September 9th, 2020
Dear Sandowne Families,
I hope you have had a chance to enjoy the summer. While these are challenging times, they have also afforded us more time with our loved ones and I am personally grateful for that extra time with my own family. 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 as our highest priority. 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. These differences will be evident 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. Please continue to reference the Guide for Families to assist with many of your questions. We are in this together, and we appreciate your continued support.
What to expect:
On the first day, please arrive promptly at your designated time and entry point. If your child is old enough, please allow them to enter the school grounds independently to reduce foot traffic and support physical 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 (3:35 pm), 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 exit door. Please remember social distancing at all times. Please note that we cannot dismiss students until the bell.
Please make every effort to be at school on time throughout the year. However, if you do come late, please come to the front doors and a staff member will meet and greet your child(ren) after you have buzzed the main office. Parents and visitors are not permitted to come inside the building at any time during the day – no exceptions. We will only be able to check in one child at a time as per Safe Arrival protocol. If you are in a line with other families outside, please be certain you are physically distanced. This process may take time and will not change even in inclement weather. 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 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 point and sanitation.
We will be staggering the entry for students for a one 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 Monday, September 14 through to Thursday, September 17 based on last names. Cohort A (last name A-L) will begin on September 14th. Cohort B (last name M-Z) will begin on September 15th. All students will attend school together on Friday, September 18 and onwards. Our Junior Kindergarten classes begin this Thursday, September 10th (last name A-L) and Friday, September 11th (last name M-Z). Classroom teachers will be calling each family who will be attending in person this week to share more details on our school reopening protocols. Note that this will often appear as “Caller Unknown” on your phone’s display. If teachers leave a message with you, please be sure to contact them as quickly as possible. It is essential that you understand expectations and have a chance to ask your own questions.
Please note that if you have chosen Distance Learning for your child, communication will be coming out to you shortly from the Distance Learning Team. The school will be providing technology, but this will be organized through the Distance Learning Team. You do not need to reach out to the school directly.
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. Physical education will be held outdoors. Gym clothes and indoor shoes are not to be sent to school. We will review footwear options as the weather changes. Families are encouraged to remember to pack cutlery and napkins which they may need. The school will provide baggies for students to place their mask in while eating. All items should be labeled. Due to the risk of contamination, all lunches will now be a “boomerang lunch”. 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.
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.
Communication:
More than ever before, communication between home and school is critical. Note that we will not be using planners or paper communication between home and school this year. Communication with school staff will be through phone calls, email or online classroom platforms. Please be sure you are registered with all of the links I have listed below:
- Be sure that you are signed up to School Day. This is Sandowne’s method of school-wide communication with families. If you have not done so, please contact our Office Manager, Ms. Barbara Levai-Sharpe (barbara_levai-sharpe@wrdsb.ca) to assist you with registering.
- Please follow our school website at https://snd.wrdsb.ca/. Scroll to the bottom and enter your email to subscribe to regular updates.
- Please follow our Twitter feed: @SandowneS for up to date information
- For families using student transportation, be sure you are subscribed to https://www.stswr.ca/. This will give you information about Covid-19 safety protocols, your child’s bus route and times and will alert you to any late bus or cancellation notifications.
While you await your child’s entry to school, please consider the following:
- develop a plan to pick up your child immediately if they are ill – they will be isolated until you arrive.
- promote wearing a mask at home to get accustomed to it
- label all of your child’s personal belongings and their mask
- teach them what physical distancing looks like – no hugs, no holding hands, no sharing items at school
- schedule time in the morning before school to do the Covid-19 assessment. Do not send your child to school if they are exhibiting any of the symptoms of Covid-19. We need to work together as a community to keep our schools safe. While this is a season with many illnesses that mimic Covid-19, we will not be taking any chances and will send your child home immediately the moment they present any symptoms.
- be prepared to wait for your child in the parking lot if picking up for appointments and build in extra time. You must call from the parking lot. The school phone number is 519-884-4800.
- parents are not permitted in the building and we discourage the drop off of items during the day – Please send your child with everything they need for the day
- dress your child for the weather as we will be spending much of the day outside. If it is raining they need a rain coat/umbrella at the beginning of the day and for their walk home. We will not be permitting children into the school early on rainy days, so plan according to the weather. School staff will oversee children who arrive by bus, but parents still need to send their bussed children with appropriate clothing to remain outside during all weather.
- practice hand washing at home, sing happy birthday twice while washing hands
- what does lining up look like – practice at home
- windows will be open in every room possible to allow fresh air in, so dress in layers for classroom
- no school hot lunch programs for time-being (pizza or Lunch Lady)
- please do not send toys/balls, etc. from home
- you are welcome to send hand sanitizer to school with your children, but please be sure it is unscented hand sanitizer (as there are scent sensitivities in the school)
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, every step we take is to ensure the health and safety of your families and our community and we will maintain strict adherence to our Covid-19 safety protocols. Sandowne remains the same warm and welcoming environment. We are very excited to see your children and recognize that the relationships we create, even under these challenging circumstances, will ultimately be the most rewarding aspect of our school reopening, not just for your children, but for our Sandowne staff. We’ve missed you!
Wishing you health and safety.
Wash your hands! Wear a mask! We’ll get through this together.
Danielle Holden, Principal – Sandowne Public School