Code of Conduct/Student Handbook 2024 -2025

Torquay Elementary School

Student Handbook and Code of Conduct 2024 – 2025

We are excited to have you as a member of Torquay Elementary School Team for the next school year. We would like to begin by welcoming all our returning families along with the new families that are joining our community of learning. Torquay is a school that encourages open and constructive communication between students, staff and parents. We believe that children are best served when school and home work together in partnership and have a common understanding of school guidelines and expectations.

District and School Dates to keep in mind for 2023 – 2024

Professional Development Days:
(Non-instructional days)		 Friday, September 22, 2023
Friday, October 20, 2023
Monday, November 20, 2023
Friday, February 16, 2024
Friday, May 17, 2024
One additional day to be chosen by each school
School Opening Day Tuesday, September 5, 2023
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Monday, October 2, 2023
Thanksgiving Monday, October 9, 2023
Remembrance Day Monday, November 13, 2023
Last day of class before Winter vacation Friday, December 22, 2023
Schools re-open after Winter vacation Monday, January 8, 2024
Family Day Monday, February 19, 2024
Last day of class before Spring vacation Friday, March 15, 2024
Schools re-open after Spring vacation Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Good Friday Friday, March 29, 2024
Easter Monday Monday, April 1, 2024
Victoria Day Monday, May 20, 2024
Last days of school for students Thursday, June 27, 2024
Administrative Day and School Closing Friday, June 28, 2024

Things to know about Torquay…

Torquay Elementary School

Student Handbook

At Torquay School, we have yearly school goals that guide us in supporting students’ social, emotional, literacy and numeracy skills. During the school year, we will focus on two goals.

  1. Torquay students will continue to develop awareness, acceptance, and empathy of themselves and others through identity, diversity, justice and action.
  2. Torquay staff will develop cultural pedagogy through exploring of various points of

Things to know about Torquay…

At the start of each day, parents may accompany their children to the blacktop area at the back of the school. Alternatively, they may drop the children at the front of the school. Children will walk to the back of the school and line up in assigned places; a staff member provides limited supervision before school. A bell rings to let the students know it is time for learning and their teacher will lead them into class. Students:

  • Use the back, side doors and front entrance doors depending on the location of their
  • Wait for the bell unless the student has special permission to enter the school
  • Say goodbye to adult family members outside the
  • Wipe feet before entering the school if it is wet or muddy
  • Come into the school if an early bell signals inclement
  • Should always bring rain gear (a rainproof jacket, boots and hat) since we go outside at recess rain or shine!

Please Note: There is no supervision provided on the school grounds after school hours. Students should go directly to Kids Klub or go home (unless being supervised by a parent/guardian).

Office Hours       8:15 am – 3:30pm                 Phone 250-477-9511

School Hours: Monday to Friday 8:45am – 2:37pm Crossing Patrol on Longacre Drive starts: 8:30am

School begins: 8:45 am

Recess (outside play) : 10:15 – 10:30am

Lunch (eating time): 11:50am – 12:05pm

Lunch (outside play): 12:05pm – 12:35pm

School ends: 2:37 pm

Crossing Patrols end: 2: 52 pm

Student Pick-up and Drop-off:

Given our limited parking and concern for the safety of all, please note the following expectations regarding drop off and pick up of students.

  • We encourage students to walk or wheel to The fewer vehicles coming and going to the school the safer it will be for all.

·        The school parking lot is for employees only… no driving through or parking please.

  • The curb side drop off zone is for drop-off and pickups only. Do not leave your vehicle unattended. If you need to come into the building, please park on the street north of south of the driveways, NOT in the drop off zone.
  • Please pull into the drop-off zone or wait for a space to pull in, then drive as far forward as you can to allow space for others to pull up behind you.
  • Do not U-turn on Torquay Drive or turn around in the exit – it is simply not safe!
  • Do not drop your children off on the opposite side of the road and ask them to run across! Drop them at either crosswalk and have them use the crosswalk safely.
  • Please try to use the paths that lead to the back of the school on Tiffin Place and Bartholomew Place as an alternative to the front of the school on Torquay Drive.

Bicycle, Scooter, Skateboard and Roller Blades Safety

While we encourage students to walk or wheel to school, riders should walk their bicycle, scooter or skateboard the minute they are on school property. Bikes should be locked at the bike racks and other forms of wheels need to be carried into the building and stored at the base of the south end stairs.

Absences and Late Arrivals

  • If your child is going to be late or absent, please call the school at (250) 477-9511 or send an email to torquay@sd61.bc.ca
  • For extended absences, contact your child’s teacher as well as the office
  • If late for school or leaving early, check into the office and sign in or out (This is so we know who is in the building and where your children are).
  • We track absences and late arrivals each month as we know that attendance is crucial to successful Office staff will contact home if there are concerns after reviewing monthly attendance reports.

