Student Handbook M. GERALD TEED SCHOOL FAMILY HANDBOOK 2025-2026 OFFICE STAFF Principal: Mark Crowley mark.crowley@nbed.nb.ca Admin Assist.: Lynn Dowd-Beckett lynn.dowd-beckett@nbed.nb.ca Vice Principal: Tanya McGrath tanya.mcgrath@nbed.nb.ca PHILOSOPHY At M. Gerald Teed School, it is extremely important that the whole school community work together to create the ideal atmosphere in which optimum learning can take place. We are proud of our school and of the community from which we draw our students including families, friends, and partners. We look forward to working with you! Our Mission M. Gerald Teed’s mission is to prepare children to succeed in future endeavors by providing an environment in which social, academic and emotional skills are developed in accordance with individual needs and abilities. Our Vision Together we can do anything Everyone is valued Everyone can learn Doing our best every day SCHOOL SCHEDULE 7:45 – 8:00 am Drop off & Students enter building8:00 – 9:15 am Instructional time9:15 – 9:30 am Snack9:30 – 9:50 am Recess 9:50 – 11:35 am Instructional time11:35 – 11:55 am Lunch 11:55 – 12:20 pm Recess12:20 – 2:20 pm Instructional time 2:20 pm Dismissal Arrival Time Student arrival time is between 7:45 – 8:00 am. Students go directly to their classrooms. Please DO NOT drop your child off before 7:45 am, as there is no supervision. Instructional Time/Tardiness The instructional day begins promptly at 8:00 am. Students who arrive after this time will be marked as ‘tardy’ on our provincial system. After 10 tardies, we are required to send a letter home that explains the importance of being at school on time. If this bus is late, your child will not be marked tardy. Dismissal Time Pick up: 2:20 p.m. at the back door on the blacktop of the playground. Afterschool programs: We will ensure students are handed off to their program leaders. Busses: Please check School Bus Planner for pick up/drop off times. Bussing The school is not in charge of bussing and cannot make any alterations without district instruction/approval. All bussing information, requests for changes, or questions must go through the district’s transportation department. You can reach them by calling the district’s main switchboard (506) 658-5300 and asking for transportation. Bus stops, times, requests, etc. can be found on the district’s Bus Planner site: https://asdsbp.nbed.nb.ca/ NOTE: An adult MUST be at the bus stop for drop off or the student will not be allowed off the bus and will be sent back to the school. Changes to After School Plans If there is a change to how your child will be getting home on a particular day, please email your child’s teacher and copy office staff or call the main office BEFORE noon. If we do not hear from you (not the student), the same after school plans will remain in place. We cannot guarantee that any requests for changes to after school plans can be accommodated after 12:00 pm. Entering and Exiting the School (Drop off) Please refer to the map below for how to use the drop off circle (yellow), as well as where to park (green) and not park (red) when dropping off students. When using the car ‘kiss and ride’ from 7:45 – 8:00 am, pull up to the drop off sign before letting your child out. An adult on duty will open the car door to assist in student exit from the vechile. Please place your child to your right in the back for easy exit. If you require more transition time with your child, or need to leave your driver’s position, please use the temporary parking highlighted. This will help with the traffic flow. Also, be cautious when entering/leaving the drop off area. There are students crossing! In slippery weather, this can be especially hazardous if the utmost attention is not paid. Appointments and Early Pick-up If you need to pick your child up before the end of the school day for whatever reason, we ask that you let us know so we can have them ready to go. You will need to come into the school to sign them out before we release them to you. Attendance A permanent record is kept of each student’s attendance. Just as with tardies, we are required to send a letter home after 10 school absences. Please inform the school when your child is absent. You can let the office know telephone or email. Please cc/ the teacher on this. You may also download the School Messenger app on your phone and put the absence into the system directly. Custody Information Please inform the principal about any custody matters affecting your child. By law, schools are required to provide, on request from non-custodial parents, information about a student’s education, except when a court order prohibiting access of a parent to a child exists. If there is a current, valid court order prohibiting access to this child, the responsibility rests with the custodial parent to provide the school with a copy of this document. Student Fee The Student Fee for each child is $30 per child. This will cover your child’s homework bag, Teed T-Shirt, as well as enrichment activities . You can pay for the student fee on School Cash Online at https://district.schoolcashonline.com/ Milk & Hot Lunch Programs Milk is sold at the school for students at lunch time. Both white and chocolate milk are available. Beginning the end of September, Hot Lunch is available for students, as well. Dates, items, and costs will be sent out to you when the school year begins. Parent Meetings As a teacher’s day is a busy one, we request that appointments to