Welcome to Fairfield ES!
Update August 31, 2021
A Message from Fairfield ES
Dear Families,
We are thrilled to welcome students and families to Fairfield Elementary School!
We are excited about working with you and learning with you this year. Throughout the pandemic we have heard so often that we want to "go back" to the way things were. While it is true that we may want to return to some of the activities and routines pre-covid, that we really cannot go back. We must move forward. We will move forward with our learning, with the way we embrace new challenges, and with a positive growth mindset. We will look forward with hope and optimism to the incredible year that lays ahead of us.
Public Health and the Ministry of Education continue to provide a lot of direction to schools about routines and protocols. We will continue to take our direction from the local health unit and from the LDSB to ensure a safe start to the school year. There is lot of information below about our routines! Last year all of these were new to us; we now have much more information and experience to guide our practices. Health and safety, along with wellness and mental health of our school community, is our number one priority as we prepare to welcome staff and students back into the building. Please continue to make your own wellness and the wellness of your family a priority.
We know that the start of school may being a mix of emotions for students and families. As the caring adults in the lives of our students, it will be important for us to support them by supporting each other. Staying positive, calm and flexible, while following the safety guidelines set out for us all, will be our best approach.
This will be a great year at Fairfield! We can't wait to see you next week!
Yours in education,
Hilda Barrett & Deborah Thompson, VP & P
and the Fairfield Elementary School Team
Click on the video below for a message from the Limestone District School Board Director of Education
Class Placements and Staffing
Currently we have very large junior division classes. These class numbers will be reviewed by a central committee of the LDSB to determine what changes need to be made, if any. Any reorganization will happen after the second week of school.
Fairfield staff will be reaching out to all families on Friday September 3rd with teacher and class information.
Kindergarten Staggered Entry
Construction & Ventilation
School Supplies
Please also bring a reuseable water bottle as the water fountains are water bottle filling stations only. We do not have water bottles to give out to students.
Labelling all student belongings is very helpful!
School Council
School Schedule
Daily Schedule:
8:40-8:55am – Supervision on yard
8:55-10:35am – 100 minute block
10:35-11:15am – Recess & Nutrition Break
11:15-12:55pm – 100 minute block
12:55-1:35pm – Recess & Nutrition Break
1:35-3:15pm – 100 minute block
Backpacks
What to Bring...
- resuseable water bottle
- healthy lunch and snacks that are nut free please
- outdoor shoes appropriate for running and play (please no flip flops)
- indoor shoes with non-marking sole
- mask and a spare mask or 2
- a pouch/fanny pack for masks while at recess if you wish
- sunhat
- a positive attitude
What Not to Bring...
Please do not bring:
- valueables
- electronics/devices (students who bring a cellphone will place it in the lockbox that each classroom teacher has, for the day)
- medication, drugs or alcohol
- anything scented (including scented hand sanitizer - please leave that at home)
- toys and stuffies
Thank you for understanding that we are not responsible for lost or broken belongings.
Getting Ready for School - A Few Tips!
Positive Messaging: Children will be looking to adults to determine how they should react to situations, to provide reassurance and to answer questions/concerns they may have. Do your best to share positive messaging about the challenges ahead and be mindful about what personal worries and concerns you share.
Begin Practicing: Begin or continue to practice mask wearing and physical distancing in the community and in social gatherings. Students will need time to become accustomed to these protocols and will need to develop stamina for wearing a mask. Continue to establish and practice hand-washing/sanitizing routines at home before/after transitioning to new places and spaces. We will be washing our hands a lot during the school day!
Seek Support: Reach out to other families to share ideas and strategies for preparing students for the new normal of school. Access community resources to support your child's mental health and well-being or to access support for yourself. Email or call the school if you have specific questions/concerns related to your child - our whole team is here to help!
