Code of Conduct

Expectations

Students should expect:

• To learn in a safe and orderly environment
  
• To take part in school programs
  
• To be respected by others at Jacob Beam

Teachers should expect:

• To teach students who behave in a reasonable manner
  
• To have students who are diligent in their studies
  
• To have input when appropriate in decisions affecting the school
  
• To be respected by others at Jacob Beam

Support Staff should expect:

• Students and staff to take pride in their school building and classrooms and to work together to maintain a clean and organized environment
  
• To have input when appropriate in decisions affecting the school
  
• To be respected by others at Jacob Beam

Parents should expect:

• To have their children taught in orderly classes
  
• To have students provided with a meaningful program
  
• To have input when appropriate in decisions affecting the school
  
• To be respected by others at Jacob Beam
  

ON THE PLAYGROUND, students are expected to:

• play in a manner that avoids rough body contact (punching, kicking, wrestling, pushing, etc.)
  
• remain on school property
  
• refrain from profane language or gestures
  
• address all staff members, students, volunteers and visitors in a polite and co-operative manner
  
• use the playground equipment in a responsible and safe manner
  
• refrain from throwing harmful materials (snowballs, sticks, stones, etc.)
  
• place litter in the trash cans

IN THE SCHOOL, students are expected to:

• attend classes punctually and regularly
  
• accept the discipline of the staff
  
• be polite, co-operative, and respectful toward all staff, students, volunteers and visitors
  
• be neat and clean in their person and habits
  
• care appropriately for texts, library books, desks and other school property
  
• remove hats when in the building
  
• return to classrooms immediately following recess and lunch periods
  
• direct requests for use of telephone to a staff member
  

Attendance and Safe Arrival Program

Classes at Jacob Beam Public School begin at 8:45 a.m. and 1:35 p.m. each day. Supervision of the yard begins at 8:30 a.m. each school morning. Attendance at school is very important for all students. If your child is going to be absent or late, please call the office at 563-8209 before 9:00 a.m. for the morning or 1:30 p.m. for the afternoon. If we have received no call, we will call you to verify that your child is safe, and nothing has happened on the way to school that day. A student who arrives late must report to the office so that attendance folders can be updated.

Lunch

We encourage students to eat lunch at home if possible. A break is beneficial both mentally and physically. Sufficient time is provided at lunch time for students to travel home, eat a good lunch and return to school. Where it is not possible for students to eat at home, a supervised area is available. Twenty minutes are allowed for eating, after which students are dismissed to play outside under adult supervision. Each student will be asked to complete a lunch form early in the school year. This will help us to know who is staying for lunch and who is leaving the school for lunch. This knowledge is important for the safety of our lunch students and for us to effectively supervise them. Students who stay for lunch are expected to remain on the school property for the duration of the lunch break. Once students return to school (after having lunch elsewhere), they are expected to remain on school property until entry time.

Good conduct in the lunchroom is stressed.

• remain seated
  
• use good table manners
  
• enjoy pleasant conversation with friends
  
• clean up after yourself

Those students who do not display good conduct in the lunch room may be asked to make other lunch arrangements for a period of time.

Please be environmentally aware. Recycle as much of your lunch packaging as possible. Re-usable containers save a great deal of waste.

Cell Phones and Electronic Devices

We would appreciate your cooperation in keeping all electronic devices (MP3 players, gameboys, etc.) and cell phones at home. If a student is found with one of these items in their possession, it will be taken from them and kept at the office for the duration of the day. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter!!

Parent Volunteers

At Jacob Beam School we encourage parents to be involved with the school. Classroom volunteers, trips helpers, special lunch days, and the School Advisory are just a few of the ways to be involved. Information will be available early in the school year about volunteering. Being involved in your child’s school is one of the key ingredients for a successful education.

Medication

Students who have to take medication during the school day must leave the prescription at the office. This is for the safety of other students, should the medication be dropped on the playground. Consent forms are available at the office, and must completed by your physician, after which, the medication can be given out by the secretary or other staff members.

Bicycles and other Wheels

All bicycles must be placed in the bike racks (at the south end of the school) and locked with a bicycle lock. We cannot be responsible for loss or damage. Locks will help prevent theft or damage. Bicycles (and scooters) must be walked while on school property so that others will be safe. We support the police recommendation that students below grade four do not ride bicycles to school.

Visitor Policy

Parents are welcome at Jacob Beam. However, for safety reasons, we insist that all visitors report to the office when they arrive. We also request that you make arrangements to meet your child at a designated location outside of the school when picking up at the end of the day. Students become easily distracted by adults who wait for children in the halls.

School Trips

Throughout the year, there will be a variety of educational outings offered to supplement the curriculum. The nature and scope of these activities will vary depending on the age of the students and the curriculum expectations being covered by the trip. You will receive information on the trips available for your class, along with permission forms to be signed and returned to the trip supervisors. There may be costs associated with these trips, but they may also be subsidized from school funds and/or parent fundraising.

Weather Warnings

School board decisions regarding school closure or the cancellation of buses are communicated through local radio stations. Watch our monthly newsletters for a listing of stations that the school board notifies of any change in service. For walking students, attendance at such times is left to parental discretion. Please call the school if your child will not be attending.

Parents Supporting Learning

At Jacob Beam, we are committed to open and clear communication. All parents are given the opportunity to participate in their child’s education in the following ways:

• School Advisory Council
  
• Parent-Teacher conferences
  
• Agenda communication
  
• Telephone communication with teachers and principal
  
• Classroom volunteer duties (arrange with your child’s teacher)

Illness

Students who are ill should remain at home. This helps slow down the transmission of disease. It is difficult to properly supervise students who cannot go outdoors for recess, and our health room can only accommodate one child. This spot is usually held for an ill student who is waiting to be picked up.