Dear Families,

I hope you are all doing well.

We are so proud of our students and staff for all of their efforts with online teaching and learning!  It is amazing to see how far we have all come with new technologies and ways of doing things.  Their ability to adapt and grow has been incredible to see.  All of the support given by parents at home has not gone unnoticed – THANK YOU!

Here is some information for this week:

Return to School

·         Students return to in-person learning on Monday January 18^th

·         Grades 9, 10 & 11 students resume the hybrid learning model (attached) until February 5^th

·         Students will continue to enter the building through the designated entrance for their grade

·         Please remember to screen your children for symptoms prior to sending them to school

Enhanced Mask Protocol

·         Beginning on Monday January 18^th, all students will be required to wear a school issued surgical/procedural mask when they are at school – this includes outside on school property

·         Cloth masks or any mask brought from home will not be acceptable

·         We will be providing 2 surgical masks to each student every day

·         Exceptionally on Monday, students can arrive to school wearing their own mask – please send them with a surgical mask if you have some at home

·         When students arrive on Monday, they will receive a surgical mask prior to entering the building – they will be distributed at all entrances by a staff member wearing gloves and using tongs

·         The student will bring the mask to class and once inside their classroom, they will quickly switch out their own mask with the mask provided

·         When students return from being outside at the end of lunch, they will be provided with a second mask which they will put on after returning to their classroom

·         Used masks must be disposed of in garbage cans and NOT recycle bins

·         During last period, staff members will deliver a re-sealable bag and another mask to each child

·         They will put the fresh mask in the re-sealable bag and put it in their backpack

·         They will be required to wear this mask the following day – including on the school bus

·         Starting on Tuesday, students will receive one mask at the end of lunch and a second mask during last period (for the following morning)

·         Please watch the following video from the Canadian Red Cross on how to effectively use procedure masks:

Inclement Weather

·         Students will continue to spend the last half of lunch outside unless the temperature is below -20®C

·         Please remind your child to dress appropriately for the weather

Post-Secondary Open Houses

·         While the open houses are geared towards graduating students, students from all grade levels are able to participate

·         These open houses are a great opportunity to learn about post-secondary options and to help make important decisions about where to apply

Algonquin Open House

• Wednesday, January 20^th from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Participants must register in advance. Click here to register.

Cegep Heritage College Open House

• Thursday, January 21^st, 6:30 p.m.
• Click here to access the Zoom link. Meeting number: 941 1533 9799 Password: 317375

Parent-Youth Workshop (click Here)

·         Please see the attachment with information regarding a parent-youth workshop

·         This series of 4 online workshops is intended for youth who face challenges with reading and writing tasks

Upcoming Dates

·         January 22 – Report Cards will be published to the parent portal

·         January 22 – Planning and Training Day – No school for students

We are looking forward to having our students back at school next week! 

Take care and have a great weekend.

Tara Laine

Principal

Symmes Junior High School/D’Arcy McGee High School

819-684-7472 x 437001

Dear Families,

Happy New Year!

2021 promises to be another interesting year that will continue to test our resilience and strength.

I hope you all enjoyed a restful holiday season.

Here are some important updates:

Provincial Announcements Regarding Re-Opening Schools

·         ALL Secondary students will learn from a distance for an additional week

·         Learning from home will continue next week with students following their 9 day/4 period schedule

·         Please remember to contact Ms. Jessica Pilon (jpilon@wqsb.qc.ca, 819-684-7472 ext. 437010) if your child will be absent from online classes

·         Grade 7 & 8 students will resume in-person learning on January 18^th and they will attend EVERY day

·         Grade 9, 10 & 11 students will resume in-person learning on January 18^th and they will attend EVERY OTHER day – we will send out the schedule next week

·         The hybrid schedule will remain in effect for our senior students until February 5^th

Provincial Announcements Regarding Reporting and Evaluation

·         The Minister announced this week that ALL ministry exams are cancelled

·         The affected exams are:  Grade 11 English, Grade 11 French, Grade 10 Math, Grade 10 Science, Grade 10 History

·         We are working with our local consultants and teachers to determine what the final exam period will look like and I will communicate with everyone once we have established a firm plan

·         The Minister announced that Term 1 and Term 2 will be weighted differently, with Term 1 weighing less than Term 2

·         We are waiting to hear what the final weightings will be and will communicate once we know

·         The Minister announced that schools could decide to push out the Term 1 report cards until February 5^th

·         We have decided to move forward with our plan of issuing Term 1 report cards on January 22^nd – they will be published to the parent portal

Provincial Announcements Regarding Masks

·         The minister announced that all students would be required to wear procedural/surgical masks at all time when on school property – of course they can be removed briefly to eat/drink

·         Students will no longer be permitted to wear cloth face coverings

·         Schools are responsible for distributing 2 procedural/surgical masks per day for each student

·         The expectation is that students must wear the masks provided by the school

·         We are working on our plan for distribution and we will share it with you prior to the start of in-person learning  

Please refer to the attached letter from the WQSB for added details.

