Message from the Principal
Welcome to yet another great school year at St. Francis de Sales Catholic School! It is with great enthusiasm and hope that I welcome everyone in the community as I look forward to serving you based on the three guiding pillars: Listening, Learning, and Living in Faith.
I hope to nurture, support, and inspire students on their road to becoming compassionate, confident, and responsible Catholic graduates. The School – Parish – Home triad is the crucial determinant in the achievement and well-being of each student. I look forward to working in partnership with you for a successful school year!
Please take time to review the content of this student handbook with your child/children and explain to them the importance of following the student agenda and Code of Conduct.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Accardi
Principal
| Mission Statement | ||||
| To be an inclusive Catholic learning community that inspires every student to achieve their full potential through faith and education. | ||||
| School Prayer | ||||
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Father in Heaven, You prompted St. Francis de Sales to become all things to all people. May his example inspire us to serve our brothers and sisters lovingly. St Francis de Sales help us imitate your compassion and gentle charity through our everyday encounters with others. Amen. |
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| Parish Information - St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church | ||||
| Our school's parish is:
St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church Pastor: Rev. Fr. Joe Singh Associate Pastor: Fr. Derek Ali Parish masses are held on the following dates: Saturday: 9:00 a.m., & 5:00 p.m. Sunday: 8:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 12:00 p.m., & 7:00 p.m. |
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| Childcare Information | ||||
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P.R.Y.D.E. Learning Centres has made the difficult decision to temporarily close the Before and After School Program at St Francis de Sales Catholic School effective September 2022 due to low enrollment for this program and paired with a recruitment challenge due to an extreme shortage of Childcare Educators within the Region of Durham. P.R.Y.D.E. will re-evaluate the viability of this program on a regular basis. For more information, please contact Jennifer Hughes, REC Executive Director at P.R.Y.D.E. Learning Centres |
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| 2024-2025 School Year Calendar | ||||
| The school will be closed on the following holidays and professional activity (PA) days:
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| Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations and Catholic Virtues Celebrated Monthly | ||||
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| Drop Off and Pick Up | ||||
| Parents/guardians who are dropping their children off and picking up students in the drive thru lane are asked to keep the line moving. If you are required to get out of your car, please park in a parking spot. Parking in the laneway creates safety issues and a backup of traffic. Please be courteous to others on our school property. Remember that safety comes before convenience. Do not park your vehicle along the sides of the driveways as these are fire routes.
Supervision outside takes place from 8:15 to 8:30 AM. We encourage you to try to arrive before 8:30 AM to avoid peak traffic times. When students arrive before the bell (morning and lunch) they are to enter the schoolyard and not come through the school.
For pick up in the afternoons, you are asked to park until your child is ready. We ask that you encourage your child to make his/her way to the pick-up area immediately upon dismissal to reduce the amount of wait time. |
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| Durham Student Transportation Services (DSTS) | ||||
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Office: 905-666-6295 or 1 (800) 240-6943 Automated Telephone Line: (905) 666-6979 or 1 (866) 908-6578 Durham Student Transportation Services (DSTS) is responsible for the management of all home to school transportation for eligible students in Durham Region. The DSTS automated phone line is the easiest way to obtain accurate information. You will need to have your child’s date of birth and student OEN number (9 digit student number found on your child’s report card).
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| Signing Your Child In and Out of School | ||||
| The safety of our students is of utmost importance. Along with our regular attendance procedures, students are required to be signed in and out of the school, during the regular school day, if they are coming or going outside of the regular entry and dismissal times. To help facilitate this process, we ask that you record any scheduled appointments in your child’s agenda so that classroom educators will be aware and send students down to the office at the required time. | ||||
| Bicycle and Skateboard Safety | ||||
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Students may ride their bicycles or skateboards to school with their parent/guardian’s permission. It is required by law that helmets are worn, and this is the expectation for all students who choose to ride their bicycle or skateboard. Once on school property, students must walk for the safety of themselves and others. Bicycles can be locked in the bicycle racks and skateboards should be dropped off in the office until the end of the day. |
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| Lunch Hour Routines | ||||
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Students will enjoy a recess break outside (weather permitting) from 11:15–11:55 AM and a lunch break from 11:55 – 12:15 PM. For your convenience, lunches may be left at the front office with your child’s name clearly labeled. The privilege of going out for lunch is reserved for intermediate students. Intermediate students leaving school property for lunch must have a dated and signed note, for each occasion, indicating that they have parent or guardian permission to leave school property during the lunch hour. Students will not be allowed to call home to make arrangements and verbal permission will not be accepted. All food bought must be consumed before they return to school. There is no food allowed in the school yard. Students are expected to be back on time for the start of class at 12:15 PM. |
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| Access to School Premises and Instructional Zones | ||||
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During school hours, all parents and visitors are required to report to the main office. If you are dropping off or picking up your child, or dropping off any items during the school day, you are asked to wait in the main office or front foyer. To maintain the safety of all students and protect instructional time, parents and visitors are not permitted in the school hallways, classrooms or schoolyard unless by special invitation. In this case, you are required to sign in at the office. |
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| Parent Volunteers in the School and Police Vulnerable Sector Checks | ||||
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Parent volunteers are welcome and are a vital part of our school community. Volunteers provide valuable assistance in classrooms, during school trips, and support special programs and events in the school. If you are interested in volunteering in the school, a Police Vulnerable Sector Check is required. Once completed, the documentation is good for one year from the date of issue. A letter is available at the office to reduce the cost of this service. |
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| Catholic School Council (CSC) | ||||
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The purpose of the Catholic School Council (CSC) is to advise the principal on matters set out by the Ministry of Education and the DCDSB. CSC is composed of parent representatives, the principal, and teaching and non-teaching representatives. Elections will be held during the first meeting in September and meeting dates will be posted. |
