Covid-19 Updates

Christ The Redeemer (CTR) Catholic Schools Re-Entry Plan

Last updated October 22, 2020

On July 21, 2020 The Minister of Education indicated that classes will resume in the fall as near normal with additional health measures in place, and the Minister ordered additional health measures on August 4, 2020. Please refer to Alberta Education’s Get the Facts: Back to Class  2020-2021 for the Ministry’s reasons for return.

Please note this plan may be revised as new information becomes available and/or as conditions related to COVID-19 change. CTR Catholic’s Re-Entry Plan is indicated in black text with individual school information to be added in blue. Individual school information will be emailed to parents and posted on their websites.

CTR Catholic is focusing on multiple ways to increase safety including the best physical distancing possible, cohorting in Grades K-9, teaching and promoting respiratory etiquette,  teaching and promoting proper hygiene and handwashing, enhancing cleaning, supporting students in Grades K to 3 who choose to wear masks, ensuring Grades 4 - 12 students and all staff wear masks, and supporting students and families in the regular screening and monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19.

CTR Catholic will cooperate with Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Ministry of Education to provide your children a safe return to school in the fall. Parents also have a role to play in supporting the process. Please refer to Alberta Education’s Parents’ Guide 2020–21 School Year for the suggestions.

The safety and well-being of our students and staff is top priority for CTR Catholic. Our efforts are to mitigate the risks of COVID-19. Below are some of the health and safety measures that make up CTR’s Re-Entry Plan.

Contents

  1. General Building Safety
  2. Daily Self-Screening
  3. Responding to an Illness
  4. If There Is A Case Of COVID-19 At School
  5. Getting Settled in the First Two Weeks Back
  6. Masks
  7. Physical Distancing
  8. Cohorting and Seating Plans
  9. Hallway and Locker Protocols
  10. Shared School Spaces
  11. Specialty Classrooms (Band, Music, Foods, Construction, Art, Drama,  Computer labs, Phys. Ed, Library)
  12. Expectations for Dropoff and Pickup
  13. Transportation
  14. Visitors/Volunteering
  15. Belongings/School Supply List
  1. Lunch/Hot Lunch/Breakfast Program/Vending Machines
  2. Recess
  3. Extra-Curricular, Co-Curricular, and Field Trips
  4. Responding to Learning Delays from Last Year
  5. Support for Students with Special Needs
  6. Life Streaming (if available at your school)
  7. Moving from Regular Operations to Full or Partial At Home Learning
  8. Supporting Students Who are Self-Isolating or Ill at Home
  9. Options for Choosing to Continue with an At-Home Model
  10. Parent Requests to Transition Individual Students Between At School and At Home Learning
  11. Diploma Exams and Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs)
  12. Mental Health

  1. General Building Safety

CTR Catholic will implement a plan for building safety upon return. This will include, but is not limited to the following:

  • Hand sanitizer stations will be provided to each school.
  • Students in Grades 4 to 12 and all staff must wear masks as per government protocols. In grades K-3, students are still required to have a mask at school, but are not required at all times. See section 6 for further details. This decision was made on July 29th by the Minister of Education.
  • Classrooms will be equipped with hand sanitizers, soap/water bottles, paper towels, and one large classroom spray bottle for the teacher’s use.
  • Each student will receive their own spray bottle, labeled with their name, to spray and wipe down their own desk/table with soap and water prior to leaving a class, upon entering a new class, and before and after eating.
  • Spray hand sanitizer will be administered to students as they enter/exit the school. Parents may also provide their students with their own sanitizers and hand lotion to be used when entering and exiting the school.
  • Students will be encouraged to wash their hands throughout the day. Teachers will ensure young children are supervised and assisted as much as possible in hand hygiene. We are aware that heavy disinfectants and cleaning solutions pose a health risk, and we will limit students’ exposure to harsh chemicals as best as possible while still adhering to  strict hygiene protocols to combat transmission.
  • Area rugs and soft furnishings in the classroom that cannot be easily cleaned and disinfected will be removed.
  • All classrooms will be decluttered to the greatest extent possible.
  • Posters to promote hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, use of hand sanitizer, physical distancing, not sharing, and use of masks will be placed throughout the school including exits and high traffic areas as well as above every hand washing and hand sanitizing station.
  • Water fountains will remain open.
    • Buttons and knobs will be disinfected regularly by custodians. 
    • Students are strongly encouraged to bring filled water bottles each day. Please label the water bottle with your child’s name.
  • Each school will increase the frequency of cleaning/disinfecting of high touch areas and equipment both during the school day and after hours.
  • At the end of the day, custodians will disinfect desk surfaces. Custodians will follow an enhanced daily cleaning protocol.
  • Doors will be propped open whenever reasonable to avoid using door handles.
  • Furniture in the atrium, hallways, gathering spaces will be either removed or spaced apart to meet physical distancing guidelines. They will be washed down daily.
  • Use of shared items or equipment will be avoided where possible. Equipment that must be shared will be cleaned and disinfected after each use where possible.
  • OLS has an expanded main parking lot for parents/guardians to pick-up and drop-off their children if they are opting to drive them as opposed to taking the bus. We ask that parents/guardians and students refrain from using the east facing (small parking lot) and only use the large (main) parking lot.
  • Hand sanitizer stations have been installed in all classrooms as well as all common areas including the library, outside bathrooms and gymnasium entrances.
  • The OLS emergency response plan (evacuation, sheltering in place, lockdowns, fire drills) will not be impacted by the re-entry plan, except for the mandatory use of masks for all students/staff during a planned drill or in the event of an emergency.
  • Students will limit the materials they bring into the school to materials required for learning. Personal materials that could be shared with others will not be permitted.

