A Yellowknife Catholic Schools Box 1830, Yellowknife, NT 2P4 - Phone: (867) 766-7400 - Fax: (867) 766-7401 - August 11, 2020 Dear Parents and Guardians: The staff and trustees of Yellowknife Catholic Schools would like to thank you for your incredible patience and understanding over the last six months. This pandemic has not been easy for anyone involved with the education system, and we have had to overcome many hurdles. However, parents, students, and staff have demonstrated flexibility and adaptability as we experienced these challenges. Much has been learned during this time and will continue to be learned in the coming months. Please be assured that in reopening schools, the safety of all has been our number one priority. We once again ask for your support in ensuring a successful transition back into school and will provide you with up?to?date information as frequently as possible. YCS has been, and will continue, working diligently with all of its education partners and the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) to create a supportive and effective learning environment for all students in the coming year. Our priorities, as indicated earlier this summer by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE), are as follows: Maintaining the health and safety of students, staff and communities; Starting the school year on time, on Monday, August 31; Maximizing inuperson learning, to the degree possible; Ensuring learning continues for all students, regardless of circumstances; Continuing the learning process regardless of how the pandemic evolves. YCS has received approval for our 2020 ?2021 plans from OCPHO and ECE. While each school?s plan may look somewhat different, requirements for health and safety measures, exposure controls and day to day procedures will be applied to all school settings. Specific school information will be made available shortly, from each school individually. WHERE LEARNING LIGHTS SPIRIT l?apprentissage reflete l?Esprit Yedal Nezg T?a Hoghats?eeto Recommendations from the OCPHO are largely based on a person?s age. Young children are seen to be at the lowest risk for contracting and spreading therefore, there are fewer physical distancing requirements for elementary students. As per recommendations, when schools cannot be open full time to all students, students those in will be the priority for fulltime in?person schooling along with those in Grade 12, to ensure they are prepared for postsecondary opportunities. While meeting the OCPHO requirements, YCS is able to provide full?time in?school learning for all students in as well as grade 12. Grade 10 and 11 students will be offered a blended learning model which will cover the full curriculum. While situations will vary from school to school, the following guidelines serve as a summary of the actions to be taken. Additional details may be found at All Grades There will be an emphasis on physical distancing and hygiene measures. Schools will be disinfected more frequently. New signage will be visible in all schools. Drop off and pick up times may be staggered. Recess and lunch breaks will be modified to accommodate physical distancing. Entrances and exits will be clearly marked. Traffic flow in hallways and common areas will be clearly marked. Sanitation stations for hand cleaning, additional signage and plexiglass barriers Students will be asked to label all personal items. Students will be reminded to not share any items. There will be no large assemblies. Indoor gatherings will be limited to 25 people. Every student must wear a mask on the bus. Parents and guardians will be asked to follow all posted school routines when on site. Parent visits on site will be limited. Emergency response procedures will be altered. Students will be reminded to minimize physical contact while connecting socially. Classrooms may look different with increased spacing between desks. Materials that cannot be easily cleaned will be removed. Weather permitting, potentially more time spent learning outside. Students will be required to wear non?medical masks when moving through hallways. Staff will be required to wear face shields and maintain 2m physical distance. Staff will be asked to take a self?assessment daily before coming to work Parents will be asked to monitor their children daily for Parents will be required to keep children home if they are ill. Procedures will be in place for any student or staff who become sick at school. students will be isolated at school and parents will be called for pick up. Food programs will continue with new rules for safe handling. There will be no communal foods. Curriculum areas that promote physical contact, loud voice, and sharing of equipment will require accommodations and restrictions (physical education, band, music). Students in grades will be required to wear a face mask on the school bus. Students in grades 8 - 12 will be required to follow City Of Yellowknife bus regulations. Specific to Grades 7 Full?time, in-person instruction No physical distancing inside the classroom ?bubble?. Students maintain physical distance of 1?2 metres when outside of the classroom Specific to Grades 8-9 Full?time, in?person instruction Physical distancing of1 between students, and 2 between students and staff Students will remain in classroom ?bubbles? Students will be encouraged to keep personal items with them to limit locker access Specific to Grades 10-11 Blended learning; half day in school and half day working from home Physical distancing of 2 between students Staff must maintain 2m distance or wear face shields Lockers will not be available for student use Parent of students in grades 10 11 only are asked to please complete this survey: Specific to Grade 12 Full day, in?person instruction Physical distancing of 2 between students 0 Staff must maintain 2m distance or wear face shields Schools will be prepared to move between in?person, distance, and blended learning as required, should the NWT return to a more or less restrictive phase of the Emerging Wise/y Plan. Parents, guardians, students and communities should be prepared for student learning to change quickly in response to evolving circumstances; for instance, if multiple teachers become if there is a possible or confirmed outbreak at school, or if we return to the Containment Phase of Emerging l/l/I'se/y as a territory and rules around physical distancing become more strict. By August 2.0, 2020, each school principal will share specific reopening plans which will include procedures for returning the first week. We understand that the coming months may again present us with new circumstances and information that will require shifting responses and actions. Knowing this, we are committed to providing your child with an appropriate learning experience that honours the safety and well being of all. We sincerely appreciate your continued support as we move forward with these new plans and prepare for a successful 2020-2021 school year. Sincerely, Simone Gessler Superintendent