General Information

 

Welcome to Forest Hill Junior. The school opened in 1997-98 in St. Lazare which is located off the western tip of the island of Montreal.  Forest Hill Junior School services 309 students. The curriculum is composed of 85% French and 15% English instruction (Physical Education, Science and Music).

 

Our School Vision/Mission

Forest Hill Junior is committed to providing an innovative and nurturing educational environment where all students are given the opportunity and encouraged to reach their full potential.

 

Please take note of the following;

 

ATTENDANCE

WHEN CALLING TO REPORT YOUR CHILD’S LATE ARRIVAL OR ABSENCE PLEASE CALL:

(514) 798-0777 (Junior Campus)   Press 3 for “Attendance” mailbox.
A voice mail service is on hand at all times of the day to leave messages.

 

Please call the school office prior to 9:00 a.m. to advise us of your child’s absence or late arrival.  If we do not receive a notice of the absence, someone from the school will call to verify your child’s absence.  

Please state child’s name, grade and teacher’s name on the message. 

If your child is having symptoms related to Covid-19, please detail the symptoms in your message as we are now required to follow up on this.
 

 

MORNING ENTRY

• Students are expected to arrive at school at 9:00 a.m.
• Parents driving their child to school are expected to use the Kiss and Drop line to drop off their child. Our Kiss and Drop line is at the far end of the building where the daycare drop off is in the roundabout. Parents should wait in the line on Chanterel Street. 4 - 5 cars will be let into the roundabout at the same time. Students will have to get out of the car on their own. Once all students have been let out of the cars and are safely on their way in, another 5 cars will be let in. Please follow the the flow of traffic as busses are also coming in from the other direction at this time. Please make sure your child is ready to exit the car quickly when it is his/her turn as we have to keep the line moving.
• Students who walk or bike to school should use the main entrance. 
• If your child arrives late (after 9:10 a.m.), we ask that you accompany them to the main door and sign in. Ring the doorbell and someone will let your child in. Please do not leave your child until a staff member has let them in. There should only be one family at a time in the vestibule between the two doors at the entrance.

 

 

LATE ARRIVALS

If your child arrives late (after 9:10 a.m.), we ask that you accompany them to the main door and sign in. Ring the doorbell and someone will let your child in. Please do not leave your child until a staff member has let them in. There should only be one family at a time in the vestibule between the two doors at the entrance.

 

 

LUNCH

Students in Kindergarten and Grade 1 eat lunch from 12:30 – 12:55 and then go out to play until 1:25. 

Grade 2 students go out to play from 12:30-12:55 and then come in to eat at 12:55-1:25. 

 

 

APPOINTMENTS

If your child must leave during school hours for an appointment, please write a note for your child to give to his/her classroom teacher.   When picking your child up during school hours, please ring the bell in the vestibule between the two front doors and your child will be called from class. Your child will be brought down to the door to meet you.

All children must be signed out prior to their departure. The sign out sheet is in the vestibule between the two front doors.  If your child would normally attend daycare that day, please make sure to fill out the green schedule change form available from daycare.

Please note that the office is closed from 12:30-1:30 so please arrange for any pick ups outside of this time frame. 

We ask parents to arrange after-school activities to coincide with the school schedule. School ends at 3:45 p.m.  Picking up your child early on a regular basis is very disruptive for your child and the rest of the class.
 

 

DISMISSAL

We require that parents choose a consistent plan for pick up at the end of the day. You must choose between bus, pick up and daycare. We ask that you stick to this plan. We understand that there may be exceptional circumstances where a change must be made but it should not be a regular occurrence.  If your child has a schedule that changes because they live in two households, the plan must be clearly indicated.

We will also provide an opportunity for a staggered exit at the end of the day. Your child can be picked up at 3:25 p.m. or 3:45 p.m. Your child can be picked up at the gate of the playground in the front of the school near the main entrance. Students will line up in the front playground and a staff member will be there to release your child to you. 
 

 

PARKING

Please do not park your vehicle in the parking lot at the front of the school.  It is reserved for school staff.   All VOLUNTEERS and VISITORS are asked to park in the “VISITORS” parking lot (to your right when entering the school parking lot). Please respect the NO Parking sign in the horseshoe drive. This area is used for drop off in the morning and buses at dismissal time.

