Skip to main content
Loading...
Message to TCS families: July 23, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As indicated in my email, the purpose of today’s message is two-fold. Contained within this lengthy communication you will find updates and requests for information that we typically send to TCS families each summer. This includes submissions from several TCS offices and departments, some of which require a response from your family, so please read closely and respond accordingly so we may ensure we are well prepared for the start of the school year.

The second part of this communication is specific to this year, and reflects our commitment to provide bi-weekly written updates on the planned re-opening of school amidst the global pandemic. Of particular note, you will read about updated bus information (for our day families), quarantine updates (for our international boarding families), additional opening week schedule details, further specifics relating to health and safety measures that the School is implementing, and much more.

If you prefer, you may click here to read or print this communication as a PDF.

Summer Information for Families

Welcoming New Faculty & Staff Members

Please join us in welcoming the new members of our faculty and staff for the 2020-2021 academic year. Tim Clutton will be returning to TCS as a full-time member of the science department. Tim was with us three years ago to cover a one-year maternity leave before teaching at Greenwood College School. Tim has science and teaching degrees from Queen’s University and has experience teaching in Costa Rica, Mexico and Iraq. Tim is also an experienced canoe tripper; he speaks Spanish and coaches soccer and volleyball. Tim brings a wealth of experience and spirit and is known for his extraordinary support of students.

Academic & Student Support is pleased to welcome Megan Young as full-time athletic therapist to our Frances Price Athletic Therapy Clinic. Ms. Young’s professionalism, skill, care and initiative distinguished her work with the School this past year and will continue to serve our community well. Prior to joining TCS, Ms. Young completed a Bachelor of Kinesiology at Memorial University and a Bachelor of Applied Health Science (Hons. Athletic Therapy) at Sheridan College. Her range of field and clinical experiences at St. Andrew’s College, Sheridan College, Toronto Junior Argonauts, York Simcoe and Richmond Hill hockey teams, and within a physiotherapy clinic setting, prepared Ms. Young very well to meet the needs of our students.

The School will also benefit from a continuation of the faculty associate (FA) and residential assistant (RA) programs again this academic year. Both FA and RA groups represent a blend of TCS alumni and others with experiences and qualifications that will only enhance our community in new and exciting ways. The School has also added some program support staff this year under the title of program assistants (PA). Amongst other responsibilities, PAs will help to support the School’s various actions resulting from our pandemic response, including supervision of students who will be remaining on campus through break weekends. The PA role is aligned with the RA team and their work will also support evening study, house duty teams and the off-campus TCS-supervised quarantine program. These three groups will play an instrumental role in daily school operations through concentrated time spent supporting the School's academic, residential and co-curricular life.

From the Guidance Department

Class of 2020: The 126 graduates of the class of 2020 received 565 offers of admission, and are off to universities and other opportunities around the world, as indicated below (% of the class by destination):

  • Ontario – 52%
  • Maritimes – 7%
  • Quebec – 10%
  • Western Provinces – 3%
  • United States –10%
  • United Kingdom/Europe – 10%
  • Philippines – 1%
  • Community College – 2%
  • *GAP Year – 5%

* Many students seek experiential/travel/community service options prior to beginning post-secondary studies.

Academic year 2020-2021: Parents of Grade 11 and 12 students are encouraged to research and discuss post-secondary options and “virtually visit” universities or colleges with their children during the summer and the school year. Grade 11 and 12 guidance programming will focus on post-secondary research and applications, respectively. Information regarding the university application process will be included in the weekly Parents’ Newsletter at various times throughout the 2020-2021 school year. In addition, guidance counsellors will send an introductory email to all families in September.

Student Health Information Required

As we look to the start of the school year, our health services staff are preparing for student arrivals to campus. To aid in this process, families are being asked to review and complete two forms as they may apply to students: the Student Health Certificate Update (required for all returning students) and the Seasonal Influenza Immunization Consent Form (available to all students). Click here to download these forms.

Note: New families are required to complete the full Student Health Certificate and Immunization Forms as contained in the Registration Booklet.

