COVID-19 Information

UPDATED OCTOBER 5, 2020

It is crucial that all of our staff and students stay safe and healthy. In order to do this, all parents must answer the following questions on behalf of their child(ren) using the Sycamore website:

STEP ONE: Does your child have any of the following:

• Fever and/or chills (Temperature of 37.8C/100.0F)
• Cough (Unrelated to asthma or chronic)
• Shortness of breath (Unrelated to asthma)

IF YES TO ANY OF THE ABOVE: STAY AT HOME 
Seek medical advice, including the recommendation of testing for COVID-19 as appropriate

• If Doctor clears student for return without testing:
  • 24-hour fever free without the use of medication
  • Symptom must be MUCH improved for at least 24 hours
• If student is tested for COVID-19:
  • Negative test result AND 24 hours fever free without the use of medication
• If student does not see doctor or get tested:
  • 14 days before returning, and at least 24 hours symptom-free

STEP TWO: Does your child have any of the following:

• Sore throat
• Stuffy and/or runny nose
• Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Fatigue, muscle aches, general unwell feeling

IF YES TO ONLY ONE OF THE ABOVE: STAY AT HOME 

• If the symptom is MUCH improved after 24 hours, and child feels well enough, return to school
• If the symptom does not improve, gets worse, or student develops another symptom after 24 hours:
  • Use the protocol in STEP ONE

IF YES TO TWO OF THE ABOVE:
Use the protocol in STEP ONE

STEP THREE: Answer These Questions:

• Has your child travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days?
• Has your child been identified as a close contact of someone who is confirmed as having COVID-19 by Public Health or from the COVID alert app?

IF YES TO ANY OF THE ABOVE: Stay at home pending testing and/or 14 days symptom free.

Always inform office@jkcs-oakville.ca and the homeroom teacher when you need to keep a student home.

For any questions regarding these procedures, please contact cbuckingham@jkcs-oakville.ca.

Teachers and staff will be required to answer the following questions before entering the school:

1. Have you or someone in your household travelled outside of Ontario in the last 14 days?
    
2. Are you experiencing ANY of the following symptoms not related to seasonal allergies or pre-existing medical conditions:
    
   • Cough that is new or worsening?
   • Barking cough or whistling while breathing?
   • Runny nose?
   • Sore throat or difficulty swallowing?
   • Diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, or digestion issues?
   • Shortness of breath or chest congestion?
   • Extreme tiredness that is unusual?
   • Muscle aches that are unusual or long lasting?
   • Falling down often?
   • Sluggishness or lack of appetite?
   • Pink eye?
   • Chills?
   • Loss of taste or smell? 
      
3. Have you been in contact (closer than 2 metres or living in the same house) with someone who shows symptoms or has tested positive for COVID-19?
    
4. Do you have a temperature of 37.8 C or higher this morning?
    
   • Please actually take your temperature each morning

All students are required to enter the building through their assigned door and go immediately to their classroom.

Parents will arrive at the entrance to the JKCS parking lot. Staff will direct parents to use one of the parking lot driving lanes. Students will be waiting in the parking lot at assigned areas based on grade level. (See photo below for specific grade areas.) Parents will drive towards their child's area and wait for a staff member to escort their child to the vehicle. Multiple children may mean multiple stops. 

Click HERE to watch a video of the parking lot pick up procedures. 

Student safety is our number one priority. At the end of the school day, we need to consider traffic safety AND physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Carefully following these guidelines will result in a safe and efficient afternoon pick up:

STUDENTS

• MUST stay in their designated area with teachers at ALL times, maintaining physical distancing
• MUST be escorted to vehicles, regardless of age

PARENTS

• Display your Family Sign in the vehicle window, clearly visible for staff
• Must NEVER change lanes in the parking lot
• Must stop in front of the correct grade level area, where a staff member will walk your child to the vehicle
  • This may require multiple stops for multiple students
• Pick ups begin at 3:35 pm
  • Consider arriving at 3:45 pm to avoid the first rush

TEACHERS/STAFF

• Will wear orange vests and use walkie talkies for communication (when needed)
• Each grade level will be equipped with a Stop/Slow hand sign to direct traffic while escorting students across a lane of traffic to their vehicles
• Will remain with students until all students are picked up or are brought to After Care

Classes will be divided into groups of 15 or fewer students.

The classroom teacher will be responsible for all lesson planning, assessments, and parent contact.

