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2020 Back to School Message

Welcome back to our students, staff and families.!

We hope that all of our students and families have had a restful and relaxing summer and that you've all stayed healthy. Our administrative team has been busy planning for our re-entry to school during this COVID-19 pandemic.

There are a number of things that we know you will have heard about our return to school; however, we wanted to share a few items in advance for the first day of school on SEPTEMBER 8th. Things may continue to change, so we invite you to check our website for further updates.  We will continue to follow the Ministry of Education and Saskatchewan Health guidelines to ensure we are doing all we can to keep everyone safe. Ensure you keep your family contact information and email addresses up to date to receive information.

We currently have 207 student registrations and our average class sizes vary between 20 and 29 students. This number currently includes families who may have moved away or who may have opted to enroll in Regina Public School's e-Learning program. We anticipate that physical distancing in the classroom will be difficult, therefore students in grades 4-8 and all staff will be required to wear non-medical masks. Regina Public Schools will provide your child with one reusable mask. We encourage each family to purchase more than one so that a freshly laundered one may be used daily. Students in PreKindergarten to grade 3 will be strongly encouraged to also wear masks. If you can assist us by familiarizing your child(ren) with their masks, this would be appreciated!

Our school does not have lockers for everyone, so students will be required to share lockers for coats and shoes.  We will attempt to have students with a consistent partner both for locker and classroom seating partners. During instructional times, students will remain in their classroom groups – or cohorts – for the day. Specialist teachers, administration, educational assistants, etc., will interact with the cohort in their space to avoid having the students move within the school. Staff members entering classrooms will be required to wash or use hand sanitizer prior to entry and as they leave the classroom.

Students who can go home for lunch are highly encouraged to do so. Those who must stay will eat in their room with the same cohort of students. The library and gym will be closed to start the year as we will avoid any shared spaces.

Students will not work in our hallways as we were accustomed to doing in the past.  We are increasing from 2 boot rooms to 4 entry/exit points. Teachers will pick up their classes from their designated outdoor meeting place upon entry to the school. Each class will then have the same set of doors that they will enter and exit from each morning, lunch and end of the day.

Parents will not be allowed on the playground or to intermingle with our students during school hours. Parents who want to pick up children are encouraged to choose a meeting location on the perimeter of the school grounds or off of the school grounds. We encourage

you to start practicing now where you will meet your child at the end of the day if you are picking them up. We are also strongly encouraging all students/families to Stride to School or to drop off students a few blocks away from school. This would help students be active and we can avoid congestion in our bus zone and on the streets. Additionally, for safety of students and staff who may be walking, the staff parking lot is not to be used as a drop off or pick up area.

Across Regina Public Schools, recesses have been moved to limit classroom transitions. A split recess will occur during lunch. Our new hours are:

● 8:53 - 9:08 am Morning Recess

● 9:08 - 11:45am Instructional Time ●

11:45 - 12:45pm Lunch - Students who go home are encouraged to return as close to 12:45pm as possible!

 Group A will have recess from 11:45 to 12:00pm

 Group B will have recess from 12:30 to 12:45pm

● 12:45 - 3:22pm Instructional Time

● 3:22 - 3:37pm Afternoon Recess/Dismissal

 

We also ask that students who are not transported by division buses/cabs plan to arrive as close to 9:08am as possible. At 3:22pm, students who have signed permission from their parents will be free to make their way home rather than stay for recess.  Permission forms will be sent home on the first day. These are both implemented to avoid overcrowding on the playground.

Students transported by bus/cab will receive their schedules from Regina Public Schools Transportation. Masks will be mandatory for all students riding the bus/cab.

 

Please note that NO PARENTS will be allowed to enter the school without an appointment. If an appointment is needed a mask must be worn. This includes daily drop off and pick up from school.

 

This year, more than ever, we will really be relying on a lot of extra home support to maintain a safe and organized environment.  Students will NOT be allowed to phone home for any thing they may have forgotten (lunch, mask, homework) so we STRONGLY encourage you to help your child stay organized and have everything ready for the day.

 

If you are interested in remote learning, please go to https://www.reginapublica/eschool. This is not the same as the supplemental learning we provided in March-June. This online learning will encompass the full curriculum with on-going assessment.

