We’re so happy to have you at Wilkinson!
Though there are many unknowns and uncertainties this year, we hope that the information below will help you navigate the first few weeks of school.
REMINDER: WE HAVE NEW START AND END TIMES THIS YEAR!
The School Day Runs From 9:15 am to 3:45 pm (3:30 for Kindergarten)
First Day of School:
Tuesday, September 15: Grade 6, SK, ISP Classes
Wednesday, September 16: JK, Grade 1, Grade 5
Thursday, September 17: Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4
Before Entering the School: COVID-19 Screening and Masks
We need to work together to ensure our community stays safe and healthy. As per TDSB and Toronto Public Health guidelines, before entering the school, students, staff, and necessary visitors must first do a self-assessment for COVID-19 symptoms at home. If your child is okay to come to school, you’re required to fill out a daily screening pass using the paper form or online app found here. Once arriving at the school, a second screening will be conducted at screening stations to ensure no one exhibiting symptoms comes into the school. UPDATE: The school is requesting that parents use the paper form for the first little while as it is easier and faster for entry. After handing in your screening pass or QR code/student name, hand sanitizer will be used, and individuals can then enter. As information is still being distributed, please visit the TDSB Return to School page for updates.
Anyone who feels unwell, has COVID-19 symptoms, or has had close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 should not attend school, and anyone who feels unwell or has COVID-19 symptoms should go to a primary care provider or an assessment centre for testing. Please follow the TDSB guidelines if your child has symptoms, has been exposed, has travelled outside Canada, or has been tested (also refer to the Toronto Public Health guidelines). After an absence, please follow the TDSB guidelines for your child’s return to school (also see Preparing for School During COVID-19). The links in this section are posted on our website for easy access – you are responsible for reviewing and familiarizing yourself with this information.
Please remember that non-medical or cloth face masks are mandatory for all students inside the school and on school buses. Plastic face shields are not an allowable substitute (see TDSB Requirements and Tips). Masks will be provided for students who do not have them, but the expectation is that students will provide and wear their own. All visitors will be required to conduct a health screening at the designated school entrance/screening station and will be required to wear a mask while inside the school.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures:Morning entry is at 9:15am.The schoolyard is supervised beginning at 9:00am – please do not drop-off children earlier than this unless they are coming for a scheduled activity. For student safety, as parking lots can be very busy, the use of the school parking lot is not permitted for drop-off and pick-upand vehicles without an authorized TDSB permit are subject to ticketing and towing (Property Map). The designated drop-off/pick-up lane is located in front of the school on Donlands Ave. The school day ends at 3:45 pm, 3:30 pm for Kindergarten students.
Please refer to Principal Jensen’s email for details about drop-off and pick-up, lunch, staffing and transportation.
Classroom Hygiene Donations:
In order to help keep the school as clean and sanitary as possible, please consider donating hand sanitizer from this list (60-90% USP grade alcohol, not technical grade alcohol), Lysol spray and disinfecting wipes (or another brand found on this list), facial tissues, liquid hand soap, and paper towels to your child’s classroom throughout the year. Please also consider sending your child to school with a personal-sized container of hand sanitizer to keep in their desk or bag.
Cell Phones:
Please note that while on school property, cell phones are only permitted before and after school, not during class time, at recess or at lunch.
Nut Allergies:
Please remember that Wilkinson is a nut free school. We have several students who have life-threatening anaphylactic allergies to a variety of nuts, including walnuts, pecans, peanuts, hazelnuts and chocolate hazelnut spreads, and wish to keep our school as safe as possible for everyone.
It’s important to note that “peanut free” and “nut free” are not the same thing. When packing lunches and snacks, please remember to never send products containing nuts of any type (peanuts or otherwise) to school. Thank you for your cooperation in helping to ensure the safety and well-being of our students.
Litterless Lunches:
As a Platinum EcoSchool and because of COVID-19, we request that our students bring litterless lunches and snacks (including a full reusable water bottle) to school. A litterless lunch does not include materials that go into the garbage or recycling. Instead, it contains reusable food and drink containers, reusable cutlery, and compost items, all packed into a reusable bag. As students will be eating lunch in their classrooms this year, for hygienic reasons, all lunch waste will be brought home. Please pack a water bottle that comes to school filled and returns home each night for cleaning.
Over The First Few Weeks:
Sometime during the first week or two you’ll receive a set of forms from the school in your child’s backpack. If you don’t find them, please check with your child’s teacher. Last year the TDSB made it possible to fill in these forms online. A personalized link was emailed to families in the first two weeks of school. Please note that the form for Lunch Program Registration cannot be filled out online through the TDSB. Also note that we do not have information about the TDSB links for online access (it will be posted on the TDSB website).
You’ll also be receiving emails containing information about the Parent Council and how to join, how to opt-in to classroom contact lists, fundraising opportunities, and upcoming events (should we be able to hold any).
September Parent Council Meeting
The first Parent Council meeting of the school year will be held on Monday, September 21st from 6:30 to 8:00 pm via Zoom video conference. All members of the Wilkinson community (including online learners) are welcome to attend Council meetings as guests. September 21st will be the last meeting of the 2019-2020 Parent Council. The 2020-2021 Council will meet for the first time in October. If you’re interested in joining as a voting member, look out for our nomination form which will be sent by email in September or October. If you’d like to attend the September 21st meeting, please email us for the meeting link.
Finding Information:
The Parent Handbook includes valuable information about school policies and procedures as well as a section dedicated to Kindergarten. Please note that we are in the process of updating it to include current COVID protocols (e.g., pick-up and drop-off and visitors)
The Communications Committee works hard to keep Wilkinson families informed about school and Parent Council events and activities through emails, our website, Facebook and Twitter. For news from the TDSB, local elected officials, and other external organizations, we encourage you to sign up directly for their respective email lists. Visit our Links and Resources page for more information. Those interested in learning about events and activities that operate outside of the school or the Council (e.g., school walk-ins, climate rallies, community gatherings) are invited to sign up for messages from the Action Committee. If you ever have a question, don’t hesitate to send the Parent Council an email.
If you did not receive this as an email, please sign up for our mailing list using the form at the bottom right of the Home page.
We wish all of our students and staff a great start to the school year!
