Our school is named in honor of St. John Bosco. He spent himself wholly in educating youth, whom he believed to be the promise of tomorrow. When asked about the secret of his success with young people, he simply answered: "love......". We celebrate the feast day of this great man on January 31.

By 1963, St. John Bosco Parish and rectory were planned and completed. On May 12, 1964, the church was Blessed by Bishop Klein. The parish and the school have worked together ever since then.

With Christ at the center and students as our focus we promote our school motto of "Reason, Religion and Respect."

We encourage students not to arrive before 8:45 A.M., unless they are involved in extra curricular activities or have arranged with the homeroom teacher for extra assistance.

Our school day is scheduled in the following manner:

Students are assigned to one of four house league teams. These are: Eagles, Grizzlies, Killer Whales and Wolverines. Throughout the year, points for their house can be gained by participating in assemblies, spirit days and other school activities. Within their respective houses students select a male and female house leader. Members of each house work cooperatively all year to attain the house award in June.

Students are encouraged to participate in the activities offered. The following is a guideline for seasonal activities.

Our intent is to offer these programs to develop student pride, spirit and skill. All students, no matter how skillful, are welcome to participate.

There are three reporting periods in the Saskatoon Catholic Schools. They are in the following months: November, March and June. Students set learning goals each term, collect pieces of their work for their portfolios, reflect on their work regularly, determine whether or not they are achieving their goals, and share the information with parents/ guardians and teachers at three-way conferences. This is an extremely important part of the learning process. We encourage all parents/ guardians to be actively involved.

This year we will send home school newsletters twice a month, on the first and third Wednesday of each month. In special situations we will send home a supplementary memo. Teachers will also communicate with letters and information bulletins with regard to activities in their classrooms.

If your child will be absent from school because of illness or for any other reason, we require a phone call or advance notice. We will attempt to reach any parent whose child is absent without notice. Students who are late must report to the office coordinator before going to class. These procedures are an important part of our safety plan.

To support these values, we have implemented the Responsibility Program.:

The focus is that every student is responsible for his or her own behavior. Students are accountable for maintaining all of the values that the STARR program represents. Students whose actions go against these values or who behave inappropriately will be managed by using a series of time out interventions:

Time Out 1 - Students will be given an "in class" or "on the spot" warning.

Time Out 2 - Students will be isolated by the teacher and must develop a behavior plan for more appropriate behavior before returning to the class or activity. This plan may be verbal, but is usually written.

Time Out 3 - Students will be sent to the Responsibility Room to fill out their plan.

The Responsibility Room provides an opportunity for the student to be separated from the environment in which his or her behavior has been inappropriate. It is a place for the students to calm down, think about the behavior and develop a plan before returning to the class or activity. A staff member can spend time with each student to counsel him/ her as they develop a plan and learn from this experience.

To ensure that parents are aware that their child has been referred to the Responsibility Room, students will bring their behavior plans home for their parents to sign. If the form is not returned, a contact will be made to ensure and confirm that the information has been shared.

To affirm the students who consistently meet STARR values, deserving students in each grade will have their names entered in a weekly draw. Students will be acknowledged at school assemblies for their STARR valued behavior.

Class instruction will take place through the first few weeks to ensure that all students clearly understand that they will be expected to take responsibility to include these values in their everyday life and actions.

If inappropriate behaviors continue, parents will be asked to attend a meeting with the teacher and an administrator to design a plan to assist the student in achieving success.

For student behavior that is considered dangerous, illegal or insubordinate, consequences may include an out of school suspension or relocation to another program.

We have a Study Hall at the school. It runs daily after school in the library for 30 minutes, and is assigned to students who have not completed their assigned work. Teachers and teacher associates supervise Study Hall. Students may also voluntarily attend Study Hall if they wish to get extra help with their work.

1. To provide nonprofessional help to teachers so that they can focus more on direct instructional tasks.

2. To provide a two-way communications system between school and community.

3. To tap the wealth of resources available in the community.

Some areas which require volunteers are the library, classroom support, Community School Council activities, clerical work and supervision on out of school excursions. We welcome your calls and assistance in one or more areas.

Students are welcome to eat lunch at school. However, eating lunch at school is a privilege and students are asked to respect it. We try to provide a safe, quiet and orderly eating environment. To ensure the safety of your child, we require that any student who eats lunch at school remain at the school for the entire lunch period. Supervision of students is provided for the entire lunch period.

Students eat their lunch in their own desks in their homeroom. The supervised lunch period begins at 12:00 and extends to 12:20 p.m. Each child is expected to clean their own area and wait for dismissal from the staff supervisor.

Please note that the school has three microwaves for student use. When demand is high,

especially during cold weather, line-ups to heat food may occur. Also, St. John is a ‘nut-free’ school. Please keep these two factors in mind when preparing lunches for your child.

Students can purchase 2% milk, vico or juice from noon to 12:10 daily. The cost is 60 cents each or milk cards are available at the office for a cost of $6.00 for eleven drinks.

