River Valley Middle School
Student Handbook
2020-2021
Ms. Trudy McGrath Ms. Erika Nelson
Principal Vice Principal
trudy.mcgrath@nbed.nb.ca erika.nelson@nbed.nb.ca
33 Epworth Park Road
Grand Bay – Westfield, NB
E5K 1W1
Telephone:
738-6500
Fax: 738-6506
New Brunswick
Anglophone School District South
Office of the Superintendent: 658-5300
Raider Code Le code des raiders
Respect Respect
Achievement Accomplissement
Involvement Implication
Dedication Dévouement
Enthusiasm Enthousiasme
Responsibility Responsabilité
Success Succès
Mission Statement
Working Together, Learning Together, Growing Together
L’énoncé de mission
Travailler
Ensemble, Apprendre Ensemble, Grandir Ensemble
Vision
Statement
River Valley is a community of
independent, well-balanced, and enlightened global citizens.
We
will be:
§
Innovative
§
Critical thinkers
§
Caring contributors to society
§
A collaborative community
We want to ignite a passion for
meaningful learning in all students.
L’énoncé de vision
École River Valley est une communauté de citoyens indépendants,
équilibrés, éclairés, et globaux.
Nous serons :
§ innovateurs
§ dotés d’un esprit critique
§ des contributeurs à la société
§ une
communauté collaborative
Nous voudrons faire naître une
passion d’apprentissage réfléchi à tous nos élèves.
EXPECTATIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK
-
Write the title
in the center of the top line of your page.
- Write your
first and last name in full on the left side of the 2nd line of
your page.
- Write the date
on the right side of the 2nd line of the page.
- Always write on
the lines and start at the left-side margin.
- Crumpled, torn,
folded, or stained paper will not be accepted.
- Too many
crossing out or liquid paper corrections on your final copy may require
you to redo your work.
- Use a ruler
when underlining and when creating charts or tables.
- When using a
pen for final copies, use only blue or black ink (teachers may make
exceptions depending on the assignment).
ANGLOPHONE SOUTH SCHOOL
DISTRICT
2020-2021 SCHOOL CALENDAR
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September
|
7
8 - 11
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No Classes - Labour Day
Students return through a staggered
entry process scheduled by the school.
Families will receive communication from the school.
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October
|
12
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No Classes - Thanksgiving Day
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|
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November
|
11
20
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No Classes - Remembrance Day
No Classes for K-8 students - Professional Learning (1/2 day)
and Report Card Preparation (1/2 day)
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|
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December
|
1
4
18
|
Report Cards Issued grades K-8
No Classes for K-8 students - Parent/Teacher/Student
Conferences (1/2 day) and School Improvement Planning (1/2 day)
Last Day of Classes before holidays
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|
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January
|
4
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First Day for Students
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|
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February
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1
15
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No Classes for K-8 students –
Professional Learning Day
No Classes - Family Day
|
|
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March
|
1-5
19
31
|
No Classes - March Break
No Classes for K-8 students - Professional
Learning (1/2 day) and Report Card Preparation (1/2 day)
Report Cards Issued grades K-8
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|
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April
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2
5
14
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No Classes - Good Friday
No Classes - Easter Monday
No Classes for students K-12 - Parent/Teacher/Student
Conferences (1/2 day) and Professional Learning (1/2 day)
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|
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May
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7
10
24
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No Classes K-12 - NBTA Council Day
No Classes K-12 - NBTA Branch Meeting Day
No Classes - Victoria Day
|
|
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June
|
25
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Last Day for Students – Final
Report Card Day (K-12)
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DUTIES OF PUPILS
The policies in the handout are based on River Valley
Middle School and Anglophone South School District policies and the Education
Act of the Province of New Brunswick. The following is a list of pupil duties
as outlined in the Act. It is the duty of a pupil to:
- participate in
learning opportunities to his or her potential
- accept increasing
responsibility for learning
- attend to assigned
homework
- attend school
regularly and punctually
- contribute to a safe
and positive learning environment
- be responsible for
conduct at school and while on the way to and from school
- respect the rights of
others
- comply with all school
policies
ROLES OF
PARENTS
- encourage his or her
child to attend to assigned homework
- communicate reasonably
with school personnel employed at the school his or her child attends as
required in the best interests of the child
- cause his or her child
to attend school as required by the Education Act
- ensure the basic needs
of his or her child are met
- have due care for the
conduct of his or her child at school and while on the way to and from
school
The parent of a pupil has a
right to reasonable consultation with the pupil’s teacher or the principal of
the school the pupil attends with respect to the education of the pupil.
It is the responsibility of
the parent and of school personnel to conduct themselves in a respectful manner
and to follow established procedures when involved in communications concerning
the pupil.
ATTENDANCE
In keeping with the
Provincial School Law, students must attend each day that school is in session.