  1. Daily Self-Screening
  • Before leaving home, staff, children/students, substitute teachers, visitors, and volunteers who will access the school for work or education, must self-screen for symptoms each day that they enter the school using the Screening Questionnaire tool. 
  • Please DO NOT enter the school if you checked “Yes” to any symptoms.  Anyone who reports symptoms will be directed to stay home, seek health care advice as appropriate (e.g., call Health Link 811, or their primary health care practitioner, or 911 for emergency response), and fill out the AHS COVID Online Self-Assessment Tool to determine if they should be tested.
  • If an individual develops symptoms that could be caused by either COVID-19 or by a known pre-existing condition (e.g. allergies), the individual should be tested for COVID-19 at least once to establish a baseline.  If symptoms worsen or additional symptoms develop, the individual must stay home and be tested and cleared.  Schools will keep record of children’s known pre-existing conditions in PowerSchool as they would any other condition.
  • At OLS, all visitors and volunteers will call the school prior to arrival. They will wear a mask upon entry, use the Screening Questionnaire tool at the front office, have their temperature taken, sanitize their hands, and sign-in before proceeding through the building.
    • Before leaving home ensure your child(ren) has used the Screening Questionnaire.
    • If you have checked YES to ANY of the questions on the Screening Questionnaire then they are to access AHS COVID Online Self-Assessment Tool. The results of the AHS COVID Online Self-Assessment Tool will dictate next steps, which are either to be tested for COVID-19 or to remain home for a 10 day quarantine period, and until symptoms have resolved, whichever is latest.
    • Please do not send your child(ren) to school until you have a confirmed negative test result from AHS.
  • COVID-19 ALBERTA HEALTH DAILY CHECKLIST (FOR CHILDREN UNDER 18) and (FOR ADULTS 18 YEARS AND OLDER) - LINK

  1. Responding to an Illness
  • If a student or staff member develops symptoms while at the school, they will be asked to wear a mask and be isolated in a separate room. Parents will be notified and asked to pick up their child immediately.  Please ensure the school has an emergency contact listed for your child, in the event you are unable to pick up your child within one hour.
  • Staff supervising symptomatic students will provide the students with a face mask, maintain physical distancing to the greatest extent possible, use strict handwashing techniques, and wear gloves, mask, and face shield while attending to the student.  Staff may also use a touchless electronic thermometer to take the temperature of the student.
  • All items the symptomatic student or staff member touched/used while isolated will be cleaned and disinfected when the child or staff member leaves the isolation room.
  • The symptomatic person will be directed to to stay home, seek health care advice as appropriate (e.g. call Health link 811, or their primary care practitioner) and access the AHS COVID Online Self-Assessment Tool to determine if Covid testing is recommended.  Direction on self-isolation is provided by AHS.
  • If the symptomatic individual is tested for Covid and the result is negative, AHS will provide further direction on whether or not the individual must self-isolate.  In the case of a negative result, it is possible that the individual may be directed to stay home until symptoms resolve. Again, direction will be provided by AHS.
  • Contacts of someone who IS NOT a case of COVID-19 are not required to isolate or quarantine.

  1. If There Is A Case Of COVID-19 At School
  • CTR Catholic will abide by all privacy legislation and allow AHS to take the lead on protocols for informing the community about confirmed cases.
  • AHS receives all of the case notifications directly from the lab. If there is a confirmed case in a school, the school will be contacted by AHS.
  • AHS, in coordination with the school, will contact all confirmed cases and their close contacts and provide them clear direction.
  • If a school has a confirmed positive case the Zone Medical Officer of Health (MOH) will work with school authorities to quickly:
    • identify when symptoms developed
    • identify and contact people who had close contact (contact tracing) with the person who tested positive, offer testing, and set the isolation measures:
      • people are legally required to isolate for 14 days if they live with or are a close contact of a person who tested positive for COVID-19
        • only the group of students and staff who came in close contact will be required to stay home for 14 days, and likely not the whole school
  • each school authority will:
    • notify staff and parents if a case is confirmed at school
    • support students and staff to learn or work at home if they are required to self-isolate
  • If a school has 2 or more cases: the school would be considered to have an outbreak
  • medical officers will assess the spread and exposure risk to determine if it affects multiple grades and areas, or is confined within close contacts of a confirmed case, and provide specific recommendations – an outbreak will not automatically lead to school closure
  • CTR Catholic will collaborate and cooperate with AHS and follow any recommendations AHS makes with respect to contact tracing, site disinfecting, site safety, and communication.
  • CTR Catholic will follow all occupational health and safety requirements.

