Dear DG Families,
We hope you are keeping well these days. Recently, as part of the Province Restart Plan, the government has decided that schools will make a return to in-person instruction (with limits and guidelines), beginning June 1st. Please make sure that you have read the letter from Mme Greenhalgh, sent out Friday, May 22nd, that explains what this will look like.
May 22 communication to families 2
The letter also includes a link to a short survey that we are asking parents to complete by 10 am Monday morning. The information collected via the survey will let us know which families are planning to have their children return to school. Having this information ahead of time will assist us with our planning as we resume in-school instruction June 1st. There is no requirement for parents to send their children to school. This is entirely voluntary and we support families in making the decisions that best fit their own individual circumstances.
Survey link:
https://forms.gle/Mp4MPkytb9uFr6tH9
Virtual Meeting Schedules
This week, teachers will be spending some time at school preparing for a return to in school instruction on June 1st. As such, they may need to reschedule the virtual meeting times that were established during the last few weeks of remote learning. Classroom teachers will be in touch with your child to let him/her know of any upcoming schedule changes to virtual meetings. Thank you in advance for your understanding while we use this time to prepare for the return of students to our school.
Social Story about Return to School
We know that some of our students (and even adults) may have questions about what school will look like on June 1st and going forward. We have attached a social story for you to share with your child. It explains some of the differences students might expect if they are returning to school in June (fewer students in the class, social distancing requirements, that parents will not be able to enter the school, etc…).
Library Books
If you have any school library books at home, please return them to the school. If your child is returning to school on June 1st, the books can be brought back then. If your child will not be returning to school but you have library books at home, please drop them off at the school after June 1st. As access to our building will be limited to staff and students only, a box will be available right outside the front office doors. Any items you are returning can be left there. In dropping these off, please ensure you attach a note or any other information that would be helpful for us to have. We will be following a protocol where hard surface items are cleaned and those that cannot (books, etc…) are put into a quarantine area prior to being handled. Thank you for ensuring that our library books are returned.
At this time, we are not yet collecting back technology devices families have borrowed. Please stay tuned for more information coming about this.
Please find attached the calendar for the 2020 – 2021 school year.
2020-2021 appendix II -FINAL COPY
Many of these dates have been added to the calendar on our school website, which is updated regularly throughout the year (this is the calendar you should check most often)
Are you moving?
At the school level, we are beginning to plan for September 2020.
Please let the school know if your child will not be returning to our school in September 2020. Please email the school at devongardens.elem.cims@deltasd.bc.ca
2020-2021 Class Placement Information
Although we are still navigating uncertainty with respect to this school year, we are still working through many of our typical year-end tasks. In the coming weeks, we will start to look at next year’s organization and class placements for students.
Some Things to Know about Our Process:
Class placements are important decisions and something that teachers consider very carefully.
FACTORS & CONSIDERATIONS: Assigning students to classes is a very complex task that takes into consideration a variety of factors, including: learning styles and strengths, what a student is able to achieve in relation to the goals of the curriculum, degree of independence in work habits, social and personal needs, age and physical maturity, previous placements, gender balance of class, number of ELL (English Language Learners), etc….
The number of staff members assigned to our school is decided by the Superintendent’s Office and is based on projected student enrolment. Enrolment estimates and class size guidelines affect the configuration of classes, which may also necessitate a particular organizational configuration (i.e. whether or not we have combined or “split” classes and the number of students, per grade, in the class).
SCHOOL-BASED DECISIONS: The professional staff is in contact with children in the school setting for 30 hours a week. Your child’s present teacher, along with other educators who work with your child, have a year’s worth of current, rich information and insight about the conditions under which your child learns best. Therefore, decisions around where to place students are determined through school-based, team decisions, based on their recommendations.
INPUT FROM PARENTS: As our partners in education, parents may also have important information to assist us with the placement of students. Parents are welcome to share with the school personal, educational, or social information that could affect a child’s placement. Our staff will keep in mind this information, along with the above considerations, when building classes.
If you have information about your child and the kind of learning environment in which she/he best works and learns, and you would like to share this information with our staff, please fill in the “Parent Information” form by clicking on the link below. Please complete the form no later than Friday, June 5th.
It is important to note that it is not possible for parents to choose their child’s teacher or make requests regarding other students. Teachers who are currently on staff may not be here next year, may not be assigned the same grade, or may not teach a class configuration that meets your child’s learning needs. Whatever the scenario, we strive to place your child in a warm, caring environment that will maximize his/her learning potential.
Should you have information you wish to share with us, please fill in the form by Friday, June 5th. Please fill in 1 form for every child. Please note, parents are not required to do this. It’s optional.
https://forms.gle/etPMWugANtxTpP93A
Creative Students Community Initiative
Partnership between the Delta Firefighters and the Delta School District May 7 – June 1, 2020
Although schools are closed for in-class instruction, the Delta School District is helping to ensure students continue to have access to food by providing over 125 families with food hampers each week. The Delta Firefighters are joining the cause by donating money for every student’s submission to the “Creative Students Community Initiative”.
The Delta Firefighters will donate $10.00 to the Food Security Program for every submission.
Take good care of yourselves!
Mme Greenhalgh and Ms Tee