Student Agenda

 MESSAGE FROM ADMINISTRATION 

It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to Villanova Junior High School. Whether you are returning or are joining us for your first year, we encourage you to become actively involved in your education at Villanova and we especially encourage our grade 8 students to explore the leadership potential that they possess.

We are extremely proud of our programs, of the expertise of our staff, and of the accomplishments of our students. We want you to become involved in our many extra-curricular activities and to do your best school work.

Our school motto "To Learn and To Do" refers to the immense potential that exists in all individuals when they make choices to turn their knowledge of right and wrong into an appropriate action. We want to work with you to help you to achieve your personal goals. Diligent use of this on-line agenda can assist you with that.

It is our hope that you are as excited as we are about the potential this school year holds. Working together we can all have a successful and personally rewarding school year. 


MISSION STATEMENT        (TOP)

Villanova Junior High is a learning community that exists to enrich the lives of students by improving student achievement and motivation in a safe, caring and healthy collaborative learning environment.


DAILY TIMETABLE           (TOP)

7:35 ................... Start of day bell, students can enter the building at this time.

7:55 .................... Homeroom Warning Bell

8:00 ................... Start of homeroom

8:10 ................... Period 1

8:57 ................... Period 2

9:44-9:59 ....... Nutrition break

10:01 ................. Period 3

10:48 ................. Period 4

11:35 - 12:15........ Lunch Break

                Elementary eat during the first 1/2 of lunch.

                Junior High eat during the second 1/2 of lunch.

12:19 ................... Period 5

1:06 ................... Period 6

1:55 ................... Dismissal

2:05 ................... Buses depart the school lot. 


PROGRAMS           (TOP)

Villanova Junior High is pleased to offer students a wide range of provincially approved programs. While a student at Villanova students can expect to study, depending on their grade level and course offerings, music, art, technology education, home economics, physical education, religion and health, in addition to French, language, math, science and social studies.

Villanova Junior High is also extremely pleased to offer an Early French Immersion Program from grade 5 - 8, an Intensive French program in grade 6 as well as late French Immersion at the grade 7-8 level.

Villanova Junior High is further fortunate to have the ability to offer, out of our special needs room, a program designed to meet the needs of our special needs students.

While at Villanova, students are also offered the opportunity to study instrumental music by selecting a musical instrument and joining the school bands. We have beginning bands in elementary and senior bands in grade 7 & 8.

Villanova students also have the services of a full time guidance counselor who is available to meet with students to discuss their personal or academic counseling needs. 


STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES      (TOP)

Villanova Junior High is a school community of over 550 students from grade 5-8. As a result, it is vital that individuals work together in a spirit of cooperation and respect. Our mission statement references a safe and nurturing environment and all individuals at Villanova must, therefore, act in a responsible manner where respect is shown towards the individual and the property of others.

Failure to act in a responsible and respectful manner means you have let down your classmates, teachers, parents and yourself. Ultimately, it may mean that the administration or school guidance counselor will have to assist you with the choices you are making. 


CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS       (TOP)

In order for students of Villanova Junior High to reach their full potential as contributing members of society, it is first important that they become contributing members in their classes. Every student has the desire and ability to be a successful learner. In order to bring about this success, each teacher has the responsibility to develop an appropriate learning climate and teacher expectations and regulations will be explained to students as classes meet.

Students also have a responsibility if they are to become successful learners and contributing members of society. Students must bring ALL required materials to each class including texts, paper, pencils or pens. Teachers will contact home if a student comes to class unprepared. If consultation with the parent and teacher does not correct the inappropriate choice, school disciplinary actions may be necessary. 


STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT      (TOP)

Each student is expected to:


STUDENT BEHAVIOUR        (TOP)

School rules are necessary in order to encourage respect for self, others, and property. Students, parents and teachers must be guaranteed an environment that is safe and conducive to learning. Mutual respect and cooperation are essential in the classroom, around the building and on school grounds. It is the responsibility of the student to become familiar with school rules.