 

  1. Getting Settled in the First Two Weeks Back
  • Messaging from teachers will focus on resilience, staying calm, staying positive, and expressing gratitude. Resources for mental health can be found here.
  • OLS’ re-entry will be staggered over the course of two days. Students with last names beginning with A-K will come on Monday, August 31 and those with last names beginning with L-Z will come on Tuesday, September 1. The first two days of school in junior and senior high will be a “day 2” while Wednesday, September 2 will be the first day of regular classes with all students in grades 1-12 attending and will be a “day 1.” 
  • Kindergarten staggered entry will remain the same as per the email you received on July 3rd and shortly thereafter with a letter that was sent via mail.
  • Teachers will teach new school routines (proper use of cloth masks, additional mask etiquette, hand-washing protocols, respiratory etiquette, hallway circulation routines, other physical distancing routines, recess routines, safety resources provided by Alberta Education, online self-assessment material as appropriate, and play an important role in the application and facilitation of various sanitization practices including, but not limited to: ensuring proper hand washing is done regularly, hand sanitizer is applied when appropriate, desks are cleaned at the commencement and dismissal of classes as well as before and after eating, etc.

Unique school routines:

    • Morning entry: staff members will  spray hand sanitizer on students’ hands as students enter the building. Students will also have hand sanitizer sprayed on their hands when leaving the building at the end of the day.
    • Locker access: will be limited and information can be found in section 7.
    • K-6 recess and lunch recess procedures can be found in section 17.
    • Junior and senior high lunch procedures can be found in section 8.
  • During the first two days of staggered entry, students in grades 7 and 10 who are making the transition to junior and senior high will receive orientation from their first period teacher.

  1. Masks
  • All students in Grades K to 12 will be provided with two reusable cloth masks. Parents of all students in Grades K to 12 are asked to ensure their child(ren) has a reusable cloth or disposable mask with them as part of their daily supplies. Parents and guardians are asked to provide a container for their child(ren) to place their mask in when not in use.
  • Mask use for Grade K to 3 students is optional.  Students in K to 3 may wear masks if desired by parents, and teachers will support students as much as possible. Teachers will ensure K to 3 students who choose to wear masks are not stigmatized. This decision was made on July 29th by the Minister of Education. At OLS, K to 3 are required to have a mask at school. Students will be required to wear a mask at the discretion of the teacher based on the nature of the activity.
  • Masks may be recommended by teachers of students in Grades K to 3 for particular activities and considered in circumstances where there is prolonged close contact (greater than 15 minutes) and distance of 2 metres cannot be maintained.
  • Staff, visitors and students in Grades 4 to 12 must wear a non-medical face mask that covers the mouth and nose while attending an indoor location within a school.
  • All staff and students in Grades 4 to 12 must wear masks in all circulation areas, common areas, when moving around the school, when moving around any instructional space, and when working face-to-face or in close contact with any other person.
  • Students in Grades 4 to 12 may remove their masks when seated at their desks, physically distanced from others (including the teacher), working independently, not facing one another, and not moving around the room. At OLS, teachers will determine when this is permissible as we must be cognizant of staff members comfort levels. Teachers have regular interactions with students and can be in close proximity; we must acknowledge that they too must feel safe and could have preexisting health conditions we are not aware of.
  • All staff and students in K-12 participating in singing must wear a mask.
  • Exemptions will be made for students and staff who are unable to wear a mask due to medical or other needs.  In this case, the student will be seated 2 metres from other classmates to maintain physical distancing. Exemptions include:
  • Persons who are unable to place, use or remove a non-medical face mask without assistance;
  • Persons unable to wear a non-medical face mask due to a mental or physical concern or limitation;
  • Persons consuming food or drink in designated areas;
  • Persons providing care or assistance to a person with a disability where a non-medical face mask would hinder that caregiving or assistance;
  • Persons engaging in services that require the temporary removal of the non-medical face mask;
  • Spaces where physical barriers have been installed between persons. 
  • Masks will not be required when outdoors for recess and most physical education classes. Masks may be encouraged when cohorting when cohorting is not possible.
  • Staff may remove their masks when seated at their desks, physically distanced from others, not facing anyone, not conversing closely with others, and not moving around the room.   
  • All staff will also be provided with face shields. Face shields allow for visibility of facial expressions, but are not equivalent to masks. A mask must still be worn while wearing a face shield when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
  • Students who ride the bus will be in closer proximity to other students on the bus. Grade K to 3 students are encouraged to wear a reusable cloth or disposable mask while riding the bus.  Students in Grades 4 to 12 are required to wear masks at all times on the bus.
  • Parents are asked to ensure reusable cloth masks are washed after each day of use.
  • Alberta Health Services Guidance for Wearing Non Medical Masks
  • Dr. Deena Hinshaw Demonstrates How to Properly Wear A Mask

  1. Physical Distancing
  • CTR’s most recent average class size (2019/2020) was below 23 students per class, and similar averages are expected in 2020/2021.
  • OLS is a kindergarten to grade 12 school with two cohorts at each grade level. The average class size is anticipated to be just below 22 students per class. This number is an average and thus some classes have more than 22 students while others have less.
    • Grades 10-12 avg. class size is slightly higher than 19 per class.
    • Grades 7-9 avg. class size is slightly higher than 25 per class.
    • Kindergarten-6 avg. class size is slightly higher than 21 per class.
  • Schools will promote physical distancing as much as possible. The most important physical distancing consideration is desks in classrooms. Each teacher will physically distance and declutter their classroom as their first re-entry task during teacher preparation days. Principals are required to inspect classrooms and implement improvements when necessary.
  • Where 2 meters is not possible between desks, desks will be spaced as far apart as possible and in rows rather than small groups.  Students will not be seated face-to-face.
  • Students will avoid close greetings (e.g. hugs, high-fives, fist bumps, ‘Sign of Peace’, etc.) and will be asked to “keep their hands to themselves”.
  • Full school liturgies/masses/assemblies/gatherings will be suspended in favour of small group or virtual events.
  • Group activities will be adapted to minimize physical contact.
  • In cases where physical distancing is not possible, additional attention will be given to mask protocols, hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and cleaning of high touch surfaces.

