parent's guide

Child:

Grade:

School: Tel.:

Principal:

Teacher:

PARENT’S GUIDE 1

5786_CECCE_Guide des parents_E1_2410 Guide des parents F 13-01-04 3:34 PM

2 PARENT’S GUIDE

Student profile

1. Academic pathway

Achieve academic success to enter the job market and pursue chosen careers. Students will:

• want to learn;

• learn how to learn;

• succeed in their studies; and

• possess broad general knowledge.

2. Personal pathway

Experience healthy and harmonious development.Students will:

• possess self-knowledge and self-esteem;

• practice healthy habits;

• demonstrate respect for people and the environment; and

• contribute to the well-being of others.

3. Professional pathway

Make a positive and responsible contribution to a diverse society. Students will:

• make life and career choices consistent with theirinterests and passions;

• lead a balanced life;

• participate in society as people who feel comfortableusing both official languages; and

• help build a more equitable and just world.

4. Catholic pathway

Mature in the Catholic faith. Students will:

• know the foundations of the Catholic faith;

• have a personal connection to the Catholic faith;

• participate in society using their Christian values as a guide.

5. Francophone pathway

Know and promote the Franco-Ontarian community and worldwide Francophone culture. Students will:

• use and master the French language;

• make Francophone culture part of their identity; and

• contribute to the vitality of Francophone culture in their community.

The Student Profile is explained at www.ecolecatholique.ca, under CECCE/Student Profile/

Our vision

To be an educational leader recognized for the excellenceof its schools, its openness, its innovations and itsinvolvement in the community.

Our mission

To equip each student for academic success, personaldevelopment, responsible citizenship and commitmentto the Catholic Faith and the Francophone community.


Part I: How does the school operate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Admitting students

Administering medications

Dress code for students

School expenditures

Educational, cultural, and athletic outings

Student transportation

Part II: How is my child evaluated? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Homework

Evaluating and communicating student performance

Part III: How can I participate in my child’s education? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Volunteering in schools

Fundraising

School councils

Complaints

3PARENT’S GUIDE


4 PARENT’S GUIDE

Part I: How does the school operate?

Admitting students

The CECCE intends to ensure that it’s elementary andsecondary schools accept children and youth who areeligible to receive French-language education under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights andFreedoms and the Ontario Education Act and regulations.

Therefore, it admits into its elementary and secondaryschools students who meet the following criteria:

Place of residence

The CECCE admits students:

• who reside in Ontario within the boundaries of theConseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE);

• whose mother or father (or guardian) resides withinits boundaries.

Language

The mother or father (or guardian) must meet at leastone of the following linguistic criteria:

• have French as the first language learned and stillunderstood;

• have received his or her elementary instruction inFrench in Canada;

• be the parent (or guardian) of a child who hasreceived or is receiving instruction at the elementary or secondary level in French in Canada.

Religious affiliation

Elementary schoolIn its elementary schools, the CECCE admits Catholicstudents whose parent or guardian is a Conseil des écolescatholiques du Centre-Est taxpayer. Other Christiandenominations may also be eligible. Ratepayers maydirect their school support to the CECCE by completingthe application for direction of school support availableon our website under Registration/Documents to provide. Please see adm 13 for more information atwww.ecolecatholique.ca/Registration/Who canattend?/

Secondary schoolIn its secondary schools, the CECCE admits Catholicstudents whose parent or guardian is a Conseil desécoles catholiques du Centre-Est taxpayer. The CECCEalso opens its doors to members of all other religiousaffiliations in its secondary schools. However, all studentsmust respect the Catholic character and values of theschool and its programs.


5PARENT’S GUIDE

Student’s age

Elementary schoolTo be admitted to elementary school, students must:

• be four years of age by December 31 of the currentschool year to enrol in junior kindergarten;

• be five years of age by December 31 of the currentschool year to enrol in senior kindergarten;

• be six years of age by December 31 of the currentschool year to enrol in grade 1.

Secondary schoolStudents must have successfully completed their elementary studies.

