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Message to TCS families: August 20, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

In this week’s communication you will learn more about the return to school plans for both Junior School and Senior School students. Again, we are erring on the side of sharing a great many details with the goal of addressing as many curiosities, questions and concerns as possible. Thank you for taking the time to familiarize yourself with the information contained within.

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

Reminder: Student Health Information Required

Families are being reminded, if you have not already done so, to please 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.

Academic Program & TCS Connect e-community

The School is committed to maintaining our robust and rigorous academic program in the 2020-2021 academic year. Substantial planning has taken place over the summer to put in place program modifications that mitigate risk and support additional health and safety protocols. The program changes outlined here represent an effort to balance the importance of community and continuity, with the need to allow students to shift from on-campus to online learning (or vice versa) with a minimum disruption to learning. Click here to read more about Senior School academic programming for the year ahead.

Onboarding to Online Learning: For students starting the academic year via TCS Connect, the academic office is hosting a special orientation meeting where students will learn about process, expectations and strategies for successful online learning:

Session: TCS Connect Orientation
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2020
Time: 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. ET
Link: Join Google Meet here

Laptop / IT Help Desk Set-up & Assistance

As always, our IT department is keen to connect with your family if you have questions about your child’s laptop. In particular, at this time, all new students as well as returning students with a new laptop are asked to contact the IT help desk to set up a virtual appointment. The IT department will work with your child to ensure they are set up to be able to immediately access the TCS network when they arrive on campus for the start of school and have the ability to download any needed software automatically.

The IT help desk is now open for virtual appointments. Click here to schedule an appointment. To access the booking system, students click the “Login/Create Account” button and create an account using their TCS email address. Once logged into the booking system, appointment times will be listed; students will select the day/time they prefer to “create” an appointment. We look forward to assisting our students and families.

Junior School Updates

Our team at Boulden House is very much looking forward to students returning to campus. Our Junior School families can expect to receive an e-newsletter the week of August 24th which will include the updated Life in Boulden: A Handbook for Junior School Families publication as well as many more details about the re-opening of Boulden House. However, we would like to share the following details today.

  • Our physical space: We will be remaining at Boulden House, and in the immediate vicinity, throughout the day. We intend to make the most of the campus surrounding Boulden House, including Boulden Field and the outdoor classroom. We will also have our very own tent for larger gatherings and outdoor activities. Teachers will be encouraged to teach outdoors as much as feasible and to make the most of the warm weather.

    Grade 5/6, 7 and 8 will all have designated entrances into the School and specific stairways to use. As well, each cohort will have a designated space to play. Each floor will have a designated bathroom for male and female students to keep grades on the same floor. Classrooms will be equipped with ventilation units. Barriers have been installed in the main office, the library and the student and academic success office. Lunches will be served at Boulden House and eaten in classrooms. All lockers have been removed and hooks will be used instead.

  • Mark your calendar for Tuesday, September 8th: In lieu of the traditional welcome morning hosted on the first day of school by Head of Junior School Jennifer Wyatt and Director of Curriculum Colin Powles, we will be holding a welcome back event via Zoom on Tuesday, September 8th. More information to come on this next week.

  • Daily Schedule: The schedule for the day will remain very similar to that of last year with a slightly later start. Please see the schedule below.

    Homeform

    8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

    Period 1

    9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

    Recess

    10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

    Period 2

    10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

    Lunch/Recess - Recess/Lunch

    11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
    (Grades 5/6 eat first, play second.)
    (Grades 7, 8 play first, eat second.)

    Period 3

    12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

    Co-curricular Offerings

    1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

    Period 4

    2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

    Homeform

    3:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

  • Classes: Class placements will be determined when staff have returned the week of August 31st and will be shared with parents at the end of that week. As class sizes are capped at 15 students, we will have two split 5/6 classes, two Grade 7 classes and three Grade 8 classes.

    To support these changes, we have hired Mr. Matthew Lavery to join the Junior School teaching team. Mr. Lavery will take on 7W homeform duties, as well as teaching Grade 7 science and social studies and one section of Grade 8 social studies. He comes to us after 11 years of teaching in the U.K. and Dubai. A native of the U.K., Mr. Lavery and his wife, who is Canadian, have always looked to raise their two children in Canada, in a small town. Mr. Lavery has taught from Grades 1 to 12 and has worked in a variety of institutions, including the prestigious Dubai College and, most recently, within the Huron Perth Catholic District School Board. He is well acquainted with independent/private boarding and day schools and we know Junior School families will welcome him warmly to our community.

  • Wednesdays: Wednesday programming will continue to focus on wellness and will include non-academic subjects, as well as new offerings. Students will participate in health & physical education, art, music, chapel, resource/extra help, leadership classes, a work catch-up period, Hearts and Minds Project class, GLS for Grade 8, as well as a social-emotional and relational learning program for all grades.

  • Technology: We will continue to use Google Classroom as our main platform, including Grade 8. A move to Edsby for Grade 8 will be considered later in the year. We want to minimize the number of platforms students are working on.

    Grade 7 students will continue to use their Chromebooks in Grade 8. Students entering Grade 7 will begin with the existing MacBooks as there is a delay with the delivery of the new Chromebooks for this new trial grade.

    We will continue to encourage the use of Yondr. Students will each have their own pouch and will be responsible for storing/laundering/cleaning their pouch as opposed to having all students drop off and pick up in one location.

Senior School: Leaves from Campus

The initial focus for the school community is to welcome students and staff back to campus and to establish our new routines pertaining to community health. As such, we will set high expectations for students and staff alike with the intent to lessen restrictions as the situation warrants. We will continue to be informed in our decision-making by the guidelines and directives of the Ministry of Education and public health authorities as we regularly revisit our approach.

As has been communicated previously, the School has cancelled and/or postponed all school-related international trip and travel opportunities for both students and staff for this fall.

Day students: Under normal circumstances, day students in Grade 9 through 11 may not leave the campus at any time during the school day. This includes Grade 11 drivers, who are expected to remain on campus during the academic day. We will ask the same of our Grade 12 students at the beginning of this year in order to maintain health protocols and to support contact tracing. We pledge to revisit this requirement for Grade 12 students once routines and protocols have been established. If a special circumstance (e.g. an appointment) requires any day student to leave school, the parent or guardian is expected to notify the attendance office.

Boarding students: Our boarding students often enjoy some of the amenities offered within the local area including trips to coffee shops, variety stores and fast food outlets. We will need to be vigilant about these short-term leaves and a prescriptive, graduated approach will be applied.

  • Trips into Port Hope and the surrounding area: For the first two weeks, boarding students will be asked to remain on campus. From mid-September through to Thanksgiving, students may travel into town in small groups on a pre-arranged trip when accompanied by a staff member. Our current thinking is that following Thanksgiving break, boarding students will be permitted to take leave to town by using the REACH leave request feature.

    Post-Thanksgiving break guidelines will include the following:

    • Students will use REACH to request permission to leave campus with clear indications of destinations.

    • Students will be required to maintain a physical distance of 2 metres from others while off campus.

    • Students will use hand sanitizer and wear a non-medical mask while in places of business in accordance with public health authorities.

    • The number of students on leave at any given time may be restricted by residential staff to ensure physical distancing.

  • Regular Weekend Leave: In an effort to mitigate risk of illness and allow for the establishment of proper health-related protocols, routine weekend leave for boarders will not be permitted until after the Thanksgiving Break. In the interim there will be considerable activities being offered on campus each weekend, in addition to co-curriculars and study time.

Parents: Ways to support a healthy return to school

Thank you to the parents and guardians who have engaged in the webinars the School has offered through July and August. (You may click here to hear clips from webinar sessions held earlier this week.) Your trust, enthusiasm, support and questions are greatly appreciated as we eagerly anticipate the start of the 2020-2021 school year.

Families, students, and school faculty and staff each have an important role in maintaining personal and community health. Our regional public health unit provides updates regarding COVID-19 regularly and, fortunately, Northumberland County is doing well in mitigating spread as you can see via the HKPR website. As parents of a TCS student(s), we are asking for your partnership in supporting a healthy return to school. Our individual and collective efforts are essential to a healthy community.

Please consider the following tips and strategies and encourage all members of your household and social circles to be mindful of their part in sustaining community health.

Tips to Prevent the Spread (with credit to Toronto Public Health)
The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed:

  • Limit non-essential trips out of your home

  • Keep 2 metres (6 feet) distance from others

  • Wear a mask or face covering in indoor public spaces and when you can’t keep physical distance

  • Clean your hands often. Use soap and water or an alcohol-based (70-90%) hand sanitizer.

  • Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands

  • Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or a tissue. Immediately throw the tissue in the garbage and wash your hands.

