8:20 a.m. DOORS OPEN
8:35 a.m. O’CANADA & ANNOUNCEMNTS
8:40 a.m. CLASSES BEGIN
10:20 a.m. RECESS 10:35 a.m
SNACK 12:10 p.m.
RECESS 12:35 p.m.
LUNCH 2:40 p.m. DISMISSAL
All visitors must report to the office when coming into the school. Please sign in and receive a visitor tag, which must be worn at all times. The staff person you are meeting with will meet you in the lobby and escort you to your meeting location.
Students who arrive before the 8:20 a.m. bell, are expected to wait outside. Students are supervised outside beginning at 8:03 a.m. In case of inclement weather, students will enter the building to await the start of the day.
The Public Schools Branch (PSB) has an attendance and engagement procedure which schools implement to target absenteeism. Teachers will be making contact with you when your child has missed 5 days during a term. Once a child has missed 10 days (in the school year), regardless of the reason, we are obligated to send an initial letter home to notify parents and to ask them to make contact with the school. Additional letters will be sent when a student reaches 15 and 20 days absent during the school year. It is extremely important that you make contact with the school when you receive these letters. We are here to support you in ensuring that your child receives the best education possible. We simply can’t teach them if they are not here.
Parent Pick Up and Drop Off will continue to be from our Terry Fox Place entrance during and after construction is complete. The parking lot at our Hilltop Avenue entrance is for buses and staff only. When picking up your child early, you must come into the building to sign your child out. As well, when dropping your child off late, you must come into the building and sign your child in. Currently, you can park by the blue shed, and follow the long sidewalk to our temporary entrance between the construction site and our gym.
Decisions to cancel or delay the opening of schools are made by the Public Schools Branch Transportation Supervisor in consultation with various agencies. When there is a radio announcement referring to either the Public Schools Branch or Bluefield Family of Schools, then Eliot River is affected. Decisions to close early will also be announced on the local radio stations. Children should have their “emergency plan” in place on the first day of school so that they are comfortable with where to go if there is early dismissal for any reason. Parents/guardians are asked to fill out a “plan” form at the first of the school year. Calling home cannot be part of the plan, as we may not have the time or facility to call in the case of an emergency.
Students must take good care of their textbooks as they are on loan to them for the year. Students must cover the cost of lost or damaged books which have been assigned to them. This includes library books.
Please urge students to label all clothing and possessions.
Students are given many opportunities to show their leadership abilities and their strengths through a variety of extracurricular programs at Eliot River. Various clubs and organized activities are available throughout the year outside of classroom hours. Some of these include Ozzy News, Cool Kids Care, juggling, chess, cheerleading, crafts, knitting, card trading, and gardening, as well as monitoring responsibilities in the library and office.
The Physical Education program at Eliot River is an important part of our students’ total development.
Through the delivery of our program students will be given the opportunity to develop physical skills, personal/social skills and an understanding of the importance of physical activity in a healthy lifestyle.
We believe it is important to provide our students with a wide variety of activities. All students are encouraged to learn at their own level and to take pride in their accomplishments. Activities covered in the class instruction include orienteering, flag football, volleyball, basketball, juggling, wrestling, lacrosse, fitness activities, low organized games and others.
Many of the games are modified to suit the developmental level of our students. Activities outside class time often complement class instruction and are run with the assistance of student leaders. Our school presently participates in interschool competitions in cross-country running, wrestling and track and field.
Students at Eliot River are expected to prepare for Physical Education by changing into appropriate clothing. This includes shorts, t-shirts and indoor non-marking running shoes. We encourage students to develop these habits to ensure safety and good hygiene.
Students receive instruction in music as part of their regular curriculum. The music program offers several performance opportunities throughout the school year. These performances showcase school choirs, instrumental numbers, classroom vocal performances and dramatic performances.Library
The primary focus of the library at Eliot River is to inspire the development of literate lifelong learners. Our library currently houses over 10,000 books (both English and French) in its print collection which focus on a multitude of genres and reading abilities. Regular scheduled book exchanges are offered and in addition the library is open for borrowing at 8:30 a.m. and all morning. The teacher librarian works cooperatively with classroom teachers at each grade level on a variety of “projects” designed to teach effective research skills employing both print materials and technology.
The primary focus of the library at Eliot River is to inspire the development of literate lifelong learners. Our library currently houses over 10,000 books (both English and French) in its print collection which focus on a multitude of genres and reading abilities. Regularly scheduled book exchanges are offered and in addition, the library is open for borrowing at 8:30 a.m. and all morning. The teacher librarian works cooperatively with classroom teachers at each grade level on a variety of “projects” designed to teach effective research skills employing both print materials and technology.
