Welcome Back or Welcome to ÉCKS

Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year! We hope you have been able to enjoy the summer months, full of health and happiness. As we prepare for school start-up, we continue to develop detailed plans, considering both learning and the safety of our students and staff. Battle River School Division has posted a comprehensive re-entry plan on the BRSD Website and you can read more about it here: https://www.brsd.ab.ca/corona-virus-information-2020. We ask that you read the re-entry plan in-depth. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Every day, all students and staff must complete the Daily Self-Assessment with questions developed by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. A copy of this form was shared with families in June however, the form was revised over the summer. The revised form will be sent to you from your child’s homeroom teacher. It is also available on our BRSD website. Please note, families are not required to submit the form to the school each day. Students who have any symptoms noted on the questionnaire cannot attend school.

Schools must keep records of children’s known pre-existing conditions. If your child has pre-existing conditions, please complete the attached form and provide a copy to the school as soon as possible. This information should be available to all school staff so that they are aware of these conditions.

Prior to September 2, 2020, your child's "in-school" homeroom teacher will reach out to you. Knowing your homeroom will allow you to review your entrance and exit points, along with your orientation times if you are new to ÉCKS. If you have indicated "at home" learning, you will receive correspondence from our Director of Learning, Pat Whittleton, or someone from his team once staffing has been confirmed.

Six of the exterior doors will be utilized as entrances and exits for cohorts. Students will arrive at school and will be required to head immediately to their assigned entrance where they will physically distance outside their door. The student entrance map will be sent to you by your homeroom teacher. I have also attached one below.

In the event, students are late or returning from an appointment, they will need to enter the building through the main front entrance. As the doors will be locked, we ask that you call the school when you arrive so we can welcome your child into the building. The number for the school is 780-672-7785. There is also a doorbell if you are unable to call.

We want to ensure that students new to our school have the opportunity to see the building prior to the first day of classes. If you wish to take advantage of this, we will be inviting students in on September 2 at different intervals throughout the day. Please note, students will be expected to wear masks and follow our sanitizing guidelines. Parents/guardians will not be permitted to accompany their child in the school for this orientation but please connect with your child's homeroom teacher or administration if you have any questions. We are asking that students arrive no more than five minutes prior to their scheduled time. Students will meet their homeroom teacher outside the main entrance. Please remind your child to practice physical distancing.

Grade 6 teachers will be in contact with families in the coming days to let you know which homeroom your child is in.

September 2, 2020 - Orientation Schedule for new students

9:00 - 9:30 - Students in 6A and 6B

9:45 - 10:15 - Students in 6C and 6D

10:30 - 11:00 - Students in 6E, 6F and 6G

11:15 - 11:45 - Students in Grade 7 and Grade 8 who are new to ÉCKS

12:00 - 12:30 - Students in 6H

Students will be in cohorts and will remain, for the most part, with their homeroom group for subjects throughout their day. Each cohort will be assigned a room within the school with teachers moving to the students. Phys Ed and the potential for some complimentary classes will occur outside of the designated classroom. Student belongings will be kept in the classroom with the student at their desk. If the classroom is unoccupied while the class is out of their room, the classroom door will be locked to keep student belongings safe. Lockers will be provided to students for the purpose of outerwear and their change of clothes for Phys Ed.

Complementary courses (commonly known as “Options”) will continue to be offered at ÉCKS this school year, however, the way that they are offered will look different.

Complementary courses will include different courses and students may not have the choice of which course they receive. Complex programming will continue for students at ÉCCHS but students will not have the choice of which course they receive. We will work closely with ÉCCHS and transportation to ensure proper safety measures are in place.

At this point, we will not be offering an "in-person" band option for students. As best we can, we will continue to support music education in alternate ways.

ÉCKS will continue with a closed campus and students will not be permitted to leave the school grounds during lunch break. Students will be expected to eat in their homeroom. A reminder that there will be no microwaves available. We will continue to work on our plans for break time, which will include time outside.

Any visitors to ÉCKS will enter through the front doors where they are to immediately

report to the office to properly sanitize, to complete the COVID-19 check-in, and to fill out the visitor log. Only families who have an appointment, will be permitted into the school. Appointments can be made by calling 780-672-7785. It is expected that all visitors will wear a mask upon entry into the school.

Bus passes will be distributed to students by their homeroom teacher on the first day of classes. Students will be permitted on the bus for the first two days of school without bus passes.

We appreciate the support and patience of each of our families as we navigate this new school year. We want to thank you in advance for making the daily screening part of your morning routine. It is important that we all do our part to keep our school safe. We will be providing you with more information as it becomes available and please feel free to contact the school with any questions you may have. We look forward to working with you in providing a positive experience for your child!

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Yours in Education,

The ÉCKS Administration Team

Email: charliekillam@brsd.ab.ca
Website: https://ckillam.brsd.ab.ca/
Location: École Charlie Killam School, 46 Street, Camrose, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-672-7785
Twitter: @ECKSchool