Educational Assistants will be hired to help with student learning.

Teachers will equitably distribute their time between both cohorts.

Chapels will still take place! This year, our chapels will be delivered remotely to each classroom from grades 1 to 8.

The chapel theme this year will be centred around the theme of diversity and empathy.

Yes, JKCS students will follow the government requirements for hand washing, physical distancing, and mask wearing. 

• Students will wash and/or sanitize their hands on a regular basis
• Students will be required to remain 2 metres apart, and teachers will encourage students towards that goal
• Students should wear a 2- or 3-ply non-medical mask. (Students should bring enough masks to school in a ziplock or sealable container to change masks after each break. We recommend student wear a mask to school and bring two spares.)
• Students in grades 1 to 8 will be required to wear a mask indoors
• Students in grades JK and SK will not be required to wear a mask, but are strongly encouraged to do so.

Yes, we will.

• Staff will wash and/or sanitize their hands on a regular basis
• Staff will wear a medical mask provided by the school each day upon entry.
• Staff will remain 2 metres apart, and will wear a face shield when teaching
• If a staff member must come closer than 2 metres to a student to help with their learning, a face mask will be worn 
• Staff will wear face masks except in cases where they would like to have the students see their full face and are a minimum of 2 metres from all students (for example, at the front of the class while teaching a lesson)

Students should wear a 2- or 3-ply, non-medical cloth mask. Staff will wear a medical mask provided by the school each day upon entry.

Students should bring extra masks to school. They will need to change into new masks after breaks. We recommend bringing two extra masks to school every day.)

Students should keep their spare mask in a clean container or a sealable plastic bag. 

After each recess time, the high intensity touch points in our school building will be disinfected.

After each recess time, the outdoor playground equipment will be disinfected.

Our teachers will use technology that allows them to teach synchronously, regardless of where the child is located. 

To provide learning during COVID-19 that includes two cohorts in some classrooms and at-home learners, we are now using cameras in our classrooms. Please note:

1. A camera feed will be available via a secure Google Meet link that cannot be accessed without a JKCS email address and a direct link.
2. Your child may appear on camera at various points of the day if and when it facilitates learning. (For example, when answering a question or presenting to his or her peers.)
3. The main camera feed will follow your child's teachers.
4. When your child is learning from home, their video will appear in the classroom on a screen that broadcasts Google Meet. This allows the teacher to interact with your child.
5. We take confidentiality seriously. At no time will students or parents be permitted to "screenshot" or record the Google Meets.
6. Your child's teacher may choose to record classes if students are missing, in order for these students to catch up at a later time. These recordings will be securely stored in our JKCS Google Drive and released for streaming only to specific JKCS students as needed.
7. It is important to remember that these videos are meant to facilitate learning. They are not intended to give parents a live feed of classes. To create as authentic a classroom experience as possible for our students, we kindly ask parents to refrain from participating in live lessons.
8. For more information, please contact noudyk@jkcs-oakville.ca. 

Rotary teachers will go to the students so that the students do not have to move from their desks. 

Rotary teachers will wear all appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Rotary teachers will be limited in younger grades in which students are not required to wear masks. (Grades JK to 3)

Playground equipment will be cleaned between recess periods.

Students may get closer than 2 meters while outdoors BUT they must not touch each other. 

Masks are recommended, even outdoors, but not required.

Students should only be in their assigned "zone" during each recess break.

Balls must be cleaned between recess periods and not shared between cohorts.

Children should performa proper hand hygiene prior to sports activities/outdoor play/playground use. Students will wash their hands BEFORE and AFTER every recess. 

All gym classes will take place outdoors. Changing into gym uniforms will NOT happen for the time being. 

Physical education classes will consider safety very carefully:

• Sports that require close proximity to others are cancelled
• Sports equipment (balls, hockey sticks, etc.) will be cleaned at the end of the activity

Many music classes will be held outdoors. Students will not share instruments.

Extra curricular choir and band programs are paused.

BASC will take place OUTSIDE, unless there is inclement weather. Students will play on the Primary Playground and may use the outdoor tables to complete homework if desired. This playground will be reserved for the EXCLUSIVE use of our BASC program, both before and after school. 

In the event of inclement weather, BASC will move to the JKCS lobby.

Unfortunately, most of our extra-curricular activities will NOT be offered this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Masks will be mandatory on the school bus for ALL students from grades JK to 8.

