St. Thomas More Back to School 2020-2021

Message from your administrative team!

Chris Risto
Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians:

On behalf of Teri and myself, we 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. Check back frequently to find the most updated information.

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 great resources. We encourage you to review the book with your children.

We are here to answer any questions that you may have. Please call us at 613-739-7131 or email the school at Thomas.More@ocsb.ca and we will be happy to get back to you. Follow us on Twitter @ThomasMoreOCSB to see updates.

We know that this is a very stressful and challenging time but together, we will make it work. We look forward to working with you again and making it the best year yet!!

Yours in education,

Teri Shurb
Vice Principal

Table of Contents

What precautions are in place at school?

Items that your child should bring to school

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

What if a child becomes ill while at school?

Additional resources and supports

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 strongly 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.

Back to Table of Contents

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 recommended for students in Kindergarten - Grade 3. We recommend at least two per day so you can change 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. 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 (including a hat and sunscreen 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.