School Handbook

MISSION STATEMENT

We are a safe and caring community that welcomes and accepts you for who you are. Our purpose is to support and encourage you to grow and be the best version of yourself.

VISION STATEMENT

Davidson Creek Elementary is an inclusive community where a strong character is nurtured, learning is exciting and meaningful, and where all aspire to reach their dreams.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

All members of the Davidson Creek family work closely together to ensure each child experiences growth and success. We believe that it is a shared responsibility to foster a strong work ethic, to model respect and to embrace hope. At our school, we believe the best about each other. We work hard, play hard and take care of each other.

Davidson Creek Elementary offers many opportunities for students to learn in and out of the classroom including a robust music program, daily physical education activities, and a focus on healthy lifestyles. We are proud to promote environmental stewardship through litterless or biodegradable hot lunches and making use of alternate modes of transportation such as walking or biking to school. 

Students have access to variety of extracurricular activities during the lunch hour such Cute Things Club, Daebak Dance Club, D & D Club, Games Club, Intramurals, Propogation Fascination Club, Robotics, and other activities sponsored by staff volunteers. These are opportunities for students to follow their passions and practice their leadership skills.

FIRST NATIONS, MÉTIS AND INUIT

Davidson Creek Elementary honours Treaty 6 territory and welcomes students from Métis settlements and First Nations communities throughout Western Canada and the Northwest Territories. We strive to build a safe and caring environment where cultural practices and traditions are honoured and celebrated. We work closely with community knowledge keepers to bring the truth of Canada's history to our students as we work towards shared reconciliation.

RESPECTFUL WORKING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Elk Island Public Schools is committed to creating healthy, respectful learning environments for students, caregivers, staff and community. We recognize the worth of every person without discrimination. We are committed to creating an environment that is respectful, safe, nurturing and positive for everyone. Thank you for respecting the dignity of all community members through your words and actions (Elk Island Administrative Procedure 311)

HOME AND SCHOOL COMMUNICATION

We believe that transparent and timely communication between home and school are essential in developing a strong relationship of trust.

We will communicate with our Davidson Creek families regularly through a weekly update - the Mustang Memo - posted on our website and delivered to your mailbox every Friday. This memo provides an overview of the upcoming school week with reminders, celebrations, important events/opportunities, and other information that will support your planning. If you have information that you would like to include in the Mustang Memo, send an email to helene.hewitt@eips.ca at least one day prior to posting. 

You can also subscribe to the school calendar on our website for regular updates on personal devices. E-mail with our staff is also easy! All addresses use lower case letters for the first name, separated by a period, followed by the last name. The name is then followed by: @eips.ca For example: joe.smith@eips.ca. 

You can find other information about our school such as our School Education Plan, agendas for school council meetings and other documents by visiting our website. Elk Island Public Schools also offers information on its website: www.eips.ca.

We encourage you to communicate directly with your child's classroom teacher if you have any questions or concerns, as they are your first point of contact. They can be contacted via email or through phone message. Teachers strive to return phone calls within 48 hours when not teaching.

FORMAL COMMUNICATION OPPORTUNITIES

Meet the Staff Night

Join us in the evening on August 28, 2024 to meet your child's teacher and see the school. 

Student/Caregiver/Teacher Interviews 

Conducted in October and February, interviews facilitate sharing about student progress and conversation through one-on-one conferences. Online booking is available to pre-arrange interview times. Students are encouraged to attend so that they can celebrate their many accomplishments!

Digital outcomes-based report cards

We post digital report cards online in November, March and June for students in Grades K-6. These report cards are an important way for school and family to dialogue on student progress throughout the year. Access to your child's progress reports is through PowerSchool Parent Portal. 

VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS

Visitors and volunteers are welcome in our school. All visitors are required to check in at the office to register on the iPad and receive a visitor ID badge. Since we have a responsibility to ensure the safety of all of our students and staff, visitors are expected to have a purpose for their visit which they can share when signing in. 

