Coldstream's Back to School Plan
Coldstream Elementary. August 28, 2020
Welcome Back!
Our planning at the school will rely on accurate information from our school community. Please ensure that we have your accurate contact information. If you have moved over the break please confirm your child's attendance. New families to our area can register starting Monday, August 31st.
Lots of changes - but some things haven't changed
- caring teachers and staff who will be very excited to see our students return to class
- enthusiastic students enjoying their friends and connecting with new teachers
- a focus on learning and students achieving their best
- a committed PAC there to assist and support in all that we do
- learning support specialists to assist with specialized programming
- Coldstream school spirit that is second to none!
- a clean and orderly school site
- access to outdoor learning at Coldstream Park
- artwork and creativity - our walls will soon fill with beauty!
- jokes in the morning
- Happy Birthdays
- music - song/ dance/ instruments
- action on the soccer field and basketball court
- laughter in the building
- learning from our mistakes
- taking on a challenge and being so proud when we finally get it
- meeting new friends
- being kind - helping others - using our manners
- filling buckets
- love of learning and being in an amazing school community
We can do this Coldstream! Watch us Soar!
Guiding factors in our district and school planning
Key safety planning includes:
· Organizing students into learning groups (cohorts), and keeping learning groups as small as possible (below the established maximums set by the Ministry of Education).
· Limiting physical contact within established learning groups.
· Encouraging physical distancing outside the established learning group.
· Making non-medical masks available to students and staff
Know the facts
o All of our safety planning aligns with guidance from the BCCDC, PHO, Interior Health, WorkSafeBC and the Ministry of Education
o Familiarize yourself with symptoms of COVID-19
o Be aware of the daily health-check (attached). Parents must do a health check of their child each day & staff must do a personal health check daily.
o If symptoms are present; stay home and use the online self -assessment tool and contact 8-1-1 or your health care provider for further guidance and testing.
Learning Groups
Indoor learning groups at Coldstream will be the class groupings which include all the students and their classroom teacher(s). These numbers will be less than 30 students.
Outdoor learning groups will be less than 60 and include up to two classrooms. Their outdoor times will be in designated areas with the two class groups.
Symptomatic at School - Staff or Students
Everyone is expected to stay at home if they are not well. Even mild symptoms will require students and staff to remain at home and follow guidelines for return.
Parents are expected to do a health check for their child every day and keep them home if they are ill.
If a child or staff member becomes ill while at school -
Individuals will promptly be separated from others and placed in an isolation room (our medical room).Parent/caregiver will be contacted to pick up an ill student immediately.
Staff with symptoms will leave the school immediately and be replaced by non-enrolling staff or administration.
If a confirmed COVID-19 positive case occurs, public health will direct school administration to determine if any staff/student should self-isolate or if other staff and students' families should be notified.
Safety measures
- to increase cleaning of buses
- to clean high touch surfaces throughout the day (at least twice every 24 hours)
General cleaning will continue to occur at least once every 24 hours.
Everyone will practice regular hand hygiene (see poster here) and cough/sneeze etiquette.
Students and staff are expected to wash their hands:
· before they load a bus
· before and after eating
· before and after playing on playgrounds
· after using the washroom
· after entering the school.
Extra hand sanitization stations are available at the school including each entrance and areas without a sink.
Our ventilation systems have been inspected and are in good order.
Other reminders for students include:
-Avoid touching your face.
-Do not share food or drink.
-Students are not to bring shared food to school (eg. birthday cupcakes)
Masks
Masks are strongly recommended for students in Kindergarten to Grade 5 in these areas outside of their classroom groups.
Combined classes of Grade 5 & 6 will ask the Grade 5s to follow the same 6+ guidelines.
All casual staff, TTOCs, specialist staff (music, library, Education Assistants, counsellors, administrators and support workers working in close proximity to students across learning groups will wear masks when working at school sites and physical distancing can't be maintained.
Immunocompromised individuals
According to the PHO and BCCDC, most children who are immunocompromised can return to in-class instruction when safety measures are in place.
The PHO and BCCDC recommends parents and caregivers of children with complex conditions or underlying risk factors, or parents and caregivers who are immunocompromised themselves, consult with their medical health care provider to determine the level of risk regarding their child’s return to in-class instruction.
Please contact Mrs. Siegmueller if you have health concerns that will affect your attendance at school.
School Site Access
Staff and students will use designated entrances and exits. Students will be supervised when entering and exiting the building to ensure proper hand sanitizing and coordinated exits with learning groups.
Students will access the school between our morning start at 8:30 and final dismissal at 2:26.
Please ensure students do not arrive to school earlier than required, and that they head home immediately at the end of the school day.
Staff must be out of the school by 4:30pm, unless approved by the principal, & confirmed with the custodian.
Parent/ caregiver access to the school site (grounds and building) will be restricted. Parents will be asked to remain in their vehicles during drop off and pick up times and walking/ biking groups will be asked to say their goodbyes at a drop off area. Extra school staff will be available during our first days/weeks of learning to assist with student directions and support. What we learned in June is that our students and families quickly adapted to the new systems.
