Welcome to captain Cook
Elementary School
Please accept a warm welcome to our school community. Our staff
takes pride in making Cook a place where we all enjoy working and learning
together.
Education is a joint home-school enterprise, so please take some time to
meet our staff, including me. We are eager to learn about your child and
her/his learning needs.
School Calendar
The school calendar is on the last page; please keep this as a reminder
of important dates for this school year.
It should help when planning holidays and appointments.
School Hours
9:00 AM School begins. Please be here several minutes
early.
10:30-10:45 Recess
12:00- 12:55 PM Lunch
3:00 PM Class
dismissal
Important
Information with Newsletters
Student
Record Verification Forms, Accident Insurance, and Internet Safety
Agreement are sent to parents in early September. If important information
changes, please advise the school office immediately;
it is very important that we can reach you quickly in case of emergency.
Ask your child for a
newsletter every other Friday; newsletters will include alerts and important
information.
Supervision and Safety Of School Grounds
The grounds and buildings are supervised by staff as follows:
8:40 - 8:55 a.m., at recess, lunch and 3:00 - 3:15 p.m.
Please plan your child’s arrivals and departures within this time frame.
Traffic Safety
Students should not arrive
at school earlier than 8:40 a.m.; parents who must be at work early are asked
to make safe arrangements for their children before and after school.
Encouraging students
to walk or cycle to school is part of our overall plan to enhance safety and
fitness; please think about the benefits of leaving the car at home.
Drivers are asked to
respect the “no stopping” and “3 Minute Parking” restrictions on
Student Safety
Students may not leave the school grounds during the school day; students
leaving at lunch time MUST sign out and have written parental permission to go
to the mall.
If students are detained
beyond 3:15 p.m. parents will be contacted; if students stay to assist, they
must phone home to get permission.
Students who are not being supervised by parents or caregivers must leave the
grounds by 3:15 p.m.; students who live near the school should not return to
play on the grounds until after 3:30 p.m. Parents should consider that children
may be exposed to harm when unsupervised on the playground after school hours;
supervision or monitoring is strongly recommended,
Absences
Research supports that a student’s education is significantly and detrimentally
affected when he or she misses 10 or more days during a school year.
Schools are required to
record late arrivals and absences; wherever possible, parents should schedule
appointments outside of school hours; if this is not possible and a student
must be absent, then it must be recorded as an absence.
When students are ill, they should not come to school. This reduces the risks
of exposure to others and the inconvenience for parents who will likely have to
be called to pick the child up at school.
Educational
Program
The IRP (Integrated
Resource Package) as prescribed by the BC Ministry of Education is the
curriculum document for each subject.
These prescribe learning outcomes for students at all grade levels. The
Ministry of Education has also established B.C. Performance Standards for
students. Parents can obtain more information on all of the above (and much
more) by visiting the Ministry of Education website. http://www.gov.bc.ca/bced/
Class Organization
We are committed to having students placed in new classrooms as quickly
as possible at the beginning of the school year. Your patience and
understanding will be appreciated through this process; for the first week of
school children will be with last year’s classes. We hope that students
will be permanently assigned to this year’s class by the second Tuesday of the
September term and class lists will be
posted at 3:05 PM on the second Monday or Tuesday of September.
Classes are organized
paying close attention to a heterogeneous mix of gender and ability, students’
intellectual development, and social and emotional development –– staff will
focus very carefully on the learning needs of each child. Our staffing is
determined by the Vancouver School Board; an organization may include
"split" or multi-age classes. Research
shows that students in multi-age
classes do as well or better than students in single grade classrooms in all
academic areas, study habits and independence.
Agenda and Homework
There is an expectation that students in Grades 3 to 7 will use agendas or
planners. A customized version for our school is offered for purchase in
September. Students note homework
assignments and to record reminders. Parents are encouraged to review the contents
of the planner regularly with their children. Homework consolidates the work of
the classroom, develops of independent learning skills, shows parents what is
being done at school and helps parents know if there are problems.
Ten minutes homework for each grade level, is a good
way to estimate the time students may spend on homework. Remember, this is only
a guideline. If students are spending much more or much less time doing their
homework parents should talk to their children’s teacher about this.
Reporting
Student Progress
Parents will receive formal reports on student progress three times during the
school year. These reports contain specific information about the student’s
progress.
There are also two informal reports which may be in the form of parent-teacher
conferences. Progress reports communicate how students are doing with respect
to the learning outcomes established by the Ministry of Education. In the
Intermediate grades (Grades 4 to 7) letter grades are given.
Bad Weather
Students will be required to go outside when there is light rain or drizzle,
and students are reminded that dressing for
Severe weather or other situations such as loss of hydro power, interrupted
water supply or heating system breakdown may force a school to close. A decision
to close the school is made by the principal in consultation with the Associate
Superintendent. If such a decision is made prior to 8:00 a.m., it will be
broadcast over local radio stations (e.g. CKNW 980 AM radio) as early as
possible.
If an emergency arises during the day and the school must close, students will
be evacuated either to the grounds outside or to Killarney Secondary or
Killarney Community Centre.
Medic Alert
Parents should ensure that the school is informed of any medical conditions
which require emergency response. There are Coastal Health forms available at
school for students with life-threatening allergies, asthma, seizures, and
diabetes.
When a child needs to take medication at school, certain District procedures
must be followed. Parents should contact the school office for particulars.
Library
& Book Fairs
Students are encouraged to use the library and to borrow books. Parents are
asked to encourage their child(ren)
to take care of books and to return them promptly. Students are charged for
damaged or lost books. The library is open before school at 8:40 a.m., often a
lunch time, and after school until 3:15 p.m.
