CHIMO Charger Student & Family Handbook
CHIMO Elementary
School (K-8)
Family Handbook
2026- 2027
“Home of the
Chargers”
11 Ross Street
Smiths Falls, ON K7A
4V7
Phone: 613-283-1761
www.ucdsb.on.ca (Board Website)
https://chimo.ucdsb.on.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/ChimoES
Principal: Sherrie
Guthrie
Vice-Principal:
Tracey Haley
Interm Office Administrator:
Jayanna Wood | [email protected] | 613-283-1761
Updated: June 23, 2026
Welcome to the 2026/2027 school
year at CHIMO Elementary School!
Outlined below is important
information on specific notices and routines:
CHIMO Elementary School Code of
Conduct
CHIMO Elementary School aligns
its Code of Conduct practices with those of the UCDSB. CHIMO encourages
students to follow these proactive steps to support successful learning and
school experience.
1.
Arrive on time and be prepared to
learn;
2.
Be kind to everyone all of the time;
3.
Work hard to be successful;
4.
Respect people and the environment
Enhanced Public Health Measure Highlights:
a.
Students, staff and visitors will not be required to wear masks on
school transportation or at school. However, if students and staff choose to
wear masks at school, their decisions will be respected.
b.
Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette will continue to be
promoted within schools
c.
Regular hand hygiene will continue in schools
Bullying
Prevention and Intervention:
CHIMO Elementary School is committed
to creating a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and equitable learning environment
for every student. Staff will continue to implement proactive
bullying-prevention and intervention strategies that support positive relationships,
student well-being, accountability, and respectful problem-solving.
CHIMO also has a student-led
Anti-Bullying Club that provides students with meaningful opportunities to
share their experiences, concerns, and ideas. Members of the club meet with the
School Council to review how challenges are addressed at CHIMO and to identify
ways the school can continue strengthening its prevention, intervention, and
support practices.
The school will continue to support a
Safe and Accepting School Team made up of educators, students, parents,
guardians, and community members. Through student voice, family input, staff
collaboration, and ongoing reflection, CHIMO will respond to concerns, evaluate
current practices, and promote a school culture in which every student feels
safe, respected, included, and supported. Families interested in participating
or learning more are encouraged to contact the school.
Medication:
All medication brought to
school is kept in a safe location in the office to be administered by a staff
member. A medication form must be completed before medication can be given to
any student. Even non-prescription drugs are to be stored in the office with a
permission form.
Vulnerable Sector Checks:
It is required by the Upper
Canada District School Board that vulnerable sector checks are on file at the
school. If you plan on volunteering at the school or accompanying your child on
a class trip you must have a criminal reference check on file at the school
office. Please reach out to the office to express interest in volunteering
opportunities as it is now all completed online with the OPP and you will
require a letter from the school.
2026 – 2027 School Day:
9:15-9:30 a.m. – Student Entry
9:30 a.m. – School Day Begins
9:30-11:54 a.m. – Instructional Block #1
11:54 a.m.-12:34 p.m. – Lunch (20 minutes) and Recess (20
minutes)
12:34-3:10 p.m. – Instructional Block #2
3:10-3:50 p.m. – Recess (40 minutes)
3:50 p.m. – Dismissal
*Student entry and supervision
begin at 9:15 a.m. Students should not arrive before this time.
UCDSB Calendar:
Please refer to the attached link: https://www.ucdsb.on.ca/for_families/school_year_calendar
Important
Dates:
Important Dates: 2026–2027
School Year
a) Professional Activity (PA)
Days
a. Tuesday, September 1, 2026
b. Monday, October 26, 2026
c. Friday, November 27, 2026
d. Friday, January 29, 2027
e. Friday, April 23, 2027
f. Friday, May 28, 2027
g. Monday, June 28, 2027
There will be no classes for
students on PA Days.
b) Statutory Holidays
a. Monday, September 7, 2026 —
Labour Day
b. Monday, October 12, 2026 — Thanksgiving Day
c. Monday, February 15, 2027 — Family Day
d. Friday, March 26, 2027 — Good Friday
e. Monday, March 29, 2027 — Easter Monday
f. Monday, May 24, 2027 — Victoria Day
c) National Day for Truth and
Reconciliation
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
CHIMO Elementary School will
recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation through meaningful
learning, reflection, and activities. This is a regular school day for students
unless otherwise communicated by the school board.
d) Winter Break
Monday, December 21, 2026, to
Friday, January 1, 2027
Students return to school on
Monday, January 4, 2027.
e) March Break
Monday, March 15, 2027, to
Friday, March 19, 2027
Students return to school on
Monday, March 22, 2027.
f) First and Last Days of School
First day of school for
students: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Last day of school for students: Friday, June 25, 2027
g) Terry Fox School Run
Date to be determined and
communicated by CHIMO Elementary School.
