TFS - Canada's International School

10 Parents' Handbook 2024– 2025 LATE ARRIVAL/ABSENCES If you expect your child to be late or absent, please notify your branch office before 9:00 a.m. by phone, email, in person or by providing a note. After 9:15 am, the office will telephone the parent/ guardian if a student has not arrived at school. When late or returning to school after a short absence (doctor's appointment, etc.), students need to report to the Attendance Office at the Senior School before proceeding to class with a late slip. PICK-UP Students should be picked up promptly after school, at the time listed in the table above. Ad hoc After School Care is available; parents are to inform the office by phone as soon as possible and will be responsible for registering their child on the VeraCross portal. Students who have siblings at another branch should be picked up at the earlier pickup time. Senior School students should immediately leave the premises; Grade 5 students may be allowed to go home independently, if the Vice-Principal is given written authorization from the parent/guardian. Parents are asked to consult the back-to-school information package for pick-up times for each branch. For any last-minute changes regarding picking up children, call the branch office before 3:00 pm - Do not leave urgent messages on voicemail; and - Speak directly to a member of the Attendance Office. LATENESS We ask parents to pick up children on time. Lateness in collecting your child will result in an extra charge as well as a review of your child's status in the Before and After School Care program. COMMUNICATING WITH THE SCHOOL We encourage and foster good communications between our parents and TFS staff. If you have a classroom-based concern regarding your child, we encourage you to discuss it with the teacher and resolve it at that level. For any other school-based questions, please ask your branch office who will be pleased to direct your question to the right person. MESSAGES TO YOUR CHILD Classes will not be interrupted for a message and calls will not be put through to the classroom, except in the case of an emergency. As two or more staff members may be involved with your child throughout the day, an email message to the branch office, copied to the teacher, is the best way to ensure good communication. If unexpected information has to reach your child, please advise the branch office before 3:00 pm. Urgent messages should be left with the branch office rather than on the teacher's voice mail or email. EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSINGS The school remains open at all scheduled times, barring a general power failure or other condition that would make it unsafe to operate. If you suspect the school may be closed, e.g. for extreme weather, please first visit the tfs.ca homepage and social media channels. Email or text notifications may also be sent out, if available. BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE All programs are available on a five-days-a-week per session basis for 2024-2025. Program registration, including all medical and contact information, should be completed through the Parent Portal (Veracross) before August 19 for new and returning students, at which time payment for the first session is also due. The program of extra curricular activities will begin on Monday, September 9. If you require after school care the week before, consider sending your child to childcare (on an ad hoc basis) and inform your

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