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Welcome to Irma Coulson Public School...Home of the Coyotes!

Here is some information to help your child transition well into school!

School Hours and Supervision Times

All Kindergarten students are supervised by Irma Coulson staff, in the fenced-in Kindergarten area, on the north side of the school. For the safety of all children, the gates are only opened and closed by our staff. Please make sure your child enters the fenced area before leaving. Supervision begins at 8:40 am. Instruction starts at the 8:55 am bell, so students must be in the fenced area before that, in order to avoid being “late” for school. Kindergarten students start dismissal early, at 3:00 pm, so that parents can pick up other school-age children at the 3:15 bell. By 3:30, all children are expected to be picked up, as there is no supervision after that time.

Morning Supervision: 8:40-8:55am

Afternoon Supervision: 3:00-3:30pm

Parking Lot

Our parking lot is closed to parent parking, for the safety of our students and staff. There are many side streets around the school where you can park and walk the rest of the way. If you need to access the parking lot for a special reason, please contact the office to discuss.

Drop-off and Pick-up Expectations

Drop-off and pick-up times can be difficult for some students. We ask that you please do these quickly, considering the needs of other children. After dropping off your child in the morning, please leave immediately. Parents are not allowed in the Kindergarten area or the classroom, for the safety and comfort of all children.

At the beginning of the year, we need time to match children to their parents, please bring a form of photo ID, as we will be asking for ID if we feel the need to do so. If you send anyone in your place to pick-up your child, please ensure your child’s educators are aware of this change and send the pick-up person with a photo ID. We cannot be too safe in dismissing our little ones! Please fill out the First Week Information Form for your child’s educators.

Absences, Lates, Early Pick-ups…

If your child is going to be absent, late or leave early for any reason, please report it to “School Messenger” and inform your child’s educators. When you arrive, report to the office and they will contact the classroom. Children will not be dismissed if the office is not informed.

School Messenger can be accessed in 3 ways, through the HDSB Mobile App. through the go.schoolmessenger.ca website, or over the phone at 1-877-409-6310 (toll-free). This system is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Before and After School Care

If your child will be attending a local day care before and/or after school, they will arrive/depart by bus. These students are brought to the atrium of the school at 3:00 pm and are supervised until they board their bus. If you are picking up your child early from school, please inform both the day care company AND the office at Irma Coulson, so that the bus driver is not expecting them. If you need information on child care please click here.

The YMCA Program also runs out of Irma Coulson. These students are dismissed to their YMCA educators directly from their classroom educators. For more information or to register, please see the YMCA website.

HDSB has further information on before and after school care.

If your family lives far enough away from Irma Coulson, your child may be eligible for Halton busing.

Preparing for School: Here is an idea of what to bring to school

Backpack

A regular sized backpack that will be large enough for all of your child’s belongings including lunch/snacks, water bottle, extra clothing, able to fit a big library book, and school work such as arts, crafts etc.

Water Bottle

A good quality, LEAK-PROOF water bottle labeled with their name that your child can open and close independently.

Dress for the Weather

Dress for all kinds of weather as the children will be learning and playing outside each day. If you feel the need for sunscreen we kindly ask that you put sunscreen on your child before they head off to school. The sun can still be strong at the beginning of the school year and most children will spend an hour during “prime time” out in the sun.

For ideas on the types of outdoor clothing please click here.

Indoor Shoes

Each child needs a pair of velcro shoes to remain in class. Please label all footwear, with first and last names or initial on the inside.

Snacks and Lunch:

Please let your child practice opening and closing all lunch boxes, containers and packages prior to coming to school. Kids should be able to feed themselves independently. A lunch bag could have an ice pack to keep the food fresh and a thermos for keeping meals warm. Let us know if your child has any allergies and and/or requires an Epi-pen, please contact the office.

Extra Clothes:

An extra set of clothing should be packed in a sealed clear zip lock bag with their first and last name. Please pack extra spare clothes especially under garments and socks in case of accidents.

Please label everything!

Toileting Expectations

Children should be fully toilet trained and know proper hand washing routines as well as be able to dress themselves. We can offer verbal help, but we do encourage them to be independent. Please ensure that your child is dressed for school in clothing that helps them be able to redress after toileting. For additional information please read Toilet Learning Tips.

Nutrition and Your Child

Nutrition Breaks

During the school day, your child will have multiple opportunities to eat the healthy snacks/lunches that they bring from home. Please provide your child with an adequate amount of food to last them the entire day.

Importance of Nutrition

Children need proper nutrients to grow healthy and strong. Choosing healthy food options will: