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St. John Paul II Collegiate
Student and Parent Handbook
2020-2021
“DEAR YOUNG PEOPLE, LET YOURSELVES BE TAKEN OVER BY THE LIGHT OF
CHRIST, AND
SPREAD THAT LIGHT WHEREVER YOU ARE.”
St. John Paul II
www.stjohnpaul2collegiate.ca 53 Cimarron Drive Okotoks, AB T1S
2A6 Phone: 403-938-4600 Attendance Email:
[email protected] Office Email:
[email protected]
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http://www.stjohnpaul2collegiate.ca/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]
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PLEASE NOTE that our school is governed according to Christ the
Redeemer Catholic Schools district
administrative procedures, which can be found here:
http://www.redeemer.ab.ca/view.php?action=documents&id=1747
Table of Contents
APPENDIX A – Covid-Related Updates for
2020-2021……………….…………..3
CTR – Mission and Vision ……………………………………………..…………. 3
SJPII – School History and Background ………………………………………….. 6
SJPII – Mission & Vision Statements and Who We Are
……………..………….. 7
School Motto
Gryphon – School Mascot
Faith Focus
Catholic Learning Communities
School Organization…………………………………………………………………9
Staff List 2020-2021
School Calendar and School Map
Bell Schedule
Student Services and Programs ………………………………………………… 11
Learning Support Program Communications Program
Family School Liaison Program
School Connection Program
Option Courses
French Immersion
Student Expectations and Discipline Policy ……………………………………..
12
Student Conduct and Discipline
Bullying
Dress Code for Students
LIFE Framework (Lived Inclusion for Everyone)
Cell Phones and Electronics
Closed Campus
Student Absenteeism
Lates
Homework Expectations
Student Valuables
“Good Standing” for Co-Curricular and Extra-Curricular
Activities
Communication with Parents ………………………………………………….. 16
Parent Council PowerSchool – Online gradebook for Parents and
Teachers
School Newsletter
Contacting Staff by Email/Phone/Website
http://www.redeemer.ab.ca/view.php?action=documents&id=1747
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APPENDIX A – COVID-RELATED UPDATES FOR 2020/2021
➢ Please note that this entire handbook and the following
Covid-related updates remain subject to further revision as of
August 2020.
➢ You will notice some inconsistent points - for example,
lockers are mentioned, even though lockers at the start of this
year will be unavailable. This is because our intent is to
maintain
these sections of our handbook for when normal operation of the
school resumes.
• St. JPII School Re-Entry Plan – if you have not already done
so, please read our school’s Re-Entry Plan by clicking HERE.
• Covid-19 Daily Screening Tool – please help our entire
community stay safe, by following this Alberta Health Screening
Checklist (click HERE) on a daily basis. It is your and our legal
responsibility to follow the guidance in this checklist and I
appreciate your support with it. When a child exhibits any
Covid-related symptoms, our staff will use an established process
to assess whether parents need to be called to take the student
home. If this happens, students must be picked up within one hour.
Whenever possible, we will consult with parents when assessing
symptoms. Please understand we are not in a position to judge
whether a student’s symptoms are severe enough to be sent home. Out
of caution, we will require the student to leave when we are
unsure. Please remind children they cannot call home from their
cell (except in our office, with permission), due to our “No
Electronics” policy – students must report to a teacher or the
front office if unwell, and we will communicate with parents right
away.
• Updating Pre-Existing Medical Conditions and Symptoms – please
ensure you have informed our office if your child has any
pre-existing medical conditions, and which baseline symptoms come
with this condition(s). Email this information to Lorraine Segboer
at [email protected] . Please keep the information brief and
concise (ex. Seasonal allergies – runny nose and sneezing is common
during Spring). The Covid Screening Checklist uses the words “new
onset” to determine whether a student’s symptoms are concerning. We
need to play it safe and contact parents when a child has symptoms
that could be a new onset – having up to date information on
pre-existing medical conditions and symptoms really helps us
navigate this new protocol.
