Dear Parents,

Thank you again for your commitment and flexibility with online learning. I am so excited to be heading back to school with our sweet class. Your children are such a joy. Students can view a video post in Seesaw made on Friday to see how the class is set up and get a glimpse of where they will be sitting. Please help students understand the new masking rules and ensure they come into school with a mask each day. This week we will spend some time reviewing some of our online learning and going over classroom routines. We will have a spelling test on Friday. I apologize that I sent the wrong list on Friday. It’s been so long that I forgot what list we were on in December. Student’s will come home with list #11 on Monday. That will be the only homework for this week.

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow! – Miss Kennedy

If you haven’t already read over the email from Mrs. MacNeill outlining our back to school plan, please take time to read it below.

GCS Parents,

As we prepare to return to in-person learning on Monday, January 31, please take time to review our January 2022 Back To School Plan which summarizes the public health guidelines that will be in effect beginning on Monday, January 31, 2022.  I have attached this document below, however it can also be accessed on our school website.

Daily Screening Tool:

All students, staff, and visitors must complete daily home screening for symptoms of COVID-19 using the COVID-19 symptom screening tool attached below.  This can also be accessed on our school website.

Parents and caregivers are responsible for assessing their children daily before sending them to school. If they are feeling unwell or experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of how mild, they should remain at home and access testing at a drop-in testing clinic at the earliest opportunity. They are required to self isolate until the results are received and a negative test is confirmed. Staff, students, or visitors will be sent home if symptoms arise during the school day.  

Testing Recommendations:

Prior to the resumption of in-person classes on Monday, January 31st, all students and staff will be asked to take two rapid antigen screening tests, 48 hours apart. If both test results are negative, the student or staff person may attend school.  We are requesting that these tests be administered on Friday (Jan 28) and Sunday (Jan 30) during the evening hours.

As well, students will be asked to take rapid antigen screening tests up to 3 times per week during the first few weeks of school. Others who share a household with students and staff are not required to test. We are requesting that these tests be administered on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings next week.

Initial boxes of rapid test kits are still available to be picked up at GCS if you have not already done so; GCS will be open for test kit pickups tomorrow (Friday) from 10am-2pm. Additional testing kits will be sent home with students next week. While this testing regime is only a recommendation, please note that in taking these tests, you are helping the entire GCS community return to school safely and reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 unknowingly.

Masking Mandates:

All K-12 students, staff, and visitors are required to wear masks in all indoor areas of school facilities, including in classrooms, while transitioning between classrooms and other school areas, staff areas, and while on school buses should travel be required for class purposes. Masks are not required outdoors and may be removed when eating or drinking. Masks may also be removed temporarily to engage in an educational activity that would otherwise be inhibited by the mask (i.e. engaging in physical activity, playing a wind instrument, etc.) Instructional staff may remove their mask if it inhibits instruction, however they must maintain physical distancing if doing so.

All students and staff should have access to good quality 3-layer masks.

By following this directives mandated by the CPHO, we are able to significantly reduce students that will be considered close contacts in the event of a positive case inside your child’s classroom.

Case Management Strategy:

As the liaison between GCS and our provincial Chief Public Health Office, I will have additional information to share with families regarding our case management plan in the coming days. This plan outlines the responsibilities of parents to report a student’s positive case, the school’s response strategies for close contacts and exposures, and additional information outlining testing and isolation requirements.

Thank you all for your continued support in helping us return to in-person learning next week.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Natalie MacNeill