The transition process is underway for next school year's Grade 6 English classes from Grosvenor-Wentworth Park Elementary School to Clayton Park Junior High.  Administrators, supervisors, and transition team members from both schools met in person on Monday May 27th to discuss the transition plan. CPJH has collected questions from students and their families. Answers are based on our planning to date and experiences with prior transitions. After reviewing the FAQ, if you have any further questions please forward them to your school principal.

Transition Meeting Attendees

• Debbie Metherall - Supervisor HRCE
• Trina Canavan - Principal, Clayton Park Junior High 
• Erica Gee - Vice Principal, Clayton Park Junior High  
• James Langille – Teacher, Clayton Park Junior High 
• Meaghan Woodhead - SAC Chair, Clayton Park Junior High 
• Brendon MacGillivray - Principal, Grosvenor-Wentworth Park Elementary
• Ashley Matthews - Vice Principal, Grosvenor-Wentworth Park Elementary
• Jemima Perks- SAC Co Chair, Grosvenor-Wentworth Park Elementary
• Kaylee Rawding – Staff Member, Grosvenor-Wentworth Park Elementary

FAQ
Questions/Thoughts from Though Exchange

1. School Staffing and Supports.
Clayton Park will have 1.5 full time resource teachers, 1.2 full time School Counsellors, 1 full time learning center teacher, 2 full time site-based English as an Additional Language teachers, 40% junior high Intervention teacher, 60% African Nova Scotian Support Worker, 60%, YMCA settlement worker. In addition, CPJH is the homeschool for school psychologist, speech language pathologist, mental health clinician and SchoolsPlus. As well, Clayton Park will be the site for the SchoolsPlus hub.   

All students and families attending Clayton Park will have access to all staff and supports. 

2. Shared Spaces (library, gymnasium, cafeteria, music room, etc.) 
Grade 6 students will have access to all spaces. Grade 6 physical education classes will be held in the gymnasium. Grade 6 phys. ed classes may have to share the gymnasium with other classes, depending on scheduling and space availability. Every attempt is made ensure that grade 6 Phys ed. Classes will be scheduled together, but this will depend on scheduling. As required, grade 6 physical education classes will be 1 hour each week for each of the grade 6 classes. Grade 6 band students will have a scheduled band class for one hour each week, and one at lunch time, before or after school, for one hour each week. The grade 6 students will have core French 3 times (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) during either week 1 or 2 and 2 times during the following week, which would either be week 1 or 2.  Core French will be delivered in their homeroom. Clayton Park does not have a cafeteria. The grade 6 students will have access to the school’s library during scheduled class time with their teacher.  

4. Transportation
The transportation team will be working on school bus schedules over the summer. Parents are encouraged to sign up for BusPlanner. Please refer the HRCE website under transportation for further information. https://www.hrce.ca/about-our-schools/student-transportation.  
If you have questions pertaining to transportation, please contact HRCE transportation.

5. Transition Meetings 
Grosvenor-Wentworth Park and Clayton Park met on Monday May 27th to review all grade 5 student lists.  Administration, resource, and English as an Additional Language teachers from Clayton Park were all part of the process. Administration and classroom teachers from Grosvenor-Wentworth Park were also included. The learning centre transition occurred on May 16. 

6. Grade 6 Integration at Clayton Park Junior High 
The grade 6 students will be Clayton Park Junior High students and fully integrated into any activities, extracurricular, and clubs offered. All grade six students will have all the same opportunities and supports offered as all grade 7 and 8 students attending Clayton Park Junior High. 
Grade 6 students currently at CPJH transitioned from Rockingham Elementary. There are numerous junior high schools with the 6-8 grade configuration in the HRCE and include A. J. Smeltzer, George P. Vanier, Harrold T. Barrett, Herring Cove, Leslie Thomas, and Sackville Heights Junior High.

7. Grade 6 Teachers
Clayton Park is hiring grade 6 teachers. Staff are hired based on seniority and qualifications. 

9. Equal Opportunities in School Sports
Students in grade 6 will be allowed to try-out for all school sports offered.
  
10.  Extracurricular Activities and Clubs 
Students in grade 6 will have all the same opportunities as the grade 7 and 8 students in extracurricular activities and clubs. We have many extracurricular activities and clubs, and this varies depending on student interest and supervision. Over the past number of years, we have had gardening, art, intramurals, leadership, chess club and many more. Most of these clubs and activities are held during the lunch hour. 

11. Introduction to CPJH
Clayton Park will host a student information session and tour for the incoming grade 6s from Grosvenor-Wentworth Park on June 7 during the school day. Grosvenor's teachers and staff will be included. Holding this during the school day allows students the opportunity to fully experience and see what a day at CPJH looks and feels like. Students will be able to visit all areas of the school and go into a grade 6 class and hear from our current grade 6 students. We will be sending an email to families in June with all information that was shared with the students on this day including information about school supply list and a link to watch a video tour of the school. We will be holding curriculum night in September and families will be able to meet staff and tour the building. 

