September 11th, 2020

Dear Glencairn families

We are excited to be welcoming back our Gray Jays.  We want you to know that we have the safety of your child and our community at the front of our minds.  It is no surprise that things are going to look different, and we appreciate your cooperation and patience as we enter into our current reality.  Things will look different, from the first day of school, to daily routines and everything in between.

Please note that if you have chosen Distance Learning for your child, communication will be coming out to you from the Distance Learning Team.

As we approach the first day of school for your child(ren) we wanted to connect with you to pass along some information on how to prepare your child for their first day at Glencairn.  This year is a year like none other and our staff have been busy preparing for your children to ensure that you feel comforted knowing that their safety and their learning are our top priority. 

Please review the following:

The Parent Handbook from the WRDSB for more in-depth details about what I’m sharing today. There is the Guide for Families as well as the Return to School FAQ’s on the WRDSB website (wrdsb.ca). Updated information is posted regularly.

Practice washing your hands -and having your child do this independently. Here’s a tip sheet.

Washing Hands

Review the Self Screening Tool every morning before you come to school. It is available at this link  Self Screening Tool

Develop a plan for when your child is not feeling well…

• Provide at least 3 up to date contacts for the school to phone if your child becomes ill. These contacts need to be able to pick your child up quickly when this phone call is made
• We want to ensure that your child’s wellbeing is looked after quickly and we want to minimize the amount of time that they spend at school feeling unwell. If they are feeling unwell they will have to be removed from their classroom and moved to our Waiting Room located in the office.
• Ensure that if your child exhibits any of the symptoms on the self screening tool that you have a plan for someone to look after them at home until 24 hrs after the symptoms are gone and that you do not send them to school
• Please call the attendance line if your child is not going to be coming to school at 519-742-0849  (press #1 for attendance) or email us at gcp-attendance@wrdsbca 

 

What to expect on the first day of school…

Please arrive promptly at our bell time of 8:55 AM. All teachers will be outside at a painted marking on the asphalt with their grade number.  If your child is old enough, please allow them to enter the school grounds independently to reduce foot traffic and support social distancing.  Your child will locate their teacher and line up in the space provided allowing for 2 metre distancing.  Students will then be masked and brought to their classroom through different entrances practicing proper hand hygiene upon entry (i.e., hand washing/hand sanitizer).  

At the end of the day, your child will be dismissed from the class meeting spot. Arrange a meeting spot with your child away from the main building on school grounds (i.e., the corner, edge of the field) when possible.  If your child is young, you may meet them at their class meeting spot.  Please remember social distancing at all times and wear masks on the school property.  Please note that we cannot dismiss students until the bell at 3:15 pm.

Here is a  map of the class meeting spots :

 

Please make every effort to be at school on time.  However, if you do come late, please come to the front doors and we will buzz your child in.  A staff member will meet and greet your child(ren) inside, as parents and visitors are not permitted to come inside the building.  We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this new process for managing student arrivals and keeping everyone safe. If you are bringing or picking up your child throughout the school day, you will be asked to wait outside for your child  Please make every effort to book appointments outside of the school day to reduce the amount of exposure, movement and contacts in the school.  Due to this new reality we cannot guarantee the speedy service we had in the past as there are protocols in place that may hinder timelines.  We request that families leave the school grounds immediately after meeting their children.  We ask that you do not socialize on the school grounds.  The Playground equipment is closed before and after school due to touchpoints and sanitation. 

Things to Remember

• Please send your child with a labelled water bottle and lunch bag – this can be placed in a larger bag or small backpack for them to carry it easily.  Please do not send other items such as kleenex, or personal items such as toys and balls.
• Water fountains are closed but the water bottle filling stations are open.
• Please do not send a second pair of shoes at this time – we are trying to reduce the amount of time children spend in the hallways and have them transition into the classroom from outside as quickly as possible in a physically distanced manner.
• If you wish to send your child with their own mask and/or hand sanitizer this is fine but the hand sanitizer needs to be scent free and if it is not- it will be sent home.  Hand sanitizer cannot be shared between students and your child will need to know how to use it themselves as staff will only dispense the Board provided sanitizer.
• The school will be providing additional cloth masks to your child on the first day of school -please label your child’s masks and ensure that all masks are washed on a regular basis.
• Please ensure that you are registered for School Day and that you consistently check the school website (sign up for automatic notifications) as communication from your child’s teacher will be primarily through their School Day account, Brightspace or Google classroom.  
•  Promote wearing a mask at home to get your child accustomed to it 
•  Dress your child for the weather as we stagger the entry into the building each morning.  They may be outside, so if it’s raining they need a raincoat/umbrella. 
• Practise what lining up would look like with social distancing – practise at home
• Be aware that  windows will be open in every room possible to allow fresh air in, so students should dress in layers for the classroom

Important Information and Forms

As part of the school year start-up, parents and caregivers are asked to review information to help you navigate the upcoming school year. Some of the information requires a response and other information is posted for your review. All the information can be found on the School Year Information section of the WRDSB website.

You will find this year some of the requirements for the “Action Required Information” have changed. This includes:

• Data Verification Forms
  • A copy of this form has been provided to your student. This form verifies your child’s information, as well as your contact and emergency contact preferences. Please review the information and return to the school by Friday September 18, 2020
• Do Not Ride – Student Transportation
  • The Do Not Ride Form must be completed annually by parents of children who qualify for busing but will not ride because the parent has made alternative arrangements. If not already completed, and qualified transportation is not required, please complete the online form and submit to Student Transportation.
• Release of Student Information (Media Release Consent Form)
  • A copy of this form is distributed yearly to each student and covers the use of student information for a variety of situations, including student photographs and recordings. In addition to this form, there are a variety of general purpose situations where schools and the board will use your child’s personal information that DO NOT require this additional consent form. An explanation of these routine uses and disclosures are outlined. This form is now available on School-Day for parent acknowledgement and paper copies will not be sent home.  Visit the “Upcoming Events” tab on School-Day to locate the form.
• Responsible Use Procedure
  • Digital Citizenship refers to online behaviour. A good digital citizen is someone who behaves appropriately and responsibly while using digital tools. The WRDSB has developed a Responsible Use Policy (RUP) Form which is also available on School-Day for parent acknowledgement. The RUP aligns with our school community standards of behaviour, and sets expectations for staff, students, and parents/guardians.  Visit the “Upcoming Events” tab on School-Day to locate the form.
• Concussion Code of Conduct
  • The Concussion Code of Conduct for Inter-School Sports has been developed to comply with the requirements of Policy-Program Memorandum 158, released September 25, 2019. The Waterloo Region District School Board has also developed a Concussion Management Procedure to support our students and coaches in dealing with concussions. This form is also available on School-Day for parent acknowledgement.  Visit the “Upcoming Events” tab on School-Day to locate the form.

• Medical Information
  • If your child has a recently diagnosed medical condition (e.g., anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy/ seizures or requires prescribed medication during the school day), please contact the school office as a Plan of Care may need to be developed. If additional information/action is required, appropriate forms, including administration of medication forms will be sent home for families to complete.  
  • If your student has a previously diagnosed medical condition, a paper copy of the Plan of Care will be sent home for review and parent signature.

If you have any questions about the “Action Required” Information for the 2020-2021 school year, please contact the school office at 519-742-0849.

Please remind your children that we miss them and we can’t wait to have them back at Glencairn!!  We know that it will look different and we will look different with our masks and face shields on – but it is still the same caring, safe and welcoming community that we all left far too soon last March.  

And remember as Gray Jays we are a caring, respectful community and we all matter.

Ms Meredith

Principal

Categories: School