Preparing for Rainy Weather We are settling into some new routines and have been blessed with cooperative weather to this point. We know that Mother Nature might have other plans going forward and we want to be prepared to meet any challenge. As we work to stay safe and healthy during the pandemic we will be taking advantage of every opportunity to spend time outside. This means that even in rainy weather, students will go outside for up to 40 minutes. We'd ask that you ensure your child comes to school prepared for any weather. Rain coats, rubber boots, hats, umbrellas should be worn to school when rain is expected. Please monitor the forecast daily. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation, Mme Charette & Mme Matthews *NEW* End of Day Pick Up Procedures In an effort to keep our staff, students, and the Holy Family community safe at this time, we will be amending our parent-pick up protocols.
If you are picking up your child(ren) in grades 1-8, we are asking that one parent/guardian from each family be present at the end of the day, and we are asking that you wait on the field area at the south side of the school. There is no change to the kindergarten pick up. Students in grades 1-8, will be walked out of the building, and will await for pick up on the south side of the school. **Students in Mrs. Furlani and Mrs. Kearney’s class will be lined up on the North side of the school as previously communicated by the teachers.
At the end of the school day, those students that take the bus will be escorted to their designated bussing area. We will be setting up pylons outside of the East doors to create a safe space for our students that are boarding the bus. Parents/guardians are required to avoid this area.
We greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation at this time.
Yours in partnership, Marie-Claude Charette & Nicole Matthews Welcome to the 2020-2021 School Year! Whether your child is planning to attend in school or online, we are excited to be together again. The information that we will share in this letter will help prepare students for returning to the school. Those who will be attending the virtual classrooms can expect further information from the staff of the virtual school. This will include a questionnaire regarding those in need of devices to access the online classroom. Many things will be different for your child/ren this year and we need to be working together for a successful transition. Please take some time to read this carefully and to prepare your child/ren for the new routines. All students in grades 4 to 8 must arrive wearing a mask and students in K-3 are strongly encouraged to do so.
First Day Arrival: Kindergarten to grade 3 students will meet their teachers on the yard (consider a label with your child’s teacher’s name for young or shy students so that we may assist in directing them). Students in grades 4-8 will proceed directly to their classroom. After their first day: All students will proceed directly to their classrooms upon arrival. We will maintain the Kiss & Ride from 9-9:15 however, we ask for your cooperation in ensuring an efficient movement of vehicles. Staff may open vehicle doors but we understand that some families may prefer that we do not touch the doors. Please print the desired sheet and place it on the dash of the vehicle. All students must be able to manage disembarking independently. Should a student require assistance to disembark, you must park at a distance from the school and walk the student to the property. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain physical distance. In addition to our entry changes, we must now also stagger our dismissal. Some students will be exiting the building up to 15 minutes before the end of day bell and it will be important that they are dressed for the weather (raincoats/ umbrellas/mittens/hats/etc.) Visitors/parents/guardians will not be permitted in the school this year. Please contact us through the office, (905-623-6255) and we will be happy to set a phone meeting with you. Due to this restriction on visitors, hot lunches will not be offered and it is important that all students bring lunch with them if they are eating at school. Students will need to remain seated at their own desks during the lunch period as they will be removing their masks. In light of this we also are looking for your support in booking your appointments and extra-curricular obligations to before and after school to avoid repeated disruptions of the class. If you are picking your child/ren up at the end of the day, you will need to wait outside to meet them. Who will my teacher be? We know students are eager to learn who their teachers will be. As in past years, you will be able to access the School Look Up utility through the PVNC website on Wednesday, September 9th. You will need your child’s OEN in order to view the information. The OEN can be found on your child’s report card. Other changes to expect: For the time being, we are asking that students in grades 1 to 8 arrive to school wearing footwear that is appropriate for phys ed. We will NOT have designated indoor shoes. (This will be reviewed by each class as the weather changes). Students are to minimize sharing materials therefore we are requesting that each student supply their own pencil case. Teachers will be in touch with families to let you know what basic tools each student will need. We will collect any borrowed devices from students who are returning to in-school learning on their first day of attendance. Please package the laptop/iPad & cord together and label it with the student’s full name. There will be a bin in the main foyer for drop off of devices. Any students who have registered for PVNC online learning and still need the borrowed device may keep it. Our school board does maintain an open Bring Your Own Device policy and students may wish to bring their personal devices for use at school. The school can not accept responsibility for loss or damage to personal devices. All school devices must be thoroughly cleaned and isolated between uses and therefore we will have limited access to school devices. For families wishing to purchase a Chromebook, the Board has a partnership with Staples who offer Chromebooks at BYOD program discounts. While the current models in the link below might be out of date or no longer available, the program is in place. Families can take the flyer into the selected Staples stores to obtain the discount.
https://www.pvnccdsb.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BYOD_with_Staples.pdf
Beneath the masks, we are smiling in anticipation of your return to learning!
Have a fantastic weekend, Mme Charette, principal & Mme Matthews, vice-principal On behalf of all the staff at Holy Family |
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