Student Agenda

Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School
316 Conant Street,
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 3S6
Phone: 905-432-8470
Fax: 905-432-3864

Join us in celebrating our Christian commitment to learn, to love and to serve. Our bell times are:

Time	Notification
8:55 a.m.	Warning Bell - all students to Period 1
9:00 a.m.	Announcements
9:00 a.m. - 10:20 a.m.	Period 1
10:25 a.m. - 11:40 a.m.	Period 2
11:40 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.	Period 3A, Lunch 1
12:20 - 1:00 p.m.	Period 3B,
1:00 - 1:40 p.m.	Period 3C, Lunch 2
1:40 - 2:55 p.m.	Period 4
2:55 p.m.	Dismissal

Mission Statement

We are called to celebrate and nurture the God-given talents of each student as we serve with excellence in the light of Christ.

Core Values

Our Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School community includes our parents, guardians, students, teachers, school administration, educational assistants, adult volunteers, secretaries and custodians. We invite all visitors to join with us as we grow in Christ through His words and actions.

We are called to Love	We are called to Serve
Every member of our community is valued.	We will turn our beliefs into actions.
We will constantly strive to respect and love each other as Christ taught us.	We will take pride in who we are and actively show that pride in the daily development of our talents, our deportment, and our contribution to our community.
We will strive to recognize Christ in ourselves.	We will affirm each other through active kindness, courtesy, compassion, respect, patience, forgiveness, and honesty.
We will strive to recognize Christ in each other.	We will each actively participate in the responsibility of maintaining the buildings, grounds and spaces that we share, created by God for all generations.
We will strive to recognize Christ in His creation.

Faith Development

It is compulsory for students at Msgr. John Pereyma C. S. S. to participate actively in the religious life of the school:

students must attend school masses, retreat days and other exercises of a Catholic nature;
students must take a religion course in each of their four years and attend a full day retreat as part of that
course;
students are expected to demonstrate a caring, respectful attitude toward teachers, fellow students, and the
wider community.

Safe School Environment

At Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School, all students, parents/guardians, teachers, staff, trustees, volunteers, visitors, parish and community members have the right to be safe, and to feel safe, in their school community. With this right comes the responsibility to contribute to a positive school climate.

Expected Behaviour of Students

Our students display the following behaviours:

Responsible citizenship involves appropriate participation in the civic life of the school community.

Active and engaged citizens are aware of their rights, but more importantly, they accept responsibility for
protecting their rights and the rights of others.

Members of the school community are expected to use non-violent means to resolve conflict.

Physically aggressive behaviour is not a tolerated or responsible way to interact with others. The possession,
use or threatened use of any object to injure another person endangers the safety of oneself and others.

Alcohol and illegal drugs are addictive and present a health hazard. The school will work cooperatively with
police, drug and alcohol agencies to promote prevention strategies and where necessary, respond to school
members who are in possession of, or under the influence of, alcohol or illegal drugs.

Insults, disrespect, and other hurtful acts disrupt learning and teaching in a school community.

Members of the school community have a responsibility to maintain an environment where conflict and
difference can be addressed in a manner characterized by respect and civility.

Physical displays of affection are inappropriate at school.

"Rough housing" or "Play fighting" is not permitted.

Students at Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School are expected to participate actively in the religious life of the school:

through attendance at school Masses, retreats and other exercises of the Catholic nature;

through a positive attitude toward religious studies which make up a part of each student's curriculum;

through the development of a caring, respectful attitude toward fellow students and teachers.

Access to Premises

We are always pleased to have parents/guardians visit the school to discuss an issue with teachers or administrators. In keeping with the Board’s Access to School Premises Policy, please remember that anyone coming into the school must first sign in at the office and obtain a Visitor’s badge. All staff members will be wearing photo ID and will question anyone whose presence is not expected.