SCHOOL COUNCIL AND DAVIDSON CREEK FUNDRAISING ASSOCIATION (DCFA)

Be involved! Your input into decisions at our school about your child’s education is critical. All parents/guardians are general members of our school council. We host meetings for our parent bodies once a month. Please check the calendar on the website to confirm the date each month. Please see the School Council section of the website to find out who the executive members are, when the meetings take place, to read the minutes and to find out how you can be involved.

The first meeting for the School Council and DCFA takes place on September 17, 2024. Your involvement in our parent groups is essential making this a place where we belong!

ATTENDANCE

Under the Education Act, regular and punctual attendance is required of all students throughout the school year. This ensures that students have regular continuity in their classroom instruction. Thank you for prioritizing regular student attendance by scheduling medical, dental or other appointments outside of regular instructional hours whenever possible. 

If your child will be absent, please call the school and leave a message or speak with our secretary. Notifying the teacher does not always ensure that the office knows, so please call and leave a message including the child's name, grade, teacher and length of absence. This lets us know that your child is somewhere safe. 

When no prior notice has been received, a phone call will be made to check on his or her whereabouts. Family holidays, which extend beyond regular holiday dates, should be undertaken with the understanding that the student is ultimately responsible for missed lessons.

LATE ARRIVAL AND EARLY PICKUP

Students who arrive after the 8:40 bell will check in at the office so both the secretary and the teacher know they have arrived safely. Caregivers are required to sign students out in the office if they are leaving early. Please send a note to your child's teacher if your child is going home with a different adult or on a different bus. If we do not have verbal or written notice of changes to the bus pick up from the guardian, we will default to putting the child on the bus.

BELL SCHEDULE 

There are 10 periods in a day of 32 minutes each. Students enjoy a morning and afternoon recess of 15 minutes each as well as a staggered lunch hour with students in kindergarten to grade 2 playing first and then eating while students in grades 3 to 6 eat first before going outside for recess.

DCE Bell Schedule

Please note that our doors open at 8:35 a.m. in the mornings. We do not have supervisors outside monitoring students before this time. As our staff are busily preparing for the start of the school day, we are unable to supervise students in the classrooms before our doors open. We are happy to host before and afterschool care through the Boys and Girls Club.

EARLY DISMISSAL FOR STAFF MEETINGS

Staff meetings take place on the first Wednesday of each month. On short days, students are dismissed at 2:18 p.m.

ADMINISTERING MEDICINE TO STUDENTS

If a caregiver wishes the school to administer medicine to a student, a must be completed  Medical Consent Form giving full instructions as to the procedure to be followed. As teachers are not permitted to administer medication, this will be done through the office.

Parents of students requiring Epi-pens and/or inhalers need to submit this form as well. In general, we prefer that Epi-pens and inhalers are kept with the student when possible so that they are easily accessible in the event of an emergency. They can also be stored in the office depending on specific protocols requested by parents. 

If your child has allergies, please fill out the Anaphylaxis Emergency Plan Form, and/or if they have asthma, please fill out the Asthma Emergency Plan Form and return these forms to the office. 

ACCIDENTS AND ILLNESS

If an accident occurs at school, staff administer First Aid and parents/caregivers are notified. If parents/caregivers and emergency contacts are unavailable and the situation is urgent, an ambulance may be called and further medical treatment administered under the direction of administration until parents can be located. Please keep us informed of any changes in medications and contact information, including home, work and emergency numbers as soon as possible. Contacting you in an emergency is very important!

If students fall ill during the school day, they may rest in the infirmary while we contact parents/caregivers. We ask that caregivers do their best to pick up sick children within an hour when possible. Being sick at school is no fun! Thank you for keeping your sick child at home. This keeps our entire school community healthy!

PEANUT ALLERGIES

We have a number of students who are severely allergic to nuts or peanuts. These allergies can be severe enough to cause anaphylactic shock and exposure to residue is a problem. We request that you not send peanut/nut products to school. 