Closed Campus

  •  Students stay on the school grounds unless they eat lunch at home on a regular Please provide a note to the school if you intend to have your student eat lunch at home.
  • If your child has special permission to be off the grounds, a note is
  • Parents are to check in at the office prior to visiting the playground during recess breaks and for extended visits when volunteering in the classroom so that we are aware who is in the building.

Listening to Announcements

  • When announcements begin, stop what you are doing, stay still, and
  • Everyone (including staff, parents, and guests in the school) is expected to listen silently during school-wide announcements.

Lunch

  • Torquay is a litter-less lunch school. Please send your child’s snack and lunch in reusable containers; all wrappers and packaging will be sent home for Please provide your child with a refillable water bottle. We would prefer students not drink juice at school.
  • PAC organizes an optional pre-ordered lunch for families to take part in. On various Wednesdays, the preordered lunches are delivered to the classroom. The orders need to be placed by the deadline during each of the 3 Fun Lunch information will be shared by the PAC at the start of each ordering session.

Medical Concerns and Illness

  • We have several children in our school with anaphylactic allergies to various We ask that parents do their very best to not send nut products to school. Allergy awareness notices will be sent home and posted in our classrooms.
  • Each child with an anaphylactic allergy must carry an epi-pen at all times AS WELL AS have a second epi-pen stored in the Please see the office staff. All children with an anaphylactic allergy will also have an Anaphylactic Plan that will be reviewed each year.
  • Please review the Daily Health Check and stay home if
  • If your child comes down with one of the many typical childhood ailments (chicken pox, flu, pink-eye, pinworms, lice, ) please communicate this with the teacher and office so we can do our best to mitigate the spread. We have children with compromised health situations and take precautions to ensure their well-being.
  • If a child needs to take medicine at the school, a doctor will need to sign a Medical Administration Form. Please see office staff.

Assemblies

Assemblies, whether virtual or in person, are a regular part of the school program at

Torquay. Parents are always welcome to attend in person assemblies and help model appropriate audience behavior for students. During in person assemblies, we expect all audience members to:

  • Be focused on the
  • Turn off electronic
  • If you are late, stop and wait at the door during a performance or Enter quietly when that performance is finished.
  • Please try to stay for the full

Lost and Found

  • Be responsible for your
  • Label clothing (especially jackets) so items can be returned to you if
  • Do not bring electronic games, toys, listening devices, or other valuable items to
  • Misplaced articles are stored in the Lost and Found box located in the hallway by the office and boys washroom.
  • The school cannot accept responsibility for lost or stolen

PAC – Parent Advisory Committee

Congratulations! You are a member of the PAC. The PAC meets with the school Principal and Vice Principal 7 times a year. The meetings are generally held on the second Wednesday of the month. PAC doesn’t meet in December, March, June, July or August. Our PAC loves to have lots of parents attend; participants discuss upcoming events, share ideas and make plans to improve the school experience for all children. Also, consider taking on various PAC roles and responsibilities. Contributions, large and small, support our positive school culture.

Clubs and Teams

We typically offer …

  • Fall and Spring Cross Country running for Grades 3, 4, 5
  • Basketball and soccer for Grades 4 and 5
  • Spring Track: 100m, 800m and 4X 100m relays for Grades 3, 4 and 5
  • Swim Club for Grades 3, 4 and 5
  • Garden Club

If parents have a skill and/or a passion to share with students, please connect with the school so we can get something started. We are happy to sponsor a club or team with a parent volunteer.

Addressing Concerns

Information regarding the complaint process can be found here: https://www.sd61.bc.ca/our- district/documents/name/regulation-1155-complaint-process-for-a-resolution-of-concerns.

In most cases, problems can be solved when clear, respectful communication is used. It is difficult for staff members to speak with parents at the start of the day when the children are entering the classrooms; please make an appointment to allow for uninterrupted discussion to happen. If you have a concern,

  • communicate directly with the individual who can effectively respond to the If you are not sure who to talk to, your child’s classroom teacher can help you.
  • avoid third party
  • bring it to our attention as soon as

When addressing individual or group concerns regarding your child or school programs, follow these steps to help you achieve positive results:

Step 1 Talk directly to the individual involved. Both parties will attempt to define the concern, clarify the issue, develop an appreciation and understanding of each other’s point of view and resolve the concern.

Step 2  If there is no resolution at Step 1, meet with the school Principal or Vice Principal.

Step 3 If there is no resolution at Step 2, the Principal or Vice Principal will forward the issue to the Associate Superintendent.

