Carisbrooke Elementary
North Vancouver School District
Title
Band
Students in Grades 5 to 7 are encouraged to participate in our band program. Instructional time for this program is provided before school and during regular class time. Students have an opportunity to perform at school and district functions.

There is a fee for this program and students are responsible for providing their own instruments.  These may be purchased or rented from the School District or local music stores.  Registration and information on this program is provided to students in June.  If you wish information at other times of the year, please contact the band instructor.


English Language Learner (ELL)
Children attending Carisbrooke whose native language is not English will be provided with instruction in the English language and/or extra support in the classroom.  A home support program may also be part of the child’s program.


Extracurricular Activities
Participation in extracurricular activities is encouraged and supported. The range of extracurricular activities is subject to interest by students and the availability of teacher or parent volunteer sponsors.

Although the list varies slightly from year to year, a sample is outlined below:

Athletic Activities
 
Cross Country Run - fall Grades  4 - 7
Basketball - fall         Grades 6 & 7 
Volleyball - winter Grades 6 & 7
Track and Field - spring Grades  4 - 7
Kilometer Club - spring K - 3

Teams take part in district leagues competing throughout North Vancouver

Choir

Students in Grades 4 - 7 are welcome to join the Carisbrooke Choir. 
Practices are held on a regular basis and performances are scheduled in the winter and spring seasons.

Clubs
Chess Club
Environment Club
Knitting Club
Animation Club

There are a number of expectations for each student involved in extracurricular activities:
School work must be kept up to date.
Appropriate behaviour must be displayed at all functions.
Consistent attendance and effort during practices is required.
A note from a parent is required if a practice is missed.

 
Field Trips
Field trips are used as a means of enhancing a program offered in the classroom.  Prior to any field trip, with the exception of walking trips in the immediate community, parents are notified by written notice of the details of the planned field trip.  Before students are permitted to take part in a field trip, the teacher must have written consent from the parent. To facilitate this, the notice that goes home prior to a field trip includes a consent form to be signed by the parent or guardian and returned to the school.  Note: field trips are optional.  Alternate arrangements will be made for student who do not participate.

The school does not have a field trip budget and, in the majority of cases, students are required to pay for transportation and admission costs.  However, if the cost of a field trip places a burden on your family, please advise the Principal.  No student will miss, for financial reasons, an opportunity to take part in a field trip.

Transportation on field trips is provided by chartered buses or by parent volunteer drivers.

The requirements of parent drivers are:
  1. ​Vehicles used for transportation must be rated appropriately and insured with minimum Third Party Liability insurance of $1,000,000. (Note: The School District provides Excess Third Party Liability coverage for volunteer drivers and owners while lawfully operating vehicles on behalf of the School District). The vehicle must be properly equipped with seat belts for each occupant; seat belts must be secured when travelling. Children are not to be transported in a seat protected by an air bag.
  2. The School District does not accept responsibility for any damage to the vehicle in the event of an accident, nor for the deductible, loss of insurance discount or loss of use.
  3. The volunteer driver and owner should ensure that, to the best of his/her knowledge, the motor vehicle used for student transportation is in good mechanical condition.
  4. The volunteer driver must be at least 21 years of age and in good health.
  5. The vehicle must be equipped with winter, all season tires and/or chains for winter conditions.
  6. For health and safety reasons, volunteer drivers are asked not to allow smoking in their vehicles while transporting students.
  7. The driver must not, at any time during his/her performance as a volunteer driver, imbibe any alcoholic beverages or use any restricted substances.
  8. The driver must not operate the vehicle in an unsafe manner or in contravention of any statute or regulation governing the operation of motor vehicles.

Gifted Program
In the North Vancouver School District, the Canadian Cognitive Abilities test is administered to all Grade 3 students as part of the process for the identification of gifted students. Students in the upper intermediate grades who are referred by either a teacher or a parent may be given the test based on the recommendation of the Carisbrooke School Based Resource Team. If a student meets the criteria for being designated gifted, the North Vancouver gifted program would be made available to that student. The program provides gifted students with the opportunities for
challenge and success. These may include challenge centres, zone exploration programs and school services and support. Following designation, an Individual Education Plan would be developed in cooperation with the classroom teacher, parents, the student and the gifted resource teacher.


Information Technology
At Carisbrooke School the expectation is that each student will have access to current information technologies including MacBooks, iPads, desktops, appropriate software, and the Internet. We have a computer lab consisting of 31 workstations, 40 iPads, 45 laptops, five computers in the library, computers in the Learning Assistance Centre and, from time to time, individual workstations in classrooms. 

The creation of the Provincial Learning Network (PLN) has provided all public schools with access to the Internet, enabling electronic communication between administrators, teachers and students. At Carisbrooke, we provide Internet access to support student learning. Students have access to the Internet once they have been instructed in its proper use and have been made aware of the school's Internet Access Acceptable Use document. This document clarifies the conditions, rules and acceptable uses for Internet access for students and staff. Any user found to be accessing the Internet in a manner inconsistent with the conditions described in this document will be subject to loss of computer use and/or other disciplinary options as laid out in Carisbrooke’s Code of Conduct. Students only have access to the Internet when a staff member is present. 


Outdoor School
The North Vancouver Outdoor School is located at Paradise Valley, 15 km north of Squamish on a 400 acre site beside the Cheakamus River.

The programs involve residential experiences of studying natural and social sciences, First Nations history and conservation in the out-of-doors.  Students attend the Primary Natural History Program once during their Primary years, the Intermediate Natural History Program once during their Intermediate years and the Bighouse Program in Grade 4.  Students are prepared before they leave and are instructed at Outdoor School by their own teachers and the Outdoor School staff.  A fee is charged for these programs.  If the fee places a financial burden on your family, advise the Principal.  Limited financial assistance is available.


Peer Counsellors
Students in Grade 6 have the opportunity to volunteer as Peer Counsellors.  Volunteers are trained by our School Counsellor and sponsor staff in conflict resolution strategies and playground games.  They help support positive, fun playground behaviour for primary students.
 
Provincial Curriculum
The curriculum for Kindergarten to Grade 7 is determined by the Ministry of Education. In the Primary Years (Kindergarten to Grade 3) the school provides a transition from learning at home to learning at school. Students study all required areas of learning, including language arts, social studies, science, mathematics, personal planning, physical education, fine arts and applied skills. The curriculum for these years supports the development of children aesthetically, socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically.

In the Intermediate Years (Grades 4 to 7), students progress from childhood to adolescence. They experience physical, emotional and intellectual changes. This period is characterized by fluctuations in behaviour, attitudes and social growth and development. Students continue to study all areas of learning, including language arts, social studies, science, mathematics, a second language (Grades 5-7), personal planning, physical education, fine arts and applied skills. 

You may view the Ministry of Education web site www.bced.gov.bc.ca for more detailed information about the Kindergarten - Grade 7 curriculum.


Student Council
Students in Grades 4- 7 have the opportunity to serve on the Student Council. The Student Council meets to discuss and plan various activities for students and school community. Class elections are held in the early fall.