Welcome to the 2015- 2016 School Year
Classes will begin for our Grade 9 students ONLY on the Tuesday, September 8th. Students will arrive for a 12:00 start and ending the day at 3:28 pm.
Grade 9 students will begin arriving at the school between 12:00 and 12:15 and will head directly into the Ridge Theatre where we will start the assembly at 12:15.
Grade 9 students will start the day in the Ridge Theatre 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 rotations of their classes.
Grade 10, 11 and 12 students ONLY will begin school on Wednesday, September 9th arriving for a 12:30 start ending the day at 3:28 pm. Grade 12 students will start the day in the Ridge Theatre for an assembly and our Grade 10 and 11 students will go directly to the Large Gym. This will be followed by a block rotation of all classes to meet the teachers.
All students will be in full day attendance on Thursday September 10th and Friday September 11th as per the class schedule.
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Transportation
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 2015-2016. All students that will be riding the bus must
register before the first day of school.
Regular school will begin on Thursday, September 10th and Friday September 11th with all students in attendance starting at 9:00 am. Regular bus transportation schedules will be in effect.
Payment and Registration will be accepted at the School Board office only. The Claremont office would be happy to forward your completed bus registration form and payment to the transportation department only if they are in a sealed envelope addressed to the Transportation Department. Forms must be completed in full and payment attached. All questions and payments must be directed to the School Board Office.
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: binder, loose leaf paper, or a supply of notebooks, dividers, ruler, writing supplies and a calculator with scientific functions, (graphing calculators are not required unless requested for a specific course). Some classes or teachers may request specific items. Students will be informed of any course specific supplies during the course introduction.
School Photos with Lifetouch – September 17, 2015
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. Full details regarding photo packages will be given to students on the first day of school.
School Calendar / Year at a Glance
Please have a look at our Year at a Glance to plan your schedule for the year. We will also be updating and adding items to our monthly calendar as they come up during the year. Stay in touch and be informed about what is happening.
Invoices and Student Fees
On the first day of school, we will issue the student invoices for things such as the textbook deposit, activity fee ($25), the yearbook ($45) and optional PAC donation ($10).
We strongly encourage students/parents to pay fees prior to the start of school. The accounts office will be open during the week of August 31st to September 3rd.
Older siblings can pay fees at the same time as the younger students. Visa, Mastercard, Debit and Cash 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 in the appropriate field. 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”
School Code of Conduct
All Students will be given a copy of our 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
Meet the Teacher
Mark your calendar for October 1, 2015. “Meet the Teacher” night will be on Thursday October 1, 2015 at 7:00 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 2:28 (1 hour early)
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 as soon as possible. If your demographic information changes during the school year please let the office know right away so we can keep your information current.
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 other locks will be removed. 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 $8.00 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. 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. Student 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.
Class Timetables / Course Changes
Deadline to submit a course change request is Friday, September 11th.
All students will receive timetables on the first day of school. Any changes that are necessary can be submitted after you get your timetable. When you receive your timetable and changes are needed please submit only 1 change request form. Changes at this time may not be possible as the school schedule was built based on your selections last school year and classes may be full or not available.
Our counselors will not be available for booking appointments until September 14th as they will be dealing with urgent situations as required. If a counselor needs to see you regarding your changes they will locate you. If you have an urgent situation we will do our best to make sure you are taken care of in a timely manner.
Only course changes submitted on a Course Change Request Form will be considered. Changes may not be possible.
Criminal Record Checks
Are you a Volunteer? Will you be driving for field trips or sports teams?
The Criminal Records Review Act requires the school district to ensure that a valid criminal record check is on file for volunteers in the school district. Volunteers who need record checks are those that work directly with children and have the potential to have unsupervised access to children in the course of their volunteer work. Effective September 1, 2009, volunteers driving for field trips must have a valid criminal record check.
Volunteers are required to have a criminal record check completed by the local police department in the Municipality in which they reside. An originating letter must come from the Principal to the correct police agency requesting waiver of CRC fee. Volunteer Criminal Record checks are valid for two years. Please contact the school office if you will be volunteering or driving on school field trips so that a fee waiver letter may be written for you. Please request your letter as soon possible as it may take a few weeks at busy times of the school year.
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.
BC Transit YouthPass Photo Shoot
Click here for the BC Transit YouthPass Application or pick one up from the Claremont School office. The form must be signed by a parent or guardian and payment given at time of photo.
Attendance
If your student will be absent from school, please leave a message with the name of the student and the duration of absence on our Absence Line at 250-658-6666. You can also send an email to the Attendance Secretary at claremont_attendance@sd63.bc.ca.
Absent but forgot to call the attendance line? If you 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 so we are able to update the absence records.
Does your student need to leave school early? All students that need to leave early must sign out at the school office, we need permission from the parent/guardian to release students during the day. Please send your student with a note releasing them from class for an appointment. Students that get sick during the day and want to go home will contact a parent from the school office to be picked up. The staff in the office will speak with the parent to confirm when they are picking up the sick student or if the student is to find their own way home.
Please send your student with a note if they are to be excused from school early for appointments.