Enrollment:
Hall's Prairie Elementary is a quiet little country school nestled in rural South Surrey with 92 students for the 2009/10 school year.
2009/2010 School Fees (all optional):
School Supplies:
Supply lists are issued to students at the end of June. These lists are also available at the school office for anyone new to the school. Students should have supplies available for the first full day of school. There may be times during the school year when supplies need to be replenished.. The classroom teacher will notify you of such times.
Kindergarten Registration:
Children who will turn 5 before January 1st, 2010 are eligible to begin school in September 2009. To register, please come into the office with your child's birth certificate, proof of address, your child's record of immunization and B.C. Care Card. If you know of any child(ren) in the neighborhood who are eligible for Kindergarten, please ask their parents to stop by the office and register. Students entering Kindergarten will require their booster immunization shots. Please call White Rock Boundary Health.
Mission Statement:
Our mission is to provide excellence and to enable each child to achieve their full potential in intellectual development, personal and social development, preparation for "working life", and being a productive member of the community. The school goals are literacy and social responsibility.
Surrey School District Mission Statement:
To provide safe and caring environments in which all learners can achieve academic excellence, personal growth and responsible citizenship.
Ministry Mission Statement:
The purpose of the B.C. school system is to enable learners to develop their individual potential and to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to a healthy society and a prosperous and sustainable economy.
School Vision:
Our vision is a partnership of parents and teachers guiding children in their continued growth and development in the following areas:
Social Responsibility:
One of our school's goal is social responsibility. We hope that our social responsibility program will help to provide a safe and caring environment in which students can achieve personal growth and responsible citizenship. We will run programs at the school that will help students value responsibility such as cooperative team games, student council, good behavior draws (see below), drama clubs and virtues programs.
Student Conduct:
At Hall's Prairie, students are expected to:
Positive Behaviour - good choices by students is recognized and reinforced both verbally and with Hall's Prairie "Appreciation Tickets".
Unacceptable Behaviour - unacceptable behaviour can consist of, but is not limited to the following and will be dealt with appropriately:
Zero Tolerance Offences:
A zero tolerance offence is any behaviour that has the potential to, or does, seriously endanger the personal safety of one's self or others. Bullying, smoking, use of drugs or alcohol, possession of weapons, or acts of violence are eamples of zero tolerance offences. Zero tolerance means that offences will not be ignored or rated lightly. Zero tolerance offences come in degrees of severity and may result in the out-of-school suspension of the student.
Good Behaviour Slips:
Hall's Prairie students receive a Good Behaviour Slip when they are caught being socially responsible. The slip is centered around the common themes the staff think are important for our students to focus on such as responsibility, respect, safety, caring & sharing, contribution and conflict resolution. Students will be recognized at assemblies and collect House Team points.
Student Leadership Team:
Students in Division 1 and 2 will have the opportunity to be on the Student Leadership Team. This team will be responsible for activities and events around the school. In addition, they will take on leadership roles such as becoming MC's for assemblies and being House Team Leaders.
Emergency Earthquake / Comfort Kits:
All students must have an Earthquake and Comfort Kit at the school. The Earthquake kits can be purchased through the office for $20.00 (please send a cheque to the school) or you can put together your own. The Earthquake Kits are good for 5 years at which time they can be refurbished at a lesser cost. The list of items needed for your child's Earthquake and Comfort Kit is available at the office or on this site under "Forms/Documents". If you wish, you may update your letter and photo to your child from time to time, as well as update any medication (including special instructions) your child must take on a regular basis. (Medication must be replaced as it expires). Thanks to Cheryl Coueffin for updating the Kits.
GET Club (Green Environmental Team):
The GET Club's primary focus is on environmental awareness. The school has reached "Emerald Status" for accumulating 500 activities related to the environment. The goal this year is to reach 1,000 activities and achieve "Earth Status". Thank you to Mrs. Busch for starting the Club.
Attendance:
Our Call-in Program ensures the safety of your children. It is the school's responsibility to determine the reason for a child being absent. Please call the school between 8:00 am and 9:00 am if your child is going to be absent. This is a safety program to help both parents and the school be assured that your child arrived at school safely, or is at home and not playing in the street or involved in an accident. If the school does not receive a telephone call, we will call home to see where your child is. If there is no one there, the school will call the emergency numbers, which each parent provides the school at the start of the school year.
In addition, we are asking all students to report to the office before entering their classroom if they come in late to the school. This is to eliminate any discrepancy between your child being in the class and the attendance report at the beginning of the day. The first half hour of the school day is when teachers outline activities and discuss their expectations for the day. It is critical that students be present for these important instructions, so we urge you to insure that your children arrive at school on time each morning. Being on time is an important life skill. Children who arrive late interfere with the right of every child to pursue an education without undue interference to learning. Both the child who is late and his/her classmates suffer a loss of instructional time.
Students should arrive to the school only during supervised times. Supervision begins at 8:35am. Supervision lasts from 2:45pm until 3:00pm at the end of the day. Students should be picked up between these times at the end of the day or make arrangements in advance for rides. Play dates need to be arranged in advance as well and should not be made last minute by students. You can always call the office to pass a message on to your child if you are running late.
