Welcome Back Sundevils 2019

SD Summer Newsletter and Start-Up Info 2019

SDSS Permission Forms Information

Reporting Student Absence

To report a student absence please:

1. Contact the school office or
2. Notify the school by email sec.cims@deltasd.bc.ca or
3. Send a message through Parent Connect.

Absences should be reported as early as possible on the day of the absence to allow a Parent Advised code to be entered into the system. Any unreported absences will result in an automated email from the student system, which will email a message by default.  Students must also provide teachers with a note from a parent to explain their absence.

Guidelines For Student Illness At School

School is a place where students come to actively participate in learning, to engage in physical activities and to socialize.  In the course of the school year, children often become ill and then parents must make a decision as to whether their child can or should attend school.  The following are some guidelines in determining when a child should not be at school:

• If your child is developing an acute cold or influenza with fever, runny nose and/or eyes, and sore throat
• If your child has a persistent cough
• If your child has a fever over 38 degrees centigrade (100 degrees Fahrenheit)
• If your child has diarrhea or vomiting
• If your child has a communicable disease, e.g. Chicken pox, measles, rubella, mumps. If your child contracts a communicable disease, please notify the school so that other families can be alerted.

Children who have a fever, vomiting or diarrhea should be free of these symptoms for 24 hours before returning to school.

Extended Absences

The purpose of this article is to explain our School’s and School District’s position regarding extended absences from school for other than medical reasons.  These absences occur when parents decide to remove students from school for extended vacations or other family matters.

Schools are not in a position to grant or deny permission to any student to leave school early for family holidays.  That decision is the parent’s responsibility, however, possible consequences from such a decision should be considered.  First, important learning is missed during any absence, and all absent students are at a disadvantage compared to those in regular attendance.  Providing assignments for the student to complete while on an extended holiday is for the most part an ineffective substitute for attending classes.  Therefore, there can be no guarantees regarding the student’s progress and final standing.  Tutoring may be necessary to allow the student to catch up with work that has been missed.  Parents would be responsible for the arrangement and cost of such tutoring.

Second, if the absence is extended beyond one month, or if the return date is not certain, the student’s place in the class or school may be lost.  The district endeavours to provide an appropriate educational program for students, but can determine where that will take place.  It is important to recognize that the first priority for a teacher is to help those students who are in regular attendance.  Teachers are not obliged to provide homework in advance for students to take with them on vacation. In conclusion, students are expected to make a sincere effort to catch up on learning missed for any reason.  If you wish further clarification of this matter, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Locker Assignments

Students that selected a locker during course selection will be before the start of the year. The locker number and combination will be posted to Student Connect prior to the first day of school. Any available lockers will be assigned on a first come, first serve basis. Forms will be available at the office. Students should have their own lock for the PE change rooms in order to properly secure their belongings.  The school is not responsible for the loss of any items from their locker in the hallway or in the PE change rooms.

Student Agendas / SDSS App

Printed agendas will be distributed to all Grade 8, International and LAC students. The Agenda contains a calendar of events for the 2019/2020 school year as well as a daily planning calendar that students are encouraged to use to record homework, assignments, and test dates. All students in Grade 9 through 12 are encouraged to download the My School App which contains all the information of the print agenda.

This 1-page introductory sheet on downloading the app, initial setup, and switching from the old app.  It includes QR and Snap codes that will take the user to the correct app store page to download the new app.

This is a 1-page introductory sheet on downloading the app and initial setup targeted at new users: It does not include information on switching from the previous app.  It includes QR and Snap codes that will take the user to the correct app store page to download the new app.

Textbooks

 The school lends textbooks to students for use during the school year.  Students are held responsible for their textbooks and are required to pay replacement costs for lost texts and repair costs for damaged texts.

Photographs

All students will have their pictures taken on Tuesday, September 10^th.  Photos are required for Transit ID, yearbooks, and certificates.  If you would like to purchase a photo package please logon to www.artonagroup.com to choose your package and pay for your selection.  Appropriate attire is required for photographs and hats are not to be worn.  Students will be accompanied by their classroom teacher.  Retakes are scheduled for the morning of Thursday, October 3rd  at 8:30am.

Protocol for Parent Concerns at South Delta Secondary

If parents have concerns about general school procedures or issues stemming from their child’s classroom, there is a procedure for raising those concerns.

If the concerns originate in the classroom, the first and most important person to communicate those issues with is your child’s teacher with a phone call, email, or with making an appointment to meet with the teacher.  If in this discussion you continue to have unresolved concerns then it is appropriate to be in contact with your child’s counsellor.

If your concern is not addressed to your satisfaction after the counsellor has intervened, then please come directly to the vice-principal of your child’s grade.  If there is still an outstanding concern, contact the principal.

We are always willing to speak with parents to explain how and why particular decisions have been made and to listen openly to suggestions that might make our school community a better place.  We will do our best to work along with you to solve problems.

We want South Delta to be a community that supports children’s learning and nurtures the hearts of children and families.  To maintain a positive working relationship, please follow the protocol as outlined when difficulties arise.  Sharing difficulties in more round about ways (eg. classroom e-mail lists, social media sites that are public forums or have open pages, or playground discussions, etc.) in isolation of school staff does not support a positive school community and in fact leads to misinformation and hard feelings.