 

OUTDOOR CLOTHING

Parents are reminded that children go outside as much as possible throughout the year.  They may be waiting for the school bus, out at recess or during the lunch period. Please send your child in appropriate clothing for the weather.  If it is raining or exceptionally cold, the children will remain indoors.

 

ITEMS FROM HOME

Children must not bring toys or other items to school that could be lost or stolen.  This applies to electronics games, radios, and cell phones, and the like.  Such items must not be taken onto the school bus, into the classroom or be used on the playground.  It is safer to leave them at home.  The school cannot take responsibility for the loss of items and valuables. 

It is preferable that all money forwarded to school for activities or fundraising be sent in the form of a check. (Checks are made payable to Forest Hill Jr.)

 

EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSURE

The following radio/TV stations will make the necessary announcement in the case of an emergency closure.  Parents are to listen for closure of the « Lester B. Pearson School Board ». The closure information may also be posted on the FHJR Facebook page and the Lester B. Pearson School Board  website.

TV stations to receive the call: Global TV (cable 3) CFCF TV (cable 11) CBMT TV (cable 13)		Listed by order of who receives the call first: CJAD 800 AM           CHOM 97.7 FM CFQR 92.5 (Q92)     CBM 88.5 FM CJFM 95.9 FM           (Virgin Radio) CINW 940 AM           CKGM 990 AM

 

 

If the school is closed unexpectedly during the day, it is important that we have on file the name, phone # and address of the place your child is to go in such an emergency.  A form will be sent home early in the year requesting this information.

 

PROTOCOL FOR THE ADMINSTRATION OF MEDICATION AT SCHOOL

Some medical conditions require that medications be given on a regular basis.

Therefore, if a child needs to take medicine at school, certain procedures must be followed before we can accept the responsibility to keep or administer medications in school.

1. The medicine must come in its original container with the pharmacist’s label and the dosage to be administered.
2. The doctor’s authorization will also be acceptable.
3. Parents/Guardians must complete the form “Authorization to Administer Medication” before requesting school personnel administer medications. This can be done at the school office or at the daycare office.
4. Please send only one container per child.  For hygiene reasons and to avoid errors, we cannot, for example, have two children using the same inhaler.
5. All medication with an expired date will be returned home.  It is the parent’s responsibility to renew all prescriptions.

If possible, ask your doctor to prescribe antibiotic medication at 8 or 12 hour intervals to cut down on the amount taken at school.  If this is not possible, ask the pharmacist to supply the medication in two containers, one for school and one for home.

Please advise us as soon as there is a change in your child’s medical condition.

 

FOOD/ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGENS

An increasing number of our students have allergies, some are fatally allergic.  Forest Hill is a NUT CONTROLLED SCHOOL.  This includes peanut butter, peanuts and other food made with peanuts and tree nuts. Tree nuts include, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts.  In classes with highly allergic students, a letter with specific instructions about which foods to avoid will be sent home (ERMS) at the beginning of the year.

Your cooperation regarding allergies is GREATLY APPRECIATED.

 

EPIPENS

Children can be anywhere in the building at any given time (Phys Ed, Music, computer room, outdoors, etc.)  For these reasons, children with  EPIPENS are strongly encouraged to carry them around their waist at all times.

Information is available regarding the purchase of “Epi Belts” from the school nurse.

 

ADDITIONAL HYGIENE MEASURE FOR THE COVID 19 CONTEXT

• Several hand sanitizer stations with have been set up throughout the school and in classrooms. Students will be asked to sanitize their hands when entering and exiting the building, before and after using the washroom, before and after eating (with soap and water), and after handling shared items.
• The Ministry of Education requires that students in Grade 1 & 2 wear procedural masks in school.  
• Arrows have been placed on the floor in the hallways to signal one way direction. As well, posters have been put up with visuals to remind students of the safety measures.
• Water fountains will be closed. It is recommended that students bring their own filled water bottle each day. We have one water bottle filling station on each floor that will be available to use.