- BEHAVIOURAL AND SELF-MANAGEMENT RESPONSE PROGRAM
Motto: With Mary, hope
Maria Regina Grade School
(868) 625-5250
101-107 Abercromby St, Port of Spain
We strive to provide ideal conditions for teaching and learning for all students and teachers at Maria Regina Grade School. As such, the discipline and self-management of our pupils is of great importance to us.
However, while most of our pupils respond readily to rules and regulations, there are pupils who are experiencing a number of behavioural problems which make it difficult for
them to learn and for the teacher to teach. Their behaviour also makes it difficult for others in the classroom to get on with their work.
In the past, behavioural problems were dealt with in a variety of ways including corporal punishment, reprimands, the writing of lines and the use of reflection exercises.
Today, many parents object to most if not all of these forms of response by the school.
Indeed, parents have brought to our attention the following disorders being experienced by their children, for example:
Most of these and other disorders are diagnosed and reported on by psychologists.
Be that as it may, our subject teachers are not qualified to deal with these disorders.
Therefore, effective September 2011, we have implemented a Behavioural and SelfManagement Response. The following behaviours are therefore not tolerated at Maria Regina Grade School:
A child who exhibits these behaviours will be sent home to the care of the parents, who will be obliged to seek appropriate counselling for their child.
*Bullying can be physical, verbal, emotional and cyber (which includes email, cell phones and other devices, and any form of social media).
Any action that is expressed through written language, verbally and/or physically, that degrades a person, is considered bullying. This includes, but is not limited to a person’s race, religion, colour, gender, disability, ethnic origin and any other unique characteristic.
Please note that the time of return to school by the child, is at the discretion of the Principal, upon receipt of the Psychologist’s Report.
We would like to remind you of our childcare policy. Please take the time to read this as well as all of our other school policies.
Childcare is the supervision given to your child when the school day ends. Your child’s safety is important to you and it is important to the school. In similar private schools, children are expected to be collected immediately after school. In some schools, for example, children are left for pickup in a wrought iron enclosure with the security guard, when their parents do not arrive by 3:00 p.m.
At Maria Regina, this supervision is at no cost to parents between 2:15 and 3:45 p.m. for the upper school and 1:45 to 3:00 p.m. for the Infants One classes. Two teachers are assigned to the upper school supervision and two for the Infants. Children are expected to sit under the covered portico and await the arrival of parents, relatives and drivers. They are not permitted to leave the school compound to purchase snacks on the pavement or to cross the street without their parents.
At Maria Regina, paid childcare begins at 3:45 p.m. for the upper school and 3:00 p.m. for Infants Ones. This is a private arrangement whereby your child will be placed under the care of a teacher in the school Hall or under the Portico so that you can find him/her without stress or worry if you are not able to come to school on time.
Pupils who are in clubs must now be picked up promptly when the club finishes. Please check your club letter for these times. Thereafter, your child will be taken to be supervised in paid childcare until your arrival.
Once again, I am asking those parents who have their children being taken up by drivers to insist on the highest standards of safety for their children. The children should not be made to sit on their lunch kits on the street corner awaiting the arrival of other pupils.
The teachers who are undertaking childcare will give you an invoice for the sum of 40 dollars for the first hour. It is not expected that a parent will arrive after 5:30 p.m. However, the teacher will ensure that your child is safe until you arrive.
In the morning, the day security guard takes up duty at 6:00.a.m. We are asking parents not to drop their children off at this time. We expect pupils to arrive from 7:00.a.m. Supervision of pupils by two members of staff begins at 7:15 a.m. for Infants and 7:30 a.m. for the upper school.
In those situations where there is a storm, flooding, or any situation where it is publicly known that there is a traffic gridlock, the school administration, that is, the Principal and Vice Principal will supervise pupils until the last child is collected into the safekeeping of the parent.
This is not a paid childcare situation!
We keep an emergency supply of water and biscuits for such an occasion. In any other extreme situations, pupils will be taken across to St. Joseph’s Convent.
At Maria Regina Grade School, our primary objective is the safety of each student.* As such, we have compiled a School Emergency Response Plan (S.E.R.P.), which takes into consideration 19 scenarios. The Plan is in keeping with international standards and is updated annually. Each member of staff at our school, from Administration to Ancillary, has access to this document.
Each classroom is equipped with Safety documents: Roll Book, Parent Emergency Contact Information, Telephone Tree, Medical Information (information that is pertinent to a health or medical issue relating to a student and of which the School has been notified), S.E.R.P. and templates for use during an actual Drill/Emergency. If there is a change in contact or medical information, parents are advised to provide the changes to the Class Teacher, in writing. Otherwise, this exercise is carried out at the beginning of each term.
As a part of the Morning Meeting schedule, once a week, class teachers and subject teachers practice various Safety Routines, both in and out of the classroom. There is at least one drill per term.
In the event of an emergency, one of the following methods will be used to attempt to communicate with you: 1. Activation of each Class Teacher’s Telephone Tree and 2. Mass Emailing. In addition, information will be posted on the school’s website. If you need to contact the school, you may use the following:- 1. Contact the Class Teacher (mobile, app, text or email via website) 2. Contact the school (telephone, email via website).
Should evacuation be necessary, the Muster Point for our school is Lord Harris Square. Parents will be allowed to come to the Square after access has been granted by the school’s Safety Team. In addition, parents will be allowed to take their children after permission has been obtained from the Principal.
Visitor access to the school’s compound is as follows:-
Parents/visitors are not allowed upstairs, in any classrooms or rooms unless permission is granted. Access is ONLY allowed for common areas on the ground floor, such as the Administrative Offices and Hall. There is a washroom designated for adults on the ground floor.
Students are not allowed to leave the school’s compound during the school day unless permission is granted in advance and they are accompanied by a parent/authorized adult. Discretion will be used in cases of emergencies for advance permission. Students are not allowed to purchase items from the Tea House or the Lolly vendor and then return to the school’s compound.
Parents are not allowed to meet their children while on an Outing/Field Trip unless prior authorization has been granted. Also, parents who have accompanied students on a Field Trip are only allowed to take their children home separately afterwards, when prior permission has been granted. Discretion will be used in cases of emergencies for advance permission.
We advise that Child Care is an official school structure designed for the safety of our students. Any parents who undertake to keep children on their own, after 3:45 p.m. will be held legally responsible for the safety of those children. Parents who are involved in these arrangements are asked to provide a letter to that effect to the administration.
*In cases where a child attempts to injure himself/herself, the parent will be immediately contacted. It is the responsibility of the parent to come to the school forthwith, to address the situation. Only in cases of bleeding, broken limbs, or issues with breathing, will the school immediately seek medical treatment either at Port of Spain General Hospital or St. Clair Nursing Home.
We are a dynamic school community that ensures holistic development through a rich and varied school life, always striving for academic excellence with the use of state-of-the-art technology in every classroom, and over twenty school clubs.
Port of Spain, Trinidad
Week Days: 8:00am - 2:00pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
@2022 Marina Regina Grade School
