RMH

As there are two teachers at the House and a variety of grade levels/abilities, the regular school-day is divided into age-grouped sessions to best meet the needs of the students. The daily school schedule is as follows:

The School educates a variety of students from across Canada and around the world. Although it is not possible to cover all of the provincial and national standards for each student, every effort is made to cover the core curriculum expectations so that students can re-integrate smoothly when they return home.

For students in JK-Grade 8, all lessons taught at the Ronald McDonald House Toronto School are based on the Ontario Curriculum, and inspired by the interests of the students in the School. You can review the Ontario Curriculum to discover what the student missing from your class is studying. Simply go to the following website, click on the grade level you teach and then the subject you would like to see: www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/curricul/curricul.html. Please note all subjects, excluding French, are taught in this setting.

Grades 9-12 students work on completing Ontario high school credits. The credits students take are chosen based on a student’s academic history and grade requirements. Credits are accessed through the Independent Learning Centre of Ontario.

All students participate in special monthly events including field trips and school fairs. Field trips to places such as the Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario Science Centre, Allen Gardens and Medieval Times are organized to compliment the themes being studied in class. School fairs provide opportunities for students to celebrate and show off their learning by leading educational centres for parents and staff!

When students leave Ronald McDonald House Toronto, a progress report or Ontario report card (depending on length of stay) will be faxed to your school. These reports will indicate what your student has studied at the House and provide assessment marks. If you have any questions about these reports, please do not hesitate to contact the Ronald McDonald House Toronto School. As the RMH Toronto School is recognized as a private school by the Ministry of Education, these reports can be filed in students’ Ontario Students Records (OSR). About a month following the student’s reintegration into your classroom, you will be sent a survey by the House in an effort to track the student’s progress.

The following websites provide useful strategies, tips and lists of children’s books that may assist you in working with seriously ill children, their siblings and their classmates:

Starlight Children’s Foundation - www.starbright.org/familyroom

BraveKids - www.bravekids.org

Parent Books - http://www.parentbooks.ca/Cancer_&_Families.html

Here are some hints teachers have used successfully in the past:

• Put up a picture of the absent student in your classroom, refer to the picture during attendance.
• Send letters, e-mails or pictures to the absent student in your class.
• Send your students to the Ronald McDonald House Toronto website to see pictures and artwork done by their classmate.
• Send major assignments to the Ronald McDonald House Toronto teacher so the classmate can participate in your class' activities.
• If you have a school website, post updates or articles about the absent child on the homepage (with parental permission).

If you have questions regarding registration, policies, procedures or student progress, please contact Katie Doering via email at kdoering@rmhtoronto.org or call the school at 416-977-0458 x256. The best time to call the school is before 8:40am, between 12:30 and 1:30pm and after 3:00pm (all times Eastern). Faxes can be sent to 416-977-8807.

Please note if you are interested in completing a field placement or volunteering in the classroom, please contact Deborah Holmes at dholmes@rmhtoronto.org.