School
Procedures:
o
School
Attendance/Safe Arrival:
Please remember
that when your child will not be attending school (or will be late arriving) we
MUST have a phone call from a parent advising us of their absence. This notification can also be shared using
the MyFamilyRoom application. This is
necessary to ensure the safety of your children, and information must be given
by an adult, not relayed through the student or a sibling. Calls can be left on
the school answering machine 24 hours a day.
Please remember that it is only one call for you but sometimes many
calls for the office administrator.
o
Inclement Day
(Snow Day Policy):
Further details relating to inclement day
planning will be shared once finalized.
This information will be shared through all UCDSB platforms (e.g.,
Facebook, family email, MyFamilyRoom).
o
Transportation:
The
Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario provides detailed guidelines for
parents and guardians regarding the transportation of students. Parents/guardians should be aware that school
bus drivers can only pick up and drop off riders at one authorized regular
daily stop. Drivers cannot make changes
to stops without authorization from the Transportation Department.
Transportation for all non-school related functions is the responsibility of
parents/guardians. Transportation cannot be provided for sleepovers, a homework
project, to complete community service hours or for an after-school job. These
requests cannot be permitted for safety reasons. Resource - www.steo.ca
Cell Phone/Personal
Technology Device - Acceptable Use:
o
Policy/Program
Memorandum 128: The Provincial Code of Conduct (cell phones)
Cell Phones and Personal Mobile Devices – Acceptable Use
In accordance with Policy/Program Memorandum 128: The Provincial
Code of Conduct and School Board Codes of Conduct, Ontario schools are
required to restrict the use of cell phones and other personal mobile devices
during the school day.
At CHIMO Elementary School, students are not permitted to use cell phones,
smartwatches, tablets, or other personal communication devices at school under
any circumstances unless their use has been approved in advance by the
Principal.
All personal mobile devices must remain powered off or set to silent mode,
stored securely, and kept out of sight throughout the entire school day,
including instructional periods, recesses, lunch, transitions, assemblies,
field trips, and other school activities.
The provincial policy permits exceptions when a personal mobile device is
required:
·
for health or medical purposes;
·
to support documented special education needs;
or
·
for an approved educational purpose.
At CHIMO, any exception must be discussed with and approved by the Principal
before the device is used. Students with an approved medical, special
education, or accessibility-related need will be supported through an
appropriate plan developed with the school and family.
Students who use or display a personal mobile device without permission will
be required to surrender it to a staff member. The device will be stored
securely and returned according to school procedures. Repeated concerns may
result in the device being returned directly to a parent or guardian and may
lead to further consequences in accordance with the UCDSB Code of Conduct and
progressive discipline practices.
Families who need to contact their child during the school day must call the
school office at 613-283-1761. Students who need to contact a
parent or guardian may do so through the school office with staff permission.
The school is not responsible for personal mobile devices that are lost,
stolen, or damaged while on school property or during school-related
activities.
Video Surveillance Notice of Collection:
o
Please be aware that the CHIMO Elementary School
property is under 24-hour video surveillance recording. The collection of this
personal information:
• is done under the authority
of the Education Act and in compliance with
Municipal Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA); and
is for safety reasons and property protection.
o
Questions
regarding video surveillance can be directed to the main school office.
Dress Code:
o Students
are to wear clothing that is neat, clean and appropriate for the school
environment. Any clothing that promotes
a lifestyle or an attitude that is contrary to a positive and safe learning
environment is deemed to be inappropriate and cannot be worn.
Fire Drills:
o When an alarm is sounded, the building is
evacuated. Each classroom has a fire
exit instruction sign posted near the door which directs students to the
appropriate exit. When the alarm sounds,
students must file out in a calm and orderly manner while moving with their
class. Once outside they must move away
from the building with their class.
Attendance will be taken outside once the class is a safe distance from
the school. You must cooperate fully with school officials and fire
fighters. A similar procedure is to be
followed in all emergency evacuations.
