Back to School Update and Dundana Protocols

We’re so close to the school year!  Dundana educators this week were talking about how much we miss seeing our students and we’re thrilled to be able to welcome them back into the building next week.

Important Reminders:

The first day of school for Grade 1 to 5 students is WEDNESDAY, September 8.  (Tuesday is a PA day and students will not attend).

The first day of school for Kindergarten students is THURSDAY, September 9.  (New-to-kindergarten students should have received an invitation to attend a short visit on Wednesday to introduce you to the educators and classroom).

Attached you will find a comprehensive list of protocols and Dundana procedures to help you and your child prepare to come to school.  Please read these over carefully.

First Day To-Do List:

1. Ensure you have completed the One Time Attestation in the Parent Portal for your child, to declare that you will participate in active daily screening.  The Parent Portal can be found here:  https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/parent/

If you have difficulties with the Parent Portal, please print off, sign and return on the first day of school a hard copy of the form, which is here:

Return-to-School-Attestation-2021-2022

2. Send your child with shoes and clothing appropriate for lots of outdoor, active learning.  We will be using our outdoor spaces as much as possible during recess and instructional time.  Dress for the weather!

3. Send your child with as many masks they will need to be comfortable throughout the day.  As well, students will be able to take their masks off at nutrition breaks but will wear them to come in and out of the building. We found last year, some students were fine to store their mask in a pocket, but others preferred to have a break-away lanyard or fanny pack to carry their masks while not disrupting their recess play.

4. Please send your child with a refillable water bottle to be used at one of our two bottle fillers in the school.

5. Students will need a nut-safe lunch that they can eat over our two nutrition breaks. We follow a litterless lunch routine, meaning any garbage in a student’s lunch bag will be returning home with them. Containers should be easy for the student to open and close themselves, whenever possible.

6. Arrive for the first day to our back playground (grade 1 to 5) or kindergarten pen (K) between 8:40 and 8:55.  Students will be helped by staff to find their cohort zone to wait for the bell and their period 1 teacher.  We ask that family members remain on the grass area surrounding the playground and keep the blacktop space free for our students. Kindergarten families will make the drop off/pick up just outside the K fences.  Dismissal at 3:15 will follow the same way: students will be directed by their educators from their zones out to waiting parents/guardians on the grass/outside the K fence areas.

7. If your child has particular end of day arrangements (e.g. bus, parent pick up, Umbrella) that you want to ensure the teacher knows for the first day, and your child may have difficulty remembering or communicating this information, please give your child a note to give to their teacher on the first day.  This will save our office from many phone calls out to families mid day!

Protocols and Dundana Procedures

Welcome to Dundana letter Sept 3 2021

Dundana Site-Specific Plan – September 3 2021

Rosh Hashanah

We understand that the first day of school this year falls on the last day of Rosh Hashanah, which is an important day for many families. If your child requires accommodation for this day, please reach out to the school for assistance at [email protected] or 905.628.2622