School Life
Agenda Books
This year we have made the decision not to provide printed agendas. Information once contained within these books is now located on this site and/or on your child's Google Classroom. Please contact your child's teacher if you have any difficulty accessing these digital communication tools.
Athletics
Students are involved in daily physical activity and school teams that include; soccer, volleyball, basketball, cross country running, softball, track and field. For more information please see our Clubs and Sports page.
Attendance Expectations
Punctuality and regular attendance on the part of the student is important to the process of learning. Both the individual student and his or her classmates may be impacted as a result of this issue. Parents will be contacted when late attendance and punctuality become a concern. Board attendance counsellors will be involved if attendance and punctuality do not improve after parent contact has been made by the school.
When your child is going to be absent from school, for any reason, please contact the school at 705-653-1370.
To see the our Board's full Attendance Expectations: here
Co-curricular Activities
Environmental Club, Drama Club, Recycling, Choir, Intramural Sports, Student Government and many more. For more detail, please see our Clubs and Sports page.
Cell Phones
We have the blessing of having the ability to have one-to-one access to technology in our Junior and Intermediate classes therefore cell phones are not to be used during the school day. All teachers will send home a letter detailing the expectations and policy regarding these devices. Should you need to contact your child during the school day we ask that you contact the school office 708-653-1370.
Code of Conduct
Summary of Behaviour Expectations:
Participate actively in the learning process.
Respect all expressions of the Catholic faith.
Respect all members of the school community as individuals.
Treat all school and bus property with respect.
Treat each other with respect.
Accept responsibility for his/her actions and their consequences.
Complete all school assignments.
Be prepared for class with necessary materials and homework.
Follow the dress code, school policies and procedures.
Personal Appearance - Expectations
Students are expected to dress in clean, neat, and practical clothing appropriate for the learning environment. Good judgment is the criteria for acceptable dress; this is particularly true during warm weather months.
● Shorts and skirts must be longer than the child’s fingertips.
● Sexist, racist, and drug and alcohol related clothes or violent slogans are not acceptable.
● Outside shoes are not to be worn in the classroom and are to be left neatly in the hallway.
● Indoor running shoes are to be worn in the classroom and gym.
● If staff decide that a form of footwear is unsafe for an activity a student will be asked to bring in more appropriate shoes
● It is recommended that items left at school be marked with a form of identification.
● Basketball style tops must be worn with a t-shirt/undershirt underneath.
● No undergarments should be visible.
● All shirts must have shoulder straps two fingers wide (Grades 4-8).
● Stomach and backs should always be covered.
● Jewelry will not be worn during physical-education classes or during team sporting events.
● Students wearing inappropriate clothes will be asked to change and/or have their clothing turned inside out.
● Students without clothes to change into will be given clothing from the lost and found.
Attend school regularly and punctually.
All members of the St. Mary's School Community are expected to follow The High Five rules:
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
Be Safe Hands and Feet to Self
Be There - Be Ready
Our Catholic faith is reflected in how we deal with all community members on a daily basis.
Our school provides a safe and inclusive learning environment. To view the Board's Code of Conduct: here.
Excellence in Learning
St. Mary's staff consistently focuses on developing strategies to effectively meet all student needs and to improve student learning and student achievement.
Teachers collaboratively review, reflect and plan program based on student data.
Staff share best practices within a Professional learning Community
Staff are presently implementing school literacy and numeracy goals to improve student achievement
Staff are continuing to integrate SMART Board technologies into all the classrooms
All staff members actively follow the Safe School Plan
Living our Faith
We celebrate our faith through:
Monthly school masses with a theme of our Catholic virtue of the month
Daily and school-wide prayer and reflections
Daily classroom prayers and reflections
Classroom prayer tables that features the signs and symbols that are directly connected to the Religion and Family Life curriculum taught at each grade level
Power Point presentation at each mass to guide and encourage student participation in prayers and songs
Catholic Virtues Into Action, A Catholic Virtue is featured school wide each month
A strong partnership exists with community Catholic organizations such as the Kights of Columbus and the Catholic Womens League
Sacramental celebrations of First Eucharist, Reconciliation and Confirmation
Two opportunities a year for Confessions at St. Mary's Church
Advent wreath blessing and Advent activities
Regular classroom visits by our Parish Priest
Social Justice
We continue to serve targeted charities and outreach agencies, including:
United Way, Terry Fox, local food bank, MS Read-a-thon, Christmas Family hamper and Toy Drive, Backpacks for Kids, Peace and Development, and Share Lent.