Children
with Medical Needs:
o
As the primary caregiver for
your child, parents/guardians are expected to be active participants in
supporting the management of your child’s medical needs (e.g., Anaphylaxis,
Asthma, Diabetes, Epilepsy, or other medical requirements) while they are in
school. At a minimum,
parents/guardians should:
·
inform
the school of your child's medical needs and co-create the Plan of Care for
their child with the Tracey Haley the Vice Principal
·
educate your child about
their medical condition(s) with support from their child’s health care
professional, as needed;
·
guide and encourage your
child to reach their full potential for self-management and self-advocacy;
·
communicate changes to the
Plan of Care, such as changes to the status of your child’s medical
condition(s) or changes to your child’s ability to manage the medical
condition(s), to the principal or the principal’s designate;
·
confirm annually to the
principal or the principal’s designate that your child’s medical status is
unchanged;
·
initiate and participate in
annual meetings to review your child’s Plan of Care;
·
supply your child and/or the
school with sufficient quantities of medication and supplies in their original,
clearly labelled containers, as directed by a health care professional and
as outlined in the Plan of Care, and track the expiration dates if they are
supplied;
·
seek medical advice from a
medical doctor, nurse practitioner, or pharmacist, where appropriate.
Bikes on
School Property:
o Students who live within biking
distance of the school are welcome to bring their bike to school. As a safety
precaution, students are reminded that by law, every cyclist under age 18 must
wear an approved helmet. Students are required to wear a bike helmet if they
are riding their bike on school property or taking part in a school related
cycling activity. The school and UCDSB are not responsible for stolen or
damaged personal property.
Parents and Volunteers Within Schools:
o
Parents and volunteers are welcome at the
school. Upon arrival and departure at CHIMO, all visitors and parents must sign
in and out and obtain a visitor card from the office.
Emergency Medical:
o If your child/ren
has an allergy and/or an emergency medical need, we ask that you connect with
the office to complete some additional documentation that can assist the school
in supporting student safety.
Distribution of Medications:
o
If your child/ren
requires medication (prescription or over-the-counter) throughout the day, we
ask that you connect with the office to complete some additional documentation
that can assist the school in supporting this need.
Nut-Aware Policy:
o
Students exposed
to peanut butter or even the smallest amount of peanut, a peanut product, or
any type of nut may experience very strong reactions. In response, the school has set-up a protocol
to address these types of immediate medical emergency situations. However, prevention is the best approach for
reducing the risk of a severe reaction.
At school, we have asked students not to share snacks, treats, or
lunches. In addition, students have been
asked to speak with an adult if they suspect there is a problem. We are also asking that families carefully
monitor what is placed in lunches on a daily basis. There are food suppliers who are marketing
peanut-free products that look, taste, and smell like peanut butter (e.g., WOW
Butter). These peanut butter substitute
products can cause confusion and create an unsafe environment for our students
and staff. Therefore, due to the
difficulty in differentiating between peanut butter and a peanut butter
substitute, we do not allow these products in our school. Therefore, we are requesting your cooperation
in not sending these food products to school with your child.
Emergency Drills and Codes:
o
Over the course
of the year, we will complete six (6) fire drills and two (2) lock downs. The purpose of these drills is to ensure that
staff and students are aware of protocol in place to support the safety of all
in the event of an emergency.
Student Registration (K-8):
o
If you are
interested in registering your child/ren, please feel free to connect with the
office at any time from 8:45-4:00 PM Monday through Friday.
School
Support:
o
School Council:
School
Council meetings are open to all families. To learn more about joining School
Council, participating on a subcommittee, volunteering, or receiving meeting
information,
o
School Programs:
CHIMO
offers a range of programs to support learning within and beyond the classroom.
Programs may include intramural and extramural activities, student leadership
opportunities, workshops with school and community partners, and other
enrichment activities.
Communication with Teachers:
o
Teachers use a
variety of strategies to support communication home. Some methods include: a newsletter, class
Facebook page, website, telephone and/or email.
In communicating with teachers, please feel free to use any manner with
which you feel comfortable
Student Resources for the Year (K-8):
o
As students and
families prepare for September start-up, the only items that every student is
asked to acquire and bring to school are a backpack, a pair of indoor shoes, a
water bottle and a lunch bag. All other
instructional resources are provided by the school.