Parents Page

Welcome to the Urban Academy Parents' section. Here you will find a few resources to keep you up to date on what is going on at Urban Academy.

The Parent Handbook for the 2010/11 School Year is available here.

The Parent Portal is a password secured page on the website, which gives parents and guardians access to internal or confidential school documents, including Board and Committee Meeting Minutes, Strategic Planning documents, etc. Also available on the Portal is the Community Resource Package, which contains information about the school organizational structure; communications protocol; and Board and committee functions and constitution.

In 2004, the Board of Directors of Urban Academy called into existence the "Urban Academy Parent Support Group (PSG)". The purpose of the Urban Academy PSG is to raise funds for non-core-curricular expenses of Urban Academy; i.e., art supplies, music or sports equipment, field trips. To download a copy of the Parent Support Group Bylaws, click HERE.

Uniforms

School Uniforms can be purchased at:

Cambridge and Company School Uniforms
#112-2455 Dollarton Highway
North Vancouver, BC V7H 0A2
Ph: 604-924-9929
Fax: 604-924-9927

Or you can visit them HERE on their website.

Orientation Day - First Day

The first day of school at Urban Academy will be an introduction to our classroom. You are invited to attend with your child at your regular class time, for a short orientation and a chance for your child to become familiar with the class environment. There will be a Parent Orientation as part of the morning as well.

The next day will be a regular class day. This will be the start of a fabulous year but do bear in mind that there will be some adjustments for the children coming back to a school day schedule and for some, this is a longer day than before. There may be some emotional bumps from fatigue or nerves but this will soon smooth out.

If you are concerned about a teary goodbye on the first day, it usually helps to make it brief. Do not worry, we will contact you if your child stays upset for too long and this is something we are prepared to handle. Most often, it is well over within five minutes.

What to Bring

On the first day, your child should bring:

1. Earthquake Kit: letter of comfort, family photo, small toy or activity, non-perishable snack and beverage.
2. Change of clothes in case of accidents. This does not need to be uniform pieces but please clearly label them.
3. Pair of running shoes for Physical Education that should remain at the school at all times. Please label the inside of your child's shoes.

Arrival and Pick Up Times

Arrival and pick-up times are as follows:

Junior Kindergarten:                9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m.

Kindergarten to Grade Six:      8:45 a.m. 3:15 p.m.

Grade Seven to Ten:               8:45 a.m. 3:30 p.m.

Please call if your child will be late or sick. In the event that child does not arrive at school within 15 minutes of start time, and no call has been received from their Parent/Care Giver to explain the child's absence, a call home or to emergency contacts will be made in order to confirm the safety of the child.

Leave a message if the teacher is not able to answer the phone. The teacher can hear the phone ring and will receive your message within 10 minutes. It is not necessary to keep calling until the teacher answers the phone.

It is important that your child arrives on time for the start of class and is picked up promptly at the scheduled time. Late arrivals disrupt the start of class and late pick-ups can cause inconvenience for our teaching staff as well as safety concerns for our students.

At Urban Academy, we have a Code of Conduct that we have the students and parents sign. Part of this declares that the students will arrive on time. This commitment sets a tone of respect for our Teachers and the other students and is an important part of creating a positive atmosphere.

The Board has put in the following policy:

1. If a child is late arriving or being picked up twice, a letter of warning will be sent to the family reminding them of our policy.
2. If another late pick up occurs, a penalty fee may be charged.
3. If there is further tardiness, the Board may consider further action addressing the family's commitment to the school.

Food

All children should bring a small, healthy snack, in addition to their lunch.

Please do not pack candy, gum, or extra sweet treats. Also, be aware that the children will be asked to refrain from the sharing and/or trading of foods. They will have opportunities for sharing those things at special event times but overall we want to promote healthy eating habits and encourage the students to only eat food that their parents have packed for them.

Filtered water will be provided so sweet juices and drinks are not necessary. Please inform us of any allergies your child may have, so that we may outline any procedures accordingly.

Illness

If you should have any questions regarding whether your child should attend school, please feel free to call the school to enquire, but a general guideline for remaining at home is as follows:

1. If your child is not well enough to fully participate in the program.
2. If your child has a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, sore throat, persistent cough, acute cold symptoms or suspected communicable disease.

In the event that you do decide to keep your child home from school, please call the school so that we are aware that they will not be attending, and in the case of a suspected communicable disease, may make other parents aware to watch their children for symptoms.

If your child becomes ill at school these are the procedures we will follow:

1. Your child will be made comfortable while we attempt to reach you.
2. If the staff cannot reach you, your emergency contact will be called.
3. The child will be sent home with whomever of these we can contact.