Administering medications

No medication is administered at school except in caseswhere the student could not attend school without themedication or would be unable to take responsibilityfor taking the medication. The CECCE and its schoolsencourage parents to ask their family physicians to prescribe medications that children can take before andafter the school day, whenever possible.

Dress code for students

The school principal, in cooperation with students andstaff and in consultation with the parent-based schoolcouncil, establishes a student dress code and includes itin the school’s behaviour code.

School expenditures

Expenses covered by schoolsSchools cover the following expenses:

• School supplies at the elementary level (J.K. to grade 6),i.e. elementary schools supply the pens, pencils, erasersand other supplies purchased at the start of the schoolyear. Parents are responsible for replacing school supplies that are lost, damaged, or used up duringthe school year.

• Educational materials (textbooks, musical instruments,tools, pieces of equipment), i.e. educational materialsare lent to students as part of their educational pro-gram, for the semester or the school year.

• Complementary activities conducted as part of theeducational program.


Expenses covered by parents (or guardians): school feesSchools may ask parents (or guardians) to defray theschool expenditures listed below through school fees,either annual or one-time, as the case may be:

• Required school expenditures: In response to parent’sexpectations and needs, school fees are set at a maxi-mum of $35 per child, from J.K. through grade 12.School fees cover the cost of a student’s agenda, ID card(if applicable), certain field trips, etc.

• School expenditures for some optional secondaryschool courses (visual arts, outdoors activities, music,drama, foods): Schools are required to cover at least50% of the expenses, with parents (or guardians)responsible for the balance.

The CECCE has set the following maximum fees:

• Visual arts: $15

• Drama: $20

• Outdoor activities: $100

• Music: $20

• Food: $35

• Optional school expenditures: Parents (or guardians)must cover the costs associated with their child’s voluntary participation in any specialized programat the secondary level or any extracurricular activities,as well as optional school expenditures such as student photos.

• Supplies at the secondary level (grades 7 to 12):Given the variety of courses offered at the intermediate /secondary levels and students’ personal preferenceswith respect to school supplies, parents (or guardians)and students are responsible for supplying all theschool supplies needed for their courses.

Educational, cultural, and athletic outings

The CECCE encourages educational, cultural,and athletic outings because of their educational value and curriculum-relatededucational goals.

Before their children may participate in an outing theschool, parents (or guardians) must provide the schoolwith their consent. In order for parents to be able togive informed consent, the form they receive must beaccompanied by a letter outlining the location to bevisited, the means of transportation used, any risks oractivities likely to influence their decision, and the nameof the person in charge, should they wish further infor-mation. Once it is completed and signed, this form mustbe returned to the school before the activity is held.

During outings, the school principal ensures that thereis adequate adult supervision. Activities must take placeunder the supervision of a qualified CECCE teacher,subject to some requirements contained in the appli-cable administrative directive adm 12 available atwww.ecolecatholique.ca/School Board/Policies/.

Although the CECCE encourages parents to take partin outings, teachers retain primary responsibility forstudent safety.

6 PARENT’S GUIDE


• Junior/senior kindergarten 0 km

• Grades 1 to 6 1.5 km

• Grades 7 and 8 2.5 km

• Secondary level 3.0 km

• Pembroke secondary level 2.5 km

As a general rule, students are not required to travel on foot more than 0.5 km from their home to the nearestschool bus stop.

Normally, the duration of bus travel must not exceedone hour for students in junior kindergarten to grade 8and one and a half hours for secondary students.

Each student has the same departure and arrival points,five days a week, all year. Parents or guardians of studentsin grades 7 to 12 who share custody of their child andlive at two separate addresses may apply for school trans-portation every year.

Transportation is provided for safety reasons to:

• elementary (K-grade 5) students who, to get toschool, must cross a busy public thoroughfare with a speed limit over 50 km/h;

• secondary (grades 9 to 12) students who, to get toschool, must cross a busy public thoroughfare with a speed limit over 60 km/h;

Student transportation

Students are entitled to school transportation if the distance between their home and school exceeds:

• elementary or intermediate students who, to get toschool, must cross a railway line;

• elementary or intermediate students who, to get to school, must cross an arterial road designated by competent authorities as a truck route;

• elementary or intermediate students who, to get toschool, must take a main artery with no sidewalk andwith a speed limit of 50 km/h and/or a traffic flow of at least 600 vehicles an hour;

• students who must take a main artery that has notbeen designated as a municipal or regional road.

