Policies

Hours of operation

Office Hours:     8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  
School Hours:    9:25 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
                           1:10 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

All RETSD schools, including Dr. F.W.L. Hamilton School operate on a six day cycle.

Daily time schedule

Entry bell               9:25 a.m.
Classes begin        9:35 a.m.
Recess                  10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Lunch                    12:15 p.m. - 1:10 p.m.
Entry bell               1:10 p.m.
Classes begin        1:15 p.m.
Recess                   2:25 p.m - 2:40 p.m.
Dismissal                4:00 p.m. 

Entry/exit doors

Students are to enter and exit the building at their designated doors.

Arrival at school

Children should not arrive earlier than 10 minutes before school opening. The playground is unsupervised prior to this time. Students who arrive at school early are expected to remain outside until the entry bell rings. Exceptions are made during inclement weather and for extracurricular activities. Students are expected to go home directly after school.

Opening exercises

Dr. F.W.L. Hamilton School begins every day with the playing of our national anthem followed by our morning messages with student involvement, adhering to the Education Administration Act and the Public Schools Act regarding patriotic observances.  

Recognition gatherings and social groups

We assemble all our students in the gym to celebrate our successes and build a sense of school community. Parents are welcome to attend these assemblies, particularly on those occasions where we include one or more special items on the program.

Field trips

Besides being fun, field trips are an important part of the educational process. Field trips will be planned throughout the course of the school year to compliment the learning in the classroom and school. Permission notes sharing information and details will be sent home in advance of an outing. Parental permission is required for students to leave the school for any such activity. A permission letter, will be sent home at the beginning of the school year  to cover trips in the local community where students may walk with their class. Any trip or activity that requires transportation will require parental permission for each specific trip.

Early dismissal

Early dismissal times are set by the RETSD. These days are co-ordinated with all the divisional schools. Students will be dismissed at 3:15 p.m. on these days unless otherwise noted on the calendar. See the dates for early dismissals on the school calendar.

In-service days

All schools in Manitoba are granted, through the Minister of Education, a total of ten administration and professional development days. Administration days are used to prepare report cards, hold student involved conferences  or are used for purposes of collective staff and administration organization. Professional development days provide teachers with the opportunity to stay current in teaching methodology and curriculum content.

Absentee call-back

As a safety measure to our students, a "call back" program is in place at Dr. F.W.L. Hamilton School. We request that families use the following procedure:

If a child is going to be absent, late or away for an extended period of time, parents are to notify the school before 9:25 a.m. or before 1:15 p.m. Our office phone number is 661-2500. If a child is absent, but the school has not been notified of the absence, we will call the parent as soon as possible. Please feel free to call the school during off hours and leave a message on the answering machine.

Our school has a large student population, and we sincerely hope all parents will participate in this program and call the school if a child will be late or absent.

Students absent from school

On occasion, we have parents requesting to have their children absent from school. The reasons range from an extended vacation trip to weekly period absences for music lessons. Depending on the child or circumstances, absences from class can detrimentally affect the child’s academic progress. Although we recognize that school is not the only place where children learn, we want to encourage parents to make every effort to avoid scheduling holidays, music lessons, etc. during school time.

Before the appointment or once a child returns to school following an absence, whether it be just one day or a week in length, we would sincerely appreciate it if parents would send a note to the classroom teacher explaining the reason for the absence. At times, a medical certificate may be requested, especially if adaptations will be required in the school day.

It is difficult for a child to concentrate and learn when he/she is not feeling well. Please keep your child at home during a serious illness to facilitate a speedy recovery.

It is our policy that all students go out for fresh air during recess and lunch, except in inclement weather. We expect all students to participate in recess, and students will only be kept inside for extreme medical circumstances. Exceptions may also be made for disciplinary reasons.

Cold weather guidelines

As per the guidelines from Environment Canada, the River East Transcona School Division will use the temperature/wind chill reading from the airport as our guide. When the temperature or wind chill reaches -27C or colder, students will be allowed into the school and  will stay in at recess/lunch hour.

As well,  Division policy  states when the temperature and wind chill value equal -45C, no school busses will run in the Division. If the weather service determines that the -45C has been reached or surpassed at 6:00 a.m., bus transportation is cancelled for the entire school day. Please listen to the local radio and television stations for the status of bus transportation and school closures.

Communication

Communication between the school and home is important for the success of a student. There is a variety of information that the school needs to share with parents, and parents should have the opportunity to respond or to ask questions related to the welfare and/or education of the student. The school uses the following methods to make contact with parents:

Student agenda book - The students in grades 3-5 have agenda books to record daily homework assignments record up coming class and school activities as well as communicate between home and school. Students in K-2 have a communication folder/book from their classroom teacher.  Please support your child by checking and signing their agenda/communication folder daily.

Monthly newsletter - The school will send home a newsletter, as well as post it on this website,  intended to keep parents informed of student activities, upcoming events, important dates, etc.

Open house - Held during September, is an evening to give parents the opportunity to meet staff and learn about your child's new classroom, expectations for the year, curriculum and teaching methodology.

Student Led conferences - 'Celebration of Learning'. In November/December and March, student involved conferences are held to share student growth and progress as well as set learning goals for the next term.  Report cards are sent home prior to these conferences.

Christmas concert - A time when we highlight the musical and dramatic talents of Dr. F.W.L. Hamilton students. The concerts are held in December.

Other - When necessary, teachers or the administration will contact the home by note or telephone.

Parental concerns - From time to time a parent may have a question or concern with respect to an academic or behavioural issue. Following concern protocol, we recommend that a parent goes to the teacher first. Should the contact with the teacher fail to resolve the problem, the parent is advised to contact an administrator. In almost all instances, problems are resolved where communication is immediate and direct.

Website – Dr. F.W.L. Hamilton School's website has school and classroom information as well as newsletters, current calendar and an email address to contact the school.