September 4th, 2020

Dear Glencairn Families:

Please note: This newsletter is for those students attending in person only.

We are very excited to prepare for our re-opening to receive all of your children at school in person soon! We have been preparing and learning how to keep your children safe as well as staff during the school day. School will definitely be different than it has been in the past.

The school board has announced that the school year will begin with a staggered start. This essentially means that some students come on one day and other students the next.

Please note: School will not begin on Tues. Sept. 8. The staggered start has been delayed until Mon. Sept. 14.

If your child’s last name is A-L, they will come to school on Sept. 14 for 8:55 am.

If your child’s last name is M-Z, they will come to school on Sept. 15 for 8:55 am.

These days will continue to alternate every other day until Fri. Sept. 18, when all students will be at school. 

Details regarding this schedule can be found on both the school website (gcp.wrdsb.ca)  as well as the board website (www.wrdsb.ca).

 

Class lists will be available starting on September 11. The information will come through School Day.

We will be in communication with our new JK students regarding orientation days on Sept. 10 and 11 next week.

 

With COVID-19 re-opening of the school, there are some very important reminders for all families.

Parent Entry

Parent Entry to the school is greatly restricted, so you will not be able to enter the school building. As a result of this restricted access, please ensure that lunches and water bottles are sent with students first thing.

Sign in for lates and appointments will all be handled by our secretarial  staff in a touchless manner electronically. As always, buzzing at the door and chatting with our office staff will be helpful. There are distance markings on the sidewalks if there is a line.

Hand Sanitizer

Many of you will want to purchase personal hand sanitizer for use at school. Please remember that it must be scent free, absolutely no scent at all as we have students and staff with sensitivities.  The sanitizer must contain at least 65% alcohol. Please read the label before purchasing and sending it with your child.

School Supplies-What to Bring

You may be wondering what to purchase for school supplies. We suggest you consider a ruler, pencils, erasers, crayons or pencil crayons. For older students consider pens, binder, paper. Items will not be shared. These items will stay in each individual student’s desk / container.

Mask Use

While students are outside, mask use is not required if students can remain 2 metres apart. There will be times when they will need to mask outdoors for certain activities.

If you would like to send in a couple of extra masks in a labelled ziploc bag, please feel free to do so. Names on the masks would be useful. Please greatly limit what is brought from home and stick with the essentials for a classroom.

Please note that an extra pair of shoes is not needed at this time.

Nutrition Breaks

Students must stay with their cohort (class) for both nutrition breaks. There will be markings on the grass and tarmac to show students where to go. Educators will lead them outside to the correct zone. Students will unmask for 20 minutes of each break to eat inside and go outside for 20 minutes. Primary students will eat for the first half and Junior students will go outside. Junior students will eat for the second half and primary students will go outside.

Outside  Learning Time

All students will have the opportunity to go outside daily. They will stay with their class in an assigned area to do so. Some of the time will be focused learning time and some of the time will be for a body break! This is a time that students are not required to wear their mask.

Water Bottles

Water fountains are not to be used and have been covered. Water bottle filling stations are available throughout the school so please send a labelled, reusable water bottle daily.

Hand Washing Stations

Each class has been assigned a hand washing station and will be required to wash upon entry in the morning, before eating at both breaks, transitioning from outdoor to indoor and at the end of the day before dismissal.

Each class also will have hand sanitizer upon entry and if needed throughout the day. You can see that hand cleaning  will take some time.

Entry/Exit Doors

As you can imagine, entering the school will look different. All classes are required to line up in a designated area outside practicing physical distancing. At the beginning of the day, all teachers will bring their class into the school in a single file line, as well as each time they go outside/inside and at the end of the day to dismiss.

If you are a parent of a primary or kindergarten student, you are used to perhaps meeting your child behind the school or at the Primary Doors. This practice will continue but we must ask you to mask and be physically distanced from each other to collect your young children at the end of the day.

Masks are required as well to be worn when handing off and picking up your child from this area. Class meeting spots will be shared next week

Library Books

Some families may also have library books to return. You can send them with your child as well.

School will be different…

We are so excited to see all of our Gray Jays soon!

Sincerely,

M.S. Meredith

Principal

 

Categories: School