Welcome back to Guardian Angels Catholic Elementary School. To our new families, we are excited to have you join our community of learners. We will be welcoming our students a little differently this year, with staggered start dates as follows:
Thursday, September 10th– Grades 1, 2, and 3 starts and continue every day thereafter
Friday, September 11th – FDK start and continue every day thereafter
Monday, September 14th – Grade 7 and 8 start and continue every day thereafter
Tuesday, September 15th – Grades 4, 5, and 6 start and continue every day thereafter.
Suggested/optional items for children to bring to school with them:
- A refillable water bottle to be used at our water filling stations (fountains are closed)
- Indoor shoes
- Students are asked to bring a lunch and 2 snacks from home with them in the morning. Please do not come to the school to drop off lunches. Until further notice, visitors are not to enter the school during hours of operation unless identified through a prearranged exception.
- Personal school supplies such as pencils, markers, eraser, pencil case, pencil crayons, ruler, etc…
- A personal electronic device (BYOD) -A device will be available for the child at school if you do not have one.
- A non-medical grade mask (mandatory grades 4-8) together with a paper or cloth bag to store it in. Extra masks are available at school should the mask become damaged or soiled.
Before Arriving at School
- Routine self-screening for all staff and students is required every morning before coming to school
- Self-assessment must be conducted by all students (supported by parents).
- Parents of young children should review our video on Returning to School During Covid 19: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/449324526?ref=em-share
Staggered Arrival
In order to avoid congestion in the Kiss and Ride in the morning and to keep our community members safe, we are recommending the following staggered entry regiment:
7:50 – 8:00 a.m. – Families with Surnames from A – F
8:00 – 8:10 a.m. – Families with Surnames from G – M
8:10 – 8:20 a.m. – Families with Surnames from N – Z
To further avoid congestion and promote social distancing, only 1 adult per family should be entering the school outdoor area.
Once students enter school, they should remain at school until the end of the school day.
Staggered Dismissal
FDK and Grades 1, 2, 3 will begin their dismissal 15 minutes early at 2:25
Grades 4, 5, 6 – will begin their dismissal at 2:30 p.m.
Grades 7 and 8 – will be dismissed at bell time – 2:40 p.m.
Please note that classes will begin leaving the building at the above times in order to maintain social distancing. The teacher, however, will remain with the class outside until bell time. This will ensure that everyone exits in a safe manner.
Student Absences and Illness Plan
-Please continue to use our Safe Arrival System to report absences and lates. Before bell time for the current day please call 1-855-865-7862 or online at go/schoolmessanger.ca
–Please have a pick up plan in place in the event that your child is not feeling well and needs to be picked up.
Exit and Entry
– Exit doors will be clearly labelled so you know where to meet your child
-Hallways have directional arrows and signs to ensure minimal face to face contact and to guide all individuals in a unidirectional path.
-Where possible stairways will be designated for directionality: up or down.
-Staff and students are to maintain physical distance as they enter, move through and exit the building. Staff will accompany class in and out of the building
-Since students would not be wearing face coverings in the hallway when exiting and entering the school during recess, the exiting/entering of school during recess will be staggered to prevent the mixing of cohorts in the hallways.
Recess (morning and afternoon)
We will be using a hybrid recess routine. At morning and afternoon recess, half the school (Cohort A) will go outside, while the other half (Cohort B) will follow indoor routine. The process will be reversed in the afternoon; that is, students who followed indoor routine in the morning will now proceed to recess outdoors, while those students who were outside in the morning will follow indoor routine in the afternoon. All classroom teachers will be encouraged to take students outside for daily DPA (Daily Physical Activity) breaks, as a supplement to recess.
Masks are not recommended for recess/outdoor play.
Lunch Routines and Snacks
All hot lunch programs and snack programs will not be available.
Students will eat their lunches at their own desks daily.
Parents are not to drop off lunches for their children, as they may put other staff and students at risk.
Students that go home for lunch will be asked not to return in the afternoon.
Guardian Angels will be using a staggered lunch recess. The schedule is as follows:
Cohort A- 11:10-11:30 (eat) / 11:30-11:50 (in) 11:50- 12:10 (out)
Cohort B – 11:10-11:30 (out) / 11:30-11:50 (in) 11:50- 12:10 (eat)
Water Bottle Filling Stations
Water fountains are not to be used for drinking, Students will be asked to provide their own water bottle. Reusable bottles are highly recommended.
Washrooms
- Maximum capacity of students in the washrooms will be indicated outside the washroom entrance by a sign.
- “Stand here” signs on the floor near the sink and outside the washroom.
- There will be hooks outside of the washroom. Children will be given a personal key chain with their name on it to hang on a hook outside the bathroom before entering. If no hook is available, the student waits outside in the hall. The student enters when a hook becomes available.
- Some stalls and urinals will be closed off to ensure physical distancing.
- Hand dryers are turned off and cannot be used. Extra paper towels will be provided for washroom use.
Physical Education and Use of Gym
-Teachers will plan physical activities that support physical distancing while also limiting the use of shared equipment.
-Shared equipment will be disinfected regularly and students will be practicing proper hand hygiene before and after participating in physical activity and equipment use.
-Classroom teachers may bring their students outside for Daily Physical Activities (DPA) whenever possible. Always respecting physical distancing while outside and proper handwashing/hand sanitizing upon re-entering the classroom.
Visitors to the school
- Until further notice, visitors are not to enter the school during hours of operation unless identified through a prearranged exception.
- It is expected that parents first contact the school by telephone if assistance is required.
- Visitors will only be allowed to enter after they have read the self-assessment notification and have no outlined symptoms.
- Visitors will be admitted individually in Elementary schools by buzzer; they will remain in the school foyer where possible.
Thank you for your cooperation and support as we work together to keep our children safe.