Bayview Hill E.S.

(905) 508-0806 bayview.hill.es@yrdsb.ca
YRDSB Board Logo YRDSB Board Logo

First Day Procedures and School Routines 2026

First Day Procedures

 

Grades 1 to 8

  • Beginning at 8:45, families/students are invited to gather outside at the back of the school (please see map below).
  • Staff will be holding up signs and will have class lists should a student need assistance.
  • We will begin our “soft entry” routine on Wednesday September 9.
  • In the event of rain, students (only please) will enter the building through their designated recess entry doors and make their way directly to their hallway/classroom.

Kindergarten

  • Year 2 (SK) - students enter the school through the kindergarten yard.  Staff will be outside to greet families/students beginning at 8:45 am.
  • Year 1 (JK) - students will attend in the afternoon starting at 1:50 pm, entering from the kindergarten yard at the south side of the building.  Families will need to pick up Year 1 (JK) children at 3:30 pm as there is no busing for Year 1 (JK) students on Tuesday. Year 1 (JK) students will attend for the full day beginning on Wednesday, September 9.

Students in our community class will be met at the main entrance by staff and escorted to their classrooms. 

Important School Routines

 

Arrivals and Departures

 Morning Entry (beginning on Wednesday)

  • Exterior doors will be open for students to come directly into the school beginning at 8:45am. Students may enter the school from any exterior door.
  • Morning supervision begins at 8:45am.  Please do not drop your child off prior to 8:45am
  • Only a few staff will be supervising outside. Most supervision will be inside the school.
  • Upon entry, students are to go directly to their locker/hook area to get ready for the day.
  • Kindergarten students will go right into their classes.
  • Exterior doors will be locked promptly at 9:00am.

Families who live within walking distance are encouraged to use active travel, including walking or rolling (cycling, scootering, skateboarding) to and from school. If families choose to drive to and/or from school, please follow any posted signage/ parking restrictions as noted in this Parking Message from the City of Richmond Hill.  As well, please note the following: 

  • The school parking lot is only for staff use ONLY. 
  • The bus loop is designated for buses ONLY.  It may not be used for student drop off or pick up.
     

Dismissal

Dismissal is 3:30pm.  Students will exit the school from their designated recess doors.  For safety reasons, students are not permitted to exit from the front of the school. 

Please call the school if you will be late picking up your child(ren).  Due to the impact on end of day routines, students may not be picked up after 3:00pm.

 

Attendance

Regular and punctual attendance affects school success and is expected of students.  Please do your best to avoid scheduling lessons or appointments during the instructional day. 

  • Regular and punctual attendance affects school success and is expected of students.
  • If a student arrives after the entry bell, in the morning or after lunch, they are considered late.
  • Please do your best to avoid scheduling lessons or appointments during the instructional day. 

 

Reporting Attendance

Parents/guardians are asked to inform your child’s school if your child is going to be absent or late to school or an after-school event that they planned to attend. Where possible, notify the school in advance by using Edsby or calling the school office. You can also access student attendance reporting through the Family Dashboard at family.yrdsb.ca.

Under Ministry of Education Policy and Program 169, Parents/guardians will now have the option to select “Mental Health” as the reason for their child’s absence from school. This can be done through the Family Dashboard at family.yrdsb.ca.

Safe Arrival and Departure Program

The safety of our students is a priority. Our safe arrivals programs and safe departures protocols are in place so that we can account for the whereabouts of absent students. Please provide the school with complete and current emergency contact information. 

Families are reminded to report any student absences.  As per Board Policy and Procedures #665.0, Safe Arrivals and Departures – Elementary and Secondary Students, if your child’s absence is still not verified even after exhausting steps to connect with you, York Regional Police will be contacted and may be dispatched to your residence.  If you have not informed the school of your child’s absence in advance, the school will take the following steps, including but not limited to ensure your child is safe:

  • we will call your home
  • if we do not reach you at home, we will call your work and/or cell phone
  • if we cannot reach you at work, we will call your emergency contact number
  • if we cannot get information from your emergency contact about your child’s location, we will speak to a sibling if one is in the school
  • if we are still unable to get information, we may check with a friend of your child and other staff
  • if all contact and emergency numbers have been tried and a student is still deemed to be absent without explanation, we will contact York Regional Police (YRP) immediately

Student Transportation 

Each year, during the summer planning period, STSYR Transportation Planners adjust bus route schedules to accommodate new students, boundary or program changes, bell time changes, and new school openings. Transportation Planners also assess routes to ensure they are operating efficiently and effectively to provide optimal service for the students of York Region. As a result, some students may experience changes to their transportation arrangements, including their stop location, stop time, route number, or vehicle type.

To ensure you have the correct, up-to-date information, all families are encouraged to check the Find Your Bus Stop page on our website at www.SchoolBusCity.com. Please note: changes may also occur from time-to-time throughout the school year as students move into or out of the system.

As well, please remember that bussing eligibility changes when students enter grade 4. An area eligible for school vehicle transportation based upon distances designated by the Board.

  • Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3 – a child who lives more than 1.2 kilometres from the school is eligible for Board-provided transportation;
  • Grade 4 to Grade 8 – a child who lives more than 1.6 kilometres from the school is eligible for Board provided transportation.  Please check this as many students in Grade 4 are NO LONGER eligible for transportation.

Measurements to establish eligibility, in accordance with transportation zones, are completed by Student Transportation Services and are taken from the edge of a student’s residence to the closest access to the school property. Measurements are taken along pedestrian routes within a municipality and use roadways, municipal walkways, and parks.