If a parent/guardian needs to pick up his/her son/daughter during the school day, this must be facilitated at the office. Members of the office staff will call the student down to the office to be signed out. If parents need to send a friend/relative/designate to pick up their child, please advise the school in advance and ask the designate to provide photo identification at the office. If the student returns to school before dismissal, he/she must sign back in at the office so his/her attendance can be monitored.

Attendance Matters

Did you know?

Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to
graduation. That means no more than 4 ½ days per semester.
Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a
bully or facing some other potentially serious difficulty.
Research shows that by Grade 9, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than
Grade 8 test scores.
Missing 10 percent of a school year (or about 19 days), can drastically affect a student’s academic success.
Students can be chronically absent even if they only miss a day or two every few weeks.
Good attendance is an important life skill that will help your child graduate from college or university and
keep a job.

Make School Attendance a Priority

Talk about the importance of showing up to school every day, make that the expectation in your family.
Help your child maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
Try not to schedule dental and medical appointments during the school day.

Don’t let your child stay home unless truly sick. Complaints of headaches or stomach aches may be signs of anxiety. Talk to your physician or ask someone at the school (guidance counsellor, principal or vice principal, school social worker or child and youth counsellor) where to go for help.

Help Your Child Stay Engaged

Find out if your child feels engaged by his/her classes and feels safe from bullies and other threats. Report
any concerns to the teacher or principal or vice principal.
Stay on top of academic progress and seek help from teachers or tutors if necessary. Make sure teachers
know how to contact you.
Stay on top of your youth’s social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school, while students without
many friends can feel isolated.
Encourage meaningful after school activities, including sports and clubs.

Communicate With the School

Talk to teachers if you notice sudden changes in behavior. These could be tied to something going on at
school.
Check on your child’s attendance to be sure absences are not piling up.
Ask for help from school officials, after school programs, other parents or community agencies if you’re
having trouble getting your child to school.

Excused absence during the school day

Parents are encouraged to use the Safe Arrival Parent Portal to record an excused absence, i.e. early or late arrival, including signing out for appointments etc. Students may also present a note to the attendance secretary prior to 9:30 a.m. that morning. Should a student become ill during the school day he or she MUST report to the attendance office prior to leaving the school premises to receive a "sign-out" slip. Parents will be contacted prior to permitting a student to leave the school. While students will not be penalized for excused absences, they will be responsible for any work missed. This work should be completed in consultation with the classroom teacher.

Absences during exams

Should a student be absent from a final examination/culminating activity in a course, a doctor's note must be presented to the vice-principal upon the student's return. Only students with such medical certificates will be given accommodation regarding the missed exam. In absences of a medical certificate a mark of zero may be recorded for the exam.

Truancy

Truancy is a non-excused absence from class or from school. Students who are truant will be assigned a detention or community service and parents will be notified. Subsequent truancies will involve parent contact and interviews, suspensions, referrals to the guidance counsellor, the social worker or Child and Youth worker. Any work missed due to truancy must be completed on the student's time and to the teacher's satisfaction. If a student signs out, they must leave school premises.

Lateness

Students are expected to arrive on time to all of their classes. Students who arrive at school after [time] must sign in at the attendance office. Persistent lateness will result in suspension.

Safe Arrival - Automated Attendance Reporting System

The Durham Catholic District School Board adopted a new automated attendance system, called Safe Arrival, for reporting student absences. Safe Arrival reduces the time it takes to verify student attendance making it easier for you to report your child’s absence and easier for staff to respond to unexplained student absences. Parents are able to report their child’s absence quickly and conveniently using three different methods:

1. Parents can log into a website: go.schoolmessenger.ca to report student absences.

2. Parents can call into the automated interactive telephone system using the toll free number 1-844-288-7628
through which absences can be reported.

3. Parents can download the SafeArrival app for iOS and Android smartphones. Search for the keyword school
messenger in the Google Play store or the Apple App store. Select Canada, select sign up, enter your email
address that is on file with the school, enter a password.

All three methods are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Future absences, like doctor’s appointments can be reported ahead of time. For more information, please visit the school website.

