Dear Div.18 Families,
As you know, our school building will be opening up next week to families who wish and/or need to send their children back to school. Our regular program will look quite different for students that are returning, to accommodate safety guidelines that restrict our school and classroom capacity to 50%.
If you are planning to return to school next week, you will encounter some new routines to create a safe and positive learning environment. Your patience is appreciated as we work out the kinks and adjust to new routines. Here are a few important practices to remember:
I am excited to welcome some Lochside Lizards back to school next week! I will be emailing you your child’s schedule shortly. Half will come for full regular days on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the other half will come for full regular days on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The ESW students will continue to come full time and will be in our class on their two days, and with the ESW class in the MPR/gym on the other three days. On Fridays I will be planning for and connecting with students who are continuing with the remote learning opportunities at home. ***If you do not receive an email from me then your child has not been confirmed as returning. If this is an error, please contact the school office to update your wishes.***
Health and Safety is top of mind and we have followed advice from the Public Health Officer, BC Centre for Disease Control, WorkSafeBC and Ministry of Education to create routines school wide and in the classroom to support health and safety: physical distance in classrooms; staggered lunch and recess; more frequent cleaning; hand-washing, etc. We please ask that you monitor/screen your child DAILY for any symptoms before sending them to school.
Arrival/dismissal: We will be using our outside door for arrival and dismissal. If a student comes late and the classroom door is closed, they will need to go around to the front of the school for late arrival attendance. I will open my classroom door at 8:40am and dismiss at 2:48pm. Upon arrival, please help your child to be mindful of appropriate physical distancing (1.5m) as they line-up to come in. Please ensure you have discussed a meeting spot OUTSIDE for after school pick-up. We are limiting the amount of people inside the school and ask parents to remain outside at all times, unless a meeting has been arranged. We appreciate your patience and support with these new routines. ***Buses will run on their regular route schedule, but providing your own transportation, if possible, is encouraged.***
Supplies: Student supplies will be kept separate and in a bin near their desk. If you have a small bin to keep their supplies in (no bigger than 30cm x 20cm x 15cm), please label it and send it in with your child. If you don’t have a small bin, do not worry, I have some in the classroom to use but unfortunately don’t have enough for each student. Please bring back indoor shoes and pack raincoat/boots/sweater/hat/sunscreen each day as appropriate as we will be outside for much of the day. Please leave toys at home to help us maintain a safe environment.
Food & Water: Please send snacks/lunches that allow your child to ‘pack in/ pack out’, all garbage will be sent home. Furthermore, they need to have all the implements needed for their lunch as there will be no borrowing of utensils. There will be no recycling or composting available to keep contact low. We ask that you send enough water for your child to last the school day, as water fountains have been closed but the water bottle refill station remains open. It is essential that each child brings a water bottle to school each day.
While these new routines may feel strict and hard to follow for children, we do need to practice the safety guidelines given to us. As with any learning environment, we are aiming to make it a safe, positive, and enriching learning experience. I can't wait until we can all be together again!
Although these are new and challenging days, I hope that your family feels supported in this transition. Our responsibility is for the health and wellness of our school community, so that learning programs can continue safely. Whether learning at home or at school, I hope that you feel supported. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Sherisse Norris
snorris@saanichschools.ca
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