It is imperative that families provide the School with complete health records, including immunization history. The Ministry of Health has the authority to refuse student enrolment at Trinity College School if immunization history is not received prior to students’ arrival in September. Health history records should include information about mental health, physical health, allergies, concussion history, related treatment plans and prescribed medication. Please note that the School reserves the right to review and/or revoke enrolment if it is discovered that health history information has been falsified, misrepresented or withheld. Please respond promptly to our requests for this information.

In support of our student-athletes, the School is continuing to employ the ImPACT Concussion Management Program. Click here to learn more about the program.

A reminder that, in light of the challenges presented by the pandemic, the School is making mandatory its International Student Insurance Elite Plan for all international students. In addition to standard coverages, this plan can cover all TCS international students for medical treatment and testing of COVID-19 up to the policy maximum of $2 million. Along with this benefit, the named insurance provider will cover administration costs associated with administering the COVID-19 vaccination should it become available during the 2020-2021 academic year. Please contact the TCS Director of Health Services, Jennifer Kedwell, for more information: jkedwell@tcs.on.ca.

Senior School IT Services & Laptop Program

The School’s information technology services department is ready to support students whether they are learning on campus or online via the TCS Connect e-community. This includes the provision of school-licensed software and support services for Senior School student laptops. Click here to learn more about the laptop program and IT services for Senior School students. Of note, later this summer, the IT help desk (helpdesk@tcs.on.ca) will be sending all Senior School students an email invitation to sign up for a virtual help desk appointment in August. This will allow students who have a new laptop or have any challenges with their previous laptop to access support in preparation for the new school year.

Uniform Order Reminder & Exchange Information

A reminder that the School’s uniform provider, Top Marks, is currently fulfilling uniform orders for the 2020-2021 school year. To receive uniform pieces by September, Top Marks asked families to place their orders by June 30th, therefore, if your family has not yet ordered, please do so as soon as possible. To order, visit www.topmarks.ca (using password TCS01). Click here for helpful information on completing your online order. Students attending on-campus classes will be subject to a modified dress code from September to December that includes the regular uniform minus the TCS blazer and tie.

This year, Top Marks will not be coming to campus on opening week to facilitate exchanges of ill-fitting uniform items. However, the School is currently working with Top Marks to set up a process where student exchanges can be made via the school store; more information to come on this.

Professional Development in Support of Student Learning

The TCS Summer Academy has been in full swing this summer, offering nine online courses to 161 students. In addition to those teaching Summer Academy courses, many faculty members are spending significant time over the summer preparing to support both online and on-campus learners in the fall. If students are delayed arriving at the campus or are in off-campus quarantine, we want to ensure learning continues and that students are working through their course material in parallel with their on-campus peers. This will allow students to transition into on-campus courses with relative ease.

To support skill development in online teaching and learning for September, many faculty have embarked upon professional development:

  • Seven faculty members have already completed the Teaching and Learning Through e-Learning additional qualification course through Ontario Tech University (formally UOIT).
  • An additional 10 teachers are taking the Teaching and Learning Through e-Learning additional qualification course through Queen’s University in a special TCS-focused course section.
  • To improve our collective skills using the Google Suite for Education, an additional 24 teachers have undertaken the Google Education Certification process.
  • Also, faculty members are pursuing a variety of summer professional learning opportunities, including training through the Global Online Academy, additional qualifications in Special Education, Advanced Placement summer institutes, Master of Education courses and subject-specific workshops, all completed online.

TCS faculty members are dedicated to ongoing professional growth. While the pandemic has forced that learning online, the commitment to professional growth continues with a particular focus on supporting online learners.

Action to End Anti-Black Racism

The School’s commitment to actively fight to end anti-Black racism continues through the summer. The TCS Task Force to End Anti-Black Racism, a group of 62 members of the extended TCS community – which includes students, parents, faculty and staff, alumni, senior administrators and board representation – met on June 25th to listen and learn from the experiences of our Black community members. With a mandate to advise and assist the administration of Trinity College School in implementing positive change for current and future Black TCS students, the task force meeting also served as an opportunity to establish sub-committees which have been tasked with exploring how the School can better support our Black students and community members in the following areas: student recruitment; student leadership models; support and resources for students; professional development for employees; curriculum; hiring protocols; and the development of a formal TCS stance to end anti-Black racism. Sub-committee meetings are taking place in July and the entire task force will reconvene in mid-August, at which time, progress, action plans and realized change for the 2020-20201 academic year will be shared.

