Dear Owen Parents/Guardians,
We hope you enjoyed some quality time with your family and students had some downtime to refresh and prepare for the return to school. We are excited about seeing our students and want to ensure we return in the safest way possible. Many will be excited about the covid measure changes and others will be highly anxious with the restrictions being lifted.
We will support all our students during this process. Students will need to be taught again how to:
- socialize and play in groups;
- learn to be patient and speak kindly to one another;
- adjust to entry and exit routines;
- support and respect those who have made the choices to wear or not to wear masks as these are family decisions that are made;
- and to generally show kindness and respect to one another especially during this transition period.
Please talk to your child about their questions, anxieties and excitement they have about their return to school.
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Happy New Year - Nowruz Mobarak
Nowruz, the Persian New Year takes place on March 20th 2022. If any there are any parents who would like contribute to the front display for a Persian New Year, please send items with your child and see Ms Nahid in the office.
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Ukraine Humanitarian Relief Funds
For international disaster relief effort, TDSB prefers that schools promote any type of fundraising or donation through external charity platforms. Donors receive a tax receipt directly from these external charities.
It is TDSB's general recommendation, schools should refrain from collecting funds themselves due to the time, tax receipting for individual donors, and effort to redirect the funds.
Here are a couple of external charity platforms:
- Canadian Red Cross
https://donate.redcross.ca/page/100227/donate/1?locale=en-CA
- UNICEF Canada
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Student Absences
For all student absences (illnesses, quarantine, travel, appointments,etc) please email owenps@tdsb.on.ca , and cc your classroom teacher. Emailing the Principal or Vice-Principal may not get the information to our Secretary or Office Administrator in time to avoid receiving the automated safe arrival calls as we can't always get to our emails on time in the morning.
When you email owenps@tdsb.on.ca, please indicate your reason as a reason code needs to be included in our system.
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New Covid Measures and Specifics to Owen
We will be adapting to new measures and always ensuring the health and safety of our students and staff in an inclusive and respectful way. Please help us by honouring those who have made choices for their child and talking to your child to help them through this transition. We understand we have students who will be excited or extremely anxious about these changes and will help them through this process.
Masking and Staff PPE
Masks will no longer be required to be worn in schools, though they are strongly encouraged. Masks are expected to be worn after international travel, during sickness or as a class contact of someone who has tested positive or shows covid symptoms. Personal protective equipment, including medical and N95 masks, face shields and glasses, will continue to be provided to school boards for staff. Medical masks will also be available to students.
- At Owen, we will be respecting everyone's choice to wear or not to wear masks. Please have conversations with your child about being inclusive about the choices staff, students and families have made. We will continue to have masks available for staff, students and visitors at the front of the school for those who would like them.
Masks will no longer be required to be worn in schools, though they are strongly encouraged. Masks are expected to be worn after international travel, during sickness or as a class contact of someone who has tested positive or shows covid symptoms. Personal protective equipment, including medical and N95 masks, face shields and glasses, will continue to be provided to school boards for staff. Medical masks will also be available to students.
- At Owen, we will be respecting everyone's choice to wear or not to wear masks. Please have conversations with your child about being inclusive about the choices staff, students and families have made. We will continue to have masks available for staff, students and visitors at the front of the school for those who would like them.
Vaccination
The Board of Trustees has voted to rescind the COVID-19 Vaccination Procedure for Employees, Trustees and Other Individuals (PR734) and lift the mandatory requirement for staff to be vaccinated, as of March 14. This move is in line with the provincial direction on health and safety measures and follows consultation with TDSB union and federation partners. To date, more than 90% of TDSB staff are fully vaccinated. In addition, older students have high rates of vaccination and numbers continue to increase in students aged 5 to 11. The TDSB will now begin to plan for a transition toward returning unvaccinated staff to work.
- At Owen, we will continue to encourage and share vaccination clinics available in our community. Office staff will ask parents of their child's vaccination status as it pertains to self isolation and masking requirements as highlighted above. Vaccination status will no longer be required to be shown when volunteering in the school.
