Ross Glen Road Runner Reporter
September 2020
Ross Glen School
Vision
“Fostering responsible citizenship through holistic development”
Mission
“As a professional learning community, we are committed to nurturing holistic development, promoting life-long learning and encouraging our students to become responsible citizens.”
Ross Glen School Goals
1. In what ways will providing quality feedback impact student literacy growth? (assessment and literacy)
2.How will implementing and revising school processes enhance school culture?
Preparing for a Successful 2020-2021 School Year
Ross Glen Staff
TEACHING STAFF
Early Learning Program (ELP): Mrs. K. BiechKindergarten: Mrs. J. Johnson
Play and Learn: Mrs. L. Tumback
Grade 1: Mrs. M. Brudevold and Ms. A. Bohonos
Grade 2: Mrs. S. Boodhoo and Mrs. M. Lofgren/Mrs. K Biech
Grade 3: Mrs. T. Pfeifer and Mr. T. Rapuano (Mrs. H. Ast)
Grade 4: Mrs. R. Schmitt and Ms. K. Kuehn
Grade 5: Mrs. S. Mandel and Miss J. Roth
Grade 6: Mrs. S. Barnes and Miss A. McDougall
Classroom Support Teacher (CST): Mrs. H. Gust
Vice-Principal: Mr. E. Kruger
Principal: Ms. N. Mastel
SUPPORT STAFF
Educational Assistants: Mrs. Cottrell, Mrs. Neufeld, Miss Sulz, Mrs. Henders, Mrs. McNaughton, Mrs. Seitz, and Mrs. Vargo
Administrative Assistant: Miss J. Foster
Library Clerk: Mr. P. Albano
Custodial Staff: Mr. C. Vick, Mr. O. Morales and Mrs. L. Lewis
Teachers on leave:
Mrs. Campbell
Mrs. Ast
Ross Glen Re-Entry Plan
Bell Times
Doors unlock at 8:05am - students can enter the school and go directly to their classroom
Warning Bell: 8:15amInstructional block: 8:20-2:40 (recess and lunch times are staggared)
Dismissal: 2:40pm
School Supplies
Parents are responsible for purchasing school supplies for their children this year. There is a list on our Ross Glen School website if you have not purchased these items yet:
http://rossglen.mhpsd.ca/news/what_s_new/2020_-_2021_school_supply_list
Please bring supplies on the first day of school labelled with your child’s name.
Chromebooks/Devices
Please understand that our staff are not experts in the various types of computers/devices and will do their best to troubleshoot issues, but some things are beyond our skills and knowledge.
Students in grades 1 and 2 will use school chromebooks during the school day and will not be taking them home.
Daily Health Check
Each day, before leaving home, staff and students must self-screen for symptoms of common cold, influenzas, COVID-19 and other infectious respiratory diseases.
Children/Student Checklist: Superintendent Davison sent a message to families with a link to the checklist along with a statement of the expectation that every family complete it with their child before they depart for school. The video and accompanying transcript serve as formal communication of the expectation. We will reinforce this message in school communication throughout the year.
By completing the Alberta Health Daily Checklist before leaving the home, members of the school community are committing to working to ensure that no one attends to a school building with COVID-19 symptoms. We are in this together and need to work together to ensure we do everything possible to mitigate risk to our students and staff.
For a successful school re-entry, all students, families and staff must work together to minimize the risks. One of the critical strategies is testing in order to determine if self-isolation needs to occur. If anyone answers YES to any of the questions on the Alberta Health Daily Checklist, they are prohibited from entering the school and must stay home for ten days or until they receive a negative COVID-19 test result. Use the assessment tool to determine if a COVID-19 test is necessary. Once a negative result is received, the individual may return to school. However, AHS and MHPSD ask that individuals who are ill (even if they have tested negative for COVID-19) remain home until they are fit to return to normal activities.
Regular SCHOOL ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL
Students can enter the school, using their assigned door, at 8:05 (a bell will ring) and go directly to their classroom where the teacher will be to supervise. (Please refer to the email your child's teacher sent as they may be meeting the students at the morning meeting spot for the first week.)
Children who have lockers will not go to their lockers until their teacher permits them to go. This is to ensure we don't have too many students at the locker area at once.
Children attending the Before School program will be sent directly from the program to their classroom, one cohort at a time.
The warning bell will ring at 8:15. With the strict guidelines, due to COVID, it is very important that students arrive between 8:05 and 8:15. ALL doors (including the front ) will be locked shortly after the bell.
