Alexander Muir/Gladstone

Parent Handbook

Revised: September 12^th, 2022

School Hours

Bell Times:

Morning Drop-off and Afternoon Pick-up

Meeting Zones for drop off and pick up:

AMG FDK meet their kids on the grass area on Waterloo. Each kindergarten teacher will confirm with parents which door to pick their child up from at the end of the day.

AMG Primary classes (Grade 1-3) will meet on the asphalt area near the large play structure / climber outside Door 5.  They will use the Gate on Waterloo

AMG Junior classes (Grade 4-6) will meet on the hill area north of the climbing structure, near Door 6.  They should use the South Gates on Dufferin

AMG Intermediate classes (Grade 7/8) will meet on the south end of the sports field/ Basketball court/ mulched area.  Students should enter using the middle gate on Dufferin. 

Arriving Late and Leaving Early

All school doors are locked after morning entry. You may use the front door on Gladstone Ave and ring the bell. Students arriving late must proceed to the office to obtain a late slip.

Send a note to your child’s teacher if they will be need to leave early for an appointment, specifying the time. When you arrive at the Gladstone door, ring the bell and we will bring your child to you. If a student is leaving early and not being picked up by a parent, they must have written permission.

We will not be able to call students out of the class prior to your arrival. Many times, children wait for extended periods of time for parents and are missing learning time. AMG is a large school with many classes and students are moving around the building throughout the day, it may take time to locate the class and for the student to retrieve their belongings. If you are on a tight schedule, plan and arrange your time accordingly.

Safe Arrival

If your child is going to be late or absent, call the school at 416-393-9140 and leave a message in the Safe Arrival mailbox by 8:30 in the morning.

Attendance Policy

Ounce students have enrolled in school, the expectation is that they will be at school and on time each day. There is a strong positive correlation between regular school attendance and both academic and social success at school. If there is a pattern of lates or absences, expect a call from the teacher and/or office. For lates or absences exceeding 15 days, it is the board policy to send an attendance letter home. If your child is struggling with regular attendance, contact the school and we can support.

Lunch Routines

Students will be eating in their classrooms and everyone is expected to bring their own litterless lunch.

Lunch MAY NOT be dropped off or delivered to school. We will not admit people or companies that are delivering food to enter the building.

If your child will be going home for lunch or leaving school property, they will need to be picked up from school and may only return at the end of the lunch period.

Parent/Guardians are not to enter the school grounds when picking up and dropping off students. Teachers will escort students to the beginning of lunch. Parents drop-off students at the end and students join their class in the meeting zone.

Students do not need to be actively screened after lunch but should hand sanitize.

Volunteers

All volunteers must complete a Police Check to volunteer in the school. Ask the office to receive information about the procedure and the cost. When volunteering in the classroom or during school related events, all student/staff information is confidential.

Emergency Procedures

The TDSB requires Lockdowns and Fire Drills be reviewed and practiced annually to ensure that students know what to do in the case of a real emergency. While we hope never to have to use these skills, it’s important that we are always prepared to do so if necessary. We are required to have 6 practice Fire Drills (3 in the Fall, 3 in the Spring) and 2 practice Lockdown Drills each year. https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Elementary-School/Caring-Safe-Schools/Hold-and-Secure-Lockdown

Visitors within the School

For the safety of students we do control and limit entry to the school. If you are coming into the school please ring the doorbell at the front entrance on Gladstone and someone will connect with you via the school intercom. If meeting with a staff member please arrange a meeting with them ahead of time. The office can be very busy, especially at the beginning and end of school day, your patience is appreciated.

School Cash Online

AMG is cashless, the TDSB has an online system, School Cash Online, which allows for families to pay for school fees. If you haven't already signed up for School Cash Online, please use this link https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/All families new to Alexander Muir/Gladstone will need to sign up.

Cell Phones

Students are not permitted to use cell phones without teacher/staff permission (as it relates to a school activity). Cell phones are not permitted to be used during instructional time, at recess, in hallways or in washrooms. If students bring them to school, they need to be stored away in a backpack and out of sight. With permission, students must use the office phone if they need to call parents/ guardians. The school will not be responsible for any damaged or missing phones or tech devices students choose to bring to school.

Health and Safety

All of the latest information can be found on the TDSB Website at https://www.tdsb.on.ca/School-Year-2022-2023/Health-and-Safety

In August, the Ministry of Education released its guidance for the new school year. We continue to take our health and safety direction from the Ministry and Toronto Public Health and it is important to note that this is the current information and can change based on a change of guidance.

Screening – Students and staff should continue to do a daily self-assessment before entering school and stay home if they are sick. We are awaiting an updated screening tool from the Ministry and will share as soon as it is available.

Masks – AMG continues to be a mask-friendly environment inclusive of all staff and students. While the Ministry of Education and public health officials are not mandating the use of masks, Toronto Public Health strongly recommends wearing a well-fitting, high quality mask, especially in indoor public settings. The TDSB will continue to provide medical masks to staff and students who request them.

Testing – Rapid Antigen Test kits will continue to be available to both staff and students and are to be provided to staff/students upon their request.

Ventilation – HEPA filters are in each of our classrooms. Staff and Caretakers will continue to increase ventilation in schools and classrooms with mechanical systems by adjusting the air exchanges and running them before and after class as well as increase natural ventilation by opening windows for short periods of time.

Cleaning – Caretaking staff will continue to perform routine cleaning of general facilities throughout the day and enhanced cleaning of high touch surfaces such as light switches, handrails, door handles, etc.

Rainy Days and Severe Weather

Dress for the weather. Ensure your child comes to school with the appropriate rain gear as we will be going outside during recess when the rainfall is light. Students will also be lining up first thing in the morning to enter the building – so they will need protection from the rain. Umbrellas, rain boots, raincoats etc. would be ideal.

Regardless of the season, weather can have an impact on system-wide school board operations or individual schools, staff and students. Whether it’s cold and snow or extreme heat, the Toronto District School Board has a number of practices and policies in place to manage the impact of this weather on the school board. https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Severe-Weather

Steps to Address Questions and Concerns

The TDSB wants to hear your questions and concerns, and makes every effort to address them as quickly as possible. Below is the best way to talk to us, and who you should reach out to and when.

In any situation, your child’s classroom teacher is the first point of contact, followed by the school’s principal, the school superintendent and your Trustee.

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Contact-Us/Steps-to-Address-Questions-Concerns

AMG Information and Websites

School Website https://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/alexandermuirgladstone

School Announcements https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jIMYrYaFZZ4Fg6N-E4x9xWWFY0r9TF0ZDql37mRYd-A/edit#gid=0

School Calendar https://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/alexandermuirgladstone/School-Calendar