Good attendance is essential for success in school and work. Regular attendance affects positively on your progress and the progress of the class as well.

Students are expected to be in their first class by 9:10 A.M.  If you arrive anytime after this go directly to class and you will be marked late.  If you arrive after the first class sign in at the office. 

Appointments with doctors, optometrists, chiropractors etc. should be made outside of school hours, where possible.  If a student needs to be excused during the day, a note must be brought into the office.  When a student returns from and appointment they must report to the main office to sign in prior to returning to class.  All students regardless of age are expected to follow the sign in and sign out policy. 

Homestay is an integral part of the experience in studying abroad.

The Upper Grand District School Board – International Student Program works closely with various homestay service providers through the year. 

We are very appreciative of the families who provide homestay for our students. 

Due to increased interest in our programs (February and September intakes) one of our associates is currently looking to add more families to their roster.

For more information on becoming a homestay family in our communities please contact:

Canada Homestay Network

hostinfo@canadahomestaynetwork.ca     1-877-441-4443 ext. 2176

It is the responsibility of everyone to protect students’ personal and confidential information.

All parents, guardian, and visitors to the school are reminded that the privacy of all our students must be maintained at all times.  We are ultimately responsible for the safety and security of our students and the security and confidentiality of our students’ personal information, including first and last names, images and any other identifying information.

• Only take pictures or video of your own child(ren).

• Only post pictures or video of your own child(ren) on social media.

• Only share pictures or video of your own child(ren) with other people.

• Only preview your child(ren)’s work.

• Only discuss your child(ren) with the appropriate staff.

Student Personal Information Routine and/or Disclosure

Please refer to the following documents: Routine Use and Disclosure Notice

For students 18 years and older:

Under the Age of Majority and Education Acts, adult status means any person who attains 18 years of age. When students turn 18, information about their academic progress, attendance, and access to their records can no longer be provided to their parents/guardians without the student’s written permission. If adult students wish to authorize school staff to continue sharing their information with their parents/guardians, they have the option of completing a form. You may pick up this form from Ms.Boylen in the main office.

To read more on Digital Citizenship, click here: Digital Citizenship

Thank you for being respectful of the privacy rights of our students.

The Norwell Library offers a wide variety of resources available for signing out, including fiction, non-fiction and reference materials, as well as technological devices including netbooks, tablet computers, e-readers, a digital camera and microphone. The collection is specifically selected to meet Norwell students’ needs and interests. The library features 20 network computers and wireless Internet access, and has subscriptions to several online databases and research tools. The goals of the library are to develop students’ research and information literacy skills, and foster an enjoyment of reading.

Students are encouraged to use the library for quiet study, reading, research and work completion.

Check out the Library Learning Commons for more information. Library Learning Commons

Students with Life-Threatening Medical Conditions

UGDSB Policy 518: Students with Life-Threatening Medical Conditions, outlines the roles and responsibilities for all in the educational community to support students with possible life-threatening medical conditions. The prevalent medical conditions covered under this policy are Asthma, Anaphylaxis, Diabetes and Epilepsy/Seizure Disorders. If your child has one of these, or any other life-threatening medical condition, please visit or contact the school as soon as possible. We will work with you to develop a Plan of Care to support your child.

Life-Threatening Allergies

We have students in our school with potential life-threatening allergies (called anaphylaxis) to various foods and other materials. Anaphylaxis is a medical condition that can cause death within minutes. In recent years, Anaphylaxis has increased dramatically among students. Although this may not affect your child’s class(es) directly, we are letting you know so that you are aware that we aim to create an allergy safe environment at our school. Our school has procedures in place for the prevention and management of anaphylactic reactions. If your child has health concerns of any kind, please inform the office and we will take the necessary health protection steps. Thank you for your understanding in ensuring an allergy-safe environment for all of our students.

All Norwell students have been assigned a locker.  Locks are available for purchase at the office for $5.00. Norwell DSS will not be held responsible for lost or stolen items.

Please refer to the board website for the Out of Area and Out of District Policy UGDSB Website

We continue to see challenges with parking around some schools throughout the board.

We would like to remind all new and returning parents on the rules about parking to make the back-to-school experience safe and easy for everyone.

If you need to drive, one way to ensure that your children make it to school safely is to park a distance away from all the traffic and walk your students to the school. 

Together, parents, school councils and our municipalities put time and consideration into parking areas and enforcement around schools. No parking and no stopping zones are used to relieve traffic and encourage parking and drop offs in areas that are safe to do so.

No parking

A “No Parking” sign means just that – no parking. Parents are encouraged to find an area near the school where they can park if they need to leave their vehicles to drop off students. You may use these areas to pull over and let a student out safely, however, you should not exit your vehicle at any time. Be mindful that you can still receive a ticket if you’re near your car or in your car waiting; blocking other parents from using a quick drop off space still means you’re parked.

No stopping

“No Stopping” signs means you may not use that space to stop and drop off a student, no matter how quick you are. When you stop in a “No Stopping” zone, you impact the safety of others. Instead, find a place where you can park safely, or use designated Kiss and Ride zones for quick drop offs.

Be a good neighbour

Please be mindful of other neighbours in the area. Be courteous and don’t block driveways. The convenience to park closely for you, no matter how quick you are, is not worth the inconvenience of someone else not being able to leave their home.

If you have to drive a student to school and park, ask around to see if other parents would allow you to park in a driveway nearby to walk.

Reminder to report all immunizations to Public Health.

You can report your student’s vaccines in many ways:

Online 

Email: vaccine.records@wdgpublichealth.ca

Phone: 1-800-265-7293 ext.4396

Mail: Vaccine Records 160 Chancellors Way Guelph, Ontario N1G 0E1

Norwell DSS offers School Cash Online, a secure, convenient way to pay for your student’s fees online!  Moving forward, School Cash Online will be our school’s preferred method of payment.  Please Click the link below for access to UGDSB’s school cash online to get started.

Our School Council is made up of parents who wish to be informed of information from our school and the board level. We offer a parental and community voice to the school. Your input is important and welcome. Stay tuned for information regarding Parent Council for the upcoming school year.

The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. Although we hope that an incident that requires response from emergency personnel will never occur in our school, we must be prepared to respond quickly and effectively in case it does.

Each year our school must conduct drills to ensure staff and students are prepared in the event of a real emergency.

The following number of drills are required each school year:

• Three (3) fire drills in the fall and three (3) fire drills in the spring

• Two (2) lockdown drills

• One (1) tornado drill

• One (1) emergency drill

For each of these drills, there is an education component to explain why they are necessary. All drills are conducted in a manner that is sensitive to the needs of our students.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

PLEASE NOTE: Students are not permitted in the halls during period 1, 2, 3 & 4.

The Upper Grand DSB provides a smoke and vape-free environment for its students, staff and others while on school Board property and at school events.  Under our policy, all forms of tobacco, and any processed form of tobacco that may be smoked, inhaled or chewed is included. Additionally, all forms of e-cigarettes are also covered under this policy.

Smudging is the tradition of using sacred smoke from sacred medicines (e.g., tobacco and sage) that forms part of indigenous culture and spirituality.  Smudging is allowed in schools under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act.  Participation by staff and students is optional in a smudging ceremony.

Please see following link  Know the Facts for information from public health about the implications of vaping and personal health.

Please refer to Water Testing for Lead for information.