May 27, 2020
Dear ROMS Parents/Guardians,
We want to start by thanking our parent community for your continued support and patience during this challenging time. Today we are reaching out to you to inform you of some of the specifics about the ROMS Partial Return to In-School Instruction. Although we are excited to have many of our students voluntarily return to school one day a week, we realize that we are still far from returning to the school we left in March.
Our Saanich Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Dave Eberwein, has sent a letter to all parents and guardians outlining our District’s plan to Partial Return to In-School Instruction. ROMS will follow all the guidelines set out by the Provincial Health Officer (PHO), WorkSafe BC (WSBC), The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), the Ministry of Education and our School District to ensure that students are safe. As a school, we usually have some flexibility in our timetables and plans, but the experts will guide us for the remainder of the year.
For the month of June, there are some important changes to note for all families. While remote learning continues, the ability of teachers to connect with students at home will be reduced as teachers are working with students face to face for much of the week. Fridays will be the best day to connect with teachers in regard to remote learning, and teachers will also connect at other times as possible.
At school, we have a variety of health and safety protocols in place to reflect the need for physical distancing, hand hygiene, and student/staff wellness. Some important changes to note for the month of June are:
Buses will run on their regular route schedule, but providing your own transportation, if possible, is encouraged.
School access is for students and staff only; parents please schedule an appointment by phone or email (or call to pre-arrange an opportunity to come into the building).
Upon arrival at Royal Oak, students will go to the back field and meet their homeroom teacher there (please do not arrive earlier than necessary). We recommend you drop off your child on Greenlea rather than the front of the school if possible.
There will be no inside access for students before school. Supervision outside will begin at our regular time (8:40).
Please attend Royal Oak only on your assigned day (as shared by your homeroom teacher in this email).
If you will be away, be sure to call the absence line at (250)479-0999 or email the school. Also if you change their mind about coming in June, please email us at royaloak@saanichschools.ca.
Students must abide by physical distancing protocols and safety procedures that will be shared with them by their homeroom teachers.
Homeroom teachers will go over the Daily Health Check Process and review the health and safety expectations with their classes (each day).
Students must bring their own food and a full water bottle - no food services will be provided other than the lunch program for families in need.
Students must pack in and pack out their lunch including all wrappers, containers, drink boxes, etc. We will not have garbage collection or recycling.
If students received a district Chromebook to use during this time, please bring it each day they come to ROMS.
If students have their own Chromebook, laptop, or iPad and are able to bring it to school, please do so (it’s OK if you don’t have one though).
Students should bring a backpack with all the materials they need for the day (paper, pencil, art supplies, etc.).
Lockers will be accessed on the first day in the building only. Students will clear out their lockers and bring all materials with them from the first day forward in their backpack.
Student recesses will be staggered and play structures remain closed.
Student eating times will be staggered to allow adequate time for hand-washing and cleaning.
Students will have to line up after recess and lunch before entering the building.
Our focus at school will be on supporting the remote learning work in a face to face format with the teacher.
In addition to class time, students will also have a PE and Fine Arts block (no gym strip needed other than wearing running shoes as change rooms are closed).
Students will be outside after lunch eating time and during recess.
Our final Non-Instruction Day of the year is Friday, June 5- no in class or remote learning this day.
Please review the above items with your child so they know what to expect when they return to ROMS. We will provide more information about the safety protocols in place at ROMS when we meet with students on the field on the first day. Bathroom procedures, capacities of rooms, and directions for moving around the building will be explained in detail. As you know, this will be a dry run for what we are expecting in the fall. Being here in June will help students and staff get acquainted with the “new normal” of school in the COVID world. As always, should you have any questions, please call the school or send us an email. We are looking forward to the week of June 1, 2020, and hearing student voices in the school again! We will do our best to make this a positive experience for your child. Thank you again for supporting your child's learning.
Sincerely,
Karen MacEwan, David Mark,
Principal Vice-Principal