Louis St. Laurent School

Welcome back to School!

Junior High School Re-Entry Plan

Grade 8

2020-2021

Message from the Administration: We are very much looking forward to the return of our students and are well-prepared with procedures and guidelines for the health and safety of everyone in our community. This school year will be unlike any before and together we will adjust to have an enjoyable and great year! Our focus is always to deliver quality education for student learning and engaging in practices and routines to keep our community safe. The pandemic is not going away any time soon and we can expect that as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, we will be continually assessing and adjusting to any of these changes. This communication is to provide students and parents with the needed startup information for a successful year. Even when we are faced with challenging times, we are always grateful for the blessings that occur each and every day. On behalf of the Louis St. Laurent staff, we extend a very warm welcome back to all our students, parents, and families. Administrative Team: Principal: Mme Michelle Dupuis Assistant Principal / Grade 7 Coordinator: Mr. Bohdan Szewczuk Assistant Principal / Grade 8 Coordinator: Mrs. Patrice Teveniuk Assistant Principal / Grade 9 Coordinator: Mr. Michael Mauro ECSD Student Delivery Model Choice: ECSD has sent out surveys to parents to respond to regarding whether your child will be choosing to learn from home online or whether your child will be in school. We ask parents to help us at the school by completing this survey this week because the results of the survey are absolutely needed for us to plan. The Division has given August 28th as the deadline and we ask that you please do this as soon as possible. It is also important to recognize that with the options given to parents of on-line delivery and in-class delivery, that staffing has not increased at the school. Teachers are teaching full-time with students in class and parents are assuming the responsibility of monitoring the engagement and supervision of your child at home. The survey is accessible through your Parent PowerSchool Account: Link. https://powerschool.ecsd.net/public/ Left Menu Bar: School Reopen Survey If parents need to change their choice which must done before the deadline of September 28th, please email michelle.dupuis@ecsd.net What does Online Remote Synchronous Instruction mean? The Minister of Education has called students to be back in school. Whether a student is in class or remote, they must be IN class. Remote instruction is delivered via student device at home and synchronously with teacher at school. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the parent to ensure that students have the technology for their success. The choice of online remote instruction only includes the Math, Science, Social, Math, Health, Religion and Music. Students must follow their schedule, and ‘Join’ their teacher and class through Microsoft teams during their scheduled class. Teachers will be using their Google classrooms to post course content for both in-school and remote students. Students will be viewing all the classroom presentations and at minimum be able to ‘hear’ the live instruction. Instruction is NOT available outside of class time. Students must ATTEND their classes at the scheduled time, or they will be marked absent. Attendance and punctuality are expectations as indicated in the student handbook. In-school and remote synchronous students will be expected to be engaged with their teacher and class during the scheduled class time. Authentic assessments are required for both in-class and remote synchronous students. Therefore, remote synchronous students will be required to write the major assessments at the school site outside of regular instructional hours (eg. Thursday afternoon or Monday or Wednesday evening as scheduled). Students will be writing

Divisional final and Provincial Achievement Exams at the end of the year on site according to the Divisional and Provincial exam schedules. Only the students writing the exams will be on site. Expectations of Remote Synchronous Learners: It is critically important to understand that parents who have chosen online learning for their child are also assuming the responsibilities of monitoring and supervising your child during school hours. Teachers are teaching full-time with face-to-face students. Therefore, the clear expectations for students and parents are as follows:

• Student must attend all remote classes as per their schedule • Students must be punctual to join their remote class • Assignment completion on due dates is required • Students must attend to write the major assessments that will be scheduled at school outside of regular school hours

Any student who does not meet the above expectations of remote synchronous instruction will require a parent meeting with the administration. According to the Education Act, every child aged 6 and older is legally required to attend school. During this pandemic, this is either in-person or through remote synchronous instruction. As our students progress through the grades, they are building their knowledge and skills with the prescribed curriculum through the Program of Studies that enables success at the next level. Teachers passionately want students to succeed. At home, we need parents to ensure a student is engaged in authentic learning to build a solid understanding of the learner outcomes and increasing their skills to enable them for continued success in education in their future. The critically important focus needs to be authentic learning and not only the grades. Facemasks: The present guidance from the Chief Medical Officer indicates that staff and students in Grades 4 - 12 will be mandated to wear masks throughout the day. Students must be wearing masks on public transportation and when entering the school. Alberta Education will be providing two reusable masks for each student. Junior High Staggered Entry:

Wednesday, September 2 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM Grade 8 only (in-school students only) Wednesday, September 2 12:00 PM to 3 PM Grade 9 only (in-school students only) Thursday, September 3 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM Grade 7 only (in-school students only) Thursday, September 3 1 PM to 4 PM Textbook pickup for online remote synchronous learners

Please park and use the SOUTH Main Cartier Entrance Physical distancing and masks are required.

Friday, September 4 Junior High Teacher PD Day No School for Students Monday, September 7 Labour Day Holiday No School Tuesday, September 8 8:20 AM to 3 PM Regular school begins for both in-school and remote synchronous learners

What Happens During Staggered Entry for In-school students only: • Students and parents will be able to see the schedule and homeroom classes on Tuesday, September 1, after the survey closes. Students are to enter by their

designated entrance and go directly to their homeroom class.

• Students must sanitize upon entering the school and must be wearing a mask. They must keep the distance of 2 meters as they walk to their homeroom following the directional hallway arrows.

• Staff will be outside and in the hallways to help guide the students. • We have photographers booked for 5 different days so we will do as many homeroom cohorts as possible on this day where physical distancing and safety

guidelines will be in place. Students will be able to have their photos taken for their ID cards. • Students will be in their homeroom cohort which will be their classroom throughout the day during the year. The teachers will be moving and not the

students. They will have the opportunity to meet their teachers, grade coordinator and admin team. • Students will be given their schedules and textbooks. Labels with student names will be printed which students must adhere to the textbook spine that have

been signed out to them. With no lockers, the name identity on the textbooks allows students to be responsible for and only use their own textbooks. • Comprehensive safety procedures will be presented to the students which include sanitizing classroom routines, physical distancing, washroom protocols,

staggered and lunch hour recreation time, hallway directional travel, entrance and exits. • Option courses overview. • Opportunity for all students and staff to meet and get to know the students in the homeroom cohort.

Grade 8 Option Courses:

Option Choice 8-1 or 8-2 can be Music:

Every student will be given a musical instrument to take home.

Louis St. Laurent has a vibrant Instrumental Music program that serves almost 300 students. Our ensembles typically have 50-80 students each. Over the course of a regular year, you can see our students performing at the Winspear, Convocation Hall, Triffo Theatre, the Arts Barns, and at countless school events. Our ensembles attend competitive festivals in which we consistently score excellent and superior. The way that we have run the program for over ten years has been hugely successful however recent events and government recommendations will encourage us to find exciting new ways to provide instrumental and theoretical instruction that will keep our program strong for the future.

Currently Alberta Health Services has recommended that group rehearsal and performance of wind instruments is not recommended, especially indoors. To this end, currently, we will not be rehearsing or performing together as ensembles at school. It is important for the students and the long-term wellbeing of the program that we still provide instrumental instruction even during these challenging times. Until further notice, students will only perform on their instruments and complete their instrumental assignments at home.

We have many resources at our disposal to make this a success. First, we have a strong curriculum and textbook that students can use to accompany their musical performance. Secondly, we will be using an online service called ‘Smart Music’ that allows students to perform their music with accompaniment. The software also helps correct their mistakes and tracks student progress and practice in a meaningful way and allows for strong and varied assessments by the teacher. This software was used by LSL High School students with great success and allowed them to continue playing regularly at home. This year, both junior high and high school students with this software will be able to perform solo, small ensemble, and large ensemble music at home.

Beginners will be able to take advantage of these online tools as well. The music teachers at LSL plan to create a series of starter clinic videos for beginner students in collaboration with other teachers in our district. Those students will also have access to virtual jump starts, virtually presented guest artists, and of course the wealth of knowledge presented by the LSL music teachers.

