Learning and leading through kindness, collaboration, and meaningful opportunities
Dear Families of St. John Bosco,
Welcome, and welcome back, to all of our students and families for the 2024 - 2025 school year. We hope you’ve had a wonderful and relaxing summer break! We are looking forward to a wonderful year of learning!
First Day of School Information
All students start school on Wednesday, Sept. 4th. School doors open at 8:20 and classes begin at 8:40. Students may go directly to their homeroom class when they arrive at school.
We ask that our Kindergarten students come in at 9 am and go directly to their classroom via the gym entrance. Parents/guardians of our kindergarten students will be able to accompany them to class. We ask that you do a quick drop off and go. Take a pic, give a hug and say see you soon! Your children are in great hands!
Student Demographic Forms
Please review, edit, sign and return your child’s demographic form to the school as soon as possible. These will be sent home via the children by Monday, September 9th. It is important that all student information is up to date. If anything should change throughout the course of the school year, please let us know asap, so we can update our records.
Communication
The first point of contact for students and families should be the classroom teacher. We encourage you to keep an open communication with your child’s teachers throughout the school year. This can be done via google classroom, telephone, email, their website, monthly class memos, etc. Developing and maintaining that positive school/family relationship is essential. The school also makes use of school messenger via email for routine messages. For more urgent situations such as early dismissal etc.., we use school messenger via telephone call.
Information is posted regularly on the following:
School Website - https://sites.google.com/nlesd.ca/sjbosco/home
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sjbschool/
Twitter: https://x.com/sjboscoschool
School Buses
All of our students are eligible to ride the school bus to and from school to their home address this school year. All students will automatically be given a seat on the bus for the duration of the school year. You do not need to register your child to ride the bus. If you know your child will not ride the school bus at any time during the school year, to or from school, please let the school know asap and we will remove them from our bus list.
All parents/guardians should set up an account on the parent portal on the NLSchools Transportation Website, so you can see the bus stop your child is designated for. Once you set up an account you will also see the pick up and drop off times. Please note these times are approximate. Students should be at their designated stop at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled bus arrival time, and likewise for dismissal. You will require your child's student number to set up an account on the parent portal - this can be found on top of an old report card if you have one. If you do not have an old report card, please reach out to the school.
All kindergarten students have to be dropped off and picked up at their stop by an adult(parent/guardian). If at the end of the day, there is no one at the bus stop to meet a kindergarten student, the bus driver will bring the child back to school, where parents/guardians will be called to pick up.
Note that all bus stops are assigned by NLSchools. If you have a concern with a stop, or would like to request an additional/courtesy stop on a bus route, please complete thePublic Inquiry Form. The school, the bus driver or the bus company cannot change designated bus stops, unless there are extenuating temporary circumstances that impede safety. If this were to happen the school would be in touch with families.
We ask that all families please read and discuss with your child the following brochures
regarding student bus use. These will also be discussed by your child's teacher.
Student Expectations on the Bus
We do not want to have to remove a student’s bus privileges due to unacceptable/inappropriate behavior. The time the children spend on the bus is considered school time, thus they are expected to follow our school behavior expectations. Please see NLSchools Student Transportation Website for more information.
We strongly recommend that children avail of the school bus for transportation to/from school, not only will this be convenient for families, but it will also help with the congestion on our parking lot.
Attendance
As we head into the 2024-2025 school year, it is important to remember that attendance is directly tied to student achievement and we want to ensure that each and every student at SJB performs to their maximum potential or beyond. It is important that students are on time for classes each and every day. Consistent attendance is crucial for academic and social success, as it ensures that students are actively engaged and able to fully benefit from the educational opportunities we provide. When students attend school consistently, they not only keep up with their lessons and assignments, but they also develop important life skills such as responsibility, time management, and perseverance. Being present and engaged in the classroom and school allows students to participate in discussions, collaborate with peers, and build strong relationships. In the morning, classes start at 8:40 am and at 1:00 pm in the afternoon for all students.
Scent Free School
Please remember that SJB is a scent free school. We have both students and staff who have serious allergies to spray-on scents. These include things such as colognes, perfumes and body sprays.
Emergency School Closures
At times, schools close unexpectedly due to weather or other unforeseen
circumstances.
• On days when weather is expected, the school will indicate closure on the school status link on the NLSchools website as well as on our school Twitter and via our school powerschool messenger. NLSchools usually make a decision around 6:00 AM.
• If the school closes due to unforeseen events during the school day, we must know where each child will be going and how they are getting home. Please ensure your child’s classroom teacher is aware of your child’s plans if school does have to close early due to unforeseen circumstances. If no contact is received from home, students will be brought to the office, and will not be dismissed until we have confirmation of details.
• All school closures will be sent to families via school messenger email and/or telephone, posted on the NLSchools status link, as well as posted on our social media pages.
Getting Off To A Great Start!
