The Raven Report

SOAR (Safety - Ownership - Attitude - Respect) represents the core values we expect all members of our school community to uphold. By embracing these responsibilities, we can foster a safe, inclusive, and enriching learning environment for everyone.

Eastside Secondary School is committed to providing a safe, positive learning environment for all students which allows students to thrive in an atmosphere which emphasizes respect for learning, self, others, authority, property and the environment. We actively promote acceptance of all students and we teach understanding, tolerance and communication. There is no place for violence, intimidation or foul language at Eastside Secondary School. In-school and or out-of-school progressive discipline will be used to address any such issues. Students are expected to review the full Student Responsibilities at https://bit.ly/ESSsoar.

Attending regularly and being on time for class are required for academic success. If you will be away, please let us know in advance. We have a new online system and app to make that really easy. It’s only acceptable to be away from class for school related activities like trips and sports, or illness, bereavement, unavoidable causes (medical appointments, emergencies), and religious holidays. We expect you to be in classes if you are at school.

It is important for you to take responsibility for your learning and to be focussed on classroom activities. Cell phones must be stored out of view and powered off or set to silent mode during instructional time. If your family needs to contact you, they can call the main office.

As directed by the Ministry of Education in Policy/Program Memorandum 128, starting in September, all Ontario school boards will be required to follow the updated Provincial Code of Conduct. This includes all students being required to follow strict anti-vaping guidelines. Students cannot bring electronic cigarettes (vapes), tobacco and/or nicotine products to school (including school transportation). If a student is in possession of an electronic cigarette (vape), tobacco or nicotine product it will be surrendered and disposed of and parents/guardians will be immediately informed. If a student is vaping/smoking on school premises, a progressive discipline approach will be followed.

Eastside Secondary School is requesting that parents/guardians pay a voluntary school activity fee of $15. The purpose of this fee is to support school events designed to enrich the student experience through involvement in extracurricular activities. As a school, we rely primarily on funds collected from parents/guardians to run extracurricular activities and enrichment events. There are many activities for which we can easily link the participant to the activity, and require payment of the student activity fee to help cover costs. As an example, this is the case for all athletic teams.

If you can afford the $15 voluntary student activity fee, please consider sending in this valuable support at the beginning of the school year. Online payment will be available through School Cash Online at the end of August. At ESS we are committed to equity. Regardless of paying a student activity fee, all students will be permitted and encouraged to attend assemblies, celebrations, and year end events. We acknowledge the inequality created by economic circumstance, and invite students, parents/guardians to contact us to ensure that there is equitable access.

All schools charge an athletic fee of $25 per team. This money will be used to cover costs associated with league and referee fees, equipment and uniform replacement and upkeep, first aid supplies, and the athletic awards and banquet. Depending on the team, additional fees may be charged for transportation and additional competitions (ie: COSSA and/or OFSAA).

Each team will also have their own fee structure associated with their sport. This money will be used to cover uniforms which the athlete keeps (sport specific), equipment associated with the sport (mouthguards, shinpads, socks etc.), tournaments and competitions that are outside of Bay of Quinte league play and costs associated with equipment upkeep (Eg. football helmet recertification) or replacement.

Football: August 26th - August 29th 10am - 12pm (no equipment)

Junior Boys Volleyball: September 4th and 5th 2:45 - 4pm

Junior Girls Basketball: Thursday, September 5th 2:45 - 4pm

Stay tuned to ess.athletics on Instagram as more sports finalize their tryout dates!

Students will be assigned a locker on the first day. They are expected to use their lockers to store personal belongings that do need to be taken to class (ie: coats, cell phones etc).

Students will need to purchase a school lock for $15. They will keep this lock for the duration of their time at ESS.

At Eastside, we want our students and families to be well informed. We have multiple ways that we will communicate with you:

1. Direct email: please make sure that when you review the information form in September that you verify a correct email address.

2. Social media: please follow up on Facebook and Instagram so that you can stay up-to-date on the amazing things happening at ESS.

3. Website: be sure to check out ess.hpedsb.on.ca as it has a lot of great information including an ESS Events calendar.

4. Newsletter: We will publish “The Raven Report” newsletter each month and send it directly to the email that we have on file.

We also encourage two-way communication between the classroom teacher and home, so please reach out to your child’s teacher at any point. Contact information can be found on our website.