This program began several years ago to feed hungry children. The goal is to support community efforts to provide nutritious food to hungry children who may not be receiving adequate nutrition at home. The program runs from September to June with meals available from 8:40 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 - 12:15 p.m.

Homework may be assigned at any grade level at the teachers’ discretion. Here are basic principles regarding homework:

At St. John School one of our goals is to put on the ‘Mind of Christ’. To achieve this goal students receive Religious instruction weekly and participate in the celebration of the Sacraments, mainly the Eucharist and Reconciliation. Students are also given the opportunity to pray daily, and to actively participate in seasonal liturgical celebrations like Advent and Lent.

Parents and guardians are always invited and welcome to celebrate the Eucharist with the school whenever mass is scheduled. We will keep you informed of these dates through the school newsletter. It is important to gather and pray together as a school community.

St. John Bosco Church is our sacred place of worship.

Family Life Instruction

The Family Life Program, FULLY ALIVE, was implemented in 1994 for all students from grades one to eight.

Parents may receive a family book upon request, which can be used to complement the program at home.

Field trips are an experiential method of learning and are used to extend and enhance learning. They may also be recreational and a complement to the physical education program. The close proximity to Kinsmen Arena and Riversdale Pool give us an excellent opportunity to use these facilities. Parents/ guardians are always invited to help with field trips. You will always be informed about excursions and may have to complete a permission slip for your child to participate.

The School Division is providing bus transportation to and from school for students residing in the King George neighborhood, in the area from Ave. H to Ave. P between 11^th Street and 17^th Street. In addition, they are providing bus transportation to students residing in the Riversdale neighborhood, between Ave. H and Idylwyld, from 22^nd Street to the river. Please contact the school for further details.

There will be a staff members on supervision at all breaks. Students should be dressed appropriately to go outside for recess breaks. If the wind chill factor is high or the weather is inclement, students may stay indoors.

The School Division conducted an extensive consultation last spring with students, parents and staff regarding this topic. They developed and approved a policy following those discussions. Using that policy as a base, we have had input from the Community School Council, students and staff, and now have in place our own policy.

The policy is:

Bullying is when a person is treated in a way that causes emotional, physical or psychological harm.

Students have a right to a positive and caring environment free of bullying activity.

Students have a responsibility to report any bullying activities that happen to themselves or others.

The school will respond as quickly as possible to reports of bullying, and will follow the processes described in School Division policy IDD when doing so.

The School and Community School Council will periodically evaluate policies and procedures as they relate to bullying.

If you’d like a copy of policy IDD and aren’t able to get it off of the School Division website, (www.scs.sk.ca) please call the school and we’ll print one off and send it to you.

To ensure the safety of all property we encourage you to mark your child’s name on personal items. Bicycles should be locked to the fence or bike racks with a secure lock.

There is a lost and found box located by the grade one room. Feel free to look through the box at any time.

Clothing should be appropriate to the activity and the age of the student, and be clean, modest, and neat.

Some examples of what not to wear are:

-clothing or accessories with alcohol, tobacco, or drug references or obscene designs or words

-exposed undergarments

-strapless or spaghetti strap tops

-gang-related styles or symbols

-midriff or lower back baring shirts

-shorts, skirts and dresses of an inappropriate length.

The entire School Division Dress Code Policy is available on the Division website. It is policy IDBB. If you are unable to access it electronically and would like a copy, please let us know and we will print one off for you.

If your child requires medication to be administered by the school, please come to the school for further information. There are special policies which govern the administration of medications. We require parental and medical authorization.

Students attending St. John School requiring the services of Saskatoon Transit may purchase bus tickets through the school office. The monthly rate is $16.00 per student or $32.00 per family. The students receive enough tickets for the number of school days for each month.

Registration for the Kindergarten program begins in January of each year. Your child is eligible for registration for the 2006-2007 school year if he or she turns five by January 31, 2007. Registration can be completed by phoning the office at 659-7360 or by stopping at the school office. Proof of birth and a Baptismal certificate for Catholic children need to be provided prior to attendance.

Registration for Pre-Kindergarten begins on the first school day in January of each year and continues until the program is full. Your child is eligible for registration for the 2006-2007 school year if he or she is three years of age at the onset of the program. Registration can be completed by filling out a registration form. Pre-Kindergarten has a maximum enrollment of 16 children. There is no cost for this program.

If teachers recognize the need to refer a student, we will contact the parents before beginning this service. As well, parents may request counseling for their children. Our school Counselor is Annette Kinal-Charpentier.

St. John School offers the services of a Home and School Liaison worker, Kathy Woytowich. Her role is to facilitate communication between the home and school.

Bingos financially assist the schools by giving them opportunities to explore new and innovative educational opportunities. Donating time to help work a bingo not only benefits your children, but also the school as a whole.

Bingo credits are obtained by working a 3 to 4 hour bingo. Your effort is honored by a $25.00 credit that can be used toward the following: