Welcome to Cloverdale Parent Tips
Welcome Cloverdale parents! Being a parent in a school, especially a new parent, can be an overwhelming experience. Often there is uncertainty as to what to expect or how to become involved. Also, a person’s own past school experiences can influence one’s feelings toward school in general. Whatever the reason, it is important to become an active participant in your child’s school life. Research indicates that the more you are involved as a parent, the greater the chance of your child’s success. Schools have changed and continue to change to reflect the needs of the 21st Century. Curriculum and methods of teaching and learning have changed to prepare students for future jobs that may not even exist yet. Therefore, it is even more critical to learn about your school and how to best support your child’s learning. Below are some suggestions outlining ways in which you can become involved and enhance your child’s success. We hope you will find them of use.
Environment | Literacy | Healthy Eating | School District Facts
The School Website
- If you have not done so already, take some time and tour through the website. Here you will find our Parent Handbook that contains valuable information about our school philosophy, uniform guidelines, behaviour expectations, and our code of conduct. The website also includes information on our Parent Advisory Council (PAC), our calendar of events, newsletters, resources, and learning links.
Meeting the Staff
- If you are new to the school, arrange to meet with the principal or vice-principal. This helps in putting faces to names. It is also a good time to discuss your child’s needs and any concerns or questions you may have.
- Request a tour of the school.
- Attend the Welcome Back BBQ Night in September. This is an informal event for families and staff. Teachers may discuss curriculum overviews, classroom routines and expectations for students. The BBQ provides a forum for new and returning parents to connect.
- Arrange a time to meet with your child’s teacher.
Kindergarten Parents: Our kindergarten teachers meet with all kindergarten parents prior to the students starting school. This is a time to share information with your child’s teacher so that she/he can find out more about your child’s academic, social/emotional and physical needs.
- Other Parents: The first formal meeting between parents and teachers is when the first report card goes home in late November/early December. If you wish to meet with your child’s teacher prior to this time it is best to speak directly to the teacher and arrange a time. Communication between parents and teachers is important. Current and accurate information about students ensures that learning individual learning needs can be met.
Supporting Your Child at School
A child’s success at school depends a great deal on parents’ active involvement in their child’s education.
- Parent/Teacher Interviews These are vital aspect of ensuring student success. It is important that they be attended, particularly during the first reporting period. These interviews provide parents and teachers with the opportunity to discuss the academic, behavioural, and social/emotional strengths and needs of each child. Questions and concerns can be addressed at this time.
- Report Cards Read and discuss your child’s report card with him/her.
- Overviews Read the overviews that the teacher provides each term. Often an overview for the year is handed out on Meet the Teacher Night. Please ask questions if there is something you are not clear on.
- Student Led Conferences These conferences are designed so that your child can walk you through his/her learning. It is a chance to see his/her work and ask questions. Students look forward to conferences as they take pride in demonstrating their achievements. We schedule conferences later in the day so that as many parents as possible can attend.
- Issues If there is an important issue that arises, please speak directly to your child’s teacher. If you feel the issue is not satisfactorily resolved then speak to one of the school’s administrators.
- School Functions Attend other school functions such as dances, concerts, etc. They are a great way to spend time with your child, connect with other families, and support PAC initiatives
- Student Attendance Try and ensure that your child misses as few days as possible. When students miss direct instruction it can be difficult to catch them up.
Did you know?
Attending school less than 90% of the time increases the odds that a student will not graduate (that works out to 19 days this year).
When a student’s attendance dips below 80% (missing 37 or more days in the year), the student has only a 1 in 6 chance of graduating on time or one year late.
- Lateness Ensure that your child arrives at school on time. Arriving on time teaches students that school and punctuality are important. When students are late, they miss important information and direct instruction and may interrupt the learning of others. Chronic lateness can also have a negative impact on student success. Please inform your child’s teacher or the school if your child will be late.
Supporting Your Child at Home
- Provide encouragement.
