modelled by our
entire school community: teachers, support staff, students, parent community and church.
The staff of St. Gabriel the Archangel work together with parents, clergy and the broader school
community to meet the needs of all of our stakeholders. We believe in open, honest communication
with all partners in the St. Gabriel the Archangel School community.

COMMUNITY OF CARING

St. Gabriel the Archangel is proud to be a “Catholic Community of Caring School”.
This is a district initiative that enhances our school’s commitment to the following
virtues. Our school strives to promote: extraordinary respect, family, trust,
responsibility, caring and faith. The Catholic community of Caring philosophy is exciting because it
permeates every aspect of our school. The six core values are incorporated into classroom
learning, liturgies.

Notice to Parents: Student Groups & Human Sexuality

Over the year, our school may establish a student group, which engages in discussion
and activities related to diversity and justice issues, including support for students
belonging to sexual minorities. In particular, within our Religious Education and Family
Life Catholic Community of Caring program, students may provide leadership and receive
support to continue to build inclusive communities, aligned with our Catholic social
teachings. If you wish further information, please contact the principal.

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

RELIGIOUS PARTICIPATION

As a Catholic school, religious education is an integral part of our school day. All students are
expected to participate in our Religious Education program, daily prayer and many prayer services
and liturgies over the course of the school year. This participation brings us together as a
community of faith.

PARENT VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Parents are encouraged to volunteer at St. Gabriel the Archangel. Research indicates that
parental involvement in the educational process impacts positively on the attitude and conduct of
children in the school. Please note that prior to volunteering in the school during school hours or
helping supervise a field trip, parents must attend a “Volunteer Orientation”. The orientation
must be updated each year. Dates and times for the orientation will be announced at a later
date.

The volunteer orientation and the volunteer program in general are facilitated by school
administration. All parent volunteers at the school are asked to report to the main office to obtain
volunteer identification tags.

Periodically parents may be needed to transport students to interschool activities or field trips.
School Board policy requires that all volunteer drivers fill out a “Volunteer Driver Authorization”
form before transporting students. This document requires volunteer drivers to submit a copy of
their insurance policy. These forms are available at the office. Principal approval is required before
any parent is accepted as a volunteer.

SCHOOL COUNCIL

Each year parents are asked to volunteer to serve on a School Council. A yearly schedule for the
St. Gabriel the Archangel School Council meetings will be developed once a Council is elected.
Parents are encouraged and welcome to become involved in the numerous projects that the school
and council undertake. Information will be coming home at the start of the school year.

VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL

Parents and visitors must first report to the school office located by the Main Entrance. All parents
and visitors are required to wear Visitor/Volunteer Identification tags provided by the office.
This procedure enables us to minimize disruptions to our programs and ensures a degree of safety
for our students.

NEWSLETTERS / WEBSITE /TWITTER

Communication is very important in the success of any school. Our school website at
www.cssd.ab.ca/stgabriel/ is updated on a regular basis and contains the most up to date
information. Please make a habit of checking it on a regular basis.
A school newsletter will be issued at the beginning of each month to inform parents of school
activities and other important information. These newsletters will be distributed to parents via “e-
mail” and published on the school website. Please provide the office with your current e-mail
address. If parents do not have access to e-mail, copies will be available in the office. The
newsletter will also include a detailed calendar listing special events, holidays, professional days
and celebrations. Additional information sheets are sent home throughout the year as required.
We also encourage you to follow our athletic teams on Twitter @SGASport_CCSD

SCHOOL CONNECTS
At St. Gabriel the Archangel we use a subscription to SchoolConnects an Automated
Notification Service. SchoolConnects can quickly deliver a wide variety of messages by
phone, email and SMS text to parents and our staff. It will enhance communication
within our school community and improve our emergency preparedness.
We believe that good attendance is important to the academic success of students. We
will be using SchoolConnects to notify you by phone whenever your child is absent
from class. These phone calls are made to your home/cell phone in the
morning/afternoon. We will also be using SchoolConnects to send announcements and
emergency messages as required. These messages may go out at any time. Please
make sure your contact phone numbers and email addresses are up to date.

When you receive calls from the system, Call Display shows the phone number
from the school or from the Calgary Catholic school district. When SchoolConnects
reaches an answering machine, it plays the message twice in case the beginning is cut
off.

We are excited about using SchoolConnects to enhance communication and improve
the quality of education for your child.

VISITOR PARKING AND PARKING LOT SAFETY

Our main parking lot is not available for visitor parking. Visitors are asked to park on the street.
We share this parking lot with Prairie Waters School. It is not a drop off zone. Also, please do
not park in front of the school doors as it is a FIRE LANE.
It is important that all visitors to our school obey the parking lot rules. All vehicles must enter in
the far entrance. The parking lot loop only allows for one way traffic. This is especially important
during our peak congestion times from 8:15 to 8:50 AM and from 3:30 to 4:00 PM.
Parents and community members are advised to follow all parking and drop off regulations. RCMP
will be present to regularly observe and ticket traffic violators. NOTE: It is also important that we
respect our neighbours near the school by not parking in front of driveways.

