Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year!
Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year!
We are looking forward to welcoming all of our new and returning students back to Laurelwoods this September!
As you are aware, the Upper Grand District School Board has put extensive plans in place for the school year. Our school has now created plans that include both operational changes (how we manage the people and resources within the school) and health and safety changes (our response to the COVID pandemic). We hope this document will help answer your questions about the specifics about the opening day and first week of school.
Please also look through our board Student & Family Guide, for more detailed information about the changes for this school year.
Before Coming to School
| CCOVID-19 Screening:
– All parents must screen their children every day before leaving home for symptoms of COVID-19. If there are symptoms, children need to stay home from school. If COVID-19 is suspected, testing is recommended. – Link to self-screening tool |
Arrival on the First Day
The first official day of school for all students in grades SK-8 is Tuesday, September 7th! JK students will follow the staggered entry schedule that was mailed to their home during the summer.
Our yard supervision begins at 8:30AM. The entry bell rings at 8:45AM. Most students will arrive by school bus. If you are driving your child to the school the parent designated drop off will be the row of parking spots closest to the school. We ask that parents do not drive up to the front of the school. Students who are dropped off will walk along the sidewalk with their parent to the kindergarten gate. Please say goodbye to your child at the gate.
Your child needs to know their grade. Once on the yard they will make their way to the signage indicating their grade (i.e. grade 4). Our grade 4 teachers will meet them and direct them to the appropriate line up where they will join their classmates.
While students do not have to wear their mask on the yard they do need to wear their mask on the bus and put it on before entering the school. Please develop with your child a plan for this. Last year many students had lanyards for their masks, others simply put it in their pocket.
We will have staff on the yard to help the children find their new teacher.
New Students
New students will be directed to the Learning Commons where they will remain socially distanced. At 9:00 AM staff supporting new students will direct them to their new class.
Late Arrivals
If you arrive after class has begun, parents will phone the office when they have arrived to let us know their children are here. Students will wait at the front door, with their parent, until an office staff lets them in. The classroom teacher will be notified that the child has arrived. The student will walk directly to their classroom, drop off their things, and join the class.
Designated Entry Doors
To facilitate speedy entry in the morning and to limit unnecessary travel through the building, each grade/class will be assigned an entry/exit door. This will be the only door that students will use for entering the building, for accessing outdoor activities (and recess) and departing at the end of the school day.
Before Entering the Building
Students will be reminded to put on a mask and to socially distance as they enter the building. They will wash/sanitize their hands when coming into the building.
Handwashing
Throughout the day the children will wash their hands before and after eating, before and after recess,after using the washroom and as needed.
What to Bring to School:
Please keep your child’s personal items to a minimum! To support a safe and comfortable environment, students are asked to bring the following items clearly labelled with the student’s name:
– Knapsack or tote bag for personal belongings
– Face masks – they may need more than one
– Face masks do not need to be worn outdoors. Please think about how your child will keep their mask with them during recess. You may consider purchasing a lanyard so the mask can be removed without being lost.
– Personal water bottle
– Seasonal outdoor wear. We will be outside a lot!
– Indoor shoes with rubber soles that fit securely and are suitable for the gym
– Only those items that are necessary for the day (e.g., pencil case, calculator, pens, pencils)
– Students may bring their own devices, but they must be wiped by the student upon entry and before leaving at the end of the day
Note: change rooms will not be used at the start of the school year. Your child does not require a change of clothes for gym.
Recess Information
This year, like last year, half of the school will eat while the other half are having recess. Then the school will flip the students who had recess first will have lunch and those that ate first will get some fresh air. We have made this change for two important reasons. Firstly, it allows for greater social distancing on the yard. Secondly, it will allow our custodian to clean each room while the children are outside. The climbers and the sandbox will be open to students this year. Unlike last year we will not have class zones. We will have a junior and intermediate area as well as a kindergarten and primary area. Children are not to bring things from home onto the yard.
Breakfast Program
We will start the year with “Grab and Go” breakfasts / snacks as needed. More information will be coming in the next few weeks. Please keep this in mind when you are planning your morning routines and packing lunches for the day.
Lunch Procedures
Students will eat in their own classroom at their desk or table. You are encouraged to send your child with containers that they can open on their own. Packing food in small reusable baggies might be easier than containers. Water bottles will be much easier than juice boxes.There will be composting and recycling this year! At the end of lunch students will need to pack all of their belongings into their bag, items are not to sit on the counters. For this reason containers that cannot be closed / resealed are not encouraged (i.e. drinking boxes).
Classroom Instruction
While significant portions of instruction will continue to happen in the classroom, outdoor learning will continue to be encouraged where possible as it gives students a mask break. This year I am pleased to say that the gym and tech room will be open.
Resource Support
Our Special Education Resource Teacher Mrs. Rayfield will support students in their classroom and in small group settings in the resource room. During the first weeks of school Mrs. Rayfield will be helping students to settle back into the routines of school and completing assessments. If your child will have an opportunity to work with Mrs. Rayfield she will be reaching out to you to get your consent to do so.
Extra Curricular Activities
At this time we are very excited to be able to offer a variety of activities for your child this year! There is so much to look forward to!
Communication with the School
We have ordered agendas and will distribute them when they arrive. Agendas should not be used for daily back and forth communication. Students may choose to use agendas for their own personal use and time management. The agendas cost $7 and will be available on School Cash Online before school starts.
All teachers will use Google Classroom as their homework and communication portal.
We will be sending home our regular package of information on the first day of school. Please complete the forms, and return them to your child’s teacher as soon as you can.
If you need to pick your child up early. We require that you contact the office prior to 2:30 PM.
Access to the School
Only essential visitors are permitted inside the school (e.g., maintenance personnel) at this time. I am hopeful that this will change as the year progresses.
Nonessential visitors will not be permitted inside schools during the pandemic, except in case of emergency. At entry and dismissal times, parents are to remain outside the school and adhere to physically distancing protocols. If you are picking your child up or dropping something off during the day please call into the main office.
End of Day Procedures:
For Students Taking the Bus
Students will exit through their designated doors with their teacher. There will be markers indicating bus locations. Teachers will deliver their students to their bus location. Once there students will need to wait in a socially distant fashion for their bus to be called.
For Students Being Picked Up
Parents will need to let the office know, no later than 2:30 PM that they are picking up their child. Students in grades 5 to 8 can go directly to their parent or wait at the front of the school on the sidewalk in front of the offices. Parents will park in the first row.
Students in grades 1 to 4 being picked up will be asked to go to the front hall promptly.
Parents will need to park in designated spots in the front row.
Parents will be asked to line up in a socially distant way as indicated by markers at the front of the school on the south sidewalk towards the LLC. Students being picked up will line up in the hallway in a socially distant manner. Any students waiting for pick up will need to wear a mask. There will be a staff member who will dismiss students in the hallway to their parent. Please be aware this procedure will take longer than in the past. If you are in a hurry you may consider getting your child before the end of the day.
Categories: News