Monthly Archives: September 2020

September 30

Hi Panthers,

We had such a great day walking and running in memory of Terry Fox! We all looked great as we wore red and walked to support cancer research. The weather was beautiful and we all had a chance to be physically active. Thank you for all of your generous donations! So far, St Paul School has raised a total of $975!! We are so close to our $1000 goal. If you haven’t had the chance to donate yet and still wish to do so, School Cash Online will stay open until Friday! Great job Panthers….way to go!!

Please read the WCDSB Newswire regarding, Important New Guidelines for Siblings of Ill Students. 

As a result, if your child is experiencing symptoms at school, they will be sent home, but asymptomatic siblings will remain at school and self-monitor.

When a sick student is sent home the primary parent/guardian is sent an email providing a description of the symptoms observed by the child’s teacher(s) and the following message.

The Government of Ontario says that you must screen for COVID-19 every day before going to school.

The Government’s COVID-19 school screening tool is updated regularly and offers the best guidance to help our families/students decide if they should or should not go to school each day by completing the questions in the assessment.

The assessment results provide a green checkmark (i.e. go to school) or OR a red screen (do not go to school) and specific next steps for you to follow. Parents should notify the principal if their child does not pass screening.

September 28, 2020

Hello Panthers!

We appreciate your continued cooperation, patience and understanding as we adapt to the evolving circumstances with respect to COVID19 and the corresponding health and safety protocols. We know this is an anxious and confusing time for our families.

Cultivating Relationships – Cultiver nos relations

Lord Jesus,
Thank you for the gift of hope. We look forward to the school year ahead as we make new friendships and
memories. Help us to live like Jesus, bringing peace and good to our community. Make our school a place of
warmth and acceptance, where we follow the golden rule of treating others likewe would like to be treated. May we always feel safe, included and loved each day of this school year.
We ask this in your name.
Amen.

Health and Safety

Public Health’s COVID-19 school screening tool continues to be refined and offers the best guidance to help our families/students decide if they should or should not go to school each day by completing the questions in the assessment.

The results have been greatly simplified to provide a green checkmark (i.e. go to school) or OR a red screen (do not go to school) and specific next steps.

Communication Protocol

Unfortunately, we continue to experience persistent problems with our phone lines/voicemail at the school. Ongoing troubleshooting with the phone company has failed to provide a reliable solution.

If you are calling or emailing to report your child’s absence due to illness, please leave your child’s name and a description of ALL the symptoms they are experiencing.

We broadcast important messages to all families directly via email. Please add wcdsb@schoolmessengermail.com to your contacts, so these messages do not end up in your spam folder.

We also post important messages to our school website for your reference. You can receive them directly in your inbox, by subscribing to our school newswire.

WCDSB Elementary Transition Form

Please see the message from the Board below.

When we commenced the school year back in early September, we announced that the first transition point for families to switch their children from virtual learning to face to face learning (or vice versa), would be the Thanksgiving weekend.

In Elementary Schools: families/students may transition after the Thanksgiving weekend — but after that it will be only at Progress Reports in November and the first Report Card in January.

To assist in planning to accommodate the needs of families, interested families with students in elementary schools will find the transition form on our main web page from Sept 24^th  at 9 a.m. to Sept 28^th at 6 p.m.  Requests must be made within this window of time.

This information will be used by the Board to document requests made by families for a change in method delivery throughout the 2020-2021 school year.

Date the Change of Class would Take Effect: October 13, 2020 (day after Thanksgiving).

WCDSB Elementary Transition Form

Important Events This Week

1. Terry Fox Walk (Tues): Our entire school will be showing our support by walking during the day, to remember Terry Fox’s dream of raising money for cancer research. Students are encouraged to donate $2.00 or more through Cash Online, to help raise funds for Cancer Research and to carry on Terry Fox’s dream.
2.  Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters (Wed): in recognition of the harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of self-esteem and well being, and as an affirmation of our commitment to ensure that everyone around us matters.

St. Francis Parish

Parish Calendar October 2020

St. Francis Bulletin September 27, 2020

Fr. Murray will be having a blessing of the animals at our church in the parking lot on Saturday Oct 2nd at 2PM in honour of St. Francis. Covid protocols will be practiced at this event, and it is planned for outdoors. October 4th is also the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

September 25, 2020

Tuesday, September 29th marks a special day for our students. Once again, we will be celebrating Terry Fox and his tremendous accomplishments by participating in the Terry Fox National School Run. Our entire school will be showing our support by walking during the day, to remember Terry Fox’s dream of raising money for cancer research. Students are encouraged to donate $2.00 or more through Cash Online, to help raise funds for Cancer Research and to carry on Terry Fox’s dream. Last year we raised $1189.00, and our goal is to match that again! This year will be a little different, as we won’t be able to walk all together as a school community. Instead, individual classes will go for a neighbourhood walk throughout the day. Remember to wear red that day to show your St. Paul spirit and support! Keep Terry’s spirit and hope alive during the month of September and help us make a difference!

