Welcome back
Dear OC Parents,
It’s hard to believe that we’re at the start of another school year. We are excited to see smiling faces again. I know many of you have questions about Covid procedures and protocol that will be in place this year. This letter will give you some initial information about this, and if you have any further questions about things, please don’t hesitate to contact me in the office. School will resume as usual at 8:55 AM on September 7. Teachers will be on the yard just before the bell to help students navigate to their new classes. Our bell times are as follows:
8:55 – first bell, school starts
10:35-11:15 – first nutrition break
12:55-1:35 – second nutrition break
3:15 – School ends
JK students have a different startup, and will follow their staggered entry plan. The office will be reaching out to JK parents about this. If you do not know when your JK student is set to start school, please give the office a call.
Busing is organized through student transportation. Routes and times can be viewed through the online parent portal here: https://stwdsts.ca/
Covid Procedures
Many of the procedures and plans we have in place are similar to last year, and as always, are guided by recommendations from Public Health. Here are a few highlights:
- Staff and students will be required to wear masks indoors, but can remove these outdoors
- Class lines outside should continue to be distanced, and classes will be staggered when the enter/exit the building to reduce numbers in the hallway
- Students should again bring a reusable water bottle to school, as fountains will be closed, but fill stations are accessible
- Students can interact with kids from other classes at recess, but will be encouraged to distance while they do this
- Only essential visitors will be allowed in the school for now
- Pizza and milk programs are still on hold, but our snack program for students will resume
- Field trips are on hold for now
- When picking up and dropping off students, please try to space out on the tarmac so that there is not crowding around the doors
- Library books will eventually be signed out, though not immediately at the start of school
- Students should plan to come to school ‘just before the bell’ rather than very early, to reduce the numbers of students on the tarmac
- Please remember to continue to screen your child for Covid symptoms every morning before school with the provincial screening website here:
September class reorganization
Every year the Board reviews student numbers in schools after the first week of classes. From this, there is often some reorganization of classes. If this happens, communication will be sent home about the details of this and how it impacts classrooms. Please know that this process is a Board level process that cannot be changed at the school level.
Returning of Chromebooks
If your family borrowed a Chromebook from the school, please have your child return this to their teacher ASAP.
Communication from the school and classroom
Please ensure that we have an updated phone and email address for you so that you can receive communication from the school. There will be classroom specific information and school-wide information sent out when needed.
Medication and emergency plans
If your child requires any medication to be administered at school, or an emergency plan of care, please make sure that we have updated information about this in the office.
Thanks for all your amazing understanding during the past few years and throughout the many transitions we’ve had with Covid. I hope that this year we will see a return to normalcy. That being said, if we need to pivot a few times, I know the students are resilient and will do a great job with this.
I look forward to seeing everyone again on September 7.
Take care,
Sean Cameron
Principal
Categories: News