While back to school time can be a very exciting time for many students as they look forward to new adventures and reuniting with friends and teachers, we understand that for some students, there can be some apprehension and anxiety as well. The following article provides some practical, important tips to help families start the year off right.
Coping with Back to School Anxiety
RYCOR / PaymentInformation
Rycor (Can be accessed once you have your PowerSchool Parent Account Set up) Note: NLSchools has provided us with a program for parents to fill out forms and pay school fees online through Rycor. All parents/guardians can access their Rycor account through their PowerSchool Parent Portal account by clicking on the "School Fees and Forms" link. (If your student is in grade 7 then they will receive their PowerSchool account and parent portal information on the first day of school, as will the rest of the students as well if they don't already have it set up.) There are three forms for beginning of year procedures that need to be filled out in Rycor.
They are:
1. Media Consent Form
2. Student Demographic Form
3. Acceptable Use of Technology Agreement Form
More information will be provided in the first weeks of school.
Field Trips
Field trips are a great way to enhance student learning. Classes may continue with visits to nearby outdoor points of interest such as parks, nature trails etc. A generic (walking) field trip permission form will be sent home in September. This form allows teachers to take children off school property for educational activities that are nearby within walking distance. This form will allow for the “walking field trips” for the duration of the school year. Note that if your child’s form is not completed, they will not be able to attend, as we do require your permission.
Any child who does not have permission to attend a field trip is expected to attend school and will be under the supervision of another staff member.
Electronic Device Information And Expectations
As the use of cell phones during instructional time does not support optimal learning environments for students and with back to school season fast approaching, The Honourable Krista Lynn Howell, Minister of Education, is encouraging parents, guardians and families to have thoughtful discussions with their children and teenagers about the use of cell phones in K-12 schools.
The Gov’t of NL is looking at the use of cellphones in schools. We will follow the direction of government and NL Schools on this matter. We will also be referring to our technology policy until details are finalized. The usage of cell phones will be strictly enforced. We ask for your cooperation and support with this.
NL Schools Acceptable Use of Technology Policy
K-6 Specific Information Regarding Cell Phones
Families in K-6 schools are reminded that students are not permitted to use their cellphones in classrooms except in circumstances where their use is required to support the documented learning needs of individual students in accordance with the NLSchools.
If a student does bring a cellphone to school, it has to be stored in a student’s locker until the end of the day and turned off. The cell phone cannot be used while the student is in school. Phones are available in the office to contact family. The decision to bring a cell phone to school is a personal one and the school accepts no liability for any damages or lost/stolen devices. Note that cell phones are not permitted to be used on the school bus either.
7-9 Specific Information Regarding Cell Phones
SJB appreciates that some parents/guardians may decide to provide their child with an electronic device at this grade level. These personal electronic devices are often highly expensive. Please understand that the school is not responsible for any student owned devices that are lost, stolen, or damaged. Students must have their cell phones turned off, safely stored, and locked in their lockers at all times during instructional classes during the school day unless a teacher approves it for instructional use. Students at this grade level are permitted to use their phones during recess and lunch. If devices are seen during instructional time, the staff member will ask students to put it away. If the student refuses or takes the device out a second time, the student will be asked to bring the device to the office where it can be picked up at the end of the day. Again, we are not responsible for the loss or damage of cell phones!
Lunch Time Routines
Our school breaks for lunch from 12:15 pm - 1:00 pm.
SJB is happy to be part of The School Lunch Program. All students in Grades K-9 are encouraged to avail of this program. Please see the School Lunch Association for more information on this .
If students (of any age) do leave the building for lunch, they may return at two different times, either 12:35 pm or 1:00pm. For safety and supervision reasons, we cannot have students wandering in and out of the building during lunch hour hence the need to arrange two specific times.
Students in Grades K-6 may leave school grounds at lunch under the supervision of a parent/guardian. If your child normally goes home for lunch, please communicate that with your child’s teacher. Students in Grades K-6 are not permitted to leave school grounds at lunch time to walk to the store etc…. This is not a safe practice for students of that age.
Students in Grades 7-9 may leave school grounds at lunch. Students are reminded that if they visit local businesses , they are expected to be respectful and responsible. Again, they will be permitted to return to school at either 12:35 or 1:00pm only.
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we keep student safety at the forefront of our decision making.
Kids Eat Smart Breakfast Club
SJB continues to be a part of the Kids Eat Smart Breakfast program. We are happy to serve nutritional items to our students on a daily basis.
If you would like to volunteer to be part of this program or donate to our club, please contact the school at 709-753-8850
Powerschool - Grades 7-9
Frequent parent access to PowerSchool is essential at SJB. PowerSchool is the main form of communication between parents and teachers regarding academic progress. Students will receive their PowerSchool login information, along with instructions on how to set it up, when they first come to the school. Information for parent/guardian login for PowerSchool will also be on that page. If you have lost your login information, please contact the school and will be able to provide it to you.
We are delighted to be back for another year at SJB. We’re setting up for an amazing year ahead. Have a great long weekend Eagles!