Student Sign Out Procedure

When you pick up your child during the school day, please ensure that you sign them out at the school office. If you do not sign out your child, they will be unaccounted for, and the school will identify your child as a ‘missing’ student and will commence a search of school grounds. If the school staff do not locate the child, and are unable to reach a parent promptly, the school will call the Vancouver Police Department. Therefore, clear communication is essential for ensuring the safety of your child and to prevent unnecessary searches.

Punctuality

Students should arrive to school on time. A welcome bell sounds at 8:55am and a second bell rings at 9:00am to signal the beginning of the school day. It is important to be in class at the 9:00am bell because this is frequently when the teacher sets the tone for the day and tells the children the structure for the day.

Absences

If your child is sick, please keep her/him home. Because children cannot receive the curriculum if they are not at school, lengthy absences are a concern. If your child will miss considerable school due to illness, please let your child’s teacher know so we can help. If frequent or lengthy absences interfere with the child’s learning, parents will be contacted. If your child is going to be away for personal reasons (e.g. a trip or vacation), teachers cannot be held responsible for preparing work during the absence. If a lengthy absence means the child misses a lot of school and consequently prevents the teacher from adequately evaluating the child’s progress in a specific area, a comment of this nature may be made on the child’s report card. Planned absences for non-emergency reasons (ie travel) of more than 20 days must be discussed well in advance with the teacher and school Principal, as space may not be available upon the student's return. 

Dropping Off / Picking Up your child

School staff provide limited outside supervision before school at 8:40 a.m. and after school until 3:20. Parents are asked to ensure their child clearly understands their family’s drop-off and pick-up arrangements. Children who are not picked up by 3:20 are asked to go to the school office to wait safely for their parent/caregiver.  Please do not be late picking up your child. 

Emergency Procedures

School emergency procedures are consistent with Vancouver Board of Education policies and guidelines and are reviewed regularly with staff and with students.

Medical Emergencies:

Students should come to the office for medical attention. We always have a first-aid attendant on site.

Please ensure the office is made aware of any specific medical needs your child may have (e.g. allergies).

Evacuations

In case of an emergency requiring evacuation, staff and students are trained to assemble on the basketball courts along 49^thAvenue. Visitors to the school should assemble in the same area.

Fire drills are held regularly. Earthquake drills are held as well. The school has equipment and provisions to adequately care for children until their parents can pick them up. In such an emergency, parents are directed to carefully follow the instructions of staff so we can ensure the proper accounting and safe dismissal of children to their parents or emergency designates.

In case of a real emergency, we can anticipate that children and parents both will be worried about their family members’ health and safety. The school has specific student release procedures in place to ensure that families are re-united as quickly and safely as possible, and to ensure accountability and tracking of each student’s safe release. 

Please ensure you keep your “emergency contact” information current. This includes people who have your permission to take your child in the case of an emergency.

Other

Staff and students also rehearse what to do in the unlikely event of a dangerous intruder either on the school grounds or within the school. During a "LOCKDOWN" drill, we lockdown the school: “Lockdown, lockdown, lockdown” is announced over the school PA system in the unlikely event that there is a dangerous intruder in the school. All students gather in their classroom (or closest room), lock the doors, turn out the lights and remain quietly with their teacher until they are directed that it is safe to come out.

In the unlikely event of a lockdown situation, we will be turning off and collecting cell phones from students, as using them at such a time poses potential additional risks: we do not want phones to sound at times when quiet is essential. Additionally, texting, tweeting, etc risks sending out inaccurate information that could hamper police efforts to resolve the incident. Parents are asked not to attempt to contact the school or their children directly.

Personal Items at School 

As the school cannot be held responsible for loss or damage, students are discouraged from bringing personal items to school that are dear, precious or valuable to them (ie toys, money, electronics, collector cards, etc). Any items students do choose to bring or use must not interfere with the primary purpose of school (students learning together in a safe and respectful environment). If it does, the item will be removed and given back to the student or parent at the end of the school day. 

There is a lost and found box set up in the lower lunchroom. Having the child's name printed inside clothing and on personal items (eg gloves, hats, water bottles, etc) helps "reunite" students with found items.

Students should park and lock up bicycles once they arrive at school and not use them (as well as skateboards, scooters, etc) to ride on the grounds when pedestrians are present.

Mobile devices

Many students bring personal mobile devices to school (although students are welcome to use the phone in the office to call home for emergency or other purposes). While these items are allowed at school, devices that interfere with the primary purpose of school (learning and socializing safely and respectfully) will be removed and given back to the student at day's end or to the parent. 

Rainy Days

At Fleming, we highly value exercise and physical activity. As such, students are encouraged to be outside before and after school and during recess and lunch, and are discouraged from being inside the school or hallways.

On rainy days, students should make sure they are dressed appropriately. Younger students may wish to keep a bag of extra dry clothes in their classroom in case they get too wet. On days with heavy rainfall, the administration may designate inside spaces for the students.

School Closures

Information regarding school closures in the event of snow or other emergency situations, will be provided to the following radio and television stations by 6:00 a.m. on the morning of the closure: CKNW (980 AM), CKWX (NEWS 1130 AM) and CBC Radio (690 AM, 105.7 FM), FAIRCHILD Radio (CJVB AM 1470/CHKG FM 96.1), BCTV/Global (cable channel 11), CITY TV (cable channel 13)”   School closure information is also available online at www.vsb.bc.ca. Please do not call media outlets to determine whether schools are closed.