Dear Parents/Guardians,
We want to start by congratulating and thanking our students, staff and families for their perseverance and resilience over the past six weeks – we have had many accomplishments and for that everyone should be very proud.
We do believe that a return to in-class learning is good news for our school community. Health and safety must continue to be our top priority. To that end, we would like to draw your attention to some enhanced health and safety measures which will be implemented at St. Mary. Please note these measures are in addition to the safety measures that have been in place since September such as physical distancing, hand hygiene, enhanced cleaning, etc.
1. The wearing of masks will be mandatory for all students from Gr. 1-8 and encouraged for students in JK/SK. We have learned how incredibly adaptable and resilient our students are, and after almost a year in this pandemic, mask-wearing has become commonplace for everyone, including young children. We are encouraging families to send their children with a supply of masks that are comfortable and fit well.
2. All students will wear masks outdoors at recess. Mask breaks will be provided by classroom teachers during DPA (Daily Physical Activity) outdoors.
3. On a daily basis before leaving home, parents/guardians are responsible for conducting the COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening Tool with their child. If your child has any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 or answers yes to any of the questions on the screening tool, do not send them to school, seek assessment and testing at a COVID-19 Assessment Centre and notify the school.
4. Congregating before and after school will not be permitted on school premises. Students will have free entry between 8:45am-9:00am. We encourage parents to drop students off as close to 9:00am as possible.
5. We will continue to have staggered dismissal at the end of the day to minimize congregating after school. Students in Grades JK-Grade 3 will be dismissed at 3:20pm and students in Grades 4-8 will be dismissed at 3:30pm.
6. Please avoid dropping off items for students throughout the day.
7. All students must bring a reusable water bottle.
8. All students must have a pair of indoor shoes.
9. All chromebooks borrowed during school closure must be returned on Tuesday, February 16.
10. St. Mary standardized dress code is in effect and will be enforced.
There is no doubt that our students will benefit from a return to routine, social interaction and in-person learning. Let’s continue to be diligent in following all of the existing and new health and safety measures so that COVID-19 cases continue to decline and we can keep our students in class. We continue to pray for all those impacted by this pandemic.
Wishing everyone a very happy Valentine’s Day today and an enjoyable Family Day tomorrow. We look forward to welcoming our in-class learners back into the building on Tuesday.
Sincerely,
Mrs. D’Andrea, Principal
Mrs. Crocitto, Vice Principal