September 4th, 2015

SAFE WELCOME PROGRAM

 All school doors will be locked during the day.   Visitors are asked to ring the bell at the front entrance and report directly to the office immediately upon entry.  Students who are late for morning entry, will need to wait until morning exercises are complete before gaining entry. 

SIGN IN and SIGN OUT

It is the policy of the WRDSB that all parents, visitors and volunteers sign in and out at the office when coming into a school.  Our volunteer sign in/out book is located in the office on the countertop.  Please pick up a volunteer tag as you sign in so that our staff and students know you have followed this procedure.  Please use the sign in/out book when taking children in and out of the building during school hours.

FOOD ALLERGIES

At John Darling, we have several children with severe allergies to nuts.  These children and their parents have taken steps to ensure that they make responsible decisions about any food or drink ingested.  As a school community, all students, teachers and parents can share the responsibility of making our environment safe for all students at John Darling. J.D. Public School is a “nut safe” environment.  Please assist us by sending nut free lunches and snacks to school.

PLAYGROUND SAFETY

Morning supervision starts at 8:35 a.m.  We ask that students do not arrive at school before supervision begins.  We appreciate your ongoing support and cooperation in this matter.  Please remember that all students walk their bikes as soon as they arrive on school property.

The parent handbook also has important safety information to discuss with your child/ren.

EMERGENCY DRILLS

As part of the regular school procedures, we will be practising a number of drills this fall term.  There will be three fire drills in September and early October.  As well, we will be having a Lock Down Drill on October 1st and a Tornado Drill on October 15th.  Teachers will prepare students carefully for these drills to alleviate any anxiety, especially in younger children.  We appreciate your support by talking with your children about these important safety procedures.

STUDENT INSURANCE

Please read the information concerning student insurance that is available online  in September Resources.  This offers coverage for accidents that may occur during school or related activities and should be carefully considered.

SCHOOL COUNCIL

Our first School Council meeting will be on Monday, September 21^st; the focus will be on electing our new council members and executive.  All interested parents are welcome to attend any council meeting.

We will soon be starting our fundraising campaign for the fall.  This fall, we are offering some new options.

Profits from the campaign will be used to pay for chess club for our grades one to six students, a science program for all grades, and school trips. Council money this year will be directed towards supporting school activities such as those listed above, as well as, parent engagement activities. More information will follow. Thanks again for supporting our fundraising efforts.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

The staff at John Darling appreciate and value the many volunteers who support and enrich our School programs.  We know that many parents work outside of the home full time and are not available to help during school hours.  If you would have some time to support School Council in their fundraising activities, which support and strengthen our school programs, but would prefer not to be a member of council, please contact the school at 519-749-0834. If you would like to volunteer in other areas (home reading, office, classroom) please call the office.  Thanks