Bus Information
Arriving on the bus:
- As students are welcomed off the bus by a staff member, they will walk directly to their designated class cohort line up spot (below). Staff will be present to support students in finding their line up and to supervise the lines. Kindergarten students and students with special needs will be accompanied by a staff member. Students will wait in their class cohort line until the bell rings at 8:55am and then be escorted by their teacher into the school directly to their classroom.
- Should a bus arrive at 8:55am students will be accompanied into the school and be brought directly to their classroom
- Students are asked to respect physical distancing guidelines
Departing on the bus:
- Students will be escorted by a staff member to their bus
- Physical distancing protocols will remain while going to the bus
Parents Drop Off & Pick Up
Grades 1-8
- Parents are asked to drop students off independently where possible. For younger/new students, parents may come on to the school yard to drop off/pick up their child, but should leave immediately and may not congregate. Social distancing will be expected.
- All climbers and equipment are CLOSED before school and students are not to be on them
- Drop off as close to 8:55am as possible. Supervision does not begin until 8:40 and students will be expected to go directly to their class line when they arrive on the school yard every morning. In the event of inclement weather students will enter the school at 8:55am and not before as we cannot have students gathering in hallways.
- Students will walk directly to their class cohort line up; staff will be on the yard (wearing bright vests) to help direct children
- First period teachers will meet their class at the line up at 8:55am and will do an orderly entry into the school, one cohort at a time, maintaining physical distancing.
- Students with special education needs will be met and supervised by staff
- At the end of the day, bussed students will be walked to the bus line-ups by staff
- Students who walk or are picked up will be dismissed from their specific door (see below). Students will be dismissed at 3:15 when the bell rings.
- Students in JK-Grade 5 will be handed off to a parent at the dismissal doors. Students in Grade 6-8 will be dismissed at their door at the end of the day.
Kindergarten:
- Kindergarten families are asked to walk their child onto the yard to the Kindergarten doors and lineup area, where a staff member will greet each child and help them line up with their cohort. We request that families adhere to social distancing protocols.
- Please try to arrive at 8:55am as that is when the school day begins
- At the end of the day, parents and caregivers will need to adhere to social distancing protocols when picked up their child at the Kindergarten doors. Children will be dismissed one at a time to their parent/guardian.
- Families are encouraged to leave the school yard and not gather on the playground
Please see the map below for a visual of where each class cohort will line up at the beginning and end of the day, and for recess entry/exit. The image below is to help orient you to the correct location.
A friendly reminder that dogs and pets are not allowed on the school grounds at any time.
Recess Cohort
Kindergarten students will maintain their traditional nutrition break/recess schedule and each class wil have a designated section of the Kindergarten yard.
Routines
Students will notice signage throughout the school supporting them with reminders on how to travel through the hallways safely.
- Class cohorts will have a designated entry/exit door
- Students will wash their hands upon entry to the classroom - all classrooms have sinks with warm water, soap and paper towels
- Handwashing breaks will be ongoing throughout the day
- Educators will be taking their class outside as often as they can to allow for a masking break and to do outdoor learning activities
- Bathrooms will have a maximum occupancy capacity based on the square footage of the bathroom. Students will always be allowed to use the bathroom, but may need to wait to ensure physical distancing in the smaller space
Safe Arrival - How to Report An Absence
How to report your absence:
1. Toll-free telephone
- Call 1-855-257-9349 toll-free to report an absence using the automated phone system.
2. School Messenger App
- Use your mobile device to download and install the free SchoolMessenger blue app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, the SchoolMessenger website portal, or from within the LDSB mobile app.
- The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
- Select Attendance, then select Report an Absence and follow the prompts.
- Visit the SchoolMessenger website portal.
- The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
- Select Attendance, then Report an Absence and follow the prompts.
School Year Calendar
The Ministry of Education has approved the Limestone District School Board’s 2021-2022 School Year Calendar.
The approved calendar allows for a traditional start for students following Labour Day. The first day of school for students will be Tuesday, September 7, 2021. Staff will begin the school year with a Professional Activity (PA) Day on Friday, September 3, 2021.
