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The purpose of this email is to provide some information around new protocols and routines for students who have been kept home, or who have been sent home, with Covid symptoms.  The TLDSB and our local health unit (HKPR) have developed this update.

This new protocol takes effect on Monday, October 19.

Attestation Form

Our local health unit and the TLDSB now requires parents/guardians to complete an online attestation (when a student has been sent home with or who has shown Covid symptoms and been kept home by the parent/guardian) in which they attest to the student being able to return to school based on the TLDSB’s Covid-19 return to school protocols (i.e., the student is well enough to return based on the Covid-19 protocols).  The attestation for the TLDSB will be done via a Google Form.

A reminder that the TLDSB’s Return To School Plan (which has a section on students returning to school after demonstrating Covid-19 symptoms) is located here or can be accessed by pasting the link below into your browser.

https://www.tldsb.ca/returntoschool/

Process

In a situation where a student has been sent home due to Covid symptoms or who has been kept home by the parent/guardian due to Covid symptoms, the school will email the Google Form link to the parent/guardian.    

Please be aware that a student in the above situations CANNOT return to school until the attestation has been completed by a parent or guardian.  

Student Kept Home For Illness Not Related To Covid Symptoms

In a situation where a student has been kept home due to illness NOT related to Covid-19 symptoms, the Google Form link won’t be sent to you and the attestation does not have to be filled out.  This might be the case for a student, for example, who has injured themself or who is sick for reasons that do not exhibit Covid symptoms.

As always, we appreciate your understanding as we continue to refine practices based on TLDSB and our local health unit’s requirements.

DGH community, there has been some confusion around what happens when a student has had a Covid test and is waiting for the results. I spoke with a Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge Health Unit nurse who reaffirmed that a student who has had a Covid test must stay at home and not come to school until the results have come through. Once the results have come through, the family can then let the school know the results. While the school does not require a physical copy of the test results for a student to return, many parents do provide a physical copy – which we appreciate. As always, we appreciate your understanding and patience.

As always, use the Ontario Covid Screening Tool located here to screen your children daily before coming to school and to guide you in decision making.

The purpose of this post is not to discourage families from getting a Covid test if the screening tool and/or your health care practitioner suggests it. Rather, this post’s purpose was to have everyone “on the same page.”

Thank you to the our parents who have volunteered for our 2020-2021 DGH Parent Council and Parent Council Executive. Our Parent Council consists of:

Co-Chair: Amy Steendelaar

Co-Chair: Grant Boudreault

Secretary: Pam Derouin

Treasurer: Connie Starr

Members: Kim MacFarlane, Ladena Prithipual, Stacey Cunningham, Janis Minion, Lisa Brant, Yvonne Strange, Karen Day, Ashley McMartin, Melanie Brant, Krista Brant, Michelle Linthorne and Dana Free

Our first meeting of the year was held on October 7, 2020 – which is when the Executive was voted upon.

Major topics of discussion for this meeting are located in the Parent Council news of the website.
Our next meeting is November 18, 2020 at 6:00 pm.

On behalf of the DGH staff office staff, thank you DGH families for listening to our request for as few late students as possible. Compared to any other year, we have FAR fewer late students arriving each morning. Aside from the reduced disruption for office staff, it has had the additional benefit of far less disruptions for classrooms too. While it may not seem like a big deal, every time a late student enters a classroom it DOES disrupt the classroom (the teacher and students inevitably stop the lesson to say high and the teacher has to catch the student up to speed on what is happening in the lesson); staff have commented on the reduced number of disruptions each day.

Another benefit this year has been the much reduced number of items being dropped off each day for students. In past years, many lunches, coats, books, and Edwins were dropped off each day. This has been a pretty rare event so far this year – which also means fewer disruptions to the classroom.

If you are picking up your child early from school, please remember to only call the school when you are in the parking lot. Rather than calling your child down early (where they have to wait in the foyer until you arrive), it is better to just call when you arrive and we can usually have your child out to the car in a couple of minutes.

DGH community, I wanted to let our families know that this Fall our students will be going outside for recess when it is not raining too hard. One of the reasons for this is that it allows our custodians time to get into classrooms to clean and disinfect. Our custodians try to get into classrooms at least once a day (while students are physically at school) to clean and disinfect rooms. As well, it does give students a longer opportunity to physically distance and take their masks off.

Students are encouraged to bring an umbrella, waterproof coat, appropriate footwear and perhaps a change of clothing. I recognize that this is not ideal in that students do not have a cubby space or locker to store all of this gear (it has to go back and forth with them each day), but this is certainly a year where little is usual or routine.

To be honest, many of our students will likely be happy to hear this. As the person (it is Mr. Parish writing this post) who most often call for an “indoor recess”, I am also the person who the students most often complain to! And, to be further honest, unless it is raining hard, I would generally prefer to be outside too!

A quick shout out to Austin K and Charlie L who found a phone out on the yard yesterday during second recess. They immediately brought it over to me to turn it in. A great example of honesty! Over the course of my years at DGH several phones have been turned in and returned to the owners (not to mention money on multiple occasions). Your honesty is appreciated.

Please find attached the annual Notice of Exemption Option for the Health and Physical Education Curriculum – Grades 1-8: Human Development and Sexual Health Topics In Strand D (‘Healthy Living’).  As indicated in this letter, families will receive at least 20 days notice prior to these expectations being taught.  Information will be contained in the letter sent home by teachers indicating how families can opt out of these expectations, if they wish to do so.

A reminder, DGH community, that our Parent Council election takes place this Wednesday, October 7 at 6:00 pm. Due to our Covid protocols, this meeting (and all meetings until further notice) will take place virtually though Google Meet or by teleconference. Nominations closed last Friday, October 2. The names of our Parent Council Executive and its other members will be communicated out to the community via our website and SchoolMessenger email system.

Would you like even more incentive for contributing to DGH’s Terry Fox Run? Check out the image below for some numbers around the Terry Fox Run and its fundraising. 33 countries around the world hold Terry Fox Runs with an amazing 10,000 runs happening each year! An incredible 361 researchers are funded by the Terry Fox Foundation – all of whom are making contributions to fighting cancer. Every cent counts when you fundraise, DGH!

How to donate? Go to our fundraising page on the Terry Fox website:

https://secure.terryfox.ca/registrant/TeamFundraisingPage.aspx?Referrer=%26Referrer%3dhttps%253a%252f%252fterryfox.org%252fschoolrun%252f&TeamID=910535

DGH has participated in the annual Terry Fox Run for more than 20 years (an impressive accomplishment!). We are participating again this year and looking forward to being part of an incredible movement created by Terry Fox. How can you help? Fundraise to support the Terry Fox Foundation. All money fundraised goes to the Terry Fox Foundation and is used to battle cancer. The money fundraised has helped accomplished extraordinary advances in medicine.

How to donate fundraising? Our school’s fundraising page on the Terry Fox website is at:

https://secure.terryfox.ca/registrant/TeamFundraisingPage.aspx?Referrer=%26Referrer%3dhttps%253a%252f%252fterryfox.org%252fschoolrun%252f&TeamID=910535

Our annual run takes place on Friday, October 2! Huskies – let’s show our school and community spirit and make this day a success!