These provisions only apply where there is no alterna-tive route that bypasses the aforementioned situationswithout exceeding the prescribed walking distances.

For further information, contact the TransportationService at 613-746-3654 or toll free at 1-888-230-5131,extension 3654.

Parents are encouraged to talk to their children abouttheir responsibilities and the safety rules to be followedaboard buses (ask for a copy of the Guide du Transportscolaire from your child’s school).

Parents must ensure that children arrive at their busstop five minutes before pick-up time.

Parents of a junior or senior kindergarten student arerequired to ensure that a responsible person accompaniestheir child to and from the bus stop.

7PARENT’S GUIDE


8 PARENT’S GUIDE

Part II:How is my child evaluated?

Homework

The homework and assignments students are required to complete are part of their learning,since these types of work allow them to apply the skills and knowledge acquired in school and to increase their level of independence, sense of responsibility, and ability to manage andplan their time.

Moreover, homework and assignments are an excellentmeans of promoting success at school. Homework, orassignments done at home, fall into four main categories:

1. Practice homework (strengthening learning)

Practice homework, which is often presented in the formof drills, allows students to strengthen their mastery ofcontent studied or performed in class. These exercisesmust pose a challenge and make use of the skills to bestrengthened. They are effective when they meet students’individual needs and enable them to apply their learningin various situations. For some skills, such as reading,writing or mastering mathematical concepts, practiceand repetition strongly support long-term learning.

2. Exploratory homework and assignments(preparing for learning)

Homework or assignments of this type prepare studentsfor the material to be taught in upcoming classes.Students can thus come to class with a rudimentaryunderstanding of the subject at hand, which can increasetheir level of interest and facilitate their comprehension.

3. Application homework and assignments(expanding knowledge)

Through concrete applications, this type of homeworkallows students to put classroom learning into practiceand to expand their knowledge in various situations.Since the emphasis is on production, students are askedto complete assignments that allow them to build onpreviously acquired knowledge and competencies. Thistype of homework allows students to put the conceptslearned in the classroom into action, and often involvesmore individualized homework or assignments.


9PARENT’S GUIDE

4. Research homework and assignments (orga-nizing knowledge)

This type of work allows students to explore new subjectsusing various research tools and gives free rein to theirimagination and creativity. It encourages them to developtheir ability to analyse, synthesize and evaluate data and conduct research, and allows them to delve moredeeply into the concepts learned in class. In addition to helping students acquire research techniques, thehomework and assignments of this type give them thechance to make use of resources available in their familiesand communities. This type of work may also occa-sionally be carried out in small groups, which encouragesthe development of teamwork skills.

Reading is a basic skill that is the cornerstone of learningin all school subjects. Since reading ability develops withpractice, students should, in addition to their home-work, devote time every day to reading books or othertexts that meet their personal interests and abilities.

The involvement of parents in homework and assign-ments is key to their children’s academic success. Parents’responsibilities include supervising their children’shomework, creating an environment that encouragesworking and studying, showing interest in their children’sschoolwork, and making education a priority. Parentsare always welcome to help their children but must notdo the work for them. If a child is experiencing difficultymeeting homework and assignment requirements, parents must inform the teacher immediately.

Because each student is unique, the time needed to dohomework and assignments will vary from one individualto another. Nevertheless, the average daily period devotedto homework and assignments, not counting free timefor studying or reading, should be approximately:

• J.K./S.K. occasionally, up to 10 minutes

• Grades 1 to 3 up to 25 minutes



• Grades 11 and 12 depending on program needs

If the time a student is spending on homework andassignments becomes problematic, it is important forthe parents to inform the teacher.


PARENT’S GUIDE10

Why have homework?

Homework has a positive influence on academic performa

nce, provided that students know:

• Why they have to do the requested work (meaning of learn

ing).

• What they have to do exactly (nature of tasks).

• How they must go about successfully completing the activities (s

trategies and processes useful

for performing tasks).