Cohorting and Distancing
Cohorting and physical distancing is no longer required in schools and student transportation. Elementary students can play and learn together across cohorts, classes and grades, both indoors and outdoors and during lunch and recess. Shared spaces, such as libraries, technology labs, auditoriums and music rooms can be fully utilized without distancing. Programs across grades, such as reading buddies, can return. Limitations on in-person gatherings and assemblies will also be removed; therefore, schools can plan and host in-person events (e.g., graduation ceremonies, and assemblies). In addition, extra-curricular activities may resume as normal pending the availability of staff volunteers to lead the activity and music programs, including vocal and wind instruments may continue.
- At Owen, we will be transitioning into our classroom, recess and lunch routines in phases when mixing cohorts. We will begin with desk/table arrangements in class and teachers will eventually be able to co-teach with another class to increase the participation and practice collaboration with other learners as they did prior to covid. We will then move into removing zones for recess/lunch outside and return to our kindergarten, primary and junior zones. We will eventually move back to one lunch group - students eating at the beginning and all outside together. This will increase our supervision outside and provide opportunities for clubs and intramural sports to begin. Students will however, continue to eat in their classrooms as usual.
We will also gradually introduce back into the school, pizza and hot lunches, in person parent council meetings, fundraising activities , after school programs and excursions. More information will be shared as we introduce these at school.
Isolation Guidance
The province has updated their household isolation measures to indicate that in some cases, household members may not need to isolate if there is a positive case of COVID-19 in their home, depending on their vaccination status.
- At Owen, we will continue to follow the TPH guide for self-isolation. Please be familiar with these guidelines. We have many PCR and Rapid Tests at school to verify if students are positive for covid. Please ask office staff if you require a test.
Screening Verification
A daily COVID-19 self-assessment, which includes understanding of federal travel guidelines, should continue to be done before leaving for work or school, but, as of March 21, 2022, students and staff are no longer required to show proof of verification of their daily screening on the ServiceNow app. Visitors will be permitted into school buildings and are also required to do a COVID-19 self-assessment.
-At Owen, office staff will continue to ask questions about students who were on vacation to ensure proper isolation (if needed) and masking is done at school based on the travel guidelines. Staff and students are expected to be screen prior attending school. Any students showing symptoms based on the screening tool will be staying in our Wellness Room to isolate from other students and parents will be called to pick up their child. If parents are unable to pick their child up, our students will be able to stay in our Wellness room until parents are available.
We will continue to promote and actively practice general health and safety practices as outlined by TPH
- stay home when sick
- wash hands and use hand sanitizer
- cover coughs/sneezes
- avoid touching face, eyes, nose and mouth
- wear a mask when required or if chosen
The province will continue to provide Rapid Antigen Test kits to school boards bi-weekly to support symptomatic testing for students and staff. Positive case notification letters to impacted classrooms will continue until the end of March and will be reassessed at that time.
- At Owen, we will continue to send a kit of two Rapid Tests home for any students sick. These can be used to test when symptoms show and then 24-48 hours later. PCR tests can be requested and would need to be dropped off at a Regional HUB as school pick ups have been discontinued.
Remote Learning
While these changes may be welcome for some, some students and families may find this transition challenging. The TDSB will consider accommodating requests for short-term remote learning within current teaching capacity in virtual learning, and in alignment with provincial guidance. Remote learning resources are available to students and families to support this transition.
- At Owen, we encourage all our students to attend in-person learning to benefit from the full learning experience. There will be a process for students temporarily requiring short-term remote learning to access google classrooms. Work will be done independently at home as there is no synchronous teaching available. A meeting is required with the Principal to continue with this type of learning.
Reporting Student and Staff Absences
The Ministry requires schools to monitor their own absenteeism rates and report on student and staff absences and school closures. If absenteeism rises to a defined level (approximately 30% above their baseline) in schools, Toronto Public Health is notified centrally. A fact sheet will be shared with you to share with your community. This will be reassessed by the province on April 14, 2022.
- At Owen, we will continue to send positive case notification letters home until the end of March when it is reassessed.We will continue to report daily through the absence reporting tool for the Ministry.
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Virtual Learning 2022-2023
If your child will be attending school in-person next year, no action is required.
The deadline is Monday, March 21 at 11:59 p.m. and there will be no opportunity to switch in either direction between In-Person and Virtual Learning once the Registration Form closes. This is a final decision for the entire 2022-23 school year.