Restorative Schools

We believe that safety begins with positive connections between the students, staff and parents. To foster these relationships, staff in the Durham Catholic District School Board use restorative practices, including classroom circles and small group conferences to build community within the classroom and the school. Restorative Practice is rooted in the same philosophical approach as Canada’s Native Aboriginal communities. It rests on the belief that it is best to do things with people, rather than to them. When conflict arises, using restorative practice engages students in a fair process that responds to behavior in ways that strengthen and repair the relationship. It is collaborative rather than adversarial in nature. The aim of restorative practice is to hold individuals accountable for their actions while restoring and repairing any relationships amongst each other and within the community that may have been harmed.

Catholic Restorative Schools will:

Provide opportunities for someone who has done harm to determine the effect of his/her actions and make
reparations;
Provide a voice for the victim;
Use a common set of restorative questions both in and out of our classrooms to give the victim a voice and
enable the perpetrator to determine the effect of his/her actions. “How do you think your actions had an
impact on others?” “What do you think you need to do to make things right?”
Use circles, or small group conferences to build community, develop empathy and understanding, and when
needed, to repair relationships
Celebrate our Catholic community through the Catholic virtues and Catholic Graduate Expectations
Use think papers and reflective discussion papers aligned with the restorative questions

School Code of Conduct

The school's Code of Conduct for students in Grades 7 to 12 is available here.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of passing off someone else's work as your own. A student who plagiarizes may receive up to a failing grade on his/her school work that was plagiarized. The expectation is that teachers introduce and review proper citation procedures with their students. Students are advised of resources to help with proper documenting.

Lockers

Each student is issued his/her own locker. Lockers are not to be shared. Only Dudley locks, provided by the school on the first day of school are acceptable. Any other lock will be removed. Students are expected to leave their coats in their lockers. While the contents of a locker are a student's property, the locker is the property of the school and the administrators have the right to inspect a student's locker at any time. Students should not bring large sums on money or any valuable property to school. The school is not responsible for valuables left in a locker.

Extra-curricular Activities

Participation in any extra-curricular activity is at the discretion of the administration. Students who participate in extra-curricular activities must represent the values of Msgr. John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School. At all times they have to show exemplary behaviour and respect for all persons or property at this school or any other location where they represent the school.

School Calendar and News

Subscribe to our school calendar and news web pages for the latest information on PA Days, holidays, exam schedule and upcoming events.

Community Involvement Hours

As part of a student's religion education, he/she will be given in-class assignment/ reflections that focus on the concept of Christian community service. This work will be evaluated and weighted at five percent for the final grade for religion education. Students require 40 hours of community service to graduate.

Ineligible activities

The following activities do not count towards community service hours:

requirement for a course in which student is enrolled;
activities takes place during instructional time;
duties or obligations performed at home;
personal recreational activities;
work for a workplace or commercial business;
activities for a court-ordered program (e.g. probation);
work for a political party or individual candidate;
babysitting, except in cases of exceptional need which has been pre-approved by Religious Education Teacher work for payment, work normally done for wages by another person;
activities involving the operation of a vehicle power tools or scaffolding;
activities involving the handling of substances classed as "designated substances" by the Occupational Health and Safety Act;
activities requiring the knowledge of a trades person whose trade is Provincially regulated; and
activities involving banking or handling of securities, jewellery, works of Art, antiques, or other valuables.

Eligible Activities

Any service work for community agencies, churches, service organizations, or any activity pre-approved by the principal or designate, according to pastoral need.

School Uniform Policy

The official dress code of Msgr. John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School is a result of discussion with faculty, students, parent council and administration. Our school uniform is compulsory. All students are to wear the uniform during the school day. The school colours are Maroon, Grey and Black. All Dress Code infractions will be addressed with discretion and respect.

Students shall wear the uniform properly. The uniform shall be kept clean and in good repair and be warn neatly. Uniform clothing needs to be sized appropriately: neither too large nor immodestly tight.

