Safe Arrival Attendance Policies

SAFE ARRIVAL, DISMISSAL AND ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES

Niagara Children’s Centre School Authority promotes and supports the safe arrival of students to and from school.

A safe-arrival program is a system of procedures that are performed together with daily school attendance taking to account for any pupil’s unexplained failure to arrive at school. It also sets out a procedure to ensure that students are returned home to a supervising adult/caregiver.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Implementation of the school’s Safe Arrivals Policy is the joint responsibility of parents and/or guardians and school staff.

Parents and/or guardians are responsible for their children’s safety;

1. for communicating planned pupil absences or lateness to school on a timely basis;

2. for providing the school with complete and current emergency information to enable the school to make necessary follow-up contacts;

3. and for making appropriate arrangements for the safe return of children to their home at the conclusion of the school day.

The school is responsible for timely and effective follow-up with parents and/or guardians to account for a child’s unexplained failure to arrive at school or to make arrangements for the safe return of a child to their home, where circumstances require early dismissal.

PROCEDURES

1. The school will maintain on file the names and current telephone numbers, in order of priority, of parents, guardians, caregivers, or other individuals to be notified in case of unexplained absences or special circumstances.

2. Parents are required to contact the school to report student absence prior to the start of classes; an answering machine is available at the school office to leave a message, if necessary.

3. Daily attendance will be checked by the classroom teachers and forwarded to the office as soon as possible after normal student entry time.

4. The school will contact the parent or guardian regarding any unexplained absence to confirm knowledge of the student’s absences from school. Parents and guardians should understand that it may be necessary to contact them at work, call emergency numbers, or contact nearby neighbours or relatives.

5. Parents are required to meet their child when the student is delivered home by the bus.

6. In the event that no adult is home to receive the student, the bus driver will contact the Principal.

7. In the event of the above, the Principal will contact the emergency number kept on file at the school office.

8. In the interim, the Principal will make whatever arrangements are required to ensure the safety of the child.

9. The Principal will ensure that the above procedures are effectively communicated to parents.