STUDENT AGENDA

For the 2015-2016 school year, our Grade 7 students will be provided with a school agenda.
Electronic agendas will be online through the Desire2Learn/Brightspace (D2L) web portal for Grade
7 – 12 students.

NOON LUNCH

A yearly lunchroom fee is levied to pay for lunch hour supervisors. All families of Grade 7 – 9
students are asked to pay this fee. This fee covers supervision for the lunchroom and playground.
All Grade 7 – 9 students must eat their lunch and stay on school property throughout the lunch
hour unless they are going home to a parent for lunch and have submitted a signed Closed
Campus Form authorizing leaving school property. All students must eat their lunch in their
designated eating areas. After lunch, students are expected to be outside, weather permitting.
Students are to remain outside before school and during noon hours unless the temperature falls
below –17 ° C. The school library is also open on most school days for students who wish to read or
complete work.
GOOD NEIGHBOUR POLICY

Students are ambassadors of St. Gabriel each time they leave the school. All students
are expected to show their respect and maturity to all of our neighbors, both residential
and commercial, and to conduct themselves in a manner that maintains a positive
relationship with our community.

SCHOOL PHONE USE

Students will be allowed to use school telephones in case of emergencies and illness. Phones in
the office should not be used for trivial reasons. Parents who have emergencies or need to contact
their child are asked to call the school directly. Cell phone use within the classroom for receiving or
making calls is not permitted.
It is suggested that all arrangements for appointments or rides be made before your child comes to
school. Please ensure that the bus company is informed if your child will not be taking the bus that
day. If contact with your child is necessary you may phone and leave a message. Please be aware
that students are only contacted at the dismissal bell to come to the office for a message in order to
minimize the disruption to instructional time.

LOCKERS

Grade 7 – 12 students are assigned a locker. Each locker is to be secured by a school combination
lock, which will be purchased from the school. Students are entirely responsible for the security of
their own locks and combinations. Locker clean outs will be held on a regular basis.
- Locker combinations should be kept private.
- Lock combinations must be provided to the teacher advisors.
- Students are not to leave open food in lockers as it attracts unwanted pests.
- Lockers are the property of the school; they are provided as a service to students and
will be inspected on a regular basis.
PLEASE NOTE: Valuables should not be left in the gymnasium areas, gym offices, or school
desks. The school will not be responsible for lost or stolen items.
Abuse of lockers will result in the privilege being removed from the student for a period of
time determined by Administration.

CRITICAL INCIDENT RESPONSE PLAN

To ensure the safety of students and staff an Emergency Response Plan has been developed
for our school. St. Gabriel the Archangel students and staff will regularly practice fire drills and
lockdown procedures in preparation for any critical incident.

II. STUDENT REGULATIONS

ATTENDANCE

The School Act states that students must be punctual in their attendance at school. In the
event of an absence, parents are requested to contact the school by phone prior to 8:52 a.m. to
indicate the reason for absence. The school answering machine is switched on 24 hours a day. In
the case of a medical or dental appointment, a note or phone call should be sent in advance so the
student can be released from class. An excused Late slip will be given to the student upon return
that day. A parent or guardian of a Grade 7 – 9 student must come into the school and sign a
student out if they are leaving the school. When students are absent without prior notice, an
automated phone call through School Connects is made notifying the parent of the absence. The
call is made after both morning and afternoon attendance for Grade 7-9 students and at the end of
the day for Grade 10-12 students. This procedure is undertaken to ensure the safety of our
students. A “Parent Portal” is available on the school website which provides easy, up-to-date
access to daily attendance records and it is recommended that it be checked on an ongoing
basis. Office hours are from 8:15 am to 4:15 pm Monday to Friday. The school telephone
number is [phone].

HABITUAL LATES AND ABSENCES

Administration and/or the guidance counsellor will meet with students who are habitually late.
Students who are repeatedly late or absent without a reasonable excuse will be viewed as
committing a serious violation of the School Act and will be handled accordingly. Students with
multiple unexcused lates or absences will be referred to administration. Following this, an
Attendance Contract will be implemented. Parents are encouraged to schedule dental, doctor or
other necessary appointments outside of school hours. Professional days are an ideal opportunity
to book those appointments without disruptions to the instructional process.

Prolonged absence or irregular attendance results in a lack of program continuity that is
detrimental to learning and is not supported by the school. As a result, students who are
repeatedly late or absent without a reasonable excuse are considered to be in violation of the
School Act.

