Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (STS) Campus Re-entry Plan
Creating safer learning environments for the 2020-2021 academic year
Last updated: February 23, 2021
Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School is committed to supporting the learning of all students in-class and online. As the scope and nature of the pandemic changes, so will our response evolve to support the health of all members of our community. Please note that the STS Campus Re-entry Plan and guidance will be updated as needed and any changes will be communicated to all members of our community.
It is truly an understatement to say that we are living in challenging and dynamic times. Each of us in our STS community has a role to play in being vigilant as we return to campus this fall. I am confident in our plan, and in the support we will provide to students, families, and employees as we work together to return to school safely. I understand this is a deeply personal and important decision and want to assure you that my team and I are leaving no stone unturned as we prepare to welcome back our families.
I encourage you to take time to read the STS Campus Re-entry Plan sections below thoroughly. As experience over the past six months has taught us, all plans are ‘subject to change’ as the context surrounding this global pandemic evolves. With this in mind, we ask that each of you spend time reflecting on the values of our community as they apply in this context. I do believe that together, with a focus on the well-being of everyone and upholding the values of our school, we can manage this transition in the STS way, striving for our best, being innovative, and maintaining community. I understand that our views on the current situation are as diverse as our community. Respecting that diversity will be key to a successful return.
I believe it is important for you to know that our planning and preparation for school start-up has been, and continues to be, conducted in consultation with experts, research, guidelines, and learning from other schools around the world. We are also fortunate to have a team of professionals on our staff who are among the best I have ever worked with. It is important for me to state that while our research and information gathering is global, our decisions are based on our local context and what makes sense for our community.
Our commitment to you is that we will work with individual families and students to address your needs. I ask that each of us be committed to our individual well-being but also to the collective well-being of everyone in our community.
The STS school reopening plan will inevitably change and evolve in the coming weeks and months. I will be communicating with you regularly and will be providing multiple forums for input and dialogue. I look forward to working with you, confident that we can and will do this well. Thank you for your continued support and patience.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please do connect with your Division Principal or me.
Respectfully,
Mrs. Carol Grant-Watt
Head of School, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School
The following fundamental principles and beliefs articulated as Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School's (STS’) values are informing the School’s decision-making, in conjunction with Alberta Health and Alberta Education guidelines:
STS has designed its re-entry plan based on the K to 12 School Re-entry Plan released by the Alberta Government, as well as guidance from experts at the CDC (2020), Sick Kids Hospital (2020) and Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Jones et al., 2020). We also collaborate closely with CAIS schools in Calgary and review plans of other schools and school divisions in Alberta and beyond for best practices.
The Provincial plan is based on three COVID-19 pandemic scenarios:
On the July 21, 2020 the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw and Education Minister Adriana LaGrange, announced that students will return to school for September in Scenario 1.
As per the recommendation of our AHS Zone Environmental Public Health Contact, STS will be using a layered approach to the safety of students and employees at school. A layered approach uses multiple controls to reduce infection risks (see Figure 1 below).
Figure 1: Hierarchy of infection risk controls (Sick Kids, 2020)
Returning to in-person classes may not be the best option for all students and families do have options. If your family has made the decision to not attend in-person, please contact your Division Principal. The school will work with you to transition to online learning. Our goal is to ensure that all students receive a high-quality education whether they attend school in person or online.
As information is updated, decisions will change to ensure the safety of the STS community during the pandemic. Consequently, we also have plans in place for Scenario 2 and 3 should we need to transition to hybrid or at home learning for all students.
For more information on these plans, please reference the following Alberta Education documents – Parents’ Guide 2020-2021 and Get the Facts: Back to Class for 2020-2021.
The physical, social, mental, and emotional well-being of our students is key to their success as learners. School is one of many places where students and employees come in contact with non-household members. Keeping them safe during the COVID-19 pandemic is a shared responsibility between the school and families at home.
Parents are encouraged to keep children at home if they are sick or in isolation until cleared by AHS to return to school. Learning supports will be provided to ensure that students do not feel the need to choose between their health and learning success at school.
Students in Grades 4 to 12, all employees, and permitted visitors to the school must wear a mask in high traffic areas as per government protocols. Students in Kindergarten - Grade 3 are strongly encouraged to wear a mask in class and will be required to wear a mask during transition times an in hallways.
Please review Alberta’s mask guidance at: https://www.alberta.ca/masks.aspx
We want to ensure that students, parents, and employees feel safe at school. To mitigate the risks posed by COVID-19, the School and its operations have been modified (see Figure 2) and detailed in the sections below.
