On Friday an email went out around the new variant and Owen's Air system. Unfortunately it was blocked by some email servers most likely due to the size of the email. It has been included here in the Owen Online Bulletin.
March has arrived and we are in our last part of our school year. March is Greek Heritage Month. If there are any parents who would like to send materials for a display, please send it with your child and we can have them create a display in our front hallway.
New Variant of Concern
Toronto Public Health and recently sent information to parents/guardians regarding the spread of the new variant. Please see the attached document if you have not received it. With our routine health and safety procedures, our diligent cleaning, consistent daily screening and follow up phone calls when students present with one or more symptoms, this all contributes to a healthy environment for staff and students. We are fortunate that we have not had any cases at Owen so far.
We have been hearing from students daily about playdates happening during the week and on the weekends, which has been discouraging news for staff, parents and students who continue to practise COVID safety procedures diligently at school.
As Toronto continues to experience increased cases of variants of concern, it is more important than ever to follow the steps of self-protection. Public health measures will work to prevent the spread of the variants, including:
- Limiting your contact to household members only and staying at home as much as possible. Social gatherings and playdates outside of the school setting have led to the spread of COVID-19
- Going out only for essential outings such as medical appointments, food shopping, school, essential work, or for physical exercise.
- Keeping at least two metres (six feet) apart from others outside of your household.
- Wearing a mask.
- Cleaning your hands frequently, with soap and water for 15 seconds.
- Staying home if you are feeling unwell or if you have been told to self-isolate.
Public health measures in schools will also work to prevent the spread of variants of concern. To add protections for our school communities from these new variants TPH has made some important changes to the school screening tool for staff and visitors and students JK-12. Please make COVID-19 symptom screening part of your morning routine. Everyone in your household must complete the screening before school every day.
Changes to the school screening tool include the following:
- Household member has symptoms: If anyone in your household has one or more COVID-19 symptoms, all children and adults who attend a school setting must stay home from school until COVID-19 has been ruled out with a test result. If the household member with one or more symptoms does not go for testing, the children and adults in the home who attend a school setting must stay home for 14 days.
- Household member has travelled: If anyone in your household has travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days, all children and adults who attend a school setting must stay home from school until the person who travelled completes the federally-required 14 days of self-isolation. If the individual is exempt from this self-isolation because they perform an essential job (e.g. truck driver, pilot), the rest of the household can still attend school.
- Close contact of someone who had COVID-19: If anyone in your household is self-isolating at home because they were a close contact of someone who had COVID-19, all children in the household will need to stay home from school until the person who was a close contact completes the 14 days of self-isolation.
If students or staff/visitors have one or more new or worsening symptoms they must stay home, self-isolate and arrange to get tested. Please see Follow-Up Instructions for School Students, Staff and Visitors tested for COVID-19 for more information.
Thank you for all that you are doing to keep our schools and communities safe. Please continue to visit our website at: [www.toronto.ca/COVID19]www.toronto.ca/COVID19 to stay up-to-date. Information specific to school communities is available at: COVID-19 school information for parents & caregivers. If you have questions about COVID-19, please call our Hotline at 416-338-7600, Monday-Sunday 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM. Interpretation services are available. If you need immediate health care assistance, please call Telehealth Ontario 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-866-797-0000.
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Owen's Air System
We are fortunate to have an amazing air system at Owen. We have 110 filters in our school. Each perimeter classroom (except ESL room) has their own outside door and separate heating/air conditioning filtration unit. Each unit contains two filters which are now changed 4 times this school year. instead of 2 for COVID health and safety precautions.
Our 3 inside classrooms, gym and library all have units that are upstairs in the attic area.
The air comes out of the classroom through these brown vents. Then clean air comes in through these ceiling vents.
Every occupied classroom, portable and Wellness room will soon be outfitted with an institutional grade HEPA filter from the board. More than 235 schools have already received HEPA filters and following the province’s most recent funding announcement, delivery of additional HEPA units will start by early March at a rate of 1,500 units per week to the balance of schools.
Units will be distributed to schools, starting with elementary schools in areas of the city where there have been higher incidents of COVID-19. We expect that all elementary schools will have units by the end of March.
HEPA filters are one tool used to help reduce transmission of COVID-19. Schools will continue to focus on self-screening, mask wearing, physical distancing, enhanced cleaning, hand washing, increasing fresh air through mechanical ventilation and/or opening windows and other safety protocols to keep schools, students and staff safe.
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Late Applications for French Immersion
Parents/guardians who have missed the application deadlines for starting French Immersion in September may submit late applications here. Late applicants are given spots if the French Immersion school has space.
This year, due to COVID, late applications are being handled centrally until February 26, 2021, just ahead of the TDSB finalizing the number of classes and French teachers required for September. Late applicants who submit by February 26, 2021 may have a better chance of getting a spot than those who apply later.
After March 1, 2021, the number of classes is set and late applications are forwarded to the French Immersion school. The principal keeps a waiting list and fills spots if they become available. For Senior Kindergarten entry, those waitlists are kept and placements may be offered until the last day of the 2021 fall term. For Grade 4 entry, those waitlists are kept and placements may be offered until September 30, 2021.
Further French program information is here.
Update: Sept 2020 Wait List Process
When space is limited at a French Immersion/Extended school, on time applicants may be redirected from their designated French program school to one further away. These applicants are also placed on waiting lists at their designated school. Usually, principals fill any open spots from these lists until cut off dates in the fall of the same year the students start the program.
Due to COVID, the waiting lists from September 2020 for Senior Kindergarten and Grade 4 entry will be kept until the end of September 2021. If spots become available in September 2021, the principal will offer placements from the waiting list. The Senior Kindergarten applicants will join the program in progress in Grade 1 and the Grade 4 applicants will join the program in progress in Grade 5.
Ontario Autism Program Information Session
Any TDSB parent or caregiver interested in receiving help on how to access funding and support should click on the link below to receive information about an upcoming zoom session.
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OWEN EVENT NIGHTS
In order to help bring our community together, we will be hosting monthly event nights for Owen students and parents. Our first event will be Parent (only) Trivia Night on March 16th from 8- 9:30 PM.
Bring your own beverage and snacks to the virtual forum and participate with others for spectacular prizes (or perhaps just bragging rights!).
If you plan on attending, please send an email to jamie.parkes@tdsb.on.ca. You can also email Jamie if you have any questions.
TEAMS OF 5-8 players will be formed at random. A perfect way to meet and interact with parents, staff, and teachers of OWEN.
Meeting ID: 973 0086 0920
PASSCODE: 533223
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Moving out of Owen?
As we begin to start preparing for our September 2021 school year, we would like to gather information to help us know how many students will be returning to Owen.
If your child will be moving to another school in the fall, please fill out the following form to help us know where to transition the Ontario Student Records and transfer them to their new school.
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STUDENT NEWS
We are very excited to share Kaiyin's (Gr 5) time on the Canadian show
Frankie Drake. In the 1920's period show, she plays a little girl
who is about to go to the theatre with her parent.
Frankie Drake. In the 1920's period show, she plays a little girl
who is about to go to the theatre with her parent.
Click on the link below to take a rare tour of the EOPS Museum! The museum showcases works by emerging artists from grade 5 at Ecole Owen Public School. Curated by Miss Morris.
If you have photos, student work or family activities you would like to share on the Owen Online for next week, please email them to jamie.parkes@tdsb.on.ca by Thursday of this week.
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