Everyone is required to be prepared and on time for each class.
- Excessive absence will result in a letter of
concern being sent home (phone call –
5 absences, 1st letter – 10 absences, 2nd letter –
15 absences), a parent conference or a referral to the Department of
Social Development if the problem persists.
- School law requires that a written excuse for
each absence be presented to the homeroom teacher upon the student’s
return to school.
- Students
who are late for school must
report to the school office for a Late
Pass. Repeated tardiness (5
or more) will result in a lunch detention.
- Parents are asked to make every attempt to
schedule trips and appointments around times that school is closed.
BUS
REGULATIONS
Issued by the Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development
- Be on time.
- Never stand
on the street or highway while waiting for the school bus.
- Be
absolutely quiet while the bus is approaching and crossing a railway.
- Pupils
shall be picked up and discharged only at bus stops approved by the School
District.
- Obey the
driver promptly and avoid any unnecessary conversation with the driver
while the bus is in motion.
- Do not
cross the road behind the bus. Crossings are made in front of the bus, not
nearer than ten feet, and only after looking in both directions.
- Occupy
seats assigned by the driver or other official.
- Obtain
approval of the driver to open emergency doors or windows.
- Do not
throw anything out of the windows or extend hands, arms or legs through
the opening.
- To help
keep the bus clean, do not throw refuse on the floor of the bus.
- Smoking in
any form, or use of tobacco in any form, is not permitted on the bus.
- No food or
drink is permitted.
- Be
courteous to the driver and fellow passengers. Rough or boisterous conduct
will not be permitted on the bus.
- In case of
any road emergency, remain seated in the bus until ordered to vacate.
§
Damage to a bus
must be paid for by the offender.
ANGLOPHONE SOUTH SCHOOL DISTRICT – STUDENT PLACEMENT
& PROMOTION GUIDELINES
Anglophone South School
District follows the protocols for grade placement and promotion in accordance
with the New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development’s Inclusive Education Policy (Policy 322). Further information
about the policy can be found on the Government of New Brunswick website under
the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development policies (http://www.gnb.ca/0000/policies.asp).
SCENT FREE & NUT FREE SCHOOLS
Anglophone South School
District has both a scent free (banning
the use of perfumes, colognes, body lotions and sprays) & nut free policy (food products must be nut free). The use of
perfume and colognes must be avoided because of sensitivities and allergies, so
we ask anyone who comes into our building to refrain from wearing scents that may
cause discomfort to others. Students who wear or spray strong scents will be
asked to wash it off or change their clothing. They may be sent home or removed
from classes for the day. If a student persists in jeopardizing the health of
others, disciplinary action will be taken. Food items that are not nut-free
cannot be consumed at school. If students have such items, they will not be
permitted to eat them and will be asked to take them home.
USE OF
ELECTRONICS
The use of cell phones or other electronics, texting or taking pictures
while on school property will be closely monitored and limited to specific
times. Students who fail to comply with expectations for use of electronics
will lose the privilege of accessing those items while on school property.
At RVMS, we believe that it is important to model acceptable use of
technology for our students. Students using electronics or other forms of
technology on school property during the school day must adhere to the
following guidelines:
§ Electronics may be used in the
morning before the 8:30 bell, at lunch in the cafeteria, and during Activity
Period.
§ Electronics may not be used between
classrooms, in washrooms, in hallways or in any unsupervised areas.
§ Teachers may choose to allow use of
electronics in their classrooms at specific times but these times will be
clearly set and monitored by that teacher and will only apply to that teacher
in that classroom for that time and not to other classrooms or time periods.
§ Electronics will not be used to send
inappropriate, harassing or negative texts, messages or images.
§ Under no circumstances will students
be allowed to take pictures and/or videos; nor will they be allowed to post any
information, pictures and/or videos to public internet sites.
Students wishing to contact parents during the school day
must do so in the school office. Parents wishing to contact their child during
the school day must contact the school office directly. Students should not be
receiving texts during instructional time.
If a student is found to be
in violation of the standards above, the following consequences will apply:
§ First violation: cell phone/device confiscated and returned at the end of the day. Note
sent home to parent/guardian.
§ Second violation: cell phone/device confiscated and held in the school
office to be picked up by parent/guardian. Official warning of suspension from
school.
§
Third
violation: cell phone/device
confiscated and held in the school office to be picked up by parent/guardian.
Student suspended from school for defiance of school rules. Loss of use of
electronics privileges, as per the above policy, for a time period up to and
including the end of the school year may also apply.
If management of the above policy
becomes excessive due to student abuse of the policy, RVMS reserves the right
to return to usage of the more restrictive guidelines as suggested in the
provincial policy.
STUDENT FEES
Our annual student fee is $35/student. This includes the cost of a school lock nd locker rental. The remainder
of the fee is used to support extra-curricular activities and events throughout
the school year.
