September 1, 2020
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students,
As we approach school start up, we hope you are enjoying the last of summer in our beautiful community. At Claremont, we are busy with final preparations to welcome students back next week on their respective orientation days. The month of August has brought a variety of information bulletins from the Provincial Government, the Saanich School District, and from Claremont. This newsletter contains more detailed information regarding our school start up and will hopefully clarify any concerns and/or questions you might still be pondering.
*IMPORTANT TASK FOR PARENT/GUARDIAN* If you did not respond to the district survey indicating learning options, you must complete indicating your plan by THURSDAY SEPT. 3rd. We are still waiting to hear from approximately 350 Claremont families. Please ignore if you have completed the survey.
Link to Declaration Form: https://www.sd63.bc.ca/Return-To-School-Declaration
After reading through this newsletter, if you still have questions we encourage you to tune in to our live Instagram feed tomorrow [Wed Sept 2nd at 2pm] OR join our first virtual parent meeting of the year next week [Tues Sept 8th at 7pm via Microsoft TEAMs; please email our VP Aaron Buckham at abuckham@saanichschools.ca in order to receive the TEAMs invite].
School Start Up Schedule:
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Tuesday & Wednesday, Sept. 8 and 9 |
Staff only |
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Thursday, Sept. 10 |
Orientation for Grade 9 ONLY 10:00am - 11:30am |
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Orientation for Grade 10 ONLY 1:30pm - 3:00pm |
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Friday, Sept. 11 |
Orientation for Grade 11 ONLY 10:00am - 11:30pm |
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Orientation for Grade 12 ONLY 1:30pm - 3:00pm |
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Monday, Sept. 14 |
* Regular classes begin (following the new timetable below) * School busses run before school, at lunch, and after school (only for those families who have signed up - you can still register through the Saanich District 63 website under ‘Programs & Services’ and then ‘Transportation’) |
Purpose of the Orientation Days:
● Welcome students back to school and help them feel safe
● Meet staff and reconnect with friends in calm and safe environment
● Help students feel comfortable and safe returning to school by introducing new routines, safety rules and guidelines
● Help students understand new timetables and the quarter system
● Determine which students may require mid day school bus transportation
● Discuss locker use (overall we are trying to discourage this due to increased touch points in the school, but we can definitely accommodate students who need them)
● Students will receive another timetable and their “Student Info Verification Form” which needs to be reviewed, UPDATED, signed, and returned to their Blk 1/2 teacher
School Entry Process on Orientation Days:
● Students will receive an email from their Blk 1 teacher on Tues., Sept. 8th explaining the process for meeting up with their cohort/teacher for their orientation day (see schedule/table above)
Preliminary Timetables: there are two options for timetable pick up:
1) Wed. Sept. 2nd, Thurs. Sept 3rd, and Fri. Sept 4th- students are welcome to come at any point between 9:00am - 2:30pm beside the front office and pick their timetable out of an organized binder (last name by alpha). On the reverse side of each timetable there will be a course change form that can be filled out and submitted on the spot. Take a picture of your timetable if you are submitting a course change request. Please consider wearing a face mask and remain physically distant from those waiting.
2) At the First Week Orientation- all students who attend their orientation will receive their full year timetables and have the chance to submit a course change form where necessary.
Course Changes: It is our hope that there will be minimal changes with student timetables. Those students who requested timetable changes last June should see the changes made on their new timetables. Those wishing any changes to their quarter one timetable must have this completed prior to Monday September 14th. Students will not be able to line up at the office for counselling appointments as in years past. All course changes must now be completed by filling out the course change form (on the back of every student timetable) and submitting it to your student’s Blk 1 teacher. It is also important to note, once learning Groups/Cohorts are established and the quarter is under way, for safety reasons it becomes very difficult to move students between cohorts.
Health and Safety: When your child returns to the building they will notice a variety of directional supports (divided halls, directional flow arrows, one way signs, etc) as well as cleaning & sanitizing supplies on hand for student/staff use. The most important things for students to remember when they come to school include:
● If your students is feeling unwell or show symptoms of sickness, please stay home
● Regular hand washing should take place while at school
● You need to wear a mask in all high traffic areas where physical distance is not possible which includes hallways and washrooms
● If you are signed up to ride the school bus, please ensure that you wear a mask and you are prepared to distance from others as much as possible while riding
● In the morning you can enter the building through any outside door (you do not have to come in the front entrance); once inside, you must proceed to your Block 1 classroom to prevent crowding in the hallways
● There will be scheduled breaks instituted per cohort during Block 1 and Block 2 each day in order to break up the 2.5 hours of instructional time per block; within these break times, our custodial team will be performing a quick first clean of classrooms
Use of Masks: We understand that there are many perspectives on the use of PPEs (personal protective equipment, ex: masks, shields, etc). Claremont students and staff have always been community-minded: as such, we anticipate many will choose to wear personal protective equipment regardless of the mandate. While the use of PPEs may not be widely used by youth at this time, we would encourage you to have discussions with your child regarding the expectations that currently exist regarding use of PPEs and how they may change going forward. The more preemptive conversations and supportive messaging that takes place, the more normalized the practice.