discuss your child’s progress be made ahead of time. This can be done by phoning the school and leaving a message with the administrative assistant or emailing a request to the teacher directly. The teacher will return your call/email promptly and a mutually convenient meeting time can be set up. Classes should not be interrupted unless necessary. Appointments with administration, including the principal and vice principal, should also be made in advance. We regret that drop-in appointments can rarely be accommodated. Virtual and in-person Parent/Teacher Interviews are also conducted as per the direction of our school district and specific days are set aside in the calendar. The booking link will be sent along with your child’s report card. Playground We practice good citizenship when using the playground and students are to take turns and be respectful of others. If this does not occur, students are asked to remove themselves from the playground until they are able to return and follow our accepted rules. Our playground is an important part of our school community and is used by youngsters who live in the area. We think that it is wonderful that these facilities can be used by both the school and the community. We ask if you are aware of any type of misuse, destruction or abuse of this equipment taking place after school hours, that local authorities are notified. The investment in this equipment has been very extensive and the planning and implementation has been a long process. We hope that it is here for many, many years to come. Children are outside up to 3 times a day & we ask that they are dressed appropriately. Severe weather, we will remain inside as per our District Policy of -20 Celsius. Some sections of our playground are closed during the winter months due to safety concerns. Inclement Weather If school is to be closed due to inclement weather, it will be announced on major local radio stations before 6:30 am, on the ASD-S website and Socials, and you will also receive a message via email from the district. Occasionally school will be delayed one hour for snow removal – teachers are to attempt to be at the school at the usual opening time. Children who arrive at the regular time will be supervised and assigned schoolwork. If schools remain open and you determine that conditions in your area are not conducive to your child going to school, then ultimately you have the final decision as to whether to send your child to school. Early School Closure In case of early school closure, we will send a voicemail or email and ask you to confirm how you will be picking your child up. Please ensure you have an up-to-date phone number on file, as well as an emergency contact number. Fire Drills and Lock Down Practices Fire Drills are held regularly as well as Emergency Lock Down procedures. Children are to use the exit as outlined by their homeroom teacher. Instructions/ directions for exiting the building are also posted in all classrooms. If a Lock Down Procedure practice is held, a yellow sign will be placed on the front door and the door will not be opened until the practice is complete. Emergency Evacuation Plan Our school has a detailed Emergency Response Plan which includes school building evacuation procedures in the event of a crisis such as a fire. Among other things, the plan includes procedures for contacting police, fire and ambulance service, bus transportation, School District Emergency Operations Control and sending information messages to parents/guardians. This plan also includes emergency evacuation sites, such as the Shannex Parkland, Gorman Arena, or the third location, School District should the need arise. If you wish more information on this procedure, please contact the ASD-S District office. Discipline Policy At M. Gerald Teed School, we have an expectation that all students will be good citizens of our school community, including being respectful, making good choices and always trying their best. Unfortunately, some incidents do occur when children make poor choices which have a negative effect upon themselves or others within the school. When these incidents occur, they are dealt with firstly, by the homeroom teachers or duty teachers. The school Administrative Team will step in if the incident warrants this in terms of seriousness. If an incident warrants a note home (Blue Note or Student Behavioral Form), a phone call/email will be placed by a teacher to inform the family that it is coming home and to discuss the situation with the child. This form is to be completed by the student with the assistance of their parents/guardians and returned to the school. Serious incidents will be dealt with by members of the Administrative Team or their designate. We follow a procedure that has been laid out by the district in terms of sending warning letters to parents and, if need be, suspension letters for students. Meetings with the administrative team are always scheduled after the issuing of a suspension letter, prior to the student returning to our school. Clothing Please make sure that all students are dressed each day for indoor and outdoor play. This includes appropriate footwear. (Please note that summer flip-flops and crocks-style shoes are not suitable for school play.) Students are outside 2-3 times a day whenever possible as this promotes a healthy learning environment. Students’ attire should be neat and clean for school and clothing with slogans and/or inappropriate pictures are not