• Masks – a reminder of our mask protocol is below. Please
ensure your child comes to school with a mask every day. Alberta
Education is providing two masks for every student – we hope to
receive these masks next week. As such, students will need to bring
a mask from home. Alberta Health mask guidelines can be found
HERE.
Students in Grades 4 to 12 and all staff must wear masks as per
government protocols (in all circulation/hallway areas, common
areas, when moving around the school, when moving around any
instructional space, when browsing library books, and when working
face-to-face or in close contact with any other person, or when
directed by a teacher). At St. JPII, at teacher discretion within
classrooms, students may be able to take their masks off during
instruction and when seated in rows, facing forward. Students will
put masks on again if working
http://www.stjohnpaul2collegiate.ca/Covid-19Updates.phphttp://www.stjohnpaul2collegiate.ca/Covid-19Updates.phphttps://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/edc-covid-19-screening-questionaire-english.pdfmailto:[email protected]://www.alberta.ca/k-to-12-school-re-entry-2020-21-school-year.aspx#toc-1https://www.alberta.ca/k-to-12-school-re-entry-2020-21-school-year.aspx#toc-1
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in small groups in close proximity to one another, when working
face-to-face with a student or teacher, or whenever directed by a
teacher.
• Visitors not Permitted – Drop-off of Items Discouraged –
Parents or any other visitors are not able to accompany students
into our building for safety reasons. Only students will be able to
enter our doors when school begins. We also ask that you avoid
dropping off items for students at our office as we need to reduce
outside traffic and visitors into our building. If you have an
emergency item that requires drop-off, please call our office first
for direction and to make arrangements.
• Closed Campus and Lunch Break – Please review our lunch
protocol by reviewing our school Re-Entry Plan (click HERE for
lunch details). We have a closed campus, meaning students cannot
leave school property without parent permission. Many of our
students stay on campus during the lunch break, while others leave
campus with parent permssion. As in the past, students in any grade
can submit a note from parents which gives them permission to leave
school property during the lunch break. Submit the note to Mrs.
Lorraine Segboer at our front office (or parents can email it to
[email protected]). Please indicate if this note stands for
the entire school year or for that particular day only.
Finally, please review these important general resources related
to Covid-19 from Alberta Health, which
we will review with students on the first day of classes:
• Prevent the Spread Info Sheet – ENGLISH and FRENCH • Proper
Use of a Mask – POSTER in ENGLISH and FRENCH • VIDEO – Proper Use
of a Mask demo by Dr. Hinshaw • COVID Screening Questionnaire /
Screening Tool - HERE
http://www.stjohnpaul2collegiate.ca/Covid-19Updates.php#LunchProgramsmailto:[email protected]://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/covid-19-fact-sheet.pdfhttps://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/covid-19-fact-sheet-french.pdfhttps://open.alberta.ca/dataset/80c3fda3-7bd8-41c2-8724-c476c1b54a5b/resource/818e2afa-3d15-4932-8654-d2dcb3c85539/download/covid-19-how-to-wear-a-non-medical-mask-poster-11x17-colour.pdfhttps://open.alberta.ca/dataset/8d2153a4-eecc-4b11-aba5-e329514fe18f/resource/dd75cb6f-bb62-4570-9710-cbac48fee7e6/download/covid-19-how-to-wear-a-non-medical-mask-french-poster-11x17-colour.pdfhttps://youtu.be/6MojzHFStNshttps://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/edc-covid-19-screening-questionaire-english.pdf
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Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools
OUR MISSION:
As an evangelizing school division, in partnership with the
family, we will deliver an authentic
Catholic learning experience by creating a foundation of faith
and knowledge in a warm, caring
environment to guide all students to appreciate the goodness of
all creation and to meet the
challenges of life with hope and confidence.
As we strive to achieve our mission we will;
OUR VISION:
The Truth of Christ and knowledge of God's Creation will be
experienced by and manifest in the
students, staff, parents and supporters of our Catholic School
Community.
To fulfill our mission and vision we will be at all times guided
by;
OUR FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS:
Dignity of the Individual Person
The infinite value of each person in God's eyes must be
reflected in all that we do. This calls for
respect in all relationships.
