September 11th, 2020

Greetings to all our Smithson families!

Thank you once again for your patience as we roll out information to you over the next few days. We had a great first day back with some of our students in our ACE (congregated special education) classes and for the first of our new JK students. It was so amazing to hear the voices of children in our halls again!

One of the key roles of parents and caregivers as we begin this new year is to help prevent the possibility of COVID-19 entering our schools. All staff and visitors must screen themselves for symptoms of COVID prior to attending their work site each day, and we ask the same of our students’ parents and caregivers. It will be critical, if your child(ren) display any of the symptoms of COVID, that they are kept home from school until they are symptom free. We understand the challenges that this will present to our families, but it is in the interest of all students and staff throughout the WRDSB and the wider community that we follow these proper protocols.

If you are looking for a screening checklist, please refer to this section of the WRDSB Return to School website, as well as the FAQ page for parents/caregivers.

If you or your child, or other members of your immediate family, are showing any signs or symptoms of COVID-19, Public Health recommends that you complete an online self-assessment. The assessment will connect you with a medical professional, if necessary. You may also contact your primary care provider (family doctor) for more information. Families must notify their child’s school that they are showing signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

In the case that a student becomes ill during the course of the day, they will be brought to the office, where they will stay in our “CARE” room until a parent or caregiver can come to pick them up. It is critical that up-to-date contact information is received by the main office next week, and that you have an emergency back-up plan in case you are unavailable to come and pick up your child. When a child becomes ill during the day, a thorough cleaning of their classroom will occur after the rest of the students in that room are removed to another location. Once your child is picked up, the “CARE” room will also be thoroughly cleaned.

For further information about our cleaning and health & safety protocols, I again urge you to review the FAQ page that the hard-working staff in our Health & Safety department have created, in close collaboration with Public Health.

Working together as a team can help us to stop the spread the COVID-19 into our schools. We appreciate, in advance, your diligence and support as we embark upon this unprecedented new year together as a Smithson team of parents and educators who wish to keep our students healthy, safe, happy and learning.