Policies

Bicycles

For safety reasons we require that children who ride bikes to school follow these safety guidelines.

• Wear bike helmets while riding.
• Obey the rules of the road to and from school.
• Lock their bicycles to the bike racks.
• Refrain from riding their bicycles on the school grounds.

We allow students who ride scooters to school to follow the rules for bicycles with the exception that they may store their scooters in their class cloakroom.

Roller blades and skateboards are not permitted on Edgehill school grounds during school hours.

Student Absence/Lateness

To enhance our existing absence-checking procedure, in June 2021 we started piloting a new student absence reporting system called SafeArrival. This new system will reduce the time it takes to verify student attendance, make it easy for you to report your child's absence and easy for staff to respond to unexplained student absences.

With SafeArrival, you are asked to report your child's absence in advance using any of these 3 convenient methods:

1. Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or from the links at https://go.schoolmessenger.com). The first time you use the app, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.
2. Use the SafeArrival website, https://go.schoolmessenger.com. The first time you use the website, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.
3. Call the toll-free number 1-833-566-1226 to report an absence using the automated phone system.

 These options are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week.  Future absences can be reported at any time.

In addition, we will use the SchoolMessenger Communicate automated notification system to contact parents whose child is absent when the absence was not reported in advance. The automated notification system will attempt to contact parents at multiple contact points until a reason is submitted for the absence. If our system is unable to reach the designated contacts, office staff will follow up.

If you report your child's absence in advance using the SafeArrival toll-free number, website or mobile app, you will NOT receive these notifications.

At this time, SafeArrival does not inform your teacher of an excused absence (it only informs the office manager), you may wish to email your teacher at their firstname.lastname@sd47.bc.ca 

Student Behavior

We work very hard to provide Edgehill students with a safe and secure learning environment. We also expect students to take responsibility for their own behaviors:

• Keeping their hands and feet to themselves.
• Acting in a safe and courteous manner on their way to and from school.
• Playing on the school grounds in a safe way consistent with school rules.
• Treating all people with consideration and respect, including quickly following directions given by teachers, SSA's or any supervising adult.
• Throwing no objects other than playground balls.
• Leaving tape recorders, ghetto blasters, game boys, skate boards and roller blades at home.
• Wearing T-shirts without offensive words, slogans or pictures.
• Speaking and behaving in a positive way towards each other.
• Remaining on the school grounds during the day unless they are going home for lunch or they have permission from a teacher or a parent to leave the school grounds.
• Showing respect for the building, playground and playground equipment.
• Treating the property of others with care.
• Demonstrating care for their environment.
• Sharing in the responsibility for their academic and social achievement by actively participating as a learner.

Conflict Resolution

At Edgehill we encourage students to solve problems without using verbal or physical violence.

The greatest success with any program occurs when we work together so that the social skills taught at school are reinforced at home. When school and family share the same values and work together, the child's world becomes a more secure and less threatening place.

Discipline Procedures

We view discipline as an opportunity for children to learn appropriate behavior in a social setting. Minor behavioral concerns are most typically dealt with on the spot through natural or logical consequences.

Students who continue to misbehave in spite of minor consequences, or whose behavior is severe enough to endanger their own safety, the safety of others, or to compromise the classroom learning situation, will be involved in disciplinary consequences at the administrative level.

Counseling and conflict resolution strategies are used to assist the student in understanding why their behavior may be inappropriate.

When a student consistently behaves in an inappropriate manner, parents will be invited to meet with the school administration to attempt to bring about positive change in the student's behavior.