• When they must seriously get down to work (daily schedule

and routine).

• When they have to complete the work and submit the final

result of their efforts (daily, weekly

or monthly deadlines).

For more information, visit the Parents/Parent support/ s

ection of our website at

www.ecolecatholique.ca or call 613-746-3837.

Homework support (SOS Devoirs)

The Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE) h

as found a solution to the daily

challenge of homework!

All students from grades 1 to 12 attending Ontario French

-language schools (and their parents)

can use the free SOS Devoirs homework service. Students

and parents who have questions about

homework can now obtain answers from teachers by telep

hone, over the Internet, or via e-mail!

• Call toll-free 1-855-DEV-OIRS from anywhere in Ontario

, Monday to Thursday, 4:30 to 9:00 p.m.

• Visit www.sosdevoirs.org, to find various other forms of h

elp.

In chat mode, a teacher uses an electronic blackboard to he

lp students reason and work through

problems themselves.

E-mail your questions at any time. From Monday to Thursday

, a teacher will answer you within 24 hours

of your question being received.

SOS Devoirs is offered free of charge, by telephone and ove

r the Internet, starting the third week of

September and running until the second Thursday in June. B

e sure to use it!

*Service available in French only


11PARENT’S GUIDE

Evaluating and communicating student performance

Evaluation is an important aid in helping students strive to fulfill the CECCE’s Student Profileand to advance in their academic, personal, professional, Catholic, and Francophone pathways.

Definitions:

Diagnostic evaluation: Evaluation conducted to identify the point at whichstudents should start their learning. The goal is todetermine whether they have mastered the skills con-sidered necessary to undertake new learning.

Formative evaluation: Evaluation conducted during the learning process withthe goal of enhancing the quality of learning-relateddecisions and of adjusting the educational strategiesemployed, as needed.

Summative evaluation: Evaluation conducted at the end of a unit, with thegoal of determining students’ level of performance inrelation to the criteria set out in the general studentperformance chart.

Evaluation tasks: Activities assigned to students (e.g. projects, oral pre-sentations, tests) to determine their level of performance.

Principles:

Formative and diagnostic evaluations are not used todetermine student performance.

Summative evaluation is administered at the end of alearning unit, with formative evaluations administeredduring the unit.

Daily homework, in the form of application exercises, is similar to learning activities and should be the subjectof feedback or formative evaluation.

Long-term homework or assignments may be the subjectof summative evaluation.

Evaluation of students’ performance is used to verifythat the student is meeting the objectives of the OntarioCurriculum.

The “competencies to be developed” at the elementarylevel and the “skills to be developed” at the secondarylevel are evaluated separately from performance in thevarious subject areas.

A student’s performance is determined based on theirperformance in each of the competencies evaluated.

The evaluation tasks used to assess students’ performancemust:

• be designed around the targeted expectations;

• be constructed so as to focus on the targeted skills;

• be new and separate from learning tasks and formativeevaluations;

• allow all possible levels of performance to be identified;

• allow each student’s individual performance to beevaluated; and

• reflect the activities and standards for success discussedduring the learning process.

Summative evaluation is designed to be transparent tostudents and their parents.

Students must receive feedback within a reasonabletimeframe following an evaluation activity.

Evaluation results and academic performance are privateinformation intended for students, their parents andthe school administration. Students may communicatetheir results to other students but may also elect to keepthis information to themselves; teachers must respectthis choice.


12 PARENT’S GUIDE

Early childhood is a priority at

the Conseil des écoles catholiqu

es

du Centre-Est (CECCE)!

Petits pas à trois

Petits pas à troisis a FREE Francop

hone preschool program for three ye

ar olds held in a school setting. The

program is offered

in certain schools throughout the sc

hool year for five half-days a week fro

m Monday to Friday. Each group has

between 8 and

16 children who will enjoy a room ta

ilored to their needs (no desks here, t

hank you!) and the expertise of early

childhood educators.

Petit pas à trois can be an excellen

t first step toward school for children

who have not attended day care and

who are new to

the experience of group socialization

. This program gives very young stude

nts an opportunity to gently and grad

ually ease into

school over an entire school year.