There will be more information to come, however, we wanted to share a few details to assist you and your students for the return to Gladys McDonald School! Thank you in advance for your continued support. Our staff cannot wait to welcome you back into our school!

 

Gladys McDonald School Team

Changes to Expect at Elementary Schools

August 14, 2020 -- The return to school is just around the corner and parents, caregivers and students are preparing for a school year that will be like no other. Regina Public Schools administrators and staff are also planning, preparing and getting ready to re-open schools and restart education in a way that is as safe as possible for students and staff and that honours the guidelines and direction provided by the Government of Saskatchewan, as well as by local and provincial health and public health authorities.

What’s new?

We are encouraging elementary school parents and caregivers to register for the 2020-21 school year by going online. This is only for students new to the division, or for students going to a new school. Students enrolled at a school from a previous year are automatically registered. For families interested in e-Learning, more information will be available, including how to register. Registration will be through Regina Public Schools, and is available for all families who chose to use it. More details are coming as soon as possible.  For families interested in Home-Based Education, please follow this link. 

What to expect on the first day of school?

For health and safety and to make the transition back to school less stressful during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the first four days of school will be very different than in previous years. The first day of school is September 1, however school start will be staggered. This means that not all students will start and attend school at the same time during the first week. Exact times and details will be available soon and will also be sent to all families directly from their school in the third week of August, 2020.

The reason for this is to help students and staff transition to learning safely. During these first four days, there will be fewer students in class and teachers and other staff will be able to work more closely with students to help them adjust to safety guidelines and to learn about how their school days will be different.

Families with questions should contact their school. Schools will contact Pre-K and Kindergarten families about school start details.

 

Adjusted Recess

One way to help keep students physically distant is to limit large gatherings. In previous years, the time before and after morning and afternoon recesses were times where most students gathered in hallways and other small spaces.

New for 2020-21, all elementary schools will be following adjusted recesses. This means that the morning recess will be at 8:53 to 9:08 a.m. and the afternoon recess will be from 3:22 to 3:37 p.m. These times will have adult supervision on the playgrounds.

School transportation will also be altered to ensure that students arrive to school in ways to further encourage physical distancing on the playground and at school entrances.

What about playing and body breaks? Teachers will be providing morning and afternoon breaks for their classes during the instructional day, as needed. Individual classes on the playground will reduce crowding and may help students stay safe!

Some Regina Public Schools have been successfully using adjusted recesses for many years. They can provide teachers with more flexibility with instruction time and play time.

Note that there may be some minor time differences for schools with joint transportation or who previously had an adjusted recess. Please check with your school.

Help us cut down on school zone congestion to stay safe!

Regina Public Schools is encouraging all school families who do not use school division transportation to get to school safely. Please do not drive or stop vehicles within one block of your school. Walk, bike run and stride over to school.

Car and people congestion around schools makes keeping physically distant difficult. Please help make the transition back to school a safe one. This poster will be at all schools.

School is for students and staff!

Regina Public Schools will be limiting and restricting public access to schools. Cleaning and disinfecting all school rooms and areas will be a regular activity every day. We are trying to ensure that we know who to expect in our schools and where they will be in the building.

Schools will encourage electronic and telephone communication with parents, when possible. All school guests and visitors will be asked to contact the school prior to visiting. Before entering the school, they will be greeted by staff.

Members of the public will not be permitted into the schools and guest speakers and outside presenters will not be allowed until further notice.

Signage at schools will reinforce that all visitors and guests must call a specific phone number prior to entry.

Each school will have its own specific plan for visitor and guest safety and that will be shared with parents.

Masks required and recommended where necessary

Regina Public Schools will be requiring all Grades 4 to 12 students to wear non-medical masks while at school and recommending that all pre-kindergarten to Grade 3 students wear non-medical masks while at school. In both cases, this will apply when physical distancing is not possible.

All staff and visitors in our schools will be required to wear masks.

All students and staff using Regina Public Schools transportation will be required to wear non-medical masks while being transported. See details here.

What to expect for high school?

We are working to come up with plans to allow for safer physical distancing in our high schools. Stay tuned here – more to come as soon as plans are finalized.

Expect to hear more details directly from your schools by the third week of August.