To ensure the involvement of all TCS staff and faculty in this conversation and commitment, and in addition to formalized professional development to be delivered to all employees in August, employees were asked to further educate themselves in matters of Black racism and discrimination with Ijeoma Oluo's book, So You Want to Talk About Race, suggested as summer reading.

School Re-Opening Plans – New & Updated Information

Health & Safety

As noted in previous communications, and per guidance from Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, the Ministry of Education Ontario and public health authorities, the re-opening of schools is essential to young people's physical and mental health. Trinity College School's planning for re-opening includes a “layered approach” to health and safety, reflective of evolving understanding of COVID-19, public health guidance, government authority, and TCS's commitment to health and safety. This “layered approach” to community health includes measures related to:

Modifying behaviours that reduce the spread

Hand Hygiene – hand washing or hand sanitizing is the most effective way to reduce the transmission of organisms that cause illness. We will promote regular handwashing (warm soap and water) or hand sanitizing with an alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR). ABHR dispensers are located at every classroom, school entrance/exit, dining and shared spaces, houses, and various other locations. The daily schedule also affords regular opportunities for hand hygiene throughout the day.

Respiratory Etiquette – aims to reduce the risk of transmitting droplets that may contain the virus directly onto other surfaces where they may be picked up by others. All community members are asked to cover their cough or sneeze with a tissue, immediately dispose of the tissue in the garbage, and follow with handwashing. If a tissue is unavailable, one should sneeze or cough into their sleeve or arm.

Cloth Mask Use – is not mandated currently in schools by public health, however, TCS students and staff should prepare to wear non-medical masks in situations where physical distancing of at least 2 metres (6 feet) is not possible. These spaces include washrooms, hallways, entrances and exits of dining areas and the like. Cloth masks are currently required to enter any place of business in the Port Hope/Cobourg region. The School will provide each student with three non-medical cloth masks and expect students to have a clean mask available at all times.

Maintaining healthy environments

Environmental Cleaning, Disinfecting & Ventilation – Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting practices, including frequency and timing, choice of cleaning products and attention to high touch surfaces, are areas of focus for the School. These practices, combined with limiting and removing shared equipment, are essential risk reduction strategies. In areas that do not have dedicated HVAC systems, like those in the W.A. Johnson Classroom Block and Boulden House, medical-grade air purifiers are being installed, featuring sophisticated filtration systems, high volume air flow capacity and low sound levels. These units are intended for use whenever natural ventilation, like open windows, is not available. In classrooms with mechanical ventilation (HVAC), the School is upgrading air filters to enhance air purification.

Physical Distancing and De-densification – School spaces have been re-imagined to maximize physical distancing within classrooms, the dining hall, shared spaces and various other areas. Desks removed from classrooms to meet distancing protocols are being utilized in other areas to create additional learning spaces and dining areas. In fair weather, the School will maximize the use of our outdoor spaces for learning and other activities; in some cases, large tents that allow for effective physical distancing will be employed. Signage and floor decals will serve as visual cues to maintain 2 metres from others and for directional instruction where “one-way” movement is required to maintain distance.

Modified Routines & Cohorts – The daily schedule, including meals, co-curricular and student life programming, has been modified to lessen broad contacts and increase the consistency of those contacts. For instance, each student will have a designated location for lunch. The School has identified four satellite lunch locations to date, in addition to Osler Hall, where students grouped by class or grade will be served lunch with appropriate physical distancing and other safety precautions in place. Junior School students will dine in Boulden House. Dinner for boarding students will be served in Osler Hall, by house, with designating seating. Modified routines will include location “check-ins” throughout the day to support contact tracing should the need arise.

Maintaining healthy operations

Daily Health Screening – All students and staff will be required to complete a health screening survey daily before arrival to campus, and health monitoring will continue throughout the day. Any person who feels unwell will be required not to attend School, and to communicate with the TCS health centre for further instruction from the School's nurse. Parents and guardians will be provided the daily screening questions so as to promote the habit of “self-screening.”