  1. Cohorting and Seating Plans

Cohorting will be used wherever practical. A cohort is a group of people or students who remain together as much as possible. This limits exposure to others. Cohorts are beneficial in the event that schools need to work with AHS to assist with contact tracing. 

  • In Grades K-9, teachers, rather than students, will move to classrooms to reduce transitions, locker visits, and hallway congestion. If this is impractical, students must clean their desks with their personal soap and water spray bottles (supplied by the school) at the end of each class, and, upon entering a new room, both sanitize their hands and clean their desk.  Students must take their personal spray bottles with them when they move from class to class.
  • All teachers will create and keep a record of a seating plan to aid contact tracing. 
  • In Kindergarten-Grade 6 cohorting is more likely. If students have multiple teachers, teachers will use the same seating plan.
  • In Grade 7-9, schools will cohort for homeroom instruction in core courses, yet will be intermixed for options and therefore seating plans will be used and strictly enforced.
  • In Grade 10-12, cohorting is not possible, so seating plans will be used and strictly enforced. In addition, as above, students will clean their desks with their personal soap and water spray bottles (supplied by the school)  at the end of each class, and, upon entering a new room, both sanitize their hands and clean their desk.
  • Seating plans will be established following the protocol below to assist with contact tracing. Seating plans in all classes will be adhered to daily in every single class. Alphabetic order is not conducive to learning in all situations due to the needs of students, but it will be set by teachers and not changed unless approved by administration.  This will be tracked and adhered to daily by teachers (and substitute teachers when required) in the event that contact tracing is required.

  1. Hallway and Locker Protocols

 
 
 

 

  • Traffic flows will be managed in hallways and common areas to keep distance and minimize face-to-face contact when possible. Directional arrows on the floors will support these efforts. OLS will have directional arrows throughout the building to serve as a reminder to keep distance and not disrupt the follow of one-way traffic. The directional arrows at OLS will work much like the road system and needs to be respected by all students, staff and visitors.
  • Lockers will only be used if necessary. Students are encouraged to carry their books in their backpacks. All OLS students have been pre-assigned a locker (with grades 7-12 staggered versus our typical clustering of grades), however, we are asking students to only use them if necessary. Students in grades 7-12 will have two times throughout the day to access their lockers for materials; these times have been staggered to ensure social distancing (see below). It will be essential for students to ensure they have all the materials they require for each class until they are permitted to access their locker again (this will involve getting materials for the following day in many cases).
    • Lockers in grades 7-12
      • Prior to commencement of classes: grades 7 & 10
    • 8:20 a.m. - 8:35 a.m. grade 7 and 10.
    • 8:40 a.m. - 8:55 a.m. grade 8 and 11
    • 8:55 a.m. - 9:10 a.m. grade 9 and 12
    • 2:30 p.m. -  2:45 p.m. grade 7 and 10.
    • 2:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. grade 8 and 11
    • 3:00 p.m. -3:15 p.m. grade 9 and 12
  • Grades K-6 students upon entry will proceed directly to their homeroom class (no access to the boot room) where homeroom teachers will create a routine to monitor and facilitate locker access as these lockers will remain clustered.

  1. Shared School Spaces
  • Learning Commons, gymnasiums, and foyers remain available for instructional use maximizing physical distancing where possible.
  • Physical distancing directional tape/markers will be placed on the floor in areas that require queues such as washrooms, hand washing/sanitizing stations, cafeteria, library check-outs, and the main office. 
  • Scheduling will be used to avoid congestion in every instance possible.
  • Fitness centres and gymnasiums are only to be used for curricular purposes during the day, again with an emphasis on maintaining physical distancing. School athletic programs may be an exception and are subject to recommendations CTR receives in early September. Masks will be worn when small groups are accessing the fitness room, hands must be sanitized upon and after entry, and equipment must be wiped down with the spray and paper towels provided.
  • Playgrounds remain open for student use. Students will sanitize their hands before and after recess, but the equipment will not be cleaned or disinfected on a regular basis.
  • Schools with common lunchroom areas will ensure physical distancing guidelines are followed and that they are cleaned and disinfected after each use.  
  • OLS lunch in junior high will be split into two periods. 7A, 7B & 8A will eat in the atrium at 12:21-12:41 p.m. and then proceed outside for their lunch recess, in the east facing parking lot,  from 12:43-1:03 p.m. after they have cleaned up their area. 8B, 9A & 9B will have lunch recess outside, in the east facing parking lot,  from 12:21 to 12:41 and then proceed to the atrium for lunch from 12:43-1:03 p.m.
  • Lunch in high school will be split into two periods. 10A, 10B & 11A will eat in the atrium at 11:39 a.m.-11:59 a.m. and then proceed to classrooms 236 (10A), 238 (11A) and 240 (10B) for lunch recess from  12:01-12:21 p.m. 11B, 12A & 12B will have lunch recess in classrooms 236 (12A), 238 (11B) and 240 (12A) for lunch recess from 11:39 a.m.-11:59 a.m. and then proceed to the atrium for lunch from 12:01-12:21 p.m.
  • High school students that leave campus at lunch time are reminded and required to enter and exit through the main entrance, sanitize their hands prior to leaving and upon entry, and sign-out at the office.
  • All microwaves in the school have been removed as they are frequently touched and proper disinfecting cannot be ensured after each use. Please ensure you send your child with containers they can open on their own and the necessary cutlery.
  • Students will be responsible for cleaning their designated, socially distanced eating area with their soap and water spray bottle before and after eating.
  • This area has been equipped with a hand sanitizer station as well as a paper towel dispenser.
  • Social distancing floor markers have been placed on the floor to control and regular the flow of traffic accessing the food pick-up window.
  • The school will designate a room for COVID-19 quarantining of symptomatic students.

