Good evening,
I hope you have enjoyed a restful weekend. It is certainly a complex time, and I am aware that our current situation is more difficult for some families than others. Most of us have been affected in some way by the virus. Please reach out if you think there is something we can support you with as a school. While I suspect this may be the last email before the break, if I receive further information this week, I will be sure to forward on to you. I apologize for the length of this message, but there are a few items to touch base on.
In-class learning continues this week for our Grade 6 students. We will be supporting a Middle School Spirit Week. This is for all students online and face to face. Monday, we start the week off with - Wear a hat day. Thursday, December the 17th is the last day of learning for all students before the break. Friday, December 18th is a non-instructional day.
As you are aware, all students transition to online learning for the week of January 4th – January 8th. Students enrolled in specialized settings will continue to receive support face to face. At this point, we look forward to students returning to face-to-face learning on January 11th. We have been working hard these past couple of weeks to ensure that students have the technology available to support learning. Teachers have also been diligent in supporting students in being familiar with the online learning environment.
Our Grade 7-9 students have impressed us with their online attendance and engagement, and so we are hopeful this will continue the first week of January, although we recognize it may be a difficult transition for students. We appreciate your support.
Lunch time protocols
While we know it is difficult for our Grade 6 students to remain on campus during lunchtime when their older peers are permitted to leave the grounds, in an effort to support safety, we ask that families write us a note granting permission for their Grade 6 child to leave the school grounds. As you know, students are not supervised when they leave the school property. Also, we have been reminding all students about the importance of being a role model in the community. We have had a number of concerns raised by surrounding businesses. They hope to continue to support our students in accessing their facilities during lunchtime.
It has been wonderful to see some of the ways in which our Physical Education teachers have supported online learning. Please see below an important update:
Update on Physical Education curriculum expectations
The physical education curriculum requires students to acquire skills through a range of developmentally appropriate movement activities within a variety of different environments. Physical Education teachers have planned tasks to best support physical activity within online learning environments. These activities may involve students participating in both indoor or outdoor environments. The physical activities will not require additional equipment and will allow for flexibility in how and when students will engage in different tasks presented.
The expectations of activities will be communicated to the student and parent/guardian and will be posted in the electronic platform used between the student and teacher. This will help ensure that students and their parent/guardian will have an opportunity to review the activity and share any concerns.
Please note that these activities will not be supervised by a CBE teacher. It is a parent's decision as to whether the student can do such activities on their own or if they need to be supervised. There will be flexibility in regards to the expectations of the activity to allow for families to make decisions around the logistics of their completion.
We want to inform you about some potential hazards involved with any activity which takes place outside of the home. Please note this list may not include all of the hazards for a given activity:
- Risks inherent to the activity;
- Slips, trips, and falls;
- Street crossings;
- Pre-existing medical conditions and/or allergies;
- Exposure to infectious diseases (eg. COVID-19 virus, influenza).
If you have any questions regarding any activity, please contact me or your child's teacher.
Thank you for your patience and ongoing support. I hope you have a wonderful, and peaceful break.
Sincerely,
Mandy
