Dear Parents and Guardians,

Further to yesterday’s communication from the School, today we are able to offer updated information for TCS families regarding the return to in-person learning.

Late today, our local health unit was advised by the Ontario Minister of Health that, in accordance with the provincial government’s directives, there will not be any restrictions on movement between health unit districts for the purposes of attending or working in schools. We are grateful to our health unit for sourcing this information on the School’s behalf.

This means that Trinity College School is permitted to re-open campus and resume in-person learning for all Junior School and Senior School students as of Monday, January 25th. However, please read on for important information.

Graduated return to campus

As we did back in September, in order to best manage the safe re-entry of students onto campus, we aim to take a graduated approach, ensuring adherence to our stringent health protocols. Here is the planned schedule of student returns:

• Boarding students: We are asking boarding students to delay travel plans and not return to campus before Wednesday, January 27th. Of course, understanding that some students are travelling imminently and/or have travel plans that cannot be rescheduled, the School will certainly take those students into our care in advance of Wednesday.
• Day students (Junior School and Senior School): All day students are welcome to return to campus on Monday, January 25th.

Re-opening of campus will include enhanced health protocols

While we know that many students are excited to be returning to campus this coming week, in an effort to further mitigate risk the School will be required to return to protocols similar to those that were required for the return to school in September. This will include the following restrictions, as well as others:

• There will be no leave for boarding students until the start of March Break.
• There will be no weekend leave for boarders nor will walks into town (movement beyond the TCS campus) be permitted.
• No travel between boarding houses will be permitted nor will inter-floor visitation.
• Dependent upon public health direction, we might be required to limit gatherings outdoors to five people.
• Co-curriculars may be impacted by permissions for facility use and group sizes.

Considerations for your family

Understanding the critical role schools play in the healthy development of young people, we look forward to welcoming our community back to campus. On January 21st, the Hospital for Sick Children published an updated guidance document – COVID-19: Guidance for School Operation during the Pandemic – which cites the “significant harms of school closure on children’s physical health, developmental health, mental health and learning.” The report goes on to state that, “given the significant negative impact that the initial prolonged school closure (to in-person learning) had on children and youth, it is our strong opinion that an in-person school model with robust application of the recommended risk mitigation interventions is the best option from an overall health and learning perspective for children of all ages allowing for consistency, stability and equity.” You can find the hospital’s complete guidance document here.

All that said, the School recognizes that what is best for one student is not necessarily ideal for another. Hence, our graduated return to in-person learning timeline is intended to allow all families, but particularly boarding families, the opportunity to carefully consider and discuss their child’s individual needs and preferences with respect to where they spend their time between now and March Break. While we would enjoy having all our students on campus, we must advise families that undoubtedly and, out of necessity, campus will be a more restrictive environment over the next few months due to government and health authority directives. Please note that once boarders have returned to campus, they will not be permitted leave until March Break and may have very little freedom of choice in their daily life on campus.

While our campus will soon be open to all students, we respect the judgment and personal preference of our TCS families. So should a student opt to continue to learn remotely for an extended period of time instead of returning to on-campus, in-person learning at this time, please know that the School will support that student in “bridging” into classes and engaging in school activities online.

Importance of health protocols

As TCS families are aware, the maintenance of a healthy community is paramount. This is why the School has continued to work closely with our local public health unit over the past 11 months, and continues to reflect or exceed the advice and requirements of government and health authorities in setting mitigation strategies and protocols that have helped ensure the health of our school community.

While not mandatory, for the benefit of our school community, families who live in an area with an elevated rate of COVID-19 are strongly encouraged to proactively have their child tested for COVID-19 in advance of return to campus.

The School continues to be cleaned and disinfected and is ready to host in-person learning and engagement. For those students and staff returning to campus, we cannot overstate the importance of adhering to the well-established health protocols that the School has required and reinforced since the start of the school year. Click here to review the TCS My 5. All students and staff returning to in-person learning are required to self-monitor daily for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and stay at home if they have any symptom of illness (those on campus should promptly contact the health centre). According to provincial health directives, every individual, before coming to campus or leaving their dorm room, must complete the daily health survey via REACH. A reminder that our campus remains closed to visitors.

It should be noted also that the provincial government has introduced additional measures aimed at keeping schools safe; TCS is already in compliance with these new measures which include enhanced screening measures and mandatory masking for students outdoors where physical distancing cannot be maintained. In addition, with the re-opening of school, all of our staff will be wearing medical-grade masks. Please note that the School will be making renewed efforts to enforce these important protocols.

Key information for TCS families

• Boarding student return & confirmation of travel plans: Boarding housemasters will be communicating with all boarding families in the next 24 hours to review travel arrangements and update the REACH program. Please respond promptly to their request for information.
• Boarding ground transportation will be offered on Wednesday, January 27th and Sunday, January 31st. More details below:

1. Boarder and VIA-Cobourg buses previously planned for Sunday, January 24th have been cancelled. (This includes the pick-up at Fairview Mall that is sometimes used for train and airport travellers.)
2. Boarding Buses: Boarding buses and VIA-Cobourg buses will be offered on Wednesday, January 27th and Sunday, January 31st, with the normally published schedule. Any boarding student arriving before January 27th who requires ground transportation services is asked to contact their housemaster and the travel office who will help arrange. Please note that the service offered by the travel office is currently limited to Airline Limousine for individual travel. However, taxi service is available at VIA-Cobourg upon arrival at the station.
3. Airline Limousine: Families who have requested reservations for Airline Limousine are asked to contact their housemaster and the travel office to confirm or reschedule after making their revised travel arrangements.
   
   TCS ground travel coordinator, Ashley Collings, can be reached as follows: traveloffice@tcs.on.ca 905-885-3217 ext. 1257.

• Day bussing: Day buses for both the Hwy 401 and Peterborough routes will resume on Monday, January 25th with no change to the previous schedule. A reminder that mask-wearing and adhering to assigned seating are requirements for those traveling by bus.
• Schedule: There is no change to student schedules in the Junior School at this time. The Senior School weekly schedule is being reviewed and the academic office will communicate should there be a change.
• Term 3: As previously scheduled, Senior School students will begin Term 3 classes (the continuation of courses begun in Term 1) on Monday, January 25th. For those students learning online, course-specific information and meeting links will be provided by teachers and/or available on Edsby, as per usual.
• Fee Schedules: With the government permitting the re-opening of campus, all students will return to Fee Schedule A (regular fees), with the exception of students who are prohibited from returning to campus due to travel or visa restrictions.

We know that students and staff are eager to return to campus, and we want to thank them for the resilience, creativity and commitment shown throughout this period of online learning. We are pleased to be able to welcome our students back to campus for in-person learning.

Whether in-person or online, we commit to keeping our students learning and engaged with our school community. We will also pledge to keep families informed of the latest government and public health directives relating to Ontario schools. Thank you for your continued commitment to your child’s education and the School as we make our way, together, through these most unusual and challenging times.
 

Stuart Grainger
Headmaster