Figure 2: A framework for school reopening from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Jones et al., 2020) that guides our implementation of Alberta guidelines.
Before coming to school each day, all staff and students must complete the Government of Alberta’s COVID-19 Information Screening Questionnaire to determine whether they can attend school that day. Members of the community must stay at home and follow the COVID self-assessment tool protocols if they have COVID-like symptoms. Students must stay home and use the online component of our Hybrid Learning Model until they are cleared to return to school by qualified medical personnel (AHS, family doctor).
As per the Daily Screening Checklist, parents must not send their child to school if they are experiencing any of the symptoms indicated within the Checklist that are new or worsening, or if a student has travelled outside Canada and is not enrolled in the Alberta COVID-19 International Border Pilot Project, or has been identified as close contact of an individual with COVID-19.
If a student is experiencing any of the above symptoms, it is incumbent upon the parent/guardian to advise the school immediately by putting an attendance note in Managebac, and/or emailing or calling the appropriate division Principal and copying frontdesk@sts.ab.ca. Parents/Guardians should refer to the self-assessment link for guidance and assistance with booking a COVID-19 test, if required.
Refer to the Student Illness during COVID-19 policy for further details
It is highly recommended that any students with a pre-existing health condition that causes symptoms of COVID-like illness be tested for COVID-19 at least once before they return to school. A negative test would help show their symptoms are related to their pre-existing condition, and not due to COVID-19. This will help establish their baseline for being healthy. Families should notify your child’s Division Principal about any pre-existing condition and the symptoms it causes.
The school has hired a nurse who will:
Figure 3: Alberta Health Appendix A: COVID-19 school outbreak notification process flow diagram. For more detailed information regarding outbreak protocols as outlined by AHS, click here
On October 8, the Alberta Government provided some updated information on the requirements and recommended actions for students with potential COVID-19 symptoms. Please see the chart below for details:
For more information on isolation requirements, please visit https://www.alberta.ca/isolation.aspx
If you are a parent looking after a child with symptoms, watch the video below with advice from Alberta Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hinshaw:
Students in Grades 4 to 12, all employees, and permitted visitors to the school must wear a mask in high traffic areas as per government protocols. Students in Kindergarten - Grade 3 are strongly encouraged to wear a mask in class and will be required to wear a mask during transition times an in hallways.
Staff and teachers at STS recognize and appreciate that the challenges of physical isolation and remote learning have different impacts on different students. While many students are excited for the social connection and support offered by in-class learning, some will be anxious. Teachers and staff will work closely with families to support the social and emotional needs of our students as we transition back to in-person learning. Supports will be available from the school nurse, Elementary, Middle, and Senior school learning strategists as well as the school’s guidance counselor.
Parents are encouraged to reach out to their child’s teacher/advisor or the Division Principal for in-school support.
Consideration of the following can help set up students for success:
Additional resources to support families: |
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Alberta Health Services has revised its guidelines to permit athletic activity in groups of up to 10 people provided they follow AHS procedures of masking and physical distancing. In light of this change, basketball training is being offered to students in Grades 7-12 before and after school. Pre-registration is required to manage group size and track attendance. Please contact our Director of Athletics, Mr. Ken Zelez (zelezk@sts.ab.ca) for more information.
Co-curricular learning provides great value to STS students through opportunities for develop leadership, creativity, and inter-personal skills. These opportunities will be reimagined in the context of physical distancing. Teachers will use technology and creative thinking to allow students to participate in activities like speech, debate, MUN, Round-Square etc.
Encore in the Elementary School will be modified to reduce the mixing of cohorts for these learning opportunities.
Middle and Senior School Co-curricular programming will resume online and in-person beginning the week of February 1, 2021. Information about the co-curricular activities available will be shared with students via Managebac and virtual assembly announcements. Questions about specific activities may be directed to the Divisional Principal, Director of Student Life, or faculty members coordinating each activity (click here to view the full list of Winter Co-Curricular Activities and to learn more).
AHS issued a mid-September update to the guidelines relating to live instrumental music. STS will maintain our current arrangements around music and band in all divisions of the school as we await further clarity on how the new guidelines should be operationalized. Our current arrangements will be reviewed on or around the end of November and any changes will be communicated at that time.
Therefore, the Senior School musical will not occur during the 2020-2021 school year. Instead, the outperforming arts department is working with Professor Christine Brubaker at the University of Calgary and with artists around Canada to allow students to showcase their creativity in small groups or through solo acts. Students will work with Canadian theatre and new-media artists to select and develop their own works of art. We are excited to support our students through this new partnership with Canadian artists.
