Campus Re-Opening Logistics Pre-K

We all have an important role to play in keeping our school safe and open for our students.  We ask that before you come to school each day, you use our Health Screening Tool to complete a self-assessment to ensure that you and your daughter are free from fever and other symptoms associated with COVID-19. Your daughter will be asked each day about her self-assessment.  Anyone who has symptoms outlined in the ‘COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms’ on the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 website will not be allowed access to the school.

Families of students in Pre-kindergarten should arrive between 8-9 am.  When you arrive, you will be greeted by a member of staff who will direct you to the Pre-kindergarten Active Screening Area.  Here, your daughter will be welcomed, have her temperature taken and be asked some screening questions as part of her new school routine.  Once she has been screened, she will enter the Pre-Kindergarten playground under the supervision of her teachers.  We ask that you make your way to your car as quickly and efficiently as possible to make room for other families.

A diagram indicating key drop-off and pick-up areas is here.

Your daughter will wear the Early Years’ summer uniform, which consists of a gingham dress, bike shorts, and socks.  Depending on the weather, she may also want to wear her Elmwood fleece jacket. In terms of footwear, she should have a pair of indoor shoes and a pair of outdoor shoes or boots.  Indoor shoes will stay at school.
 

Uniform items can be ordered here.  By the end of September, we will add the “winter polo dress” to the Uniform Shop Online Order form to purchase that for the cooler months.

For the first day of school, your daughter should bring an extra set of clothes (including uniform, underwear and socks), a water bottle, sunscreen and a sunhat for outdoor play and a small blanket for rest time that can remain at school.

Please note that the daily schedule may change as we will prioritize outdoor  learning as much as possible so please ensure your daughter is dressed for outdoor learning. 
 

8:00 - 9:00  Arrival and outdoor learning
9:00 -9:10   Transition to indoors
9:20 - 9:40  Group time
9:40 - 10:00  Snack
10:00 - 11:00 Learning centres (may be outdoor learning) 
11:00 - 11:20  Tidy up and transition to lunch
11:40 - 12:00 Lunch / Prepare for lunch
12:00  Group Story time 
12:15 - 1:30 Rest time (Quiet activities for non sleepers)
1:40-2:00 Snack
2:00 - 3:00 Outdoor learning
3:00 Departure

The day for students in Pre-Kindergarten ends at 3 pm. Aftercare is available to Pre-kindergarten students from 3:00 to 5:30 pm.

Your child will be brought outside to you at the pre-kindergarten playground at the end of the day. 

If your child is enrolled in the After Care Program, please call the after school programme cell phone number to inform the educators that you have arrived. The educators will bring your child to you outside the pre-kindergarten playground gate.

A diagram indicating key drop-off and pick-up areas is here.

If a staff member becomes concerned that a student is exhibiting signs of illness, or if a student complains of symptoms, Ms. Marchand, Director of Health, Safety and Wellness will be engaged and the protocol outlined by Ottawa Pubic Health (OPH) will be followed. 

The student will be accompanied to the Junior School isolation room for further assessment and, should the symptoms be confirmed, a decision will be made to have parents pick-up the student and any other household contacts at school.  The isolation room and other affected areas will be cleaned as per ministry guidelines.

The student and other household members must self-isolate and it is recommend they get tested for COVID-19.  Testing must be conducted at one of OPH’s Assessment Centres with a  nasopharyngeal swab (NP swab) and all members of the household must self-isolate while awaiting the results.

In the event of a NEGATIVE result, students (and household members) who have had no symptoms for 24 hours may return to school.

In the event of a POSITIVE result, the household will be directed by OPH to self-isolate for 14 days.

Should the student choose not to get tested, they (and any household members) must remain home for 14 days.  Students who provide written proof of an alternate diagnosis from their Healthcare Provider, may return to school once they have been symptom free for 24 hours.  

In order to reduce any stress or anxiety associated with this procedure, every effort will be made to communicate to the students that this safety precaution is an important part of our regular health routine to protect our community. 

If a student is diagnosed with COVID-19, the Head will follow the directions from Ottawa Public Health to notify all of those that may have been in contact with the student. Contact tracing will take place in consultation with Ottawa Public Health, and some students and staff may need to self-isolate for 14 days.  During that time, students can be supported through At-Home Learning to ensure a continuity of education and connection.  
 

We encourage all members of our community to download Health Canada’s COVID Alert app to be notified if someone you were near recently has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Government of Canada has issued an Emergency Order under the Quarantine Act that requires any person entering Canada by air, sea, or land to self-isolate for 14 days whether or not they have symptoms of COVID-19.  Compliance is mandatory and enforceable.

If you are returning to Canada from elsewhere, whether or not you have symptoms you must:

• Go directly to the place where you will isolate, do not stop anywhere, and stay in your place of isolation for 14 days from the date you arrived in Canada.
• Limit contact with others in the place of isolation, including children.
• Stay in a separate room and use a separate bathroom from others in your home, if possible.
• Do not have visitors.
• Do not leave your place of isolation unless it's to get medical attention.
• Do not come to school and do not go into the community.

Please visit the Ottawa Public Health website for more information.

In the event of a positive COVID-19 test results for any students or teacher, the Head of School and the Director of Health, Safety and Wellness will work with Ottawa Public Health, and our school’s case manager, to support contact tracing and the appropriate safety protocols.  As per the suggestion of Ottawa Public Health, information about the number of positive cases at the school will be available in a dashboard posted on the Return to School page of our website.  

When a teacher is required to stay at home, either for their own health reasons or the health reasons of a family member, the first and preferred option is to have their classes covered by a member, or members, of the on-campus teaching staff- including teachers who do not have their own class at that time and leadership team staff who can step in.  If required, we will access our list of preferred supply teachers.  These are teachers who have a known relationship with the school and have committed to not supply teach at other schools.
 

We understand there may be questions as the school year starts, and we are committed to getting you the information you need in the most efficient way. Director of Health, Safety and Wellness, Ms. Marchand, is supported by our Joint Health and Safety Committee which includes representation from each school division, our facilities team and the Elmwood Bistro. If you have a question related to health and safety at Elmwood, send your email to health@elmwood.ca and it will be directed to the person best suited to answer your question.