Welcome to the 2022.2023 Lyonsgate Montessori School Year
Hello Lyonsgate Community,
We’re very excited to welcome your children back to school next week, and the following week for our brand new Lyonsgate students. There is quite a bit of information to share with you. Please read below and use the links to jump to specific sections. Please remember to make the Lyonsgate calendar your go-to source for what’s going on at Lyonsgate.
What to Bring to School for Casa and Toddler Students
Primary (Casa and Toddler) Field Trip Sept. 27
After School Care Registration
COVID-19 Policies and Procedures
A reminder to Elementary student families that school photos will be taken on the second day back to school this year — Wednesday, Sept. 7. (Photo day for Casa and Toddler students is Oct. 27).
There has been a small change to the Elementary schedule — lunch and outdoor time have been switched:
- Outdoor Time: 11:45-12:30
- Lunch: 12:45-1:15
You can always check the daily schedules on the “Hours of Operation” page under your Parents tab on the school website.
- All Elementary students, all Toddler students, and returning Casa students begin school on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
- New Casa students moving up from Toddler begin school on Thursday, Sept. 8.
- Casa students new to Lyonsgate begin school on Monday, Sept. 12, and Tuesday, Sept. 13.
Parents of Toddlers and students in year 1 of the Casa program, please complete this form to provide us with updated sleep/nap information for your child: https://forms.gle/aHZbc9qzvpAy59vZ9
What to Bring to School for Casa and Toddler Students
Casa students: at least one full change of clothes (with at least 3 pairs of socks and underwear), indoor shoes, a water bottle, and sunscreen.
Toddler students: at least 3 full changes of clothes, indoor shoes, a water bottle, sunscreen, and diapers and wipes.
Please remember to clearly and permanently label everything.
Lyonsgate is required to close for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur due to our location in the Beth Jacob Synagogue. To accommodate the required closures we schedule the first PD days of the school year on those days.
- Lyonsgate’s Primary campus (Casa & Toddler) will be closed on Monday, Sept. 26.
- Both Lyonsgate campuses — Primary and Elementary — will be closed on Wednesday, Oct. 5.
Primary (Casa and Toddler) Field Trip Sept. 27
Tuesday, Sept. 27, is also Rosh Hashanah, and while the Primary campus building will be closed we are offering an optional field trip for Casa and Toddler students. They will be heading to the Royal Botanical Gardens.
If attending the field trip, at least one Toddler parent is required to accompany their child. Cost per Toddler child is $8.00 (one parent is free, additional parent is also $8.00).
Casa students will travel to RBG by school bus, but will need to be picked up at RBG between 3:00-3:30. Cost per Casa child is $15.00.
All students will need to bring a litterless, nut-free, packed lunch.
- Toddler Students/Parents: Parents, you will be joining your toddlers at the RBG Centre, 680 Plains Rd W, Burlington, ON, L7T 4H4. Arrive between 9:15-9:30 a.m. (Click here for directions). Toddlers will be enjoying the RBG’s Oaks and Acorns program from 9:30-12:00, followed by lunch in the natural playground. The Toddler students program ends at 12:30 p.m.
- Casa Students/Parents: Please drop Casa students off at Beulah Park, 59 Beulah Ave, Hamilton (a couple of blocks away from Lyonsgate), between 8:30-9:00, where they will meet the school bus. They will take part in the RBG’s Making Sense of Nature and Great Animal Adventure programs, and enjoy time in the RBG’s Natural Playground. Please pick up Casa students at the RBG Centre, 680 Plains Rd W, Burlington, ON L7T 4H4, between 3:00-3:30 p.m. from the playground area (Click here for directions).
The building in which we are housed has, as many of you know, been for sale. The building has sold. The new owners are the Radha Madhav Society. Lyonsgate and the Beth Jacob congregation are staying in the building as tenants. There have been renovations taking place throughout the summer to separate the spaces, but you should not notice any difference in the day-to-day comings and goings.
After School Care Registration
There are still some limited after school care spaces available for both Casa and Elementary students. Due to the limited spaces available, after school care is intended as a five-day-a-week program for families that require a later pick up time due to work constraints and not as extra time for socialization and play. Cost for both After School Care programs is $100/month, payable to “Lyonsgate Montessori School Inc.” or by e-transfer to accounts@lyonsgate.ca.
