Parent Peek at the Week
Week of April 18th, 2022
Important Dates
Monday, April 18th - Day 0
- Happy Easter Monday to everyone who celebrates!
Tuesday, April 19th - Day 3
- First block: Jen Rutherford's class outside for the Pathways Program
- Second Block: Jess McConnell's class outside for the Pathways Program
- Third Block: Katie Howson's class outside for the Pathways Program
Wednesday, April 20th - Day 4
- First Block: Cheryl Baker's class outside for the Pathways Program
- Second Block: Kayla Gunning's class outside for the Pathways Program
- Third Block: Autumn Landry's class outside for the Pathways Program
- First Block: Kelly Bartlett/Julie Holt's class outside for the Pathways Program
Friday, April 22nd - Day 1
- Earth Day 2022
- am - second dose vaccine clinic in the gym
- Cougar Courage Awards
Upcoming Dates:
- May 2nd - School Council Meeting at 6:30pm
- May 11th and 12th - Lacrosse
- May 13th - Picture Day (rescheduled)
- May 20th - Pedal for Hope
Covid Update
Just a reminder that this is the second week that we will continue with our revised protocols to do our best to ensure the safety of everyone at Kawartha Heights. At the end of the week, we'll consult with Peterborough Public Health, review our absences and positive Covid cases and determine if we can lift them again. Stay tuned for more information!
A reminder that this week we will continue to:
- strongly encourage all students and staff to wear a tight fitting mask when inside, except for eating
- in class, desks are to stay as "islands"
- in class, students will engage in safe learning, so that students are as distanced as possible;
- open ALL classroom windows for as much of the day as possible.
- have class bathroom times to reduce cross-cohorting
- where possible, reduce cross-cohorting; for example, when it's time to go out for recess, we will go class by class, not just all classes intermixing upon dismissal
- go outside for physical education
I know that all the protocols can be confusing, and it's hard to know when to stay home. So basically, follow these 2 rules:
- if your child is unwell at all (any symptoms of illness) do not come to school. Use the provincial screener to enter your child's symptoms and it will tell you how long they need to stay home.
- if your child has tested positive, they must stay home (again, use the screener as it will tell you how many days)
And a reminder - if you've already had Covid, you can get it again. Please don't assume because you've had it you can't get it again!
Covid Daily Screener
For your reference, the screener can be found at: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/
Pathways Project
This week we have 7 classes who will be enjoying programming with Nature Nancy. A big thank you to Ms. Gunning for arranging everything!
As part of our project, Nature Nancy kindly sends along different activities that parents can do at home with their children. This month she has sent along "Exploring for Sally" and "Get a Start on your Garden". If you have some free time on the weekend, feel free to give them a try!
From the KPR Board Office....
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As we come to the end of this short week, I am inspired by the participation from students and staff during the annual International Day of Pink yesterday - it was wonderful to see everyone wearing pink and showing their support for equity, diversity and inclusion and in particular, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community!
Today is Vaisakhi and I’d like to extend best wishes for a wonderful harvest festival and a Happy New Year to those in our KPR community who celebrate this very important day. For those who will be observing Good Friday and Easter this weekend, or Pesach (Passover) from April 16-23, I would like to wish you a meaningful and joyful celebration. Next week, we will be recognizing additional days of significance including the First Day of the Festival of Ridvan and Holy Friday for those following the Julian calendar. The Equity Diversity and Inclusion Calendar includes information about these and other days of significance.
This week I want to share another inspirational #WeAreKPR story featuring Child and Youth Worker (CYW), Emily Hildenbrand, and Educational Assistant (EA), Jeffrey Fay at Apsley Central Public School. This exemplary team works in partnership every day to support student success and make a positive impact in their school community!
As we enter into the long weekend, I would like to extend my sincere best wishes for a safe and restful long weekend. I hope you and your loved ones are able to safely connect and find joy and happiness during this weekend and throughout the spring season.
Sincerely,
Rita
KPR NEWS
Masking and COVID-19 Updates
While our schools continue to promote respectful and inclusive environments where everyone’s personal choice about wearing masks is respected, we strongly encourage all our students and staff to wear masks indoors at school.
As we have throughout the pandemic, we continue to work closely with our public health partners and will continue to provide important COVID-19 updates to our school communities and families.
This week we have shared home to families further information directly from the Durham Regional Health Department, and the Haliburton, Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit. Similar to information we shared last week to families on behalf of Peterborough Public Health, our local health unit partners strongly encourage the use of masks in indoor spaces as one of the most effective ways to protect ourselves and those around us. This recommendation was reiterated earlier this week by Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.
For those who have asked why, as a school district, we have not taken further action in this area, the Ministry of Education’s clear direction is that school boards are not public health authorities and do not have the authority to impose further health requirements for students and staff.
As such, while we cannot mandate mask use, we will continue to strongly encourage our students, staff and families to wear masks in school, in accordance with the provincial and local recommendations.
Masking, coupled with other public health measures such as physical distancing, proper hand hygiene, and staying home when sick, continue to be effective strategies for reducing the spread of COVID-19. We ask that everyone attending school continue to screen daily using the provincial screening tool at: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/
By working together and following the guidance of provincial and local health authorities, we can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
Online Graduation Requirements for Secondary Students
The Ontario Ministry of Education has mandated a new graduation requirement for secondary students to complete a minimum of two eLearning credits as part of the 30 credits required for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). This requirement begins with the cohort of students who entered secondary school in the 2020-21 school year, which means they are now in Grade 9 or Grade 10.
Students that choose to complete the Online Graduation Requirement for the upcoming school year (2022/23), are asked to contact the guidance department at their secondary school by April 19th for timetabling considerations.
Families who choose to opt-out of the requirement to complete two e-learning (online) courses in secondary school must complete the opt-out form prior to Grade 12 and submit the completed form to your child’s school.
For more information about the online graduation requirement, please contact your child’s secondary school.
Virtual High School Registration for Quad 4
The opportunity to transition between Virtual High School and in-person learning for Quadmester Four is available to students until April 22, 2022. Students and families should contact their home school if they would like to request a transfer.