MESSAGES FOR STUDENTS AND STUDENT TELEPHONE USAGE

Please call the office at 780-467-5557 if you need to deliver a message to your child. With permission from their teacher, students may use the classroom phone if they need to make a call. Students may also access the conference room phone in the office if privacy is needed.

STUDENT CELL PHONES AND PERSONAL COMMUNCIATION DEVICES

In accordance with Administrative Procedure 145: Use of Personal Communication Devices, student personal devices such as cell phones and tablets are not to be operated by students during the school day or during any school sponsored activity, such as an assembly or field trip. Exceptions will be made for students with a diagnosed medical condition or an identified inclusive educational need where a specific plan will be established as a home and school team.

If a student brings a personal device to school, they must comply with Adminstrative Procedure 350: Student Conduct. Student cell phones or other personal devices will be stored out of sight in a student's locker. Students are not permitted to keep personal devices on their person or in their desks during school hours. The school is not responsible for the loss or damage of personal devices.

As leaders of technology, our goal is to help students develop digital citizenship through the responsible use of technology. Students will have opportunities to learn about online safety and how to be productive and responsible digital citizens during health lessons.

Students are not permitted to film or photograph school community members on personal devices. 

VALUABLES AND PERSONAL PROPERTY

The responsibility for the safekeeping of personal property brought onto school premises rests with the owner of the property. The school is not responsible for damage or loss of personal items such as bicycles, electronics or jewelry that are brought to school. Please leave valuable items at home where they are safe.

HALL LOCKERS AND DESKS

Students are required to keep lockers and desks tidy and have opportunities for cleaning from time to time as part of their general responsibilities. We expect students to respect the personal property of others by staying away from desks and lockers which do not belong to them. The school reserves the right to search lockers and desks when deemed necessary in accordance with Administrative Procedure 352.

LUNCH HOUR

All students who stay for lunch eat in their classrooms with the support of a noon supervisor and are required to pay for their supervision. This may be done online through the parent portal.

Noon supervision fee rates:

• Grades 1-6: $85.00 per year
• Kindergarten $42.50 for Kindergarten

The lunch supervision program is operated on a break-even basis. Supervisors are employed to supervise children throughout the lunch hour and are deployed at a ratio, on average, of 1 supervisor per 2 classrooms in kindergarten to grade 2 and 1 per 3 in grades 3 to 6. Student responsibilities during the lunch hour are as follows:

1. Students remain seated in their desks at all times.
2. Students clean up after themselves and put away garbage before being dismissed by the lunch supervisor.
3. Students speak with inside level voices.
4. Students stay in their classrooms until dismissed by their supervisor.
5. Students demonstrate respect to supervisors at all times.

Students are not allowed to leave the grounds during the lunch hour unless the parent or caregiver completes a permission form and students sign in and out at the office.

CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR, AND LOST AND FOUND

School is a place of work and students should dress accordingly. Please refrain from wearing inappropriate T-shirts that display slogans that include swears, inappropriate imagery or messages that are not in line with a safe, respectful and inclusive environment or clothing that reveal private areas of the body. Students wearing unacceptable clothing may be asked to find something else to put on.

To help keep our school clean and less dusty, we ask that staff, students, and visitors not wear dirty outdoor footwear in the classroom or gymnasium. Non- marking, indoor shoes must be worn by all students inside the school at all times.

Adequate footwear is required at all times in case of an emergency evacuation of the school. Please label all personal items and to check Lost and Found regularly.

COLD WEATHER

Students are encouraged to come prepared for playing outside in each season. During winter, please send students with hats, mitts, boots and snow pants. Students will enjoy the great outdoors unless it is approximately -22 °C or colder, taking into account the wind chill. During inside recesses, students may have a short washroom break and get a drink from the water fountain. Students remain in their homerooms where they have access to games and other quiet activities.