It is imperative that we remain respectful in our interactions and solve problems in a way that benefits everyone.  Our children are watching our examples.

Parking and Pick Up/Drop off Areas

With nearly 1,500 students and staff coming to South Delta Secondary School every day, the traffic before 8:30am and after 2:50pm is quite congested.  To ensure the safety of all when traffic is busy, please use the designated areas when dropping off or picking up your son/daughter from SDSS.  The preferred place to pick up or drop off students is the parking lot off of 8A Avenue.  It is not the closest to the school, but the lot has the most area to ensure everyone is safe. Please do not enter the staff parking lot. Happy safe driving!

An Important Message for Students and Parents Regarding Plagiarism

The staff of South Delta Secondary School shares a concern about plagiarism in various assignments and projects that have been handed in by students.  A common misconception by students is that rewriting something is not plagiarism because they are “putting it in their own words”; however, the majority of plagiarism is a result of text manipulation.   Plagiarism, according to the American College Dictionary is “copying or imitating the language, ideas and thoughts of another author, and passing off the same as one’s own original work.”  If the source is not officially acknowledged, it is plagiarism.  Plagiarism is dishonest.

The following is the policy of South Delta Secondary School concerning plagiarism:

1. Whenever students use any idea derived substantially and directly from a published work, from a fellow student, or from any other source, they must explicitly acknowledge the nature and extent of the indebtedness.
2. Whenever students borrow three or more words, an original term, or a distinctive turn of phrase from a published work, from a fellow student or from any other source, they must enclose the borrowed element in quotation marks and explicitly acknowledge their indebtedness.

Appropriate Dress for School

SDSS recognizes the importance of teenage clothing styles and understands that not all of the current styles are appropriate attire to wear to school.

Our school is not unlike a place of business, where there are appropriate standards of dress that communicate respect for self and others. At all times, we expect that students will avoid wearing clothing that is too revealing and informal. We ask students to be mindful of others and respectful of their sensitivities. Delta School District is obligated to provide a safe and comfortable work environment for all its employees and a suitable learning environment for all students. We ask parents and students for their support. Please speak with your student(s) about the necessity of wearing work-appropriate clothing to school. If you wish further clarification of this matter, please contact the school at 604-943-7407.

Flex Time at SDSS

Flex Time is instructional time for all students 4 days a week (every day except Wednesday).  It allows students to increase in their academic success by taking a more pro-active role in their learning.  During Flex Time students have 40 minutes of time to access curricula, teachers, peers and facilities.  Flex Time allows students to determine their priorities for learning and to act on these in a timely fashion. The goals for students during Flex Time include improving time management and student responsibility as well as encouraging self-regulation and the pursuit of passions.  Each Wednesday of the year, students will start school at 9:30 providing collaboration, preparation and administration time for staff between 8:30 and 9:30.

During Flex Time students are expected to:

1. be in a designated learning space,
2. arrive in their flex class on time and stay in the class for the whole period,
3. go to classrooms of teachers with whom they are presently enrolled,
4. complete past due work/tests, as requested by their teachers (or other designated learning space such as library, cafeteria or gym), or
5. work on school work (either individually or in groups), special interest (passion) projects, or silent reading during Flex Time.

Students cannot use Flex Time for:

1. socializing,
2. using electronic devices for time-wasting entertainment,
3. walking around the halls/visiting/going for a snack,
4. leaving the school for lunch/appointments/breaks/jobs,
5. going to unsupervised areas, or
6. regular classes, practices, rehearsals or club meetings.

Flex Time is introduced with a series of lessons on topics like time management, goal setting, self-awareness/self-regulation, and growth-mindset that will help students to productively use their time.

Grad Transitions

All Grad Transitions information can be found here.

Class of 2020

We’d like to give a special “welcome back” to the members of this year’s graduating class, the class of 2019. For most of you (and your parents), this year has arrived very quickly. This is clearly an exciting and important time in your life and if you apply yourself and commit to maintaining a healthy balance in your life and in your schooling, you will be rewarded. At the completion of this school year you will be moving on to post-secondary studies or to careers in the world of work.

It is important, therefore, that each of you have as successful a year as you can. By doing your best you will be able to put yourself in a good position for next year and be able to keep many options open.

As the graduating class you also have a key role to play in the life of South Delta Secondary School. You can, and should, provide both leadership and a sense of purpose to the rest of the student body. Make this year a positive one!

As individuals, and as a collective, you have tremendous potential. Set goals for yourselves and, with the help of your teachers and parents, go after them. Have a great senior year!

Grad Fees

 At the beginning of the school year the grade 12’s are assessed a $40.00 “Grad Fee”. This fee goes towards the cost of the Valedictory Event. There will be additional costs for the Grad Dinner and Dance and the Dry Grad After Party.

Grade 12 Parent Evening – Thursday, September 26^th

Grade 12 is an important and exciting year and we are pleased to welcome all grade 12 parents to an information evening on Thursday, September 26^th, at 7pm in the Equinox Theatre. School staff will provide parents with an overview of graduation activities, scholarships and post-secondary applications as well as important timelines. Representatives from 2019‘s Dry Grad Committee will also be on hand to talk to parents about Dry Grad. Grade 12 students are welcome and encouraged to attend with their parents.