Emergency Contact Information
It is the parents’ responsibility to make sure the school has up-to-date emergency contact information. If your phone numbers change, or if an emergency contact person is no longer available to pick up your child in the event of an emergency (and the parents cannot be contacted), you must advise the school.
Your child’s safety is of utmost importance to us. Having current phone numbers and contact information allows us to properly care for your child.
Cell Phones / Calling Home
Students are not permitted to use cell phones in the school during instructional time except for learning purposes directed by a teacher. Students may use their phones before or after school. Cell phones used inappropriately will be taken away and returned at the end of the day.
In the event of an emergency when you need to reach your child, please call the office (604-296-9038).
If a child needs to call home, we ask that he/she gets permission from the teacher, and uses the office phone to call home. Office staff often assist children who are sick or injured.
Please note that we discourage the use of school phones to set up after school “play dates”. These arrangements must be made with parents in the morning before the child comes to school.
Leaving School Grounds
Students are not permitted to leave the school grounds during the lunch hour to purchase lunch from local vendors, unless they are accompanied by an adult. A note from parents allowing students to do so will be accepted for special circumstances only.
Students are welcome to go home for lunch, with a permission note to the teacher. Students must sign out at the office, and then sign back in once they return to the school.
Moving
If you have plans to move, but your child will continue to attend Windsor Elementary, please advise the office of your new address. We will require two new pieces of proof of residence. Please contact the office for details (604-296-9038). Please note that your child’s enrollment at the school will not be affected if you move (even if your new address is out of catchment).
If you have plans to move and you will be registering your child at another school, please call the office and advise us of the expected date of withdrawal, and the name of the new school.
Leaving Early
If your child needs to leave the school early, i.e. for medical appointments, illness, etc., parents must come to the office to sign their child out. This is a way for us to track students who are no longer in the building, in the event of an emergency.
Absent / Late
Windsor Elementary School, like all other elementary schools in Burnaby, has the “safe arrival program”. This means that if a child is marked absent, but the office has not received a note or a telephone call from the parent advising of the absence/tardiness, a phone call home will be made to ensure the child is safe.
If your child will be absent or late, please call the school office at 604-296-9038 to advise the secretary, or leave a message on the absence line, or fill out the form (link here). No doctor note is required.
If your child is late, even by a few minutes, please come to the office to obtain a “late slip” to give to the teacher. This is simply a way for the homeroom teacher to know that the child has checked in, and no phone call will be made home.
Please call the office, even if you have already advised the teacher, so that we do not bother you at home.
Vacation / Extended Absence
If your child will be absent from school for an extended period of time, i.e. for vacation, you will need to notify the office. We will need to know the date your child will be leaving, and the date he/she is expected to return to school.
Please note that if your child’s absence is longer than a month, we may have to withdraw him/her from the school, and you will need to re-register him/her upon your return. We cannot hold spots for students. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee that space will be available upon your return.
After School Programs
At Windsor Elementary School we have many after-school programs, such as Rock Band, Go Girls, Multi Sports, and various other Burnaby Parks & Recreation programs.
Parents need to inform their children when they have been registered for these programs, and remind the child the morning of the program that he/she will be attending that program. At the end of the school day, children go on their own to the gym, music room or classroom where the program is being run.
We understand that if you have a young child you may be anxious about making sure the child gets to his/her program location. You are welcome to come to the school at 3:00 and walk your child to the gym, etc. the first or second time. After that, most children are capable of going independently. Children know the school very well!
Please note that most programs end after 4:00 pm. This means that the office is already closed and pick up arrangements must be done prior to the program starting. You need to arrange for your child to go home with someone or be the one picking up your child.
Parent Late Picking Up Child
If you are unable to pick up your child at 2:52 pm, or have plans for someone else to pick up your child, please call the school to advise us (604-296-9038), or please let your child’s teacher know in the morning.
There are times when the parent is running late due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g. traffic). Don’t worry, just call us to let us know. If we do not hear from you, we will phone until we reach a parent or an emergency contact. Your child will be safe at the school.
Important: If you know you cannot pick up your child on a daily basis at the time of dismissal, please arrange for your child to go home with a friend or relative.
Speaking With the Teacher
You may speak to your child’s classroom teacher at any time during the year. If you have a quick question, the teacher may be able to return your call within the day (either at recess, lunch or after school – teachers cannot leave students during instructional time). If you require more time, then a meeting needs to be set up. Simply call the school (604-296-9038) to set up a meeting outside instructional time or email the teacher (teacher emails can be found here). Either the secretary or the teacher will get back to you.
