Archived letter from December 29th email to the school community
Dear JICS Parents
I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy some family time this winter holiday and that your household has been healthy.
The Premier announced yesterday that a decision about reopening schools buildings or moving to distance-education is forthcoming. At the JICS Lab School, we believe that in-person learning best serves the needs of children and the JICS COVID Safety Policies and Practices we designed ensure that children, teachers, and staff are safe in the building. Our safety measures are regarded as the “gold standard” by Toronto Public Health and were approved by the University of Toronto.
Throughout the pandemic, as new information has become available, we have constantly re-evaluated and re-designed our approaches. Our success as a community is largely dependent on parental support. We thank you for preventing COVID from entering the building. Our two most effective tools are the JICS Daily Screening and the Rapid Antigen Testing.
JICS Daily Screening Please continue to check your child/ren closely for symptoms each morning. Students who arrive at school without the screening completed by 8:00am will remain outdoors until the screening has been successfully submitted.
Rapid Antigen Testing Please continue to test twice weekly (Wednesday – today) and Sunday and upload results onto Thrive. Our experience in December taught us that the Rapid Test Program was helpful in identifying positive COVID cases prior to the onset of symptoms or a positive PCR test result.
Should we be allowed to return to in-person learning on Tuesday, January 4, the administrative team has drafted a program with heightened protective measures that may include, but are not limited to:
Preventing contact between cohorts
Suspending extra-curricular programs
Increasing masking expectations and other measures
Requesting proof of vaccination to parents of student 5 years of age and up
Enhancing measures to mitigate spread amongst our Daycare participants and staff.
Details of these safety measures will be shared and remain in place for as long as we feel necessary to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus at the JICS Lab School.
As we approach the weekend, I ask you to:
Complete the Rapid Test today and on Sunday and upload your results onto Thrive. If your child tests positive, get a PCR test ASAP.
Look for our email following the forthcoming Ministry announcement. Important details will be shared. Your patience and trust are deeply appreciated in this uncertain time.
Limit and exercise caution on the number and size of your gatherings so that your children can return to school in January in a rested and healthy state. The Omicron variant spreads rapidly and is highly transmissible.
Commit to our daily home screen process for your child/ren once school starts in person. The health of our community and our ability to sustain in-person learning requires your compliance.
Follow federal guidelines if you have travelled outside of Canada over the winter break.Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding.
All the best,
Richard