Large gatherings that bring multiple cohorts together are not permitted at this time. When possible, virtual gatherings will replace assemblies, performances, and guest speakers.
At this time, all curricular and co-curricular field trips are being postponed.
To limit touch points, specific lockers may be assigned to specific cohorts. Students will also be able to use areas within their homeroom classrooms to store their belongings.
Physically distanced lockers will be available for Grades 11 and 12 students. Locker usage will be revisited based on evolving conditions as well as to accommodate winter clothing safely.
OE experiences will continue to be offered on our extensive campus using newly built campsites, our trail system, and pond while exercising AHS recommendations for safe interaction. Day hikes in small groups may be offered in wilderness areas close to Calgary (e.g. Little Elbow, Sandy McNabb, Highwood) in consultation with families.
Guidance for single overnight trips is being sought from Alberta Health. Our OE team is in contact with Parks Canada and other outdoor organizations to modify the OE curriculum such that it continues to prioritize the health and safety of students during this time.
PE staff have modified programming to leverage the outdoor spaces on campus as well as to minimize contact and touch points. Elementary School PE activities will prioritize safety while engaging students through a variety of target activities such as modified 'Pinwheel' and 'Bull's Eye' and fun individual pursuits such as 'Twister Yoga'. In Middle and Senior School, activities like golf, archery, Frisbee golf, track and field can allow students to be active while maintaining safety. Disinfection protocols have been updated and are being reviewed regularly.
Different groups of students will use different areas of the gyms and outdoor fields for their physical activity. Masks may be worn for low impact exercises or activities (e.g. archery, yoga) for additional protection. Physical distancing will be increased for cardio-fitness activities.
Change rooms and lockers are being reviewed and re-considered to minimize contact among cohort groups.
Timetables are being modified to allow for staggered lunches with each Division starting their lunch at a different time (approximately 11:20 am, 12:00 noon, 12:40 pm) This will minimize the number of students in the cafeteria. Students are expected to remain in cohorts as much as possible.
Middle and Senior School students will start their morning daily homerooms with their period 1 teacher and not their advisor to reduce touch points. Advisory/Flex/BLT periods will continue to be a time to connect with advisors.
Class schedules and homeroom locations will be available to students and families through Managebac, starting August 28th.
Uniforms
Hygiene and clean clothes are to be prioritized to lower the risk of transmission. Families are encouraged to either launder uniform items, or store them for a minimum of 24 hours, after each wearing. Further, change room access will be significantly reduced and may not be available on a given day. Therefore, the uniform policy has been temporarily modified to account for these circumstances.
Temporarily modified uniform requirements are as follows:
Parents continue to be key partners in the success of STS students. While parents’ entry and travel within the school building will be restricted to support student health and safety, consistent and transparent communication with parents will continue through the use of technology.
Parent participation and feedback will be sought regularly to allow for two-way communication between the school and families as we partner to support our students' learning safely at school.
Student advisors will be a key point of contact with parents to ensure student wellness and readiness for learning throughout the year.
Parents will have an opportunity to learn about the curriculum by connecting with their child’s teachers online in September. This event will occur virtually using video-conferencing technology to keep families and staff safe.
Parent-Teacher interviews will use video-conferencing technology to allow parents to connect with teachers to learn about their child’s performance and progress.
If you are a parent looking after a child with symptoms, watch the video below with advice from Alberta Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hinshaw
A healthy staff focused on servicing the needs of our students and families is key to the success of the school’s mission during this period of crisis. Employees will be supported in the following ways to ensure that they are able to prioritize the learning of students:
Students will remain in class cohorts: e.g. 1A and 1B would remain in their individual classes. When possible, specialist teachers will move to the students in order to minimize transitions. The Learning Communities (Kindergarten-Grade 2, Grades 3-4, Grades 5-6) are learning groups who will have their own entrances, washrooms, lunch areas and recess areas.
The boot rooms will be utilized by one Grade per learning community to allow for physical distancing. For example, students in Grade 2 will use the boot room while the Kindergarten and Grade 1 students will need to keep their items with them in the studio.
All excess furniture and soft seating will be removed from the learning studios. Student seating will be organized in a manner that will allow students to sit facing forward and/or provide physical distancing. Plexiglass trifolds will also be used when students are seated as a group. Individual desks and studio tables will be used within studios to allow distancing.
Students will remain in Learning Communities for recess activities. Students will wash their hands before and after recess. Each Learning Community will have an area outside that supports physical distancing. Recess supervisors will also remind students to maintain physical distancing.