Drivers will wear masks or shields where possible while driving. Any driver that assists students on or off the bus will wear a mask. 

Students will be assigned seats on the bus. Siblings will share seats on the bus. The number of assigned seats will depend on the number of children in the family. (A maximum of two students are permitted per seat. A family with three or four children would be assigned two seats on the bus.)

If a student becomes symptomatic during the school day:

• One staff member will remain the contact point for the student (Hereby referred to as Contact Staff)
• The student will be brought outdoors OR into the Health Room to await pick up
• The student will be able to use a washroom, exclusively
• Contact Staff will wear full PPE
• The Welcome Desk or Office Staff will call home to arrange immediate pick up
• The student MAY NOT RETURN to school until they are tested with a negative result for COVID-19 OR for 14 days
• The Principal or Vice Principal must report all confirmed cases of COVID-19 to Halton Public Health as soon as confirmation is received from a parent/guardian or staff member
• IF COVID-19 IS CONFIRMED:
  • A positive test result will trigger careful adherence to protocol from Halton Public Health
  • Halton Public Health is responsible for determining if an outbreak exists, declaring an outbreak, and providing direction on outbreak control measures to be implemented
  • However, even though an outbreak may be declared in the school, the Public Health Unit will assist in determining which cohort(s) may be sent home, or if a partial or full school closure is required, based on the scope of the outbreak

While an individual suspected to have COVID-19 is waiting for test results, they must be in isolation and CANNOT attend school in person. Students may attend school virtually if they feel well enough to participate.

Individuals who have had a COVID-19 test because of symptoms, but who test negative, should not return to school until AT LEAST 24 hours after their symptoms have resolved.

Individuals who have travelled outside of the province should isolate for 14 days. 

Where an individual has tested positive for COVID-19, Halton Public Health will be in contact with JKCS to provide further direction on returning to school.

An ill individual who has received a known alternative diagnosis from a health care provider may return to school once symptoms have been resolved for at least 24 hours.

Parents and guardians should complete the daily checklist every morning.

• Parents should complete this checklist using Sycamore.School EVEN ON WEEKENDS.
• Teachers should double-check this health check was submitted using Sycamore before allowing students to enter the building.

Any fever of 37.8 C or higher constitutes an at-home learning day with possible quarantine.

Any symptomatic students must also stay home.

Health and Safety Differentiation for PEEL AND TORONTO
Student Screening

• Halton Public Health (HPH) now requires residents of Peel and Toronto to follow the stricter protocols put in place by the Peel and Toronto Public Health Boards on Monday, December 9.
   
• If a child living in Peel or Toronto has even ONE mild COVID symptom, they are required to stay home for 10 days and/or get tested. Also, all members of their household will be required to stay home pending test results or 14 days.
   
• Peel and Toronto Public Health have updated their pediatric screening recommendations due to the commonly mild presentations of COVID-19 in children and the high positivity rate (>10%) in this age group.

If a parent keeps a symptomatic child at home, they should alert the office AND the homeroom teacher to ensure attendance and participation using technology.

Learning from home? Please follow these steps to ensure your child has a successful learning experience!

1. If your child regularly attends school in person and needs to change to at-home learning for a month or due to illness, please alert the office via email (office@jkcs-oakville.ca) AND your child’s homeroom teacher via email.

2. Please have your child dressed and ready to start learning at 8:30 am.

3. There is differentiation when it comes to what portion of your child’s day is synchronous learning. Your homeroom teacher will advise you. In grades 5-8, your child will follow the daily schedule which will be linked to your child’s Classroom Connection. This will ensure your child learns synchronously and gets breaks and lunch.

4. Your child must keep his or her web camera turned on to participate in class. Your child is not permitted to record or screenshot during class time.

5. Please ask your child to learn using headphones if possible.

6. To better support your child(ren) learning from home, we will require parents to pick up packets of material from your child(ren)’s teacher(s) twice a month. Please plan to come to the school during school hours on the first and third Wednesday of each month to pick up.

7. Please create a learning space at home. We recommend:

   • A table or desk outside of your child’s bedroom.

   • Access to a plug to keep technology working throughout the day.

   • A quiet atmosphere.

   • Cell phones stored until the end of the school day.

   • Consider adjusting the lighting and the backdrop of your child’s web camera to allow us to see them clearly.​​​​​​​

1. Classroom Camera feed will be available via a secure Google Meet link that cannot be accessed without a JKCS email address and a direct link. 