Catholicity
As Roman Catholics, we accept the teaching of the Magisterium of
the Church. Our Catholic faith
permeates all that we do. Our schools become faith communities
when staff and students give
witness to their faith. Jesus is the source of our morals and
values.
Prayer is essential.
Instructional Focus
The educational needs of all students must be met in a manner
that does not deprive others of
access to good education within a safe environment. We believe
the family is the fundamental unit
of society and that parents are the primary educators of their
children.
Accountability
The Board of Trustees is accountable to the Bishop of the
Diocese of Calgary, the Minister of
Learning, our parents and supporters. The Board provides
direction to its staff and students. We
are called to be faithful stewards of God's creation.
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St. John Paul II Collegiate – History & Background
John Paul II Collegiate Visioning Weekend
As a learning and faith community, the various stakeholders in
our new junior high school got together on
Friday, March 4th and Saturday, March 5th, 2005, in order to
discuss, and decide on the vision of our new
school. Over seventy parents, trustees, staff and students from
our community examined how to develop
faith and ensure academic success. In fact, the discussion was
structured around the four pillars of Christ
the Redeemer Catholic School’s Education Plan which sets as its
major responsibility the development of
our school as:
➢ Academic Community ➢ Faith Community ➢ Safe and Caring
Community ➢ Stewards of Resources
The culminating activity at our visioning weekend was the naming
of our new junior high school. Dozens
of possibilities were discussed. These names honoured a number
of saints, theological doctrine, and figures
in our parish history. In the end, the overwhelming decision was
to name our school John Paul II Collegiate.
Honouring our Pope became an obvious choice when the discussion
moved towards John Paul II’s emphasis
on ecumenism and his focus on the youth of the world. John Paul
II fought to bring the various Christian
groups together to dialogue as faith communities who have more
in common than differences. As a school
community that includes Catholics and a number of other
Christian denominations, this idea of ecumenism
is one of our goals. Also, because this Junior High School is a
place that educates young people at a very
crucial and transformational time in their lives, we will use
his teachings to the youth of the world as
teachings that will guide us. As Pope, John Paul II was a bridge
between divinity and humanity.
Pope John Paul II
Karol Jozef Wojtyla was born in Wadowice, Poland on May 18, 1920
and lived a difficult and wonderful
life until his death on April 2, 2005. Our school community
looked at several different names for our
institution, however, John Paul II was an obvious and
overwhelming choice in the end. John Paul II was
chosen as the patron of our school for a number of reasons. As
Pope, John Paul II dedicated himself to
youth and established a great connection with the young
Catholics of the world through his World Youth
Days and his humble servitude to God. John Paul II was
instrumental in changing the face, and spirit, of
the world through his efforts to end the Cold War; being the
most traveled Pope in history; reaching out to
the many faiths in the world; and working hard to bring glory to
God through the Catholic Church. Pope
John Paul II granted an Apostolic Blessing to our school on
April 1, 2005; the day before his death. From
the moment of his death, Catholics around the world have called
for his canonization. We are honoured to
work and learn in a school which looks towards St. John Paul II
as its role model.
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StJPII Mission and Vision Statements and Who We Are
Mission Statement for St. John Paul II Collegiate
St. John Paul II Collegiate will nurture a passion for learning
and the pursuit of excellence in a culture permeated by the
teachings of Christ.
Vision Statement for St. John Paul II Collegiate
We are a family of faith who will love and educate God’s
children and prepare them to live their lives with confidence.
School Motto
The motto for St. John Paul II Collegiate is: Ex Eodum Fonte
Fides et Scientia. This Latin phrase means:
From the same font, faith and knowledge. This is meant to
emphasize the goal of our school. We are an
academic institution with a mandate to challenge every student
to reach academic success; however, what
makes us different in our community is our emphasis on faith.
Our students must leave our school with the
knowledge to move forward but perhaps more importantly, a deep
sense of character that is developed
through our faith. Through practicing our Christian beliefs, we
feel that our students will develop the virtues
of prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice, and lead a life
infused with faith, hope, and love.
