Health & Safety Information for 2022-2023

List of 8 items.

• Masks

  In accordance with Ministry of Education guidelines, students and staff members are not required to wear masks this year. Greenwood remains a mask-friendly school, and we encourage students and staff to make the choice around masking with which they are most comfortable.

  
  

  Should there be a significant rise in airborne illness transmission during the school year, it is possible that the Ministry of Education or Toronto Public Health (TPH) will more strongly recommend or require masks for students and staff. Greenwood will adhere to any updated guidelines or requirements provided by the Ministry or TPH.

• Vaccination

  Greenwood continues to require that all students and staff members are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. At this time, a person is considered fully vaccinated if they have received two doses of a Health Canada-approved vaccine. 

  
  

  All Ontarians aged 12 and over are currently eligible to schedule a booster dose. We strongly encourage all students and staff members to receive a booster; however, we are not collecting documentation of booster doses.

  
  

  Vaccines continue to be strongly recommended by the Ministry of Health, and we encourage all visitors to the school to be fully vaccinated. Visitors are not required to provide proof of vaccination at this time.

• Screening

  We ask that students and staff members continue to screen for COVID-19 symptoms before coming to school each day. The Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 self-assessment has been updated with the most recent public health guidelines. Greenwood will not track screening completions or send out screening reminders.

  
  Students and staff members should stay home from school if they are symptomatic. Doing so is critical to keeping our community safe and healthy. Anyone with symptoms should follow the latest public health advice as indicated on the screening form linked above.

• Self-Isolation

  Self-isolation is no longer required for individuals with symptoms or who test positive for COVID-19.
  
  Students and staff experiencing symptoms should not come to school until their symptoms have been improving for 24 hours (48 hours for gastrointestinal symptoms) and no fever is present.
  
  Students and staff experiencing symptoms and/or testing positive for COVID should wear a mask for 10 days following symptom onset or specimen collection (whichever is earlier/applicable).
  
  View this chart for more details about the updated guidelines for COVID case management.

• In-Building Attendance

  Greenwood’s courses will be delivered in person for the 2022-23 school year unless we are instructed to move to remote learning by the Ministry of Education or Toronto Public Health. 

  
  

  We also understand that online learning may be required in some short-term situations in order to keep all students safe and healthy; online learning opportunities offered in these cases will align with provincial guidance as required.

  
  

  All students who are away due to illness will be able to access material from missed classes via the ON platform. They should complete any missed lessons asynchronously to keep up with their work. Students who miss class are also encouraged to attend extra help once they are able to do so in order to ask questions and get support with missed course content. 

   

  When possible, students unable to come to school can connect with their teachers during class time for a check in. This option is available via an application process. Requests will be considered on an individual basis and we will require supporting documentation in order for a student to learn online.   

  
  

  You can apply for your child to participate in class lessons via online teacher check-ins if:

  • your child will be absent for more than one day due to illness;
  • they are well enough to participate in class; and
  • you would like them to have support from their teacher during class time while they learn remotely.

  
  

  To apply for teacher check-ins for your child, please contact Anthony Costa, Dean of Students, and provide him with supporting documentation (e.g. positive COVID test). He will then inform your child’s teachers so that they know to check in with your child during class on the dates specified. 

  
  

  If a student has been approved to learn online with teacher check-ins:

  • The student should be ready to meet with the teacher and class at the beginning of each period on Google Meet. Class meeting links will be posted to class pages in ON. 
  • The teacher will give the student instructions at the beginning of the class about the day’s lesson and what to work through. 
  • The teacher will check in with the student later during that class period. 

  
  

  Students who are not attending class in the building and are working through material from home will be marked absent from school. 

• Outdoor Education

  We are very excited to return to our full Outdoor Education program this September!

  
  

  The camps and outfitters delivering our OE programming have all had successful summers. Each of these camps and providers have their own COVID-19 protocols, and students and staff will adhere to those protocols while on site. Any student or staff illness while on trip will be managed based on current public health advice. 

  
  

  We all understand the heightened responsibility to keep each other healthy during trips with shared accommodations. To help prevent COVID-19 on our trips, all staff and students will complete a rapid antigen test 24 hours before departing for their OE trip. If students need a test they can pick one up from Nurse Dawson at school. Students and staff should screen for symptoms prior to departure. Unfortunately, students who have symptoms and/or test positive for COVID will not be able to attend.

• Facilities

  Hand-sanitizing stations will continue to be available throughout the school and proper hand hygiene will be encouraged for all students. We will also continue with our enhanced cleaning protocols. HEPA filters will run throughout the building to complement our recently upgraded ventilation system.

• Nurse's Station

  Any student who becomes ill at school will go to the Nurse’s Station for assessment. The student will wait in isolation, supervised, until a parent/guardian arrives to pick them up.
  
  Greenwood’s School Nurse will maintain, update and communicate illness protocols to all parents/guardians and students to reflect public health guidelines and any changes in practice related to COVID-19. 
  
  Our School Nurse is Lorrine Perera, RN. Please feel free to reach out to Lorrine with questions or concerns about COVID-19 protocols at Greenwood or other health inquiries.