OPENING OR CLOSING EXERCISES IN PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

 

Purposes

The purposes of opening or closing exercises are patriotic and educational. Such exercises are intended to nurture allegiance to Canada and to contribute to the social, moral, and spiritual development of the pupils.

 

Contributing to the social, moral, and spiritual development of pupils includes reinforcing the positive societal values that, in general, Canadians hold and regard as essential to the well-being of our society. These values transcend cultures and faiths, reinforce democratic rights and responsibilities, and are based on a fundamental belief in the worth of all persons.

 

National Anthem

Heritage Academy will open or closed each day with the national anthem.

Period of Silence

One minute of silence is intended to be used for such activities as personal reflection or individual silent prayer.

Parents who object may apply to the principal to have their children exempted. Pupils who are adults may also exercise such a right.

 

CODE OF CONDUCT

 

Introduction

A school is a place that promotes responsibility, respect, civility and academic excellence in a safe learning and teaching environment.

 

All students, parents, teachers and staff have the right to be safe, and feel safe, in their school community. With this right comes the responsibility to be law-abiding citizens and to be accountable for actions that put at risk the safety of others or oneself.

 

Heritage Academy abides by the Ontario Code of Conduct which sets clear provincial standards of behaviour. It specifies the mandatory consequences for student actions that do not comply with these standard Guiding Principles. All participants involved in the school – students, parents or guardians, volunteers, teachers and other staff members -- are included in this Code of Conduct whether they are on school property, on school buses or at school- authorized events or activities. All members of the school are to be treated with respect and dignity, especially persons in positions of authority.

Responsible citizenship involves appropriate participation in the civic life of the school.  Active and engaged citizens are aware of their rights, but more importantly, they accept responsibility for protecting their rights and

 

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Heritage will implement and enforce the Code of Conduct and all other rules that they develop as related to the provincial standards for respect, civility, responsible citizenship and physical safety;  

 

ü  review these policies regularly with students, staff, parents or guardians, volunteers and the community;

ü  communicates the Code of Conduct to all parents, students and staff in a manner that ensures their commitment and support;

ü  ensure an effective intervention strategy and response to all infractions related to the standards for respect, civility, responsible citizenship and physical safety;

ü  provide opportunities for all staff to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to develop and maintain academic excellence and safe learning and teaching environments.

 

The Principal/Staff will provide this leadership by:  

 

ü  demonstrating care and commitment to academic excellence and a safe teaching and learning environment;

ü  holding everyone accountable for their behaviour and actions;

ü  communicating regularly and meaningfully with all members of Heritage.

 

Teachers and staff, under the leadership of the Principal, will maintain order in the school and are expected to hold everyone to the highest standard of respectful and responsible behaviour. As role models, staff uphold these high standards when they:

 

ü  help students work to their full potential and develop their self-worth;

ü  communicate regularly and meaningfully with parents;

ü  maintain consistent standards of behaviour for all students;

ü  demonstrate respect for all students, staff and parents;

ü  prepare students for the full responsibilities of citizenship.

 

Mandatory Consequences

Police will be involved, and the student will be immediately suspended and proceed to an expulsion hearing for the following:

possession of a weapon, including, but not limited to firearms;

 

• trafficking in drugs or weapons;

• robbery;

• use of a weapon to cause bodily harm, or to threaten serious harm;

• physical assault causing bodily harm requiring professional medical treatment;

• sexual assault;

• providing alcohol to minors.

• Immediate Suspension will be the minimum penalty faced by a student for:

• uttering a threat to inflict serious bodily harm;

• possession of illegal drugs;

• acts of vandalism causing extensive damage to school property or property located on school premises.

• swearing at a teacher, or other person in authority;

• being in possession of alcohol;

• being under the influence of alcohol.

 

Guidance and Career Program

The goals of the guidance and career education program are that students:

understand the concepts related to lifelong learning, interpersonal relationships (including responsible citizenship), and career planning;

 

ü  develop learning skills, social skills, a sense of social responsibility, and the ability to formulate and pursue educational and career goals;

ü  apply this learning to their lives and work in the school and the community. 