  1. Specialty Classrooms (Band, Music, Foods, Construction, Art, Drama, Computer Labs, Phys Ed, Kindergarten, Library)
  • Specialty teachers have developed detailed protocols to maximize safety specific to their contexts in the following areas: Band, Elementary Music, Foods/CTS, Construction, Art, Drama, Kindergarten, and Physical Education.
  • Band: Band classes (including the playing of wind instruments) can be considered with the following safety measures in place:
    • Band can occur in a space where band students could be physically distanced on all sides (eg. outside).
    • Wind instruments should maintain at least 2 metre distance from each other on all sides prior to, during and after playing. 
      • The length of the instrument should be considered as an extension of the individual and included when determining the spacing between musicians.
    • The bell of instruments should be covered with a thin, tightly woven fabric cover. 
    • Players should wear a mask before and after playing. Masks may be removed during play. 
    • Playing time will be limited to 30 minutes followed by a 10-minute break to allow for air exchange in the room.
    • Shared wind instruments will not be permitted.
    • Equipment that must be shared (eg. mallets) must be cleaned and disinfected between uses.
    • Chairs and music stands will be cleaned with soap and water by the students and disinfected by the teacher between uses, when wind instruments are being played.
    • In-person performances are postponed until further notice.
    • Performances can occur via live streaming or recording for audience viewing online
    • CTS: These courses will follow industry guidance provided by AHS (Cosmetology, Foods, Construction). Students will be asked to wear a mask when preparing food.  Food will not be shared outside the Foods classroom.
    • PE: When possible, physical education will be done outside instead of inside. When PE is indoors and physical distancing is not a possibility, masks may be encouraged when cohorting when cohorting is not possible.
  • Computer Labs/Computers: Best practice is that high touch surfaces (keyboards, equipment) will be disinfected between student use. When using a keyboard, students will wear masks and sanitize hands before/after each use.  
  • Singing indoors is permitted, however because it is a higher risk activity, precautions should be taken to minimize the risk of transmission.  The following precautions should be observed:
    • Singing should be avoided in small, enclosed spaces that lack adequate ventilation.
    • Students can sing inside classrooms, provided the following guidelines are followed.
    • Limit vocal activity to 30 minutes, followed by a 10 minute break to allow for air exchange in the room
    • Everyone participating in singing should wear a mask. Children (K-12) must wear a mask while singing. If a teacher is within 2 metres of the students, a teacher must wear a mask also while not singing.
    • Students should be staggered, facing forward and distanced while singing.
  • Gymnasium: Students will clean their hands before entering and after exiting the gym. At OLS students will sanitize their hands upon entry and when exiting.
  •  Locker rooms may be used when the space can be disinfected between classes/cohorts. OLS students will not have access to lockers in the changing room.
  • Library:  All students will wash/sanitize their hands before entering and after exiting the library.
      • Students in  grade 4 to 12 will wear a mask while browsing for books.
      • Students in grade K to 3 are encouraged to wear a mask while browsing for books.
      • All signed out and returned library books will be out of circulation for 24 hours.