- Find time to speak to your child each day about his or her learning. Saying “Tell me something you learned today” invites the child to reflect on and speak about their learning. Questions such as “How was your day?” or “What did you do today?” may give you only limited information and that information may have little to do with learning.
- Read with your child each night and discuss what you are reading. If your child is a “reader” already, have him/her read to you in order to build oral fluency. In listening to your child read you can quickly determine if there are any decoding difficulties. A discussion before, during and after reading will tell you if your child understands the text. Remember there is a difference between “decoding” (sounding out the words) and “comprehension” (understanding the meaning of what is read).
- Arrange for appropriate reading time, study/homework time and space. Students should have a quiet place to work away from distractions such as TV, computer, iPods, siblings, etc.
- Ask your child to explain their learning or teach you what he/she is doing.
- Model desired behaviour (such as good manners, good listening, reading for pleasure)
- Monitor homework and actively tutor your child. (DO NOT do their work for them!) If a student is having difficulty with assignments it is important for the teacher to know so that proper support can be provided.
- There are many educational websites for your child to explore. (There are some links on our website.) Encourage your child to use them. If possible, spend time on them together.
Supporting Your Child Outside the School
- Did you know that ALL parents in the school are members of the PAC? You are. However, by attending the monthly PAC meetings and reading the PAC newsletters you can take a more active role in the governance and decision making necessary for planning, developing, and providing an education for the community’s children.
- Join the School Planning Council (learn about school goals, etc,)
- Be a volunteer in the school. There are many volunteer jobs that parents can do to help out (for example: shelve library books, help at special events, coach or coordinate an extracurricular activity, be a class rep, drive for field trips, demonstrate or offer a special skill, etc.)
Environmental Tips
As families across British Columbia get ready to send their
kids back to school, here are some tips to help families make this a green school year:
At School:
- When shopping for school supplies, buy products that are reusable or have recyclable packaging, and reuse leftover school supplies from the previous school year.
- Encourage children to use the water fountains at school, instead of relying on bottled water.
- Help your children to become active in an existing recycling club at school, or to start one themselves.
- Recycle as much waste as possible and aim to produce waste-free lunches for your children by sending food in reusable containers and bags, and by avoiding pre-packaged and processed foods.
At Home:
- Clean waxed paper, plastic bags and tinfoil can be reused several times, and instead of including pre-packaged drinks in school lunches, a small thermos of cold milk or juice will cut down on unnecessary packaging.
- Buy good-quality, long-lasting products that can be handed down to younger children.
- Use cold water when washing clothing.
- Encourage children to take shorter showers using a restricted-flow shower head.
- Make sure children turn off taps when brushing their teeth instead of wasting water.
- Encourage children to turn off lights, electronic devices and computers when not in use.
On the Road:
- Walk or cycle with your children to school instead of driving to reduce vehicle emissions.
- Encourage your children to take public transit to school as often as possible or arrange a neighbourhood carpool.
- Join a car-sharing co-operative for school commutes instead of owning a car.
- If you must drive children to school, combine the drive with some errands you need to get done.
- Maintain proper tire inflation, check your tires weekly, and schedule regular maintenance checks for your car.
This Information Bulletin is available in French at:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/docs/2011/tips-environment_fr.pdf
In Chinese at:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/docs/2011/tips-environment_ch.pdf
In Punjabi at:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/docs/2011/tips-environment_pu.pdf
Improving Literacy
As students get ready to head back to school, here are some tips to help them have a successful year and get the most out of their study time:
Parents of Primary Students:
- Let your children see you read, and set aside time each day for family reading.
- Ask your children to read to you while you prepare a meal.
- Get your children excited about reading by taking turns reading pages or acting out characters.
- Talk to your children about what they read. Ask them questions that require them to read between the lines and think about what they have just read. This will help improve their reading comprehension. For some tips, check out this video
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WqFPWSBG18&feature=player_profilepage
- Introduce your children to a variety of literary genres and see which one they most enjoy.
- Introduce your children to Aboriginal culture and history through stories and other learning opportunities.
