Procedures

School Procedures 

West Hants Education Centre will operate under the following basic principles:

• Students and teachers need to have an opportunity to learn in a safe and comfortable setting. 

• Students need to develop and demonstrate respect for themselves and others to function successfully in society. 

• Due to the smaller size and the nature of this program, West Hants Education Centre staff may seek to find creative consequences for dealing with minor misbehavior in order to avoid suspensions since these can often be counter-productive. Illegal and severely disruptive behavior will be exceptions to this process.

• Students will be expected to follow the Provincial School Code of Conduct Policy. 

School Supplies/Student Fees

All school supplies are provided by the school. However, we ask that each student pay a $50 student fee (waived for 2020-2021) at the beginning of the school year. This fee will also provide students with a personal water bottle as well as help offset the costs of adventure and community-based activities. We will do our best to cover the majority of costs through our general school budget.

Semesters

Semester one will run from September 7th, 2024 to January 30th, 2025.  Semester Two will run from February 1, 2025 to June 30th, 2025.

Changing/Dropping Courses

Since we are a small school, course offerings at the high school level are limited in comparison to other high schools. As a result, students will be unable to add, change, or drop courses. Students will be expected to participate in all courses for the entire semester/year. If they are having difficulty, we will work together with success as the common goal.

Attendance

Regular school attendance is an integral part of learning.  Punctuality and dependability are important traits for life in the world of work after high school.  For these reasons, students are expected to maintain regular and punctual attendance, missing time only when absolutely necessary. The provincial attendance policy is designed to identify and address absenteeism before it becomes a problem for students through early and targeted interventions. 

Under the policy:

• Students will be considered absent unless they are attending an activity that directly relates to their learning, or a school activity 

• Addressing absenteeism or chronic lateness will vary based on the age, grade and the individual circumstances of the student. Parents/Guardians of students whose attendance pattern is of concern will be contacted by the school at various intervals to discuss attendance issues and to strategize on steps to improve attendance for the student

• Teachers will not be required to prepare additional materials or release test and exam information ahead of their release to the class 

• Grade 10 to 12 students who miss more than 20 per cent of class time for a given course may lose a credit for that course based upon individual circumstance and the professional judgment of the teacher and principal 

In the event that a student is absent from school:

• the parent/guardian calls the school on the day of the absent

• upon returning to school, the student must submit a note signed by their guardian

• the note must indicate the day(s) missed and the reason for absence

Smoking/Vaping

The Nova Scotia Legislation Bill No. 125, "An Act to Protect Young Persons and Other Persons from Tobacco Smoke" came into force on January 1, 2003.   The Act specifically states in 5 (1) (b):  "No person shall smoke in any enclosed place that is or includes a school, community college or university" and (2):  "No person shall smoke on the grounds of a school."   

We support legislation against tobacco use and/or vaping, however; recognize the need to protect the safety of students. Students over the age of 16 with written permission will be permitted smoke or vape in the designated smoking area during recess and noon hour. Other students are not permitted in the designated smoking section.

Race Relations, Cross Cultural Understanding & Human Rights

West Hants Education Centre supports the rights of all students and staff to work in an environment that respects the dignity and rights of all persons.  Any harassment or discrimination that may be based on race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, political or ethnic affiliation, association with identified groups, marital or family status, socio-economic status, physical or mental disabilities will not be tolerated.  Under AVRCE policy, all incidents of harassment must be reported to regional staff.  There is also a provision of appropriate counseling services for any person who has been the victim of this type of harassment.  It is important that any incidents of this type of harassment are reported immediately to a teacher or the principal to ensure that appropriate action is taken.  No one has the right to treat others in this manner, and no one should be victimized by this type of harassment.  

Cell Phones

The use of a cell phone during class time can be disruptive to both learning and teaching.  For this reason, students are not permitted to have or use their phones during instructional (class) time. 

Parents/Guardians are asked not to call or message students during class time. If a student needs to receive an emergency phone call, please call the school office at 902-792-6750. 

Scent Aware

Our school supports a scent-aware environment because fragrance chemicals can trigger allergies, asthma, and migraines for some people. Please avoid wearing perfume, cologne, and strong deodorants. Those who choose to ignore the request of having a scent-aware environment will be required to wash off the scented product or change clothes. Please respect the health of those around you.

Bus Procedures (for WHEC students who travel on the bus)

In the morning students will take the regular bus to Avon View High School. At 8:55 a.m. sharp, the WHEC bus will depart. At 3:05 p.m. a bus will return students to Avon View High School to catch their bus back home.

The driver of the school bus has the responsibility of maintaining order and discipline on the bus.  The driver has the obligation to report any problems or incidents, in writing, to the Transportation Supervisor and Principal who will then investigate the incident.  If the incident is serious enough, a student’s privilege of traveling on the bus may be suspended for a period of time or lose their bus privilege.  The Principal will notify the parent/guardian of such a suspension and their rights/responsibilities in the matter. Please keep in mind that having your bus privileges suspended could seriously complicate your ability to attend WHEC and/or participate in the activities of our program. Losing your privileges could result in you being asked to leave the program.

Students are expected to remain seated on the school bus, not make excessive noise, and not indulge in behaviour that distracts the driver or is potentially harmful to the safety of others. Your personal well-being and safety is important to us!

Computer and Chromebook Use

Students rely on a variety of information sources including the internet to support and extend their learning. Our school operates under the guidelines for computer/internet use as outlined in the Provincial School Network Access and Use Policy. 

It is understood that by making use of a computer or Chromebook in the AVRCE computer network, students will observe appropriate rules regarding computer use, including:

• using proper network/internet etiquette (ie: not revealing personal or private information about yourself or others, keep passwords confidential , using only your own files, etc)

• no food or drink around computers

• not view sites or send/view email containing inappropriate content (ie: vulgar, profane, illegal substances, promoting violence, racist, discriminatory, etc)

• not harass, intimidate, threaten or bully others by use of the internet, chat or email.

• report any computer problems to school staff immediately

• other rules as designated by school staff

Failure to comply by these rules will result in the loss of computer use privileges, which could greatly impact the student’s ability to be successful in their course work since the use of the computer has become an integral part of many school course requirements.