Protect your kids—and your finances
The Peel District School Board does not provide accident insurance coverage for student injuries that occur on school property or during school activities including extracurricular sports. Each year, many of our families spend thousands of dollars when their children are injured at school, on field trips, while participating in non-school activities, or at home. If a student is injured, parent(s)/guardian(s) are responsible for any costs not covered by provincial health care or their employer’s health plan. Please check with your provider regarding your coverage.
The provincial health care system does not cover costs which are commonly related to accidents including dental work, ambulance fees, casts and crutches, and physiotherapy. All of these are covered by Reliable Life’s student accident insurance plan.
It is strongly recommended that all families consider this coverage, especially if your child participates in extracurricular activities. Annual plans, which provide 24 hours a day, 365 days a year coverage, range from $13.50 to $32 per year. Through the application only you can be covered for the school day only as low as $8 per year. Family rates for three or more children are available.
The insurance agreement is between you and Reliable Life Insurance Company.
You can apply for coverage through paper application or online at www.insuremykids.com. For more information call Reliable Life Insurance Company toll free at 1-800-463-KIDS (5437).
Happy new school year!
Welcome to the 2016-17 school year—opportunities to learn, grow and succeed await you and your child!
At thePeel District School Board, our mission is to inspire success, confidence and hope in each student. There is no doubt that families play a vital role in helping us achieve this goal.
We value your involvementand want you to knowit's appreciated. As our partner in education, we hope you'll stay connected to your child's learning throughout their entire school experience! Reach out to your child’s teacher to find out how you can get involved. Together, we have the incredible opportunity to inspire a smile in each student.
On behalf of the Peel board, I wish you an amazing school year.
Tony Pontes,
Director of Education
Peel District School Board
Understanding your child’s Ontario Student Record
The Ontario Student Record (OSR) is an ongoing, confidential record of a student’s education progress. Authorized by the Education Act and protected by the Freedom of Information Act and Protection of Privacy Act, an OSR is established for each student enrolled in an Ontario elementary or secondary school. The record is housed at the student’s current school and moves with the student as they transition from one school to the next. If a student leaves Peel to attend another school in Ontario, the OSR is forwarded to the new school upon request. If the OSR is not requested or the student leaves Ontario, the OSR is housed in the last Peel school that the student attended.
The OSR contains familiar documents that parents can view at any given time. OSR contents include:
· biographical data
· documentation file, containing (if applicable): verification of a custody arrangement, change-of-name order, placements decisions, suspension letters, psycho-educational assessment report, identification and placement decision letters, and registration forms
· information concerning special health conditions
· name(s) of student’s parent(s) or guardian(s)
· Ontario Student Transcript (secondary school only) – the cumulative record of a student’s successful completion of secondary school courses
· photographs may also be attached
· record of the student’s accumulated instruction in French as a second language, if applicable
· report cards
· school(s) attended
Every student, and parents or guardians of students under 18 years of age have the right to examine the student’s OSR and receive a copy of its contents. Supervisory officers, school administration and teachers may also access a student’s OSR for the purpose of improving the instruction of the student. Written permission is requested for any outside agency or personnel to access the OSR.
Contact your school principal for details of the procedure to review your child’s OSR.
If you would like to learn more about your child’s OSR, visit the Ontario Ministry of Education web site at www.edu.gov.on.ca.
Getting your questions answered
If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions about your child's education, or about education in general, anyone with the Peel board is happy to help. Here are some of the people who can help you:
· If you have specific questions or concerns about the education of your son or daughter, the first person to talk to is your child's teacher. If possible, arrange a personal interview with the teacher to discuss your concerns and attempt to resolve the matter. Your child's teacher or principal can also give you more information about specific strategies being used to monitor your child's progress.
· If you need extra help, or have more general questions, your school principal is there to assist. Your school principal can help if you have been unable to resolve the issue with your child's teacher. All curriculum material is available in your child's school.
· If you still have unanswered questions or concerns, talk to your superintendent of education.
· If you have general questions about curriculum, call Curriculum and Instruction Support Services at 905-890-1010 ext. 2559.
· If you have questions about special education programs or services, contact Special Education Support Services at 905-890-1010 ext. 2345.
· Of course, your local school trustee is elected to represent your interests and is always ready to hear and discuss your suggestions or concerns. If you don't know the name of your trustee, check the 'Meet your Trustee' section of the board's website at www.peelschools.org.
If you still have questions, please email or call Communication & Community Relations Support Services at 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146 ext. 2809.
Schools use many strategies to keep children safe
Peel schools provide a safe environment for staff and students to work and learn. The board has many procedures to ensure safety. To keep students safe, schools use many strategies including:
· requiring all parents and visitors to check in at the main office and obtain visitor passes
· the use of a "buddy system" – students can only leave the classroom if accompanied by another student (for example, going to the washroom)
· assigning teachers to supervise inside and outside the school during recesses, before and after school
· locking all exteriors doors, including the main entrance, during school hours [elementary schools only]
· encouraging staff to regularly review streetproofing skills with students
· expecting staff and students to report unidentified individuals to the office immediately
· holding fire drills and "lockdown" rehearsals
· having evacuation plans in place
· ensuring that all staff and volunteers have up-to-date criminal record checks
· working with the police to provide education on street-proofing
We feel that it is important that you also take this opportunity to review safe procedures with your child. Peel Regional Police have provided the following safety guidelines:
· Tell your children to never go anywhere with a stranger, not to talk to strangers and never take anything from them. You also have to teach them what a "safe stranger" is in case they need help. A safe stranger includes a police officer, a cashier, a fire fighter.