We are so proud of the work that our students and staff have done this week with their virtual classes.  Navigating these changes is challenging for all of us and we appreciate the ongoing patience and support of our community.  I am confident that we will continue to work together to provide a safe, positive and engaging learning environment for our students. 

Please take care and have a wonderful weekend.

Tara Laine

Principal

Symmes Junior High School/D’Arcy McGee High School

819-684-7472 x 437001

 January 8, 2021

Letter to Parents and Guardians

Revision to Ministry Measures

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Further to the letter that was distributed yesterday, please take note of the following change to the measures, as announced earlier today by Minister of Education, Mr. Jean François Roberge:

• Students in elementary schools are not required to wear face coverings while outside on school grounds

Sincerely,

____________________

George Singfield

Secretary General and Director of Corporate Services and Communication

Secrétaire général et directeur des services corporatifs et communications

819-684-2336 #505001

1-800-363-9111 #505001

georgesingfield@wqsb.qc.ca

Dear Parents & Guardians,

As you are likely aware, Premier Legault held a press conference yesterday, during which he announced a series of new measures related to Covid-19. Please visit the Québec website to access the full breakdown of the new measures (please note that paragraph 9 under the Secondary Education tab should read: ‘students in secondary 3, 4, and 5’, and not ‘grades 3, 4, and 5).

The following measures are in effect for our schools and centres:

Preschool and Elementary Schools

• Preschool and elementary school students will resume classes on January 11th, according to the school calendar
• Preschoolers do not have to wear face coverings
• Students in grades 1-4 must wear face coverings at all times in the following areas: on school buses, in common areas, in the corridors, and on school grounds
• Students in grades 5 and 6 must wear face coverings at all times: on the school buses, in common areas, in the corridors, on school grounds and in the classroom

Secondary Schools

• Secondary school students will stay home, and distance learning services will be offered according to the normal schedule up to and including January 15, 2021, according to the school calendar
• Students will resume classes on-site as of Monday, January 18th
• All students must wear procedure masks at all times in the school and on school grounds, as well as on school buses
• The school will provide each student with two procedure masks per day
• As of January 18th, students in secondary 3, 4, and 5 (grades 9, 10, and 11) will attend in-school classes on a one-day-in/one-day-out rotation; that is to say that students will attend school one day and receive distance learning the following day. Individual schools will provide the details regarding school schedules
• The rotating schedule does not apply to students in the Work-Oriented Training Pathway Pre-Work and Semi-Specialized), Lifeskills Centres, and specialized classes

Adult and Vocational Education Centres

• Students in Adult and Vocational Education will resume classes on Monday, January 18th
• Students must wear procedure masks in the centre and on centre grounds at all times

Sincerely,

George Singfield
Secretary General and Director of Corporate Services and Communication

Our school staff has prepared a series of tips to help you make the most out of virtual learning. There are easy things you can implement in your routine to train your brain to be more productive, like having a healthy breakfast before sitting down with your laptop. It’s only beneficial! Have a look at our colourful PowerPoint to discover more.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As you may be aware, Premier François Legault held a press conference yesterday afternoon, during which he outlined further COVID-19 measures specific to the holiday season. While the measures announced on November 19th pertaining to secondary schools, adult education and vocational education centres remain unchanged, there are some changes at the preschool and elementary level. For the sake of clarity, I am providing a summary of all measures which are now in effect as per the government directive:

For Students in Preschool and Elementary Schools:

• Preschool and elementary students will not attend classes at school between December 17th and January 10th (note that this is a change, as originally the date has moved from January 3rd to January 10th) inclusively
• For classes scheduled during the period from December 17th to December 23RD , and January 4th to January 8th inclusively, students will be expected to work from home; teachers will maintain daily communication with their individual students during this period
• Scheduled PD Days are maintained
• All preschool and elementary students will return to school on Monday, January 11th

For Students in Secondary Schools:

• Students will not attend classes in school between December 17th and January 10th
• Educational services will be offered to students in grades 7-11 through distance learning, according to the students’ regular timetable
• Scheduled PD Days are maintained
• All secondary students will return to school on Monday, January 11th
• Note that secondary schools in government-designated red zones will continue to rotate students in grades 9- 11 (in school one day/learn from home the following day); this measure will remain in place until the government issues a revised directive. Individual schools will communicate with their respective communities upon return in January

For Students in Vocational Training and Adult Education Centres:

• During the period of December 17 and January 10 inclusively, students will not attend on site.
• For days within this period where students were scheduled to be on site as per centre calendar, distance learning will be offered when possible. No students can be present for labs or workshops.
• Local evaluation can be done at a distance.
• Practicums may continue as scheduled.
• For students who cannot continue their studies at a distance, centres will prepare review work or enrichment activities for students. Telephone communication with students can also be undertaken.