2. The main camera feed will follow your child’s teachers. 

3. When your child is learning from home, their video will appear in the classroom on a screen that broadcasts Google Meet. This allows the teacher to interact with your child during the class

4. We take confidentiality seriously. At no time will students or parents be permitted to “Screenshot” or record Google Meets.

5. It is important to remember that these videos are meant to facilitate learning, and are not intended to give parents a live feed of classes. To create as authentic a classroom experience as possible for our students, we kindly ask parents to refrain from participating in live lessons.

Our grade 5 and 6 students will learn at Noble Hall, located at the corner of Royal Windsor Drive and Ford Drive.

Parents will drop their child off at Noble Hall in the morning.

Students who take the bus to school will remain on the bus after the other students are dropped off at JKCS. The bus will then take the students to Noble Hall.

At the end of the day, students will walk over to the JKCS parking lot and wait for their parents to pick them up there. (Unless prior arrangements have been made.) JKCS staff will escort the students to JKCS.

Midday pick ups or drop offs MUST be arranged through the School Office. The Office Team are in touch with the personnel at Noble Hall.

All students learning at Noble Hall will have their recess time on the JKCS playground. Staff members will escort the students to and from the playground each day.

Students will be placed in cohorts of 15 or fewer.

All rotary teachers will teach the students at Noble Hall.

Physical education classes will be held on the JKCS playground.

Staff and students will be walking back and forth from Noble Hall to John Knox Christian School. 

The walk takes between five and six minutes, one way. 

If staff and students are ordered to continue learning from home, JKCS will have 2-3 transition days to ensure that all lessons are prepared, the at-home packages are prepared, and the necessary technology equipment is distributed at an announced pick-up day. 

If a parent wishes to change their child's regular place of learning (at-home or at-school), that may take place at the beginning of each month.

When possible, and when permitted, we encourage all students to learn at JKCS.

We will support any parents who are concerned about the safety of their children, and we will ensure that the at-home learning platform is an option for those parents.

Changes to the place of learning other than ones at the beginning of the month must be approved by administration. The "administration" includes the Principal and any one of the Vice-Principals. Please note that the arrangements, if approved by administration, may not be fully transitioned immediately as materials and instructions must be prepared and communicated.

Students may go online if they are presenting symptoms of illness that are preventing them from being in class, such as fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy/runny nose, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, fatigue, muscle aches, or a general unwell feeling.  

Changes to the place of learning other than ones made at the beginning of the month must be approved by administration. The "administration" includes the Principal and any one of the Vice-Principals. Please note that the arrangements, if approved by administration, may not be fully transitioned immediately as materials and instructions must be prepared and communicated.

If your child is feeling healthy and has not made prior arrangements for online learning, then they are not to go online, but instead either be on campus or be absent for the day.

Our health curriculum will include an emphasis on mental health.

Mr. Fledderus, our Physical Education teacher, and Mrs. Bosch, from our Student Support Services Department, will provide leadership in this area.

OUr teachers will work closely with parents to provide support during this time.

Additional needs will be met through conversations with staff.

Parents may wish to consider professional help, if they feel it is necessary.

We have formed a staff and Board team that will consult best practice and lead the staff through a variety of experiences to build out authenticity and resiliency.

Integrating our new families into the JKCS community is very important to us. Our teachers will pay close attention to the integration of our new students. Our staff will be reaching out to our new families to ensure that their transition into the JKCS community is going smoothly.

We encourage new families to communicate with us and to tell us how their integration is going.

We lament the fact that many of our community events will be cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Watch the school calendar to see which events will be held remotely, and which ones are cancelled. 

The events that take place on our property, and which bring large groups of people together, are cancelled. This includes the school BBQ, family breakfasts, and the opening assembly. 

Parents are NOT permitted to enter the building.

If parents need to speak with the Welcome Desk personnel or the School Office team, they must call 905-829-8048. 

Unfortunately, our Used Uniform Store is CLOSED for this school year. 

Our Getting Involved For The Students (GIFTS) program is cancelled this year. 

Parents will NOT be invoiced the $1,000 fee for not volunteering.

We are blessed with a wonderful community that feels passionate about supporting our school! We know that some parents will still wish to volunteer in some capacity this year. Some of our volunteer roles may be able to continue. Watch for communication from JKCS with information about limited volunteer opportunities this year.