Since the number of places is limite

d, children who live in the catchmen

t area of the school and those not a

ttending a

Francophone educational program a

re given priority.

The eligibility criteria are the same as

those for attending one of the CECC

E schools. Furthermore, the child must

be three years old

before December 31st of the current sch

ool year.

Visit www.ecolecatholique.ca to find

out which schools offer this program

and for more information.

Full-time Junior and Senior Kind

ergarten

All CECCE schools offer full-time ju

nior and senior kindergarten—and i

t’s free!

Children who are four years old befo

re December 31st of the current scho

ol year can enjoy the benefits of full-

time junior

and senior kindergarten.

This program allows your child to exp

erience a day full of integrated, qual

ity educational activities every schoo

l day.

[Translation] “Children do not play

to learn, they learn because they pl

ay” — Dr. Mustard

BIG benefits for PRESCHOOLERS

!

• A free service for everyone during the

school year

• A quality day, in French

• A stimulating environment for langua

ge, cognitive, physical, cultural, emot

ional and social development

• A breakfast program in many of our

schools

• A schedule tailored to children’s nee

ds

• Accessible professional services for c

hildren with special needs

• A qualified person to meet the need

s of very young children

• A day care service before and after c

lassroom hours in most of our schoo

ls*

• Free transportation

*visit our Web site at www.ecoleca

tholique.ca /Parents/Child Care/.

Call 613-744-2555 or toll free 1-88

8-230-5131


Part III: HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE IN MY CHILD’S EDUCATION?

13PARENT’S GUIDE

Volunteers are expected to:

• provide support for school activities, at the requestand under the supervision of school board staff, primarily the school principal;

• never take on the role of identifying students’ learningstrengths or difficulties or evaluating their progress;

• respect the Catholic and Francophone character of the school.

Fundraising

The CECCE recognizes the usefulness of fundraising as a way for schools to support charities, community serviceorganizations, and school activities and programs. Inprinciple, therefore, the CECCE is in favour of guidedstudent participation in fundraising activities.

Under no circumstances may fundraising contradictthe school board’s philosophy or classroom activities.

The CECCE does not allow students from junior kinder-garten through grade 3 to canvass door-to-door.

The CECCE allows students in grades 4 through 6 tocanvass door-to-door, provided they are accompaniedby a responsible adult. Students in grades 7 through 12may canvass door-to-door unaccompanied by an adult,provided their parents have been informed. Any suchcanvassing activities must be voluntary.

The CECCE favours the following fundraising activities:

• the sale of services offered by students;

• entertainment;

• the sale of raffle tickets for an item;

• the sale of an item or a contractual service;

• charitable donations.

Volunteering in schools

Parent and community volunteering is encouraged butremains optional.

“Parent volunteer” means a parent (or guardian) who hasa child attending the school where volunteering takesplace and who agrees to perform, without compensation,a support task for an activity organized by a class, theschool or the CECCE.

The procedure is very simple.

Contact your school’s principal at your earliest convenience to schedule an interview and to submityour references, proof of criminal record check, andtuberculosis screening test.

“Community volunteer” means a member of the com-munity who does not have a child attending the schoolwhere the volunteering takes place and who agrees toperform, without compensation, a support task for anactivity organized by a class, the school or the schoolboard.

Encourage your family and friends to call our partnerprogram Volunteers in Education, offered by the OttawaCentre for Research and Innovation (OCRI/CRIO), at 613-828-6274, extension 135.

OCRI has offered to conduct free criminal recordchecks on community volunteers.

In each school, tasks are assigned to volunteers by theschool principal, and the assignments must complywith the restrictions and requirements set out in thepolicies and procedures of the CECCE.

Volunteer management is based on procedures relatedto screening, training, monitoring, and evaluating volunteers and recognizing their contributions.


SCHOOL/FAMILY COOPERATION

There are a number of reasons for parents and teachers to

cooperate:

1- Children’s attitudes are influenced by their parents

2- Parents are legally responsible for their children

3- Parents can be an important resource for teachers

4- schools need parents to be involved in efforts to change t

heir children’s behaviour.

