ATTENDANCE

Responsible attendance in classes is crucial for success in school. Students are expected to be in attendance, on time and on task in all their classes. Excused absences due to illness and so on must be verified with a note from parents or guardians, even if there has been phone notification of the absence.

Absence notes from parents or guardians must include the following information: date and reason or the absence, parent signature and a contact phone number where the parent can be reached. Any absence for which a note is not provided will be deemed an unexcused absence. Students are responsible for having each teacher sign the note and for returning it to the office.

The SYNERVOICE phone system will automatically notify parents of the name of the student and the class or classes missed. Parents may contact the school at any time to enquire about their student’s attendance.

Poor attendance can lead to the student failing the term or year in any given class, and can have a negative effect on honour roll standing and eligibility for a number of awards. Students in senior grades (Grades 11 and 12) may be asked to leave the school and pursue other educational options. Parents and guardians are asked to work with the school in helping students to become responsible attenders. This may require coming to the school to meet with counsellors or administration.

Students who need to leave school during the day for illness or appointments must sign out at the office.

HOMEWORK

The Ministry of Education sets guidelines for the amount of homework to be given to BC Secondary students. On average, Grade 8 and 9 students should be doing 1 or 2 hours per night. Senior students (Grades 10, 11, 12) should be doing 2 hours per night, more if they have a heavy course load. There are many reasons for giving homework.

Teachers may want learners to:

• be ready for different/new work the next day
• become better readers
• learn or practice new skills
• expand background knowledge

Homework is a partnership and we all play important roles.

The Student’s Role

• to complete homework tasks to the best of his/her ability
• to make sure she/he understands the homework and ask for help from the teacher when necessary
• to manage time and materials (e.g., bring home necessary materials, bring homework back to school at appropriate time, communicate any problems to teacher)

The Teacher’s Role

• to provide clear, purposeful and challenging homework that reflects the instructional plan for the class and is developmentally appropriate for the students’ different abilities and circumstances
• to provide a balance of open-ended, creative and practice activities
• to give clear, explicit instructions and feedback
• to teach skills necessary for successful homework completion (e.g., materials organization, time management, problem solving)

The Family’s Role

• to help your child plan his/her time to complete assignments in manageable stages
• to communicate directly with the teacher when necessary
• to provide a suitable environment and regular time for working at home
• to monitor and encourage student’s progress and homework completion
• to establish a balance between homework and other activities

HOMEROOM

Throughout the school year Homeroom classes may be held. During this time announcements are made and important information is given to the students. Students will also be given report cards, forms and information that need to go home.

CELLULAR TELEPHONES/iPODS

The use of cellular phones and other electronic devices are not allowed during class time. If a student is found using a cellular phone in the class or in the hallway during class time it will be confiscated and passed on to the appropriate administrator.

The use of iPods and other electronic music devices in classrooms is prohibited unless the teacher has expressly given his or her consent.

PARKING

There is no student parking provided on the John Oliver School site. Student cars found in the parking lot may be towed. Students and staff are asked to be considerate of neighbours when parking on the street.

FIELD TRIPS

Occasionally, a portion of the transportation costs of field trips may be assessed to students participating in the field trip. However, no student will be denied the opportunity to participate in a required field trip because of cost. Students who are unable to pay the fees should contact their counsellor.

INTERNET AND E-MAIL USE POLICY

The Internet and e-mail were developed as research tools and have the potential to be a tremendous resource for all students. With access to the global network comes the availability of material that may not be of educational value or suitability in the school setting. The use of an assigned John Oliver students account must be in support of educational research and within the objectives and goals of John Oliver. You must realize that you are personally responsible for this provision at all times when using electronic information. Therefore, all John Olive students must observe the following rules of etiquette.

Core rules governing the use of the Internet

You are not allowed to:

1. Lend your account information to other students or adults
2. Access any news groups, websites, or other areas of cyber space that would be offensive to any person (i.e. accessing a pro-Hitler news discussion group, a restricted site, etc.)
3. Use obscene, racist, discriminatory, harassing, or abusive gestures/language online
4. Play online video games
5. Engage in online chats or participate in chatrooms (i.e. ICQ, MSN, etc.)
6. Engage in online gambling
7. Attempt to hack into this or any other computer systems
8. Upload/download files over 100.0 Mb
9. Break any copyright laws
10. Upload/download any viruses, worms, or code designed to undermine computer systems

Remember that the above list is just a guideline and is in no way exhaustive. Common sense, good manners and taste are always expected of John Oliver students. Violation of any of the above rules may result in the termination of the account for the remainder of the school year with further disciplinary action, possibly involving the administration and/or police, highly likely.

GENERAL INFORMATION SCHOOL FEES

Please see the Fee Schedule found here : https://www.vsb.bc.ca/schools/...

Some elective courses have additional fees to cover the cost of supplemental supplies and materials. No student will be denied participation in such courses because of lack of funds. Students who are unable to pay the fees should speak to their counsellor.

EXTENDED ABSENCE

John Oliver expects that all students will be in regular attendance from September to June. Absence from school limits student achievement and progress. Extended absences may lead to course failures and to the loss of student timetables as we cannot guarantee that a place can be held for the student. The decision to take students out of school for vacations or family visits is a family decision. Teachers are not able to provide extra work or engage in repeating instruction or extra tutoring. Class time is important and it is not possible for the teacher to make up for the time the student has missed.

LOCKERS

Every student is provided with a locker to store personal belongings and school supplies. Valuables should not be brought to school, or they should be left for safe-keeping in the office. Lockers are NOT secure. Neither the school nor the Vancouver School Board has insurance to cover the loss by theft or damage of texts, library books, or personal property of students.

In September students will be assigned a locker. All grades are encouraged to purchase heavy duty locks ($10) from the school for their Physical Education class and Locker. No student is to move his or her locker without first getting permission from the Vice-Principal in charge of lockers. No student is to share a locker with another student. These measures are to ensure greater locker security. A repair cost may be levied if a locker is damaged or defaced.

TEXTBOOKS

Students receive textbooks directly from the subject teachers at the beginning of the school year. The care and maintenance of these books is the responsibility of each student. Subject teachers will check and assess books at least once during the school year. Students must pay the cost of replacing lost, or stolen books, and repairing damaged ones.

LEARNING COMMONS (Library)

The John Oliver LC is here to support students and staff. Through collaboration with classroom teachers, students come to the Learning Commons to work their assignments. The Teacher-Librarians can help with finding information, locating books, using databases and creating citations using the MLA 7th (Modern Language Association) format. Access to the collection is by using WEBCAT the online catalogue. There is a wide collection of material available including fiction, graphic novels and non-fiction books. Students have access to online resources including:

• EBSCO (full text periodicals and journals)
• Gale Virtual Reference Library
• World Book

Digital resources are available 24/7. Username and passwords are available from the Teacher-Librarians. We have a variety of devices for students to use in the LC. WIFI access is available for students own devices. Be sure to check out the website for the LC. Hope to see you often during the school year.

VISITORS

Visitors on legitimate school business should contact the school and make appointments to see teachers, counsellors, or administrators. All visitors must report to the main office.

STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHS

Student photographs are taken early in September. All students are photographed at no charge for a Trans Link Go Card. Students may purchase photograph packages from the school photographer. Cost is based on the type of package purchased.

SCHOOL YEARBOOK

The school yearbook is a record of student activities for the current school year. All students will have their pictures included in the yearbook, which is distributed near the end of June. It must be ordered and paid for in advance, or will not be available to the students. The cost can be found on the Fees schedule.