Late students will have to sign in at the office and we have to ensure physical distancing occurs in the office. This year, more than any other year, we need students to arrive on time, by 8:15. Doors will lock at 8:20 and the main door will lock at 8:25.
Instructional day is from 8:20 to 2:40. Recesses and lunches are staggered so we limit how many students are outside/moving in the school at a time.
If you are picking your child up throughout the day, for appointments or if they are sick etc., please call the office and we will have them wait in the office.
If you are dropping something off for your child, please call the school and someone will come to the door and we will ensure your child receives the item(s).
If you are picking up your child at the end of the day, please arrange a meeting spot that ensures physical distancing from other families and school cohorts.
Cohort Designated doors
Visitors in the school
Once permitted in the school all parents and visitors must sign in at the office. If an emergency situation arises, we can ensure all students, staff and visitors are accounted for whether we remain in the building or evacuate. When you sign in, we will provide you with a visitor pass so all adults and children know you have signed into the school.
Masks
Safety
SafeArrival
At Ross Glen School one of our greatest priorities is ensuring that all our students arrive safely at school each and every day.
To enhance our existing absence-checking procedure, we are introducing a new, more efficient student absence reporting system called SafeArrival. This new system will reduce the time it takes to verify student attendance, make it easy for you to report your child’s absence and easy for staff to respond to unexplained student absences.
With SafeArrival, you are asked to report your child’s absence in advance using any of these 3 convenient methods:
1. Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store or the link at go.schoolmessenger.ca. The first time you use the app, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.
2. Use the SafeArrival website, go.schoolmessenger.ca. The first time you use the website, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.
3. Call the toll-free number 1-833-219-9070 to report an absence using the automated phone system.
These options are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. Future absences can be reported at any time.
If you report your child’s absence in advance using the SafeArrival toll-free number, website or mobile app, you will NOT receive a phone call from the school.
Please report absences in advance using SafeArrival instead of sending notes or calling/emailing the school.
If you have children attending other schools, please continue to report absences using the existing procedures for those schools.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we implement this new system.
MHPSD Back to School 2020-2021 Documents
If you are looking for more information about the impact that COVID-19 will have on school operations, please take a moment to view the following documents.
- MHPSD Scenario 1 Re-entry Plan (pdf) This document is updated regularly to reflect the direction of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and Alberta Government.
- Back to school information (mhpsd.ca)
- Safety precautions being taken in MHPSD schools (pdf)
We have received many thoughtful questions about devices and Chromebooks, so we developed FAQs to provide you with additional answers:
ENGAGED COMMUNITY
September School Events
Mon. August 31- First day of school for students
Tues. Sept. 8th - School Council Meeting at 7pm (agenda and meeting link was sent to all families)
Fri. Sept. 18th - Professional Learning Day - no school for students
Ross Glen School Clothing Items
We are happy to announce we have a new line of Ross Glen clothing, and other items, available to our school community for purchase! We know school clothing, and other items, creates a sense of belonging, builds a feeling of community, and encourages school pride. We are excited to offer this to our students and school community!
This year, options will include masks, neck gaiters, mini hand sanitizer bottles, and fanny packs (to keep masks, and other items, safe while the students are enjoying playing at recess).
Sales will take place directly on our online store. Families are able to order and pay for their choices directly.
The store link will be live as of Friday, September 11th and will stay open for the entire school year. Once the link is live, and the option to order is available, we will share the link with all families through an email.
School Council
Thank you to our School Parent Council members for their hard work in supporting our school this year. Here is our School Council Executive for the start of the 2020-2021 school year:
Chair: Elizabeth Gebhardt
Secretary: Megan Knodel
Treasurer: Janine Stuber and Nicole Nikiel
Our first meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 8th at 7pm. The agenda and meeting link was sent to all families.
Nomination forms have been sent to all families. You can nominate yourself or someone else for a School Council position.
Elections will take place on Tuesday, September 22nd at 7pm (virtual meeting).
Link to nomination form: https://forms.gle/2H32xB6a1xnXaAqr9
Link to clarification/question form: https://forms.gle/43X6HrgK1sBPxY7p8
Ways to Connect
There are many ways to stay in touch with our school.
Please feel free to connect with us through our multiple platforms.
Our website is: http://rossglen.mhpsd.ca/
Email: rossglen@sd76.ab.ca
School Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RossGlenSchoolMedHat/
Twitter: @RossGlenSchool
Contact Us
Email: rossglen@sd76.ab.ca
Website: http://www.rossglen.ca/
Phone: 403-529-2960
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RossGlenSchoolMedHat/
Twitter: @RossGlenSchool