September 9th, 2020

Dear Smithson Families,

With school beginning this week for some of our students, and next week for the rest, we understand that there are many emotions regarding what is going on in the world and our community – we have them too! We want you to know that we have the safety of your child(ren) and our community as our highest priority. It is no surprise that things are going to look different, and we appreciate your cooperation and patience as we enter into our current reality. These differences will be evident from the first day of school as we adjust to new daily routines, the physical set-up of the building, and the new health & safety protocols. What isn’t different are the amazing, generous and caring staff who are eagerly waiting to welcome your children back to school. With every communication, we will try to provide you with as much information as we can, but in order to not overwhelm you, we will be sending out information in smaller chunks (just as we do for our students as they learn new material).

First of all though, we would like to thank you in advance for the work that you have done with your child(ren) at home to prepare them for school reopening. Please continue to reference the Guide for Families and our Return to School website to assist with many of your questions. We are in this together, and we appreciate your continued support.

Who is my Teacher!?!

In order for us to ensure accuracy of our class lists, we have not yet been able to publish these to School Day. However, this information will be available to you on Friday, Sept. 11th. If your child is returning to in-person learning at Smithson this year, you can expect a phone call from their teacher either Thursday (Sept. 10th) or Friday (Sept. 11th). If your child will be engaging in distance learning, you will also receive a phone call home from your child’s teacher, but it may be a bit delayed compared to our in-school learners, as we continue to work through staffing our “virtual schools”.

What to Expect – Entry / Exit Routines

On the first day, please arrive no earlier than 8:50am. If your child(ren) is old enough, please allow them to enter the school grounds independently to reduce foot traffic and support physical distancing – kiss & drop at the sidewalk! Your child(ren) will locate their teacher at their class meeting spot (a listing of where these are will be sent out in a future message). Students will be provided a mask (if they are not already wearing one), and will be brought to their classroom through different entrances, practicing proper hand hygiene upon entry. At the end of the day, your child(ren) will be brought back out to their class meeting spot by their teacher. Please note that, although you may see classes outside at their meeting spot before the bell, teachers will not be dismissing students until the bell has rung. Please do not come onto school property until the bell has rung (3:15 pm) so that we can do our best to maintain social/physical distancing until dismissal. If your child is old enough to make their way home independently, they may do so once their teacher has dismissed them. We request that families leave the school grounds immediately after meeting their child(ren), and that older children do not loiter at the school after the bell. The playground equipment is closed before, during and after school (7:00 am – 6:00 pm). In addition, the school yard is reserved for use by our WRDSB before and after school childcare programs while their classroom locations are being cleaned and sanitized.

please note: Our staff parking lot is NOT intended for student drop off and pick-up. There is plenty of parking on the side streets around Smithson, if needed.

Weather:

Dress your child(ren) for the weather (temperature and precipitation) as they will be spending a portion of the day outside – layers are your friend! With the exception of thunder and lightning, we will not be permitting students into the building on rainy days so please check the weather before leaving the house, and do not arrive at the school too early!

Late Arrival and Early Dismissal:

Please make every effort to have your child(ren) at school on time (8:55 am) throughout the year – they will be meeting at their classroom meeting spots each day. However, if you do come late, come to the front door and buzz the main office. Parents and visitors are not permitted to enter the building at any time during the day. We will only be able to check in one student at a time as per our safe arrival protocols and new entry/exit and sign-in processes. If you’re in a line with other families outside, please be certain you are physically distanced. This process may take time and will not change, even in inclement weather. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this new process for managing late arrivals and keeping everyone safe.

If you are bringing or picking up your child(ren) throughout the school day, you will be asked to wait outside, and once your child is signed out, they will be sent to you or we will bring them out to you.

Please make every effort to book appointments outside of the school day to reduce the amount of exposure, movement and contacts within the school each day. Due to this new reality we cannot guarantee the speedy service we have had in the past as there are many new protocols in place that will slow things down.

Future Messaging – Coming Soon

Please stay tuned for future messaging over the next few days that will outline information about nutrition breaks, what to bring (or not bring) to school, the flow of the day, etc. As well, you can expect to see online forms shared via School Day that you will need to complete – forms that would have normally been sent home on the first day of school.

 

We look forward to working with you and your child(ren) this year – we truly appreciate all of your support and cooperation. Despite things looking different, every step we take is to ensure the health and safety of your families and our community and we will maintain strict adherence to our health and safety protocols. Smithson remains the same warm and welcoming environment, full of staff who care for their students and are looking forward to seeing them again.. We are very excited to see your child(ren) and recognize that the relationships that we create, even under these challenging circumstances, will ultimately be the most rewarding aspect of our school reopening, not just for your child(ren) but for the Smithson staff. My how we’ve missed you!

Wishing you health and safety. Wash your hands! Wear a mask! Be well and stay safe – we will get through this together.