Ex Eodum Fonte, Fides et Scientia
Gryphon Explanation
After the school name was selected we turned our attention
towards finding the right
school logo and team name. Dozens of students, teachers and
other members of our school
community drew fabulous designs and shared very creative and
meaningful ideas for our
teams. In the end, a committee of community members decided that
we would be known
as the John Paul II Collegiate Gryphons. The Gryphon is a
mythical creature. The half
eagle, half lion body came to symbolize the duality of Jesus
Christ during the Middle
Ages. The eagle with its wisdom represented divinity, while the
lion and its strength stood
for Jesus as Lord over humanity.
Faith Focus
We have made it our priority to provide students with a focus on
faith in our school. Our faith will permeate
everything that we do at St. John Paul II Collegiate. We feel
that it is one of our major responsibilities to
provide students with many opportunities to participate actively
in their faith. Prayer is a regular part of
the school day. In our daily routines we use scripture,
particularly the Gospels and traditional prayers such
as the Lord’s Prayer, prayer before meals, the Hail Mary, the
Glory Be, Prayers of the Faithful, the Sign of
Peace, and a Closing Blessing to end the school day. In
addition, faculty are encouraged to model prayer
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using a variety of prayer forms with their students on a daily
basis. Masses and liturgies will occur
throughout the school year. We provide several faith-filled
opportunities for our students and work closely
with our parish youth group in order to help our students be
active in their faith.
Our schools seek to permeate our Catholic faith in all that we
do, thereby, going well beyond what happens
in religion class. The founders of our Division prayed that our
teachers would be powerful Christian
witnesses bringing a Catholic lens to whatever discipline they
teach. This permeation must create a sense
of something different from the first warm initial contact when
visitors enter our school. It is obviously
evident in the physical surroundings – religious artwork and
icons, prayer corners in classroom, perhaps a
dedicated chapel. It is also created by every thought, word, and
action that occurs in the school. It is our
desire to leave visitors musing with wonder as they, “see how we
love one another”; in the way we do
whatever it takes to help students learn, the special care and
attention we show students and parents, and
the discipline process that is so clearly focused on correction,
forgiveness, and reconciliation.
Staff are called to be witnesses to our faith. Catholic
employees of Christ the Redeemer must be practicing
Catholics. We are prominent faith witnesses in our community
through our professional and social lives
and in order to be authentic, our regular weekly presence at the
Sunday Eucharist is paramount. Employees
who are members of other Christian churches are expected to
practice their faith according to their faith
tradition. As noted in When you Teach in a Catholic School, “you
are a responsible adult Christian. By
your demeanor and example, and by your expectations and
presumptions, young people learn what it means
to be a responsible adult and a Christian. Never underestimate
the power of your example. Model your
teaching after Jesus the master teacher, and live what you
teach.” (Dunlap, 2004)
The Division has devoted two professional development days to
focus on the faith formation of its
employees, Faith Days. The fact that we use two days,
demonstrates how important we believe these days
are. Faith days are also regarded as the Division’s main social
celebration of the year, with a focus on
fellowship, community building, and morale building.
Catholic Learning Communities (CLCs) – Professional Development
for Staff on Fridays
Catholic Learning Communities were created to build professional
learning communities for staff with an
added component of integrating our Catholic faith into our
professional development. The ultimate purpose
of CLCs is to improve student achievement. Teachers collaborate
for 80 minutes every Friday afternoon
to share ideas, research, and plan for ways to continuously
improve student learning. These gatherings
also begin with a faith focus, allowing us to invest in staff
faith formation on a weekly basis.