INCLEMENT WEATHER & BUS CANCELLATIONS

For information regarding school closure due to weather as well as details about the suspension of bus services, please consult Administrative Procedure 131.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Assessment is the process of collecting and communicating information about student achievement. In essence, assessment informs students, teachers, and parents about what students have learned and how well they have learned it. Teachers regularly gather information about students’ learning through a variety of assessment tools. These tools can include conversations, observations, the submission of student work, and formal assessments. Through these feedback opportunities, teachers determine students’ areas of strength and the areas in which students may need more time or practice. All of these opportunities allow teachers to give parents and guardians a clear and accurate picture of student achievement and growth.

Assessment is based on the knowledge and skill areas outlined in the Alberta Programs of Study or a student’s Instructional Support Plan (ISP). Teachers do not use a child’s behaviour, effort, or work habits to determine grades or marks unless otherwise stated in the Alberta Programs of Study.

Students have a responsibility for their learning and are expected to:

• attend school every day and be on time;
• complete assignments, projects, and tasks to the best of their ability;
• participate in activities that celebrate learning;
• consistently demonstrate their learning; and
• take advantage of opportunities to revise or redo assessments to demonstrate their learning.

Teachers will help students succeed by:

• providing appropriate programming for each student;
• clearly explaining what is expected of each student and how student work will be assessed and reported;
• ensuring students have multiple opportunities and ways to demonstrate their learning;
• allowing students to redo/complete missed assessments and activities (if appropriate);
• keeping detailed, accurate information describing student successes and challenges;
• providing timely and ongoing communication with parents/guardians, students, and school administration.

Parents and guardians can support a student’s learning by:

• working in partnership with school staff;
• providing time and a place for children to practice and complete assigned work at home;
• ensuring regular school attendance;
• staying informed about school events and keeping in touch with school staff;
• regularly accessing student assessment information via PowerSchool; and
• attending Parent-Teacher-Student conferences/interviews.

For more information read our Guide to Reporting Student Achievement 2022-23, Kindergarten to Grade 6. 

SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS AND STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT

Elk Island Public Schools is committed to ensuring that each student has a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe environment that respects diversity and fosters a sense of belonging. (Administrative Procedure 350)

The goal of the student code of conduct is to:

• Resolve issues peacefully;
• Develop empathy; and
• Contribute to a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environments that foster diversity and nurture a sense of belonging and a positive sense of self.

Students, staff and guardians have the following shared responsibilities:

• STUDENTS have the responsibility to respect the rights and dignity of others, and be proactively and productively involved in their own academic and social achievement.
• STAFF MEMBERS are responsible for establishing a positive school climate in which support and encouragement are provided on an ongoing basis to assist students in developing a sense of self-discipline and responsibility while making a positive contribution to society.
• PARENTS/CAREGIVERS are responsible for establishing a positive learning environment at home, for knowing and supporting school policies and procedures, and for encouraging their children to understand and respect school rules and expectations.

Please review these expectations with your child and ensure that they clearly understand what is expected of them and what the consequences are for misbehaviour.

Davidson Creek student expectations:

Be kind.

Be safe.

Be respectful.

Be your best self.

The following are examples of what we expect at school:

• Come to school prepared to learn.
• Be polite to all members of our school community.
• Participate respectfully in activities by using equipment and supplies appropriately.
• Remain on the school grounds unless accompanied by a staff member.
• Refrain from throwing rocks or snowballs.
• Do not engage in physical aggression or physical forms of play such as wrestling and play fighting (No Body Contact).
• Use your words to solve problems and seek adult help when words don't work.
• Apologize when you make a mistake and try to repair the relationship.
• Stand up to bullying. This includes physical, emotional, virtual bullying (such as cyberbullying).

We consider disciplinary situations on an individual basis, with action taken dependent upon the intensity, frequency, duration and intent of the misbehavior. The school may amend procedures in the best interest of the student and the school. The age of the student is also taken into consideration.

