Welcome to Cape Horn Elementary School. This student planner will prove helpful to you and your child to record homework and to communicate daily with your child’s teacher. Please call us if you wish to have information beyond that contained in this handbook. We look forward to working with you and your child throughout this year.

DAILY SCHEDULE

8:40 am     Warning bell

8:45 am     Morning session begins

10:20 am     Recess begins

10:35 am      Recess ends

12:10 pm      Lunch period begins (play first)

12:50 pm     Lunch ends

2:38 pm      Students Dismissed

Student Attendance

• Please fill absence report online, email (capehorn@sd43.bc.ca) or phone the school office to report your child’s absence - 604.526.4428.
• Students arriving after 8:45 a.m. must report to the office before going to their classroom. (late sign in form at front office)
• Students arriving before or after school is in session are expected to be supervised by a parent as no supervision is given except if prior arrangements have been made or in one-off cases of being late for pick up

Walking to School

• We encourage our students to walk to school each day.  Students walking to and from school are expected to use sidewalks, crosswalks, and controlled intersections whenever possible and to observe all safety rules.  Please make sure to pay attention at all times crossing roads.

Student Drop Off and Pick Up

• In cases where students are unable to walk to school, it is imperative that drivers respect the rules of the road and the signage posted on and around our grounds.  The staff parking lot at the front of the school is NOT to be used as a pick-up/drop-off area.  
• Please ensure that you are dropping your child off on the right side of the street and that you are parking in designated areas only.   Our students’ safety depends on this.
• Please observe all cross walks and 4-way stops around the school to ensure student safety.

Bicycles, Skateboards, Scooters & Rollerblades – your choice

Comply with the provincial helmet law.

• Only to be used during travel to and from school, not on the playground after arrival.
• Bike locks are recommended, but do not guarantee the security of the bike.  The school is not accountable for the loss or damage that may occur to these items. 

Students Use of School Telephone

Students are permitted to use the telephone only in emergency situations. Play dates should be arranged before and are not an acceptable use of the school phone. Cell phones are not to be “on” during the school day.  Should you require immediate contact with your son or daughter during this time, please call the office (604.526.4428).

Student Safety

• Visitors to the school are asked to use the adult visitor’s washroom located next to the staff washroom down the hall from the office.
• Parents who are picking their child up for a mid-day appointment are requested to report to the office to sign their child out.   When there is a planned appointment, please send a note with your child or a message in your child’s planner and send a notice to the office.

Emergencies

• Illness - If a child becomes ill at school, we will contact the parent(s) to arrange for the child to go home or to a caregiver as soon as possible.
• Accidents - If a child is injured at school we make every attempt to contact you and ensure that they receive medical attention.  When necessary a student may be transported directly to the hospital.

Newsletter

A school newsletter will be emailed home once a week containing updates on what is happening at the school, information on upcoming events, articles and submissions from staff, and some community events.  

Bullying

Bullying involves an imbalance of power and occurs over time, i.e. is not a single instance of poor judgment 
 (see the Cape Horn Code of Conduct).

Bullying can involve one or more of the following:

• Physical violence and attacks
• Verbal taunts, name-calling and put downs
• Threats and intimidation
• Extortion or stealing of money/possessions
• Exclusion from a peer group
• Racial verbal abuse

At Cape Horn Elementary we work to help children develop peaceful strategies to deal with conflict. Some of the strategies that we employ to ensure a safe and secure environment include:

1. A school focus on Social Responsibility as a Core Competency which articulates a model of positive behaviour expectations and conflict resolution.  
2. Three employees hired for lunch hour supervision to “actively” supervise students and intervene when conflicts arise.
3. Students who are involved in conflict needing intervention are given consistent, fair consequences for aggressive behaviour.  Consequences are progressive in nature and can lead to a school suspension.
4. Class meetings are used by many teachers as emergent conflicts arise.  The teacher may work through the conflicts with the entire class.
5. For the small percentage of students who regularly resort to aggressive behaviour, the school counsellor actively engages with the student and family. 
6. Students who are victims of bullying are encouraged to inform a trusted adult when bullying occurs. The teacher, counselor and/or principal will work with both the victim and the bully to provide support and/or consequences as needed. We work with students to understand the difference between “tattling” and reporting a bullying incident.

Aggressive and/or bullying behaviour will not be tolerated. The teacher, counsellor and/or principal will work together with students and families to ensure that all students feel safe at school. 

Thank you for joining with us in creating a socially responsible community.