Symptom and Health Protocol

Attestation For Return

Template Letter

Dear Families,

I hope you are doing well.

On behalf of my entire staff, I would like to thank you for the extra support you have shown to us during this Teacher Appreciation Week.  We enjoyed a lovely lunch today on behalf of our parent community and it was such a great way to end the week.

Here is some information for this week.

Covid-19 Update

• We currently have ZERO active cases of Covid-19 in our school

Parent-Teacher Interviews

• Teachers have been extending invitations for virtual meetings with parents
• You can learn about using the online booking tool here:
• We recommend that you test the link prior to the meeting so that you locate the ‘join’ button in advance of your timeslot
• If you did not receive an invitation but would like feedback on your child’s progress, please reach out to the teachers directly

Free Webinars

• I have attached flyers with details about upcoming events for parents and families
• Wellness Initiative

Upcoming Dates

• March 1^st – March 5^th – no school

Have a wonderful weekend!

Tara Laine

Principal

D’Arcy McGee High School ~ Symmes Junior High School

819-684-7472 x 437001

This week, the Western Quebec School Board is celebrating its teachers. It is difficult to clearly articulate the degree to which we appreciate them as individuals, and as a group. As directors of the school board, we are afforded the luxury of receiving so much positive feedback and witnessing the initiatives our teachers undertake, along with the commitment, and genuine caring that they model on a consistent basis.

As we all know, the pandemic has brought with it a whole new set of challenges; our teachers, have met these challenges head-on, and in doing so, have clearly prioritized the learning of all of our students. This unselfishness has undeniably been a huge comfort to our students and parents, as the return to classes has not been easy.

We are proud of our teachers. We are proud of who they are and how they carry themselves. We are proud of the virtues they model for our students. We are proud of the learning environment that they create in our school communities. We are proud of the creativity and flexibility that they exercise as they go about their craft. We are proud of the fact that we know our students are well looked after by our teachers.

Please join us in celebrating and thanking our teachers this week. We are so grateful for all that they do; for all that they give: they are greatly appreciated!

Please take a few minutes to watch the video:

Thank you,

Mike Dubeau, Director General

Ruth Ahern, Assistant Director General/Director of Education, Adult Education, Vocational Training

Stewart Aitken, Director Educational Services

Sandra Cox, Director of Finance

Lisa Falasconi, Director of Complementary Services

Terry Kharyati, Director of Education/Director of Human Resources

Martine Lupien, Director of Finance

Pascal Proulx, Director of Buildings, Technology, and Transport

George Singfield, Secretary General/Director of Corporate Affairs and Communication

Dear Families,

I hope you are doing well.

Here is some information for this week:

Covid-19 Update

• We currently have ZERO active cases of Covid-19 in our school

Term Weightings

• The Minister recently announced the following weightings for the 2 terms for this school year:
• Term 1 – 35%
• Term 2 = 65%
• I have attached a letter from the WQSB to this email

Parent-Teacher Interviews

• We will be holding virtual Parent-Teacher interviews at the following times:
• Wednesday February 24^th 2pm-4pm
• Thursday February 25^th 5:30pm-8:30pm
• If your child’s teacher(s) would like to invite you to an interview, they will send you a link next week with an online booking tool
• Here is a link with instructions for how to book your meeting(s):
• Interview times will be 7-8 minutes in length
• It is not possible for our teachers to meet with every parent
• If you do not receive an invitation for a meeting and would like an update from your child’s teacher, please reach out to them directly by email for feedback

Upcoming Dates

• Monday February 15^th – PD Day – no school for students
• March 1^st – March 5^th – March Break – no school

Have a wonderful weekend!

Tara Laine

Principal

Symmes Junior High School/D’Arcy McGee High School

819-684-7472 x 437001

Dear Families,

I hope you are all doing well.

Here is some information for this week:

Covid-19 Update

• We currently have ZERO active cases of Covid-19 in our school

Black History Month

• The month of February is designated to recognize and honour the accomplishments and contributions of members of the Black community
• We have been sharing resources and stories with our students every day in the form of video announcements
• Please visit the following website for more information:

https://westernquebec.ca/blackhistorymonth/

• Additional resources/videos/features will be added to the website every few days throughout the month

Last Day of Classes

• Based on the cancellation of Ministry exams, the WQSB has decided that the last day of classes for all students in the youth sector will be

JUNE 23, 2021

• This means that students will continue with regular classes, following their timetables until that day
• I’ve attached an updated calendar with the cycle days for these new weeks in June

Hybrid Schedule

• Because our region continues to be designated as a ‘red zone’ we are to maintain the hybrid schedule for grades 9, 10 & 11 until further notice
• I have attached the schedule that runs until the March break 

Upcoming Dates

• February 8^th – PD Day – no school for students
• February 9^th – PD Day – no school for students
• February 15^th – PD Day – no school for students

Have a wonderful weekend.

