Student/Family Handbook

2025-2026

 

Follow Us:

School Website – https://smi.wrdsb.ca/

 

WRDSB Website – https://www.wrdsb.ca/

Smithson Staff 2025-2026

 

Class	Educator	Class	Educator
K1	Anne-Marie Smith Juliann Martin Catherine Warren	3/4B	April Harper Irena Juchnik
K2	Annabeller Perston Harleen Behan Corryn Rzeszutko	4/5A	Carrie Claus
K3	Lindsay Pollari	5/6A	Erin McCarthy
1A	Erin  Runstedler	6A	Kate Woods
1/2A	Alison Cass	ACE 1	Joshua Heer Jade Esteves Danielle Hayhurst
2A	Stefanie Clarke	ACE 2	Craig Charlesworth Lorraine Khan Samantha Nowak
2/3A	Lindsay Evens	Phys Ed	Jason Stafford
3/4 A	Craig Beitz	French	Emma Letizi
CYW and EA’s	Christine Polak Laura Bacvar Loralei Brideau Michelle Lipowitz	Library	Carrie Snyder
		Spec Ed	April Harper Ka Lee-Paine

 

Daily Schedule

 

8:55	Entry and Period 1
9:25	Period 2
9:55	Period 3
10:25	Period 4
10:55	Nutrition Break 1
11:35	Period 5
12:05	Period 6
12:35	Period 7
1:05	Period 8
1:35	Nutrition Break 2
2:15	Period 9
2:45	Period 10
3:15	Dismissal

 

Attendance

519-578-3890 x1

smi-attendance@wrdsb.ca

The Smithson attendance-check program operates to help ensure the safety of our students.  If your child is going to be absent or late, please leave a message in the voice mailbox or in our email inbox including your child’s name, teacher’s name and the reason for absence.  As soon as you know that your child will be absent, even the evening before, please report it. 

It is a good idea to advise the teacher of a planned absence or an early pick-up by sending along a brief note or email, however, remember to also report it to the office with the same information.  Any student leaving the school during the day must be signed out at the office by the parent or guardian. Although, you are welcome to sign out your child/ren throughout the day, we encourage you to refrain from signing them out between 3:00 and 3:15pm. This will assist the staff in ensuring all students are dismissed safely.

If you know that your child will be away for more than 5 school days, please contact the office well ahead of time and complete the appropriate form.

Behaviour

“A school is a place that promotes responsibility, respect, civility and academic excellence in a safe learning and teaching environment.  All students have the right to be safe, and feel safe, in their school community.  With this right comes the responsibility to be law-abiding citizens, and to be accountable for actions that put the safety of others at risk.” – Ontario Code of Conduct

It truly does “Take a Village” to raise our students.

We value the relationship that we have with you all and know that it is important that we all work together to provide the best learning experiences for all our students. The following is based on the Ontario Ministry of Education’s – Code of Conduct. These standards of behaviour are intended to ensure that all members of the school community are treated with respect and dignity. All members of the community are expected to maintain an environment where conflict and difference can be addressed in a manner characterized by respect and civility.

All members of the school community are expected to follow our Smithson agreements:

• Be safe
• Be respectful
• Do your job

Roles and Responsibilities

Principal

To provide leadership by:

• Demonstrating commitment to academic excellence along with a safe teaching and learning environment
• Holding all members of the school community accountable for their behaviour
• Communicating regularly and meaningfully with all members of the school community

Teachers and School Staff

To maintain order in the school, to hold everyone to the highest standard of respectful and 

responsible behaviour, and to act as a role model by:

• Collaboratively developing Class Agreements in September and maintaining a positive learning environment throughout the year
• Helping students be successful and develop a sense of self-worth                          
• Maintaining consistent standards of behaviour for all students
• Demonstrating respect for all students, staff, parents/guardians
• Greeting students at their door upon entry each morning and after nutrition breaks
• Preparing students for the full responsibilities of citizenship
• Communicating regularly with students and their families, sharing expectations and providing feedback on academics and learning skills 