Communication and support plans for those at higher risk of infection – Completion of school health forms (noted earlier in this communication) is an essential step toward identifying students who may be at higher risk due to underlying medical conditions. It is important for parents to work with their child’s healthcare providers to communicate with the School and to make informed decisions about support plans. Families are reminded that TCS Connect e-community is an option for those who may be at higher risk of infections, or who may have a family member at risk.

Health Concerns: Management during the school day – Students and staff are to stay home if they have any respiratory symptoms or fever, or have otherwise answered positively to any prompts as part of the daily screening questionnaire. Parents/guardians will be notified promptly should their child present with symptoms of illness while in the School’s care.

  • Senior School day students who present with respiratory symptoms during the school day will be triaged by the nurse and will remain in a designated area in the health centre until a parent/guardian can pick them up. The School will request that the parent arrange for pick-up as expediently as possible (within the hour), and health centre staff will provide guidance to the family regarding next steps for health care.
  • Junior School students who present with respiratory symptoms during the school day will be given a mask to don and will be isolated in a designated location at the Junior School. Unless otherwise directed by the nurse, the student will remain in the isolated area at the Junior School until their parent/guardian’s arrival for pick up. The School will request that the parent arrange for pick-up as expediently as possible (within the hour), and health centre staff will provide guidance to the family regarding next steps for health care.
  • Boarding students who present with respiratory symptoms at any time will be triaged by the nurse and remain at the health centre until cleared by the school doctor to return to their dorm, or referred to the regional assessment centre for further COVID-19 assessment.

The lower level of the health centre building has been designated as the isolation/quarantine area for any students who are suspected of having COVID-19. Assessment will be done by health centre staff and next steps determined for transport to the regional COVID-19 assessment centre in Cobourg, in consultation with the school doctor and the HKPR District Regional Health Unit. Designated nursing staff will care for isolated/quarantined students in this separate area of the health centre. Nursing staff and students will wear appropriate PPE when in contact and specific environmental cleaning and disinfections measures will be employed.

Contact Tracing – In situations where a positive case of COVID-19 is identified, public health conducts contact identification and follow-up with identified contacts. The School’s daily record keeping of anyone on campus and their movement throughout the day is supported by our attendance protocols and a newly implemented “check-in” system to be used for all scheduled activities and commonly used areas throughout the School.

Families are reminded to notify the School of any changes to email, telephone or addresses in order to keep our contact records up to date.

Understanding why protocols are essential to individual and community health is integral to their successful implementation. As a learning community, we are committed to educating our students and staff about personal and collective responsibility for community health. While some of the adjustments to routines may feel inconvenient or restrictive, viewing them as a way of actively demonstrating our care for others can go a long way in acceptance and patience. As communicated to TCS families in the July 9th email from the School, your partnership, as parents, in helping your child practice protective measures and establish healthy hygiene habits serves as another critical layer in maintaining the health of our broad community.

New Quarantine Information for International Boarding Families

International student travel and quarantine details required – To support our students travelling from outside Canada, the admissions team will provide some key documents to support students at immigration when arriving at the airport. To help us with providing the required paperwork, we are asking all our families with a student arriving from outside Canada to fill in the following survey to provide us with travel details, key documentation details and quarantine plans. Click here to access the survey.

Important changes for the TCS quarantine program –There have been some recent developments regarding the TCS quarantine program in that we are relocating our quarantine location to a different hotel. Our national association, Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS), negotiated group pricing and secured accommodations at a hotel that is more suitable to our students’ needs considering the substantial length of a 14-day stay. Specifically, each room is spacious and includes a kitchenette, Smart TV, desk and sitting area. Additionally, the hotel has an on-site restaurant to allow for greater flexibility for meals. The accommodations are at the TownePlace Suites in Oshawa; located between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Port Hope, a 30-minute drive from campus, this all-suites hotel is part of the reputable Marriott hotel chain. All other aspects of our program remain the same, including 24-hour supervision by TCS staff members, daily in-person check-ins with our director of health services, and coordinated airport transfers. However, as to be expected, this significantly improved service comes at an additional cost. In order to ensure the accessibility of this option, the School will absorb half of the cost increase to the program. The new price for the TCS Quarantine Program is $3,250 CDN.