  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick

  • Stay home if you are feeling unwell

  • Those living in Ontario can download the COVID Alert App to be notified directly if you have been in close contact with someone who was contagious with COVID-19

Families are also asked to:

  • Monitor health carefully after domestic travel if planes, trains, or other means of public transportation were used. Ontario does not require quarantine after inter-provincial travel, however, some families may choose to self-isolate as a precaution.

  • Be mindful of your social “circles” or “bubbles.” Extended family members, friends and household members who are regularly in close contact with a student should be asked to continually self-monitor. Where possible, social circles of day families should be limited. Your child should not attend gatherings or parties beyond your household or established social “circle.”

  • Be aware of symptoms of COVID-19, continually self-monitor, and use the Ontario online COVID-19 self-assessment tool if you think that you/your child may have been exposed to the virus or are feeling unwell.

  • Be prepared to keep your child at home if they are unwell or if anyone in your household is unwell and suspected of having exposure to the virus.

  • Help your child prepare for some of the key safety measures that they will be expected to adopt at school, such as:

    • Noticing, reading and following signage (one-way stairwells, directional hallways, maintaining 2 metres from others, etc.)

    • Intentional movement: knowing one’s destination, being aware of those around you, keeping a 2 metre distance, not touching surfaces or object unnecessarily

    • Wearing a mask properly

    • Hand hygiene: washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, or using hand sanitizer, frequently, before and after using the washroom, before and after touching your mask, entering any building or classroom, etc.

    • Not sharing personal items, food/drink, or equipment (students should have at least one refillable water bottle)

  • Help prepare your child for how campus may look different, for instance:

    • No soft seating

    • Distanced furniture and desk placement

    • Signs and other visible markers indicating where to sit (or not sit) and related to other healthy habits

    • Tents (students should plan to bring warm clothing appropriate for outdoors)

    • Modified seating in Osler Hall and other designated dining spaces

    • Repurposed learning spaces (upper and lower gyms, among others)

  • Pay attention to your child’s overall wellbeing and encourage them to talk with you or another trusted adult about anything that is worrying them.

As we all commit to doing our part in preparing for the return of students to campus, we must remember that the very act of “opening school,” whether in person or through TCS Connect, is essential to the health and wellbeing of our students and the TCS community. While our spaces on campus will look different, the values and relationships that bind our community together will not be diminished by the lack of soft furnishings or addition of “how to wash your hands” signs. Coming together, to live, learn and share experiences, make memories and grow as individuals is what our students need after being separated for so long.

Opening Week Reminders

We ask that families partner with the School to ensure a smooth and safe return to campus for their child(ren) by familiarizing themselves with, and adhering to, student drop-off protocols. A reminder that for boarding students this means that only one family member/guardian per student is allowed to assist in the residence move-in and it will be important that families adhere to the two-hour move-in window of time they are assigned to help ensure physical distancing is maintained. Of course, non-medical masks are to be worn in all indoor spaces, except in the individual student’s room. For Senior School and Junior School day students, we thank parents for dropping their child off on Wednesday (returning Senior School Day students and both new and returning Junior School families) and Friday (new Senior School Day students) and we ask that parents/guardians remain in their vehicle. Drop off locations for students will be communicated next week.

A reminder that the Senior School Opening Week Schedule was emailed to families by Head of Senior School Kristopher Churchill on Friday, August 14th. Click here to view and download the Senior School Opening Week Schedule.

Connecting with our Senior School Students

Earlier this week, we emailed our Senior School students with an opportunity to meet with us virtually. While we have shared a lot of information with parents and guardians over the past few months via email and webinars, this week we offered information sessions tailored specifically for our Senior School students. Day student drop-in Zoom sessions were scheduled for today and boarding student sessions are offered tomorrow. (Invitations were emailed to students this past Tuesday.) We hope the sessions work to ease any concerns around health and safety while also offering reassurance that 2020-2021 will still offer the fun and engaging school experience that TCS is known for!

Thank you for taking the time to review this important information. With the approach of the School’s re-opening for the 2020-2021 year, never has the school-student-parent partnership been more critical. We will have a shared responsibility to ensure the TCS community enjoys a healthy, productive and fun academic year. Please visit www.tcs.on.ca/reopening2020 to learn more.

For the remainder of the summer, we will be moving our bi-weekly communications to a weekly schedule so you can expect the next in this series of emails to arrive on Thursday, August 27th.

Sincerely,

Stuart Grainger
Headmaster