EARLY DISMISSAL         (TOP)

Students who are required to leave the school during the regular school day must provide a note to their homeroom teacher explaining the reason for the absence. When it is time to leave, the student must check with the general office where home contact will be made and, with parent approval, the student will be allowed to sign out of the school.

If a student becomes ill during the school day, the student must report directly to the sick room at the general office where home contact can be made and the student's progress monitored. It is vital that the school has an accurate contact number for parents.

Students are not allowed to leave the school during the time classes are in session without first reporting to the general office. 


LATE ARRIVAL         (TOP)

Students who arrive late at either the start of the school day or after the lunch break must report to the general office prior to going to class so that their name can be removed from the absentee list and to provide an explanation for being late.  

Students who are late for scheduled homeroom or class sessions will have their lateness recorded by the teacher. Teachers will forward late records to the Assistant Principal. Once a student has accumulated four late arrivals in one month, an office detention will be assigned. Any additional late arrivals for that month will result in automatic office detentions.

Students who are persistently late will have their lateness viewed as a disciplinary matter and, as such, the lateness may result in further detentions including after school detentions, meetings with parents and/or school suspensions. 


SCHOOL DRESS        (TOP)

Students are expected to come to school each day dressed in a respectful manner. Parents and students should, therefore, select clothing suited to the educational environment of the school. As such, clothing with improper, suggestive or sexist language; clothing that advertises or condones violence or substance abuse is not acceptable. All shirts/tops are required to cover the shoulders and must not be see through.  Hats are not permitted during class time and handbags, book bags, purses are not permitted to be carried around during the school day. These items must be kept in lockers. Students not dressed appropriately will be required to arrange for appropriate clothes to be brought to school.


STUDENT MOVEMENT        (TOP)

In order for Villanova Junior High to operate in an efficient manner with a climate suited to learning, it is important for students to move through the building in an orderly, non-disruptive manner. Noise should be kept to a minimum and students must walk when required to move throughout the building. Students should keep to their own specific area of the building as arranged by grade level and should only be in other areas of the school when it is necessary for class. 


TELEPHONE USE        (TOP)

A telephone for students is located in the general office area is intended only for student emergency use such as sickness, needing to make alternate arrangements, etc.

The use of cellular telephones is prohibited. Students must keep their cellular phone in their locker during the school day. A student caught with a cell phone will have the phone confiscated and a parent/guardian may be required to pick it up. With teacher permission, cellular phones are permitted for classroom activities during the instructional day.


WASHROOM USE          (TOP)

Students are expected to use the washroom facilities and water fountains that are closest to the class they have exited. Students are not permitted to loiter in the washrooms and students whose washroom use is deemed excessive will be required to provide medical documentation.

Washrooms are intended for student use - not abuse. Please respect the rights and feelings of others by keeping washrooms free from needless litter, graffiti or other damage.

Whenever a student leaves a classroom, the student is expected to sign-out of the room by entering their name in the record book kept in the classroom and the student is required to sign back in when they return to the classroom. 


DAMAGE TO SCHOOL PROPERTY        (TOP)

Students who are deemed to have damaged school property including textbooks, equipment, lockers, washrooms, buses, etc., will be held directly responsible for the replacement or repair and may face further disciplinary measures from the school or from local police authorities. 


LOCKERS         (TOP)

Students are only allowed to access their locker prior to morning homeroom, at the nutrition break, lunch break, prior to afternoon classes and after the end of day homeroom period. Students are to use only the locker to which they have been assigned. 

Locks and lockers are the property of Villanova Junior High and are, therefore, subject, if warranted, to inspection by school administration. All students are required to have a locker and it is the student's responsibility, with their locker partner, to ensure that the locker is locked when unattended.

Lockers should be kept tidy, organized and combinations must be kept secured. Under no circumstances should students enter the locker of another student without teacher supervision. The school will provide students with a combination lock. Only school locks can be used on lockers and a $5.00 fee will apply for the replacement of lost locks. 


PERSONAL ITEMS         (TOP)

Personal items such as purses, book bags, handheld video games, cellular phones, coats, hats, etc., are the responsibility of the student and should be kept locked securely in the student's locker. These items are not permitted in class. While the school is sympathetic to students who have been the subject of a theft, we cannot take responsibility for lost or stolen items.  Valuable items such as those listed should be kept at home.