- Casa After School Care will run from 4:00-4:30 each day. Register here.
- Elementary After School Care will run from 3:30-4:30 each day. Register here.
At the Primary campus (Toddler and Casa) Before School Care is included for the 2022.2023 school year. Before School Care from 8:00-8:30 and arrival from 8:30-8:45 will begin in the 2023.2024 school year at the Primary campus.
New for this school year, you will find a “Parent Form Portal” page under your “Parents” tab on the school website. You will find forms for: Change of Information, Medication Administration, Special Dietary Arrangements, and Sleep Information.
Your Lyonsgate Parent Handbook has been updated for the 2022.2023 school year. Over the last couple of years we have been operating with a COVID-19 Supplemental Parent Handbook. Please make the updated Parent Handbook your source for information about Lyonsgate. You can always find it under your “Parents” tab on the school website.
COVID-19 Policies and Procedures
The Ontario Ministry of Health made changes to COVID-19 protocols on August 31, 2022. Please see your email “Change to COVID Protocols” sent Sept. 1.
COVID-19 continues to impact schools, and the larger community. Required protocols that were in place at the end of the last school year remain in place for the coming school year. As a reminder, and for families new to Lyonsgate:
- Screening: Families are expected to screen for symptoms each day before arriving at school using the provincial screening tool. You will find a convenient link to the screening tool on the Home page of the school website. You can also use the screening tool to describe the specific situation in case of illness and learn what the isolation requirements are. If your child is ill, COVID or not, they cannot attend school.
- Resources: Also on the Home page, you will find a link to a “COVID-19 Resources” page that contains:
- COVID Symptoms at Home Requirements [Please review this chart before school starts]
- COVID Symptom Flow Chart
- Children’s Weekly Vaccine Clinic Schedule
There are also a number of other resources available on that page.
- Advisories: Under your “Parents” tab on the school website, you will find the Lyonsgate COVID-19 Advisory Page where known cases will be posted. As of January 2022, Lyonsgate is no longer being notified of positive COVID-19 cases by Hamilton Public Health. The positive results posted are reported voluntarily by families and staff and may not include all positive cases that have been present in the school.
- Masks: Masks are not required to be worn by staff or students, but those who wish to do so, or wish to have their children wear masks inside the school, are very welcome to do so. If sending masks for your child, please send at least three clean masks for each day. NOTE: if your child is required to isolate due to symptoms or close contact, they must wear a mask at school for days 6-10 after completing the 5-day isolation and returning to school (unless they are under 2-years-old).
- Rapid Tests: The Ministry of Education has indicated that they will continue to provide rapid tests for distribution to families in licensed child care (Lyonsgate’s Primary campus); we have had no indication that rapid tests will be distributed to private schools (Lyonsgate’s Elementary campus). If your family requires a rapid test kit due to a symptomatic student, please let us know and we will distribute as supply makes possible. Rapid tests are to be used as follows from the Ministry of Health:
- “If two consecutive rapid antigen tests, separated by 24-48 hours, are both negative, the symptomatic individual is less likely to have COVID-19 infection, and they are advised to self-isolate until they have no fever and symptoms are improving for at least 24 hours (or 48 hours if gastrointestinal symptoms).”
- Filtration and Ventilation: Lyonsgate continues to have HEPA filter units in each classroom and window fans creating constant fresh air exchange.
The Canada Wide Early Learners and Child Care program (CWELCC) — better known as “$10 daycare” — is still a work in progress. Lyonsgate has submitted the requested “expression of interest” and related documentation to the City and discussions are ongoing, but the official application and approval process is still not available in Hamilton. The provincial government made significant changes to the program on August 17 and subsequently the deadline to opt in or out was pushed to November 1 (previously Sept. 1). If Lyonsgate becomes approved and enrolled in the program it will apply to Casa and Toddler children with fee reduction refunds retroactive to April 1, 2022. The provincial government is developing a new CWELCC program funding model for 2023 and beyond which may impact Lyonsgate’s ability to participate in the program beyond 2022. We will keep you informed whenever we have new information.