  1. Expectations for Drop-off and Pick-up
  • Please respect physical distancing when dropping off and picking up your child.
  • OLS has an expanded main parking lot for parents/guardians to pick-up and drop-off their children if they are opting to drive them as opposed to taking the bus. We ask that parents/guardians, staff and students refrain from using the east facing (small parking lot) and only use the large (main) parking lot.
  • Parents and students are asked not to use the east side parking lot (small parking lot beside the school) during pick-up and drop-off  and are reminded that the loop in front of the school is for drop-off only (parking is not permitted). Please ensure that if you are picking up your children and they have different dismissal times that you use the main parking lot to free up space for quick pick-up and drop-off of students.
  • Parents are asked to not exit their vehicles when dropping off or picking up their children, unless they are very young. Parents of students that experience a great deal of anxiety or are new to OLS should contact JLandry@redeemer.ab.ca to set up a time prior to the commencement of classes to access and familiarize themselves with the school. Only parents/guardians of kindergarten students will be permitted in the school for drop-off and pick-up purposes during their staggered entry.
  • Reminder to all parents and guardians that you must enter the building through the main office, be wearing a mask, sign-in, have your temperature taken, sanitize your hands, and take the Screening Questionnaire before being permitted to proceed through the building. This includes if you are picking-up your child throughout the day. Please contact the school prior to arriving.
  • Consider having a designated spot to pick up your child. Parents are strongly encouraged to contact the school beginning August 18 if they plan to transport their child(ren) to and from school, especially if this has not been the case in the past.
  • Schools will stagger entry/exit times and students will enter through designated doors.
  • OLS doors will open at 8:20 a.m. and there is supervision at that time. Buses arrive between 8:20 a.m. and 8:35 a.m. In terms of the Roam bus, it arrives at the Three Sisters Parkway stop at 8:13 a.m. As students walk from the bus stop to the school, the doors will be open for them to enter the school. All classes commence at 8:40 a.m. and all students should be in their first period classrooms prior to this time.
  • All students will proceed directly to their classrooms and not their lockers with the exception of grade 7 & 10 as per section 9 of this document. If you are dropping off your child, please do not do so prior to 8:20 a.m. as we do not have supervision at this time. Students will enter the school through the following entrances:
      • Main office doors - Grade 3 & 10-12
      • Boot room doors - Grades K-2
      • East side entrance (small parking lot) - Grades 4-6
      • Upstairs atrium doors - Grades 7-9
  • Grades 1-3 will be dismissed at 3:10 p.m.
  • Grades 4-6 will be dismissed at 3:10 p.m.
  • Grades 7-9 will be dismissed at 3:12 p.m.
  • Grades 10-12 will be dismissed at 3:15 p.m.
  • Kindergarten dismissal will be at 3:00 p.m.
  • Staff will be at the entrance/exit doors to spray hand sanitizer on students’ hands as they enter and exit the building.  Staff administering hand sanitizer must wear a mask.

  1. Transportation
  • CTR’s buses are full and strict physical distancing is not possible. When possible, drivers will ensure physical distancing between students. Parents who have alternate means to get their children to school are encouraged to contact CTR’s Transportation Department and cancel their busing. Where fees are involved, refunds will be given.
  • Given that strict physical distancing is not possible on buses, Grades K to 3 students are encouraged to wear a mask on the bus. Grades 4 to 12 students are required to wear masks on the buses. 
  • Strict seating plans will be developed and enforced, and students from the same household are required to sit together.
  • Students will load the bus from the back seats to the front of the bus and unload from the front seats to the back seats whenever possible.
  • Parents must ensure their child’s hands are washed prior to entering the bus.
  • Busses will be cleaned at the end of each route.
  • At this time we will not be able to accommodate ride alongs for friends or after school activities.

  1. Visitors/Volunteering
  • In the initial stages of re-entry, parent volunteers and non-essential visitors will be limited and may only enter the building with the advance permission from the school. Please email JLandry@redeemer.ab.ca should you require access.
  • All visitors must sign in and complete the Screening Questionnaire.  If a visitor answers “Yes” to any of the questions, the individual will not be permitted to enter the school. 
  • All approved visitors must wear masks at all times when in the school. More information can be found in section 2 & 3 of this plan.

  1. Belongings/School Supply List
  • Students will be asked to label their personal items and not share. Students will limit the materials they bring into the school to materials required for learning. Personal materials that could be shared with others will not be permitted.
  • All students must have a reusable cloth or disposable mask with them as part of their supplies.
  • Students in Grades 4 to 12 will be provided with two reusable cloth masks each.
  • Students should bring their own filled water bottle to school each day.
  • CTR will provide students with a personal spray bottle, filled with soap and water to assist in cleaning their own desk/table surfaces before recess/snack/lunch/transitions. Soap for the bottles will be supplied by the school. Homeroom teachers will schedule a time for students to fill the bottles with soap and water periodically throughout the week. Students will carry these spray bottles with them if/when they need to move from one room to another.
  • Students should use backpacks/containers to store items.
  • OLS full student supply lists are located here
  • Kindergarten List 2020-2021

  1. Lunch/Hot Lunch/Breakfast Program/Vending Machines
  • Desks and table surfaces will be cleaned by the students before and after eating.
  • Students will be asked to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before and after eating.
  • Students will put their masks back on after finishing eating, especially during the handwashing/sanitizing, cleaning, and movement that follow eating.
  • Students will not face one another when eating.
  • Parents are asked to send all food items with their children in the morning instead of dropping off at the school to limit the number of visitors at the office.
  • Please avoid any microwavable items or hard to open containers. Microwaves have been removed from all classrooms and the atrium (lunch room).
  • Students are responsible for opening all containers and packages in their lunch. Please do not send anything in your child’s lunch that they cannot easily open themselves and avoid items that need to be microwaved.
  • At OLS, kindergarten to grade 6 students eat in their classrooms at their assigned desks while junior and senior lunch times have been staggered as described in section 8.
  • Tables in the atrium will have markings on them indicating where students are to sit to ensure as much social distancing as possible. Junior and senior high lunchtimes are at separate times and only half of these students will be eating at any one time as both junior and senior lunch has been staggered.
  • The sharing of food is not permitted.
  • Parents may provide food/treats for a classroom if there is a designated server serving the food and appropriate hand hygiene and physical distancing is followed while eating.  Parents should contact their child’s teacher for approval prior to sending food/treats to the classroom and adhere to school guidelines.
  • Chef Mike will be operational again this year, but services will not commence prior to September 14 and are subject to change. Information will be provided as it becomes available.
  • We are working on measures to continue School Council’s Thursdays’ pizza program as well as the milk program. More information will be released as it becomes available. 
  • Vending machines will not be in use.

