St. Michael's Back to School 2020-2021

A message from your Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians:

I would like to welcome all of our students and families back to school! Whether your children will attend in person or through distance learning, we are excited to start another year of learning!

With this very different start to the school year, we wanted to provide you with a reference guide that we hope will help answer questions and ensure a smooth transition to our new learning environment. In order to accommodate the changing nature of the current health crisis, the format of this reference book is interactive and contains live links that will be updated as new information is received.

Our number one priority is the safety of our students and staff. In this guide, you will find information that explains the measures that we have put in place to accomplish this goal.

You will also find information about student supplies, arrival and dismissal, what happens if your child falls ill as well as some other great resources. We encourage you to review the book with your child/children.

We are here to answer any questions you may have. Please call us at 613-623-3114 or email the school at Mif@ocsb.ca and we will be happy to get back to you. Follow us on Twitter, @MichaelFitzOCSB to see updates.

We know that this is a challenging time and together, we will make it work. We look forward to our new learning adventure!

Yours in Catholic education,

Chantel Couture-Campbell
Principal

What precautions are in place at school?

Frequent Handwashing
When students enter or leave the classroom, they will clean their hands either with hand sanitizer or with soap and water.

Floor markings
Throughout the school, there will be floor markings and directional arrows reminding students to keep 2m apart in hallways.

Masks
Students in grade 4 - 8 and all staff are required to wear masks. It is recommended that students in Kindergarten - Grade 3 also wear masks, but it is not mandatory.

What precautions are in place at school?

In the classroom...

Students will keep their backpacks, lunches, outdoor clothings and school belongings in their personal workspace in the classroom.

Student desks/tables will be spaced apart (no groups). Each child will have their own workspace and cannot use the workspace of another student.

School supplies will not be shared between students. Parents may choose to send their child with their own materials. (See section on "School Supplies for more information")

What precautions are in place at school?

No Visitors or Volunteers
Only students and staff are permitted in the building at this time. Parents are not permitted in the school building at this time. If it is necessary for a parent to enter, it will be by appointment only and arranged through the office (masks are mandatory).

Water Fountains
Water fountains may only be used to refill water bottles. Students are not permitted to drink directly from the fountain.

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Items that your child should bring to school:

A personal bottle of unscented hand sanitizer. It will be refilled as needed at school.

Reusable water bottle (will be refilled throughout the day). Water fountains will ONLY be used for refilling water bottles.

Cloth or reusable face masks. Masks are mandatory for students in Grade 4-6. They are strongly recommended for students in Kindergarten - Grade 3. We recommend at least two per day so they can be changed if one becomes wet or dirty.

Appropriate shoes for indoor and outdoor use. Students will not be required to change their shoes. (Note: this will be revisited as the weather changes)

Items that your child should bring to school:

Label ALL personal items!

Basic school materials (pencils, erasers, etc) will be provided to students as needed. However, you may wish to create a pencil case containing a personal set of materials. These items cannot be shared between students. Suggested items to include are:

A pair of headphones for personal use with technology.

pencils
pencil sharpener
erasers
pencil crayons
glue stick
ruler
markers
dry-erase markers
pair of scissors

Our school has a few chromebooks for each classroom, which will be cleaned between use. However, your child is also welcome to bring their own device to use in the classroom.

Items that your child should bring to school:

Appropriate clothing for outdoor learning and recess times (e.g. raincoat, hat, sunscreen, etc. for extended outdoor learning time)

Note: Students will not have access to cubbies. All bags, clothing and other personal items will remain in the student's work space in the classroom. This will be revisited as the weather changes.

LUNCH

A backpack to hold all personal items.

A reusable lunch bag with lunch and snacks for the day.

Eating at School

Students will be eating lunch and snacks in their classrooms, while seated at their desks. Hands will be washed before and after eating.

Recycling and compost programs cannot run at this time. All materials will be placed back in the children's lunch bags and disposed of at home. Please pack lunches and snacks accordingly (e.g. "Litterless Lunches"). Remember to include appropriate utensils.

Students are not permitted to share any food.

Ensure your child is able to open and close containers independently.

Due to allergies, food items containing peanuts, and all nuts and tree nuts should not be sent to school.

recess

To allow for physical distancing, students will have recess as a cohort. The cohorts are KInders, Gr 1-3, 4-6 and 7/8. Each cohorts will be required to play in a specific area of the playground and not interact with another cohort.

The play zones will be clearly marked and rotate among cohorts so that all cohorts have an opportunity to use the play structure.

Students will wash or sanitize their hands before going out for recess and when coming in from recess.

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Arrival at School

School buses arrive between 9 a.m. and 9:15. Students will be unloaded with the support of a staff member. They will be directed to proceed directly to their class while maintaining physical distance guidelines.

Students being dropped off or walking should not arrive before 9:15. Students being driven should remain in their vehicle until 9:15. They will then head directly to their class while maintaining physical distance guidelines.

End of Day Dismissal

School buses will be loaded at 3:45. Physical distancing guidelines will be followed when loading and students must sit in assigned seating.

Students being picked up or who are walking will be dismissed at 3:45 p.m. Parents should not gather in groups at dismissal time.

Parents are not permitted at this time to gather and socialize on school property during arrival and dismissal times.

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