During class time at school students will be given instruction on how to effectively and correctly complete their performance assignments at home. Fingerings, technique, rhythms, and harmony can be discussed without the use of the instrument. This time will also be used to cover the theoretical and musical history curriculum. Students can dive deep into analysis, composition, and gaining a familiarity with the western music tradition through history, theory, and listening. As an MYP and IB school, we have already been doing this, but we will have more time to dive even deeper into these parts of the curriculum.

LSL Music will have a robust online learning presence, so students can learn either in person, or at home, or in their cohort at school. As proposed by the school, all students will learn in cohorts to help keep students and teachers be safe.

It is also important as musicians and artists to present our work in the form of a performance. We are excited to announce that we will be delivering digital performances at the regular times of year (Winter, Spring, and End of Year) that will show parents, teachers, LSL students, and the community what we have been working on. Students will perform solos and in small ensembles using recording software, video and split screen apps, and the latest technologies musicians are now using to continue performance during this time.

We are confident that students can continue pursuing their love of music and continue to hone their craft, and the LSL Music department will continue to thrive, no matter what the conditions.

Option B is for In-School students only:

For students who are not in the music option, they will remain in their cohorts and have an experience with several options that will be scheduled during the following timelines. Option courses are modified to comply with the safety guidelines and class sizes are smaller.

Mon-Weds 8A Option

8-1 Option

8B-1 Option

8C-1 Option

8D-1 Option

8F-1

2-Sep 30-Oct Spanish Option

Garcia Music Haeubl

Art Johnson

Fit for Life Lacy

Foods Schiavon

Design Klopoushak

2-Nov 18-Dec Spanish Option

Garcia Music Haeubl

Construction Chalupiak

Art Johnson

Fit for Life Lacy

Foods Schiavon

4-Jan 26-Feb Spanish Option

Garcia Music Haeubl

Design Klopoushak

Construction Chalupiak

Art Johnson

Fit for Life Lacy

1-Mar 30-Apr Spanish Option

Garcia Music Haeubl

Foods Schiavon

Design Klopoushak

Construction Chalupiak

Art Johnson

3-May 18-Jun Spanish Option

Garcia Music Haeubl

Fit for Life Lacy

Foods Schiavon

Design Klopoushak

Construction Chalupiak

Tues - Fri Option 8-2

Option 8B-2

Option 8C-2

Option 8D-2

Option 8F-2

2-Sep 30-Oct Music Haeubl

Dance TimTim/Bawol

Robotics Klopoushak

Foods Schiavon

Fashion Johnson

Drama Danko

2-Nov 18-Dec Music Haeubl

Design Chalupiak

Dance TimTim/Bawol

Robotics Klopoushak

Foods Schiavon

Fashion Johnson

4-Jan 26-Feb Music Haeubl

Drama Danko

Design Chalupiak

Dance TimTim/Bawol

Robotics Klopoushak

Foods Schiavon

1-Mar 30-Apr Music Haeubl

Fashion Johnson

Drama Danko

Design Chalupiak

Dance TimTim/Bawol

Robotics Klopoushak

3-May 18-Jun Music Haeubl

Foods Schiavon

Fashion Johnson

Drama Danko

Design Chalupiak

Physical Education Classes and Athletics: Locker rooms are closed so when students have physical education scheduled, they must come to school dressed to participate in appropriate attire for their physical education classes. Athletics

• NO athletics will occur until September 21 during school start up as we feel that all of our focus should be on the adjustments schools and staff need to make in order to have a successful school start up.

• Junior High Athletics: September 21 in-school training can begin within a school-based cohort only (adhering to all School Division and sport specific protocols and regulations). Because we are in Stage 2, there will be no formal competitions or championships for any sport until Stage 3 is announced by the Alberta Government.

• Mini Leagues where there are less than 50 people involved in a cohort may be considered after a time of initial training and practice at the local school level. This may be considered in mid-October or later. There will be further communication on the startup of mini leagues in October.

Lunch Students remain in their homeroom classes to eat their lunch at the scheduled times. ECSD guidelines eliminate microwave use so students must bring a nutritious bag lunch. Closed Campus at Lunch: In order to maintain cohort integrity for contact tracing purposes, all K-9 schools will have a closed campus for lunch. Closed campus means students must remain on site during lunch and recreation time. If your child goes home for lunch, please contact michelle.dupuis@ecsd.net. Students who have their parents’ permission to leave the school during lunch must leave the school by their assigned door and maintain physical distancing from others while away from the school. Visitors are NOT allowed so dropping off a child’s lunch is not an option. Skip the Dishes or like deliveries are not permitted. Students must come to school with a nutritious lunch.

Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Friday

8A 8B 8C 8D 8F

11:21 -11:43 Lunch Lunch Rec Rec Rec 11:43 –12:04 Rec Rec Lunch Lunch Lunch

Recreation time will have scheduled varied activities for each homeroom cohort in a designated location which will be in a larger classroom, gymnasium, or outside. Water Bottles Students must bring water bottles. ECSD has installed multiple water bottle filling stations in place of fountains. School Fees School fees, bus passes and optional purchases will be visible on PowerSchool. Last year, the accounts were credited for costs that did not occur. As a result some parent accounts may have a surplus which will be used for the fees in 2020-2021. The same will apply this year where any unspent monies, will be credited back to parents. Fee payments are due by September 30th and can be paid online through your Parent PowerSchool accounts.

Homeroom Classes: Teachers worked collaboratively for many hours at the end of the year to create the best educational groupings considering many factors about students and their learning. With the choice of online or in-school education, this will affect the homeroom classes as we strive to maintain the educational balance between them. Please do not email requests for homeroom classes as this is the responsibility of the professional staff and we are navigating the present complex changing factors. Student homeroom classes will not be viewable until Tuesday, September 1st. Sign In and Sign out Binder: Each classroom has a sign in/ out binder. If at any time during the instructional day a student leaves the class, they are required to sign in/ out with their own pen for contact tracing purposes. Each classroom cohort has designated washrooms to use. Students can only leave the classroom one at a time. Our washrooms will be repeatedly cleaned throughout the day. Occupancy limits are set and clearly posted for all washrooms in an effort to mitigate the number of students in a washroom at any given time and to limit the number of students who may potentially use any washroom area. ETS School Special Transit for 2020-2021

While there have been a variety of changes as a result of COVID-19, Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) is committed to continue providing safe, reliable transit service. ETS encourages students to familiarize themselves with these changes to prepare for the first day of school. If students have never used transit before, ETS also has a variety of online resources they can reference. Please see the important information linked here. ETS bus passes are available for purchase through the school Business Office for the 2020-2021 school year.

Student Bus Passes ETS monthly ETS Family Plan Monthly

Grades K to 6 $35.00 $30.50 Grade 7 to 9 $59.00 $55.00 Grade 10 to 12 $59.00 $55.00

ETS Family Plan: Applies to families with 3 or more children attending any Edmonton Catholic School requiring 3 or more bus passes For ETS route information, you can visit the www.TakeETS.com website or call Edmonton Transit at (780) 496-1611. We ask that parents pay for the bus passes online through your parent PowerSchool Accounts. Alternately, bus passes can be purchased by debit or credit card at the Business Office. Cheques will not be accepted as payment for bus passes.

Daily Health Screening Parents and caregivers must assess their child daily for symptoms of common cold, influenza, COVID-19, or other infectious respiratory disease before sending them to school. Staff will also assess themselves daily for symptoms of common cold, influenza, or COVID-19 prior to entering the school. Everyone in the school must use the health assessment checklist to assess themselves daily prior to entering the school/site. Any person who selects “yes” on any of the screening questions should not be coming to school and will not be permitted to be at the school, pending further testing for COVID-19. Signs are posted reminding persons not to enter if they have COVID-19 symptoms, even if symptoms resemble a mild cold. Illness While On Site • Should a student exhibit signs of illness at school, they will be moved to a

designated private area within the school/site. • Parent/caregivers will be notified and advised to pick up their child immediately. • Please ensure that student emergency contact information is up-to date in the

event that parents cannot be reached. • Should a student become ill, a parent/caregiver or emergency contact must pick

up the student as soon as possible. Staff supervising symptomatic students will: • Keep all other staff out of the designated quarantine area; • Provide the student with a face mask, provided that the student can wear it

safely; • Wear recommended PPE • Use strict hand-washing techniques; and • Maintain physical distancing. Students With Pre-existing Conditions: It is important that families establish a clear baseline for what being healthy looks like. In the case of students with pre-existing conditions, we encourage families to have a COVID-19 test conducted prior to returning to school. In this way, it will help establish that baseline for students with pre-existing conditions. Families should notify the school of any pre-existing condition and its symptoms.