  1. Recess
  • Elementary morning recess and lunch recess will be staggered to reduce the number of students outside at any one given time and promote physical distancing. Students, depending on grade, will be restricted to various areas including the kindergarten playground, the regular playground, the field (broken into two areas) and the basketball court. Students will enter and exit the school as indicated in section 12 and will have their hands sanitized when exiting and upon entry. Your child’s teacher will communicate to you their recess and lunch schedules.
  • Equipment brought from home is not permitted on the playground during recess, and only school-approved and school-issued playground equipment is permitted. Where practical and necessary, this equipment will be cleaned after use.
  • Supervisors will encourage students to practice physical distancing during recess break.

  1. Extra-Curricular, Co-Curricular, and Field Trips
  • School authorities continue to have the flexibility to offer extra-curricular activities to students.
  • School athletic directors are working with Alberta Health and the Alberta School Athletics Association (ASAA), to explore possibilities for athletic activities. 
    • A mini-leagues can be comprised of multiple teams, but to a maximum of 50 individuals.
    • Game play should be limited to teams in the same mini-league.
    • Teams that belong to other mini-leagues should not play each other.
    • Individuals should limit the number of cohorts/mini-leagues they belong to.
    • Records of student participants must be current.
    • Transportation to and from activities should be arranged so that only cohort members, or members from the same household, share rides. 
    • Spectators should be kept out of participant spaces.
    • Spectators are strongly recommended to wear masks and discouraged from yelling and cheering.
    • If an individual or team member wishes to change cohorts/mini-leagues, they should not participate in a new cohort activity for 14 days as per current AHS Guidelines (this reflects the incubation period of the virus).
  • At this time performances are postponed. When they resume, performances, such as concerts and drama productions, will adhere to the AHS guidelines on the health and safety of students, staff and audience members.
  • Co-curricular outings and field trips are limited, but permissible with Principal approval.
    • Field trips must follow CTR guidance as well as any sector specific guidance relevant to the location of the field trip, including physical distancing, use of non-medical face masks, cohorting, hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and enhanced cleaning and disinfecting.
    • Field trips are limited to single class cohorts.
    • Schools must develop procedures to address students or staff developing symptoms during the field trip.

  1. Responding to Learning Delays from Last Year
  • Administration is working closely with teachers to resume in-class learning during the 2020-2021 school year.  As part of planning, teachers will consider which concepts were taught during the spring and how this will impact classroom instruction in the fall.
  • New routines and understanding the importance of mask use, hand hygiene, physical distancing, and respiratory etiquette will be infused into daily instruction.

  1. Support for Students with Special Needs
  • Each school has support in place to assist students in this transition, including administrators, teachers, support staff, Family School Liaison Workers (FSLW) and Connections Workers.  FSLW’s and Connections Workers have spent significant time preparing for students’ arrival and are available to provide assistance to both students and parents. 
  • Parents with specific questions or concerns regarding the transition back to school are encouraged to reach out to their child’s school.
  • Exemptions will be made for students and staff who are unable to wear a mask due to medical or other needs.

  1. Live Streaming
  • Live streaming involves some students learning in the classroom with a portion of the cohort participating via live streaming at home. This will involve parental supervision especially with younger children.
  • CTR is prepared to engage in a live streaming pilot program for students in certain grades and at certain schools. Select teachers are involved in this pilot, and the purpose is to use the pilot to learn more about how to transition to the live streaming method of delivery division-wide should conditions warrant it. It is not something that can be offered at every grade at this time. The conditions to warrant piloting live streaming at the selected schools and grades are as follows:
    • Participating teachers have the unique background, expertise, and willingness to instruct in this way at the school and grade level(s) in question.
    • Your school has sufficient demand for live streaming at the grade level(s) in question.
    • Parents who have a live streaming option available, and choose it, understand and consent to the fact that this is a pilot project and there may be complications due to a host of factors. There is the chance the pilot will need to be suspended or altered due to  a lack of success or declining demand.
    • There is provision to move from live streaming at home to the regular classroom and vice versa, but this is a decision that should be made for an extended period of time and is not a day-to-day, or class-by-class decision. All moves must be approved by the principal..
  • Contact your school to determine if live streaming is available.
  • Parents accessing live streaming should thoroughly review CTR’s Live Streaming Guide, which outlines expectations, cautions, and caveats.
  • Video recordings and/or photographs of live-streamed lessons are prohibited without the consent of the teacher.  “Interfering with the privacy, or teaching and learning of students, and staff by making an audio or video recording, or taking a photograph of individuals or student work, without permission from a teacher” is considered unacceptable behaviour. (Administrative Procedure STU #01 - Student Conduct and Discipline Process)
  • If a student encounters a time when they are being taught by a teacher who is live streaming their teaching from their home, it means the teacher is unable to be in the building but not sick. It is a temporary measure and there will always be a substitute teacher or classroom supervisor in the physical classroom with the students. In these instances, CTR is unable to provide additional information due to privacy concerns.