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Police Check
If you have already done a police check please see Ms Nahid to do your annual declaration online. If you have not done one, please pick up a police check form and take it to your nearest police station for a check as a volunteer. It does take several weeks so please start this process early so you won't be disappointed!
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Welcoming Parents and Visitors Back to School
While we are looking forward to seeing out parent community back in our school, just a few reminders as we transition back to school:
- Visitors are to start their visit and buzz at Door 1. Covid screening is required and parents/visitors can go to the office as directed.
- Parents/Visitors may not wander around the school. Students will continue to be enter and be picked up at their outside doors. The front doors are only used for late students or students leaving early for appointments.
- Parents who are late after school should notify the school. Students will be brought to the office after school to wait for parents in front of the office.
- All visitors are to sign in at the office and take a visitor pass prior to entering classrooms or spaces they are volunteering in.
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Message from the Eco Club!
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Loads of kids come to school with plastic forks/spoons or come to the office not having utensils. The office only has non-reusable plastic which means the plastic gets thrown away and is not recycled. All of the garbage that our school is producing is contributing to the landfills, ocean garbage etc. By using less plastic, we are reducing waste, and even one school can make a difference in the world! To help save the environment, we would appreciate a donation to our school. If you happen to have extra mismatched spoons/forks at home, please bring them to our school to help! Please do not go out and buy any extra utensils, it will just add to the consumption problem. Our goal is to create a reusable utensil station so students can borrow a spoon or fork when needed!
If you would like to learn more about what the city of Toronto is doing too to reduce single-use plastics, take a look at this website! City of Toronto Reducing Single-Use Plastics Campaign
Together we can save the world!
Written by Addison Lam G5
PLEASE NOTE: We will no longer provide plastic spoons, forks or cups. Reusable cutlery can be provided based on availability. Students are expected to bring water bottles. We do have Owen water bottles for sale if needed.
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Lost and Found
We have decided to wait for warmer weather and parents will be able to come and check out the Lost and Found. We will have these available and whatever is left over will be donated to our ECO club to donate it to an organization who can find them a good home.
We have decided to wait for warmer weather and parents will be able to come and check out the Lost and Found. We will have these available and whatever is left over will be donated to our ECO club to donate it to an organization who can find them a good home.
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Indoor Shoes and Clothing
Many students brought home their indoor shoes and extra clothing. Please go through and check the sizes to see if your child requires a bigger size. Don't forget to return them on Monday March 21st!
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Many students brought home their indoor shoes and extra clothing. Please go through and check the sizes to see if your child requires a bigger size. Don't forget to return them on Monday March 21st!
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Guggenheim for All - Art for Families with Children on the Autism Spectrum
In this free virtual program designed for individuals on the autism spectrum and their caregivers, explore works of art from the Guggenheim Museum and create your own art at home.
These sessions will be led virtually through Zoom, a free video conferencing software. Participants should have access to the internet and a computer, smart phone, or tablet with a camera and a microphone. Each 45-minute live digital session will include guided looking at a selection of artworks and a related art-making activity.
Free, registration required. A Zoom link and password will be emailed to registered participants prior to the program.
Space is limited; registration is reserved for individuals with autism and their caregivers. For teachers and professionals wishing to participate, please email Melanie Adsit, Senior Manager, Youth, Family and Inclusion Initiatives, at madsit@guggenheim.org.
Join our GFA email list to receive the latest on upcoming Guggenheim For All events and programming.
In this free virtual program designed for individuals on the autism spectrum and their caregivers, explore works of art from the Guggenheim Museum and create your own art at home.
These sessions will be led virtually through Zoom, a free video conferencing software. Participants should have access to the internet and a computer, smart phone, or tablet with a camera and a microphone. Each 45-minute live digital session will include guided looking at a selection of artworks and a related art-making activity.
Free, registration required. A Zoom link and password will be emailed to registered participants prior to the program.
Space is limited; registration is reserved for individuals with autism and their caregivers. For teachers and professionals wishing to participate, please email Melanie Adsit, Senior Manager, Youth, Family and Inclusion Initiatives, at madsit@guggenheim.org.
Join our GFA email list to receive the latest on upcoming Guggenheim For All events and programming.
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Student News
See what our students have been up to lately at Owen!
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.
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Please click here for the latest updates and newsletters.
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