 

Exceptional Students

Guidance and career education issues are very important to those students who have been identified as exceptional. These students may have to manage significant issues related to their exceptionalities. They may also face challenges related to their sense of identity, their development of self-confidence, their realistic self-assessment of their abilities, and the development of strategies for overcoming barriers and maximizing independence.

 

Some exceptional students may experience difficulty in making the transition from one grade level or course to another, from one school or school district to another, and from secondary school to postsecondary education, work, or community living. Detailed planning will help these students progress more smoothly.

 

Individual Assistance and Short-Term Counselling

The individual assistance and short-term counselling program is designed for students who require additional help in achieving the goals of the guidance and career education program. Such help may be made available on an individual and/or small-group basis. This program can help students:

 

ü  assess their personal strengths as they relate to interests and goals;

ü  select secondary school courses;

ü  plan their education and career directions;

ü  assess their strengths, needs, aptitudes, and interests through information provided by the results of standardized measurement instruments;

ü  improve their personal management skills (work and study habits);

ü  solve problems in the three areas of learning (student development, interpersonal development, and career development);

ü  plan for postsecondary tuition and other costs by providing them with information about available scholarships, bursaries, and loans;

ü  deal with their individual social and emotional needs, including recommendations for appropriate follow-up;

ü  resolve conflicts both with their peers and with adults.

 

Students may be identified as needing individual assistance by teacher-advisers, teachers, support staff, administrators, or on the recommendation of parents. Students themselves should also be able to request – and receive – individual assistance or short-term counselling. The individual assistance and short-term counselling process involves several stages: 

 

• a referral by a teacher, a parent, or an administrator, or a request from the student

• an assessment, including a discussion with the student and consultation with his or her parents, teachers, and others as appropriate

• problem solving and planning with the student

• intervention through individual or small group counselling

• monitoring and follow-up

 

Ethics and Confidentiality

The issue of confidentiality of the information transmitted between a guidance counsellor and a student is governed by several pieces of legislation in addition to professional codes of conduct. Personal information collected by the counsellor is governed by freedom of information legislation. Written information that is included in the Ontario Student Record (OSR) is governed by the Education Act, the Ontario Student Record (OSR) Guideline, 1989, and freedom of information legislation.

 

Students should be informed that any information they give to guidance counsellors will be kept confidential except in circumstances in which freedom of information legislation or other legislation requires or permits guidance counsellors to release information to specified individuals.

If during the course of a counselling relationship a guidance counsellor or other board employee becomes aware that the student may be or may have been suffering abuse, the guidance counsellor or other board employee is required by the Child and Family Services Act to report the suspicion to the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) if the student is under sixteen years of age. (Refer to Policy/Program Memorandum No. 9, “Child in Need of Protection/Child Abuse Reporting Requirements”, December 15, 1986 , for further information.)

 

Assessment and Evaluation

Teachers must continually observe, assess, and evaluate students’ achievement of competencies in all components of the guidance and career education program. Information from assessment will help improve student learning and identify areas for program improvement. Observations by parents, and other teachers, will provide a teacher, teacher-adviser, guidance counsellor, and, in some instances, a school team with information or suggestions that are useful when modifying program components or referring students to those able to provide individual assistance or short-term counselling.

 

It is especially important that parents be involved in discussions regarding their children’s progress. Teachers, including teacher-advisers and guidance counsellors, should gather information from parents and consult with them when assessing students’ adjustment to school, achievement of program goals, and plans for future education.

 

Reporting to Parents

For students in elementary schools, the  Report Card, Grades 1–8, may be used to report student progress in achieving the goals of the guidance and career education program. Alternative ways of reporting on a student’s participation in the guidance and career education program include discussions with parents that focus on reviewing students’ academic and career portfolios and annual education plans (in Grades 7 and 8).

 

For students in secondary schools, the Report Card, Grades 9–12, will be used to record students’ progress in achieving guidance and career education credit course expectations. Discussion with guidance counsellors and teacher-advisers, and consultation among teacher-advisers, students, and parents using annual education plans and academic and career portfolios are other methods of reporting to students and to parents on students’ progress in the guidance and career education program.