  1. Moving from Regular Operations to Full or Partial At Home Learning                                                                  
  • In the event the Ministry calls for total distance learning due to a second spike, or in the event that CTR Catholic determines there is a significant, prolonged, and school-wide spike in absenteeism due to Covid, schools are preparing to transition to deliver live-streamed lessons in response to a large numbers of students learning at home by necessity.
  • The live-streaming delivery can be used in either scenario, and unlike distance learning last spring, students will receive direct instruction and normal assessment on the full curriculum throughout the day with the possibility for more interaction, engagement, and support. 
  • The live-streaming option will only be used in the event the Ministry limits the number of students allowed in the school at one time (e.g. 50%), if at-home learning is mandated, or if the conditions in the first bullet present themselves. 
  • Video recordings and/or photographs of live-streamed lessons are prohibited without the consent of the teacher.  “Interfering with the privacy, or teaching and learning of students, and staff by making an audio or video recording, or taking a photograph of individuals or student work, without permission from a teacher” is considered unacceptable behaviour. (Administrative Procedure STU #01 - Student Conduct and Discipline Process)
  • If the Ministry announces additional health measures reducing occupancy, schools may need to divide students into two groups. CTR would likely divide students into two groups on a two-day rotation according to last names.
  • Last name A-K on Mondays and Tuesdays
  • Last name L-Z on Wednesdays and Thursdays
  • Fridays would alternate A-K and L-Z

  1. Supporting Students Who are Temporarily Self-Isolating or Ill at Home
  • Consistent with what happens during non-pandemic times, should a child need to stay home for a period due to illness, classroom teachers will provide instruction and assignments for students to continue learning at home. 
  • Students who are required to isolate will be supported to continue learning at home through live streaming or alternative methods as determined by the teacher. Teachers will remain in contact with students during their isolation. At-home learning will be more comprehensive than what was experienced in the spring of 2020. 
  • In the event that a whole class is required to self-isolate, teachers will likely live stream to deliver lessons. In some cases, the teacher may choose an alternate method of instruction.
  • Student(s)/parent(s) should contact their child(ren)’s teacher(s) when they are home sick or self-isolating. Student(s)/parent(s) and teacher(s) will work together to ensure student(s)/parent(s) are aware of the missed learning and what they can do while at home to ensure successful completion of objectives covered in class.

  1. Options for Choosing to Continue with an At-Home Model
  • Due to health concerns and parental choice related to the pandemic, families may choose not to have their child attend their designated school.
  • In these cases, parents must inform their designated school of this decision. From here, parents are invited to enroll in CTR’s Centre for Learning@Home accessing online education (taught by teachers and including synchronous online lessons) or homeschooling (taught by parents and supervised by teachers).

  1. Parent Requests to Transition Individual Students Between At School and At Home Learning
  • As a general rule, switching students between learning in school and learning online at home is disruptive and not advisable.
  • CTR encourages parents to make one decision about learning in school or learning online at home at the start of the year, and then to stick with this decision for the entire school year. 
  • CTR will consider moving students from online at home to traditional school, or vice versa, during the middle of the year if space and program exists.
  • CTR will require the transition from online to traditional school, or from traditional school to online at home, to be made after a reporting period or at semester break.
  • CTR is receptive to students making an early transition from one program to another if it is before September 30th.
  • Grade 12 OLS students who choose CFL all year, will be allowed to graduate from OLS if they so desire.
  •  A community or school-wide COVID-19 outbreak would rather quickly trigger the mandatory transition to live streaming as outlined by the Minister of Education in Scenario 3 or the school re-retry plan.
  • CTR students are guaranteed admission into CFL up to the first day of school, and registration after the first day of school will be accommodated as much as possible but dependent on whether there is space and program. 

  1. Diploma Exams and Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs)
  • Alberta Education will continue to administer Grade 6 and 9 PATs. The administration of PATs is limited to English Language Arts, French Language Arts, and Mathematics. Students will not write the Social Studies and Science PATs in the 2020-2021 school year.
    • CTR will not administer Gr 6 and 9 PATs.  However, If a student and parent would like to write a PAT, a request must be submitted to the school principal by April 15, 2021.
  • Alberta Education has determined that the decision to write diploma exams during the 2020-21 school year is optional and will reside with the students and their parents. 
    • Students who receive school awarded marks during the 2020-21 school year and who do not write diploma exams will automatically receive exemptions. 
    • For students who choose to write diploma exams, results will continue to constitute 30% of a student’s final diploma course mark.
    • Students should contact their Principal if they wish to write a diploma exam.

  1. Mental Health

CTR Catholic sees parents as partners in education.  Some things parents can do to help ease anxiety and apprehension of a child include:

  • Focus on the positives and what they are looking forward to about school
  • Provide reassurance and help your child to feel understood and supported
  • Focus on what you can control and help your child identify what they can control and some practical things they can do to reduce anxiety such as getting organized, picking out school clothes, etc.
  • Get back into school routines at least a week early – waking up, eating, going to bed at regular times
  • Stick to familiar routines as much as possible
  • Plan for the transition
  • Allow for extra time the first day so you are not rushed
  • Reach out to your school’s principal or FSLW for more information and support.

More information can be found on the CTR website here and in the links below:

Parents

Students

Staff