- Help your children get a library card and take weekly trips with them to the library.
Parents of Intermediate/Middle School Students:
- Set up a daily homework routine. Designate a homework area away from distractions like the television and Internet, and with adequate lighting and supplies.
- When it is time for your children to do their homework, reinforce strong study habits by also doing yours: balance your chequebook, pay your bills or immerse yourself in a book.
- Let your children read comic books in their spare time because comics can encourage positive reading habits and can play a role in improving literacy.
- Help your children identify difficult and easy homework tasks and get them to tackle the most difficult subjects first.
- Make yourself available to answer questions and offer help, but do not do your children's homework for them.
- Ask your children questions and have them explain what they have just read or studied.
- Encourage your children to write stories, poetry and songs.
- Keep an assignment calendar on the fridge for quick reference of due dates, exams and how they fit with other activities.
Parents of Secondary Students:
- Continue with an established homework routine. Make adjustments as needed, such as after-school or weekend time set aside for working on big projects.
- Encourage your teenagers to take 20 minutes each night to read over their notes from that day or rewrite them using colours to highlight important information so they retain it longer.
- Have your children take regular breaks to help alleviate eye, neck and brain fatigue while studying. This will help them be more productive and retain more of what they read and study.
- Encourage your teenagers to explore magazines or appropriate websites on subjects that interest them to keep them reading. Most local libraries carry selections of magazines on a variety of topics, including sports, science, mechanics and politics.
- Keep an assignment calendar on the fridge for quick reference of due dates, exams and how they fit with other activities.
This Information Bulletin is available:
In French at:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/docs/2011/tips-literacy_fr.pdf
In Chinese at:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/docs/2011/tips-literacy_ch.pdf
In Punjabi at:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/docs/2011/tips-literacy_pu.pdfEating Healthy
Students are more likely to succeed if they are healthy and active. With families preparing for the start of school, here are some tips to encourage healthy eating and an active lifestyle:
Parents of Primary Students:
- Include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your children's snacks and lunches every day.
- Have your children help you pack their lunches, so they can learn to make healthy choices early on. For some tips, check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGkOADVkcpg
- Help your children learn about and understand Canada's Food Guide at:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php
- To encourage fitness take family walks with your children and, if possible, walk them to school.
- Join or co-ordinate a Walking School Bus or Bicycle Train to help your children get to school safely with adult supervision. For tips on how to do this, check out the DASH BC website at:
http://www.dashbc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=80
- Introduce your children to active games they can play on their own, like hopscotch or jumping rope. When more children are around, introduce tag, soccer or baseball.
Parents of Intermediate/Middle School Students:
- Whenever possible, encourage your children to walk, ride, rollerblade or skateboard to school instead of you driving them.
- Suggest that your children take the dog for a walk before and after school.
- Limit your children's screen time. Explain to your children that it's important to sit less and move more in order to stay at a healthy weight.
- As children grow, their nutritional needs change. Continue to encourage healthy eating habits using Canada's Food Guide to plan healthy meals and snacks.
- Teach your children to limit foods high in sugar, fat and sodium, and help them learn to replace these foods with more nutritious snacks instead.
Parents of Secondary Students:
- Encourage your teens to get plenty of rest to ensure they are alert and ready to learn at school.
- Encourage your teenagers to get involved in after-school sports.
- Suggest your teenagers take a class at the local community centre or encourage them to participate in a walking or hiking group.
- Teach your children how to buy, prepare and enjoy healthy meals using Canada's Food Guide.
All Parents:
- Encourage your children to eat breakfast every day, as it provides fuel for the brain to learn and helps them maintain a healthy weight.
- Keep nutritious foods, like cut-up vegetables and fruit, cheese sticks, yogurt and butter-free popcorn on hand to make healthy snacking easy.
- If your child has food allergies, co-ordinate with the school principal on an updated emergency plan that best meets your child's needs.
- Schedule regular dental and any necessary medical checkups.
- Encourage your children to choose milk or water at meals instead of sugary drinks or energy drinks.