to be worn. Please make sure your child a change of clothing in the classroom in case of an accident. Parent School Support Committee The Parent School Support Committee is an elected group of parents who meet approximately once a month to offer advice and assistance to the principal and staff on a variety of school concerns. Minutes of the regular meetings are posted on our website. Elections are held to fill vacancies in the fall of each academic year. Please contact the current PSSC Chairperson or the Principal for information. Home and School Association The M. Gerald Teed School community is very fortunate to have an active Home and School Association. This association provides the school with an invaluable resource that benefits all of us involved with the education process. The Home & School Association meets monthly at the school and is open to all parents. Your involvement is strongly encouraged. If you have any questions, please contact the President of the Home & School Association. We welcome volunteers to our school! All adults who are volunteering in New Brunswick schools must have criminal records clearance. Please contact the school office for forms and details. Student Assessment Pre-Kindergarten students registered for kindergarten will be tested by the ASD-South staff and will receive Early Years Evaluation Testing(EYE-DA). Report Cards for students in grades K-2 two are issued three times a year. Parents and teachers meet to discuss the student’s progress after the first and second home reports. Report card levels are on a scale of 1-4 with the following meanings: 1 = Working below learning goals 2 = Approaching learning goals 3 = Meeting learning goals 3+ = Consistent proficiency 4 = Excelling with learning goals 4+ = Surpassing learning goals Medical Medication Information Supervision and care shall be provided for students who have medical conditions, providing the support needed has been identified and passed along to our support services team. Administration of Medication Administration of prescription medication or over-the-counter medication is the responsibility of the child’s parents/legal guardians. If possible, medication schedules should be arranged so students take it home. If no other alternative exists, school staff may be requested to aid in accordance with district procedure by filling out the respective paperwork. Policy 704: Please note – should your child require medication, puffers, an Epi-pen or have any illness or allergy that the school should be made aware of, a Policy 704 form must be filled out and signed by parents and the child’s doctor. This may require a follow up meeting with the school Principal, Methods and Resource Teacher and Homeroom Teacher to complete forms as required. Allergies: All allergies must be reported to the main office as well as the child’s teacher. If an EPI-PEN/Allerjet is required for the allergy, one must be sent into the school with the child’s name on it. The Provincial Education Act calls for each child to always carry their EPI-PEN on their person. Should an alternate procedure be required for your child, please call the school principal to make other arrangements. Please make sure that all medications are up to date. Nut-Free School Due to severe nut allergies, please DO NOT BRING NUT PRODUCTS in school lunches. This includes peanut butter sandwiches, cookies, health bars, etc. Scent-Reduced School M. Gerald Teed is a scent-reduced school. Where possible, avoid use of scented products, such as scented sunscreen and hair products. There are students and staff with severe asthma and allergies who may be affected by scented products. This policy also applies to visitors who are coming into the school. Illness If a child becomes ill during school hours, the office will telephone the student’s home; the emergency numbers provided will be called if there is no response. First Aid-Medical Attention: We have regular bangs and bruises each day at school and children are attended to quickly by staff. Occasionally a more serious injury occurs. Should a major injury happen to your child, we will look after the child within the limits of our training. We will call you and seek professional medical help if required. (Please make sure that a copy of your child’s Medicare card is on file). If we are unable to reach you, we will act “in loco parentis” and seek the appropriate medical help. In very serious cases we will seek medical help as a priority. Please note that our school does not have a sick room in which to put children who become ill. Therefore, it is important that parents pick up sick children as soon as they can. School Exclusion Because we are concerned about the health of all children in our school, please make sure that if your child is unwell, they remain at home until better. When children are sent to school with colds, flu, COVID or head lice, it spreads to all and disrupts the learning process. Also, should your child develop a communicable disease during the school year, for example measles, head lice, chicken pox etc., please notify the school office. Please follow the SchoolExclusionGuidelines.pdf (gnb.ca) on our government’s website. In cases of vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, students are to stay home for 24-48 hours after symptoms have alleviated. Information in this handbook is subject to change. Last updated: June 2025 We love our busy Teed Bees! You belong at M. Gerald Teed! MGT handbookDownload