Hello families!
With so many changes and backup plans being made this week, I wanted to share some updates with you today to prepare for the coming weeks. Please see the Division 9 Newsletter for January here: Brantford Division 9 Newsletter – January (I will also be sending home a paper copy next week.)
For next week, please note:
- We will be assessing students each morning with a daily health check. If students are showing signs of illness they will be asked to return home until they are feeling better. Please support us in this by assessing your child before leaving for school each day. Thank you! Please see the updated health check questions: January 7 2022 daily-health-check-english
- We will be encouraging proper mask wearing in class and in the hallways. Please ensure your child has a clean mask to wear each day, plus an extra in their backpack in case of need.
- We will be reviewing proper handwashing techniques, seating plans, walking in hallways and respecting personal space. We will also be reviewing other expectations such as appropriate volume and movement in the classroom.
- We will be encouraging students to work independently or in partners instead of larger groups. During playing times, students will be asked to remember boundaries of personal space.
- Lunch schedules will be flipped so that Primary students eat first at 12:00 and have recess at 12:20.
- Please return signed report card envelopes, indoor shoes, and an extra change of clothing.
Over the coming weeks, we will be learning in person as often as is possible. Given the high rate of infection from the Omicron variant of Covid-19, it is possible that there will be times when too many students or staff members are away to permit learning in the school building, and in these cases, we will shift to learning online. In the case of Functional Closures (too many staff away, the custodian is away, etc.) we may have just a few days online. In other cases, we may be online for a week or more at a time. In the case of a Functional Closure, teachers will contact parents before the end of the work day to share information, schedule and sign-in information. The next day will be a prep day for teachers and parents can access the Burnaby Schools Continuity of Learning website for that day (https://learning.burnabyschools.ca/). Online learning will start the following day.
If we do shift to online learning at any point, I will be sharing day/week plans via this blog with activities for students to complete at home. IXL Math, Lalilo and Je lis, je lis, littératie ! will be sites used for daily practice if we should be online. I will be teaching students in small groups through video calls and assigning additional work through Microsoft Teams.
When learning online, I plan to meet with small groups of students through video calls. Please fill out this form to let me know what time of day would be best for your child to access a video call, and if you will be able to support them with logging in: Video Call Scheduling Form
I will be sending home student passwords to access educational websites and their school emails to log into Microsoft Teams. It will look like this example below:
THANK YOU so much for your understanding, patience, and cooperation to keep our school community healthy. I am confident that we will stay safe and hopeful this term as we work together in our learning through this pandemic. Have a wonderful weekend. I look forward to seeing students again Monday morning after our extended break!