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School Organization – St. JPII Staff 2020 - 2021 Administration
Marco Pacione Principal Ryan Fox Vice-Principal Jennifer Quinlan
Vice-Principal Teaching Staff Christina Barnstead Tory Bishop Todd
Bonertz Jenica Brackett Joseph Buck Karrie Christie Melissa
Corrigan Kelsey Crandell Nadine Dash Darren Dornstauder Rebecca
Freeman Steve Erick Matthew Fish Robert Fraser Kimberly Garner
Marie-Soleil Halvorsen Neil Hawryluk Joyce Helinsky Rebecca Jalbert
Laurie Klassen Marni Kutzner Vero LeClair Michelle Lendvay Sarah
Lutz (Mat. Leave) Colin MacLeod Stacey MacNeil Andrea McGeachie
Ashley McLaughlin Holly O’Neill Kayla Samson Kevin Sattler Heather
Scott Alex Semaka Justin Urbani Tara Younggren (Mat. Leave) Megan
Zolpis
Office Staff Sharlene Sylvestre Administrative Assistant
Jan-Marie Naccarato Receptionist & Finance Lorraine Segboer
Receptionist Student Services Christina Barnstead Learning Support
Coordinator Laurie Klassen Learning Support Teacher Nathan Thrift
School Connection Worker Cindy Zarn Family School Liaison
(Counsellor) Educational Assistants Sara Bourgault Jackie Coen
Linda Duncan Genelle Garagan Christine McNeill Louise Moan Cindy
Power Librarian Genelle Garagan Custodial Staff Chad Anderson (Head
Custodian) Scott Harper Audrey Kennedy Mike Shwytky
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SCHOOL CALENDAR – CLICK HERE
SCHOOL MAP
BELL SCHEDULE
Monday - Thursday Friday
Attendance/Prayer 8:35am – 8:41am Attendance/Prayer 8:35am –
8:40am
Period 1 8:41am – 9:35am Period 1 8:40am – 9:46am
Period 2 9:40am – 10:34am Period 2 9:50am – 10:56am
Period 3 10:39am – 11:33am Period 3 11:00am – 12:06pm
Lunch 11:33am – 12:14pm
Period 4 12:14pm – 1:08pm
Period 5 1:13pm – 2:07pm
Period 6 2:12pm – 3:06pm
http://www.redeemer.ab.ca/documents/general/School_Calendar_1.pdf
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Student Services & Programs
Learning Support Program
Our school and school division are committed to providing a
top-quality education that challenges every
student and builds the skills, attitudes, and knowledge
necessary for success in their future. Every child
learns in a different way and at a different rate. With this in
mind, St. John Paul II Collegiate provides an
extensive program to provide students with the supports
necessary to achieve success.
Through Individualized Support Plans (ISP’s), Learning
Strategies classes in Math and Language Arts,
Enhanced Reading, small group and one-on-one assistance within
or outside the classroom, and our
Communications program (description below), the special needs of
all of our students are addressed. A
team of teachers and educational assistants work tirelessly to
ensure that every one of our students gets the
support that they need. If you have any questions or requests,
please do not hesitate to contact our Learning
Support Coordinator.
Communications Program
The Communications Program serves students who may have
developmental disabilities and extraordinary
learning needs. They generally receive support from staff in a
small group setting. Communication students
are often integrated into regular classes. They will likely
receive support from a Learning Support team
member.
Family School Liaison Program
The mission of the Family School Liaison Program (FSLP) involves
partnering with parents and school
personnel to enhance a child’s social, behavioural and academic
functioning throughout the academic
year. This is a free, confidential and site-based service for
students and their families who may be struggling
with difficulties at home or school. This includes such needs
as: peer relating skills, conflict resolution,
assertiveness, self-esteem, grief and loss, separation/divorce,
anxiety and depression, alcohol/drug
misuse/abuse, parenting strategies, family violence, parent/teen
conflict, anger management and harm to
self / harm to others and any other mental health issues.
These needs are addressed with an emphasis on prevention and
early intervention utilizing classroom
presentations, consultations, community resource referrals and
supportive counselling for students and their
families. A signed consent from the child’s parent or guardian
(shared custody—two parent signatures) is
needed. Discipline issues are addressed by teachers and/or
administration with FSLP services available for
support.
School Connection Program
Our School Connections worker is a part of the CTR staff and the
purpose of this program is to provide
students with support when a suspension has been granted. The
intent is to keep the suspended student in
school under the supervision of the School Connection worker who
will provide social/emotional
intervention, academic coordination, and restitution. The School
Connection worker will work closely with
administration, the Family School Liaison Worker, Learning
Support team, teachers and parents to provide
the best possible solution to a situation whereby a student must
be removed from the classroom for a period
of time.
