Policies

Bernie Wolfe School (BWS) is part of River East Transcona School Division, and as such, we adhere to the division's polices as well as those developed at the local school level. In this section you will find a summary of some of the key policies and procedures in place at BWCS. A more complete package can be found in our parent-student handbook.

SUPERVISION OF STUDENTS

Adult supervision of students is provided as follows:

PROCEDURES FOR STUDENTS WHEN ARRIVING AND DEPARTING THE SCHOOL

Entering the School

• Supervising staff are on outdoor duty at 8:30, 3:30 and both recesses.
• Students must ask permission from an adult to enter the school.
• Students are to use their assigned entrances.
• Students who do not stay for lunch are asked to come to school as close to the afternoon entry bell as possible.
• Middle Years Students enter the school at 8:45 and 12:25. Early Years Students enter the school at 8:40 and 12:25.
• Students who arrive prior to their entry bell are to stay on the playground unless otherwise directed by staff.

Students Coming Late or Leaving Early

• Students arriving late or leaving early must call the office to make arrangements.  If your child will be leaving early for an appointment, please advise the child’s teacher and the office with a phone call or email.

Upon Arrival at School

• Students are to line up at their assigned doors.

Departure

• Students are to leave the school by their assigned door.
• Parents who are picking their children up at the end of the day are asked to wait outside until the lunch dismissal bell or the end of the school day dismissal bell.
• Each bus has at least one patrol assigned to assist younger students.
• All students are expected to go directly home after dismissal.

Call Back Program/Student Absences

Regular school attendance is mandatory for all students under 16 years of age. If a student is going to be absent from school, parents are requested to phone the school at

204-958-6532 and leave a message on the answering machine during non-school hours (press 0)

If the school does not receive a phone call, the school will phone home or work in an attempt to confirm that the student is at home.

In the event that your child will be absent for a prolonged time, please call the school and upon request, we will arrange a homework package.

Personal Property/Cellular Phones

Students are discouraged from bringing toys and other valuable personal property to school such as electronics.  Electronic equipment is very valuable and might get lost; therefore, it should not to be brought to school. The school is not responsible for personal items that are lost, damaged or stolen. All clothing, footwear, and supplies should be clearly labelled so that lost items can be easily identified and returned to the student. 

Unless otherwise directed by the teacher/school, student supplied personal electronic devices must be kept out of sight and turned off during instructional time. Unauthorized use of these devices may disrupt the instructional program and distracts from the learning environment.  

Lunch Time Procedures and Expectations

• During lunch, students will eat lunch in their classroom and will remain in the school or on the schoolyard the entire lunch hour.
• Good manners are the general rule.
• Respect for the lunch program staff, other adults, students and other people’s property is expected.
• Lunches cannot be traded or shared.
• Students must request permission to leave the lunchroom areas.
• Students are to follow direction from the lunch supervisor.

If lunches need to be brought to school, please leave them at the front office or wait in the front foyer until 11:35 a.m. so as to minimize disruptions to the classrooms. As part of our practices to support a safe environment we would ask that all families help us reduce the risk of severe allergic reactions. Most notably this means not bringing peanut or nut products to school.

Dress Code

Students shall dress in a manner that is appropriate for learning and working. Parents and students are responsible for appropriate student attire. Offensive images such as inappropriate slogans, racist, sexist or demeaning pictures and/or words on clothing, handbags, backpacks, etc., are not permitted. Students are prohibited from wearing gang colors, meaning those signs, symbols, or other identifying representations of gangs. School administrators will have the authority to address inappropriate attire in their schools.

Drug and Alcohol Policy

The division has a policy on drug and alcohol use. The policy has been adopted in the interest of the health, safety, social and emotional well-being of all students. The policy outlines three key areas: prevention, intervention and consequences. Families are encouraged to become familiar with this policy and contact the school with any questions or concerns.

Medication

Each year we receive requests for students to be given medication during school hours. Students are not allowed to self-administer medication, except for puffers. In the interest of safety, parents must complete a form and hand deliver the medication to the school prior to the school administering medication. These forms can be obtained from the office. This procedure applies to both prescribed and over-the-counter medication. It is important to remember that any refills of medication throughout the year are to be brought in by a parent or responsible adult and NOT sent to school with the child.

