August 31st, 2020

BLUEVALE COVID-19 

CODE OF CONDUCT

Things will be Different…

To keep us all healthy

 

Daily Student Self-Screening

Parents/guardians must screen their students daily for symptoms of illness, COVID-19, or other respiratory disease before sending them to school.  Students must stay home if they are sick.  Refer to this STUDENT daily self-screening tool .

 

All Students Must Stay Home if They are Sick

Attendance

Students may only be at school, or on school property, on the days assigned to their cohort.  Students are expected to attend all assigned classes and to participate in all distance learning activities provided by their teachers.  

In order to reduce the overall risk of Covid-19 in our schools, WRDSB has put in place a strict exclusion policy for all individuals who:

  • have symptoms of COVID-19; OR
  • have travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days, OR 
  • have identified as a “close contact” of an individual with a confirmed case of Covid-19 and must follow advice from Region of Waterloo Public Health until they are advised of their ability to return.

When will students be able to enter the school?

Students will be able to enter the school 15 minutes before the start of the school day, 8:00 a.m..  Students are to enter the school using their assigned entrance and head immediately to their classroom.

Where do students go when they arrive at school?

Upon entering the building, students will proceed directly to their classroom.  Prior to entering their classroom, students will be expected to wash and/or sanitize their hands.

What does a student do if they arrive late for school?

Students are expected to be in class before the bell rings.  Any students arriving after the bell rings is considered “late” for that class.  

  • If a student arrives late, between 8:20 and 9:00, they must enter the MAIN FRONT DOORS and report to the staff member located in the front foyer.  Students may have to wait outside to ensure proper physical distancing before they proceed directly to their classroom.
  • All entrance doors will be locked. 
  • If a teacher has concerns about the nature or frequency of a student’s late arrival to class, a student’s vice-principal will be informed and parents will be contacted by the teacher.

How do I report a student absence?

Students who are not feeling well, or are experiencing symptoms of illness, must not attend school (see above).  There are two ways to report an absence.  Please use one of the following options:

☎ Call 519-885-4620, Press 1

@ Email bci-attendance@wrdsb.ca

Please be sure to include in the email: the student’s name, your name and relationship to the student, date of the absence, and the reason for the absence.

What does a student do if they have to leave school during the school day?

Students are encouraged to schedule appointments outside of the school day.  Students who must leave the school during the day, should have their parents call or email the main office ahead of time, and then sign-out  at the main office.

Students who exhibit symptoms of illness while at school will not be permitted to enter or stay in their classroom, and will be moved to a designated waiting zone.  Parents, guardians, and/or emergency contacts designated by the family, will be called immediately, and asked to pick up their child as soon as possible.

Face Coverings and Hand Hygiene

Face Coverings – The Ministry of Education has mandated that students will wear masks indoors while at school, including in hallways and during classes.  Students may wear their own, or school-provided, non-medical masks.  It is important that the mask fits properly and covers both the nose and mouth and that all best practices are followed when wearing and removing the mask.  Masks may be removed during nutrition breaks to eat lunch. 

For additional information refer to the Public Health Ontario Resource Non-Medical Face Coverings.  

If for medical reasons, a student is unable to wear a mask, a face shield must be worn instead. 

Hand Washing and Hand-Sanitizing – Students should regularly wash and/or sanitize their hands throughout the school day, including:

  • When entering and leaving the school.
  • Before and after eating.
  • Before putting on a face covering and after removing a face covering.
  • After sneezing or coughing into hands.
  • After using the washroom.

For additional information refer to the Public Health Ontario Resource Non-Medical Face Coverings. 

Physical Distancing

It is important to try and maintain at least 2 metres of distance between yourself and other people.  Many classroom and school procedures have been put in place to support physical distancing of staff and students.  

Students are required to comply with all physical distancing measures that include, but are not limited to:

  • Use of specific entrances and exits (both into and out of the school and classroom).
  • Specified direction of travel through hallways.
  • No use of lockers – students to carry their belongings with them to class.
  • Smaller class sizes (cohorting) and seating plans.
  • Staggered break times.
  • Minimizing the number of students in hallways and washrooms.
  • Virtual meetings whenever possible (e.g. guidance counsellor).

 

Students are not permitted to congregate in hallways, common spaces, or washrooms. Students should follow physical distancing cues – floor markings and signs – when lining up to use facilities.   

Student Drop-Off, Pick-Up and Parking

Students who are being dropped off or who are walking to school, please plan on arriving between 8:05 and 8:10 to help with congestion of bus students and provide for proper social distancing.  Parents and guardians must remain outside the school (preferably in their vehicles) when they drop-off or pick-up their student, and should not be congregating anywhere on school property.  

Visitors to the School

Parents and guardians will not be allowed to enter the building, including to sign-out students for appointments, to talk to a staff member, or to drop off forgotten items.  In extenuating circumstances, if approval to enter the school is granted by an administrator, a face covering must be worn before entering the school.  

Personal Belongings and Lockers

Lockers will not be available for student use at the start of the school year.  Students will be required to limit the number of items they bring to school. Students should leave valuable items at home. The school is not responsible for any lost or stolen items.  Instructions will be given to returning students at a later date for retrieval of their belongings from lockers from last year.  

Lunch

Students will eat their lunch with their class, under the supervision of a teacher. Students are to remain on site throughout the day including during lunch or other break times.  Students will not have access to microwaves.

Students will perform hand hygiene prior to and after eating.  Food, drinks, dishes and cutlery are not to be shared by students.  Students should take home all food waste and containers at the end of each school day.

Water Fountains and Bottle Fillers 

Students are required to bring their own water bottles.  Water fountains will not be available for use; however, bottle-filling stations can be used to fill individual water bottles.

Smoking and Vaping

No smoking or vaping (use of e-cigarettes) in the school building or on school property; it’s the law.  Failure to adhere to this rule will result in a school suspension and may result in a fine issued by the Waterloo Region By-Law Office.  Students are not permitted to congregate on the sidewalk so that bus arrival and departure will not be impeded. 

Hallways and Stairwells

Students should follow all signs indicating the direction of traffic in hallways and stairwells.  Students must proceed directly to their classroom upon arrival and leave the building promptly at dismissal time.

Students are expected to remain with their cohort and under the supervision of their teacher at all times throughout the school day.  Students are not permitted to congregate in hallways, common spaces, or washrooms.   

Positive Student Behaviour

We believe that a safe, caring, inclusive and accepting school is fundamental to ensuring the following: student well-being, student engagement and student achievement. 

It is an expectation that all interactions between all members of the school community are positive in nature, which precludes the use of inappropriate, hurtful, threatening or demeaning language, comments and actions.

Students can expect that any inappropriate comments and actions, and any violations of the health precautions required to keep us all healthy, will be addressed by staff members and that consequences will be progressive in nature, potentially resulting in suspension from school.

WRDSB Code of Conduct

All members of the school community are expected to comply with the expectations outlined in the Board Policy 6001. 

Please also refer to the BCI General Code of Conduct found on our website.