Students

To demonstrate respect for themselves, for others, and for the responsibilities of citizenship through acceptable behaviour.  Respect and responsibility are demonstrated when a student:

• Comes to school ready to learn
• Listens to and encourages others
• Shows respect for themselves, for others, and for those in authority
• Includes others in activities
• Does not bring to school anything that would endanger others
• Follows school agreements and takes responsibility for his or her own actions

Parents/Guardians

To support the efforts of school staff in maintaining a safe and respectful learning environment for all students.  Parents/guardians fulfill this responsibility when they:

• Show an active interest in their child’s school work and progress
• Communicate regularly with the school
• Help their child be well rested and prepared for school
• Ensure that their child attends school regularly and on time
• Promptly report their child’s absence or late arrival by calling the school’s attendance line
• Become familiar with the school rules and agreements
• Encourage and assist their child in following the school rules and agreements
• Assist school staff in dealing with disciplinary issues

Behaviour Management

A progressive discipline model is followed within WRDSB. While we attempt to be consistent, each student will be dealt with on an individual basis, and consequences will be assigned based on the frequency, pattern and severity of the behaviour, grade level, as well as the effort the student makes to change his or her behaviour.  

Student misbehaviour is often dealt with by a teacher when it occurs.  The teacher may simply remind the student of the appropriate behaviour, problem solve with the student and peers, or assign a consequence.  Some situations, however, require the involvement of the Principal.  This could be the case when:

1. the behaviour is very serious in nature (e.g., violence, profanity, bullying); or
2. the behaviour is less serious, but happens frequently. (e.g., disruptive behavior)

When office involvement is required, the incident will be recorded by the Principal.  This record will state information about the specific incident or behaviour.  Each incident will be investigated as thoroughly as time permits, and consequences will be assigned based upon the following factors:

1. Current legislation, Bill 212, http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/safeschools/act.html
2. WRDSB policies and procedures, https://www.wrdsb.ca
3. Nature of the incident (severity).  Violence, bullying, or opposition to a person in a position of authority are examples of behaviour that would be considered severe.
4. Progressive discipline procedures will be followed 
5. Frequency – students have a responsibility to control their actions and to change unacceptable behaviour. A student who continues to engage in disruptive or inappropriate behaviour will gradually incur more serious consequences.  This is the process of progressive discipline.

Under the Freedom of Information legislation, school staff are not able to discuss with you incidents or consequences involving any child other than your own.  The Principal and staff may choose any combination of the following progressive discipline consequences in response to dealing with a student sent to the office

• File the referral for future reference
• Have the student come to the office to discuss the behaviour
• Assign office detentions during nutrition breaks
• Withdraw privileges such as participation in a class or school activity
• Call the parent/guardian, send a letter of concern, or request a meeting
• Remove the student from the classroom temporarily (e.g., half or full day)
• Refer the student to the School-Based Team or the Multidisciplinary Team
• Conduct Restorative Justice circles
• Suspend the student from school for a period of one to twenty days
• Suspend the student with a recommendation for expulsion.

School Bussing

Your transportation details can be found by visiting www.stswr.ca (Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region – 519-650-4934) and clicking on Student Login. You will need the following information:

• Ontario Education Number (from report card)
• Student birthdate
• Address

Please note: bussing can take up to 3 days to process after your registration. Please be prepared to make alternate arrangements until bussing is in place.

Parents are responsible for the safety and conduct of their children prior to pick up at the start and after leaving the bus at the end of the day. The bus is an extension of the classroom and all school behavior expectations apply. Riding a school bus is a privilege, not a right. Students who do not respect the rights of others and endanger their life and the lives of others may be suspended from riding the bus. 

 Communication

Communication is imperative to a productive working relationship between home and school. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teachers if you have questions or concerns pertaining to your child or their education. If you are not able to resolve an issue or your concern or question has not been thoroughly addressed please call the main office for administration support. 

In person and phone conversations are usually the most effective in prompt responses and resolutions. 

If you would like to reach out to an educator by email it would be firstname_lastname@wrdsb.ca.