Please understand that currently the government mandate is that masks are to be worn by everyone in the school when in “high traffic” areas. For us that means when staff and students leave their classrooms they are to have their mask on at all times. As well, at any time when two (2) metre Physical Distancing cannot be maintained, staff and students are to be wearing a mask.
Year at a Glance: Picture this school year divided into four quarters, not two semesters. The time table below illustrates the breakdown of quarter length and block order. Make note of how your original semester timetable fits into the quarter-copernican model. For example, a semester 1 block 4 class is now scheduled as quarter 2 block 2.
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Quarter 1 Sept. 8 - Nov. 13 |
Quarter 2 Nov. 16 to Jan. 27 |
Quarter 3 Feb. 1 to Apr. 20 |
Quarter 4 April 21 - June 22 |
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Block 1 |
Block 1 (was blk.2) |
Block 1 |
Block 1 (was blk.2) |
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Block 2 (was blk. 3) |
Block 2 (was blk. 4) |
Block 2 (was blk. 3) |
Block 2 (was blk. 4) |
Textbook and Chromebook
Returns: Please take another look around your home
for overdue textbooks, library books, or borrowed Chrombooks. Not all of these resources were returned in
June and we would like these accounted for when we begin a new year. These materials can be dropped off at the
main office between the hours of 9:00am - 2:30 pm.
Picture Days: this year our picture days happen relatively quickly at Claremont (table below); please note there will be no paper order forms handed out. Therefore, if you wish to order photos you will need to go to “www.lifetouch.ca” for more information after the initial photo sessions have taken place. As well, if your child can not be present for the day(s) listed below, you are still able to contact Lifetouch to organize an individual photo session.
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Thurs, Sept. 10th |
Grade 9’s 10:00am - 11:30am * Photos taken in the Grade 10’s 1:30pm - 3:00pm gym by blk 1 cohort |
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Mon, Sept. 14th |
Grade 11’s & 12’s 9:00am - 11:45am * Photos taken in the gym in Block 1 cohort. |
Bussing for Orientation Days (Thurs Sept 10th / Friday Sept 11th):
● School Bus service on orientation days will be limited. If you need transportation for these days, you must REQUEST by email: transportation@saanichschools.ca (NO LATER THAN WED, SEPT 2)
New Bell Schedule:
● A reminder that our school bell schedule has changed to accommodate two long blocks (with breaks mixed in) as well as a consistent end time each day. Please note that the afternoon block (for the first five weeks) will alternate so that half of the students come on alternating days. The second five week (starting Oct. 13) students will attend block 2 full time and their block 1 class may be reduced to 50% attendance on a day one day two schedule.
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Time |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
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8:00 - 9:00am Eg. Band, PEP, Basketball, Fitness |
Morning Block
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Morning Block |
Morning Block |
Morning Block |
Morning Block |
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9:00am – 9:15am |
Connection & Support |
Connection & Support |
Connection & Support |
Connection & Support |
Connection & Support |
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9:15 – 11:45 am Nutrition breaks staggered within block |
Block 1 |
Block 1 |
Block 1 |
Block 1 |
Block 1 |
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11:45am – 12:30pm |
Lunch |
Lunch |
Lunch |
Lunch |
Lunch |
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12:30 – 3:00pm Nutrition breaks staggered within block |
Block 2 (Group A) |
Block 2 (Group B) |
Block 2 (Group A) |
Block 2 (Group B) |
Block 2 (Group A) *Keep Alternating ... |
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3:00 – 3:15pm |
Connection & Support |
Connection & Support |
Connection & Support |
Connection & Support |
Connection & Support |
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3:15 – 4:45pm Eg. Musical Theatre, Stagecraft, Yearbook,
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After School Block |
After School Block |
After School Block |
After School Block |
After School Block |
Immune Compromised Form and Process:
● Students with Immune Suppression - Click here for Info from Ministry of Education
● Request for Medical Statement - Click here for form
Update from Superintendent:
● Stage 2 Question & Answers: https://www.sd63.bc.ca/Stage-2-QA
The content is grouped into 4 categories:
1. RETURN TO SCHOOL
2. HEALTH & SAFETY
3. LEARNING COHORTS & PHYSICAL DISTANCING
4. STUDENT LEARNING
We are all looking forward to a safe and successful start-up to the school year. We appreciate how different this year will be and respect how everyone will cope with the many changes in their own way. The staff at Claremont are amazing individuals and collectively we will do our best to provide the best education for students in a safe and caring environment.
Sincerely,
Peter Westhaver Kelly de Klerk Aaron Buckham
pwesthaver@saanichschools.ca kdeklerk@saanichschools.ca abuckham@saanichschools.ca