Student Absences and Our Safe Arrival Program

Parents/guardians must telephone the school if their child will be absent or late. You can call 24 hours a day to leave a message. The Office Administrator’s hours are listed below.

From 4:00 p.m. - 8:30 a.m. 396-6295 (leave a message)
From 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 396-6295 (Office Administrator)

As part of our Safe Arrival Program, we will attempt to contact the parent/guardian at home or at work if the reason for a student’s absence is not known.

If students are entering or leaving school during the school day without their parents, they require a note or phone call from the parent. Please sign and date the note accordingly. Parents who are picking up or dropping off a student must sign their child IN or OUT at the office. The binder is located in the outer office.

Use of the School Phone

Students may only use the school phone for an emergency or at the request of their teacher. Students must ask for permission from a staff member before using the phone. The school phone is not to be used to make social arrangements.


Student Health Concerns
If you are aware that your child is not well, please keep him/her at home and call the school to let us know of the absence. If a child becomes ill or is injured at school, we need to be able to contact parents immediately. When this is not possible, we need the name and telephone number of an available adult relative or friend who will be responsible for the student until the parent can be reached. If immediate medical attention is necessary and his/her parent or emergency contact cannot be reached, the school will arrange to transport the child to a hospital accompanied by a staff member. In the case of extreme medical need, ambulance service will be requested. Emergency Contact Information sheets will be sent home with all students on the first day of school. Parents are asked to carefully check this information and return to the school as soon as possible.

It is very important that we know about any health concerns. A Medical Form will also be sent home the first week of school in September. Please notify the office immediately if your child has a life threatening medical condition such as allergies with anaphylactic reactions

PLEASE NOTE THAT GUILDWOOD STRIVES TO BE NUT-FREE SCHOOL. WE HAVE STUDENTS WITH LIFE THREATENING ALLERGIES TO NUTS.

Parking Lot Safety
The parking lot area is reserved for teaching staff as it is only large enough to accommodate school and TDSB personnel, therefore visitors are asked to park in the designated areas on the street. Please do not enter the parking lot to drop off children, as this creates a safety hazard.

There is absolutely no student pick up or drop off in the parking lot from
8:15 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Between these hours you must park on the side streets and walk your child(ren) to the school.
Unaccompanied children are not allowed in the parking lot. Please use the sidewalks to enter and exit the school property.

Cross Walk Safety
Please observe all safety and parking signs. DO NOT PARK/STOP ON THE CROSSWALK OR BETWEEN THE "NO STOPPING SIGNS" - this practice creates a serious safety hazard for everyone.

Picking Up and Dropping Off Students
In order to ensure student safety, all school doors are locked during the school day. Parents are encouraged to visit but must contact the classroom teacher for possible times. Upon entry into the building all visitors must identify themselves at the office. Please do not escort students to class.

During instructional time, students arriving late should be dropped off at the office. Parents picking students up can come to the office and the student(s) will be called down to be signed out.

The supervision of every child is a priority. Lateness can be very stressful on a child. Please make sure that you have a regular routine to drop off and pick up your child. The North and South Doors are to be used for entry and exit. Please do not use the front doors of the school for entry or pick up.

Feedback is always beneficial. Our doors are always open to parents. Please feel free to drop by the office at any time. All visitors to the school between 8:40 am and 3:35 pm are expected to sign-in at the office and pick up a visitor’s tag to wear for the duration of the visit. Please remember to sign-out at the office and return your visitor’s tag before you leave.

"Student Only" Washrooms
For the security of the students, two washrooms are designated as “Students Only”. Teachers monitor the safe use of these facilities. Students in Kindergarten are able to use the washrooms contained in their classrooms. To locate the adult/staff washroom please inquire at the office.

Lunch Program
Lunchroom supervision is provided for those students whose parents are working and/or attending school and are not at home to supervise their child(ren) during the lunch hour.
Once children are part of our lunch program, they must stay on school property at all times. Students are not permitted to go off school property to pick up lunch. They must co-operate fully with the lunchroom supervisors. The privilege of having lunch at school may be withdrawn if a student does not comply with the rules.