School Day: https://www.school-day.com/

School-Day is an online communication tool that we require all families to sign up for. It is an online portal that lets us instantly share school news and events. This account is helpful for signing up for pizza days, school trips, etc.

To sign up, visit . https://www.school-day.com/ and click Register. Once you have created an account, you will need to add your student’s information which includes a Secure Match Key. Please contact Mrs. Littlejohn in our main office if you do not have your Secure Match Key. For other technical support, call 1-855-253-1731

Emergency School Closing/Inclement Weather Procedures

Severe weather conditions, power failure, water loss or breakdown of the heating system could lead to a school closure. 

During periods of severe weather, your best source of information about school closing is the WRDSB website.  You will also hear this information on local radio or television stations. Communication will begin at 6:00 a.m. 

You might hear the following:

• All public schools in Waterloo Region District School Board are closed.
• Only certain schools are closed.  
• An announcement that transportation is canceled.

**If you are concerned about the weather conditions, you have the option of keeping your child home.  Please call the Attendance Line if this is the case. 

Asynchronous learning opportunities can be found on the WRDSB Learn at Home page.

Nutrition Break Expectations

We have two 40 minute Nutrition Breaks: 10:55am -11:35am and 1:35 pm-2:15pm.  All students are expected to follow school expectations  during the breaks both in the classrooms and on the playground.  

Outdoor Portion of the Break: Students will go outside for 20min rain or shine! Please dress according to the weather.

• Be Safe:
  • Check-in with a teacher and get a clothespin if they need to enter the school
  • Not engage in rough housing or horseplay
  • Line-up at their classroom spot and wait for the teacher to let them in as soon as the bell rings
  • Students are expected to stay within the following school boundaries. Students can play in all 4 zones regardless of their grade:

• Be Respectful:
  • Speak kindly to one another
  • Invite friends to join in play – keep an eye on the Buddy Bench
  • Take space or ask an adult for help if you are upset

Indoor Portion of the Break: Students will spend 10min eating while listening to quiet music and 10 min eating while chatting quietly

• Be Safe:
  • Remain in their seat throughout the nutrition break
  • Touch only their own food
  • Do not share their food with other students
  • Remember: our school is nut free!
• Be Respectful:
  • Tidy up their desk and the floor so the classroom is ready for learning
  • Put garbage from lunches back in their lunch bags to go home (we are a Boomerang lunch school)
  • Ask to go to the bathroom or fill their water bottle before leaving the room
• Do Your Job:
  • Eat your lunch quietly for the first 10min and then chat so everyone has the opportunity to eat
  • Choose a quiet activity (reading, writing, drawing) when you are done eating
  • Wait until a teacher dismisses you to put your lunchbag away

Personal Devices and Electronics. 

Students are strongly encouraged to keep their personal devices at home; however, if they do bring their personal devices to school, they must remain in their school bags and out of sight unless otherwise specified by the teacher.  The school in no way assumes any responsibility for devices that students bring to school.  Any damage, theft or vandalism incurred will not be assumed by the school. 

With the development of a new generation of electronic devices, many of which incorporate cameras or video recorders, we are becoming more concerned with privacy in our schools. Students and staff have the right to expect that their actions will not be recorded without their permission while at school. 

All students/ families will be expected to complete a Responsible Use form in order for students to use provided WRDSB devices. 

If a student has a device out through the day:

• 1st time – device is delivered to the office and picked up at the end of the day
• 2nd time – device is delivered to the office and picked up at the end of the day, and a phone call home is made
• 3rd time – device is delivered to the office and a phone call home is made, and a plan with parents is put into place 

Safe Schools Reminders

Bicycles/Scooters/Longboards etc

Items with wheels must be walked on school property and then parked and locked in our bicycle racks. Wearing helmets is the law.  The school can presume no responsibility for loss of or damage to bicycles etc.

Dogs

We would like to remind everyone that dogs are not allowed on school property.  While we love dogs, and understand that you want to exercise your pet, we must not run the risk of children being injured or scared on our property.  With so many children and parents gathered before and after school, animal behavior is not predictable enough to be able to guarantee safety for all. Thank you for complying with this rule. 