We apologize for the change, however, we do feel this is the most comfortable arrangement that we can provide for our students. If your child will be travelling alone and has no other option for quarantine, and you would like more information on this program, please email Michelle Bishop at mbishop@tcs.on.ca.

Bussing Update for Day Students

Following up on previous communications, we are relieved to announce that our day bus service provider, Century Transportation, has advised the School that TCS day families will have access to bussing for September 2020. However, due to a finite number of busses that are available, there will be some changes to bussing services.

  • Under current provincial health guidelines bus capacity will be reduced by more than 50%, with a maximum of 22 students per bus (this number can increase in cases where siblings are seated together) and, unfortunately, we cannot access additional busses due to high local demand.
  • Our bussing company has indicated that bus service fees will increase due to the cost of PPE for drivers and the increased cleaning required. Resulting from this, parents will see a 25% increase in day bussing fees for the 2020-2021 school year and the School will subsidize the balance of increased costs.
  • For the 2020-2021 school year, TCS will not be able to provide a 5:00 p.m. bus for Senior School students and Senior School students will not be permitted to take the 4:00 p.m. Junior School bus. There will be one evening departure time for Senior School students which we anticipate will be around 6:00 p.m.

We also will be implementing several new measures to support families who opt to provide transportation themselves in order to minimize costs and increase flexibility:

  • For the 2020-2021 school year, while two-way service will be available, TCS will alternatively allow parents to register for one-way service if they choose, either morning service or evening service. Morning and evening bus service will be provided at 50% of the two-way service fee. We hope this will encourage families who may be able to adjust their personal/work schedules in the morning or afternoons to accommodate either a morning drop-off or evening pick-up of their child. (Please note: unfortunately, it will not be possible to switch between morning and evening service on a daily basis.)
  • Bussing contracts for the 2020-2021 school year will now be for monthly service, rather than for the full school year as was exclusively offered previously. This means families may choose to opt out of bussing service on any particular month(s) as long as confirmation is received by the TCS travel office prior to the beginning of any month. (Families are cautioned that should they chose to opt out of the bussing service at any given time, vacant seats may not be available should they wish to re-enter the bussing program at a later date.)
  • For the 2020-2021 school year, TCS is currently looking for ways to accommodate student early arrival on campus, in an effort to help support those parents/guardians/family members who would like to personally transport their child to school, but require a morning drop-off before 8:00 a.m. More information to come.
  • Many families have indicated a desire to arrange carpooling groups. The School will support families who wish to consider this option by hosting a shared Google sheet which can hold information required to facilitate carpooling amongst families. Families interested in carpooling will be asked, in early August, to complete a form that will permit TCS to list and share pertinent information that will allow families to connect with each other to determine compatibility. (This opportunity is completely voluntary and only families who are interested in this option need complete the form.)

Bussing health and safety: In order to provide as safe transportation for day bussing students as possible, families will be required to assess each child’s health in conformity with public health guidelines before entering the bus each day. Students experiencing any symptoms of illness will be required to stay at home; the TCS Connect e-community platform will be in place so ill students may attend school online, if they are physically able to do so. Seating on the buses will be assigned, to minimize the contact of students from different grade levels. For evening departures, Junior and Senior School students will travel on separate busses. It is not yet clear whether students will be required to wear face masks while on the buses. We will be following any directive issued by our local health unit and will update parents as more information becomes available.

In addition, we ask each family to prepare their children for very strict observance of rules while on the buses. Drivers will be required to report any conduct that is of concern for health and safety reasons and TCS will reserve the right to cancel bussing service to any student who cannot comply.

Given all of the changes regarding bussing, we will be asking parents to re-register for bussing service for the 2020-2021 school year in August. Having analyzed the responses to the earlier bussing survey, we believe that the above measures will result in TCS having sufficient bussing for all families who require the service. The travel office will be sending out the revised bussing contracts and carpooling form in early August. We thank all families for their suggestions and support over the past few weeks. The TCS travel office (traveloffice@tcs.on.ca) will reopen on August 3rd and will be happy to respond to any questions at that time.