Families are reminded of the following::

  • Ensure you know your child/children’s route number, bus stop location and bus company phone number in the event of an emergency.
  • Check the Late Bus Report at www.schoolbuscity.com in the mornings and afternoons. Note: During the first two weeks of school, it is recommended you/your child arrive at the bus stop 10 minutes prior to the regularly scheduled pick-up and drop-off times.
  • Student Transportation Services recommends students in Year 1 (JK) to Grade 1 are met at their bus stop by a parent/guardian.  Age-appropriate arrangements should be made for children in other grades.
  • Make alternate arrangements for your child/children if you are unable to meet your child at the bus stop. 

 

Class Placement

Prior to the first day of school, you should receive an email with information about your child's teacher/class. Careful consideration and collaboration has gone into class placement decisions. We kindly request that you refrain from asking for a change in your child’s placement.  

 

E scooters and E bikes not Permitted for Under Age 16

YRDSB continues to encourage families to use safe transportation to and from school. We encourage students to use active school travel whenever possible. Active travel refers to any form of human-powered transportation, including walking, cycling, rollerblading, skateboarding, and scootering.

School Property

Students using any transportation device, whether electronic or not-electronic, must dismount before arriving on school property. This includes all sidewalks, pathways, and walkways on school grounds. Please note that the school is not responsible for lost or damaged equipment.

Provincial Regulations

These modes of travel offer many physical, mental, and community benefits. Please visit the Ontario website for a full list of regulations. Every cyclist under 18 must wear a properly fitting bike helmet. Some students may also choose to use electronically assisted devices, such as e‑scooters or e‑bikes. In Ontario, you must be 16 or older to ride an e-scooter or e-bike. When riding e‑scooters or e‑bikes, it is important that students follow all applicable municipal regulations to ensure their safety and the safety of others.

Municipal Regulations

Before riding any device, it is important for students and families to be aware of the regulations set by their local municipality. These may include minimum age requirements for operating electric devices, helmet laws, and other safety guidelines.

Respectful Riding

Pedestrians always have the right of way. Students are expected to ride with caution by slowing down, using a bell when approaching others, and passing on the left. Wearing reflective clothing is encouraged to increase visibility and promote safer travel.

For more information, parents are encouraged to visit:

www.yrp.ca/bikesafety 

https://www.ontario.ca/page/bicycle-safety

https://www.ontario.ca/page/riding-e-bike#section-0

Thank you for your cooperation.

 

Food at School

  • Families are strongly encouraged to send snacks and lunches to school with your children in the morning.
  • In the event you need to drop-off lunch at school, please do so before 12:30 pm. Lunches are to be placed on the tables between the main entrance doors. Please label them with your child’s name, class and teacher.  Please ring the bell to obtain entry into the school.  Please note, students are not permitted to open exterior doors for visitors.
  • There are students and staff in our school who have life-threatening allergies to nuts and other allergens. If they smell or come into contact with these allergens, they may have an anaphylactic reaction. To help create an allergen-safe environment, please refrain from bringing nuts or products that may have come into contact with nuts to school as well as using scented products. For more information on how to help create an allergen-safe environment, please see information on allergies on the board website.
  • Delivery services (e.g., Uber Eats) will not be received by school staff.
  • Students must have parent/guardian permission to leave school property at lunch time.
  • We will continue to have board-approved lunch programs this year.  Information will be shared soon.
  • Finally, we remind families not to send in food for a celebration e.g., cupcakes for your child’s birthday, as we need to be considerate of food allergies and dietary restrictions.

 

Students with Medical Conditions

If your child has a serious medical condition/ allergies please contact the office as soon as possible. Appropriate medical forms need to be completed each school year. Our office will provide you with the fillable medical forms via e-mail. Please submit the medical forms back to the office as soon as possible. 

 

Student Agendas

Many of our teachers offer a student agenda as a tool to help students with their organizational skills. This year, school agendas have been generously funded by our School Council. If your child’s teacher is using agendas, they will receive one from their teacher.  

 

School and YRDSB Information and Forms 

  • The YRDSB Guide to the School Year includes important information about the YRDSB you may wish to access throughout the school year.
  • In the coming weeks, you will receive an email with a link to YRDSB forms. Please review and complete the forms when you receive them. If you prefer to receive and complete paper copies, please contact the main office. 

 

Staying Connected!

We value the relationship and partnership we have with families and look forward to connecting and working with you throughout the school year. Please contact the school if you have any questions. We welcome the opportunity to connect with you.

There are many ways to stay connected with what’s happening in our school:

 

Use of Non-Board Electronic Devices 

We recognize that learning can be enhanced by technology. We have created opportunities in our classrooms to leverage digital tools to enhance teaching, learning and communication.

Students are responsible for their personal mobile device, how they use it and the consequences of not following the provincial or school board Policy #194. 

Students’ personal mobile devices must be stored out of view and powered off or set to silent mode, except under the following circumstances:

  • for educational purposes, as directed by an educator
  • for health and medical purposes
  • to support special education needs.

Students in Kindergarten to Grade 8 can bring a personal mobile device to school but will only be able to use it before and after school. They may not use personal mobile devices at school during the school day, including recess and lunchtime, unless students leave school property for lunch. 

Discussions will take place in classrooms throughout the year about the impact of digital footprints and how a positive attitude towards using technology supports collaboration, learning and productivity. Camera/video functions on mobile devices are not permitted for use on school property without clear permission from the principal or teacher. Infractions will be dealt with as student discipline, under Caring and Safe Schools Policy and its related procedures. Electronic devices must not be used in washrooms or changerooms.

Students are responsible for the care and security of their personal devices. The school is not responsible for any damage, loss or theft. There are exceptions for students who need specific devices as per their Individual Education Plan, such as voice recorders and other mobile technology. Board staff manage the use of these tools.