Cases of COVID-19 at School: If there are cases of COVID-19 identified within school settings, the Zone Medical Officer of Health will work directly with the school division and school administration to provide follow-up recommendations and messaging for staff, parents/guardians, and students. Schools and sites will collaborate with division staff and the Zone Medical Officer of Health during potential and confirmed cases. Alberta Health Services may request the school close in-person classes to allow a public health investigation to take place. The decision to send a cohort/class home or to close a school will be made by the local Medical Officer of Health. If this were to occur, the school students will continue their learning through remote synchronous instruction. Hand Hygiene This pandemic is not going away any time soon. Therefore, as part of the educational process it is critical that we learn, practice and follow procedures that mitigate risks of transmission. Anyone who enters a school will be required to practice hand hygiene:

• Before leaving home, on arrival at school, and before leaving school • After using the washroom • Before and after any transitions within the school setting (ex. To another classroom, indoor-outdoor transitions, etc.) • After sneezing or coughing • Before and after breaks and sporting activities • Before and after using playground equipment • Before and after eating any food, including snacks • Before touching face (nose, hands, or mouth) • Whenever hands are visibly dirty • Regularly throughout the day

Classroom COVID-19 Prevention Kits: Each classroom has a COVID-19 prevention kit that will be replenished daily. The kits include:

• Spray bottles with disinfectant • 15 cloths that will be washed daily • Disinfectant wipes • Bottles of hand sanitizer • Disposable plastic gloves • Kleenex • Spare disposable face masks

As our Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw has said, safety is our collective responsibility. Together, we must all take measures to protect one another—we must maintain high levels of hygiene and we must all follow the provincial health guidelines to the best of our ability. We take this responsibility seriously. There is nothing more important to us than the safety and well-being of our staff and students. Each classroom community will work together to frequently wipe surfaces and high touch areas and use the hand sanitizers. The custodial staff is trained to clean for COVID-19 prevention.

Parent Drop-Off Zones We are fortunate with the multiple options available for drop-off zones around the perimeter of the school. Drop-off zones are not used for parking.

Junior High School Supply List

There will be no lockers according to the ECSD Division guidelines at the start of the year. Students should have access to these supplies at home. Students only bring to school what is essential. On days with physical education, they must come to school wearing the proper attire for their class. Student Agenda (purchased as an optional purchase through Powerschool) Backpack or book bag Calculator:

• Students do not require expensive scientific calculators in junior high. Most junior high students use the TI-30X from Texas Instruments. Binders (1 inch) ..................................................................................................................... 5

• One per core subject of Math, Science, Social and ELA • One with dividers for student options, Health and Religion

Geometry Set …………. ........................................................................................................... 1 Students only bring to school what is essential but should have access to the following supplies at home:

• Pencil Case................................................................................................................ 1 • HB Pencils ................................................................................................................. 10 • Blue Fine Ball Point Pens .......................................................................................... 10 • Red Pens ................................................................................................................... 5 • Eraser (half and half) ................................................................................................ 1

• Metric Ruler ............................................................................................................. 1 • Glue Stick .................................................................................................................. 1 • Scissors ..................................................................................................................... 1 • Pencil Crayons (12 per package) ................................................................................ 1 pkg. • Felt Pens ................................................................................................................... 1 (12) pkg.

Lined Loose Leaf Paper ......................................................................................................... 4 pkgs. Plain Loose Leaf Paper .......................................................................................................... 1 pkg. Graph Paper (1cm x 1cm) ...................................................................................................... 1 pkg. Dividers ................................................................................................................................. 5 pkgs. Duo Tangs ............................................................................................................................. 5 Runners ................................................................................................................................. 1 pair With the pandemic, the following items for student safety:

• Cloth facemasks (mandatory) *Should be washed regularly • Small bottle of personal hand sanitizer for personal use.

Grade 8 Bell Schedule