Hello Lyonsgate Community,

We have a few updates for you this week from Hamilton Public Health, and some information about the upcoming National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30.

Public Health Updates

• Validation of screening will continue to be required until at least the end of October. No changes to what you are already doing; please continue to complete the relevant screening form(s) found on the Home page of lyonsgate.ca before arriving to school each day.
• Public Health also informed us that they may add symptoms to the screening form if they deem it necessary (for example, York region public health has put runny noses back on their screening forms).
• Next week, you will also find a new Return Attestation Form on the Home page. This form must be completed any time a child who has failed screening, or who is sent home from school with symptoms, is ready to return to school.

Everything related to COVID-19 protocols is available on the Home page of lyonsgate.ca, including:

• screening forms
• COVID-19 Supplemental Parent Handbook
• direct links to Sick Child at Home and Sick Child at School Decision Charts from Hamilton Public Health
• Child and Youth Mental Health Support resources from Hamilton Public Health
• COVID-19 test booking link
• Lyonsgate COVID-19 Advisory Page (where we are required to post any positive case information)
• And, sometime next week, the new Return Attestation form.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

The National Day Truth and Reconciliation is Thursday, September 30. Truth and Reconciliation Day is a federal statutory holiday in response to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which calls “upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”

At the Primary campus (Casa and Toddler) the City of Hamilton has provided a resource called “Honouring Our Children/Every Child Matters” developed by staff from Niwasa Kendaaswin Teg. As part of this resource, we have been provided orange shirts for each child that we will be sending home on September 29 that your child may wear to school on September 30, if you wish. (All of the shirts are youth size small so may fit quite large on some students). Primary staff completed training on the Niwasa Kendaaswin Teg resource on the PD day this week, and we were also provided a lovely collection of books that will be available and read in the classrooms.

Elementary students will be engaged in discussions about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and orange shirts in advance of September 30.  While we will not ask staff or students to wear orange shirts, staff and students who want to are very welcome! We want the students who do so to have chosen to do it themselves so as to make it a meaningful choice.

Student Vote

Elementary students will be participating in the Student Vote on Election Day on Monday, Sept. 20. Make sure you all get out to vote too!

Have a great weekend everyone.