Visitors must contact the office to make an appointment. All visitors will need to sign in at the office.
No after-hours programs or rentals of SD22 facilities.
No school-wide assemblies or large gatherings.
Hallways and classrooms will have directional signage to ensure everyone knows how to move safely through these areas.
Lockers / cubbies will be used within the classroom learning groups.
Washrooms will be limited to 2 students at a time. A system has been set up to identify when a washroom is 'full'. We will also be making use of our single use/ non-gender washrooms to facilitate access.
Drop off and pick up routines
Student drop off should not be before 8:15.
We will have 2 drop off areas available and supervision for crosswalks.
We strongly encourage active travel with biking and walking to school.
The entrance at the east end of the field is also open for walkers or parents may choose to do their drop off/pick up at that end of the grounds.
Pick up of students will be coordinated with 2 pick up areas, designated by family last name (A-L and M-Z). Pick up will be staggered:
2:20-2:30 - families with youngest child in primary grades (K-3)
2:30 -2:40 - families with youngest child in intermediate grades (4-7)
Parents will remain in vehicles and students will be waiting in designated pick up areas.
**This plan will need to be flexible as we learn what the demands of traffic flow are for student pick up.**
Families may choose to make alternate pick up arrangements off site for older students.
Our youngest students needing more support (Kindergarten) will be given arrangements and opportunities for drop off and pick up with needed supervision and support.
Recess and Lunch Breaks
Our playground will be designated into 3 areas
- Main playground and grass area to west of school entrance.
- Large playground and grass/sand pit area
- Soccer field and basketball court area.
There will be 3 recess times:
10:00-10:20
10:20-10:40
10:40-11:00
Each of these times will have 4-6 classes outside in a designated play area with their learning group partner class.
There will be 3 lunch times (40 minutes outdoor play - eating time will be in class and supported by classroom teachers)
11:20-12:00
12:00-12:40
12:40-1:20
Each of these times will have 4-6 classes outside in a designated play area with their learning group partner class.
Teachers will be supporting their classroom of students as they exit and enter the building to ensure proper hand sanitizing and distancing is respected between students.
Eating times in the classroom will be with the classroom teacher. Instruction will occur during these breaks with activities like read aloud, class meetings and information sharing. This will support students with protocols like hand washing before and after eating and not sharing foods etc.
Bus Transportation
Buses will run in the morning and after school.
Only students who are registered to ride buses will be permitted to travel on SD22 buses.
It is very important to make sure your child/ren are registered for transportation.
Students from the same household should sit together on buses when possible.
Students should have washed their hands at home or at school prior to loading the bus.
Students are to line up two arm lengths apart when possible by household groups. More details for loading and unloading protocols will be coming from our transportation department.After school bus supervision is provided to assist with students loading the buses.
Students riding our 2nd/3rd buses that leave at 2:55 will wait in a designated area and be expected to maintain social distance (2 meters) between others not in their family or learning group.
Grade 6-12 students are required to wear a mask on buses and K-5 are strongly encouraged.
School start up week
Thursday, September 10th and Friday, September 11th - student orientation days.
We will have about half of the students attending each day.
Thursday, September 10th - Students in Grades 1-4
Friday, September 11th - Students in Grades 5-7
Kindergarten students will be on a separate gradual entry schedule. Information will be shared with those families separately.
Assessment and Reporting
o The return to full in-class instruction in September includes the following:
· Provincial curriculum for all students at all grade levels
· Regular district and provincial reporting and assessment requirements
More information is available
Visit the SD22 Pandemic Response Plan & Exposure Control Plan for more information (see Plan here) including:
o Safety Plans and Controls
o Cleaning Protocols
o Kindergarten Entry
o Trauma Informed Practice
o Mental Health Supports
o Inclusive Education
o International Students
o Indigenous Students
o Class Materials
o Food & Meal Plans
o Sports, Clubs and Extracurricular Activities
o Tournaments, Competitions, & Festivals
o Music, Dance, Drama and Physical Education Programs
o Field Trips
o Playgrounds
o Work Placements & Apprenticeships
When will we get more info about classes and other start up info?
- school supplies
- contact information
- medical planning for students
- first weeks important dates
- staffing details
On Wednesday, September 9th, families will be emailed with information about their classroom teacher, designated morning gathering point and other details about your child's orientation time.
Kindergarten Gradual Entry
Thank you for your patience. We could not begin this planning until our final approval of processes came from the Ministry of Education. We will send the new schedule to Kindergarten families by Wednesday, September 2nd.
PAC Information Meeting - Tues. Sept 1 5pm - Zoom
Mrs. Siegmueller will share information about school start up and our PAC will share their ideas and plans for moving ahead. They are looking for a couple more people to join their executive group. If you have skills and interest (they can train :) in the area of treasurer or secretary, let us know. An email invitation will be sent to all families on the morning of September 1st.
Coldstream Elementary
Email: csiegmueller@sd22.bc.ca
Location: 10104 Kalamalka Road, Coldstream, BC, Canada
Phone: 250-545-0597
Twitter: @coldstreamel