Arrowwood Community School
School
Handbook
2016-2017
Arrowwood Community School
Principal’s Welcome
Welcome to Arrowwood Community School! We are proud of our school and
are excited about the learning possibilities and your child’s individual success!
We are a friendly, family-centered, creative, leadership-focused school and we
desire most of all for students to discover their unique potential as human
beings. Our hope is for students to love learning, collaborating and trying their
best in order to become contributors in our community and in the world.
We believe being a leader is about being responsible,caring and
understanding, organized and thoughtful. Being a leader is about being a role
model to others, staying positive and working towards improvement or change,
within oneself, others or the school/community.
Join us as we strive to INSPIRE LEADERS within our students by challenging them
to reach academic excellence, develop compassion and build skills required for
life! We look forward to seeing you grow!
Sincerely,
Ms. Rachelle Prud’Homme,
Principal
Arrowwood Community School
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Arrowwood Community School!
Thank you for choosing to learn with us!
Arrowwood school’s humble beginnings began in 1915 with a small school located just
outside of the village. In 1920, the Arrowwood Consolidated School (the first one in
Alberta) was built on the present property. There have been additions throughout the
years, and in 1965, the current building was built. In 2012 the school experienced a fire
that caused extensive damage to the building, which has since been beautifully
renovated.
As a Leader in Me school, our
mission is “Inspiring Leaders”
through empowering learning,
creativity and community
connections.
To learn more about the Leader in Me
program: http://www.theleaderinme.org/
7 HABITS OF EFFECTIVE LEADERS:
1. Be Pro-Active
2. Begin with the End in Mind
3. Put First Things First
4. Think Win-Win
5. Seek First to Understand then to be Understood
6. Synergize in Collaboration
7. Sharpen the Saw and Balance
Key questions to help discover your leadership potential…
 What goals will you strive to achieve?
 What knowledge and skills do you need to develop to become the best you can
be?
 How will you choose to learn?
 In what ways are you creative?
 How will you support and contribute to our community?
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Habits of Leaders in Learning
1. Be Proactive: You’re in Charge!

follow the dress code, school expectations and think about your choices

wear your indoor shoes, gym shoes for gym and clean up after yourself

show respect for the learning environment
o
o
be respectful of others – kindness goes a long way!
treat school property with care and respect
o
seek staff permission to use personal owned devices
2. Begin with the End in Mind: Have a Plan!
o
be prepared for learning with agenda, notebooks, pencils/pens
o
review your learning weekly, read ahead, read everyday
o
set and achieve goals for learning, life, home and other aspirations
o
imagine yourself achieving success – what does it look like?
o
plan (think ahead or write it down) for your day/week/year
3. Put First Things First: Work First, Then Play!
o
be on time
o
follow instructions
o
finish work before play
o
work hard, stay focused, always do your best
4. Think Win-Win: Everyone Can Win!
o
respect the boundaries/rules and personal space of others
o
think about others’ feelings and your decisions, actions, words
o
use equipment for its intended purpose
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5. Seek First to Understand Then to Be Understood
o listen to other people’s ideas and stories, learn about their perspective
o always try to learn about the details or situation first
o imagine another point of view and learn to understand differences
6. Synergize
o collaborate and work with others by sharing ideas and creating new ideas together
o think as a team, have a group plan so everyone works together and belongs
7. Sharpen the Saw
o take time to relax, play, unwind, enjoy life to the fullest, spend time with family
o get enough sleep and eat healthy
o learn something new
School Bell Times
Warning Bell - 8:32 AM
Opening Bell - 8:39 AM
Periods 1/2 - 8:39-10:00 AM
Wellness Break - 10:00 AM
Periods 3/4 - 10:17 - 11:38 AM
Lunch Break 11:38 - 12:18PM
Periods 5/6 - 12:20 - 1:41 PM
Wellness Break - 1:41 PM
Periods 7/8 - 1:58 - 3:18PM
Dismissal - 3:23 PM
Be Proactive
& Put 1st
Things 1st
Be on time for
school and classes
Early Dismissal Fridays are at 1:45pm
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Important times throughout the day
Being on time for school is critical for students to start their day of learning well.
The start of the day sets success for the rest of the day. Please be sure students are rested,
have eaten breakfast and are best prepared for a day of learning.
Students are encouraged to come to school with:
 A refillable water bottle
 bagged lunch and
 healthy snacks
If your child needs to leave the school early for an appointment ALL students must have
written consent from a parent, or a phone call to the school, and parents must come in
to the school to sign their child out to leave.
Learning Programs
At Arrowwood School we have various learning opportunities.
The Leader in Me is an innovative, school-wide model that enables educators to unleash
each child's full potential.
Core components for building excellence in learning:
1. Effective and Authentic Assessment
2. Language Development and Literacy
3. Inclusive Practices through Differentiation
4. Cross-Curricular Competencies
We also provide the following additional programs:


