Information for Parents
Welcome to the Garth Webb S.S. Parent Information Page
Student Attendance
SchoolMessenger is the application for student attendance and notifications from the school, please sign up if you have not already. This application is used to report all absences from school as well as late arrivals and early departures. You can report using the app on your smartphone (recommended) or by calling 1-877-409-6310.
Please note that the attendance system does contact parents/guardians during 1st period when a student is away from school and the absence/late arrival has not been reported through the SchoolMessenger system. There is a second communication sent to parents in the evening for any unexplained absences throughout the school day.
If students are arriving late to school, they should proceed directly to their class and the teacher will update the attendance to reflect the late arrival (students do not come to sign in at the main office). If students are signing out early with parent/guardian permission, they will be dismissed directly from their class. Please remember to enter the early departure through SchoolMessenger so your student’s teacher will see that they have permission to leave at the appropriate time.
If you have any trouble connecting to the SchoolMessenger system, or if you need any clarification on how our attendance system works, please contact the main office so that we can assist you.
Extended Absences
Students are expected to be in attendance on school days, unless unable to attend by reason of illness, medical appointment, bereavement, or other circumstances beyond their control. Parents who withdraw students during school time are advised that, depending on the timing and length of the absence, academic performance of your student may be affected. It is the student’s responsibility to catch up on missed work.
In secondary school, any absence that is longer than 3 consecutive days is referred to as an extended absence. If you know ahead of time that your student will be away for more than 3 consecutive school days, please print this form and fill it in with the information requested (hard copies are available in the office). Students should ask their parent/guardian and teachers to fill in the form and once it is complete, the form should be handed in at the main office 2 weeks prior to the planned absence. The Vice Principal will then review the form and it will be given to the attendance Administrative Assistant for attendance to be entered (absences longer than 3 days are not able to be entered into School Messenger by parents).
If you have any questions about this process, please reach out to the main office at 905-847-6875.
Parking Lot Safety
Please be aware that our parking lot is very busy at school entry and dismissal times. It is preferred that students walk to school whenever possible. However, if you do end up driving your student to school (or for students who are driving themselves), please note that once you enter our main parking lot from the driveway to the west of the stop lights, it will be one way traffic only. You cannot exit the school parking lot from the same place you entered it; you can only exit through the stop lights onto Westoak Trails or Stratus Drive.
Please drive slowly and always look around carefully for pedestrians who are crossing the parking lot. We advise that people arrive early to avoid delays especially during the winter months and on inclement weather days. Come before 8:15 am if you need a parking spot. Please do not park in “no parking zones” and never park your vehicle in the fire zone at the front of the school. If you are a student or you are visiting our school, please park in the lot closest to the front entrance of the school only.
Many vehicles enter the east parking lot of our school at the end of the school day. Please note that the east entrance is ONE LANE ONLY. There are two exit lanes, but the entrance is only for one lane of cars at a time. It is preferred that you enter the school parking lot via the main driveway just to the west of the stoplight. DO NOT ENTER THE PARKING LOT THROUGH THE STOP LIGHTS—IT IS AN EXIT ONLY.
Thank you for helping us to keep everyone safe!
Student Parking Passes
Students who will be driving to school must have their vehicle registered with the main office and must display a school parking pass in their vehicle while it is parked on school property.
Please use this form to request a parking pass. You will need to have your vehicle make/license plate information to register for a parking pass. The office will contact you via email when your parking pass is ready to be picked up.
Students are permitted to park in the lot closest to the front entrance to the school ONLY. Please note that having a parking pass does not guarantee you a parking spot. You must arrive early (before 8:15 am is recommended) to be sure to get a spot as it’s first come, first served.
Town of Oakville Parking Lot
The parking lot that is by the playground area is owned by the Town of Oakville. When it is open, students are permitted to park there.
School Cash Online
At Garth Webb S.S., we use School Cash Online for all payments made to the school. It is recommended that you set up your account so you are prepared for any fees that pertain to your student throughout the school year.
Some of the benefits of using School Cash Online include:
· Ability to pay by credit card and Visa debit
· Receive reminder emails so you never miss a payment due date
· See only items available to purchase online that are applicable to your student(s)
· Uses Google Translate in over 100 languages to assist you when making purchases
· Make an online donation and receive your tax receipt by email
· Support available 24 x 7
Visit hdsb.schoolcashonline.com to sign up today and have the ability to track all payments made. You will need the Halton student number for your student (not the OEN) in order to set up an account. Please contact the school at 905.847.6875 if you don’t have your student’s number (it should start with either 002, 003, or 004).
Nut Free School
We wanted to remind GWSS families that nut products should not be brought into the school. Please read the following excerpt from this document that is included with the start up packages:
We are asking ALL students, families and members of our school community to adhere to the
following requests regarding peanuts/tree nuts:
Lunches and snacks are free of peanuts and tree nuts, as well as products that may contain peanuts/tree nuts such as donuts, granola bars, etc.
Read food labels, checking for peanut/nut ingredients prior to sending them to school.
Ensure food from takeout restaurants is free from nuts, AND free from cross-contamination of nuts.
If peanut butter is eaten at home before school, ensure lips, mouth, and hands are washed thoroughly before attending school (this is truly an essential action to prevent cross contamination).
Thank you for helping to keep the school safe for everyone!
Free Transit for Students
If students have a PRESTO card, they can now use Oakville Transit free of charge. Please visit the Oakville Transit website for further information. Be sure to register your PRESTO card online so balances can be transferred to a new card in the event that you lose your PRESTO.
Garth Webb is a “walk to” school and therefore, we do not have any school busses. However, Oakville Transit has a "School Special" bus route for Garth Webb that runs before and after school. Please click here for more information.
Bicycles, Scooters & Skateboards
Many students at Garth Webb ride bicycles, scooters, and skateboards to school daily. Bicycles and scooters must be locked up outside at the bike and scooter racks on the west side of the school (near the main entrance). Please be sure that students have a working lock and remind them to use it EVERY time they park their bike or scooter. There have been unfortunate instances of theft when items are not locked up. Please note that scooters can no longer be parked in the main office due to health and safety protocols. Skateboards can be stored in lockers or on the skateboard rack in the main office.
It is also recommended that students use the 529 Garage app to register their bicycles. The Halton Regional Police Service has partnered with 529 Garage to introduce their bicycle registration app to residents of Halton. 529 Garage is an application that connects you, other cyclists, police, and local bicycle shops in the event your bicycle is stolen. Registration is easy - simply download the app, input your contact information and bicycle serial number, and upload photos of yourself and your bicycle. Registrations can also be made on the 529 Garage website if you do not have a smart phone or tablet. Once you have registered your bicycle on the app, if it is stolen or goes missing, you can notify 529 Garage and they will issue an alert from the app that is sent to other local cyclists and bike shops alerting them to the missing bicycle. Once an alert for your bicycle has been posted, the app will also direct you to the HRPS online reporting tool where you can report it to police. By registering, if a bicycle is recovered, it is easier for police to identify and return the bicycle to the proper owner.
Please remind students that bicycles, scooters, and skateboards should not be used on school property. Finally, when traveling to and from school in the designated bike lanes, students are reminded that they are to travel in the same direction as the vehichles on the road. This is important and helps to keep everyone safe.