For Students who are Registered in the Western Québec Online Academy:

• Classes will continue to run as originally scheduled, according to the WQOA
• Calendar January 4th remains a PD Day, therefore there are no scheduled classes for students

Reporting COVID-19 Cases to Individual Schools:

• During the period of December 21st to January 8th, a parent who has a child who receives a positive test result for COVID-19, is not required to advise the child’s school
• During the above-listed period, Santé Publique will notify the WQSB Director General of any WQSB students who receive a positive result for COVID-19

Emergency Daycare:

• Emergency daycare will continue to be provided for the children of government-deemed essential workers
• For additional information regarding Emergency Daycare, please consult the list of jobs qualifying for the emergency childcare service onto the governmental website.

On behalf of Director General Mike Dubeau and the entire Western Québec School Board staff, I wish you a safe, healthy, happy holiday!

Sincerely,

George Singfield
Secretary General and Director of Corporate Services 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

Distance Learning

• On December 17^th & 18^th all students will be learning from home
• Students will continue to follow their regular timetable from home
• December 17^th is DAY 8 and December 19^th is DAY 9
• Classes will start on time and attendance will be taken
• Students should log onto to their MS Teams platform in the morning and wait for instructions from their teacher

Desk Cleanout

• We are encouraging all students to completely clean out their desks prior to their last physical day in school before the winter break
• This will allow our caretakers to thoroughly clean and disinfect before students return
• This will also help to ensure that students have everything they need for remote learning during the week of January 5^th
• We will be asking students to bring home as many things as they can on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week

Student Voice

• Please see the attachment from the LCEEQ (Leadership Committee for English Education in Quebec)
• LCEEQ is offering a $400 prize for students who want to enter the contest
• Students need to answer the question: “Which global issue touches my life & what can I do about it?”
• We are encouraging our students to use their voices and enter the contest

Have a wonderful weekend!

Tara Laine

Principal

D’Arcy McGee High School ~ Symmes Junior High School

819-684-7472 x 437001

For Students in Secondary Schools:

• Students will not attend classes in school between December 17th and January 10th inclusive
• Christmas Holidays begin December 21 to January 4 inclusive
• December 17 & 18, January 5,6,7,8 Classes will be online as per students regular timetable.
• Scheduled PD Days will be maintained
• Educational services will be offered to students in grades 7-11 through distance learning, according to the students’ regular timetable

Dear Families,

I hope  you are all doing well.

Here is some information for this week:

Covid-19 Update

·         We currently have TWO active cases of Covid-19 in our school

·         All students who have been deemed to have been in close contact with the positive cases are currently isolating

Appropriate Attire

·         Please remind your child to dress appropriately for the weather

·         We continue to run most Phys. Ed. classes outside as well as 25 minutes at lunch

·         We will keep students inside for PE and lunch during heavy rain, or in extremely cold temperatures

MS Teams

·         We are encouraging all parents to access their child’s MS Teams account where you will find a lot of valuable information about your child’s classes

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Tara Laine

Principal

D’Arcy McGee High School ~ Symmes Junior 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 ONE active case of Covid-19 in our school

·         The class is currently isolating

Ministry Examinations

·         The Ministry of Education recently announced an adjustment to the weightings of the final uniform exams for Ministry courses

·         These exams are now weighted at 20% instead of the usual 50%

·         The courses implicated by this change are: 

–          Grade 10 History

–          Grade 10 Science

–          Grade 10 Math (Science option and CST option)

–          Grade 11 French

–          Grade 11 English

Holiday Food Drive

·         We will again be supporting the Aylmer Food Bank this holiday season

·         Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the deadline to collect food will be earlier than it has been in the past (we must quarantine our donations prior to delivery)

·         Your children will hear more about this initiative in school next week

Please remember that Monday November 30^th is a Planning and Training Day for teachers – no school for students.

Have a great weekend!

Tara Laine

Principal

Symmes Junior High School/D’Arcy McGee High School

819-684-7472 x 437001