Florence Meares Parent Information
FLORENCE MEARES PUBLIC SCHOOL FAQ
As a parent, there are often a number of questions that you have prior to the start of school. A lot of the information will be given out on the first day of classes, but you may want to know some of it before school starts. Below is a list of some of the common questions that parents have before starting at Florence Meares.
What are the school hours?
The morning bell rings at 8:50 a.m. for the kids to go in. Teachers are on duty in the playground from 8:35 a.m. onwards. The school day ends at 3:10 p.m.. For JK and SK students, school ends at 3 p.m. Go to FM DAILY SCHEDULE for all the details.
When is lunch?
Florence Meares operates with two Nutrition Breaks in a day. Each one is 40 minutes long, which includes time to eat and then play. Students spend 20 minutes inside and 20 minutes outside. Grades 1 - 4 eat and stay inside during the first half of the Nutrition Break and Grades 5 - 8 are outside during the first half of the Nutrition Break. Please separate snacks and lunch into two separate meals for your child. The first break is from 10:30-11:10 a.m. and the second is from 12:50-1:30 p.m..
**The school is peanut/tree nut free, so please ensure that all food that you send to school is safe.**
Does my child take the bus? How does the bus work?
For information about the bus, please go to www.haltonbus.ca. They can tell you if you live in an area that qualifies for busing, where your bus stop is, and the times for drop off and pickup.
Parking and School Drop off
Please see our FM DROP OFF AND PICK UP MAP for a visual representation of what we are talking about below.
Our Parking Lot is very busy. If possible, please walk or use the bus. The circular driveway at the front of the school is for school busses only. Please do not pull in or park there at any time. If you are dropping off your child (not stopping or parking), there is a drop off lane in the parking lot on the south side of the school. Parents are asked to drive along the drop off lane, pull up beside the outside Kindergarten enclosure, and drop off your child in the designated "Student Drop Off and Pick Up Zone". Students are to be picked up in the same "Student Drop Off and Pick Zone" area. When picking up your child, please do not stop or park illegally anywhere in the parking lot. Please do not stop on the road in front of the school. If you are parking and getting out of your car, please be reminded that there is limited parking in the school lot. Please ensure that you obey all parking bylaws in the area and be respectful of our Florence Meares neighbours and their properties. Do not leave your car unattended if it is not in a legal parking space.
Thank you for ensuring the safety of our students.
Where does my child enter and exit the school at the beginning and end of each school day?
There are three doors that are used in the mornings for entry into school. Please ensure that your child lines up by grade/class. When instructed they will enter through the appropriate door.
The JK and SK children are to be dropped off at the west gate of the Kindergarten fenced playground. Please keep the gate closed to this area when entering and leaving.
Children in Grades 1, 2, and 3 will go in through the doors on the northwest corner of the school (Door #7). The children will learn where their class lineup is and wait in their line for the teacher to come and walk with them to their classroom.
Older children in Grades 4-8 will go in through the north doors near the bike racks (Door #4).
If your child is part of the YMCA before school program, drop off is through the front doors and into the Small Gym (straight across the hall from the front doors). Please see the YMCA website for specific times.
If you are picking up your child at the end of the school day, please meet them at their designated exit location. Your child will know their entry and exit points at the end of their first day of school. The front doors are used for bus loading only.
If you are picking up or dropping off your child during the school day please enter and exit through the front door and sign in or out of the office.
School Playground Equipment
Children are not permitted to play on the playground equipment before or after school each day. Students follow the Creative Playground Schedule and play on the playground during Nutrition Breaks.
What happens if it is raining in the morning at drop off time?
When it is raining in the mornings, the children are allowed to come inside and wait in the hallway outside their classroom. Teachers will come and collect them from the hallways, after the bell has rung. Children are not permitted to go to their lockers and classrooms before their teacher has come to collect them.
What if my child is late in the morning?
If your child arrives for school late, they must enter through the front door of the school and go into the office to sign in. They must sign in at the office before they go up to their classroom.
Where is pick up at the end of the day and how does it work?
Pickup for SK and JK students happens at 3 p.m., at one of two gates to the Kindergarten enclosure. The teacher will release each child individually to an adult who has been granted permission to pick up that child. All other students leave school at the end of the day (3:10 p.m.) either through the northeast door closest to the bicycle racks (Door #4) or the doors on the northwest corner of the school (Door #7). Children in Grades 1 and 2 will be escorted to the door by their teacher and will only be released after the teacher has made a visual identification of the adults who have been granted permission to pick up each individual student. Older children will also come out with their classmates through the same doors.
If you are picking your child up from the YMCA after school care and it is after school hours, you may enter through the front door of the school and proceed to the small gym straight across the hall.
What happens at the end of the day if my child takes the bus or goes to the YMCA after school care?
Children who take the bus at the end of the day meet in the Large Gym and line up according to their bus number. Younger students will be escorted to the gym by their teacher. Older students make their way to the gym after the teacher has dismissed the class and wait in the appropriate line. When the buses are ready to be boarded, school staff escort the students out to the front of the school and onto their buses.
If your child is part of the YMCA after school program, students will join the YMCA program in their designated area. Younger students will be escorted by their teacher to their YMCA program area at the end of the school day.
What online tools can my child access at home to help with their schoolwork?
All students in the Halton District School Board have access to Google Apps For Education through the Halton Cloud portal.
The HDSB Elementary Internet Tools website is also filled with educational links that your child will find useful.
How can I find out what is happening at Florence Meares?
The Florence Meares School Website is great source of information as well as the Florence Meares Twitter Feed. Florence Meares Teacher Websites are another useful source of information. You can can also refer to the Florence Meares Library Learning Commons Website to find out what is happening in the library.
We hope this FAQ answers any questions you might have. If you have any other questions please call the school @ 905-319-9936 or send us an email.