Letter to Parents February 2021
Dear Families
As you will have already heard, we are resuming face to face learning as of Monday, February 8th, 2021. We know that for many of you, this will come as a relief and be welcomed news! We want you to know that the health and safety of our children, staff and families continues to be a top priority. We will be vigilant in keeping the health and well-being of all at the forefront of our focus; this includes the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and academic well-being of our community. Above all, please know how much we missed your children! What a wonderful time to come together again as we begin Term 2 with a fresh start! We will focus on strengthening our relationships, revisiting routines and re-establishing healthy learning environments for all,
To that end, please take note of the following:
On Friday February 5th our staff will offer synchronous learning via a morning meeting as usual with asynchronous work posted for the remainder of the day so that they may take that opportunity to ensure that everything is ready for the arrival of our students on Monday morning.
Classes will resume as usual on Monday with a 8:55 am start and 3:15 dismissal. Buses will be running as usual. A reminder that supervision does not begin until 8:35 am and that masks must be worn while on school property and on the bus. This applies to all adults and children. Students will enter the school the same way we did in the fall. Staff will be outside to meet students on Monday to re-acquaint them with our entrance procedures and health protocols.
Our established health routines worked well and we are confident they will continue to keep us all healthy. Your continued support with keeping your child home when ill will help support this. Please be reminded to complete the self-assessment screening tool https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/ to see if your child should come to school or stay at home.
As per the new directives, masks will be mandatory for all students JK- Gr.8. Students will be reminded that they must maintain a physical distance when outside, during recess, from their friends. They will be provided with the option of wearing a mask should they be unable to maintain a distance with their friends during recess or are participating in an activity that makes this challenging. Students will also be asked to wear their masks upon entering the school or when in the hallway to go outside. Please ensure that your child has 3 masks each day so that they can have a clean fresh mask for each learning block. Masks will not be required while they eat inside and when their teacher takes them outside for fresh air breaks as well. If you need any help with masks, the school has a supply to assist.
Please return all school texts, supplies, and finished work from the online learning that was not submitted electronically. This includes all computers that were borrowed from the District for online learning. Please also send your child with indoor shoes, their school supplies, a healthy lunch and snacks, and a water bottle. While we will have lots of soap and sanitizer at school, your child may once again want to bring their own personal sanitizer to keep at their desk and to help us maintain our health standards.
Unfortunately this year we will not be able to recognize Valentine’s Day in the way we might remember. As with Halloween, per Health Unit recommendations, we asking students to not bring in treats or cards to share with their friends.
Report cards will be sent home with your child on Monday.
We are looking forward to having our community together again but I would be remiss if I did not extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you for your dedication and support in assisting your children these past five weeks. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Finally, a thank you to the incredible staff of St Michael’s Walsh who truly went above and beyond to ensure that our students could be as successful as possible in such extenuating circumstances.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or concerns.
God Bless,
Michael Skrzypek, Principal
St. Michael’s School, Walsh
972 St. John's Road West
R. R. #2 Simcoe, ON
N3Y 4K1
Phone: 519-426-5462
Email: mskrzypek@bhncdsb.ca
Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board
Excellence in Learning ~ Living in Christ
Visit: http://www.stmichaelwalsh.ca/
Follow: @stmikeswarriors
