Dear Ian Bazalgette Families
I am looking forward to welcoming our school community to the 2020-21 school year. I want to assure you we are doing everything possible to ensure the health and safety of all our community members.
As you are aware on July 21, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange announced that all schools across the province will return to classes under Scenario 1 – in-school classes resume (near normal with health measures). In response, plans are well underway in our school to welcome our community of students as we adhere to current health guidelines.
CBE's Scenario 1 Information can be found on our website and outlines the measures we are taking to provide for the health and safety of our students. Please refer to this document for detailed information on health measures, physical set-up of schools, cleaning of schools, daily operation of schools and transportation. The actions described in the document follow the guidelines provided by Alberta Education's K-12 School Re-entry COVID-19 information: Guidance for schools re-entry Scenario 1. We continue to refine information in our re-entry planning based on provincial and CBE guidance.
Please visit our school website
https://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/IanBazalgette/Pages/default.aspx
for information on the actions and processes that are being applied to the specific context of our school.
Sincerely,
Terry Baustad
Principal, Ian Bazalgette School
Re-Entry Ian Bazalgette School
August 28, 2020
Please read carefully the information on this site to gain an understanding of the measures we are taking to provide for the safety and health of our students. The CBE will continue to make adjustments as our context changes. While this plan is set for now, updates are expected via the CBE corporate website. Parents are advised to check regularly.
Additional information for Preschool and Kindergarten is available on the website: Parent Guide to Re-Entry for Early Childhood Services – Preschool and Kindergarten.
We are asking that families start the first day back to classes with our new procedures. It is necessary that students be assessed using the self-screening form daily before school. The following link will allow you to download the most current Alberta Health daily checklist. Please print a copy of the Self-screening Questionnaire. Students showing symptoms as described on the Self-screening Questionnaire must remain home. We will also provide a copy of the self screening tool in the opening day packages that will come home after day 1. If students have not self-monitored and need assistance the adults will support students through that process with a hard copy at the school.
Staggered Start to School Year:
We are beginning our school year by limiting the number of students entering the school over the first two to three days. The purpose of the plan is:
§ To ease the transition of students into school,
§ To spend time with smaller groups familiarizing them with our health measures,
§ To facilitate physical distancing while teaching the protocols of our health measures.
Because of bussing, staggered entry days are full day.
When students arrive they will be expected to enter through their assigned door. Staff will be out front directing and greeting students to direct them accordingly. Staff members will be there with masks for students who do not have their own. Students will then be directed to go straight to their classroom. Signage will be put up to direct students accordingly. This process will be monitored significantly for the first few weeks and will make adjustments accordingly. We will always have an adult monitoring the doors with additional face masks to support students at the door.
Students that are bussed will be asked to enter through their appropriate door and we will also monitor them for assistance in regards to needing a mask.
Grade 6's – Tuesday September 1st – All Day
Grade 7's – Wednesday September 2nd – All Day
Grade 6's / 8's – Thursday September 3rd – All Day
Grade 9's – Friday September 4th – Half Day
Parents Driving their students may drop their child(ren) off at the front of the school adjacent to the front entrance.
We have assigned doors for each grade level. Signage will be posted with the entrance that each grade will be using to enter and exit the building during all times except Physical Education. The Physical Education classes will be exiting and entering the door to the Sport Court. This will ensure a consistent and safe entry and exit to the school during PE time that will allow for physical spacing.
o Grade 9 – Front Doors – North Main Entrance
o Grade 8 – Door #5 – North Entrance to the left of the Main Entrance
o Grade 7 – Door #3 – South Doors by Ramp to the School Doors
o Grade 6 – Door #4 – North Entrance to the right of Staff Parking Lot
o Physical Education – Door #2 – South Doors to the Sport Court
Start of Day Door Times:
Doors will open at 7:50am – this will allow a 25min soft entry as classes begin at 8:15am where students can enter and make their way to their “Homebase".
End of Day Door Times:
The students will have a staggered exit at the end of the day 6-1 will exit first fowllowed by 6-2, followed by 6-3 and finally 6-4. This same procedure will occur for each grade level to limit the rush of significant number of students exiting at the same time.
When students enter the school they will make their way to their designated classroom.
We are asking that parents do not enter the building with students and they can wait physically distanced out on the main sidewalk area or an area out on the back field while respecting physical distancing.
Parents needing to connect with the school will be encouraged to call and email the school. If an appointment needs to occur we will make arrangements in regards to booking a time and ensuring there is an appropriate space available for the meeting.
Health Measures:
§ Hand Washing: Students will be instructed on the location of hand sanitizers and reminded to use them frequently. Students will be reminded and encouraged when they are entering the school and leaving the school to use the hand sanitizing stations. Students will also be reminded that when they are entering a classroom and exiting thet are to sanitize their hands. We will also remind students to wash their hands frequesntly through the day. Hand sanitizing stations are located in entrances, exits, classroom without sinks and near high touch equipment.
Illness at school:
§ Students exhibiting signs of illness will be moved to an identified space that has been designated solely for this purpose. This area will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after the student has left.
§ It is critical parents / guardians or a pre-identified emergency contact pick up an ill child within an hour of being contacted by the school.