Tara Laine

Principal

D’Arcy McGee High School ~ Symmes Junior High School

819-684-7472 x 437001

Please see the attached letter from Principal Laine

Dear Families,

I hope you are all doing well.

Here is some information for this week:

Covid-19 Update

• We currently have ZERO active cases of Covid-19 in our school

Symptoms Protocol Update

Public Health and the Ministry have updated the symptoms protocol for Covid-19.  Attached to this email you will find:

• Updated symptoms protocol
• Attestation letter to support your child’s return to school following an absence due to Covid-19 symptoms or diagnosis
• Parent follow up card for your reference

Notable changes to our previous protocols include:

• Removal of headaches as a symptom of Covid-19
• The temperature of the fever which indicates a symptom of Covid-19
• Recommendation for immediate testing upon experiencing symptoms, rather than monitoring symptoms
• Siblings are requested to stay home if someone in their home is experiencing symptoms

New Funding!

• The Ministry of Education has recently announced that schools will be receiving additional funding to support students
• These funds will be given centrally to the school board and then will be distributed to schools
• We are still waiting to hear how the funds will be distributed and how we are able to spend these funds
• As always, we will share the information and our plan with our community once we know more

Hand Sanitizer Recall

• I have attached a letter from the WQSB regarding a recent hand sanitizer recall

Jasmin Roy Foundation

• Here is a link for parents that is specifically related to helping young people with their emotional and social needs during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic:

• There are many resources available in both English and French

Please encourage your children to cut the loops off their school issued masks before disposing of them in order to protect our wildlife.  We will be doing the same at school.

Take care and have a lovely weekend.

Tara Laine

Principal

Symmes Junior High School/D’Arcy McGee High School

819-684-7472 x 437001

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Please note that Health Canada has issued a recall for a hand sanitizer that had been distributed to schools in Quebec and Ontario. Health Canada reports that the affected products are sold under various product and company names (please see link to “Health Canada Recall and Safety Alert” below). The issue with the recalled hand sanitizer (as reported by Health Canada) is that the sanitizer products in question contain a higher concentration of benzalkonium chloride than permitted for personal or domestic use. Health Canada states that daily use of the sanitizers in question “may cause red, itchy, or dry skin in susceptible individuals.”

Learn more about the Anti-Microbe recall >

Please take note that upon receiving notice of the Health Canada Recall, all schools have been instructed to have caretaking staff remove all sanitizer that has been recalled. The sanitizer will be replaced by a product that is Health Canada approved.

Although the recall is not cause for alarm, we remain committed to keeping all of our WQSB stakeholders informed.

Sincerely,

George Singfield
Secretary General and Director of Corporate Services and Communications

Dear Families,

I hope you are all doing well.

It was so nice to welcome our students physically back to school this week!  They have been adapting incredibly well to the enhanced mask protocols and we are all becoming comfortable with our new routines. They continue to impress and inspire us as we move through these changing times.

Here are some updates for this week:

Covid-19 Update

• We currently have ZERO active cases of Covid-19 in our school

Term 1 Report Cards

• Student report cards are available on the parent portal
• We are still waiting to hear from the Ministry of Education regarding the weighting of terms but we know that term 2 will weigh heavier than term 1

Clarification – Regional Admissions Services

• You may have received an email from the WQSB regarding this topic – some of you had questions
• To clarify, due to the all of the impacts to education as a result of Covid-19, Regional Admissions Services has requested that the WQSB send in all report cards (all three terms) for student in grades 10 & 11
• In the past, they had only requested final marks for grade 10 students and term 1 marks for grade 11 students
• If you child was in grade 10 with the WQSB last year, all three of their report cards were submitted to the Regional Admissions Services for college and university applications

Portage Webinar

• Our partner Portage (treatment facility) is hosting a workshop directed to parents and caregivers called “Teens and Drugs – Your Questions Answered”
• The virtual webinar will be on February 1^st at 7pm –
• please click the link for registration details

Parent Info Session

• Connexions is hosting a 2-part online webinar for parents and caregivers
• The sessions are focused on helping parents understand their child’s learning style
• Please click here to see the attached flyer for additional information

I hope you all have a nice weekend!

Tara Laine

Principal

Symmes Junior High School/D’Arcy McGee High School

819-684-7472 x 437001