Students in Kindergarten to Grade 4 who would like a purchased lunch will need to pre-order their lunch from a set menu. The Black Watch Bistro (cafeteria) has a set menu for Kindergarten to Grade 4 students on the MySTS parent portal website. Pre-orders must be submitted ahead of time and are set for two months at a time. Students in Grades 5 and 6 should have money on their cafeteria account if they wish to purchase food from the cafeteria. Money can be added to accounts using the payment link found under the Black Watch Bistro section of the MySTS parent portal.
Students in Kindergarten to Grade 2 will now be eating in the cafeteria. This is to allow more spacing for the students eating and easier cleanup. Grades 3 and 4 will still have their hot lunch delivered to the studios and they will eat in their studios or common areas. Grades 5 and 6 will eat in their studios or in the commons. Purchased food from the cafeteria will be available for Grades 5 and 6 students. They will come down to the cafeteria (with their masks on) to order and pick up their own food.
All microwaves have been removed to avoid cross-contamination. Students will need to bring lunches that do not require heating.
Students will be assigned a homeroom location by section (e.g. 7A, 8B, 9C etc.) for all core classes (English, social, science, math). Students will remain in their homeroom and teachers will travel to the students.
To allow for ease of laundering and rotation of uniform pieces during the pandemic, and as the weather cools off, we will now permit students to wear an STS branded crewneck sweatshirt (not hoodie) in meeting the 'two above' rule. This does not require families to purchase a sweatshirt as the sweater and blazer options continue to apply. This is simple another option intended to provide additional flexibility.
Footwear should match uniform bottoms and adhere to the STS uniform guidelines. In other words, sneakers should only be worn with athletic gear.
As we refine our protocols after our settling-in period, we ask students not to wear uniforms on non-PE days. This means there will be one day each week when all students in a grade will wear regular (non-PE/non-athletic) uniform.
The regular uniform (non-PE/non-athletic) day for each Middle School grade is:
A 40-minute lunch period has been set aside for Middle School students. Students should remain in cohorts for lunch unless they can safely physically distance (e.g. outside areas).
Middle School students are welcome to purchase their lunches at the Black Watch Bistro during their designated lunch times. Students may present their name or four digit account code if they wish to pay with their credit account. Cash is also accepted, but is discouraged.
A daily menu is displayed in the Black Watch Bistro. Middle School students are welcome to eat their lunches, whether purchased or brought from home, in the Bistro, atrium, outside, or in the Peter B. Ditchburn Library.
All microwaves have been removed to avoid cross-contamination. Students will need to bring lunches that do not require heating.
Open gym and other lunch activities are suspended for school opening and may restart once we evaluate the implementation of our safety procedures.
Students will remain in their section cohorts during Physical Education (PE) and will use separate areas of the gym and grounds for their lessons which have been modified for physical distancing (e.g. golf, track & field, yoga).
Equipment will be disinfected between use and increased physical distancing will be required for cardio exercises.
We have received approval for Grades 7 to 12 to use the campus change rooms for PE and Athletics, following agreed upon protocols that include mask wearing, hand hygiene, physical distancing, and cohorting with designated areas. Students have the option to change their clothes before and after their PE class. For hygiene reasons, we encourage students to make use of this option. However, PE faculty will alert students in advance about activities that require them to change.
When students need to travel outside their homeroom (e.g. for science labs, language learning, or to the design or arts studio), they will sanitize their hands, wear masks, and move to the new room. They will wear masks (if appropriate) in their new room for all activities and sanitize their hands before returning to the homeroom. Students may take their trifolds with them as needed.
In lieu of selecting a Fine Arts option, a new multi-disciplinary arts program will allow each student cohort to participate in a rotation of visual arts, music, and theatre during their Fine Arts block.
AHS issued a mid-September update to the guidelines relating to the live instrumental music. STS will maintain our current arrangements around music and band in all divisions of the school as we await further clarity on how the new guidelines should be operationalized. Our current arrangements will be reviewed on or around the end of November and any changes will be communicated at that time.
Alberta Health Services has revised its guidelines to permit athletic activity in groups of up to 10 people provided they follow AHS procedures of masking and physical distancing. In light of this change, basketball training is being offered to students in Grades 7-12 before and after school. Pre-registration is required to manage group size and track attendance. Please contact our Director of Athletics, Mr. Ken Zelez (zelezk@sts.ab.ca) for more information.