For more information about the school uniform visit McCarthy School Uniforms.

Academic standard policy

Research showed that academic success is linked to the amount of time a student is in the classroom.

Students must inform teachers of absence due to school sports games, trips, etc.;
Students are responsible for all work missed due to participation in extra-curricular activities; and
If a student, while participating in a school activity, breaches the school code of conduct, the student may be
removed from participation in the activity by the administration.

Transportation

The Durham Catholic District School Board provides bus transportation for all students living outside the non-walking zone as set by the Board. Students are responsible for their behaviour on all school buses in the same way that they are in class. The use of bus transportation is a privilege and students who abuse it may lose that privilege.

Code of Conduct on School Bus Vehicles

All school bus vehicles are considered an extension of the classroom and all school policies such as Safe Schools, and School Code of Conduct apply to the school bus. All transported students whether on a field trip or home to school transportation are expected to behave in a manner on the bus that ensures that everyone remains safe. Since the bus is an extension of the school, students are accountable to the school principal who has the authority to ensure that student conduct on the school bus is appropriate.

Due to the nature of the activity of riding a bus, the following are expectations for all methods of school transportation as per the School Code of Conduct.

All students must:

Respect other people’s property and belongings while waiting for the school bus;
Treat the driver with respect and follow his/her instructions;
Be courteous and respectful to others on the bus at all times;
Act appropriately in a manner that does not endanger the safety of oneself or others including, but not
limited to:
Not engaging in any activity that interferes with the safe operation of the bus
Remaining seated at all times, facing forward while the bus is in motion
Keeping hands, arms, feet, head and belongings inside the vehicle until the student has exited at
his/her stop
Not distracting or speaking to the bus driver except in the case of emergency
Refraining from inappropriate behavior on the bus, e.g., throwing items, swearing, fighting, or
bullying
Not bringing alcohol, drugs or weapons onto the school bus
Not touching safety equipment or emergency exits except in the case of an emergency
Not eating or drinking on the bus

School Visitors

All visitors to the school must report to the main office. Visitors on school business must sign the visitor book in the main office and wear a visitor pass. Students must not invite friends to the school. Any person on school property without permission is trespassing. Staff and students should report any strangers not wearing a visitor pass inside the school. Please report this person to the main office immediately.

Parking

Parking is available at our school. Students may not loiter in their cars in the parking area and must drive with due care. All students with cars must obtain a parking pass through the main office. An annual cost for parking may apply. Parking privileges may be revoked at any time for unsafe driving.

Smoking and Vaping

Smoking and smokeless tobacco are not permitted on school property at any time by anyone. Any use or possession by a student will result in a student being suspended by Administration. Students may be fined for violations by the Ministry of Health.

Gambling

Students are not permitted to participate in gambling activities on school property - for example: dice/poker. Consequences for such behaviours will be dealt with according to the code of conduct.

Chaplaincy Team

Our Chaplaincy Team Leader is available full-time to staff and students as a resource. He or she provides different ministries of Christ as the need arises. In particular, Chaplaincy will provide:

pastoral care and spiritual directions;
encouragement of sacramental life of school community;
crisis intervention and bereavement follow up;
support and act as a resource for parents and the surrounding community;
a link between the school and the surrounding parishes;
encouragement to the school community to be involved in activities of social action and Christian witness;
and
support and act as a resource to the religious education program of the school.

Program Support

Program Support or Student Services are available to all students who require a quiet place to work or to receive assistance with assignments and tests. Peer tutors are available to assist as well as teachers. During class time, students must have permission from their teacher to go to Program Support.

Guidance

Guidance provides programs and services for the entire school community that respond to the needs of students, parents, teachers and administrators.

The Guidance Resource Centre is available to students wishing to explore career and post-secondary educational options. Students are invited to visit the Guidance Resource Centre before or after school, during lunch or during their spares. The following types of information and/or services are available in the Guidance Resource Centre:

educational (post-secondary);
exploring apprenticeships and the world of work;
getting experience;
job searches;
volunteer opportunities; and
co-operative education.