We have a Boomerang Lunch Program which means all containers, wrappers and uneaten food items are returned home. Please send re-usable containers which are the most economical and environmentally friendly.

Students who are staying at school should bring their lunch with them in the morning. If, in an emergency situation, you must bring a lunch to school for your child, please remember that our lunch period begins at 11:30 A.M. Please visit the office via the front door and fill out the sign-in sheet so your child can pick his/her lunch up at 11:30 A.M. at the office.

Dress Code
Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather. Unless there is rain or extreme temperatures students will be spending some time outside each day.

Students are expected to dress neatly and to avoid wearing any clothing that has slogans, pictures, words, or logos that may be offensive to others. No head coverings are to be worn inside the school except for religious reasons. It is expected that all tops cover the chest and stomach areas and that underwear is not visible.

To keep our classroom floors and carpets free of sand and water, all students must keep an extra pair of running shoes at school. This is for safety in the gym and on stairs. Flip-flops and crocs are not safe.
This is especially important once the snowy weather begins.

Lost and Found
Please check the lost and found box throughout the year. Items are usually on display on interview nights. Unclaimed clothing will be sent to a charitable organization. To avoid losing items, please label all belongings. Students should not bring money or valuable items to school.

Items That Must Stay at Home
Students must keep toys, electronic games, MP3 players and iPods at home. They are easily lost and damaged and can distract students and disrupt the classroom. We cannot assume financial responsibility for any lost or damaged articles.

Skateboards bicycles, scooters and other vehicles are not allowed on school property during school hours and are not to be used 15 minutes before or 15 minutes after school hours or when it is not safe. Bicycles should be locked to the bicycle rack at the north end of the school.

Laser pointers must also be kept at home. Baseball bats, hockey, lacrosse and cricket sticks should not be brought to school unless with the permission of a teacher.
Weapons are never permitted at school including toy weapons such as water toys.
If a parent chooses to provide their child with a cell phone, it must be turned off upon entry into the school and stored in a backpack or similar container. Students are not permitted to use cell phones for any purpose during the school day. If the student must use a phone, they may use the school phone.
 

Volunteers
Involved parents form the backbone of an effective school-community relationship. We are fortunate at Guildwood Jr. to have a network of over 60 volunteers who serve our school in many capacities. They enrich the school by sharing their time, talents and experience. From parents to students to seniors: everyone is welcome. Whether you can come twice a week or once a year, your contribution as a volunteer is very much appreciated.

Here are areas where your volunteer help is invaluable:

Borrow-A-Book Teachers in classrooms Class excursions
School Council Fall Fest Newsletter writing
Fundraising Library Pizza or other hot lunches
Lice checks Sports teams Reading with children
Special events Driving to games Community gardening days
Snack program Scientists in the Classroom Environmental projects

Borrow -A- Book Program
Every day, children from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 are given a book to read at home in the evening. Parent volunteers, who collect the Borrow-A-Book plastic bags from the classrooms, do book exchange each morning. Primary students are offered guided reading books from levels 1- 70, while junior students also have a selection of novels or “chapter books”. We are currently updating our collection. It is expected that each child will spend 20-30 minutes reading at home on a daily basis. Please help your children get into the reading habit by signing their reading log in this agenda and discussing what they are reading. You’ll be amazed how much their fluency improves.

In the Primary grades (K-3), students will fill in one line for each book read. If a child reads a book more than once, enter the title again. You can select any book from your personal collection or from the Toronto Public Library. It also counts if you read aloud to your child or if the book is in a different language. In the Junior grades (4-6), students will fill in one line for each chapter read. A trip to the Treasure Box keeps the reading momentum going. Small incentive prizes are awarded to individual students as they finish each page in their reading log.

Go to School Council
The Guildwood School Council is a vibrant group of parents, staff and community members who work together in an advisory capacity to promote excellence in learning. School Council meetings are open to any parents and the community at large. Parents are notified of upcoming meetings a week in advance.

The School Council also supports the school in the areas of curriculum enhancement, volunteers, special events and fundraising. Please contact the school if you would like more information. We look forward to seeing you at School Council meetings. Childcare is provided.

Click here for the TDSB Homework Policy