The Discipline Cycle

A systematic and sequential discipline cycle will operate at BWCS. All minor and major infractions will be responded to according to the seriousness of the violation. The following steps will be utilized when dealing with a discipline issue (depending on individual situations, certain steps may be bypassed):

1. Teachers address discipline issues at the classroom level.
2. After repeated occurrences or a problem greater than can be handled within the class setting, the student will be sent to the office.

a. Conference is held

• Some form of disciplinary action may be handed out. 
• Parents may or may not be called.

b. Repeated occurrence of problem

Disciplinary action will be taken (detention, in or out of school suspension).

• Parents will be notified. 
• Suspension from school will result in:

a. Parents will be contacted.

b. A suspension notification will be sent to the Administration Offices to become part of the student’s file.  

INTERNET/COMPUTER USE

RETSD promotes the use of its hardware, software and network to improve the computer literacy of its users. Every user is expected to adhere to this policy and for those under 18 years of age, complete a parent permission form. All students are expected to adhere to the policy; students will be expected to sign the Student Responsibility and Commitment indicating their understanding of the policy. 

HOMEWORK

Based on Division Policy, BWCS has developed the following statement on homework. 

Parents are their children’s first and most influential teachers. Research states that, “Where parents are actively involved, student performance is improved, student attitudes and self-concept are more positive, and parents are more understanding of school issues.” By working together, parents and teachers stimulate the child’s intellect and imagination, enhance self-esteem, teach good work habits, and provide motivation for the child to become a responsible life-long learner. 

Homework has 3 main purposes:

1. to reinforce the learning students have done in school
2. to develop positive work habits
3. to enhance student achievement 

Student’s Role:

• to responsibly complete assigned homework
• to return homework to school by the stated date and time
• to ask for assistance when needed 

Parent’s Role:

• to make homework time a routine
• to check that homework is completed to the best of the child’s ability
• to communicate with teachers when necessary

Teacher’s Role:

• to assign and explain homework to students
• to review work at school and to ensure that homework is done correctly
• to communicate with parents when necessary 

The assigning of the type and amount of homework is the responsibility of the teacher and is based upon the needs of the child and the subject matter.  The assignment of homework may vary depending on each teacher’s specific program.  Homework may include:  home reading, unfinished work, math facts, and spelling.  Parents with any questions on this are encouraged to talk to their child’s teacher.

CONCERN PROTOCOL

From time to time issues may arise when parents/guardians have concerns/questions about decisions made by school personnel.  The following Divisional process is to be followed to ensure effective and efficient communication between school personnel and parents/guardians. 

1. Contact the school personnel directly involved and ask to speak to them.  The person may not be available and a message may have to be taken.
2. If you are not satisfied with the person’s response, contact the supervisor (usually the school principal).  If you contact the supervisor first, you will be referred to step 1.
3. If your concern is not resolved to your satisfaction, contact the superintendent.  If you contact the superintendent first, you will be referred to step 1 or 2.
4. In the event that you believe that your concern has not been addressed, you may write a letter to the chair of the board of trustees.  If you contact the Chair or any other trustee without going through steps 1 – 3, you will be referred back to the appropriate step.

• When a written concern about a staff member is received, the individual named will be notified and provided with a copy of the written concern and given an opportunity for explanation and written response.
• At any point in the complaint process, the individual named has the right to have an advocate present.

1. All correspondence to the chair of the board of trustees is reviewed at a board meeting.  However, all personnel matters must be dealt with in-camera.
2. At all steps in the process you are requested to tell each level that you are not satisfied and are going up to the next level.

Health Issues

Communicable diseases

Communicable diseases such as chicken pox, head lice, impetigo and pink eye do occur in schools.

In the case of head lice, an email will be sent to each family where the lice was found. It uses current information from the Province of Manitoba Department of Health and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority describing how to identify and control the spread of head lice. It is parent's responsibility to treat and check your child for this condition. In the case of pink eye, impetigo, etc., children should be treated by a doctor and parents should obtain medical confirmation that attendance at school is not a health risk to others.