The PAC sponsors and operates two Book Fairs annually where students and
parents have the opportunity to buy books and other items.
Field
Trips
Part of the instructional program in each classroom may involve field trips.
Parents are advised in advance of any field trips via a letter sent home
requiring parent or guardian’s permission. Students are not permitted to participate
in field trips without written permission. In planning field trips, teachers
are mindful of keeping costs to a minimum.
Students will not be denied an opportunity to participate in field trips
for financial reasons; parents can contact the Principal to waive fees.
Learning Support
We have an able resource team of teachers and support workers who support
students who need extra help.
School Counsellor
Our counsellor is available two days a week to provide support for individuals
and families.
Student
Leadership Opportunities
Cook offers Intermediate students many opportunities to be involved in the
school in a leadership capacity. These include Student Council, School Safety
Patrol, Peer Tutors, Leadership Team, and Library Monitors.
Strings Program- Grade 4-7
This optional program is offered to Intermediate
students. Students receive instruction twice a week in levels according to the
years they have been in the program. Throughout the year, students have
opportunities to showcase their talents at school assemblies and at venues such
as Oakridge Centre and
Support
Workers (Multicultural, Aboriginal, Settlement)
Support Workers are available to work in a liaison capacity between the home
and the school and to provide programming and individual assistance to students
at school.
Public Health Nurse
A Public Health nurse works with the school on health related matters. Our
nurse can be reached by calling 604-301-2212
School
Web Site
The school’s website may be accessed at
http://cook.vsb.bc.ca/
School Plan
It is a requirement that each school in the VSB
develop and implement an annual School Plan, available on-line at can be
accessed on the VSB website.
Lost & Found
Items found by other are generally placed in the “Lost & Found” box which
is located in the primary hallway.
House
Teams
Students in the school are organized into four “houses”. This organization is
used in physical education classes, on sports day, and also may be used for
school-wide activities through the year. The houses are Orcas, Eagles,
Wolverines, and Cougars.
Personal Safety and Violence Prevention Programs
During the year programs which address personal safety and violence prevention
are taught. Examples of these programs are: "Steps to Respect",
“Focus on Bullying” and "Feeling, Yes; Feeling, No".
Students are taught to identify and label feelings, express their feelings,
control impulsive behavior, understand the perspective of others, use
appropriate steps leading to problem solving and decision making, and to handle
stress and conflict.
Code of Conduct
This is an abbreviated version of our Captain Cook Elementary School
Code of Conduct (the
full version available on our web-site) which recognizes the rights of all
students to learn, school staff members
to perform their duties, staff and students work and learn in a safe
environment and staff, students, and parents to be treated respectfully.
Acceptable Conduct
Acceptable conduct is encapsulated in the acronym
CARES and the words on our school emblem:
“C” stands for caring about self, others, the
school community and our communal properties.
“A” stands for acceptance of others, including
tolerating differences and practicing inclusive behaviours such as
friendliness.
“R” stands for respect for other cultures and
individuals by being courteous and seeking understanding of others’ ideas and
feelings.
“E” stands for excellence in trying to do our best
towards attaining excellent results in academic work, artistic pursuits and
athletics.
“S” stands for self-control, which means we take
responsibility for our actions and learn about ways to avoid aggression.
Expectations
Reports
of aggression, threats, humiliation, harassment or exclusion are handled by
administrators in a firm, consistent approach. All reports are handled
promptly, focusing on rights of all students using a restorative justice
approach, asking aggressors to make amends to victims.
We
employ incrementally increasing consequences for recurring violations, up to
and including suspension from school.
Bullying
Many
of us have been bullies or victims at some time. Children who sometimes act as
bullies need to understand the effects of their actions on others and to
understand the difference between leadership and dominance. Victims need to
understand that aggressive responses escalate problems and passive responses
encourage future bullying. An appropriate assertive and respectful response to
bullying is "Please Stop!"
We
teach children, at the appropriate age and time that hatred or belligerence
toward ethnic groups or homosexuals are deplorable in Canadian society and
contravene Vancouver School Board policy. Aggression in the form of racist or
sexist slurs is intolerable. S
Sometimes aggressors need
reminders from helpful adults. We teach children that "reporting" to
adults helps victims to get out of trouble. Failure to report leaves victims
isolated and helpless. Many children act as "bystanders", failing to
help those in need. It takes real courage to overcome fear and speak up.
Summoning this courage is the trait of true champions of the virtues we value.
Parents are encouraged to make sure they do not model or condone the aggressive
use of power in relationships and to understand the moral consequences of
racism or sexism. Parents need to help children respect differences and develop
caring for others.
Consequences
Consequences for misbehaviour will vary
depending upon the degree of seriousness, the age of the student, and the
circumstances surrounding a particular incident and previous history. If a
student is referred more than once in a short space of time, parents will be
contacted. Parents will always be contacted in cases where the misbehaviour is deemed serious. In serious cases, it may be
necessary to notify others such as school district officials, police, MCFD or
other agencies.
Where applicable, “natural” consequences will be
applied. e.g.
students who litter may be required to clean up; students who damage or take property may have
to make restitution etc. Other possible consequences include loss of privileges, detention and
suspension.
Captain Cook Parent
Advisory Council
Monthly meetings occur fourth Tuesdays of each
month. Child minding and translation are available.
The
role of the Parent Advisory Council is to encourage parental input and
involvement in their child(ren)’s
schooling.
The
group has a constitution, an executive, and holds meetings most months during
the school year.
If you have a child in the school you are
automatically a member of the PAC and you are encouraged to attend meetings.