School Opening Week Details

Further to the opening week schedule that has been provided, below are additional details on timing and protocols relating to welcoming our students back to campus in September. This year’s opening week plans have been designed with a focus on health and safety; we thank you in advance for your understanding, patience and flexibility.

Tuesday, September 8th – Returning boarding students
We are asking returning boarding families to block off the entire day on their calendar for move-in on Tuesday, September 8th. In order to support a safe and healthy return to campus, housemasters will be reaching out to all returning families on July 27th to explain the process of moving in. The day will be divided into two-hour windows of time for which each student will be assigned a specific window to move in. Residential staff will manage traffic in the house, at any given time, by floor. Students will be limited to having one family member to help move items into the house.

Wednesday, September 9th – Boarders registered in the TCS quarantine program
All students quarantining with the TCS-supervised program will be moved onto campus starting at 9:00 a.m.

Wednesday, September 9th – Returning Senior School day students
All returning Grade 10-12 day students will be welcomed back to campus by their housemasters for campus orientation, house meetings as well as prep to get ready for welcoming in the new day students on Friday. The returning day students will be in programming on campus from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. There will be no bussing available for Senior School day students that day so families are asked to make alternate arrangements in advance.

Wednesday, September 9th – New and returning Junior School students
All Junior School students from Grade 5-8 will be welcomed to campus by their respective homeform teachers in areas designated by grade around Boulden House. Boulden House orientation, homeform community and safety meetings, as well as a virtual welcome back assembly are some of the events scheduled for that first day. Parents are encouraged to drop their child off without getting out of their vehicle. Junior School students will be on campus from 9:00 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. A reminder that there is no bussing on the first morning; however, there will be regular 4:00 p.m. bus service for the afternoon ride home. The traditional Welcome Back hosted by the head of Junior School will take place the day before, virtually, and more information as to timing will be shared closer to the day. Please note as well that Curriculum Night, scheduled for September 16th, 2020 will take place virtually.

Thursday, September 10th – New boarding students
New boarding families should leave Thursday, September 10th open for move-in day. Admissions will be reaching out in a few weeks to all new boarding families to explain the process of moving in. The day will be divided into two-hour windows of time for which each student will be assigned a specific window of time to move in. Residential staff will manage traffic in the house, at any given time, by floor. Students will be limited to having one family member to help move items into the house. New boarding families will be permitted an additional two hours on campus to tour outside the buildings and visit with their child and assigned “buddy” who is a returning student in the same house.

Friday, September 11th – New Senior School day students
We will welcome all new Senior School day students to campus at 10:00 a.m. for an orientation in their house as well as a familiarization tour of campus with their assigned house “buddy.” Parents are asked to drop their child off at the drop-off point without getting out of their vehicle (more information to come on drop-off points). After a 90-minute campus orientation, all Senior School day students will have lunch and move to afternoon house activities with the day ending at 3:00 p.m. There will be no bussing available for Senior School day students that day so families are asked to make alternate arrangements in advance.

Alternate Tuition Fee Schedules Reminder

While the School looks forward to re-opening our campus in September 2020, we must also consider various scenarios that could interfere with normal operations, including continued restrictions of travel and visa delays and/or a required mid-year campus closure. In these scenarios, impacted students would continue to learn via a renewed TCS Connect e-community online platform and the School has created two alternative fee tables that would apply as follows:

Fee Schedule B – This fee table would apply should TCS not be able to permit students on campus during any period during the school year. Modified fees would be calculated based on 80% of the day student fee table applicable to the student’s grade level. At the end of each month, a credit would be applied to student accounts, on a per diem basis, for the difference between the regular fee schedule and the modified fee schedule.

Fee Schedule C – This fee table would apply should the TCS campus be open and accessible to students but some families are unable to attend due to travel or visa restrictions or as a result of COVID-19 related quarantine or self-isolation regulations. Modified fees would be calculated based on 100% of the day student fee table applicable to the student's grade level. At the end of each month, a credit would be issued to student accounts, on a per diem basis, for the difference between the regular fee schedule and the modified fee schedule.