As well, students have access to the computers in the Guidance Resource Centre for educational purposes only.

Youth Services

The Durham Catholic District School Board provides a support team for its family of schools. The team consisting of the following professions:

Psychologist;
Speech/Language Pathologist;
Social Worker/Attendance Counsellor;
Resource Teacher for Visually Impaired;
Resource Teacher for Hearing Impaired; and
Youth Counsellor.

The above resource staff are available to assist students at Msgr. John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School through a referral procedure.

Student ID Card

Student Identification (ID) cards are required to borrow books and materials from the library, use computers in the library, complete an Accelerated Reader test, go to school dances or purchase prom tickets.

If a student ID card is lost or missing, students can purchase a replacement ID card at the main office. A replacement fee will be charged.

Safe and Caring Schools Report It – Non-Emergency Report System

Parents and students are encouraged to report incidents of bullying or other school safety concerns as soon as they happen by contacting their teacher and/or school administration. We recognize that bullying affects a student’s sense of safety and security, and some people may not feel comfortable reporting bullying or other school safety incidents. To help ease this worry, students and parents are welcome to use the Report It page available on the school website to report incidents of bullying or other safety concerns that have not already been reported. School safety concerns can be reported anonymously or contact information can be given so that appropriate follow-up can occur. The information provided will be forwarded to the school principal for action and a follow-up response if requested.

Community Threat Assessment and Protocol

The Durham Catholic District School Board is committed to providing safe learning environments for all students, staff, school visitors and community members. When student behaviours pose a potential threat to safety or serious harm to self or others, all schools in the Durham Catholic District School Board follow the Community Threat Assessment and Intervention Protocol (C-TAIP), which outlines how a school responds immediately to threatening behaviour.

This protocol involves supports from various partners, including community agencies, hospitals and police services. Personal information shared throughout this process will always respect and balance each individual's right to privacy while ensuring the safety of all. Visit our Board's Safe Schools web page for more information or speak to the principal.

Search and Seizure

According to the Police/School Board Protocol for Durham Catholic District School Board, it is the right and authority of the Principal or designate to search school and personal property, such as lockers, desks, backpacks, purses, etc., without notice or permission of any person as long as the Principal or designate has reasonable grounds to believe that there has been a breach of school regulations and that the search would reveal evidence of that breach. Police may from time to time be invited onto school premises to conduct their own searches, also without prior notice to or permission of any member of the school community.

Community Partners

Through outreach, school and community partnerships already in place may be enhanced and new partnerships developed with community agencies and other groups within the community (e.g., Kinark Family and Child Services, Aboriginal Elders). Community agencies are important resources that schools can use to deliver prevention or intervention programs. Protocols are effective ways of establishing connections between boards and community agencies and formalizing the partnership. These partnership agreements must respect all applicable collective agreements and Board policies.

Durham Regional Police Service Partnerships

The Durham Regional Police Service plays an essential role in making our schools and communities safer. The police investigate incidents in accordance with our Police/School Board protocol. This protocol is based on the provincial model developed by the Ministry of Education. The Durham Regional Police Service are instrumental in supporting our schools with all emergency preparedness procedures and Safe Schools initiatives. Each of our schools has regular access to a School Liaison Officer.

Emergency Response Plans

Each September, as part of our Police/Board protocol we practice our emergency response procedures so all staff and students are well prepared in the event of a real emergency. Using newsletters and the school website, we will provide all families with details of our practices and the role that parents play in supporting a school’s emergency response.

Emergency response practices include:

Fire Drills: Students practice the appropriate way to exit the building when they hear a fire alarm. Practices are held when students are in class, at recess and where an exit might be blocked.

Lock down: Students practice the appropriate way to respond to a threat of danger inside the school using the R-SAFE acronym. Students are taught to get to the nearest and safest location as quickly as possible, what to do when they get there and the importance of remaining quiet.

