Opening Day Procedures: First Day of School Wednesday, September 8, 2021

The staff missed the students dearly and we can’t wait to see everyone. The first day of school is on Wednesday, September 8th at 8:30 am. Please note that you will be notified of your child’s homeroom teacher on Tuesday, September 7th via SchoolMessenger.

Please ensure that ALL students bring: 

1. 1. Mandatory Masks (Grades 1-8). It is recommended for students in Kindergarten to also wear a mask;
   2. Paper bag or breathable cloth bag (best practice) in which to store their masks during recess times.
   3. Unscented hand sanitizer; Sanitizer will be available at the school.
   4. Lunch and snacks for the whole day. There will be no hot lunch options offered to begin the school year. Parents are not permitted to drop off lunches at school.
   5. Refillable water bottle to be used at our water filling stations.
   6. Personal tissues
   7. Indoor shoes.

Suggested School Materials: 

Please find below a list of items that are recommended for your child to bring to school in September. 

Kindergarten School Supplies                                Primary School Supplies

Junior School Supplies                                               Intermediate School Supplies

Before Arriving at School Routine: 

• Self-screening is required for all staff and students every morning before coming to school. 
• Self screening involves: A daily self-assessment that must be conducted by all students (supported by parents). Please click on this link to access the self screening tool. 

Reporting a Child’s Absence:

Please call the Safe Arrival System to report absences and lates before 8:30 am. Call 1-855-856-7862 or online at go/schoolmessenger.ca or by using the School Messenger app on your smartphone. Please have a pick up plan in place in the event that your child is not feeling well and needs to go home.

Student Transportation:

For those students eligible for bus transportation, you are able to access bus stop pick-up and delivery times using the “Find My Bus Stop” tool at www.schoolbuscity.com. Student Transportation Services has developed a transportation specific COVID Safety Update to help answer commonly asked questions about transportation. You are encouraged to visit the following link and review bus procedures with your children. Please note that students in Grades 1-8 MUST wear a mask on the school bus.

First Day of School Procedures:  You will be notified through email as to who your child’s classroom teacher is prior to the first day of school. We kindly recommend that you drop your child off as close to the bell time (8:30 a.m) as possible on Wednesday, September 8th. Kisses and hugs should be given to students in the car or on the sidewalk. Parents will not be permitted to enter the school as per Public Health direction. Staff members will be in the school yard, within the school, and in the Kindergarten pen to help facilitate the direct entry plan. Please refer to “Entry and Exit Procedures” for information on how students will enter and exit the building. Note: In order to encourage a positive back-to-school transition, we are asking parents to prepare their child in advance letting them know that they will be saying a goodbye at the edge of the schoolyard and then going directly into the school.   Entry Procedures:  All students in Grades K-8 will have direct entry into their classrooms in the morning, until otherwise directed.  All students are to make their way into the school yard and proceed to their entrance doors under the direction of staff who will be situated throughout the school yard. The front door is not to be used for entry until after 8:30 am Students are to be physically distant while making their way into the building. Students will enter the building, following the directional arrows on the ground. Please note that staff members will also be in the building directing students to their homeroom classrooms. Hallways have directional arrows and signs to ensure proper flow and physical distancing. Staff and students will maintain physical distance as they enter, move through, and exit the building.  Staff will accompany their class in and out of the building during entry, exit and recess routines. Dismissal Procedures:  Parents of students from Grades 1-3 are permitted to enter the Primary school yard (east gate) to receive their children from the classroom teacher. Parents are asked to maintain physical distancing at all times while waiting. Parents of students in Kindergarten will pick up their children outside the pen area. The classroom teacher and DECE will facilitate the dismissal at that time. Parents are asked to maintain physical distancing at all times while waiting. Students from Grades 4-8 will be dismissed at the regular dismissal bell (3:00 p.m.). Please note that ALL bus students will receive instructions on the first day with regards to their end of the day procedures.

Recess: 

Students are not required to wear masks outdoors; distancing will be encouraged between cohorts as much as possible.

Lunch Routines and Snacks: 

Students will bring lunches and snacks with them every day. Parents are not permitted to drop off lunches for students. Students will eat their lunches at their own desks daily while supervised by staff. We are encouraging a “Boomerang Lunch” model whereby everything in the lunch goes back home at the end of the day. 

Please note that students that go home for lunch are permitted to return in the afternoon. 

Note: New Lunch and Recess Times

Start Time	Morning Recess	Lunch Begins	Lunch Ends	Afternoon Recess	Dismissal
8:30	9:50 – 10:05	11:25	12:25	1:45 – 2:00	3:00

Washrooms: 

• • We use a “Post-It”  note system for students going to the washroom. Students each have their own set of post-it notes and when they go to the washroom, they place a singular post-it in one of the 3 boxes located just outside of the washrooms on the wall. This serves as an alert for the number of occupants. After students are done, they recycle the post-it note (bins located outside of each washroom) before returning to class. 
  • Maximum capacity of students in the washrooms will be indicated outside the washroom entrance by a sign.
  • “Stand here” signs have been placed on the floor outside of the washroom. 

• Students must wash/sanitize their hands every time they leave and re-enter the classroom.
• Once a student is finished using the washroom, they are to wash their hands with soap and water. In addition, a sanitizing station will be placed outside of each washroom. 
• Every other stall and urinal 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. 

Visitors to the School: 

• Until further notice, visitors are not to enter the school during hours of operation unless identified through a pre-arranged appointment. 
• 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. 
• Upon entering the building, all visitors must sign in and sanitize their hands.

Personal Technology: 

Students are permitted to bring their own devices (BYOD) such as tablets, laptops and Chromebooks. NO cell phones or iPods are to be used as devices and personal devices may be brought to school once the appropriate permission forms have been signed. Please refrain from bringing personal devices on the first day. Further information will be provided by the classroom teacher during the first week of school. Just a reminder, families who borrowed devices during last year’s distance learning are asked to return them on the first day of in person learning. 

Copy of 2021-2022 YCDSB Re-Entry Plan: 

Please take some time to review the current Re-Entry Plan.  Please note that information in the plan will be updated if changes from York Region Public Health and the Ministry of Education necessitate an update. For the most current version of the Re-Entry Plan, please visit the Board website: https://www.ycdsb.ca/reopening/

Thank you to all families for your continued support, patience and understanding as we plan for a safe return to school. 

Yours in Catholic Education, 

Mr. F. Grossi

Principal