HEALTH AND SAFETY
PERSONAL SAFETY OF STUDENT
The School requests families to review good safety habits with their children.
Students should go directly home after school. If students are participating in after school activities and will be leaving school later than 3:30 pm, they are expected to telephone home and explain the situation to parents.
Students should use main roads and sidewalks to go home and walk with a buddy if possible.
Students should use the crosswalks and crossing signals whenever possible.
Students should be alert to cars coming out of driveways and take extra care on streets which lack sidewalks.
Skateboards, scooters and roller blades are not allowed to be used on school grounds.
Students should never speak with strangers.
EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
Call: Contact Number 604-668-6587
State:
• Student's Name
• Division and Teacher
• Date of Absence
• Expected Duration of Absence
The Lord Byng Parent Group assists the school with an Early Warning System. The system alerts parents and teachers to any unexplained student absence. The Early Warning System is designed to inform parents immediately if their child fails to arrive at school. The program is run by volunteer parents who check morning and afternoon attendance at the school.
The way the system works is simple:
1. If a child is going to be absent or late from the school the parent calls the number 668-6587,stating the date of the absence, child's name, division and expected duration of absence.
2. The classroom attendance lists are cross-checked with names telephoned in. If a child who is listed as absent does not appear on the telephone list, the child's parents are called immediately. The entire process takes only a few minutes.
3. Late arrivers must report to the office before going to their classrooms. Students arriving late sign the Late List in the office before going to their classroom. This list is also cross-checked by our volunteers before parents are contacted.
Attendance and Tardiness:
Regular school attendance is a major factor contributing to student success in school. We expect that Byng students will attend school regularly and be punctual, unless ill. Please advise your child's teacher if your child will be absent for an extended period of time.
Early Dismissal:
If students are required to leave school early, written permission from a parent or guardian is required. Students must never leave the school grounds without first notifying their teacher or the school office.
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES
School Nurse:
Our school-community health nurse from the Richmond Health Department visits our school on a regular basis. She may be contacted by telephoning the Richmond Health Department (276-4050). Available health services include hearing and vision screening, immunizations and communicable disease follow-up.
Immunization:
Parent permission is required for any immunization. In the case where a child's immunizations are incomplete or where the school has no record of immunization, the child may be excluded from school in the event of an outbreak of a communicable disease.
Illness of students:
Students who feel ill are accompanied to the office. One member of staff is a qualified First Aid Officer and is available to provide assistance if necessary. A staff member will ensure that parents or alternates are contacted when a student needs to be sent home. Limited school facilities and the inavailability of staff do not allow for the care of sick children at school. Please make alternate arrangements to care for your child when ill and report all communicable diseases to the school nurse or administration.
Emergency Information:
Documentation is kept on computer in the office for each student attending Byng School. A verification sheet is sent home at the beginning of each school year and it is important for families to check the information and make any necessary changes. It is essential that the information saved on the computer is kept up to date at all times to include changes in the status of your child's health, work phone numbers, alternate contact persons,doctors, neighbourhood person authorized to pick up child in event of an earthquake emergency, email address (if available) and out of province/country contact. This information is printed out and taken with the office staff during all fire and earthquake drills as it contains the information that will be used should an emergency occur. Please help us by contacting the school when changes
occur to the information we require for our records.
Medication:
We understand that some students must take medication on a long term basis at school. If this is a necessity for your child, school personnel must obtain the written approval of the Richmond Medical Health Office, the family physician and parent before dispensing any medication. Please contact the office before sending any medication with your child and we will send you a form to be filled out. Students who need short term medication are asked to bring only what is required for the day along with a note for the classroom teacher.
Head Lice:
The Health department updated the practices regarding head lice in 1998. The Health Department reports that recurrent outbreaks of head lice can occur throughout the community (only 10% of the time do they originate at the school). Lice do not carry disease, however, they are a nuisance. Students are not checked for head lice at the school. It is the responsibility of each parent to check their child and report incidents of head lice to the school. Parents are asked to look through their children's hair at least weekly, especially if they complain of an itchy scalp. Look for tiny teardrop-shaped eggs - called "nits", that the lice lay and which are smaller than the head of a pin. Head lice are tiny, wingless, grayish insects which live and breed only inhuman hair.
For treatment, toxic shampoos are no longer recommended. The current recommended treatment of head lice is a process using everyday hair conditioner. If a case is reported in a classroom, all children in that class will receive a notice from the school reminding parents to check for head lice. This notice includes information about the treatment using everyday hair conditioner. If your child has head lice, help us and others by informing the classroom teacher as soon as possible.
A very short, but informative video to assist parents in recognizing and eliminating lice is available in the school library for parents to borrow. The school nurse will provide more detailed information on request.
FIRE AND EARTHQUAKE DRILLS
Fire Drills
• ONE BELL WILL RING
• EVACUATE THE BUILDING
· the teacher will direct you outside, calmly, and in single file.
· use the nearest exit door.
· be sure all windows and doors are shut.
• WAIT QUIETLY AWAY FROM THE BUILDING AT THE OUTSIDE ASSEMBLY AREA
• Each teacher sends one member of the class to the Principal outside the library entrance, to report that their Division is outside.
• ADMINISTRATION TO GIVE 'ALL-CLEAR' SIGNAL
· following the teacher's directions, return to class.
Earthquake Drills
STEP ONE
• A P.A. announcement will indicate the drill.
• Everyone in the school TAKE COVER under desks or tables.
• FACE AWAY from windows.
• ASSUME "CRASH" POSITION on knees, heads down, clasped on back of neck or head covered with book or jacket.
• COUNT ALOUD to 60 (Earthquakes rarely last longer than 60 seconds and counting is calming).
STEP TWO
• EVACUATE THE SCHOOL
· the teacher will direct you outside, calmly, in single file.
· wear your shoes.
· keep calm.
· assemble at the outside assembly area
• THREE BELLS WILL RING
· following the teacher's directions, return to class.
In Case of an Earthquake
• During an earthquake, if students are on their way home, they should continue home. If they are on their way to school, they should continue to school and assemble in the designated area.
• At school we do have a comprehensive earthquake plan in place. This plan is reviewed by the staff and explained to the students each year. Students are told to remain in the designated assembly area in the north field until the designated adult (name on the blue Emergency Form) comes to the school to pick up the student.
• The process to pick up your child is as follows:
1) walk to school to pick up students;
2) go to the reception area which will be set up by the adventure playground on the corner of Second Avenue and Georgia Street and line up in marked area behind letter of the child's last name;
3) once your name is verified by the reception staff, the student will be called by walkie talkie to join you at the reception area.
4) should we have to leave the school area (after 4:00 p.m.), we will walk the students to the Steveston Community Centre or the nearest other Community Emergency Centre. Signs will be posted in the front of the school and at the reception area to let parents know where the students have been been relocated.
It is essential that the adults picking up your child must have their names on file at the school. We will not release the student to any other person. Your cooperation in following our emergency process and procedures will facilitate the safety of all students.
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