Grade 7-9 have a specialist band and art teacher
Grade 5-6 have a specialist music and art teacher
Students in grades 4-9 also choose from a selection of
option classes that they can learn new knowledge and
skills in throughout the year. Options may include:
 computer coding
 robotics
 art and drawing
 yearbook/photography
 MinecraftEdu
 mask making
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Student Learning Expectations
We expect students at Arrowwood to strive to reach their full potential and expect
students to be:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
on time for school and classes
prepared for classes with agenda, notebook, materials
ready to learn, question and try their best
courage to try new things and challenge themselves
believers in themselves and their own potential
believers in others and a willingness to encourage others
kind and respectful to the school, teachers and students
Technology User Agreement
Students are responsible for demonstrating acceptable behaviour when using school
electronic technology, just as they are in a classroom or a school hallway. Electronic
communications are often public in nature, and therefore, general school rules regarding
behaviour and communications shall apply.
Students are expected to:
 Be careful and respectful to all technology as it is school property, and a privilege
 Practice the 7 habits while working on or offline, and be good digital citizens
 Learn ways to stay digital organized through Google drive and docs
 Practice thoughtfulness while online and ask for permission to use any unknown sites
*If a student uses technology inappropriately they will have their technology privileges
taken away for a period of time and parents will be notified about the infraction
Student Leadership Opportunities
o Student Lighthouse Team
 Announcements, monthly assemblies, school environment, technology
and school spirit.
o School leadership projects
o Classroom leadership
o Weekly Announcements
o Monthly Assembly leadership
o Lunch buddies, mentorship program, office help
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Student Dress Guidelines
It is important that the clothing students wear to school be appropriate for the
weather and/or their class activities. Fresh air and exercise are essential for
students to be mentally and physically alert during their classes. If outside
conditions are unfavorable, inside recess will be declared. In the spring and fall
when the weather could be warm, students should be comfortable and
protected from the sun, but be aware that some leisurewear is not appropriate.
 students wearing t-shirts, shorts, etc. that contain inappropriate
messages/images will be asked to wear it inside out.
 If clothing is deemed to be of inappropriate length or style (i.e. belly shirts,
short shorts, revealing tops, etc.) students will be asked to change into
something more suitable or be asked to put something over the
inappropriate attire.
 Students are expected to dress modestly and appropriate for learning
and all school activities.
 Dress for warm and cold weather (have a sweater or jacket for weather
changes)
 In winter, wear a winter coat, boots, hats and gloves or mittens to be
outside.
 Prepare to participate in gym class with runners and flexible/comfortable
clothing.
Attendance
Regular attendance and punctuality contribute greatly to success in school.
To ensure your child’s safety, it is imperative all families call the school when a
child will be absent. Unexcused absences will be confirmed by a phone call.
Please help us by calling in your child’s absences.
*Extended illnesses or times away from school should be reported to the
Principal.
If you wish to take your child out of class during the school day, please report to
the office and he/she will be paged. Parents will need to sign your child out of
the school before leaving.
A note to the teacher is appreciated if you know in advance what time you will
be picking up your child. We request that classes not be interrupted by phone
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calls or visits during class time, except in an emergency. A message can be
taken so the student can return the call at the next break. Personal visits with
your child should be planned for during student breaks.
The school monitors student attendance and is concerned when a child misses
more than 3 days of school. You will be notified by a letter of concern and then
have a meeting with the principal to discuss a plan for improvement.
*Your child’s attendance is critical for success in learning.
Discipline Procedure
At Arrowwood we believe discipline is an opportunity for learning and reflection.
Students will be encouraged to work out their own problems through guidance,
encouragement, questions and reflection. Often students will document the
situation using a Student Improvement Sheet and then think about a plan for
improvement and action. This helps the student learn throughout the process.
Depending on the incident parent will be notified by a phone call, or a note will
be sent home that would require a signature. The steps for the level of severity
will be as follows:
1. Teacher Level: teachers deal with minor infractions in classes
2. Parent Level: parents are notified and part of the solution
3. Principal level: principal is now involved and may require a meeting
with parents
*It is very important that agendas are used daily, for notes home from the school
or teacher/parent communication.
Sport Teams and Extra-Curricular Activities
Students on a sports team or attending extra-curricular activities will need to
have the following criteria met:
 Successfully meeting academic standards (no missing or incomplete
work)
 Good learning habits (positive, ready to learn, on time for classes,
respectful to teachers and fellow classmates)
 School fees are paid and up-to-date
 Parental consent to participate
 Appropriate/necessary clothing or equipment for the activity
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