AcadeCap prepared all summer for a safe return in September. We put in place numerous procedures and practices to ensure that students and staff will be safe during their learning at school.
What can students and parents expect?
Prior to entering the school, parents will enter information into a screening tool each morning before arriving. When entering the school, students will be screened for temperature and the form will be verified. Unfortunately, parents will not be allowed to enter the facilities; they must remain on the landing. Students will then enter and place their belongings in the cloakroom. Then, they will head upstairs to their homeroom until the beginning of the school day.
On the first floor, the iSTEAM lab and art room tables have been spaced out to promote 2 metres personal distancing. Students will find themselves sitting in the lab each at their own table. The students’ personal cubbies in the cloakroom will be spaced further apart to avoid having personal belongings touch. Access to cubbies will only be permitted with their homeroom class and teacher to avoid mixing of cohorts. On the floors, students will notice tape and decals indicating the direction to walk, and reminders to keep distanced from others.
On the second floor, classrooms have expanded to allow for personal distancing between the desks and tables that will be equipped with protective screens. The library has been moved to the middle space to create a one-way path that students will follow when travelling around the school. The JK/SK classroom has moved out of their room, and created a classroom space in the main classroom area. In the previous Kindergarten and Toddler centre rooms, Grades 7-12 can now find their homeroom. Students are separated into the two rooms by grade, meaning 7/8 in one space, and 9/10/11/12 in the other. Their storage bins are also located in this space to allow more room for distancing between cubbies in the cloakroom. Now dubbed “The Hive,” students from Grades 7 to 12 can find their work space socially distanced, fitted with shields.
Throughout the school, we’ve added hand sanitizing stations, and we are increasing the frequency of hand washing. We are still working on building two outdoor classrooms to utilize the outside space. The gym has been sectioned off to allow for children to use the space, however we are encouraging Physical Education classes to be outside as much as possible.
Students and teachers will wear masks or a combination of mask and face shield when moving about the school, at recess or in any location where they cannot distance from each other. Students will also be asked to bring a face shield to school to wear at their desks in order to give them a break from wearing a mask throughout the day.