Goupil, Georgette, Communications et relations entre l’école et la famille, Chenelière/McGraw-Hill, 1

997

Parents can offer their free and voluntary participation at

the school in a variety of ways:

• Involvement through volunteering. Volunteering is indispe

nsable for bringing the school and the

community together. It is based on the very real role that p

arents and other community members

can play at the school.

Côté, R., 1993 report on volunteerism in schools, p. 42

• Involvement in training, discussion and information grou

ps. These meetings foster parental

involvement by offering them guidance based on specific nee

ds.

Goupil, Georgette, Communications et relations entre l’école et la famille, Chenelière/McGraw-Hill, 1

997

• Involvement through consultative structures, the school

council being a privileged setting for

this type of involvement. Parents have a right to sit on the s

chool council, but this also requires a

recognition of the related duties and responsibilities. This ta

sk requires parents to be open-minded

and open-hearted in order to support the decisions made in

the academic environment, which must

be fair to all students.

Claudette P. St-Pierre Lecturer for the CECCE

14 PARENT’S GUIDE


School councils

The CECCE believes that school councils are an excellentway to:

• support participation by parents, students, staff, andmembers of the community in guiding and continuallyimproving student performance;

• promote increased participation by parents in theirchildren’s education;

• make the educational system more accountable toparents.

School councils are advisory bodies. Their primaryfunction is to advise school principals and/or the CECCE,as applicable.

The CECCE and/or principals must consult schoolcouncils on the following subjects:

• policies, administrative directives, and implementationprograms regarding:

- a school’s of conduct;

- a school’s dress code;

- the distribution of funds among school councils;

- school council fundraising activities;

- the dispute resolution process within school councils;

- the reimbursement of expenses incurred by schoolcouncil members.

• School board quality improvement programs for student results on provincial tests;

• the way these programs are communicated to thepublic;

• development of the school’s principal and vice-principal profiles.

School councils may also examine and discuss othersubjects, including:

• school life and student learning;

• a school’s educational plan;

• the organization and grouping of courses offered by a school;

• the local school year calendar;

• the goals and priorities of school programs and thecurriculum of study;

• the development of a school profile;

• budget priorities of schools and the school board,especially for infrastructure improvement projects;

• strategies for communications between the school,parents and the community;

• ways of communicating students’ academic results to parents and the community;

• extracurricular activities;

• services offered by schools and community partner-ships concerning social, health, and food services;

• the use of school facilities by the community;

• the coordination of local services offered to youth;

• policies and administrative directives related to theoperation of school councils;

• initiatives related to student performance or the schoolsystem’s accountability to parents.

15PARENT’S GUIDE


16 PARENT’S GUIDE

Complaints

Openness and communication are important values to the CECCE. We strive to offer quality services, to maintain aclimate of respect, and to ensure a safe environment for students and their parents/guardians.

Parents and guardians: we invite you to contact us and to read the complaint handling procedure, which is designedto ensure that solutions are found within a reasonable timeframe. We assure you that your complaint will be handledin an open-minded, objective and confidential manner.

Step 1: Contact the staff member concerned

You file a complaint with the person best placed tointervene, indicating the corrective action that you arerequesting.

Action: The person concerned acknowledges receiptof your complaint within three businessdays and proposes corrective action orsupplies the relevant explanations within a reasonable timeframe.

Result: The situation is addressed and the complaintis resolved, or,if you remain dissatisfied and the problempersists.

You may appeal the decision to the next administrative level.

Step 2: Contact the vice-principal/principal

Action: The vice-principal/principal becomes familiarwith the information provided by both parties,the corrective action implemented, or thesolutions proposed.

Result: He or she maintains the decision made at thepreceding step ormakes a new decision.


Step 3: Contact the superintendent of education

Action: The superintendent of education becomesfamiliar with the information provided byboth parties, the corrective action implemented,or the solutions proposed.

Result: He or she maintains the decision made atthe preceding step ormakes a new decision.


Step 4: You may file a complaint with the director of education

Action: The director of education studies therequest for an appeal (submitted in writing),becomes familiar with all aspects of thematter, and determines whether the com-plaint is valid.

Result: Final decision from the director of education.


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