September 24, 2020

Dear Parents / Guardians:

Please see the message from the Board below.

When we commenced the school year back in early September, we announced that the first transition point for families to switch their children from virtual learning to face to face learning (or vice versa), would be the Thanksgiving weekend.

In Elementary Schools: families/students may transition after the Thanksgiving weekend — but after that it will be only at Progress Reports in November and the first Report Card in January.

To assist in planning to accommodate the needs of families, interested families with students in elementary schools will find the transition form on our main web page from Sept 24^th  at 9 a.m. to Sept 28^th at 6 p.m.  Requests must be made within this window of time.

This information will be used by the Board to document requests made by families for a change in method delivery throughout the 2020-2021 school year.

Date the Change of Class would Take Effect: October 13, 2020 (day after Thanksgiving).

WCDSB Elementary Transition Form

September 21, 2020

Hello Panthers,

We are getting a lot of questions about what happens with sick students (whether they remain at home or they are sent home from the school). Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we adjust to the new protocols.

Please read the Important COVID-19 Parent and Caregiver Information from Public Health.

You must screen for COVID-19 every day before going to school.
Please see COVID-19 school screening for more information.

COVID-19 Parent and Caregiver Information

My child was sent home from school with COVID symptoms. Now what?

• Your child should self-isolate at home, and get tested. All siblings attending school will also be sent home. Click here for information about the assessment centres.
• If you think the symptoms are related to an existing or other illness, please see your health care provider for clinical assessment
• While your child is waiting for test results or outcome of clinical assessment all household members should self-isolate.
• If your child gets a negative test result your child and any siblings may return to school once they have been symptom free for 24 hours
• If the result is positive, Public Health will contact you
• If your child does not get tested or get an assessment by a health care provider the child and all household members including siblings will need to self-isolate for 14 days.
  

  My child has COVID symptoms. Now what?

• If your child has any symptoms of COVID-19, they should not attend school, self- isolate at home, and get tested. All siblings attending school will need to self- isolate at home
• If you think the symptoms are related to an existing or other illness, please see your health care provider for clinical assessment
• While your child is waiting for test results or outcome of clinical assessment all household members should self-isolate.
• Call your child’s school to report your child’s absence and symptoms
• If your child gets a negative test result your child and any siblings may return to school once they have been symptom free for 24 hours
• If the result is positive, Public Health will contact you
• If your child does not get tested or get an assessment by a health care provider the child and any household members, including siblings, will need to self-isolate for 14 days

September 20, 2020

September 17, 2020

Hello Panthers,

Please read the Important COVID-19 Parent and Caregiver Information from Public Health.

You must screen for COVID-19 every day before going to school.
Please see COVID-19 school screening for more information.

COVID-19 Parent and Caregiver Information

My child was sent home from school with COVID symptoms. Now what?

• Your child should self-isolate at home, and get tested. All siblings attending school will also be sent home. Click here for information about the assessment centres.
• If you think the symptoms are related to an existing or other illness, please see your health care provider for clinical assessment
• While your child is waiting for test results or outcome of clinical assessment all household members should self-isolate.
• If your child gets a negative test result your child and any siblings may return to school once they have been symptom free for 24 hours
• If the result is positive, Public Health will contact you
• If your child does not get tested or get an assessment by a health care provider the child and all household members including siblings will need to self-isolate for 14 days.
  

  My child has COVID symptoms. Now what?

• If your child has any symptoms of COVID-19, they should not attend school, self- isolate at home, and get tested. All siblings attending school will need to self- isolate at home
• If you think the symptoms are related to an existing or other illness, please see your health care provider for clinical assessment
• While your child is waiting for test results or outcome of clinical assessment all household members should self-isolate.
• Call your child’s school to report your child’s absence and symptoms
• If your child gets a negative test result your child and any siblings may return to school once they have been symptom free for 24 hours
• If the result is positive, Public Health will contact you
• If your child does not get tested or get an assessment by a health care provider the child and any household members, including siblings, will need to self-isolate for 14 days

You must screen your child for symptoms every day before they come to school.

Please use the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 self-assessment tool for this purpose.

If your child has any symptoms of COVID-19 or if they are ill, they should not attend school. If your child comes to school with any of the symptoms on the list below, they will not be admitted to class and you will need to come and pick up your child and any sibling(s) as soon as possible. This is a Board policy.

Parents/guardians are not permitted to enter the school. Your child(ren) will be brought to the front door.