 

REPORTING OF CHILDREN IN NEED OF PROTECTION

 

Requirements for Reporting

The Child and Family Services Act contains provisions under Part III, Child Protection, for reporting a child who is or may be in need of protection. If any person – including a teacher, a principal, or another professional – has reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is or may be in need of protection, the act requires that the person report his or her suspicions "forthwith" to a children's aid society and provide the information on which the suspicions are based. Therefore, teachers, principals, and other professionals who, in the course of performing their professional or official duties, suspect that a child is or may be in need of protection must report this information without delay to a children's aid society. Details are given in subsection 72(1), which is quoted below in its entirety:

 

Despite the provisions of any other act, if a person, including a person who performs professional or official duties with respect to children, has reasonable grounds to suspect one of the following, the person shall forthwith report the suspicion and the information on which it is based to a society:

 

• The child has suffered physical harm, inflicted by the person having charge of the child or caused by or resulting from that person's,

• Note: This memorandum reflects the latest version of the Child and Family Services Act (March 31, 2000).

• failure to adequately care for, provide for, supervise or protect the child, or

• pattern of neglect in caring for, providing for, supervising or protecting the child.

• There is a risk that the child is likely to suffer physical harm inflicted by the person having charge of the child or caused by or resulting from that person's,

• failure to adequately care for, provide for, supervise or protect the child, or

• pattern of neglect in caring for, providing for, supervising or protecting the child.

• The child has been sexually molested or sexually exploited, by the person having charge of the child or by another person where the person having charge of the child knows or should know of the possibility of sexual molestation or sexual exploitation and fails to protect the child.

• There is a risk that the child is likely to be sexually molested or sexually exploited as described in paragraph 3.

• The child requires medical treatment to cure, prevent or alleviate physical harm or suffering and the child's parent or the person having charge of the child does not provide, or refuses or is unavailable or unable to consent to, the treatment.

• The child has suffered emotional harm, demonstrated by serious,

• anxiety,

• depression,

• withdrawal,

• self-destructive or aggressive behaviour, or

• delayed development, and there are reasonable grounds to believe that the emotional harm suffered by the child results from the actions, failure to act or pattern of neglect on the part of the child's parent or the person having charge of the child.

• The child has suffered emotional harm of the kind described in subparagraph i, ii, iii, iv or v of paragraph 6 and the child's parent or the person having charge of the child does not provide, or refuses or is unavailable or unable to consent to, services or treatment to remedy or alleviate the harm.

• There is a risk that the child is likely to suffer emotional harm of the kind described in subparagraph i, ii, iii, iv or v of paragraph 6 resulting from the actions, failure to act or pattern of neglect on the part of the child's parent or the person having charge of the child.

• There is a risk that the child is likely to suffer emotional harm of the kind described in subparagraph i, ii, iii, iv or v of paragraph 6 and that the child's parent or the person having charge of the child does not provide, or refuses or is unavailable or unable to consent to, services or treatment to prevent the harm.

• The child suffers from a mental, emotional or developmental condition that, if not remedied, could seriously impair the child's development and the child's parent or the person having charge of the child does not provide, or refuses or is unavailable or unable to consent to, treatment to remedy or alleviate the condition.

• The child has been abandoned, the child's parent has died or is unavailable to exercise his or her custodial rights over the child and has not made adequate provision for the child's care and custody, or the child is in a residential placement and the parent refuses or is unable or unwilling to resume the child's care and custody.

• The child is less than 12 years old and has killed or seriously injured another person or caused serious damage to another person's property, services or treatment are necessary to prevent a recurrence and the child's parent or the person having charge of the child does not provide, or refuses or is unavailable or unable to consent to, those services or treatment.

• The child is less than 12 years old and has on more than one occasion injured another person or caused loss or damage to another person's property, with the encouragement of the person having charge of the child or because of that person's failure or inability to supervise the child adequately.

• Subsection 72(3) of the act provides that every person who has reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is or may be in need of protection must make the report directly to a children's aid society, and must not rely on anyone else to report on his or her behalf.

• In addition, subsection 72(2) states that the duty to report is an ongoing obligation. If a person has made a report about a child to a children's aid society and has additional reasonable grounds to suspect that the child is or may be in need of protection, that person must make a further report to the children's aid society.