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Option Courses
Part of our educational philosophy at St. John Paul II
Collegiate is to provide students with considerable
exposure to different ideas and areas of interest. Our option
courses are designed to allow students to
experience a wide variety of classes. Grade 7 and 8 option
courses are offered on a quarterly system. This
means that each student will rotate through a variety of
different subject areas over the course of the school
year. Each grade 7 and 8 course will last for one term
(approximately 10 weeks). Grade 9 option classes
are semestered (20 weeks) and will change at the end of January.
Students in grade 9 have the opportunity
to rank their choices and we try our best to place them in
options they want to take. Option courses are
designed to give students a taste of various different areas of
interest to help identify areas they would like
to pursue in high school and beyond.
French Immersion (Early and Late Immersion)
We offer two French Immersion programs - Early and Late. Early
French Immersion is for students who
have taken French Immersion for all of their elementary years.
Our Late French Immersion Program begins
in grade 7 for students who have not taken immersion classes in
elementary. Both programs offer a
language-rich environment in a second language. Core courses are
taught in French while option classes
and an additional English Language Arts course are taught in
English.
Student Expectations and Discipline Policy
Student Conduct and Discipline
St. John Paul II Collegiate has high expectations for all
members of our learning and faith community. Our
discipline policy reflects these expectations. In short, JPII
will accept nothing less than respectful,
responsible behaviour in any activities associated with our
school. This is certainly true in the classroom,
but these expectations also extend themselves to all school
functions, field trips and sporting events.
Adopting a patron such as St. John Paul II requires that all
ambassadors and supporters of our school behave
in a manner consistent with the kindness, courage, dedication,
acceptance and respect for others that he
displayed throughout his life and in his death, which are
modelled after our Saviour.
The discipline policy at St. John Paul II Collegiate should
always be just and serve the purpose of helping
our students learn from any potential mistakes they may make.
Any consequences will provide guidance
for the student and safety for the community. Our discipline
approach involves the entire staff. While most
issues will be handled within the classroom, students are
expected to show the proper respect to any school
staff when addressed about inappropriate behaviour. Failure to
demonstrate proper respect for students,
staff, guests, or property will result in escalating
consequences that will be fair, meaningful, and provide a
deterrent for repetition of that behaviour.
For more information, please see the following CTR
administrative procedure on Student Conduct and
Discipline Process:
http://www.redeemer.ab.ca/documents/general/STU%2001%20Discipline%20Process.pdf
http://www.redeemer.ab.ca/documents/general/STU%2001%20Discipline%20Process.pdf
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Bullying
Bullying is defined by Alberta Education as, “a conscious,
willful, deliberate, repeated and hostile activity marked by an
imbalance of power, intent to harm and/or threat of
aggression.”
The four most common types of bullying are:
▪ Verbal Bullying—name calling, sarcasm, teasing, spreading
rumours, threatening, making references to one's culture,
ethnicity, race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation,
unwanted comments.
▪ Social Bullying—gossiping, mobbing, scapegoating, excluding
others from a group, humiliating others, gestures or graffiti
intended to put others down.
▪ Physical Bullying—hitting, poking, pinching, chasing, shoving,
coercing, destroying, unwanted sexual touching.
▪ Cyber Bullying—using the internet or text messaging to
intimidate, put down or spread rumours about someone.
At St. John Paul II Collegiate, we deal with bullying seriously
and will take action accordingly. Incidents
will be investigated thoroughly. Repeated behaviours will be
dealt with more seriously than one-time
infractions. Consequences may include warnings, phone call to
parents, loss of privileges at school,
confiscation of property, detentions, and suspensions. In
serious cases where behaviours do not improve,
it is possible to impose up to a five day suspension from
school. Again, each case is dealt with accordingly
by administration.
If any student is a victim of bullying or harassment or has
witnessed such events, it is important to report it
to either an administrator, counselor, family liaison worker, or
teacher. It is also important to tell parents.
We take these situations seriously and will work towards a
solution and resolution for everyone. This is
not something to leave unattended. Remember that our staff is
here to help in every possible way to keep
a safe and caring school environment.
