Reminders to Families

As we had a very good start in the school year, I would like to remind all families to self-monitor and complete the covid self-screening daily.  There is a new on-line screening at https://covid-19.ontario.ca/self-assessment/ . This screening tool will help direct you on whether your child can or cannot attend school and what your next steps are. 

If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Durham Region Health Department at 1-800-841-2729.

Social Distancing and Masks

As part of the directive from Public Health Ontario and the Ontario Ministry of Education, students must wear masks inside the school, including classrooms and hallways.  In addition, if students are unable to maintain social distancing outside (2 metres), they must continue to wear their masks outside. 

In addition, students must wear their masks while travelling to and from school on a school vehicle (bus/taxi). 

Please review the mask protocol with your child(ren).  It is important, for everyone’s wellbeing, we work together to educate our students on our new protocols.

Let us work together to keep our community safe and healthy.

Thank you for your assistance.

Ms. Grdovic, Principal

Please see attached for information about Progress Reports

2019 – 2020 Clarke Graduates / Parents/Guardians

As communicated to all of you in my letter dated in early July, we were hoping to organize a formal commencement ceremony in the Fall.

Unfortunately, due to the ongoing government restrictions for public gatherings including events such as graduations, we are unable to hold a large in-person event such as this.

The staff are currently working on an alternative plan to celebrate our 2020 graduates which will include a graduation video and packages for student pick-up.

Individual graduate packages are being prepared for each graduate. The student package will include:

• Diploma
• Grad Composite
• Gown and cap (if previously ordered and paid by the June deadline)
• Individual award(s) for award winners
• Yearbook (if previously ordered and paid for by the June deadline)
• Graduation programme

Students/parents will be offered a pick-up time and date for the grad packages. These times will be posted soon..

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school at 905-987-4771.

Ms. Grdovic

Principal

Parents wishing to transfer their student to the Kawartha Pine Ridge Virtual High School (KPRVHS) must contact their home school guidance department.  Parents should also contact guidance to request a transfer from KPRVHS to their homeschool. 

Parents requesting a transfer to KPRVHS should be aware that;

• Students will no longer have a timetable at their home school and course availability may change if the student chooses to return later in the school year.   The student will be registered with the VHS and no longer registered at their home school.
• KPRVHS does not offer all the courses that a regular high school offers so it may not be possible to match courses.
• KPRVHS is not able to offer specialized programs such International Baccalaureate (IB), Skilled Trades related courses
• Students are required to participate in a minimum of 225 minutes of daily scheduled synchronous learning between the hours of 8:30 am and 2:30 pm.

Requests to transfer will be considered up to October 30^th so that appropriate staffing can be put in place to support the changes in enrolment.  Quadmester two starts on November 23^rd. 

To the 2019-2020 Graduates/Parents/Guardians:

To follow up from the letter, dated September 30, we are communicating further information to our graduating students.

As you are aware, due to government restrictions, we are unable to have a formal graduation ceremony/grad reception as in the past.  To facilitate the distribution of the grad packages including diplomas and awards, students will be able to sign up for a specific time on Thursday, November 5 OR Friday, November 6 by responding to the following google link:

https://forms.gle/RYjdpogQuBL9w9Hj7

Please complete the above google form by Friday, October 23^rd.  If you are unable to attend any of the times made available, your grad package will then be mailed to your home address.

Diplomas will be presented to graduates outside the front doors of the school.  Students who have purchased a gown will have the opportunity to wear their gown/cap at the time of the presentation.   The school has hired a professional photographer for those who would like to have a photo taken after receiving their grad package.  Each graduate will receive a complimentary digital download directly from Edge Imaging.

There will be staff assisting with the traffic flow, the presentations and photo opportunity so that the process is completed as efficiently and safely as possible.  Graduates will be asked to remain in their cars until a staff member can assist to announce your arrival.  Please arrive at the school exactly at your appointment time.

Local newspapers will also be invited to take pictures.

Although the graduates will be given their grad packages outdoors, we ask that masks be worn, and physical distancing is maintained.  We are required to follow health and safety protocols.  If you choose to take a photo, masks may be removed only during the time for the photo.

In addition to the above, the staff planning committee is preparing a pre-recorded graduation video.  The video will recognize the graduates while also acknowledging the award winners.  The video will also include pre-recorded greetings from dignitaries, principal and the valedictorian, Luke Cheshire.  This video will be included with the grad package.

Congratulations, once again, in being a 2019-2020 Clarke graduate.  We look forward to seeing you on November 5^th or 6^th.

All the best from the Administration and Staff of Clarke High School.

Important information regarding Community Involvement Hours, for this school year, is posted below. Please read carefully! You will notice that you may need to get principal approval for some activities. As always, if you are in doubt, please check before volunteering. Some virtual volunteer opportunities are in an earlier post.

Community Involvement Graduation Requirement
For the 2020-21 school year, the ministry is revising the 40-hour community involvement graduation requirement so that students will not be adversely impacted by the ongoing challenges related to COVID-19.

For students graduating in the 2020-21 school year, the community involvement graduation requirement will be reduced to a minimum of 20 hours of community involvement activities. This recognizes that graduating students have had barriers to earning their community involvement hours last school year and there may be continued barriers this school year.

Students may wish to consider virtual volunteering, such as connecting with seniors, organizing virtual fundraising events and facilitating discussions with newcomer youth. Outdoor volunteer opportunities could include, for example, picking up litter.

