Dear Families,

At Dr. Martha Cohen School, we are proud of the positive impact our students make both inside and outside of the classroom. As part of our commitment to fostering responsible citizenship, we are reaching out to ask for your support in reinforcing some important expectations with your child.

When students are outside with their class, walking to and from school, or spending time in the community, it is important that they:

• Respect our community spaces by properly disposing of litter and helping to keep the neighbourhood clean.
• Show courtesy and kindness to community members they may encounter, including neighbours, business owners, and families.
• Demonstrate responsibility by following school expectations even when they are outside the school building.

We have noticed that lunchtime seems to be a particularly challenging time for students to uphold these expectations. Unfortunately, our school has been receiving a number of frustrated calls and emails from community members about litter and disrespectful behaviour. While we want our students to enjoy the independence that comes with being part of the wider community, we also need to ensure that our school is a positive neighbour.

If these concerns continue, one possibility open to us is to close our campus at lunch, which would mean students would no longer be permitted to leave the school grounds during that time. We hope to avoid this step, and we believe that with your support, students can rise to the responsibility of maintaining positive behaviour in the community.

We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to discuss these expectations at home and remind your child of the important role they play in representing both themselves, their family and our school.

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting our students and helping us build a positive, respectful community.

Sincerely,

Jason Hartl