• These requirements do not prevent a school board from establishing additional policies on internal reporting procedures, but the board's policies must not conflict with the reporting requirements of the act.

 

Consequences of Failure to Report

Subsection 72(4) of the act makes it an offence for persons performing professional or official duties with respect to children to fail to report a child who, they suspect, is or may be in need of protection. Clause 72(5)(b) expressly identifies teachers and school principals as such persons. If a teacher or principal obtains information, in the course of performing his or her professional or official duties, that leads him or her to suspect that a child is or may be in need of protection, he or she must report this suspicion. If such a professional or official does not report the suspicion, he or she is liable, upon conviction for the offence, to a fine of up to $1000.

 

 

Protection for Persons Making Reports

The duty of a professional or official to make a report overrides the provisions of any other provincial statute – that is, those provisions that would otherwise prohibit the professional or official from disclosing confidential or privileged information. In other words, a teacher or school principal must report that he or she suspects that a child is or may be in need of protection even if he or she believes that the information to be used to support the report is supposed to be confidential or privileged. Subsection 72(7) provides that no action for making a report shall be instituted.

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR REPORTING ATTENDANCE IN REGISTERS

 

Absence

The administrator is responsible for reporting students’ absences and late arrival.           Teachers must report and indicate absence at each course.

 

THE ONTARIO STUDENT RECORD (OSR)

 

The Ontario Student Record (OSR)

An OSR will be established for each student who enrols in a school operated by a school board or the Ministry of Education. Each student and the parent(s) of a student who is not an adult must be informed of the purpose and content of the OSR at the time of enrolment.

 

If an OSR folder is lost or inadvertently destroyed, a new OSR folder will be created. Previous information can be obtained from the current office index card and, if applicable, from the card(s) at the previous school(s). A notation will be made in the margin on the front of the new OSR folder that gives the date on which the new folder was created and the reason.

If an OSR folder is not requested or transferred to another educational institution, it will remain in a locked storage facility for a period a 55 years.

 

Responsibility for the OSR

It is the duty of the administrator of a school to be responsible for:

 

ü  the security of the information contained in the OSR, whether it is maintained electronically or in hard copy, during both the period of use and the period of retention and storage;

ü  the regular review of the OSR for the removal of any material that is no longer considered to be conducive to the improvement of the instruction of the student;

ü  the storage of the OSR for the period specified in the retention schedule

ü  the complete and confidential disposal of material removed from the OSR. 

 

It is the duty of the principal of a school to:

 

ü  establish, maintain, retain, transfer, and dispose of a record for each student enrolled in the school in compliance with this guideline and the policies established by the board;

ü  ensure that the materials in the OSR are collected and stored in accordance with the policies in this guideline and the policies established by the board;

ü  ensure the security of the OSR;

ü  ensure that all persons specified by a board to perform clerical functions with respect to the establishment and maintenance of the OSR are aware of the confidentiality provisions in the Education Act and the relevant freedom of information and protection of privacy legislation. 

 

An OSR will consist of the following components:

 

ü  an OSR folder in Form 1A or Form 1

ü  report cards

ü  an Ontario Student Transcript, where applicable

ü  a documentation file, where applicable

ü  an office index card additional information identified as being conducive to the improvement of the instruction of the student

 

The OSR Folder

Principals must establish an OSR folder, Form 1A, for students enrolling in school for the first time after September 1, 1985. For students attending school who enrolled in school before that date, the OSR folder Form 1 must be adjusted to correspond to Form 1A. The folder will contain the following parts;

 

Biographical data: Part A

The following information will be provided:

 

ü  the student’s full name and date of birth (The principal will indicate the method of verification on the folder – e.g., birth certificate, baptismal certificate, passport – and will initial and date the folder.)

ü  a student number assigned by the school or the school board, where applicable

ü  a Ministry Identification Number (MIN) or Ontario Education Number (OEN) assigned by the ministry, where applicable  

 

Schools attended: Part B

The following information will be provided:

 

ü  the name of each school that the student has attended

ü  the name of the board, the name of the Native education authority, or the name of the person who operated the private or federal school

ü  the date of entry and the date of the last day of attendance in each grade

ü  the name of a teacher contact

ü  Where the student is transferring to a school from an educational institution that was not required to maintain an OSR, Part B may include any information that will complete the record of schools previously attended.