12. Will the Grade 6s have one teacher or multiple? 
I want to assure families and students that the programming for grade 6 students will be no different than if they were at Grosvenor-Wentworth Park next year. The scheduling and programming will look and feel like they are in an elementary classroom. They will have a grade 6 classroom teacher and will be in the classroom for all subjects except for physical education and music. Core French will be delivered to students in their grade 6 classroom. They will also have recess and we have a wonderful area for our students to play. We have a big basketball court area, a large field, and a pavement area for students to play four square and other games. We also have an outdoor classroom area with 5 picnic tables for students to enjoy. 

13. How many Grades 6 classes will there be? 
There are currently five grade 6 classes for next year. 

14. Do Grade 6s have recess?
Grade 6s will have recess and Clayton Park has a wonderful area for students to play. We have a big basketball court area, a large field, and a pavement area for students to play four square and other games. We also have a nice outdoor classroom area with 5 picnic tables for students to enjoy.  

15. Does the school have an equity committee? 
Clayton Park has been working with the HRCE Diversity Team this past year and we will be continuing to work with members of this team for the upcoming school year. As part of the school’s well-being goal, we have an equity team which consists of training for all staff, and we are working to include members of our student population. More information will be shared with students in families in the upcoming school year.

16. Will the schedule reflect the Time to Learn? 
Yes, grade 6 schedule will have the proper number of minutes for all courses. This includes core French, physical education, band, and music. 

17. Will Grade 6s have a separate lunch schedule from the grade 7 & 8s? Where do students eat? Is there a cafeteria?  
All students at Clayton Park will follow the same schedule of bell times including lunch. Lunch is from 12:20 – 1:10pm. Afternoon classes begin at 1:20pm. Students enter the school at 1:10pm after lunch to go to their lockers and get all necessary materials for afternoon classes. Students either eat from 12:20 – 12:40pm and then go outside from 12:40 – 1:10pm or are outside from 12:20 to 12:40pm and then are inside eating from 12:40 – 1:10pm. All students go outside for a portion of the lunch hour. 

Clayton Park does not have a cafeteria or microwaves. Students eat in their homeroom during the designated time at lunch and then go outside during the other designated time of the lunch hour.   

18. Do Grade 6s have lockers? 
Yes, grade 6s will have lockers. However, this is still in the planning stages, and this could change. If students have lockers, the school will supply each student with a lock for their lockers. Students must use a school issued lock for safety reasons. Grade 5 teachers have been provided with locks to practice with students during the next month at Grosvenor. The staff will be there to support the grade 6s students with their locks and lockers during the first couple weeks of school. 

19. What extracurricular activities/clubs are offered at Clayton Park?
Clayton Park offers many sports teams (volleyball, basketball, badminton, track and field, etc.) and many clubs. Clubs vary year to year depending on student interests. This past school year we had intramurals, drama, GSA, leadership, chess, gardening, and math club. There are many clubs and activities offered to students.   

20. Are we allowed to go out at lunch? 
Grade 6 students are not allowed to leave the school premises at lunch time. Clayton Park provides lunch supervision to students and due to age and supervision, grade 6 students are not permitted to leave the school. 

21. Will Excel be offered to Grade 6 students?
Excel is working with HRCE on this and when a decision is made it will be communicated to the Principal at Grosvenor and Clayton Park. Communication will be sent to Grosvenor Grade 5 families who registered already for Excel.  

22. Will violin, cello and strings be offered to Grade 6 students?
Violin, cello and strings will be offered to grade 6 students and must register. Violin and cello will be offered two 45-minute lessons twice a week. One lesson will be during the instructional day and the other lesson will be either before school or at lunch. Students must have taken violin, cello or stings in grade 5 to register and take grade 6 violin, cello or strings. Please register through Halifax Regional Arts as you have done this past year in Grade 5.  Please note that this is the current information that has been shared with CPJH from Halifax Regional Arts.  

23. Cell Phones, Student Personal Technology Devices
Clayton Park Junior High is a cell phone and personal technology device free school. We do not allow students to have their cell phones or personal technology devices (ie. Smartwatches, air pods) out during the school day (including lunch time) while on the premises of the school. Students have Chromebooks in classrooms for use during the school day. We have been a leading school within the province of Nova Scotia this past school year around a cell phone and personal technology device free school. The school has invested in outdoor equipment and board games for students to use during the lunch hour. If students do bring their cell phones or personal technology devices (including smartwatches, air pods), they are to be kept in their lockers. CPJH is not responsible for any items that are lost or stolen. Further communication will be sent home to families in late August. 


Thank you.

Trina Canavan – Principal Clayton Park