§ We will ask parents to provide a contact that is in the non-risk category to come and pick - up their child (For example – Pre-exisiting health conditions)
Masks: Masks are mandatory for all students from kindergarten to grade 12. This includes classrooms and public spaces such as hallways, learning commons, bathrooms, etc. Mask guidelines, including support for students and staff who are unable to wear a mask due to medical conditions or other needs, are currently being developed. Please check out the following link for more information: https://www.cbe.ab.ca/news-centre/Pages/mask-guidelines-for-students-and-staff-now-available.aspx
§ Volunteers and Guest Visitors:
§ Although volunteers are valued members of our community in their support of our students, to minimize outside contact of established student cohorts, there will be no volunteers working in the school. Individuals are encouraged to communicate with the school through email or by phone.
§ In-person guests such as guest speakers and artists in residence will not be invited into schools to minimize outside contact of established cohorts.
§ Any visitor that is deemed essential to the needs of the school will be asked to self-asses using the self assessment tool. One will be provided if they do not have one or have not completed one.
§ Masks will be provided if they do not have one of their own.
§ These decisions will be revisited throughout the year.
§ School supplies: Schools will be providing student supplies e.g., pens, pencils, erasers etc. Students are not to share their personal supplies, e.g., pencils.
§ Students will have all necessary supplies provided for them. This includes items such as pens, pencils, markers pencil crayons and individual erasers. Students will also receive a visual journal and a binder with loose-leaf paper. The supplies will be housed in a clear ziplock bag that will be kept at their desk. Students will not be using community supplies.
Physical Set-up of Schools:
Physical Distancing: Schools will arrange and monitor physical distancing when and where possible as outlined in the Alberta Education's K-12 School Re-entry COVID-19 information: Guidance for schools re-entry Scenario 1.
§ Classroom set-up.
§ Desks are arranged in rows with students facing forward.
§ Number of students at tables will be limited.
§ Seating plans are mandatory and will be in place for every class.
§ Cohorts: Where possible, schools will organize students and teachers into groups and teachers will move to classes rather than students changing class locations.
§ Student cohorts will be created based on their instructional groups. Students will remain in these groups for the entire day including their PE and complimentary classes. Students for their core academic will remain in their designated “homebase" for that instruction and teachers will travel to the. For lunch students will have designated spaces where they will be directed to eat their lunch if they wish to remain in the school. Students in grade 6 will have designated space for the first half of lunch to eat and then will have the option to go outside for the 2nd half. Grade 7 – 9 students will have the option to be outside the entire lunch.
§ Lunch: Cafeterias and canteens will follow the Alberta government's strict COVID-19 health guidelines. Numbers in eating areas will be limited to less than 100 students. A reminder that students are not to share food or drinks.
§ Students will eat in their designated space based on their cohorts. We have designated spaces outside for students. The grade 8 and 9 students will have the space in front of the school and the grade 6 and 7 will have the space in the back field if they choose to go outside.
§ Water bottles: Students are encouraged to bring their own water bottles to fill and have available over lunch and at their desks during the day. As a high touch area, water fountains will be sanitized regularly. The use of water bottles will limit movement in the hallways.
§ Common Areas: Consideration has been given to managing student numbers where students often gather. School settings will limit student gatherings to less than 100 students.
§ We will have designated time for students to access the learning commons and the resources there. This will allow for cleaning between visits to that space and will allow for physical distancing.
§ The hallways will be marked via a “Highway" approach where will have a line down the middle with directional arrows marked.
§ We will have the masking protocols in effect at all times.
§ We have policy for each instructional group where only 1 student will be out of the room at a time to go to the bathroom. We have identified designated washrooms per classroom. This will limit the number of students gathering in these spaces.
§ Bathrooms stalls in the Boys bathrooms have been limited to provide physical spacing. Students will be reminded that the occupancy of these spaces is 3 students at a time.
Storage of Student Belongings / Change Rooms:
§ Lockers and coat hooks: In order to support physical distancing, no lockers will be used. Lockers will be locked to prevent use. Coat hooks that are staggered may be used. Locker and coat hook use will be re-visited throughout the year.
§ Lockers:
§ Students will leave their belongings in their designated “Homebase" for the day. When they are travelling to alternate locations they will be able to leave their belongings in that space and it will be locked when a teacher is not present.
§ Coat Hooks:
§ Students will place their coat on their designated chair
Movement in School
We are minimizing occasions of large gatherings of students and managing movement overall of students in the hallways.
§ Students in will be using designated doors to enter and leave the school:
o Grade 9 – Front Doors
o Grade 8 – Door #5
o Grade 7 – Door #3
o Grade 6 – Door #4
o Physical Education – Door #2
§ The doors will be marked both inside and outside so there is clarity around which door they are to use. We will have a staff member monitor each door when students are entering the building. Students that arrive late will be directed to the front door.
§ Parents will be encouraged to drop their child off along the street out front of the school where students will make their way to their appropriate door. At the end of the day we will ask that parents remain outside to meet their child.
The health and safety of your child will remain a priority for our school and we will keep you updated as new information becomes available. As mentioned, detailed information for the guidelines for safety and health for all schools is available on CBE's Scenario 1 Information website. We are confident that, as a community, we will soon adjust to our new protocols and practices. We look forward to welcoming our students back to school and resuming our time together as a positive and caring learning community.
