Dear Families,
I hope you are all doing well.
Here are a few important updates:
COVID Cases
- We currently have ONE active case of COVID-19 in our student population
- The student has been self-isolating and following all of the directives of Public Health since September 12th
- We have followed all of the directives given to us by Public Health and we have a group of students self-isolating as a precautionary measure
- We have been reassured by Public Health that our school is considered SAFE and LOW-RISK
Distance Learning
- Please know that only students who are required by Public Health to self-isolate, or those that are medically exempt have access to guided/structured distance learning
- Students who are absent for other reasons can access teacher websites/platforms but are responsible for completing the work independently
Annual General Assembly
- Reminder that our joint Annual General Assembly will take place virtually next Wednesday at 6:30pm
- You must RSVP with your full name, the name of your child and your child’s grade in order to receive a link to the meeting
- For Symmes parents, RSVP to: symmesaga@gmail.com
- For D’Arcy parents, RSVP to: darcyaga@gmail.com
Virtual Meet-the-Teacher
- In lieu of an in person ‘meet-the-teacher’ night, you can expect to be contacted by your child’s teachers
- They will provide you with a breakdown of the academic and behaviour expectations for their class
Resource Model
- We have been working on the safest way to deliver resource support for our students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
- We are planning to have a ‘soft-opening’ of our resource room on September 28th
- More details will be sent in next week’s update
School Bus Protocols
- Bus drivers have submitted their seating plans to the school board and to us
- It is critical that students sit in their assigned seats and ALWAYS wear their mask
- This is required in order for us to follow up in the event that we have other positive COVID cases
- We are asking for the students support to report to us when another student does not wear a mask
- Please talk to your child about helping to keep everyone safe
Vaccinations
- Due to a reorganization that is happening with school nurses, the grade 9 vaccinations that were scheduled for November have been delayed
- As soon as we receive any news, we will share it with you
Technology Training
- We have completed our technology training with grade 7, 8, 9 & 10 students
- Grade 11 students will receive training on Monday, September 21st
- The focus of the training has been: accessing MS Teams, Microsoft emails and Office 365 accounts, email etiquette, how to attach and share documents & basic word processing skills
- Please continue to send your child to school with their device
Lunch Time and Off-Property
- Students have been reminded to not trespass on the school board parking lot or the construction sites nearby
- Please re-enforce this message with your child
- We are strongly encouraging students to wear masks and practice social distancing if they choose to leave our property at lunch
- Local police have started issuing fines for individuals who are not following the guidelines of Public
Health outdoors
- They are focusing their efforts on areas close to high schools, colleges and universities
- We continue to be very proud of the students behaviour when they are inside our building and on our property
Upcoming Dates
- September 23rd – 6:30pm – Annual General Assembly (virtual)
- September 29th – Photo Day
- October 12th – Thanksgiving – no school
Things have been difficult this week with the notification of a confirmed positive case of COVID-19. Our team handled the situation quickly and we were ready to enact our local protocols immediately after receiving the news on Tuesday night. We received a lot of positive feedback from Public Health, the WQSB and our community.
The events of this last week have been an excellent reminder that we are all in this together. Thank you for your ongoing support during these challenging times.
Have a nice weekend,
Tara Laine, Principal
Symmes Junior High School/D’Arcy McGee High School
819-684-7472 x 437001
Our mission is to foster a safe, caring, and respectful community in which everyone learns and achieves individual success.