Photography and Video Consent

As we try to keep pace with social media that is so much a part of our students' lives, it is important to be reminded of people's right to privacy. While taking photos or videos at various school events, please be mindful that it is illegal to post/upload/share photos or videos of anyone other than yourself or your own child on the Internet or anywhere without the expressed consent of the person or their guardian. Sharing photos or videos of others without their consent is a privacy violation.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

BYOD allows students to bring electronic devices to school for educational purposes. Students are expected to use devices responsibly, and only with the permission and direction of teachers or other staff members. Research indicates that the use of technology increases engagement, which leads to improved student success. The following are reasons why BYOD works well:

Students are usually experts in their own device and can customize it to suit their learning needs
Students can use it to learn anytime, anywhere;
Students can collaborate and work anytime; before school, after school, and at lunchtime; and
Student-owned devices are often more up-to-date than those provided by the school due to the cost of
replacing hardware for the entire system.

Our students are going to live and work in a world where people use electronic devices regularly. They need to learn how to use devices in a respectful, responsible and ethical manner. The Durham Catholic District School Board’s BYOD procedures, School Codes of Conduct and Ontario Graduate Expectations will guide teachers in the process of teaching students what it means to be good digital citizens.

Not every parent can, or wants to send their child to school with an electronic device. Teachers will continue to plan lessons that do not require the use of a personally owned device. Teachers are encouraged to give advanced notice when they plan to incorporate electronic devices into a lesson. Students without devices will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with other students or borrow a school device.

Students are required to use the Board’s wireless network, which they can access at no cost while at school. They will not be permitted to access their paid data plans while in school. The Durham Catholic District School Board’s network filter will help prevent students from accessing inappropriate web content while they are logged in at school.

Schools will have plans in place to help students keep their devices secures. Ultimately, students are responsible for lost, stolen, and/or damaged personal electronic devices, just as they are for other personal items brought to school.

Science safety contract

Students enrolled in any science class must follow the safety rules as outlined in the Science Safety Contract below.

The following are general safety rules and guidelines associated with any and all science courses. Additional specific safety instruction will be delivered on an as needed basis. To participate in any science class, you and your parent or guardian must read, understand, and sign the agreement below. Failure to do so may restrict your ability to participate in experimental activities, and possibly result in disciplinary action.

All students must wear the designated personal protective equipment (PPE) when requested by the teacher. No exceptions.
Students must conduct themselves in a responsible manner at all times in the classroom and laboratory.
Students must follow all written and verbal instructions carefully. If you do not understand a direction or part of a procedure, always ask the teacher for assistance.
When entering a science classroom and/or laboratory, do not touch any equipment, chemicals, or other materials until you have been instructed by the teacher to do so.
Absolutely no food or drink in the laboratory.
Always keep hands away from face, eyes, mouth and body while using chemicals or preserved specimens. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water after performing all experiments.
If any chemical gets on your hands, or any other part of your body, alert the teacher and follow instructions (e.g. wash it off immediately).
Clean with supplied materials (detergent), rinse and wipe dry all apparatus at the end of each experiment and return all equipment clean and in working order to the proper storage area.
When transferring reagents from one container to another, hold the containers away from your body.
Never return unused chemicals to their original containers. When in doubt, ask the teacher.
Never remove chemicals or any materials from the laboratory area.
Examine glassware before each use. Never use chipped, cracked, or dirty glassware.
Carry glass tubing (especially long pieces), in a vertical position to minimize breakage and injury.
Never attempt to handle broken glass. Alert the teacher immediately and follow their instructions.
Never immerse hot glassware in cold water as it may shatter.
Report all damage and accidents immediately to the teacher.
If you do not understand how to use a piece of equipment, always ask your teacher before proceeding.
Never place any hot apparatus directly on a laboratory desk. Always use an insulating pad. Allow time for the apparatus to cool before touching it.