September 8th, 2020
Dear JW Gerth Families,
I hope you have had a chance to enjoy the summer under the current circumstances. We understand that there are many emotions regarding what is going on in the world and our community, we have them too. 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.
Thank you in advance for the work that you have done with your child(ren) at home to prepare them for this. We are requesting that you reference the Guide for Families to assist with many of your questions. We are in this together, and we appreciate your continued support.
If you have chosen Distance Learning for your child, communication will be coming out to you shortly from the Distance Learning Team.
What to expect on the first day of school…
Staff will be outside to supervise students starting at 8:55 AM. Students will be required to wait outside until our bell time of 9:10 AM daily to facilitate a socially distanced entry, please dress appropriately for the weather (i.e., raincoats, rubber boots). Ensure that your child(ren) are wearing a mask on school grounds. All teachers will be outside on our field holding up a sign with their name and room number on it. 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 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, please arrange a pick up 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 morning meeting location. We need to ensure social distancing at all times. (Please note that we cannot dismiss students until the bell.)
We are asking that you 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 you 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 If possible try to 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 have 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 touch points and sanitation.
We will be staggering the entry for students for a two week time period to transition gradually back to school. This will provide students and staff with more focused time for the necessary teaching, learning and practicing of the health and safety protocols, in smaller groups of students. Students will alternate in attendance from Tuesday, September 8 through to Thursday, September 17. All students will attend school together on Friday, September 18 and onwards.
The staggered start will mean that half of every class, from Kindergarten to Grade 8, will attend on alternate days.
Personal belongings
Families are asked to send minimal items to school daily. This can include a change of clothes for the younger children, water bottles, sun protection, and their food for the day, families are encouraged to remember to pack cutlery and napkins which they may need. Parents should provide a baggie for students to place their mask in while eating. All items should be labeled. Due to the risk of contamination, all lunches continue to be “boomerang lunches”. This means that everything that is brought to school will be returned with the students (i.e., food waste, packaging). We know that this can sometimes be messy, using baggies for containers or using reusable containers with lids would be appreciated.
Important Information:
- Staggered entry for the first few weeks of school.
- Do not send balls, toys, or any other object from home as per the Region of Health.
- Staggered entry times into the school
- To maintain physical distancing measures, classrooms will be entering/exiting doors that may differ from the past, classes will enter at different times.
- Masks are mandatory for all Elementary children
- All students remain at school for lunch
- Limit items from home (no sports equipment, no toys etc.)
- No sharing of items- supplies will be provided individually for all students
- Lunches continue to be boomerang – this means that all food waste and garbage will be returning home.
- All students should wear running shoes to school daily
- Parents are not permitted in the school at this time.
At the forefront of all we do, is the health and safety and well-being of all of our students and staff. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work through these uncharted territories. Let’s all work as a community to ensure everyone’s safety. If your child is feeling ill (please refer to the Daily Screening Student Checklist in the Guide for Families), please keep your child at home so that we can continue to keep everyone safe.
We look forward to working with you and your child(ren) again this year. We truly appreciate all of your support and cooperation. Despite things looking different, our community is a wonderful place to learn and grow.
Take care,
Marc Laurente
Principal