Welcome Back to St. Jerome

September 2020

A back to school guide for parents.

Welcome Back!

The following presentation will help you understand some of the measures being used to keep our students and staff safe, and help you prepare your child / children for what to expect.

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We are excited to see all your smiling faces again!

• Elementary students will attend five days a week
• Students are at St. Jerome for the full day (8:25am - 2:55 pm)
• Entry dates:

Full Day Kindergarten - Friday September 11th, 2020

Primary (Grade 1-3) - Thursday September 10th, 2020

Junior (Grade 4-6) - Tuesday September 15th, 2020

Intermediate (Grade 7-8) - Monday September 14th, 2020

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Safety Measures

SAFETY MEASURES:

• Mandatory cloth face masks for grades 4-8 and voluntary face masks for JK-3 students
• Physical distancing in classrooms and throughout the school where possible
• Cohorting and staggered recess schedule to help support physical distancing
• Floor markings (distancing reminders and direction of travel)

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CLEANING:

• Custodial staff will be implementing enhanced cleaning of high touch surfaces throughout the day
• Classroom routines will include hand hygiene into their day following entering school spaces, before snacks / lunch, and when deemed necessary
• All shared equipment such as gym equipment, electronic devices will be disinfected between uses

Please ALWAYS complete the self-assessment prior to sending your child / children to school. If they are exhibiting ANY symptoms, please keep them at home for everyone’s safety.

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1. Handwashing

Please review the following video(s) with your child / children to ensure they are familiar with proper handwashing techniques.

Handwashing Video

It’s a good idea to also provide your child with a small bottle of non-scented hand sanitizer.

Handwashing Heroes Video

2. Mask Wearing

Please review the following video(s) with your child / children to ensure they are familiar with how to correctly wear a face mask.

How to Wear a Mask Video

Mask Wearing Video

Remember to bring a cloth or paper bag to store your mask during recess

Symptom Management

• Any student exhibiting symptoms will need to be collected by a parent immediately.
• Students with any symptom, will be placed in a designated isolation room to limit further contact with the school population.
• If your child is exhibiting any symptoms prior to the start of the school day, please err on the side of caution and keep them at home.

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Visitors to the school will be significantly reduced to help protect staff and students.

• Parents are not allowed into the school except with an appointment
• Lunches should be sent with students and cannot be dropped off
• Parents are requested to not pick up students and bring them out to lunch. If a student leaves the school, they will need to stay home for the remainder of the day.

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Food Programs

• The hot lunch program will be suspended until further notice.
• The healthy snack program will not immediately be available but may begin at a later date.
• Water fountains will be not be used, but water bottle filling stations are available. Please send your child / children with a reusable water bottle every day.

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Recess & Lunch

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Outside: Students enjoy recess outside and can bring their own ball, toy to play with

Inside: Students remain inside and can bring a toy / book / drawing materials to quietly enjoy

Bathrooms

• Bathrooms will be limited to two students at a time
• Students will be given an individual keychain to place on hooks outside the bathroom to indicate occupancy
• Markers will be installed on the walls to help remind students of physical distancing
• Paper towels will be used to dry hands to replace the hand dryers

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First Day

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• Your child / children’s classroom teacher will be communicated through School Messenger the night before the start of school.
• Please arrive close to the school bell time (8:25 a.m.) to avoid unnecessary congregating in the school yard.
• Kindergarten students will have direct entry into their class. Parents are kindly asked to drop off their child with a staff member at the kindergarten gate and disperse from the school grounds in a timely fashion.
• Students in grades 1-8 are asked to line up by the pylon with their teacher’s name at least one arm length from their classmates.
• Parents are asked to not enter the school yard or to congregate in the parking lot or on sidewalks, to help maintain a safe environment for all.
• Additional staff will be in the school yard to help students find their appropriate line.

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Class Structure

• Please trust that we have put a lot of time and effort into creating balanced class lists.
• There may be more split grade classes than we were expecting due to the distance learning option
• We may not be able to accommodate all requests due to the class restructuring that has occured
• Class sizes have generally been lowered to support social distancing
• Class structures will be revisited again in November before the first re-entry point.

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School Supplies

Please ensure your child comes prepared each day for school, as there will be no sharing of materials or supplies between students. Please refer to the attached student grade specific supply list that was shared with parents earlier.

Student Supply List

Bus Safety

Enhanced Cleaning

Buses will be wiped down and disinfected between runs.

Seating

Students will be required to sit with siblings on the bus and allow as much space as possible between students.

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Masks

Students (grades 4-8) are required to wear masks while waiting for the bus and while riding the bus. Grades 1-3 are encouraged to wear a mask.

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Please refer to the Student Transportation flyer for additional details.

Outdoor Classes

• Teachers are encouraged to use outdoor classes whenever possible
• Students are requested to dress appropriately to be outside for extended periods each day
• All field trips and extra-curricular activities have been suspended until further notice

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Music & Physical Education

• Physical Education & Music classes will still take place
• Shared gym equipment will be disinfected regularly
• Music will not currently involve the use of instruments or vocal singing

Special Education

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• Special Education supports will continue and updated IEPs will be developed for identified students.
• Accommodations and modifications will be made available for students who require them for academic success.
• Core Resource teachers will support in the student’s classroom to maintain classroom cohorts.

Sources of Updated Information

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• Follow us on Twitter

@StJeromeCES

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• School Board Website

www.ycdsb.ca

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Additional Parent Resources

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Mental Health Toolkit for Parents:

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Back to School During COVID-19 Video:

Self Assessment Checklist: