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Central Weekly Update – Monday. March 28 – Friday, April 1, 2022

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Central Weekly Update – Monday. March 28 – Friday, April 1, 2022

Dear families,

So far we have been doing well slowly lifting our covid restrictions at Central. Following is a list of what is happening. Please be sure to continue to complete daily screenings and have students stay at home if they are ill. Please call the school if you have any questions (905 522-9690). You will notice that a scaffolding structure is in place at the entrance to our school. This is a temporary safety measure to prevent snow/ice pieces from falling from the roof and injuring people. A more permanent solution is being explored. Thank you.

Mask in Schools:  

Masks are required until April 1, 2022, to allow for a transition period after the March break and for students seeking to transition to remote learning.

Students and staff will be required to wear masks (non-medical or medical) while indoors at school and on buses until April 1, and will be strongly encouraged to continue masking after this date.

Students without a mask will be reminded of the Board direction and be directed to the mask exemption process as required. All student mask exemptions previously submitted will be honoured. There is no requirement for staff to verify mask exemptions. For new exemptions, we ask that any parent wishing a mask exemption for their student complete the mask exemption form before returning to school on Monday morning in order to provide a smooth entry back to school. The form is available online and in the Parent Portal.

Due to our limited space we will continue to ask all visitors to buzz in at the entrance and wait for one of our office staff to come to greet you. Those that need to enter are not required to wear masks, but will be offered a mask upon sign-in and strongly encouraged to wear one while in schools in order to align with Board of Trustees direction. Visitors include anyone who is not a staff member or student: volunteers, spectators, third party service providers, and contractors.

Please note that under current federal regulations, all individuals exempt from quarantine who are returning from international travel continue to be required to wear a mask in all public spaces for 14 days after their return to Canada.

Masks are also required under certain conditions under the updated screening rules, and families are reminded to continue screening daily.

Summary and Supports We understand that some families may be feeling anxious ahead of Monday’s return to school and recognize the divisive opinions surrounding the mask requirements. The two-week extension of the mask requirement will help us mitigate any increased risk of COVID spread following March Break, support students needing to request a move to remote learning and support the well-being of all students and staff through these changes. By remaining cautious and taking a strategic, gradual approach, we hope to best support our medically-vulnerable students and community members during this time of transition.  Please feel free to contact us at 905 522-9690 or email at [email protected].

Other covid protocols will be gradually lifted as we transition back after March Break. As comfort levels regarding the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions continue to evolve, we ask our communities members to be kind, respectful and compassionate during this period of change. Families looking for additional support are encouraged to explore our existing mental health and well-being resources.

As measures are lifted, activities such as fundraising, volunteering, excursions, events such as open houses, assemblies  be resumed in a thoughtful and gradual way. Adjustments to classroom setups or use of shared materials and spaces will be determined at the school level after the March Break. A full list of changes and unchanged measures can be found on our blog.

Additional Communications 

A reminder that our School Council meets regularly and all parents/guardians are welcome to attend. Our next meeting is this Tuesday, April 5th, 2022 at 7:00pm and will be on MS Teams. Please contact the school at 905 522-9690 or email the school at [email protected] to request an invite to the meeting.
The school council is comprised of the principal, teacher, parent, and community representatives.  The purpose of school council to discuss any updates and plans regarding school programming and operations.  This includes updates from the principal and the teacher representatives.  We also discuss the current goals of the school council, including fundraising initiatives, school improvements etc.  Elected members of the school council are allowed to vote on decisions being made, but anyone is welcome to attend meetings in order to stay informed on what is happening at Central.  This is also an opportunity to give feedback, ask questions, or raise concerns regarding the overall operation of the school. If you have a specific question you would like to ask or would like to be discussed at our next meeting, please email the principal to have this item added to the school agenda, or contact one of the school council representatives listed on the website.
Please note, school council meetings deal with broad curriculum, operational, and facilities issues.  We do not deal with concerns related to specific situations or concerns related to individual students, staff etc.  If you have a specific concern about an individual or a particular situation, please speak to your child’s teacher directly, or contact the school at 905 522-9690 to discuss your concern. 
 
We would like to invite all parents the option of attending the remaining school council meetings for the 2021/2022 school year.  The remainder of the meetings will be held on MS Teams on the following dates:
Tuesday April 5, 2022 – 7pm
Tuesday May 3, 2022 – 7pm

Please contact the school at 905 522-9690 or email the school at [email protected] to request an invite to the meeting.

If you are unable to attend the meeting, minutes are posted on the school website https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/central/school-council/ 

You  will notice that due to falling snow and ice from the rook we have place several pylons and caution tape around the perimeter of the school. Please remain a safe distance from these pylons and ensure students do not go inside the pylons. Thanks to our Facilities Management and Health & Safety teams for helping us to problem solve this situation to ensure the safety of all. Please report any incidents of snow/ice falling from the roof to the office immediately.

Please continue to check your emails for updates from the school and register t0 receive updates on our school website at https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/central/

To protect our school community from COVID19, our emphasis going forward will be on rigorous screening. The updated screen is attached and linked here:
 https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/
Please follow the directions provided in the COVID-19 school and Child Care screening and stay home if your child is sick.
Please reach out to your child’s teacher or call the office at 905 522-9690 if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you to all families for ensuring safety and exercising caution in our parking lot which becomes a very busy area during arrival and departure. As we have families that need to park in our Accessible Parking spots to drop off students please be sure to not park in these designated parking spots and do not block other vehicles in. If you are dropping off or picking up students  please be sure to do so as quickly and safely as possible. Drive in  from Bay St. and make an immediate right turn and follow a circle around the parking lot as it is one way traffic only. Drop/pick up students, make sure that they get to the playground/to your vehicle safely and then circle around the parking lot to exit on Bay St..  Please avoid backing up as this creates a lot of congestion and can be unsafe as many students enter the school through the Bay St entrance. Dismissal is at 3:05pm so please be sure to be at the school to pick up your child or children on time.

Please contact the school using SafeArrival   (click for instructions) to report student absences or if you need to pick up your child from school early for an appointment. If you require assistance accessing the SafeArrival app please contact the school at 905 522-9690. We are unable to release students before the dismissal bell unless you have entered the dismissal in Safe Arrival.  Thank you to Ms. Gaston, our office assistant for all of her support with monitoring student attendance and calling families to ensure the safety of all of our students on a daily basis. This is a big job and takes up a lot of time in the morning so please assist us by using the Safe Arrival app or phone number to report absences. Contact the school if you require support with this. Thank you. 

A reminder that our school day starts promptly at 8:45am. If students are arriving late they must enter at the parking lot doors by ringing the doorbell and waiting for a staff member to escort them to class. If you are late, please do not send children in without calling the office and do not drop off in the  Kindergarten area as we must ensure supervision of all students at all times and we do not want to  disrupt the learning of the other classrooms or take staff away from their supervision and teaching responsibilities. Our protocol remains in place indicating that parents/guardians are not permitted into the school due to covid restrictions. Thank you,

Thank you,

Mr. Carey, Principal Central Elementary

Updated on Sunday, March 27, 2022.
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