Claremont Secondary School

Welcome to the 2018 2019 School Year

Tuesday, September 4^th - Classes will begin for our Grade 9 and Grade 12 students ONLY.  Students must arrive for a 12:00 start and ending the day at 3:28 pm. Schools busses will be running and will arrive at Claremont between 11:30 and 11:52 am.

Grade 9 students will start the day in the Claremont ‘Big’ Gymnasium for an assembly. From there they will be introduced to their Homeroom teacher.  The students will have a number of activities to complete.  Students will then go through a rotation of their classes to meet the teachers.  Grade 12 students will start the day in the Ridge Theatre.

Wednesday, September 5^th – Classes will begin for Grade 10 and 11 students ONLY. Students will arrive for a 12:00 start ending the day at 2:48 pm.  Grade 10 students will start the day in the ‘Big’ Gymnasium for an assembly and our Grade 11 students will go directly to the Ridge Theatre. This will be followed by a block rotation of all classes to meet the teachers.  Schools busses will be running and will arrive at Claremont between 11:30 and 11:52 am

Thursday September 6^th and Friday September 7^th - All students will be in full day attendance as per the class schedule.

˜ Class Timetables / Course Changes

Deadline to submit a course change request is Monday, September 10th.

All students will receive a timetable in Homeroom on the first day of school.  Changes to schedules may not be possible as the school schedule was built based on selections made last school year and classes may be full or not available.   Course Change forms will be available beginning on Thursday, September 6^th in the Learning Commons.

Counselors will not be available for booking appointments until September 17^th as they will be dealing with urgent scheduling situations as required.  If a counselor needs to see you regarding changes they will locate you.  Only course changes submitted on a Course Change Request Form will be considered.  Please do not send emails requesting changes.

If you have an urgent situation please come to the main office and we will make sure you are taken care of in a timely manner.

Pickup Change Forms – Learning Commons – Thursday September 6th

Drop off Change Forms – Main Office Blue Bin

˜ School Calendar / Year at a Glance

Please have a look at our Year at a Glance to plan your schedule for the year.  The Monthly Calendar on the Claremont Website will be updated when any changes or additions to the Calendar occur.

˜ Stay Informed – Sign up to receive “Forum Posts”

Did you know that Claremont has a variety of forums that provide important information that you can subscribe to and have emailed to you?  This is a great way to stay connected and informed on all the latest news going on in the school.  Under the heading Parents, click on Subscriptions and select the forums you would like to sign up for.  It's easy and all you need is an email address!  You can also easily unsubscribe to forums if you decide that you no longer want to receive notifications. Let's get connected!

˜ Keep Us Updated.

If you move during the school year, get a new address, phone number or email address please make sure you keep us informed.  Has your emergency contact or work phone number changed? 

Students will come home with a demographic form and it is extremely important for the school to have up-to-date information on your child.  Please make any changes to this form and return it to the school by Friday September 7th.  If your demographic information changes during the school year please let the office know right away so we can keep your information current.

˜ Transportation

NOTE:  Bus Transportation for September 4th and 5th. Due to the altered schedules for the School Bus and the limited space on the BC Transit Shuttle Bus coming to school we highly recommend that Students find their own way to school or carpool with another family for the 12:00 Start.  Students riding either bus home at the end of the day, the regular Bus Routes and Schedules will be in effect.      

School District #63 Bussing will be provided for school start in the afternoon on both days.  School will finish at 3:28 pm with bus pick up to follow. Please check the SD63 Transportation Website for full details regarding bus schedules for opening day, bus registration and bus routes for 2018-2019.  All students that will be riding the bus must register before the first day of school.  Students should have been registered no later than July 31, 2018 to guarantee a seat on the school bus.

Regular school will begin on Thursday September 6^th and Friday September 7^th with all students in attendance and in class by 9:00 am.  Regular bus transportation schedules will be in effect.

BC Transit Bus – We have contacted BC Transit in regards to Transportation to school on September 4^th and 5^th.  BC Transit has confirmed they have the Shuttle Bus coming to Claremont during this time.  The Shuttle Bus leaves the Royal Oak Exchange at 10:55 and 11:55.  The 11:55 Shuttle would arrive late for the assemblies.

˜ School Supplies

A specific school supplies list is not provided for high school students.  Students should be prepared for all classes with a supply of the basics.  Some suggestions listed here:

·         Binders with loose-leaf paper and dividers or Notebooks (one 2” per course recommended)

·         HB pencils (or mechanical pencils with sufficient leads)

·         Blue or Black pens, non-erasable

·         Highlighters (different colors)

·         Hand held pencil sharpener

·         Large glue stick

·         White vinyl erasers

·         30cm ruler

·         Pair of scissors

·         pencil case

·         Calculator with scientific functions, (graphing calculators are not required unless requested for a specific course)

·         USB 1GB (or larger) memory stick

·         Box of Kleenex to be kept in student locker for colds or allergies

 

Some classes or teachers may request specific items.  Students will be informed of any course specific supplies during the course introduction.  These supplies may need to be replenished as necessary throughout the year.