These symptoms identified by the Ministry of Health include;

• Fever (feeling hot to the touch, a temperature of 37.8 degrees Celsius/100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher)
• Chills
• Cough that’s new or worsening (continuous, more than usual)
• Barking cough, making a whistling noise when breathing (croup)
• Shortness of breath (out of breath, unable to breathe deeply)
• Sore throat (not related to seasonal allergies or other known causes or conditions)
• Difficulty swallowing
• Runny nose (not related to seasonal allergies or other known causes or conditions)
• Stuffy or congested nose (not related to seasonal allergies or other known causes or conditions)
• Lost sense of taste or smell
• Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
• Headache that’s unusual or long lasting
• Digestive issues like nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain (not related to other known causes or conditions)
• Muscle aches that are unusual or long lasting
• Extreme tiredness that is unusual (fatigue, lack of energy)
• Falling down often
• For young children and infants: sluggishness or lack of appetite
  

You should report your child(ren)’s absence from school by calling us at 519-743-4401. Students who become ill during the day will be isolated and must be picked up from school as soon as possible, along with any sibling(s). Please answer phone calls from the school, as we may be asking you to pick up your child(ren) as soon as possible. Symptomatic students will not be able to use student transportation.

Thanks very much for your cooperation and understanding. The safety and security of our school is a collective responsibility.

Hello Panthers,

It was wonderful to see our students returning to St. Paul this past week and to connect with each other in person (with social distancing of course). We will continue to practice the health and safety protocols with our students, as a regular part of their transition back to school. This week, parents/guardians will be asked to complete our school start up forms. These forms will be available for completion through School Cash Online. Even if your child is attending St. Isidore, we will still need you to complete these forms. To our St. Isidore students, if you requested a Chromebook and/or would like a Student Kit full of learning materials, you will be able to pick them up at the school later this week – please wait for further instruction from our staff. Thank you for your trust, patience, and cooperation as we continue to work together and support one another through this challenging but important school year. It will take some time for routines to be established and for staff and students to adjust to this new “norm” but with patience and trust we will get through this together.

Preparing the Earth – Préparer la terre

As we begin a new school year, let us imagine that we are preparing the earth for a garden. Let us dig deep to remove any stones of the past that may block our growth. Let us move the earth around to make planting easier. Fertilizer always gives the soil nutrients that it needs.

Let us pray:
Creator God,
We desire to prepare the soil of our lives for a new school year. Help us to dig deep, to remove anything that will prevent us from growing. May we be willing to receive the nutrients we need to learn and sprout new ways of being. Let us trust that as the Master Gardener, you will take care of us in loving ways.
Amen.

Below are some reminders and updates.

Health and Safety

You must screen your child for symptoms every day before they come to school. You can use the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 self-assessment tool for this purpose. If your child has any symptoms of COVID-19 or if they are ill, they should not attend school. You should report your child’s absence from school by calling us at 519-743-4401. Students who become ill during the day will be isolated and must be picked up from school as soon as possible. Symptomatic students will not be able to use student transportation.

The Board has created some resources for the development of COVID related skills at home/school.

Communication Protocol

When a parent, guardian or other board stakeholder has a concern or suggestion, it is expected that the concern/suggestion will first be taken up with the staff member with whom the parent / guardian / stakeholder has the concern/suggestion. Therefore, the following process as outlined by the Board will be followed:

Step One: Speak directly to the staff member. If the issue is not resolved, proceed to step two.

Step Two: Speak to the Principal. If the person with the concern has not yet addressed the issue with the staff member involved, the Principal will ask them to do so.

The Principal will involve the staff member in any discussions with the person who has the concern. The Principal may request, at any step in the process, that concerns be put in writing. The Principal may involve, at any time in the process, others who may be helpful in resolving the concern.

All public and interpersonal communications must recognize the dignity of the individual and be conducted fairly, honestly, and with respect.

When communicating with classroom teachers/staff members, please do not to expect a response within 24 hours, unless it is an emergency. We will do our very best to respond when we are able.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Mental health and wellbeing will be a major focus for staff and students this year. It is essential that all of us take care of ourselves, not just for our wellbeing, but for those we care about and support. Our self-care will help improve our energy, focus, ability to cope with challenges and overall life experience. Here is a guide for Personal Resiliency During COVID-19. School Mental Health Ontario https://smho-smso.ca/parents-and-families/ has a variety of resources to help your children to feel mentally well, grow up happy and to learn how to navigate life’s challenges.

St. Francis Parish

We are very proud of our partnership with St Francis Parish. We welcome Father Murray McDermott as the new pastor at St. Francis. We will be sharing a welcome video from St. Francis staff with students during Monday announcements. In order to continue to build on this relationship, each week we will be providing our community with a link to access the Church Bulletin so you may keep yourself up to date on the many events at the Parish.

Parish Calendar September 2020

St. Francis Bulletin September 13, 2020

If your child is entering Grade 2 or 7 in September 2020, and they wish to receive the Sacraments of 1st Communion or Confirmation, we are having online registration this September. Please see this link for the registration forms.