Douglas Park School Re-Open Plan

 

 

 
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Welcome Back, Douglas Park Families!

 

 

We hope that all our students and families have had a restful and relaxing summer and that you've all stayed healthy. Our administrative team has been busy planning for our re-entry to school during this COVID-19 pandemic.

There are several things that we know you will have heard about for our return to school; however, we wanted to share a few items in advance of the first day on September 8th.  Things may continue to change, so we invite you to check our website for further information, should things change.  

We currently have 380 student registrations, and our average class sizes vary between 24 and 28 students currently. We anticipate that physical distancing in the classroom will be difficult. Therefore students in grades 4-8 and all staff will be required to wear non-medical masks.   Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 will be strongly encouraged also to wear masks. If you can assist us by familiarizing your child(ren) with their masks, this would be appreciated!

Staggered Starts

Stagger starting of GRADES 1-8 students

--- Transition Days for September 8-11

  1. Tuesday, September 8th, and Thursday, September 10th, will have students attend whose last name begins with letters A-K.
  2. Wednesday, September 9th and Friday, September 11th, will have students attend whose last name begins with letter L-Z.
  3. Families with different last names – arrangements will be made, and the school will contact you before the start of school.

Our school does not have lockers for everyone, so students will be required to share lockers for coats and shoes. Students will bring individual backpacks into the classrooms. We will attempt to have students with a consistent partner both for locker and classroom seating partners.  During instructional times, students will remain in their classroom groups – or cohorts – for the day. Specialist teachers, administration, educational assistants, etc., will interact with the cohort in their space to avoid having the students move within the school. Staff members entering classrooms will be required to wash or use hand sanitizer before entry and as they leave the classroom.  Students who can go home for lunch are highly encouraged to do so. Those who must stay will eat in their room with the same cohort of students. The library, gym, and music room will be closed to start the year as we will avoid shared spaces. 

Students will not work in our hallways or breakout rooms as we were accustomed to doing in the past.  The vast majority of soft and supplementary furniture is in storage to allow our facility staff the time to do a thorough cleaning every night and reduce the temptation of students to mix cohorts.  Teachers will pick up their classes from their designated doors in the morning, and dismissal will occur from the same location at the end of the day. Parents will not be allowed on the playground or intermingle with our students during school hours. Parents who want to pick up primary children are encouraged to choose a meeting location off of the school grounds.  We encourage you to start practicing now where you will meet your child at the end of the day if you are picking them up.  We are also strongly encouraging all students/families to Stride to School or to drop off students a few blocks away from school.  This encourages students to be active and avoid congestion in our bus zone and on the streets.  Additionally, for the safety of students and staff who may be walking, the staff parking lot is not to be used as a drop-off or pick up area. Access to the parking lot will only be those who have a parking pass. 

Across Regina Public Schools, recesses adjusted to limit classroom transitions.  A split recess will occur during lunch. Our new hours are:

  • 8:53 - 9:08 am    Morning Recess
  • 9:08 - 11:45am   Instructional Time
  • 11:45 - 12:45 pm Lunch - Students who go home are encouraged to return as close to 12:45 pm as possible!
  • 12:45 - 3:22pm   Instructional Time
  • 3:22 - 3:37pm     Afternoon Recess/Dismissal

We also ask that students who are not transported by division buses plan to arrive as close to 9:08 am as possible. At 3:22 pm, students who have signed permission from their parents will be free to make their way home rather than stay for recess. These are both implemented to avoid overcrowding on the playground.

Students transported by bus will receive their schedules from Regina Public Schools Transportation. Masks will be mandatory for all students riding the bus.    

If you are interested in remote learning, please go to https://www.reginapublica/eschool.  This programming differs from  March-June 2020. This online learning will encompass the full curriculum with regular assessment practices.

There will be more information to come; however, we wanted to share a few details to assist you and your students return to school.  Our staff cannot wait to welcome you back to our school!

Please ensure you are checking Regina Public Schools website for any updates as they come available. www.rbe.sk.ca

We look forward to seeing our students very soon!

 

The Staff of Douglas Park School.