Medication Administration

No medication will be administered without the proper consent forms filled out by the parents for any prescription or non-prescription drugs. This must include dosage and times to be given.

Safety Guidelines

It is of paramount importance to us that we have a safe school environment on a daily basis. This comes first and foremost to any planning or policies at Urban Academy.

Your children will be supervised at all times. We will not permit any aggressive, inappropriate, or careless behavior in the classroom that will pose any safety risk to a student or teacher. Strict adherence to safety rules will be maintained on field trips and a first aid kit with each child's emergency information will accompany the class on each outing. Our staff will have first aid training.

In the event of an emergency, the following procedures will be followed:

1. Attempt to contact a parent or guardian.
2. Attempt to contact the child's physician.
3. Attempt to contact you through any of the persons listed as emergency contacts.

If we cannot contact any of the above, we may do any or all of the following:

1. Call a pediatrician.
2. Call an ambulance.
3. Have the child taken to the nearest emergency ward or hospital.

Any expenses incurred from any of the above emergency procedures will be borne by the child's family.

The school will not be responsible for anything that may happen because of any incomplete or incorrect information given at the time of enrollment. It is the parent or guardian's responsibility to make sure that phone numbers etc. are kept up to date.

Fire and earthquake drills will be practiced on 3 times per year and the classroom will have an earthquake kit with enough supplies to attend to all the children for at least three days. In the event of a delay beyond 3 days, the child will be sent home with either an emergency contact, a teacher, or an appropriate care giver from the school with adequate information left for you at the school on how to reach them.

No strangers will be allowed in the classroom and only authorized adults will be allowed to pick children up from school.

In the event that your child does not arrive at school within 15 minutes of start time, and no call has been received by the teacher to explain the child's absence, a call home or to emergency contacts will be made in order to confirm the safety of the child.

It is also important to note that the school follows the legal procedures outlined for the reporting of child abuse. There is a pamphlet available in the parent library for your information.

Guidance and Discipline Policies

A key part of discipline is being aware of the possible causes of the need for it. A fun filled and interesting lesson plan and recognition of individual interests go along way to preventing a challenge. A small teacher/student ratio allows for more flexibility in schedule and on the spot improvisation based on the interest level and input of the students. In an environment of mutual respect where the children feel listened to and valued, the need for discipline versus guidance becomes minimal.

At the start of the year, each family will receive a copy of the Codes of Conduct for the classroom and school environment to provide clarity and simplicity. The students will be helped to understand and model these positive objectives according to their age and ability. Modeling of the proper behavior, speech, and positive outlook by teachers and parents is also an expected part of being present in the classroom.

Another strong element in the implementation of discipline is the recognition and awareness of a child's emotions and finding positive and safe ways of expressing these emotions.

In the event of a challenge the following procedure will be followed:

1. Students will receive three warnings about a specific behavior before a time out is given.
2. In the event that a time out is required, the teacher will provide some resources to make it a learning experience, versus a punishment. The teacher will play a large part in making sure that the situation is handled with respect. Your child will never be submitted to verbal or physical abuse, denied food or access to the washroom. Any form of correction will be related to the incident involved and handled with the utmost care and sensitivity. Teachers do not usually call home for a time out as this procedure usually works for students.
3. If the behavior continues, the teachers will call the child's parents and so that they may work out a plan together.

If you feel you need to talk to a teacher about a time out or behavior, please contact the teacher right away. The teachers are happy to talk with the parents of their students and to work with them in an open communicative way.

Parent/Teacher Communication

It is of great importance to Urban Academy that there is an open line of communication between parents and teachers. This is vital for your child to get the most out of their time here. As you know your child the best, please bring any thoughts or concerns to the teacher's attention promptly so that she can use that information for your child's benefit.

As the start and finish to class time is very busy, please write a note or book an appointment over the phone so that you can have a quality conversation and the teacher can focus on you and your child's needs.

If you feel that further help is required, please use the following guide for your communications.

1. Contact the Head of School who will assist you and seek out additional resources where required.
2. If it needs further review, the issue may then be brought to the Education Committee.
3. If the Education Committee feels it cannot resolve the issue, it will be brought to the Board of Directors for resolution.

All concerns will be handled with care and open communication.

We follow the concepts outlined in the booklet "Procedural Fairness: Best Practice Guidelines For Independent Schools" and this is available as part of our Parent Library.

Parent involvement in the classroom is welcomed and encouraged, but please arrange this with the teacher beforehand so that the schedule may accommodate your project or presentation. There will be parent/teacher interviews and written reports throughout the year and you will be advised of them well in advance. Observation days are available upon request.

We look forward to sharing a wonderful year with you and your family at Urban Academy.

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