· Develop a "what if" game for children to get them thinking about how they would respond if they felt threatened or afraid.
· Know who your children play with and where they go. This includes keeping a list of their friend's addresses and phone numbers.
· Do not leave your child in unsupervised locations, such as cars, parks, public washrooms, arenas, malls and plazas, etc.
· Teach your children where and how to get help. Go with them on their regularly travelled routes.
· Your child's body is private. Tell your children that no one may touch the area their bathing suit covers. If someone tries to touch them, they should tell you immediately.
· Teach your children to talk to you immediately when someone does anything that makes them feel strange or uncomfortable. Listen when your children are trying to tell you about something that bothers them and provide them with support and understanding.
For more information about safety at your school, review your school handbook or speak to your principal or teacher.
Subscribe to receive news from the Peel board
Take advantage of our electronic subscription service to automatically receive a list of activities by email on a monthly basis. Subscriptions are sent the last week of the month, plus bonuses throughout the year. Subscribing is easy just visit our website at www.peelschools.org and click on the subscription link under "Quick Links."
You can also subscribe to receive:
News releases
Keep up with the news at the Peel board. Subscribe to receive Peel board news releases to learn more about board news and school events.
Board agendas
Learn more about Peel board meetings by subscribing to receive agendas. Meetings of the board are open to the public and are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month.
Board highlights
Briefing is a newsletter with highlights of decisions made by trustees at board meetings. It is sent out on the second and fourth Thursday of every month and immediately following any special board meetings.
Job postings for non-teaching staff
Learn about each new non-teaching job that is posted on the Peel board's Job Board.
Procedures help keep students safe at school
Peel schools provide a safe environment for students and staff to learn and work. The board has many procedures to ensure safety ¾ including regular fire drills, evacuation plans, criminal record checks for new staff and volunteers and lockdown drills. Together with Peel Police and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board, the board developed a lockdown procedure to help keep schools safe during a potentially serious or violent incident.
Every school will review the key points of the lockdown process with students. We rehearse the drill twice per year to make sure staff and students know what to do if we have to initiate a lockdown.
During the rehearsal, the principal will make an announcement to "initiate lockdown procedure." The school bell will ring continuously for a period of time.
Students and staff inside the school will:
· go to the closest room, close the door and lock it, if possible
· turn off the lights and lie down on the floor away from doors and windows
· remain on the floor quietly until further directions are given
Students and staff outside the school will:
· move as far away from the building as possible
· remain outside until further directions are given
Depending on the situation, students and staff outside the building may be directed to an evacuation site. When the rehearsal is over, the principal will make another announcement.
During lockdown rehearsals or in a real lockdown situation, students and staff must not use cell phones. Cell phones can create a safety hazard by attracting attention to the area of the school where the phone is being used.
In the unlikely event of an actual lockdown, police ask that parents do not go to the school. For safety reasons, you will not be allowed to enter a school that is in lockdown. In some cases, police will designate a Parent Information Site for you to attend and get up-to-date, accurate information. To find your Parent Information Site or get further details during a real lockdown, visit www.peelschools.org or listen to local media.
If you have any questions about our lockdown drill, or any of the procedures we have in place to keep students and staff safe, please call the school.
Peel board trustees accountable to the community
The Peel board, like every public school board in Ontario, is governed by a board of trustees. Trustees are elected by public school taxpayers every four years during municipal elections. The next municipal election will be held in October 2018. The Peel board currently has 12 trustees representing three municipalities:
Trustee / Ward(s) / City / Email / Phone #Carrie Andrews / 7 and 8 / Brampton / / 647-473-1858
Stan Cameron / Caledon / / 905-880-1162
Robert Crocker / 6 and 11 / Mississauga / / 416-528-1312
Nokha Dakroub / 9 and 10 / Mississauga / / 647-707-7320
David Green / 1 and 5 / Brampton / / 905-495-4579
Sue Lawton / 3 and 4 / Mississauga / / 905-625-8084
Brad MacDonald / 2 and 8 / Mississauga / / 905-593-3547
Kathy McDonald / 3 and 4 / Brampton / / 905-460-7499
Janet McDougald
Chair / 1 and 7 / Mississauga / / 905-278-1402
Suzanne Nurse
Vice-Chair / 2 and 6 / Brampton / / 905-495-3423
Harkirat Singh / 9 and 10 / Brampton / / 647-209-8000
Rick Williams / 5 / Mississauga / / 905-814-6180
What do trustees do?
· advocate for the needs of the community to other members of the board
· help members of the community address concerns about the school system
· set policies in the areas of curriculum, facilities, human and financial resources
· explain the policies and decisions of the board to the community
· evaluate the board's achievement of its goals and objectives and monitor its implementation of new policies
· participate in budget development, approve budget decisions and monitor its progress
· protect the future of the board by always considering the long-term effects of decisions
Visit www.peelschools.org and check out the ‘Meet Your Trustee’ section to subscribe to board meeting agendas and minutes and read highlights from board meeting.
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Join our school council—share your ideas
Every Peel school has a school council—a group focused on helping students succeed. School councils provide a voice for parents and the community and offer advice to the school principal on a number of topics.
We are holding school councils elections on [insert date]
If you would like to know more or are interested in joining our council, please contact [insert details].