Due to limited locker space and safety concerns, skateboards, scooters, etc. are not permitted in the school. 


TEXTBOOKS         (TOP)

Students are provided textbooks through the school book loan program.

Students are responsible for the textbooks issued to them and the books must be returned to their homeroom teacher at the end of the year. The books must be in satisfactory condition. All books will be marked with an identifier number so that lost books may be returned to their rightful owner. While the school sympathises with parents and students who experience the loss of textbooks, parents will be held responsible for the full replacement cost of the book at the current government rate.  If books are not returned and or replacement cost paid, students will not receive their next year's text books.


CAFETERIA          (TOP)

Students who wish to place a recess order at the cafeteria are required to complete the order during the morning homeroom period. Homeroom teachers will assign one responsible individual to coordinate the placing and picking up of recess orders. Orders will be picked at 9:40 am and distributed to students during nutrition break.. Vending machines located outside the gymnasium are on system timers and cannot be accessed during class time.

The cafeteria area should be kept clean. Students are asked to dispose of garbage or recyclable items appropriately.

Students are asked to consume food items in the cafeteria or their classroom. Food is not to be consumed in the science labs, technology lab, learning resource centre, gymnasium and corridors. 

Students are encouraged to make nutritious choices for recess and lunch and a variety of nutritious snacks are available from the cafeteria including fruit, bottled juices and water, salads, etc.  


MEDICATION         (TOP)

Students who are required to have medication in school must store the medication with the Assistant Principal. Parents are asked to bring the medication to the school so that the proper medical documentation can be recorded. Medication will only be given to students under the supervision of a member of the administrative team and if the proper documentation is in place completed and signed by the family doctor. Please inform the school of any specific medical concerns that you may have. 


ALLERGIES         (TOP)

Given that we have so many students and staff at Villanova, allergies are a reality. We ask all individuals to be aware of the specific allergies that exist in the building and to be mindful of NOT wearing scented products. In the case of a student with a specific severe allergy in a homeroom, notices will be sent home to parents. Please inform the school of any specific allergies you may have. 


SUPERVISION          (TOP)

When not supervised, students have a responsibility not to enter any area of the building, including the gymnasium, science, technology and home economics labs plus the learning resource centre. All students are expected to leave the building as soon as possible at the end of the day unless they are directly supervised by a teacher who is coaching, tutoring, or supervising the student. In those cases, students must have transportation arranged to coincide with the completion of the scheduled activity.   Students not being picked up on time at the conclusion of his/her activity may be asked to discontinue participating.  We must be mindful of other responsibilities our staff, coaches, and volunteers have and as such must not cause them to be delayed.

Students will be permitted to go outside when the weather is appropriate.  During outside days, students are NOT permitted to leave school property unless they are picked up by a parent/guardian or the parent/guardian provides written communication to give permission for their child to be picked up by someone else.   Students leaving must sign out when they leave and sign in when they return.  When outside during the lunch break students are supervised by teachers.  Students will go to the back of the building on the ball field or in the playground, tennis/basketball court or beach volleyball court.  


ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION         (TOP)

We will be following the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting Policy.

For the Admin Regulations.

Villanova Evaluation Policy Guidelines re A & E Policy, Late or Missed Assignments, Missed Tests, Second Chance Opportunities.


HOMEWORK          (TOP)

If students are to be active participants in their learning, the timely completion of homework is a necessity and students, in conjunction with their parents, must accept that responsibility. As it is often the case that homework provides the daily practice necessary to master skills taught in the daily lesson, students who are absent from school due to illness or a scheduled activity must make every effort to complete the assigned work.

If a teacher chooses to assign homework, approximate total time frames suggested by the Homework Policy of the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District are as follows: grade 5 & 6 approximately 40 minutes and grade 7 & 8 approximately 40 minutes.  Review of the day's school work should be a regular aspect of nightly homework.

Where it is necessary for a parent to request homework for a student, please contact your child's subject teacher prior to the start of the 8:00 am homeroom period. This will provide the teacher the opportunity to meet your request.