POSITIVE
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
River Valley Middle School has
adopted a Raider Responsibility Code to provide a safe and orderly environment
for learning. Students are to behave in a responsible and respectful
manner in school and during school organized trips or activities.
- Students are to be on time with required material for all classes.
- Assigned
work is to be completed at home
or during class time as directed by
the teacher.
- Students are to respect the school environment and assist in keeping it neat
and tidy.
- Students are required to respect the rights of others by not interfering with the
positive learning environment.
The Raider Code
should be used as a guide to a positive school environment.
SAFETY AT SCHOOL
- Walk, do not run.
- No sliding on the banisters.
- The upper corridors are cleared at lunchtime and
students are not permitted upstairs except for a teacher-supervised
activity.
- Quiet movement in hallways during class time is
expected.
- Students are to remain in team areas.
- At the end of instructional time, students who
are going home should leave school property quickly. Students staying for
Activity Period should report to activities. Students should not loiter in the area of the River Valley
Community Centre (the rink).
LEAVING SCHOOL DUE TO ILLNESS/EMERGENCY
§ Student informs teacher.
§ Student must
then report to the school administrative assistant, who will permit them to contact home to make further
arrangements. Students are permitted to
use their cell phone to call home, but they must come to the office to do so.
§ Students must follow the above procedure
before leaving the building.
§ Students travelling to or from school on bikes or
scooters, must wear a helmet at all times.
LEAVING SCHOOL PROPERTY
After students arrive on
school property, they must remain for the day unless the school is contacted by
the parent/guardian by telephone or signed excuse. Again, students are not permitted to loiter in the area of the River
Valley Community Arena (the rink).
Students are not permitted to leave school property
and then return to catch the bus or to participate or view sports and
activities.
LOCKERS
Lockers are provided for
each student and must be locked with a school issued combination lock. Students are required to keep
personal belongings in their lockers and the school will not be held
responsible for lost or stolen personal items. There will be a $15 fee for lost or broken locks or damaged lockers.
CAFETERIA
Chartwell will provide our cafeteria services All selections are nutritious and follow the guidelines as outlined by
the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. All lunches must be pre-purchased online. Please go to
No pop or “power/energy
drinks” are to be at school (Rev, Redbull etc.)
DRESS CODE
As a general rule, clothing should be appropriate to the
positive learning environment we strive for in our school. Staff and students
need to dress for the working and learning environment. Staff & Students
wearing inappropriate items will be asked to change.
- Low cut tops, sheer or
very tight clothes are not appropriate for school.
- Tops must meet bottom
clothing (abdomen should not be showing). Tops must have straps that are
at least two fingers wide.
- Undergarments cannot
be visible.
- Extremely short skirts
or shorts are not appropriate for school. As a rule, these need to be
longer than your thumb when your arms are straight by your side. Tights/leggings
are not pants and must be covered by a top/skirt/shorts equally as long.
- Hats must be removed
upon entering the building.
- Outdoor clothing such
as jackets and boots are to be stored in lockers.
- Inappropriate messages
or labels on clothing are not permitted.
- Flip flops, pajama
pants, muscle shirts, and beach wear are not appropriate for school.
- Students must change
for Physical Education class and have proper clothing and footwear.
SCHOOL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
The school has an emergency plan containing
detailed logistics for each of the following situations: intruder response
(lock-downs), fire drills, school evacuations, tragic event response, bomb
threat, and hold & secure. In the event on an emergency, instructions for
parents can be found on the school website (www.rvms.nbed.nb.ca) and will be sent to families each fall.
EXTRACURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES
River Valley strives to accommodate all of our
students’ abilities through participation in both sports and a variety of other
activities. Students who wish to
participate in extracurricular activities must maintain a positive academic
attitude and demonstrate acceptable behaviour. It is very important to note that students who are absent from
school or leave prior to the end of the school day, are not permitted to return
for after school activities (sports, dances, drama, etc).
SCHOOL
DANCES (currently on-hold due to Covid restrictions)
River Valley offers many social activities throughout
the year, including dances. This is an extra-curricular activity which may be
withdrawn from a student who is not in good standing (not behaving,
disrespectful, missing school, etc.).
§ If a student is absent from school on the day of a
dance, or leaves sick, they are not permitted to return for school dances.
§ School dances usually occur on a Thursday evening from
6 PM to 8 PM.
§ The school dress code applies.
§ Students are not permitted to leave the school
building during the hours of the dance other than to go home.
§
During a dance,
if a student goes outside without permission, the parent/guardian will be
called to come and pick their child up. The student will not be allowed to
re-enter the dance.
HEALTH
AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Physical Education is a required subject in the school
curriculum in the Province of New Brunswick.