 Each homeroom teacher/teacher advisor will call the parent/guardian after 5 full
days are missed, whether they are excused or unexcused absences. The call is
to discover whether there is something happening here at school that we can
assist with. The importance of regular attendance by every child is paramount to
receiving the very best possible education. With regular attendance students will
avoid becoming overwhelmed due to missed lessons and having extra homework
as they attempt to get caught up.

 If the student continues to miss (10 days) the counselor will send a letter home
requiring parents to come in and meet with the teacher, counselor and
administrator to address the concerns and complete an Attendance Improvement
Plan.

 If the student continues to be absent, an irregular attendance referral may be
made to our district attendance officer.

Choosing to take your child on vacation during the school year is ultimately a parental
choice. Please be aware that homework will not be supplied. School work is not all paper
and pencil work. Much is learned through discussion, group work and dynamic interaction,
which cannot be replicated outside of school. The decision to take your child out of school
does have an impact on their learning.
Planning effective instruction for the class is also impacted when different students are
away at different times. In order to provide optimal learning conditions for all children, we
respectfully ask that families consider limiting vacations to school holidays whenever
possible.

VISUAL IDENTIFICATION (VID)

All students are issued a school visual identification card and a standard lanyard. VID’s are a
District expectation to ensure that we are able to quickly and easily identify students who might
not belong in our building. Should students lose or destroy their VID, they will be expected to
purchase a new one through the business office. Students are expected to have their visual
identification (VID) with them at ALL TIMES while on school property.

STUDENT CONDUCT

WE WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS TO BUILD A
CULTURE AND CLIMATE WHICH IS CONDUICIVE TO LEARNING. WE BELIEVE IN
THE DIGNITY AND WORTH OF ALL STUDENTS AND IT WILL BE OUR MISSION TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THE POSITIVE

St. Gabriel the school of Extra-ordinary Respect
Children grow and mature in a supportive environment and therefore our guidelines for conduct are
designed to support, not restrict students. St. Gabriel the Archangel students are expected to
conduct themselves as responsible members of the school community modelling our school motto
of extraordinary respect.
St. Gabriel the Archangel students are expected to demonstrate behaviour that is in alignment with
Catholic school values. These behaviours are necessary for maintaining an effective learning
environment.
Students are to conduct themselves in compliance with the following code of conduct:
- Be diligent in pursuing his/her studies
- Attend school regularly and punctually
- Co-operate fully with everyone authorized by the board to provide education programs and
other services
- Comply with the rules of the school
- Be accountable for their actions
- Respect the rights of others

B. BULLYING

“Bullying is defined as a deliberate form of aggression in which one person or group of
persons, feels entitled to exert power over someone” (Calgary Catholic School District).
Bullying is not a normal part of life or growing up and can have a great negative impact on a
student’s emotional and physical well-being.
The school administration and staff of St. Gabriel must provide a safe environment for
students in the school building, on school grounds and during school excursions. School
administration, staff, students and parents will work together to help achieve the district’s
goal of moving toward the eradication of bullying from the school environment.
If a student is a victim of bullying or sees someone who is being bullied, the following steps
need to be taken:
 report bulling to a trusted adult
 tell the bully or bullies to stop and then walk away.
 avoid unsafe situations and identify a safe place to go to if bullying is taking
place.

The following is a list of expectations regarding bullying:
1. Students, school/district personnel, and visitors will treat one another with respect
and will not deliberately cause harm, fear, or distress to others.
2. All will refrain from harming or contributing to diminishing another’s reputation.
3. The Progressive School Discipline Plan will indicate the consequences of any
bullying incident and will take into account the circumstances, the history of the
students involved, and the age/developmental stage of the students.
4. Incidences of bullying may be addressed through application of Section 24
(Suspensions) or Section 25 (Expulsions) of the Alberta School Act.

C. CYBER-BULLYING
Cyber-bullying consists of racial, sexual or homophobic harassment and personal attacks on
one’s character that are conveyed through electronic media such as cell phones, web-logs
and websites, and on-line chat rooms, etc. It may be verbal or written. (www.cssd.ab.ca)

SMOKING & ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES

School Board regulations prohibit smoking at St. Gabriel the Archangel School. Smoking in or
around the school by students is viewed as a serious danger to the health and safety of the school.
“Around the School” is interpreted as anywhere within sight of the school. Students are asked to
respect our neighbouring school and surrounding neighbours in the community. Appropriate
corrective action will be taken with anyone found smoking in or around the school. Chewing tobacco
and similar substances are not allowed on school property.
Provincial regulations state that no person may smoke within 5 meters of a building, however, the
District regulations are much stricter and do not allow any smoking on District property.

Provincial fines for a person caught smoking within 5 meters of a building are as follows:
1st Offence - $1,000 2nd Offence - $5,000

DRUGS OR ALCOHOL

Students who choose to be in possession of or are under the influence of drugs or alcohol during
the school day or school related activities will be dealt with severely. Suspensions and police
involvement will results of such actions.

FOOD AND BEVERAGES IN THE CLASSROOM