Students have increased choices and responsibilities in Senior School. While cohorting will be used in Grade 10, students will be expected to wear masks, wash their hands regularly, use plexiglass trifolds, and physical distancing as multiple layers of protective strategy for infection control.
To allow for ease of laundering and rotation of uniform pieces during the pandemic, and as the weather cools off, we will now permit students to wear an STS branded crewneck sweatshirt (not hoodie) in meeting the 'two above' rule. This does not require families to purchase a sweatshirt as the sweater and blazer options continue to apply. This is simply another option intended to provide additional flexibility.
Footwear should match uniform bottoms and adhere to the STS uniform guidelines. In other words, sneakers should only be worn with athletic gear.
As we refine our protocols after our settling-in period, we ask students not to wear uniforms on non-PE days. This means there will be one day each week when all students in a grade will wear regular (non-PE/non-athletic) uniform.
The regular uniform (non-PE/non-athletic) day for each Senior School grade is:
Note on black shorts and leggings: Black shorts and leggings (e.g. Lululemon tights or yoga pants) may only be worn during Senior School PE class (please ask your PE teacher for details). They are not permitted outside PE class blocks even on PE days. Note that as per the uniform guidelines, black, opaque, plain stockings (also known as tights) can only be worn with kilts instead of knee-high socks.
A 40-minute lunch period has been reserved for Senior School students.
Senior School students are welcome to purchase their lunches at the Black Watch Bistro during their designated lunch times. Students may present their name or four digit account code if they wish to pay with their credit account. Cash is also accepted, but is discouraged.
A daily menu is displayed in the Black Watch Bistro. Senior School students are welcome to eat their lunches, whether purchased or brought from home, in the Bistro, atrium, outside, or in the Peter B. Ditchburn Library.
All microwaves have been removed to avoid cross-contamination. Students will need to bring lunches that do not require heating.
Grade 10 students will be assigned a homeroom (e.g. 10A, 10B, 10C) and will remain in a cohort grouping for all their core classes.
When students need to travel outside their homeroom (e.g. for science labs, language classes and options classes), they will sanitize their hands, wear face masks and move to the new room. They will wear face masks (if appropriate) in their new room for all activities and sanitize their hands before returning to the homeroom.
Each Grade 11 and 12 student will be assigned a locker to store books and clothes.
Due to the range of options of Alberta and IB courses taken by Senior School students in preparation for diverse post-secondary destinations, cohorting is not possible.
Students will be required to wear face masks during all class changes and must sanitize their hands between every class.
AHS issued a mid-September update to the guidelines relating to live instrumental music. STS will maintain our current arrangements around music and band in all divisions of the school as we await further clarity on how the new guidelines should be operationalized. Our current arrangements will be reviewed on or around the end of November and any changes will be communicated at that time.
To support student interest and maintain opportunities for students, a modified percussion-only band program is being offered for students in addition to some online home-based work through the use of technology. More details to follow.
University planning is key to students’ success after STS. University planning classes will continue with in-person classroom sessions offered in the theatre to allow for physical distancing as well as family conferencing through the use of technology.
Alberta Health Services has revised its guidelines to permit athletic activity in groups of up to 10 people provided they follow AHS procedures of masking and physical distancing. In light of this change, basketball training is being offered to students in Grades 7-12 before and after school. Pre-registration is required to manage group size and track attendance. Please contact our Director of Athletics, Mr. Ken Zelez (zelezk@sts.ab.ca) for more information.
Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School is committed to supporting the learning of all students in-class or online. As the scope and nature of the pandemic changes, so will our response evolve to support the health of all members of our community. Please note that this document and guidance will be updated as needed and any changes will be communicated to all members of our community.
Please reach out to your child(ren)’s Division Principal:
Elementary School(Kindergarten - Grade 6) |
Middle School(Grades 7-9) |
Senior School(Grades 10-12) |
Jen Conway |
Jessica Richmond |
Anand Mahadevan |
(403) 938 8305 |
(403) 938 8320 |
(403) 938 8309 |
Alberta Education (2020). K to 12 school re-entry.
https://www.alberta.ca/k-to-12-school-re-entry-2020-21-school-year.aspx
Edmonton Public Schools (2020). COVID-19 Division Re-entry strategy 2020-2021.
https://epsb.ca/media/epsb/schools/goingtoschool/schoolre-entry/DivisionRe-EntryStrategy.pdf
Jones, E., Young, A., Clevenger. K., et al., (2020). Healthy Schools: Risk Reduction Strategies for Reopening Schools. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Healthy Buildings program.
Sick Kids. (2020). Updated Covid-19: Guidance for School Reopening.