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| Anaphylaxis Alert | ||||
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Anaphylaxis is a serious and rapid allergic reaction which can be LIFE THREATENING. Foods are amongst the most common causes of an allergic reaction, but medications, insect stings, latex and exercise can also cause a reaction. Several students in our school have an anaphylactic allergy to various allergens. To help ensure their safety, nuts and products containing nuts are not permitted in the school. For classrooms that have students with anaphylactic allergies, signs will be posted advising of the specific allergies. We ask that you carefully read food labels before sending snack and lunch items with your child. Your cooperation is essential in keeping all of our students safe and we thank you in advance for your support and understanding. If your child has an anaphylactic allergy, it is essential that you inform the school and provide updated medical information and medication at the beginning of each school year and if medical conditions change. Please contact the school for more information on the required documents. |
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| Birthday and Celebrations | ||||
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In order to maintain the safety of all students and considering the student allergies, the school guideline is that no homemade food is allowed for distribution in the classroom. All store-bought food items must contain the ‘peanut free/nut free” label and individually wrapped. A great alternative to food items is fun pencils, erasers, or books. |
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| Medical Concerns and Oral Medications | ||||
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Parents must notify the school of any exceptional health conditions and the accompanying requirements. Important health information must also be included on the Student Information Forms. If your child has any health conditions or medical requirements, please inform the office and complete the appropriate information and consent forms. In special cases, where a student must regularly have medication during school hours, consent forms must be completed. In most cases, all oral medications will be kept in the office. |
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| Asthma Medication and Ryan's Law | ||||
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Ryan's Law, 2015, was recently passed by the Ontario Legislature. This piece of legislation is an important step to support the well-being of students with asthma in Ontario schools. Over the course of the next school year, the Durham Catholic District School Board will be working to implement the requirements of this legislation and developing a more formal process to identify students with asthma and their asthma medication. If your child has asthma, you will be required to complete the “Administration of Oral Medication”. This form provides specific details and instructions on the administration of the required medication for your child and gives parental consent to store and administer this medication at school. With your permission, your child will be allowed to carry his/her asthma medication on his/her person at all times. You are encouraged to provide a fanny pack or pouch to facilitate this. Permission will need to be renewed each school year along with any updates to your child’s medical information. |
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| Dress Code | ||||
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Health, safety and modesty forms the basis of our dress code policy which will be enforced on a daily basis. Students are expected to:
All Dress Code infractions will be addressed with discretion and respect. The Durham Catholic District School Board recognizes that a school should be a place that promotes responsibility, respect, civility, and academic excellence in a safe learning and teaching environment. A positive school climate exists when all members of the school community feel safe, comfortable, and accepted. It is the responsibility of all members of the school community to work together to create a positive learning environment where all members feel supported. |
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| Access to Premises | ||||
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Visitors (parents, guardians and community members) are only allowed in the school by appointment. In keeping with the Board’s Access to School Premises Policy, all doors will remain locked during school hours. Our Safe Welcome Program provides an intercom and camera at the main door of the school for all visitors to communicate with the office prior to entering the school. This enhances the safety of students and staff. Please remember that anyone coming into the school must first sign in at the office and obtain a Visitor’s badge. (Parents/guardians are not allowed access to the school yard before school or during recesses and noon hour.) At recess time, the school yard is well supervised and staff will question anyone whose presence is not expected. Each member of staff is wearing photo ID and is identified on duty with a safety vest. |
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| Make Every Day Count - Attendance Matters | ||||
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Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Now is the time to start building this habit so your child learns right away that going to school on time, every day is important. Good attendance will help children do well in high school, college or university and in the world of work. Did You Know? Absences can add up quickly. A child is considered chronically absent if he/she misses just two days every month!! Research shows:
School success goes hand in hand with good attendance! What You Can Do:
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| DCDSB Student Safe Arrival | ||||
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Safe Arrival Parent website: go.schoolmessenger.ca Parent Toll Free #: 1-844-288-7628 Smartphone Application: school messenger
The Safe Arrival website, smartphone app and toll-free number have changed. Please update your existing Safe Arrival information for reporting an absence.
1. Parents can log into a website: go.schoolmessenger.ca to report student absences. 2. Parents can call into the automated interactive telephone system using the toll-free number 1-844-288-7628 through which absences can be reported. 3. Parents can download the SafeArrival app for iOS and Android smartphones. Search for the keyword school messenger in the Google Play store or the Apple App store. Select Canada, select sign up, enter your email address that is on file with the school, enter a password. All 3 methods will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Future absences may be reported ahead of time, i.e.; Doctor’s appointment. For additional information please visit the school website. |
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| Restorative Schools | ||||
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We believe that safety begins with positive connections between the students, staff and parents. To foster these relationships, staff in the Durham Catholic District School Board use restorative practices, including classroom circles and small group conferences to build community within the classroom and the school. Restorative Practice is rooted in the same philosophical approach as Canada’s Native Aboriginal communities. It rests on the belief that it is best to do things with people, rather than to them. When conflict arises, using restorative practice engages students in a fair process that responds to behavior in ways that strengthen and repair the relationship. It is collaborative rather than adversarial in nature. The aim of restorative practice is to hold individuals accountable for their actions while restoring and repairing any relationships amongst each other and within the community that may have been harmed.
Catholic Restorative Schools will:
Use think papers and reflective discussion papers aligned with the restorative questions |
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| Code of Conduct | ||||
