Dear Parents and Students, May 8, 2020
Our school team misses our students!
This document is a compliment to the Western Quebec School Board’s May 8, 2020 letter to parents about reopening policies and procedures. The information shared below is specific to Poltimore Elementary School. Parents are welcome to contact Principal Amy Curry at any time with questions or concerns, via email (acurry@wqsb.qc.ca) or by telephone (819- 457-2335 extension 2).
Student Attendance and Registration
Parents MUST provide Principal Amy Curry one week notice, in writing, of their intention to send their child(ren) to school.
This notice must be received by 9:00 a.m. on Monday mornings for a return one week later. There are no exceptions to this policy, as planning for staff and school organization needs to take place.
In cases where child custody is shared, both parents must inform the principal of the decision by the
Monday 9:00 a.m. deadline.
Transportation
Parents are strongly encouraged to transport their children to and from school.
Bus service is not guaranteed at this time, due to the health and safety rules around physical distancing.
If parents would like to request bus transportation for their child(ren) , they must make the request one week in advance of the student’s return to school in writing to Principal Amy Curry by 9:00 a.m. on Monday mornings.
Drop-off/Pick-Up Procedures
When dropping off and picking up students, parents are not to accompany students to the entrance or enter the school. Please follow the procedure:
- Park your vehicle in one of spots labelled: PARENT ZONE (if all these spaces are occupied, wait patiently for a spot to become available.)
- At drop-off time- no earlier than 7:50 a.m.– a staff member will greet your child and escort him/her into the school, respecting the 2 metre physical distance rule.
- At pick up time (2:35 p.m.), follow the same procedure for securing a spot in the PARENT ZONE. A staff member will escort your child to your vehicle.
Caretaking
Our custodian will be adhering to all guidelines and directives provided by the WQSB during Covid-19.
The school board has increased the number of hours for caretaking at our school during this time to ensure that all standards are met, including hourly cleaning of washrooms, replenishment of hand soap and sanitizer, disinfecting high-contact areas, daily cleaning of in-use classrooms and daily disinfecting of in-use desks and chairs.
Social Distancing
All students must respect social distancing rules and stay two metres apart from other students and staff members at all times. To help enforce this rule and concept, classrooms and hallways have been taped off to indicate 2 metre zones, as shown in the photo below.
Classrooms have a 10 student maximum to help enforce the social distancing rules. Parents are encouraged to explain, practice and reinforce these expectations with students at home. If students are unable to respect the social distancing rules, the school reserves the right to ask parents to keep their children at home, for the safety of other students and staff members.
Students will be assigned personal materials and there will be no sharing of any items. Students will be encouraged to stay in their personal zone as much as possible.
During recess time, our play structures remain off limits, and social distancing rules will be enforced, as per the guidelines provided by public health.
Class Organization
Class organization will be different than prior to Covid-19 and your child may not be in the same classroom, be a part of the same student group or have the same teacher upon returning to school. Student organization depends largely on the number of students returning to school, as well as on the staff returning to work at this time. Rest assured that our team is committed to providing the same quality of education and level of care in this new setting.
Lunches, Backpacks, Shoes. . .aka– all your child’s STUFF!
When returning to school, please limit the materials students bring to one backpack, one lunch box and one refillable water bottle. One pair of shoes will be worn inside and outside.
When packing lunches, please make sure items and containers can be opened independently by your child. There will be no hot lunch program for the duration of the school year. Refunds are being arranged for Hot Lunches that were paid for.
Many parents have made the decision to keep their child at home for the time being, and as such, have picked up their learning and personal materials from school to support distance learning. If your child returns to school, please send these items back with them– as they will need their pencil cases, workbooks etc. Thank you!
Procedure for suspected cases of Covid-19
When a child is exhibiting symptoms of sickness he/she should not be sent to school, so as to limit the spread of illness.
If a student exhibits any symptoms of illness while at school, the following procedure will be in place:
- The student will be accompanied to a room in the school that has been designated for isolation.
- Parents will be informed of the symptoms and will be required to pick their child (and any siblings of the child) up from school immediately.
- Public Health will be notified of a potential case of Covid-19, and parents will be expected to follow up with a doctor.
- The student will be required to self-isolate for 14 days before returning to school.
- Parents will be notified if their child has been in contact with a student who has been sent home due to symptoms.
Adjusting to new routines and expectations
Learning how to work together at school while following the rules for physical distancing and respecting the public health directives will take great effort from our staff and students. True to the character of our wonderful school, we will work hard to create a positive, safe and engaging learning environment to help our students reach their potential. Our school team is grateful for the respect, support and encouragement of our parent and student community. Whether you choose to send your child(ren) back to school or continue with distance learning, our teachers are here to work with you to ensure that our students are learning and know how much we care! Please get in touch with any questions, comments or feedback. I love to hear from you!
Sincerely,
Amy Curry
Principal, Poltimore Elementary School