Students with serious medical problems require a
doctor’s note for exemption and will be required to complete tasks assigned by
the teacher. Students are responsible for having a change of clothing for each Physical Education class. Proper dress
includes: a pair of sneakers with a non-marking sole, a t-shirt or sweatshirt
(not the same one worn all day), and a pair of shorts or sweatpants.(this requirement is currently on hold due to Covid restrictions)
HOW CAN FAMILIES HELP STUDENTS SUCCEED?
Look for everyday opportunities for teaching and learning
§ Read to them. Read with them. Model reading for them.
§ Ask critical questions “Why do you think that
happened?” “What do you think will happen next?”
§ Look for opportunities to use Math daily (price of
gas/gallon, % off sale items, making change for
purchases, estimating cost of take-out orders, etc.).
§ Discuss age appropriate current events. Try to see things from different points of
view.
§ Discourage making excuses and instead look for ways to
solve problems.
§ Ask them to reflect on past choices. Ask them to
consider what they would change or improve if they could go back and “do it
over”.
§ Help them think about how they learn (verbal,
auditory, hands-on etc.).
§
Help them focus
more on what skills they have learned and less on what grade they might
receive.
READING YOUR CHILD’S REPORT CARD
The K-8 Provincial Report Card mark reflects all of the teaching and
learning activities that take place in the classroom. Teachers use tests and
assignments, but also observations, conferencing and conversations to determine
a grade.
Traditional Grades Current Grades
-rank ordered students from highest to lowest -compare students to a provincial
standard or outcome not to other students
-often marked by comparing students -considers many forms and methods
of assessment
-only considered traditional tests and assignments when
calculating grades -provides opportunities to
relearn, reassess and adjust grade to show current level
-did not consider growth and improvement of achievement
-did not provide opportunities to relearn, retest and
adjust grade -focus
on skills learned not grade achieved |
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For
each subject on the report card, there is a subject strand(s) achievement
indicator (4, 3+, 3, 2, 1, NA).
4 indicates
that the student has shown Exemplary
Performance. They have met all of the possible expectations and may have
exceeded the expectations of the outcome. They showed significant growth during
the learning process.
3+/3 indicates that the student has shown Strong/Appropriate Achievement. They
have met the standard or outcome and have shown growth during the learning
process.
2 indicates
the student is approaching appropriate and has just met the outcome but may have struggled during the teaching and
learning or it means the teacher is acknowledging that the student is trying or
making progress but has not met or barely meets the standard.
1 is
considered to be Experiencing Difficulty.
The student has not met the standard or outcome. They are struggling with the
learning process.
NA means that
the student has not produced enough work to make an appropriate assessment.
This could be due to missed time or missing assignments or because a student
has only had a few classes in that subject (Guidance, Art, etc.) so far this
school year.
Learning habits (independence, initiative, interactions,
organization, & responsibility) are also included and performance
indicators (C – consistently, U – usually, S – sometimes, R –
rarely) are used to demonstrate a student’s progress with these habits.
WHAT DOES MY MARK MEAN?
Remember your mark doesn’t reflect how popular you are, how quickly you
finish your work or how you did compared to the other students in your class.
Your mark simply tells you one of two things:
§
You got it! You understood the
outcomes and you demonstrated that to your teacher.
§
You didn’t get it yet. You need to
continue to work on this outcome or give your teacher better evidence that you
understood the outcome.
Do I..... Do I....
§
Attend
school regularly? § Miss
time?
§
Make
good use of class time? § Goof
around and waste class time?
§
Bring
what I need to class? § Lose or
forget school supplies, notes and books?
§
Complete
and hand in assignments? § Have
missing assignments?
§
Participate
in class discussions? § Rarely
ask questions or participate?
§
Go
for extra-help? § Leave
early and rarely or never go to Homework Help?
§
Pay
attention and ask questions when I don’t understand? § Fail to
redo or improve my work when given the chance?
§
Use
teacher feedback to redo and improve my work? § Hand in
messy, incomplete, rushed work?
§
Always
do my best work? § Study at
the last minute?
§
Prepare
for tests? § Forget my
name, date and title on my work?
§
Put
my name, date and title on all my work?
I am not meeting expectations I am not meeting expectations
HELPING YOUR CHILD TO BUILD
RESILIENCE
Middle school is a huge transition for our students. We are aware of this and have always
worked with our students on this. If they appear to be getting
"stressed" over everyday situations, we remind our students that
everyone deals with stress daily. If we look at a scale of 1-10 (1 = a great
day & 10 = losing someone), we ask where their 'situation' would
fall? At the beginning of 6th
grade, many see Workroom (done during our
After School Activity Period to help students catch up, finish work that was
not completed, or attend as their behaviour in class did not follow our Raider
Code) as an 11, but it's really a 3 or 4. Over the years we have
found that using consistent vocabulary between home and school, as well as,
reassuring our students that stress is normal, builds resilience and allows
them to develop effective and healthy strategies for dealing with stress.
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