For more information, please see the following CTR
administrative procedure on Anti-Bullying:
http://www.redeemer.ab.ca/documents/general/STU%2023%20Anti-Bullying.pdf
Dress Code for Students
All students are expected to dress in a manner that is
appropriate for a Catholic junior high school setting.
How a person dresses is an outward expression of respect for
themselves and others. Students are expected
to dress, therefore, in a manner that demonstrates modesty in a
professional “workplace” (t-shirt neckline,
no belly buttons or butts with these same expectations
pertaining to boys and girls). We stress and use the
word “workplace” to indicate that students may choose to dress
differently outside of school than they are
required to dress at school - practicing for their future in
this “workplace”.
For more information, please see the following CTR
administrative procedure on Dress Code for Students:
http://www.redeemer.ab.ca/documents/general/Student%20Dress%20Code.pdf
http://www.redeemer.ab.ca/documents/general/STU%2023%20Anti-Bullying.pdfhttp://www.redeemer.ab.ca/documents/general/Student%20Dress%20Code.pdf
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LIFE Framework (“Lived Inclusion for Everyone”)
Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools is committed to using the
LIFE Framework as a guideline for the
creation and operation of student groups that are comprehensive
in their approach to inclusion and open to
the exploration, in a Catholic context, of a variety of issues
including bullying, sexual harassment, sexual
orientation, gender identity, discrimination, justice, and
respectful relationships and language. The LIFE
Framework is the result of a provincial collaboration of
Catholic school jurisdictions. Each of our schools
may be organizing LIFE Framework/Diversity groups. They will
keep their communities informed as these
groups are established by placing notices in their
newsletters.
Cell Phones and Electronics
Cell phones, tablets, digital cameras, and other electronic
devices may be used by students only when
permission has been granted by a teacher during instructional
time. These devices are to be stored at all
other times, including breaks. If this rule is broken,
electronic devices may be confiscated and returned to
the student or parent of the student at the end of the day. This
policy is in effect from 8:30 am – 3:06 pm.
In an effort to improve learning where students are more focused
on instruction, and to minimize distraction,
students will be asked to store electronic devices either in a
backpack or a locker (teachers may choose an
alternate mode of storage during class time). We are emphasizing
and modelling for students, that a cell
phone left on a desk, or in a pocket, is a constant distraction.
With this in mind, we ask that parents not
send text messages or other electronic communication to students
during class time, so as to minimize the
risk that students are being distracted during instruction.
Students are free to use our office phone any time
during the day to contact parents, and parents are welcome to
call our office any time to ask that a message
be relayed to their child.
We expect that ALL electronics are stored in hallway lockers
during PE classes and not left
in the locker rooms. Our school is not responsible for any
damage to, or theft of student cell
phones.
Closed Campus
JPII is a closed campus. What this means for our students is
that they are not permitted to come and go as
they please. Students who live within walking distance will be
asked to provide a one-time note signed by
their parents giving their child(ren) permission to leave school
property for lunch. Any students who do not
leave for lunch on a regular basis will be required to present a
signed note from parents before signing out.
All students who are leaving campus must sign out when they
leave and sign back in when they return.
Our closed campus philosophy also ensures that everyone on
campus has a purpose for being there. We
certainly encourage parents to drop in anytime. We do ask,
however, that all visitors to the school come in
through the front doors and check in with the receptionist to
let us know they are in the building.
Student Absenteeism
At St. John Paul II Collegiate, we believe that attendance is a
vital aspect of the students’ education. What
a student learns while under direct instruction from their
teacher and through their interactions with other
students is irreplaceable. Students who miss an unreasonable
amount of school place their academic success
in jeopardy. Any time a student misses more than 10% of the
instructional time, we believe that their
education is compromised. When parents know that their child
will be away from school for an extended
period of time (e.g. family vacation), they are asked to contact
the principal. In these cases, students are
also advised to see the teacher well in advance to ask for
missed work and assignments. These types of
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absences from school are discouraged. Attendance records will be
reviewed by the administration on a
monthly basis. The school’s administration, in consultation with
the student’s teacher, may send out letters
to parents whose children have missed in excess of 10% of the
instructional time to date. These letters are
meant to help parents identify the amount of time a student has
missed in the hope that the students’
attendance will improve. All unsupported absences will be
classified as truancy. Truancy will result in the
student having to make up for all lost instructional time via
detentions or another consequence.