If a student demonstrates a consistent failure to complete assigned homework, a meeting will be held with the student, the student's parents and a member of the administrative team or the guidance counselor to discuss a plan to increase homework achievement. 

Any form of academic dishonesty (i.e. plagiarism, copying, cheating) is considered a serious offense. If a student attempts to gain or assists in gaining unfair advantage, the teacher shall determine to accurately assess the student's achievement. The overall grade in the course/program remains INCOMPLETE until such time that an appropriate assessment is completed.  

 Immediate consequences of academic dishonesty will be:

Other consequences as determined by the school may include, but are not limited to:  


ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS          (TOP)

Students in grade 7 and grade 8 must achieve a minimum mark of 50% in each of the five core courses of Core French, Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. 


MAJOR INCIDENTS          (TOP)

It is our sincere belief that all students are capable of acting in a respectful, responsible and appropriate manner. When a student's behaviour is seen to be excessive, however, the school must act to protect the safety and learning environment of the other students and staff at the school. This action may take any one, or a combination, of cautioning, detention, counselling, parent contact, suspension, expulsion and/or police involvement. 


The following behaviours will be considered major incidents and will lead to in-school suspensions, out of school suspensions or loss of bus privileges: 


BUS BEHAVIOUR          (TOP)

Please refer to the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District's Student Transportation and Busing matters.  

click here

Our mission statement references a safe and nurturing environment and the bus is an extension, and a responsibility, of the school.  As such, riding the school bus is a privilege which comes with responsibilities that must be followed otherwise the student will have their bus privileges suspended.

It is the bus driver who is responsible for the safe transportation of students to and from school and, as a result, it is the driver who is required to report to a member of the administrative team any incidents that could jeopardize the safety of persons riding the bus. The following regulations govern use of the school bus: 

 


FIRE SAFETY - SECURE SCHOOL / SCHOOL LOCKDOWN          (TOP)

All students should be familiar with the emergency exit for each room in which you spend time. In the event of a fire or other emergency, the fire alarm will sound. You should be familiar with the rules and procedures, as posted in each classroom, for exiting the building.

When you hear the alarm sound, windows should be closed, students should stand next to their desk, exit the room by row, follow your teacher, and quietly move in single file through the designated exit to the assigned meeting place outside the building. The door should be closed once all students have exited.

Once outside, students should wait in line for the class attendance to be called and should wait further instructions from their teacher.

If the alarm sounds and you are not with your class, leave the building immediately through the nearest exit and once outside report to a teacher so that you may be directed to your class.

Under no circumstances should a student re-enter the building until a signal has been given by a member of the administrative team.

Tampering with fire equipment threatens the safety of other students and staff and will, therefore, not be tolerated. 

As a part of our safe and caring schools policy we have  Secure School/Lockdown procedures in place in the event there is a threat to the safety of our students or staff.  Students and Staff will practice these procedures a number of times throughout the school year.  Please refer to the Secure School/School Lockdown policy on the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District Web Site www.nlesd.ca


ON LINE POLICY        (TOP)

Villanova Junior High is pleased to provide all students with access to the Internet and email. In order for students to be issued their account, a parent/caregiver must first sign an agreement (Student contract) to follow the School's Electronic Communications System policy. Before signing the agreement form please ensure that your son/daughter understands the expectations of the policy and the consequences of breaking the agreement. The agreement will be kept on file at the school as a record of the fact that the student understands that violations of the policy may constitute disciplinary action, suspension, and/or a revocation of system access and related privileges.  


ACCESSIBILITY           (TOP)

Villanova Junior High is a fully wheelchair accessible building which features an elevator to the second floor and a wheelchair lift to the gymnasium.  


VIDEO SURVEILLANCE RECORDERS           (TOP)

In an effort to ensure the personal safety of students and their belongings, Villanova Junior High has been equipped with video surveillance inside and outside the building.  Cameras are located on the interior and exterior of the school. The surveillance system is monitored by school administration. For questions concerning surveillance policies, please contact administration at (709) 834-3916.