 

Retirement from an Ontario school: Part C of Form 1A or Parts J and K of Form 1

The following information will be provided on retirement the date of retirement

 

ü  the student’s address at retirement

ü  the student’s destination at retirement with respect to further education or employment

 

Names of parent(s): Part D

The following information will be provided:

 

ü  the first name of the student’s parent(s) or the first name and surname of the student’s parent(s) when the surname of the latter differs from that of the student

ü  if applicable, the date of death of the parent(s) of a student opposite the name of the deceased

ü  A summary of a student’s special health conditions will be included when such conditions are disclosed to the principal. Entries in Part E will be dated and kept current.

 

 

THE ONTARIO STUDENT TRANSCRIPT (OST)

 

The Ontario Student Transcript (OST)

Beginning with the 1999–2000 school year, the OST will be a cumulative and continuous record of a student’s successful completion of Grade 9 and 10 courses, successful and unsuccessful attempts at completing Grade 11 and 12 courses and Ontario Academic Courses, and completion of other diploma requirements. The OST is part of the OSR. When it is maintained as a hard copy, it should be filed in the OSR folder. When it is maintained electronically, a hard copy must be produced and maintained in accordance with the Ontario Student Transcript (OST)

 

The Documentation File

When a documentation file is required, it will be kept in the OSR folder. A documentation file will be established when the following information is required:

• verification of a custody order

• verification of a change of surname

• a written request to be named by repute 

• the statement of decision of an Identification, Placement, and Review Committee

• (IPRC); the recommendation of an appeal board and the decision of the school board regarding identification and/or placement, where applicable; and a tribunal’s decision regarding identification and/or placement, where applicable

• an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for a student receiving special education programs and services

• educational, psychological, and health assessments

• an Intensive Support Amount (ISA) status form

• the report of a Supervised Alternative Learning for Excused Pupils (SALEP) committee

• letters of request for a correction to, or a deletion from, the record where the request has not been granted

• other reports and/or information identified in accordance with the policies established by the school board

• a Violent Incident Form

• When a report is requested from a professional, paraprofessional, or other relevant person, that person should be advised that the report will be filed in the OSR and will be subject to the access provisions governing the OSR.

 

The Office Index Card

The office index card provides the school with immediate access to information about a student. It will remain at the school during the period in which the student is enrolled at the school. The card is not filed in the OSR folder and is not transferred with the OSR when the student transfers from the school. The office index card will record the following information:

 

ü  the full name of the student, as recorded on the OSR folder

ü  the number assigned to the student by the school or school board, where applicable

ü  a Ministry Identification Number (MIN) or Ontario Education Number (OEN) assigned by the ministry, where applicable

ü  the gender of the student

ü  the student’s date of birth (year, month, day)

ü  the name(s) of the student’s parent(s)

ü  if applicable, the name(s) of the individual(s) who has (have) custody of the student

ü  the student’s current address and home telephone number, as well as an emergency number if one has been provided

ü  the dates (year, month, day) on which the student enrols in the school, transfers from the school, and/or retires from school

ü  the name and address of the school to which the student transfers and the date on which the OSR is transferred

ü  the student’s address on the date of transfer or retirement

ü  the name and address or some other means of identification of the school from which the student is transferring or retiring

ü  other information that is identified in accordance with the policies established by the school board

ü  When a student transfers to another school, or to a private, federal, or First Nation school, or retires from school, the office index card will be stored at the sending school or at a central record office provided by the board. Safe-Arrival Programs

 

PROGRAM DELIVERY

 

The roles and responsibilities of parents and guardians, at a minimum, could be defined as involving the following:

 

Parents, guardians, and caregivers are responsible for communicating planned pupil absences or lateness to the school on a timely basis;

 

Parents, guardians, and caregivers are responsible for providing the school with complete and current emergency information to enable the school to make any necessary follow-up contacts;

 

names and current telephone numbers, in order of priority, of parents, guardians, caregivers, or other individuals to be notified in case of an unexplained pupil absence.