Hello Lyonsgate Families,

We are so excited that another school year is about to begin.  The staff are busy setting up the classrooms and getting ready to warmly welcome your children into their care.  While we would have liked a “normal” return to the school year we realize the world is far from that, and we hope you will understand the special circumstances that we all find ourselves in to keep the children, your families, and the community as safe as possible.  Thank you for your adaptability in all of this, and most of all, thank you for entrusting your most precious children into our care.  We look forward to continuing to build relationships with you, and thank you for allowing us the pleasure of watching your child grow to their full potential.  Here is to a wonderful year ahead!

Sarah (Miss Kennedy).

COVID-19 Protocol Changes

As we approach the beginning of the school year we are receiving regular updates to COVID-19 protocols from both the Ministry of Education and Hamilton Public Health Services. Significantly, there have been changes to the daily screening form and procedure.

We are now required to “validate” screening every day for the first two weeks of school (for now; Public Health expects this to be extended). For returning families, this will work the same as last year when you completed the campus-specific online screening form prior to arrival and we confirmed your submission upon arrival. For new parents, on Tuesday, September 7, the provincial screening tool on the Home page at lyonsgate.ca will be replaced with three Lyonsgate forms that mirror the provincial tool: Primary campus screening form, Elementary campus screening form, and a staff and visitor screening form. You are required to complete the relevant screening form each day after 5:00 a.m. and before you arrive at school. Once submitted we will be able to see that you have done so upon arrival. At this point, temperatures are not required to be taken upon arrival.

The screening forms have also changed with the addition of some new questions, changes to procedures if screening is failed, and the removal of a number of symptoms that previously required exclusion from school. Students are no longer screened for: sore throat, runny nose, headache, and extreme tiredness or muscle aches. The “Lyonsgate COVID-19 Exclusion of Sick Children and Staff Policy and Procedures” will be updated soon to reflect the symptom changes, and Public Health will be providing updated decision charts that guide parents and school staff when children are ill.

Pandemic or not, please do not send children to school when they are ill.

Hamilton Public Health hosted an information session for schools on Wednesday and we can tell you that other changes will come in the following areas:

• Staff vaccination disclosure: This requirement was announced on August 17 and we were told by Public Health, on Thursday, Sept. 2, to: “Please note: The ministry is working on a guide and sample policy to support licensees in implementing the proposed policy. Further details about the proposed policy, testing strategy, and reporting expectations will be communicated in the coming weeks.” All Lyonsgate staff members will be required to disclose their vaccination status to the school and undergo regular testing and attend an approved education program if not vaccinated. Lyonsgate will not disclose the vaccination status of any staff member.
• Contact management and outbreak management: This covers contact tracing, what will happen if there are any confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in the school community, and if Public Health declares an outbreak at the school. We have been told to expect this update by mid-September.

PD Day Clarity

You will notice on the school calendar that there are a number of PD days early in the year. Mostly, these affect ONLY the Primary campus which is unavailable to Lyonsgate during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

The Lyonsgate Primary campus (Aberdeen: Casa and Toddler) will be closed on Sept. 7 and 8 (Sept. 9 is the first day of school for returning students at Primary) and will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 16 (Yom Kippur).

Schedules

We will be continuing with separate arrival and pick-up times for each Casa classroom, and a separate pick-up period for the Toddler class. There have been changes to the Elementary arrival and pick-up times and procedures. The daily schedules are as follows:

Toddler Class

8:00 – 8:30: Group 1. Eligible workers and staff students, and Casa North siblings.

8:30 – 9:00: Group 2. Arrival for remainder of cohort.

Toddler students will be greeted by a Toddler staff member at screening and will enter the building using the grey door off the parking lot.

3:00 – 3:30: Dismissal from the playground.

Casa North

8:00 – 8:15: Group 1. Arrival for eligible workers and staff students.

8:15 – 8:30: Group 2. Arrival for remainder of cohort.

3:30 – 4:00: Dismissal from the playground.

Casa South

8:30 – 8:45: Group 1. Arrival for eligible workers and staff students.

8:45 – 9:00: Group 2. Arrival for remainder of cohort.

4:00 – 4:30: Dismissal from the playground.

After screening, All Casa students will proceed to the main school doors or playground via the main walkway on the east side of the building.

Elementary

8:00-8:30: Registered Before School Care.

8:30-8:45: Arrival/screening for all students.

Screening upon arrival will take place on the front porch.

3:30-3:45: Dismissal and pick-up from back yard.

3:30-4:30: Registered After School Care (pick up from front porch).

Online Orientation Sessions

Each Casa class and the Toddler class will be hosting online orientation sessions on Wednesday, Sept. 8, from 12:00-1:00 p.m. A Zoom link will be sent to each class’s parents that day.

Elementary Montessori guide Marissa will be hosting an online Orientation for Elementary families on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 15, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. A Zoom link will be sent to all Elementary families that day.

Thank you, and see you all in the coming weeks.