General Information
Registration
Returning, waitlisted, and new families interested in enrolling their child(ren) in the EXCEL program are required to submit an application for each new school year. Enrollment and waitlists do not carry over from one year to the next. Once your application has been processed, an Enrollment Approval/Waitlist email will be sent to you through EZChildTrack to inform you of your child(ren)'s enrollment status. Please note that students may not begin attending the program until written confirmation of acceptance has been received.
At the time of registration, parents are required to identify any needs that their child may have that could impact their active participation in the program. Parents will be contacted by the EXCEL Management Team for a pre-assessment conversation to discuss the specific supports that may be required. If it is determined that an additional staff person is the level of support needed to facilitate a child's meaningful participation in the program, the current staff compliment will be adjusted to best meet the needs of the child.
The EXCEL program was created in the interest of providing an option to families, when and where opportunities are available. Offering such a service however, is not a mandate of the HRCE.
The interest of families to participate in EXCEL continues to grow each year. EXCEL staff continually work with schools to identify available and suitable program space at each site. Such space is not plentiful given that the necessary work within schools does not end with the dismissal bell. Teachers continue important work within their classrooms at the end of each day, and extra-curricular activities and special events are regularly held in gymnasiums, libraries, and multi-purpose rooms. EXCEL utilizes space that does not conflict with these important and required functions. The educational needs of the schools always have priority.
Factors including availability of suitable program space; availability of staff to support participants; the safety of students, and EXCEL’s ability to provide a quality experience for the participants are considered when establishing program capacities. When and where demand exceeds capacities for an EXCEL program, waitlists are formed. These lists are used to understand the demand and to generate conversations that explore the possibility of program growth. With the interest of serving the families within our school communities, the EXCEL office operates twelve months of the year to ensure that waitlisted families are contacted in a timely manner regarding available opportunities for participation.
There are many quality child care and recreation program providers throughout our region. EXCEL is only meant to be one such option for a school community. If your child’s school does not offer EXCEL or if the registration is full, the HRCE would encourage you to explore other potential options.
Sick Days
Parents are required to find an alternate caregiver when their child is sick. If your child is too sick to attend school, then they are too sick to attend EXCEL. If your child is absent for five consecutive program days or more due to illness, a refund may be issued. Please contact the EXCEL office to discuss.
Accidents
If a child has an accident while attending EXCEL, the staff will assess the situation and act according to the following procedures:
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If a serious accident occurs which might require medical attention, the EXCEL staff will contact you immediately for instructions.
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If you are unavailable, EXCEL staff will call your emergency contact.
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If neither contact is available, staff will call for emergency transport as EXCEL staff may not transport any child in their personal vehicle.
In the event of an accident that may be life threatening or requires immediate attention, staff will first call for emergency assistance and then inform the parent. EXCEL staff are still responsible for all children in the program and may not be able to go with your child in an ambulance, but will make every effort to contact someone to accompany your child. There are always EXCEL staff on site who are trained in emergency first aid and CPR and will administer treatment as required.
Nutrition Break
Parents/guardians are responsbile to provide a snack each day for their child(ren)'s consumption during our scheduled daily Nutrition Break. To ensure that children stay hydrated during the busy and active program day, they are encouraged to bring a water bottle to EXCEL.
See attached Tips for Healthy Snacks ideas prepared by our HRCE Nutritionist.
Behavioural Expectations
In order to ensure a safe, secure and healthy school environment for all students, the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development has established a Provincial School Code of Conduct. In an effort to provide consistency in the lives of students, the staff of EXCEL supports and follows the Provincial School Code of Conduct at each site which will be communicated to you by the school.
When promoting a nurturing, respectful, and responsive environment for our participants, a range of proactive strategies are implemented within the EXCEL program to promote positive behaviour. When challenging behaviour arises, factors including the student’s age/developmental needs as well as the frequency, severity, and intensity of the behaviour will be considered when determining consequences.
Communication between EXCEL staff and parents is essential to identify solutions to address persistent/escalating challenging behaviour. EXCEL staff believes in positive behaviour support and individualism; therefore, each child will be treated on an individual basis. Confidentiality will be maintained in all situations.
As a last resort when all avenues have been deemed exhausted by the program manager, a child may be withdrawn from EXCEL.
Parent Concerns
If you become concerned with any aspect of the EXCEL Program, EXCEL staff will be glad to discuss it with you. If you have a program concern, we encourage you to first discuss it with the on-site staff. If you are not satisfied, you may address your concerns to the Recreation Programmer and then to the Manager or Coordinator. We are committed to ensuring that EXCEL staff will deal with your concerns professionally, courteously and diligently.
Withdrawal from EXCEL
Two weeks notice is required to withdraw your child from the program and for program changes. You will be billed for the days within this two-week period where sufficient notice was not provided. Please contact the Registrar or Assistant Registrar to give notice of the effective date of your withdrawal.
Regretfully EXCEL cannot hold spaces for extended periods of time due to the demand for our program. Should you require an extended leave period, you would be required to officially withdraw and reapply for enrolment at a later date.