[Skip to Content]
Rousseau

Procedures

Textsize
A+ A-

Rousseau Safety Protocols

At HWDSB schools the safety, well-being and supervision of students is an absolute priority.

These safety protocols include:

  • Closely monitoring when students leave the classroom
  • Meeting students outside to bring them inside for morning entry (Kindergarten classes and Primary wing)
  • Greeting students in the hallway during morning entry (Junior Wing)
  • Using a whistle at the conclusion of outdoor learning time and taking attendance while outside
  • Using walkie-talkies or other devices to communicate with the office when outside
  • Using additional measures for students who require support to make safe choices

Additional message for Kindergarten classes:

  • Classroom doors are closed when there is only one educator in the room
  • When outside or in a room without a washroom, students leave and return to the classroom in pairs
  • Staff will use a system to track the amount of time students are out of the room (ipad, egg timer, etc.)
  • Outdoor learning space boundaries are clearly identified with students and frequently reviewed
  • Making safe choices are frequently modelled and discussed
  • Ongoing communication with home about safety will continue to happen

Parking:

  • Compliance with parking protocols supports student safety. The number of parking spots for Rousseau is in compliance with HWDSB Facilities Management guidelines.
  • Parking protocol reminders will be sent to the community twice per school year.
  • Parking within the fenced area is for staff only.
  • Reversing into parking spaces is expected for safety reasons.
  • Visitors must park in designated spaces only. Parking outside of these areas (i.e in the bus lane, in the drop-off lane, in unmarked spaces poses a safety risk for our students).
  • Students and visitors are expected to walk on the paths outside the parking lot.
  • Additional parking is available on Tuscarora Drive and on Cayuga Avenue. Please do not block driveways.
  • Improperly parked cars could be ticketed.

Attendance:

  • In compliance with the HWDSB Arrival Check policy, Rousseau School takes attendance twice per day.
  • Thank you to families for providing the school with a reason for absence when their child is away.
  • Students who arrive late, will be buzzed in through the front door of the school and will come to the office to sign in. They will be given an admission slip to give to their classroom teacher.
  • Doors to the school are locked after entry. Visitors will enter through the front doors. Parents and Guardians should not accompany students into the school during morning entry.

Families can support our students’ learning about safety by frequently discussing choices that are made at home and reviewing what is happening at school.

Please feel free to contact the school with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your support in keeping our students safe.

Rousseau is a nut safe school.

Rousseau is a nut safe school.  We try to ensure there are no foods containing traces of peanuts or nuts to avoid situations where they may come in contact with students with a life-threatening allergy.

When visiting Rousseau

Thank you for helping us to keep our students safe. Visitors to our school are asked to please enter through the front door by pressing the buzzer to gain entry and then report immediately to the office. If you are bringing your child to school we ask that you please say your “goodbyes” on the playground and allow students to enter independently with their classes. Please do not enter through the primary or junior doors.

When you are running late, please come in through the front door and bring your child to the office to sign in. You will be asked to say goodbye to your child at this time. Then your child will be given a late slip and they will go to their classroom independently. If your child is in Kindergarten, you will be asked to bring your child to your child’s teacher on your way out.

If you are picking up your child early, please attach a (sticky) note to your child’s agenda so that it can be transferred to the class attendance to inform the office. When you arrive to pick up your child, please report directly to the office. Your child will be called down and you can sign out your child.

Thank you for helping your child to check that they have everything they need before leaving home to come to school. In the event that you need to drop something off, please report directly to the office and leave the item there. Your child will be called down at an appropriate time (so that we minimize interruptions to instruction) to pick up the item.

Parking Lot and School Entry

Thank you for parking outside the fenced staff parking area when bringing your children to school and when picking them up. Reversing into parking spaces is expected for safety reasons. Please give priority to buses and be aware that Bylaw Officers can enforce the “NO STOPPING” signage. The designated “entry” and “exit” locations allow for consistent and safe traffic flow. Thank you for only parking in the marked spots and not in the “entry” and “exit” areas. Since the staff parking lot is entirely fenced in, students should not be walking through this area. When dropping off students, please stop in the drop-off area only and not in the bus parking zone. Dropping off students means that students are walking by themselves to the playground and vehicles are not left unattended. Overflow parking is available on Tuscarora Drive with access to our playground through an easement directly south of the school. There is also parking on Cayuga Avenue that can be accessed by walking along the trail directly north of the school. Thank you for helping keep our students safe.

Winter Safety Guidelines

When snow and ice arrive, students are reminded about our winter safety guidelines:

  1. We never throw or kick snow or ice.
  2. We stay off of the ice as much as possible so we don’t slip and fall.
  3. We invite others to help us build and play with snow.
  4. We never break something other people have built but we can break what we have built.

Attendance & Notes

Please call the school if your child will not be in attendance or will be arriving late.  If your child is leaving early or is going out for lunch when they normally stay at school, we must have a note.  When your child returns to school after an appointment, they must come to the office for an admit slip.

Emergency Closure

If school closes early, all families must have an emergency plan.  Please make sure your child has a place to go where they will be safe.

Head Lice (Pediculosis)

From HWDSB Pediculosis Management-Procedure.pdf:

“Head lice are tiny bugs that live only on the scalp of human beings and are the size of a pinhead. They do not have wings so they cannot fly or jump, and they are not found on cats, dogs or any other household pets. The bites from head lice can cause itching and scratching. Scratching may cause sores which can get infected. Anyone can get head lice. School children get lice more than adults. When children play, their heads often touch. Lice crawl from head to head. Head lice are spread by direct head to head contact only. (Facts of Lice, 2003, Hamilton Public Health and Community Services Department)
Based on the current medical research, it is essential that head lice be treated with two applications of an approved pediculocide seven days apart. As long as the treatment has been administered properly, the presence of nits does not necessarily indicate an active infestation.”

Families are reminded to:

  • check their child’s hair frequently and on an ongoing basis;
  • administer an approved treatments recommended by a pharmacist or medical practitioner when needed;
  • inform the school if their child has head lice; and
  • refer to the “The Facts of Lice”  and contact

City of Hamilton Public Health Services
Phone: 905-546-CITY (905-546-2489)
Email: [email protected]  for more information

As per HWDSB policy, Rousseau School informs families when staff become aware that a student has head lice. All families in the class will receive a letter indicating that lice has been found in their child’s class. Rousseau contracts an outside service to detect ongoing lice concerns within a class.

Office Hours

The office hours are from 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.  Our answering machine is on 24 hours a day 905-648-6142.  Please leave a message.

Physical Education

Students are required to wear running shoes and appropriate clothing for physical education classes.

Simple 6

Students are reminded through the morning announcements as well as posters in a variety of locations of the expectations that will keep them and others safe.

Simple 6 Nutrition Break Expectations Poster Simple 6 Playground Expectations Poster Simple 6 Washroom Expectations Poster

Valuables

The school cannot be responsible for any valuables brought to school. Please do not send valuable items to school with your child. Please label all clothing with your child’s name (hats, coats, sweaters, sweatshirts, boots & shoes, as well as lunch bags and backpacks).

No Smoking Allowed Anywhere on School Property!

Updated on Thursday, December 02, 2021.
Back to the top