Please note that Fee Schedules B & C would only apply to families whose children are unable to be present on campus due to travel or visa restrictions, including during their required periods of self-isolation.

Long Weekends, Breaks & Holidays

Given the unpredictability of travel and tourist-type destinations, and to mitigate health risks, the School will not be offering Capture Canada long weekend programs over the Thanksgiving and November breaks this year. Families are asked to consider other opportunities for their child to take a break from campus such as spending time with their guardian, staying with a friend or local TCS family, or visiting with a parent if possible. No doubt, students will want an opportunity to be off campus and would benefit from a change of routine; however, in response to the unusual conditions caused by the pandemic, please know that the School will be offering on-campus supervision for boarders during Thanksgiving and November breaks. Programming over these long weekends will be limited to “in house,” on-campus and possibly a local excursion. Families should watch for registration details in September.

As we look beyond the November break to December holidays, the February long weekend and March break, the impacts of the pandemic on travel are less clear. That said, the School recognizes that some students may not be able to return home for these breaks and/or quarantine restrictions may prove untenable. Similar to Thanksgiving and November breaks, the School strongly encourages families to look ahead and plan for their child to be in the care of their guardian, or to stay with a friend. We are aware that some parents are making plans to come to Canada to spend time with their child instead of having their child travel home. The School is committed to identifying various means of supporting those students who may not be able to return home, and will continue to communicate with families as the public health context and travel options evolve.

International Learning & Travel Options “On Hold” This Year

As has been previously communicated, the uncertainties of travel restrictions have led to the decision to cancel the travel portion of the “Travel-Ed” combined Grade 10 English (ENG2D) & Canadian History (CHC2D) course for the 2020-2021 school year. We appreciate that this news will be disappointing for students enrolled in this combined course, as it is for our teachers for whom this travel experience is a passion project. In a similar fashion, the Senior School service trips to Ecuador and the Island School, which usually take place in early December, will be on hiatus for one year. Similarly, Junior School trips to Camp Kawartha, Bark Lake and Ecuador will unfortunately not happen this year. (The annual spring Grade 7 trip to Ottawa and Grade 8 trip to Montreal will be assessed in the months to come.) Again, while we regret having to cancel these popular experiential learning options, we believe it to be the most prudent and responsible course of action at this time.

Fall Parent-Teacher Meetings

Given the projected limitations to travel and restriction of visitors to campus, parents should also note that our usual on-campus Parent-Teacher Meetings for both the Junior School and Senior School, currently scheduled for November, will take place virtually this fall. The School remains committed to communicating with parents in support of student progress. In fact, this was an area of acknowledged growth through the School’s shift to TCS Connect during the spring of 2020. Dates and virtual booking information for the fall’s Parent-Teacher Meetings will be communicated in September. Please note, the Junior School Curriculum Night, scheduled for September 16th, will also be held virtually.
 

This summer, we have provided (and will continue to provide) TCS families with a large amount of evolving information regarding the re-opening of school in September. To further assist parents in keeping track of the many details, we are working to re-imagine the current COVID-19 webpage for TCS families – www.tcs.on.ca/communityhealth/parents – so it will become a resource more specific to the re-opening of school this September. This reconfigured page will also include a compiled download of all the information shared throughout the summer, for families’ easy reference as September approaches. We will let you know when this enhanced resource is available, in the meantime, please know that we continue to update the webpage frequently.

A reminder that the next virtual drop-in Zoom calls for families will take place on Tuesday, July 28th. These calls provide a great opportunity to connect and share information. For more details and to pre-register for a Zoom call this Tuesday, Senior School families click here and Junior School families click here. Please note that after this coming Tuesday, we will be pausing our Zoom calls for a short period and look forward to resuming them in mid-August with an adjusted format that will review plans and protocols specific to the re-opening of school.

I hope you and your family are enjoying the summer. And please know that if you have a specific question that has not been answered through our bi-weekly email communications or virtual Tuesday Zoom drop-ins, we continue to be available to receive and respond to specific questions you may have over the summer months via info@tcs.on.ca.

Please expect to receive the next email communication from the School on Thursday, August 6th. Sending you and yours continued wishes for happiness and good health.


Sincerely,

Stuart Grainger
Headmaster