- Get children active through sports, or go for nightly family walks or bike rides.
- Develop good hand-washing habits, as frequent hand-washing reduces the spread of cold and flu viruses.
This factsheet is available:
In French at:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/docs/2011/tips-health_fr.pdf
In Chinese at:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/docs/2011/tips-health_ch.pdf
In Punjabi at:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/docs/2011/tips-health_pu.pdfEducation by the numbers
The following facts provide a snapshot of British Columbia's education system.
Enrolment for the 2011-12 school year:
- 540,696 estimated full-time public school students - a decrease of more than 57,000 students since 2000-01.
- 57,858 estimated English-as-Second-Language students - 21 fewer than in last year.
- 53,913 estimated Aboriginal students - 283 fewer than last year.
- 7,644 estimated non-graduated adult students - 442 more than last year.
Early Learning
- $365 million over three years to implement full-day kindergarten for all eligible children by Sept. 2011. It's anticipated that 37,000 students will enrol in full day kindergarten this year.
- $144 million capital investment to build 140 modular classrooms as part of the 665 new and upgraded classrooms available to help meet the needs of our full-day kindergarten learners.
- $43 million commitment to expand StrongStart BC programs, which provide school-based early learning services for parents or caregivers and their children, five years or younger, at no cost to families. As of Sept. 2011, there are 326 StrongStart BC programs.
- In 2010-11, there were more than 592,000 visits to StrongStart BC programs with almost 31,000 children participating. That's an increase of 119,000 visits with 7,000 more children participating compared to 2009-10.
Achievement
- The provincial six-year completion rate was 79.7 per cent in 2009-10.
- The average pass rate (final mark) for courses with required provincial exams was 96 per cent.
- 5,535 students received scholarships 2009-10, including 2,539 for provincial scholarships and 2,996 students received district awards.
- 1,065 students received B.C. school completion certificate in 2009-10.
- These certificates recognize the accomplishments of students, including students with special needs, who succeed in meeting the goals of their educational program other than graduation.
- 88,110 students took at least one online (distributed learning) course in 2010-11. That compares to just 33,022 students three years ago.
Healthy Schools
In May 2011, the Province announced the expansion of the BC School Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional program to offer access to fresh fruits and vegetable snacks for students in 1,402 B.C. schools, which includes most public and First Nations schools in the province.
Class Size
For the fifth consecutive year, more than 94 per cent of classes in school districts throughout B.C. had 30 or fewer students in 2010-11.
- More than 98 per cent of classes had 32 or fewer students.
- A total of 4,712 classes had 15 or fewer students in 2010-11.
- B.C. has one of the lowest FTE Enrolment/FTE Educator ratios in Canada: 16.7.
- There were a total of 8,778 educational assistants in 2010-11.
Funding
- Estimated operating funding to school districts is a record $4.72 billion this year - a $58-million increase over 2010-11, which includes full funding for the implementation of full-day kindergarten.
- Since 2000-01, the Province has increased funding to B.C. public schools by nearly $1.4 billion: $977 million - a 26 per cent increase - in operating funding and $407 million in one-time grants.
- The Province is delivering an estimated $8,357 in average per-pupil funding in 2011-12, the highest ever.
- Total funding for students with special needs is now an estimated $858 million for 2011-12.
- $1.5 billion is being invested to upgrade schools to make them seismically safer, the most comprehensive seismic plan ever undertaken by a B.C. government.
- To date, 134 seismic upgrade projects are complete, under construction or proceeding to construction.
- Since 2001, government has spent more than $1.8 billion to complete 83 new and replacement schools, 149 additions, 26 renovations and 22 site acquisitions across British Columbia. All new and replacement schools have been constructed to meet the latest seismic standards.
- Since 2001, the Province has committed more than $3.9 billion to school capital and maintenance projects throughout British Columbia.
Independent schools
- There are a total of 347 independent schools in B.C.
- Independent schools enrol more than 72,000 students, which is approximately 11 per cent of B.C.'s K-12 population.
Media Contact:
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963