Mary Hopkins News – Sept 7

Dear Families,

We are excited about welcoming back students – in person and through remote learning – to the 2020-21 school year. The pandemic has brought many changes to our school and its families, but I know that we can rise to the occasion if we work together.

Thank you for keeping up with the communications coming from HWDSB, and for completing important forms and surveys as required.

We are taking many actions to prevent COVID-19 at our school. You will notice that safety is guiding our programming choices. Here are some of the important points to remember:

Attestation
Before a student can enter a school, we require that their family completes an attestation that they have read, understood, and will abide by expectations. Find this on the Parent Portal. (Backup location for forms and translations.)

Daily COVID-19 Screening
HWDSB COVID-19 Student Screening Checklist is to be completed daily before arriving at school. The checklist is found on the Parent Portal as well as on the HWDSB website. If you answered YES to any of the screening questions, or if you refuse to answer the questions, the student has failed the screening and must not attend school. The family should contact Public Health (905) 974-9848 or their family doctor for testing. Please contact the school using SafeArrival to report the absence. If the student is tested for COVID-19, your school would appreciate knowing the outcome of that test.

Elementary reorganization

Mary Hopkins has undergone school reorganization due to the revised number of students attending in-school classes.  New classroom assignments will be ready and confirmed on Tuesday, September 8 after 12 pm.  Parents can confirm classroom placements via the parent portal.  The portal will not be up-to-date prior to this time. Please do not verify class placement prior to this time as it will be inaccurate.

Staggered start details

As you know, we will be opening our school with a staggered start timeline. This means that not all students will begin on the same day. Please see the linked chart, note which group your child falls into, and reach out if you have more questions.

New routines and protocols

School operations are changing significantly to ensure that we can provide a safe learning environment for students. We have solidified our school-specific protocols and posted these to our website. These will cover everything from parking lots, classroom set up, nutrition breaks, mandatory masks for students and more.  Staff will be maximizing our time outdoors.  Be sure to send your child dressed for the fall weather.

Water Bottles

Drinking fountains in all schools will be bagged and not used. Please be sure to send your child with a reusable water bottle so they stay hydrated, in addition to their non-medical mask.

Visiting Schools

This year, our school must significantly limit or even prohibit visitors to school, including parents, to support a safe and healthy learning environment. We ask families to call or email our school if they need to supply information or contact a staff member. Also, it is strongly recommended that parents do not drop off items during the school day.

Junior Kindergarten Orientation

Kindergarten educators will be connecting directly with families via email.  You can expect a virtual orientation through MS Team on Thursday, September 10, and a short school visit on Friday, September 11.  Our office staff will be screening all visitors and providing a medical mask for the adults.  Students can wear a non-medical mask they have brought from home.

I will continue to send updates as we receive added information. Thank you for understanding the challenges of planning the new school year, and for sharing our commitment to a safe and successful school year.

Learn more about COVID-19 precautions at HWDSB at www.hwdsb.on.ca/covid19.

If you have any questions or think your child might struggle with school, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Charon Buck
Principal