Step 4 If there is no resolution at Step 3, the Associate Superintendent will forward the issue to the District Superintendent.

Torquay Code of Conduct

At Torquay we rely on parents as partners in modelling for the children appropriate behaviour. We expect students, staff, parents and visitors to conduct themselves appropriately at school, on their way to and from school, and at any school-sponsored activity at any location.

Why do we have a Code of Conduct?

  • Our school is committed to creating a learning community that values diversity and is free of all forms of discrimination as set out in the BC Human Rights Code. Everyone is expected to model respectful conduct and no one should tolerate discrimination of any kind including: Race, Colour, Ancestry, Place of origin, Religion, Marital status, Family status, Physical or mental disability, Sex, Sexual orientation, and Age. For further information, please refer to Policy and Regulation 4303, which can be found on the Greater Victoria School District website at sd61.bc.ca.

The role of a Code of Conduct is to:

  • Ensure that all members of our school community understand their role in building and sustaining an environment that values and fosters respect.
  • Provide a clear, consistent and fair set of behaviour expectations that promote a school culture allowing all students to develop physically, socially, emotionally, creatively, and
  • Ensure that the rights and responsibilities of every individual are recognized and

Rights and responsibilities

Our Rights It’s our Responsibilities to:
 

 

 

 

Safety: We have the right to feel and be safe.

 ·               Solve problems and conflicts peacefully, using strategies such as WITS (Walk away; Ignore; Talk it out; Seek Help). Play safely and avoid threatening, teasing, excluding or hurting others with our body or words. Follow school beliefs and safety rules, and follow directions of school staff.

·               Inform an adult of incidents of bullying, harassment or intimidation or other safety concerns.
 

 

Respect: We have the right to feel a sense of belonging, to be heard, and to be respected.

 ·               Treat others in a kind and caring way regardless of their differences. Listen to others with respect and speak politely. Respect the feelings and opinions of others.

·               Encourage others in a positive way.

 

·               Be inclusive.

 

 

 

Learning: We have the right to learn at school and at home.

 ·               Attend school regularly and be on time. Participate in classroom learning activities. Give our best effort in everything we do.

·               Be organized, listen and work cooperatively.
Privacy: We have the right to privacy and to our own personal property and space. ·         Respect our property and ourselves. Respect the personal space and property of others and accept their right to privacy.
 

Clean Environment: We have the right to a clean and well-maintained school and community.

 ·         Treat our school property as well as our community with care. Clean up after ourselves. Reduce, reuse, and recycle.

 

Minor Misbehaviours: These actions are not targeted nor planned and are often due to a lack of forethought. Students are remorseful.

Students will solve problems with one or more of the following staff:

·               The Classroom Teacher

·               Educational Assistant/Supervisor

·               Principal or Vice Principal
Minor Misbehaviours may include, but are not limited to:

·               Disruptive classroom actions

·               Improper hallway/playground actions

·               Leaving designated play areas

·               Hurtful name calling or excluding others

·               Roughhousing

·               Inappropriate use of technology/sites

 Problem solving may involve Restorative Processes

 

Conversations with an adult

 

Conflict resolution with another student(s) Loss of privilege

Lesson or activity to help the student learn the appropriate actions
Major or Repeated Minor Misbehaviours: These actions may be serious and deliberate. The safety or emotional well-being of others may be compromised. The learning of others may be seriously disrupted. Students solve problems with:

·    Staff members and the Principal or Vice Principal

Parents will be contacted with behaviour and follow up actions documented.

Students may also be referred to Torquay School Based Team. Community based support agencies may be requested.
Major Misbehaviours may include, but are not limited to:

Discriminating behaviour or speech based on race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, family status, physical or mental ability, age, gender, or sexual orientation Inappropriate use of technology (e.g. internet, personal social site, adult sites, etc.) or other electronic devices (cell phones, cameras)

·               Bullying, cyber-bullying

·               Harassment or intimidation including friendship/social bullying (i.e. talking behind someone’s back, excluding others)

·               Being a bystander to bullying (i.e. not reporting an incident, cheering or laughing at incident)

·               Actions that compromise safety

·               Physical aggression/verbal threats 

·               Overt defiance of staff

 

Support for Victims:

Retaliation will not be tolerated. All reasonable steps will be taken to prevent retaliation by a person against a student who has made a complaint of a breach of our Code of Conduct.

Complainants will remain confidential whenever possible. Students will have access to a confidential internet reporting site (ERASE reporting tool on school website).

Whenever a student has been negatively affected by a major or critical behaviour:

  • Parents will be contacted and informed of the incident
  • The school counselor will connect with the student and/or family to provide support
  • The school counselor will connect with the student and/or family and offer to facilitate access to the appropriate community agency for follow-up support.