Lates
Students who arrive late to school on a consistent basis place
their learning at risk and interfere with the
learning of others. It is the student’s and the parent’s
responsibility to ensure that the student arrives to
school and to each class on time. Any habitual tardiness will be
treated as a disciplinary infraction. Students
will be required to make up the extra time as a detention over
the lunch hour or before/after school. Parents
will also be notified.
Homework Expectations
The homework philosophy at St. John Paul II Collegiate
emphasizes that homework is an essential tool in
education. Homework should reinforce the concepts and knowledge
that have been presented in the
classroom, or prepare students for an activity or concept that
is upcoming. Homework is not busywork or
self-teaching. At the junior high level, students should expect
between 60 and 90 minutes of homework per
school night. Homework can come in many different forms. It can
simply be reviewing notes, practice
questions, project work, or reading. We want every student to
have a good balance in his or her life. We
want to ensure that students achieve academic success. Parents
are asked to contact their son/daughter’s
teacher if they feel that they are getting too much or too
little work at home.
Student Valuables
Students are discouraged from bringing valuables to school.
Leaving valuables (money, jewellery, watches,
electronics, phones, etc.) in unsecured areas such as change
rooms, washrooms or open classrooms should
be avoided as the school cannot be held responsible for lost or
stolen items. Similarly, when a student gives
out their locker combination to other students, the school would
regard this as an unsecured area.
“Good Standing” for Co-Curricular and Extra-Curricular
Activities
While we are striving for a balanced educational experience for
all of our students, we maintain high
expectations for participation in all school activities,
including extra-curricular activities. Students must be
in “good standing”. Good standing means that a student attends
regularly, attends punctually, behaves
appropriately, and maintains grades to the best of his or her
ability. If a student is not in good standing,
administration my revoke the privilege of participation in any
school event. With regards to athletics and
significant co-curricular events, individual coaches and
teachers retain the right to suspend or remove a
student from a team or group for sufficient reason. Please note
that students may not participate in
athletic school events if they were absent due to illness or
truancy on that particular day.
We expect that all members of our school community will
represent the spirit of our school in all situations.
This certainly extends itself to our sporting events. Players
and fans are expected to demonstrate good
sportsmanship, hospitality to our guests, and respect to our
hosts. Failure to do so will result in
administrative consequences and potential removal from
extra-curricular participation.
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Communication with Parents St. John Paul II Collegiate and
Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools recognize that parents are the
primary
educators of their children. Therefore, it is essential that
direct lines of communication exist between the
school and the home. Parents can expect that they will be kept
informed about student behaviour,
academics, and upcoming events through a variety of methods.
Parent Council
All parents are invited to attend our monthly Parent Council
meetings to discuss a variety of issues and
events. The Council’s role is to make recommendations to the
principal and to support school initiatives.
PowerSchool – Online Gradebook for Teachers and Parents
Parents will have access to their child’s marks online through
PowerSchool. Through the Parent Portal,
PowerSchool offers parents online access to their child’s
grades, attendance, student forms, and notices.
This Parent Portal account will remain active throughout your
child’s time with CTR.
Report cards will be available for download from PowerSchool
twice per year, at the end of each semester
(end of January and end of June).
Monthly Newsletter – available online
Upcoming events and school news will be highlighted in our
monthly newsletter. We will use this as a way
of keeping parents informed about the various religious,
educational and social issues and trends that we
feel would be of interest to parents.
Like us on Facebook: St. John Paul II Collegiate
(https://www.facebook.com/StJPII)
Please don’t hesitate to contact our office at any time during
this school year
should you have any questions or concerns. We appreciate
students’ and
parents’ support as we work toward a fantastic school year!
Saint John Paul II, pray for us… Saint Jean-Paul II, priez pour
nous…
https://www.facebook.com/StJPII