When children are absent from school, their educational programs are disrupted, resulting in gaps in learning. It is often difficult for teachers to send work home as children lack the understanding gained through teacher direction. Please try to schedule holidays during the breaks. If your child is absent for a few days, please contact the teacher to find out what needs to be done to ensure that they do not fall behind.
Student Medical Alert Information:
If your child has a Medical Alert, it is imperative that we have him/her listed at the school. Please inform the office if your child has a Medical Alert A.S.A.P. If your child no longer has a Medical Alert, please alert the office to have him/her removed from the information sheet.
Bus Pass:
If you are planning to ride the school bus to the school, please ensure that your Bus Application is completed, signed and turned into the school office. The Transportation Dept. requires this information in order to process the Bus Passes.
Booster Seats:
All students under 4 foot 9 inches tall (145 cm), less than 80 lbs or under 9 years of age are required to wear a booster seat for all school trips. We ask that you send one with your child if your child is attending a school trip and you are not driving. The seats must be no older than 7 years. For more information, go to www.tsfbcaa.com/child_safety_seats
Nut Free School:
We have a student in the school who has a severe allergic reaction to nuts. We encourage all parents to check their children's lunches so that they do not contain nut products. We are making the safety of all our students a priority and ask that you join us in making our school at "Nut Free Zone". Thank you for your cooperation.
Home Reading Program:
Students are encouraged to read every night. They can record their reading on the log sheet (available in front of the office) and bring it to school. The students will receive ribbons for completing 25 nights a month and can win prizes at the assembly for reading! Reading well has an enormous impact on the overall academic progress of children. The Home Reading Program provides an avenue for parents to have a positive impact on their children's reading progress. Read to your child and have them read to you. A great deal of learning can be made from conversations about what was read. Common household materials such as newspapers, grocery lists, manuals and ingredients are great conversation starters.
Dress Code:
Appropriate dress is primarily the responsibility of parents. If in doubt, be conservative. Our only guideline is that dress be in good taste. Clothing should not be offensive or distracting. For example, shorts are acceptable providing that they are not too short. Tops should not reveal bare back, shoulders, or midriff. Shoes should be flat soled for safety. No hats are to be worn in school. Student use of make-up is discouraged in an elementary school setting. If in the judgment of the teacher or administrator, attire is disruptive to the educational process, the student may be required to change or be sent home.
For the winter season, students are asked to come prepared for the cold weather by ensuring that they have proper footwear and clothing. A heavy jacket or coat should be worn on cold, windy or rainy days. Please remind your child to put thesse on before going outside. "Inside days" are declared at recess and lunch when the weather is particularly nasty. Please ensure your children come to school appropriately dressed for the weather.
Hot Lunch Forms:
Can be handed into your classroom teacher or put in the box mounted outside the kitchen.
B.C. Fruit and Vegetable Program:
This program offers students an opportunity to try healthy choices of fruits and vegetables throughout the year. It is not a meal program, rather a way to promote fruits and vegetables for kids.
Right to Play Program:
Right to Play is an international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play programs to improve health, develop life skills, and foster peace for children and communities in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world. The Surrey School District has partnered with Right to Play to promote programs throughout the district.
Lost and Found:
All clothing and other items found in the school are placed in a "Lost and Found" box located in the main hall. Pupils may retrieve the lost articles at recess, noon or after school. Prior to major holidays, all students will have the opportunity to reclaim their lost items before they are given to a charitable organization.
Visitors to the Office:
School visits are encouraged and welcomed. The district policy is to have all visitors (including parents) sign in at the office and obtain a visitor's badge during instructional times from 8:50 am to 2:45 pm. Pupils from other schools are not permitted to visit with our pupils during school hours unless special arrangements are made. The safety of your children is one of our top priorities. New staff and new parents are not aware of our parent community yet and this process makes for a safer environment. For new staff members, monitoring who comes and goes is difficult.
With your cooperation and help, we can ensure your children are learning in a safer environment. This program also minimizes classroom interuptions. The office can relay messages for you and book mutually acceptable appointments to see your teachers. Lunches can be left at the office and can ensure your child is contacted to let them know the lunches are there. Of course, you can always contact the office with any concerns or issues by phone.
Telephone Use:
The school telephone is a business phone. Pupils will be able to use the phone at the discretion of the teacher. Social calls and last minute arrangements are discouraged. Office staff will pass on messages to pupils when necessary. No cell phones can be used on school grounds between 8:45 am and 3:00 pm.
Teachers cannot leave pupils unattended during instructional times to take calls. Should you wish to speak to a teacher, please call during non-instructional times before or after school, or leave a message with the secretary to have the teacher return a call. They will do so the same day if possible.
Volunteering:
Parents are encouraged to be partners in the education of their child(ren). There are many ways parents can help support the education of their child(ren), including:
There are many other ways parents can help at school. Any parent who is interested in helping should contact the school or the P.A.C. President. We cannot stress enough the importance of the home and school working together for the benefit of the students.