Action taken includes logical consequences appropriate for the misbehavior, as well as supports for remediation and the teaching of required skills/strategies. Administration may take action to discipline a student or students who admit to, or are found to be, parties to an offense. The teacher, in consultation with the administration and footage from our security cameras when available, investigates all reported incidents to ensure fairness and justice.

Support from outside agencies such as Family and Community Services and the RCMP is available as needed. In accordance with the regulations outlined in the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FOIP), details regarding disciplinary action are disclosed only to the immediate student guardian and/or appropriate authorities when required.

BULLYING PREVENTION POLICY

Bullying is repeated and hostile/demeaning behavior by an individual in the school community where the behavior is intended to cause harm, fear or distress to one or more individuals in the school community, including psychological harm or harm to an individual’s reputation. Bullying can take different forms:

• Physical – pushing, hitting
• Verbal – name calling, threats
• Social – exclusion, rumours and
• Cyber – using the computer/technology to harass or threaten

Bullying is not acceptable at Davidson Creek Elementary. Through classroom instruction, the use of programs such as the Zones of Regulation and support from our school counsellor, students learn to be responsible, respectful, compassionate and empathetic in order to create a safe and caring school environment.

They will learn to:

• Predict how peers will react to their behaviour;
• Read body language;
• Recognize when they are in trouble socially;
• Support others and develop positive relationships;
• Identify how others see them;
• Greet people appropriately;
• Identify their own feelings and appropriate ways to manage them.

SUPPORT SERVICES

We have a number of programs in our school to help support students. Each teacher promotes positive behaviour in their classroom and they will communicate with caregivers in the event of a problem.

Our school counsellors work with students and staff to support student growth. Outside agencies such Family and Community Services, Strathcona Health as well as the School Resource Officer may contribute to supporting the personal growth of our students.

LOST AND FOUND

Please mark all of your child’s materials and clothing clearly so that they may be claimed if lost or misplaced. Three times a year, during Student-Parent-Teacher Interviews and at the end of June, lost and found materials will be set up outside the library in the south hallway. Unclaimed items will be donated to charity at the end of the school year.

EXTRA SET OF CLOTHES

Seasonal changes are messy and sometimes accidents happen! We encourage students to bring an extra pair of pants and socks in their school bag - just in case!

BUS SAFETY/STUDENT CONDUCT RULES ON BUSES

Students are expected to follow all bus safety rules.  This ensures all students arrive at school and get home safely.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

Our priority during an emergency is the safety of our students and staff. The division has developed an Emergency Response Plan and framework to deal with a wide range of potential emergencies. The planning framework, called Hour Zero, works in collaboration with first responders and other local emergency preparedness plans. Division and individual school plans are reviewed and revised annually and following each emergency.

The division and school emergency plan use well-established functional protocols and procedures that address a wide variety of incidents.  The particular actions taken during any emergency will depend on the specifics of the incident.  Each school year a minimum of 6 evacuation drills are conducted, plus an additional two drills which may include any of the following: shelter in place, hold-and-secure or lock-down.  School bus evacuation drills are also conducted on an annual basis.  These drills and exercises are precautionary actions designed to prepare students and staff to act quickly and to minimize a child’s fear in case a real emergency should occur.

During an emergency please do not come to the school to pick up your child unless requested to do so.  Although your instincts in an emergency may be to go to the school to safeguard your child, please understand that doing so may interfere with emergency crews’ and school personnel’s effort to respond to the situation.

NEED MORE INFORMATION?

The purpose of the school handbook is to provide parents/caregivers and students with details about the school’s operation and every effort has been made to provide accurate and current information. Each year, the handbook is reviewed and edited. However, in such a document it is impossible to deal with all of the procedures, issues and situations that come up in a bustling school.

If you have further questions or would like clarification on something, please call the school at (780) 467-5557 or contact the principal, Helene Hewitt at helene.hewitt@eips.ca

Congratulations on reading all the way to the end! We hope that you feel confident in your journey with us at Davidson Creek - A Place Where We Belong!