Doors

All doors at Smithson are locked throughout the day to ensure the safety of our children. The Safe Welcome program monitors who enters and exits the building. In order to gain entry to the school through the front entrance during the day, parents have to ring the buzzer on the exterior wall to the left of the front door. Sometimes, there may not be anyone available to immediately answer your call so we ask for your patience as we work together to keep our students safe.

While we recognize that it is a common courtesy in many environments to open/hold the doors for others, please do not allow others into the building. We want to ensure that we know exactly who has been permitted into our school.

All visitors will continue to require permission from the office (and obtain a visitor badge) before entering the hallway. 

Medications

If your child must receive prescription medication while at school, a form needs to be completed and signed by the parent.  Please ask the office for this.  All medication administered by WRDSB personnel must have a prescription and will be kept in a secure location. No over the counter medication should be sent to school. 

Nuts/Tree Nut Products

On January 1st, 2005, Sabrina’s Law came into effect. This law requires that every school establish a plan to address the needs of students with severe allergic reactions. There are students and staff at Smithson PS who have severe allergies to certain food products.  As part of this response, WRDSB schools are ‘nut safe’. This means that we ask that you do not send nuts, nut products or imitation nut products (eg: Wow butter) to school. This includes items that say,  “may contain nuts”.  Students who eat these products before school are reminded to wash their hands and face thoroughly before attending school. 

Parking Lot and Driveway

Our parking lot is a very busy and unsupervised space. We encourage you to access the walking paths and model the correct and safest way to arrive and depart from school. Students are not allowed in the parking lot.  In addition, please refrain from parking in our lot. Parking on-site is only permitted to school and board staff and volunteers. We encourage you to pay careful attention to municipal parking regulations and signage when parking on the street. 

Usage of the front driveway is limited to school buses and authorized transportation vehicles. We appreciate your cooperation in not using this space.

School Council

School Councils are an important part of our school communities. The focus of a School Council is to improve student learning, achievement and well-being and to enhance the accountability of the education system to parents. It is an opportunity to get to know other parents in the community, to work together and to contribute to the overall success of all our students.

If you would like to join our School Council Meetings please complete the form sent home or reach out to the office. 

Volunteers

Family involvement in a child’s education is one of the most important factors in raising student self-esteem and academic achievement. We truly believe “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child”. We realize that each of our families is unique with its own priorities, needs, talents, and time constraints so we try to provide as many different kinds of opportunities for family involvement as possible, such as:

• Help individual or small groups of students
• Chaperone a Field Trip
• Organize or participate in a special event
• Read with small groups of students
• Accompany classes on community walks
• Supervise students during sporting events
• Assist with the Strong Start program

Individuals interested in volunteering during the upcoming school year must complete the WRDSB required Volunteer Interview Form and submit a Police Vulnerable Sector Check. 

Colour Houses

Smithson will continue to use colour houses for the 2025/2026 school year. Last year, colour houses helped to  build our school community, belonging and ownership for all students. Each new student will be assigned to a colour house, identified by one of six colours: red, yellow, purple, orange, blue and green. 

Students will remain in the same colour house for the duration of their time at Smithson. Within their colour houses, students will participate in monthly school wide events, assemblies, challenges and activities. Each colour house will include  students from K-6 and our ACE classes which will  provide opportunities for positive interactions among grade levels. Each colour house will be led by a group of staff members who will act as colour house leaders.

Our aim of the colour house system is to give students a focus of identity outside of their classroom. Students will have the opportunity to meet peers with whom they may not otherwise interact. It also allows our older students to build skills related to citizenship, responsibility, and mentorship.

Students will have the opportunity to earn “coins” by meeting school expectations (be safe, be respectful and do your job) and positive behaviour. These coins can be taken home or added to their colour house collection in order to select a colour house prize (e.g., extra nutrition break, movie in the gym during nutrition break, etc.).

The colour house system is meant to get all students and staff involved in school activities and build school community and a sense of belonging. When all students feel they can be successful and make a difference it creates a positive school climate. We are looking forward to continuing this tradition for the upcoming school year.