˜ Bell Schedule    

 

˜ Attendance

 If your student will be absent from school, please leave a message with the name of the student and duration of absence on our Absence Line at 250-658-6666. 

 

Absent but forgot to call the attendance line? If your student has been absent from school and you forgot to call the attendance line please send your student with a note to school and have them bring it to the Attendance Secretary in the office.

Please send your student with a note if they are to be excused from school early for appointments.

If you call in an absence for a single block in the morning or afternoon please refer to the blocks as before class, Block 1, 2, 3, 4 or after school.

˜ School Photos with Lifetouch – September 13, 2018

We expect students to dress appropriately for photos as per our School Dress Code.  All students must have photos taken regardless of purchasing a photo package or not in order to receive a student card and be in the school database and school yearbook.  Full details regarding photo packages will be given to students on the first day of school.   Students are not permitted to wear hats in school photos.

˜ School Code of Conduct

All Students will be asked to review the Student Code of Conduct and we hope parents and guardians will also read this.  The information is also available on our website.  This document includes information about our expectations and routines and other significant topics.  It is very important for all students and parents to have an understanding of the Graduation Program. The graduating students should carefully read the section on our Graduation Ceremony.  If you have questions about any of the information please contact the school.

 

Click here to view the School Code of Conduct

˜ Invoices and Student Fees

On the first day of school, we will issue the student invoices for things such as the textbook deposit ($100), activity fee ($25), the yearbook ($45) and optional PAC donation ($20).

Older siblings can pay fees at the same time as the younger students.  Visa, Mastercard, Debit, Cash and Cheque are all accepted at Claremont School.  Online banking is available through most major banks.  When making an on-line payment you must enter your child’s student number as the account number.  Please make separate payments for each of your children.  Do not combine payments for children in separate schools.

The District has a Fee Waiver Policy designed to support those in financial difficulties.  If you need access to this policy please contact Christine Knapp or Wendi Marshall to request a confidential conversation with an administrator.

Please make all cheques payable to “School District 63”      

˜ Meet the Teacher

Mark your calendar for September 26, 2018.  “Meet the Teacher” night will be on Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at 6:00 pm.  This is an opportunity for you to come and spend a few minutes with each of your student’s teachers.  This will also be our first early closure day.  The school day will end at 1:48 (1 hour early)

˜ Accidents Do Happen

 

The school district does not insure expenses for student injuries that happen on school grounds or during school activities.  You are responsible for these expenses as a parent or guardian.  However, the school district assists families to voluntarily purchase private accident insurance through the Reliable Life Insurance Company.  Brochures are no longer distributed to students in September however the information can be viewed on-line at www.insuremykids.com.

˜ School Locks / Lockers

LOCKERS – Students will be given a “Locker Selection Form” during the student assembly on the first day of school.  All students will be given instructions in grade assemblies on the process for selecting a locker of their choice.  Any locker selected prior to the assemblies will have locks and contents removed and be made available for general selection. 

 

All Students must use school issued locks.  All non-school issued locks will be removed and contents will be brought to the office. Students new to School District 63 including International Students will be provided with a lock.  Returning students or ROMS students without locks can purchase a new lock for $10.00 or a used lock (if available) for $5.00.  Only locks issued from Claremont or Royal Oak Middle School can be used on lockers. 

 

Once students select a locker they must immediately place a lock on the locker, complete and submit the selection form received in the assembly to the Homeroom Teacher.  Students must remain in the chosen locker for security reasons.  We discourage sharing of lockers.  Lockers will only be opened for the student registered to the locker.  Students are not to select a locker until they have a lock to secure it. 

 

We will not be able to provide combinations to locks during the first two days of school.  Please remember your combination.

˜ School Volunteer Information - Criminal Record Checks / Driver Permissions

The Saanich School District appreciates the many volunteers who support our students throughout the year. We are committed to providing a safe and secure learning environment for our students and therefore asks volunteers to provide schools with the following information:

 

Criminal Record Checks

Volunteers are required to complete a Criminal Record Check every three years.

Please apply online to the Ministry of Justice at https://justice.gov.bc.ca/eCRC/ and use Access Code UV53DWHBYX. Your Criminal Record Check will be sent to the School Board Office for review.

 

Applicants who have not been living in Canada for at least 2 years or do not have a credit history of at least 6 months are required to obtain a Criminal Record Check through their local police department. The school office can provide a letter to assist with this process.

 

 

Volunteer Drivers

In addition to completing a Criminal Record Check, Volunteer Drivers are required to complete the following steps each school year:

 

1.         Request a copy of your Driver’s Abstract. You can either:

a. Apply online: https://onlinebusiness.icbc.com/clio/ OR

b. Visit your local ICBC branch. Please bring your driver’s license and another form of ID.

OR

c. Call ICBC on 250-978-8300. Please have your driver’s license number ready.

 

2.         Complete a Volunteer Driver Application.

 

3.         Bring the completed form to your school office along with a copy of your Driver’s

Abstract, Driver’s License and insurance document.

 

We greatly appreciate all of our volunteers taking the time to complete this process. All information will be kept strictly confidential. Please feel free to contact your school office for more information.