Restitution Philosophy: 

Torquay is a Restitution School and as such we strive to:

    • empower students to take responsibility and ownership of their learning and behaviour
    • guide students to make choices that meet their needs and the needs of others
    • honour children and the fact that we all make mistakes
    • give children the opportunity to fix their mistake, learn from them and return to the group strengthened

Rising Expectations:

As students become older and progress through the grades, expectations of appropriate behaviour, self- regulation and personal responsibility increase. Age, cognitive development and special needs will be factors when providing consequences/learning opportunities for students to understand their mistakes and make more appropriate decisions and demonstrate appropriate behaviour.

 

Torquay School Guidelines

*Addendum to Code of Conduct

Our Rights Our Responsibilities
 

 

 

 

Personal Appearance: We have the right to show our individuality in respectful ways.

 It is our responsibility to:

Ensure that our clothing does not have words, messages or slogans that do not fit within a respectful environment (no put-downs, swearing, references to illegal substances or acts.)

Ensure that our clothing does not distract, disrupt or present a hazard to ourselves or others.
 

 

Personal Belongings: We have the right to bring our personal belongings to school for use before and after school with the permission of our parents.*The school does not provide insurance for lost, damaged or stolen items nor accept responsibility if items are lost, stolen or damaged.

 It is our responsibility to:

Store and secure our bicycles in the bike racks provided.

Safely store scooters and skateboards in designated area.

Ensure that bikes, scooters, skateboards, etc. are not ridden on the school property during school hours. Ensure that other personal items remain in our backpacks (toys, balls, etc.)

Cell Phones & Personal Digital Devices

A ‘personal digital device’ is a student owned device that can be used to communicate or access the internet, such as a cell phone, tablet, smart watch, gaming device, and/or electronic toy. Earbuds and headphones connected to personal digital devices may also be restricted.

Equity must be considered when using and directing the use of personal digital devices in a manner that is culturally responsive and inclusive. Accommodations such as access to a computer or Chromebook can be made for students without personal digital devices who may need access to the internet to complete schoolwork. The use of personal digital devices may support students with disabilities, diverse abilities, or medical needs as outlined in the student’s support plan and Individual Education Plan and/or other agreed upon plans.

The use of personal digital devices is restricted during instructional hours to facilitate focused learning and promote online safety. It is expected that personal digital devices are always stored out of sight and on silent or airplane mode (this includes recess and lunch). Students are expected to follow protocols set by their school and/or teacher(s).

The use of personal digital devices during instructional hours is at the teacher’s discretion and direction for the purposes of instruction and promoting digital literacy. Instructional time includes classroom settings, assemblies, guest speakers, field trips, and other events organized by school district staff.

The use of personal digital devices outside of instructional hours is not permitted on school grounds, during field trips, or other school activities.

No photos, video, or audio recordings will be taken of students or staff without consent from the individual or the individual’s parent or caregiver for children under the age of 13.

The main office phone at the school may be used to make and receive calls if students and their parent(s) or caregiver(s) need to communicate during the school day.

 It is our responsibility to:

Keep all valuable equipment in our backpacks during the school day or request that they be placed in the office for safekeeping.
Our Rights Our Responsibilities
Computers: We have the right to use computers responsibly in our learning journey.

 

Any use of computers in an unauthorized way will result in immediate referral to the Principal or Vice Principal.

 It is our responsibility to:

Ensure we have teacher/supervisor permission before using the computers.
 

 

At Lunch: We have the right to eat our lunch in a calm and safe environment.

 It is our responsibility to:

Remain seated and quiet during lunch.

Eat only the food our parents have provided for us. Be respectful and polite to classmates, Educational Assistants, Supervisors and Teachers.

Wrap up uneaten food, pack up empty packages and take them home.

Wait for the dismissal bell and permission from a monitor/supervisor before going outside to play.

Sign out at the office if we have written permission to go home for lunch, and sign in upon returning.
Playground: We have the right to enjoy a safe and respectful playground during school hours.

 

No supervision is present before or after school; getting to school as close to the bell as possible is best.

Please note, children are welcome to play on the playground with supervision from their parent/guardian after school.

 It is our responsibility to:

Play in a way that is safe for everyone. Play in a way that is fun for everyone.

As a member of Torquay we all have Rights and Responsibilities that help make our school a great place to learn. It will be a fantastic school year if all of us remember to be respectful and follow the Code of Conduct. Please do your best to remember the information provided in the Torquay School Student Handbook that outlines our routines and behaviour expectations.

We are looking forward to working in partnership with our families to provide an enriched school experience for all students.

We do our best We help the rest It’s safe and fun For everyone

We’re clean, we’re green We’re the Torquay Team