We have been living with COVID-19 now
for many months and we've been working
hard to keep cases as low as possible in
Huron and Perth counties.
I thank all of you for doing your part.
Some of you may have been involved in
essential work that continued throughout.
Some of you stayed home. Everyone has
been practicing physical distancing
and careful hand washing and staying
home when we are ill, ensuring to be assessed and tested as advised.
We've been wearing masks and staying
calm and helping our friends and
neighbours.
Thank you for all the ways you have
helped Huron and Perth counties succeed
in keeping COVID cases low. 
In protecting our most vulnerable
residents and in protecting our health
system capacity.
It has not been easy to live with so
much change and uncertainty,
and now families with school children
are getting ready for return to school.
As we prepare we must remain vigilant in
our efforts to keep everyone as safe as
possible. School will look and feel a little
different this year as we take extra measures to protect
against the transmission of COVID-19.
The Avon Maitland District School Board
along with the Huron-Perth
Catholic District School Board
in conjunction with Huron Perth Public
Health have developed a multi-layered
approach in protecting our students,
our teachers and our staff, and our
larger community. With schools reopening we all have a
role in continuing to minimize the
spread of COVID-19
in Huron and Perth. One of the most
important foundational measures to
protect everyone
is that people who are ill with symptoms
that could be due to COVID-19
do not come to school.
Parents I encourage you to assess your children daily before you send them to school.
If they have any symptoms including
fever of 37.8 degrees Celsius or greater,
a newer worsening cough, shortness of
breath or difficulty breathing,
please do not send them to school. Call
your primary care provider and have your
child assessed. Your primary care provider may further
advise that your child be tested.
If you do not have a primary care
provider, you may call Huron Perth Public Health.
In all cases children should not return
to school until they are symptom-free
or have been advised by their care
provider that they may safely return to
school. In those cases where there are chronic
controlled symptoms. A screening card with additional
symptoms will be sent home with students in early September.
Please arrange for alternate child care
plans if your child is too young to stay
on their own. This may prove difficult with many
parents returning to the workplace,
however we will encourage our many
businesses to be tolerant with parental
care.
Please also talk with your child about
what a school day will look like,
explain that this will be a different
school experience than they had before,
assure them that by following the
protocols in place they will be safe.
If a student or staff member were to
become ill while at school
protocols have been developed for
ensuring the health and safety of others.
Many other protocols for students and
staff have been developed as well.
These include how to enter and exit the
building,
which bathroom they should use and also
protocols for students who ride the bus.
This video will discuss what schools
will look like and what children can
expect when they return. It will also outline
the many safety protocols in place to
ensure the health and safety of everyone.
We appreciate your partnership as we all
work together to minimize the spread of
COVID-19 and make the school a supportive place
to learn and grow for all our students. Thank you for your attention and best
wishes as you embark on the 2020-2021
school year.
As we look to reopen our schools the
safety of
all of our students and staff is key. The
look of a normal school day may have
changed but the emphasis on learning remains the
same. Children in grades 4 through 12 must
wear non-medical or cloth masks
at school. Children in kindergarten to
grade 3 are encouraged to wear a mask
but it is not mandatory.
Students can wear their own masks
however supply of face covering masks
will be available to children who have
lost or forgotten to bring one.
Screening: parents will be asked to
acknowledge that by sending their
children to school each day they have completed a self-assessment of
their children. Details will be provided
to parents.
Any child who exhibits symptoms of
COVID-19 must not be sent to school.
Children who present signs and symptoms of COVID at school
will be removed from their class and a
phone call will be made home
for the student to be picked up. Teachers
and other school staff will be wearing
masks and or face shields while at
school.
Some teachers depending on the
circumstance may have additional PPE.
This PPE is to ensure the safety of your
child as well as the safety of our staff.
Schools will be divided into sections
based on their location.
These classrooms will share entrances
and washrooms.
This has been done in order to minimize
contacts your child may encounter within the school day. Children will be
encouraged to arrive
at school as close as possible to their
start time.
Once at school children will be
encouraged to wear their mask as soon as
they are on school property, 
physically distance while on the school
yard and head directly to their
designated entrance door.
Parents are encouraged to talk with
their children about the importance of
maintaining distance with children
outside their family when walking to and
from school. Children will line up with their class
while maintaining distance once they
have been instructed
to enter each class will enter the
school separately and head directly to
their classroom. Children in secondary schools will be
encouraged to enter the school using
their designated entrance.
If secondary students leave during the
lunch hour they will be expected to use
this same designated door. All classrooms will have hand sanitizer
for children to use upon their entry
into the classroom.
Some classrooms will have sinks and
children will hand wash before taking
their seat. Desks and tables will be arranged within
the classroom to minimize the number of
direct contacts
while trying to support the greatest
amount of physical distancing.
This may look different for each room
depending on the number of students and
size of the classroom. In order to ensure proper contact
tracing your child will be assigned a
desk by the teacher.
students at the elementary level will
remain together with their class for the
entire day.
Classrooms will be designated to allow
for two meters of space
between the teacher and students to
maintain a safe physical distance.
This also allows for itinerant teachers
to enter the space while remaining
distanced from the students.
Recesses and lunch breaks will be
staggered at the elementary level by the
classroom location.
This will minimize the contacts students
have at recess. 
Students will be encouraged to wear
their masks if they are not involved in
active play
or if they cannot maintain distancing
while socializing at recess time.
One student per class at a time will be
allowed to use the washroom that is
designated for their classroom.
Washrooms will have capacity limitations
posted. 
All schools will be closed to
non-essential visitors.
Parents will be encouraged to phone or
email into the school office
when picking up your child. You can use
the school intercom to communicate with
office personnel
and arrange for the student to be
dismissed pending visual confirmation.
Schools without intercoms will post
their phone numbers on the front door.
Regular cleaning and disinfecting will
be completed in high touch
areas a minimum of twice a day. Items
such as carpets
plush toys and dress-up clothing that
cannot be easily cleaned or sanitized
have been removed from the classroom.
Frequently touched items within a class
will be minimized,
however students may be asked to
sanitize shared items they may come into
contact with.
Parents are encouraged to reduce the
amount of items a child brings to school
and items should be properly labeled
with the child's name.
We look forward to welcoming our
students back to school.
These protocols and precautions are
being put in place to minimize the risk
of the spread of COVID-19.
We are in this together and our parents
and caregivers play an important role in
our efforts to keep everyone healthy and
safe.  We'll see you in September!