Every school year must include a minimum of 194 school days including seven PA Days and 187 instructional days. Each semester is equally divided into 97 days.
Provincial Regulation 304: School Year Calendar requires the following school holidays:
- Every Saturday and Sunday
- Labour Day – Monday, September 6, 2021
- Thanksgiving Day – Monday, October 11, 2021
- 14 consecutive days for December Break – December 20, 2021 to January 2, 2022
- Family Day – Monday, February 21, 2022
- 5 consecutive days for March Break – March 14 to March 18, 2022 inclusive
- Good Friday – Friday, April 15, 2022
- Easter Monday – Monday, April 18, 2022
- Victoria Day – Monday, May 23, 2022
Additionally, there are seven Professional Activity (PA) Days throughout the year.
- Friday, September 3, 2021
- Friday, October 1, 2021
- Monday, November 1, 2021
- Wednesday, February 2, 2022 (semester 2 turnaround day)
- Friday, April 29, 2022
- Friday, June 3, 202
- Thursday, June 30, 2022
Families, caregivers, students, staff, unions and federations, and community partners were invited to provide feedback on the calendar through an online survey. Both the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board and Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board will follow the same school-year calendar due to shared transportation.
From the LDSB...
Threat/Risk Assessment Notification and Process
The Limestone District School Board and community partners are committed to making our schools safe for students and staff. As a result, schools will respond to all student behaviours that pose a potential risk to other students, staff, and members of the community. The Community Violence Threat Risk Assessment Process is designed to be proactive in developing intervention plans that address the emotional and physical safety of those involved. A Threat/Risk Assessment is initiated by the school administration or community partners when behaviours have been identified by staff or students that pose a potential risk to self and/or others. Please note: it is important for all parties to support the Violence Threat Risk Assessment Process. However, if for some reason there is a reluctance to participate in the process, by the student of concern or parent/guardian, the threat assessment process will continue in order to ensure a safe and caring environment for all. Families are asked to review the steps of a Threat/Risk Assessment online at http://bit.ly/LDSBthreatassessment .
Fairfield Staff
Support Staff:
Kristina McIlroy - ECE
Susan Ramsay - ECE
Christine Thompson - EA
Shannon Beal - EA
Quinn Pilon - EA
Tammy Cobb - EA
Andrea Bax - EA
Carrie McCullough - EA
Laurie McNeeley - EA
Ali Abbott - EA
Mahsa Naghibzadeh - EA
Caitlin Godfrey - EA
Cindy Nolan – Office Coordinator
Erin Hickey – Head Caretaker
Dana Price– Evening Caretaker
Adam Hawkins - Evening Caretaker
Tracey Maracle-York - Student Support Counsellor
Teaching Staff:
Sarah Kelly
Tammy Dafnas
Rachael Proud
Kristin Check
Jessica Beckstead
Lindsay Scott
Sandra Colborne
Katie Norman
Diane Pennell
Mindy Zarzecki
Alison Doherty
Teri Sullivan
Rob Anderson
Kevin Wenkoff
Jo Mace
Matt Aylesworth
Hilda Barrett
Stay Up To Date! Please check the following regularly...
Fairfield ES Twitter https://twitter.com/fesfalcons_ldsb?lang=en
Fairfield ES Website https://fairfield.limestone.on.ca/
LDSB Website https://www.limestone.on.ca/
LDSB Twitter https://twitter.com/LimestoneDSB
LDSB Facebook https://tinyurl.com/wbhjtku
LDSB Instagram https://instagram.com/limestonedsb?igshid=1epyma6c0g5qd
Fairfield Elementary School
Email: frfld@limestone.on.ca
Website: https://fairfield.limestone.on.ca/
Location: 59 Kildare Avenue, Amherstview, ON
Phone: 613.389.2636
Twitter: @FESFalcons_LDSB