Eliot River has a new and updated Core French program. The literacy-based approach program is designed to develop an appreciation of the French language and culture. Students will come to French class four or five times per cycle and will develop skills that will help them decode and embrace the French language.
The Resource team works closely with classroom teachers to focus on students’ needs in order to succeed. Resource teachers evaluate students through informal assessment to determine strengths and needs in order to develop appropriate interventions. They work with students in all grades to give extra assistance in many subject areas. Besides having students in Resource class time, Resource teachers often provide classroom teachers with program materials for various subject areas to be used by students within their regular classroom.
Eliot River has a full-time counselor, a part-time counselor, and a youth service worker. The counseling program offered at our school is available to help students, parents/caregivers, and educators develop positive learning experiences. The program consists of a variety of services and activities, including individual and group counseling, parent consultation, teacher consultation, information services, preventative education, and referral to and liaise with services in the community. Some specific areas where a school counselor might be able to offer help:
- Develop positive relationships with family, friends, school, and community.
- Build positive feelings towards self and others.
- Develop skills in interacting and communicating with others.
- Cope with change in themselves and their surroundings.
- Change unhealthy life choices to healthy ones.
- Establish effective study skills.
- Identify and accept their own and others’ strengths and weaknesses.
- Recognize the causes and effects of one’s actions.
- Cope with difficult situations and feelings.
- Become responsible for their own behavior.
- Adjust to a new school
Our school nutrition policy states that eating properly is very important in helping us to grow, learn and play. Parents, students and teachers should work together to help develop positive attitudes and habits in healthy eating. Parents are encouraged to ensure that children eat a good breakfast each day and help their children make good choices for snacks and lunch food (no pop, candy, etc.) Lunches should always include a balance of fruit & vegetables, protein and whole grains. We are a peanut free school and require that all food sent with children be free from peanuts or peanut products.
A complimentary healthy breakfast is served every morning to all students. Students are able to visit the breakfast program before classes begin in the morning, from 8:20 am until 8:40 am. Our Breakfast Program is generously supported by the President’s Choice Children’s Charity, the provincial government, local community organizations, and our parent community.
At Eliot River, families are able to order healthy lunches daily from the PEI School Food Program (https://peischoolfood.ca/) As well, several days a week, we offer food orders from local vendors though our hot lunches program. (https://eliotriver.hotlunches.net/admin/).
The School Milk Foundation provides a subsidized program for white milk. A 250ml carton of milk is 50 cents. Chocolate milk is also available at a cost of 80 cents and may be ordered through the on line lunch program (https://eliotriver.hotlunches.net/admin/). Milk is delivered to classrooms daily.
Our school wishes to promote an atmosphere of respect. Students are expected to wear appropriate clothing to school. Taking into account the changing fashion trends and what is appropriate in a school setting, the following regulations will be in effect at this school:
• Students’ clothing must not depict messages, whether written or picture form, which are profane, demeaning or promote illegal or inappropriate activity, or promote the use of alcohol or drugs.
• Students must wear footwear for health reasons and in the event of the need for a sudden evacuation of the building. This dress code pertains to all school activities including field trips, extra-curricular activities, etc
Eliot River is very lucky to have two school Mascots. Ozzy and Daisy are brother and sister hounds that promote paws’itvity and encourage our students to always be their best. Their rules for playing are: try your hardest, be a good sport and have fun. Ozzy and Daisy promote peace and cleaning up the environment because they know it’s important to help others and our Earth. They love helping people and are honored to be Eliot River’s Mascots. Ozzy and Daisy make appearances at all of our school activities.
Our code of conduct was updated during the 2018-2019 school year. It contains two parts; our expectations (Promoting Paw’sitivity) and our levels of regulations (Ozzy’s Levels of Regulation). Students have become familiar with both of these and they are used daily to create a common language and understanding at our school. These align perfectly with the Zones of Regulation that have been taught at both Westwood and Eliot River. Our levels of regulation have been adapted from Marvin Marshall.
Although we recognize that cell phones are an important communication tool, student cell phones are not permitted at Eliot River at any time during the school day (including on school buses). If a student has a cell phone for personal use, they are to remain turned off and in their school bag for the duration of the day. If a cell phone is witnessed, if will be confiscated and kept in the main office for the day. If the offense happens a second time, parents will need to come to the school to collect the cell phone and there may be further consequences for the student.