Volunteer opportunities, such as connecting young people to technology, being mentors to seniors, can be found through agencies such as Spark Ontario.

In addition, the ministry is providing increased flexibility in how all secondary students can earn hours in 2020-21, as follows:

1.  At the principal’s discretion, restrictions may be waived that do not allow students to earn hours during the time allotted for the instructional program on a school day, or duties normally performed in the home (e.g., walking a younger child to and from school, helping younger siblings with school work).
2. Students aged 14 years and older can count up to a maximum of 10 hours from paid employment towards their earned hours at the discretion of the principal. Students counting paid employment towards their graduation requirement will be required to complete a reflection exercise indicating how their work contributed to the service for others.

Credit Completion Day

KPRDSB has designated Friday, November 20, 2020 as a Credit Completion Day for secondary school students. Secondary students will not attend school in person on this day and may connect with their teachers online . This day will be used by teachers to provide feedback to students on their culminating tasks, support students at risk of not attaining a credit and prepare for a safe start to the next quadmester beginning on Nov. 23. Elementary students will attend school as usual.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o-mepszIhB57_ifGStnLf_dyEj_uHYSp/view?usp=sharing

To Parents/Guardians/Students

As we have completed our first two weeks of Quad 2, parents/guardians and students will be able to access student progress on December 7.

Student progress will be shared by each teacher through Edsby.  Please see the attachement for further instructions.

Please see attached Holiday Reminders from Durham Region Health Dept

Attention all grade 8 students and their parents / guardians.  You are invited to join us virtually on Thursday, January 7, 2021 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.  

This is an oppportunity to connect with Clarke High School's administration, guidance and student success staff.  

There will be a presentation / information session, including a review of compulsory and optional courses, the new grade 9 math course for September 2021, and then time to have questions answered.

The link for the Webex meeting will be posted electronically in the "Sept 2021 Grade 9 Students" folder in Edsby, which is available to all grade 8 students of The Pines, who are attending school either in person or virtually.

Course selection materials have been delivered to The Pines and are posted in Edsby, in the folder mentioned above.

We look forward to connecting with you on January 7, 2021!

Remote Learning Just a reminder to all students/parents:

Virtual classes have begun this week and will continue until Friday, January 22.

Attendance is taken each day, twice a day. Please check your classroom page (Google Classroom or Edsby) for information from your teacher(s). It is important to be online with your teacher(s) every day from 8:30 to 2:30 (with breaks) to listen to lessons and to complete assignments, tasks, etc. and to meet all deadlines.

Do not forget:

January 4 – 8 is Week 1

January 11- 15 is Week 2

January 18 - 22 is Week 1

We look forward to seeing everyone back at the school on Monday, January 25.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o-mepszIhB57_ifGStnLf_dyEj_uHYSp/view?usp=sharing

Important Learn@Home Information

For Parent/Student Technology Support, families can call or email (email preferred) the following:

Student/Parent Helpline - Elementary

1-877-741-4577 Ext 3002

Elementary_Helpline@kprdsb.ca

Student/Parent Helpline – Secondary

1-877-741-4577 Ext 3001

Secondary_Helpline@kprdsb.ca

We are HIGHLY recommending that students access their applications (EDSBY, D2L, Google Classroom, etc) via students.kprdsb.ca (our Student Portal).  Accessing applications via the Student portal will alleviate many of the issues students experience when accessing from home.  We have also created a Parent portal – parents.kprdsb.ca where we are keeping a lot of our critical Learn@Home information as well as useful links.

Starting Monday, January 25, 2021, STSCO will be opening their online Out of Boundary requests in the Parent Login on the www.stsco.ca website for the 2021-2022 School Year. 

Parents/Guardians will need the student's OEN and birthdate combination to log into the parent portal to submit their request.  Requests should be submitted by May 30^th to be considered for the first day of school in September.

February 2, 2021 Students/Parents/Guardians:

Congratulations to our students who have now completed Quad 2.

Final reports for Quad 2 will be available Wednesday, February 3, 2021 electronically.  A signed paper copy will be placed in your child’s OSR. Reports will include a grade, learning skills, and a comment according to normal practice at the school.

To access the report card in Edsby:

 Login to Edsby (https://kpr.edsby.com/) from a web browser (this option is not available from your mobile phone)

 Locate Classes section

 Click View Report Cards option from the left side of the screen

A paper copy of the final report card for Quad 2 will be provided, upon parent request only. If you have specific questions related to your child’s grade, please contact your child’s teacher(s) directly via telephone, email or through Edsby.

Thank you and best wishes as we begin Quad 3.

Friday, February 5, 2021

Hello Clarke families!

We know that we will all be returning to school with varying degrees of excitement and trepidation.  We also know that what kept us safer during the fall, was working together towards supporting healthy practices.  As you are getting ready for Monday, we wanted to share a bit of information with you.

1. Daily Self-Assessment

Staff and students are reminded to complete the daily self-assessment from the Ontario Covid-19 website. Students who arrive at school exhibiting symptoms that are not explained by known medical reasons (allergies, migraines, etc.) will be sent home as per our protocol.

2. Mask Protocol & Physical Distancing

Upon return to classes, we will continue to follow KPR mask protocol. Additionally, we are asking that students wear their mask inside and outside while on school property (this includes all school transportation). Students may remove their mask for intentional intake, i.e. eating or drinking (while seated at their desk).  

Students are reminded to always maintain physical distancing. 

When arriving to school each morning, students are to report directly to their classrooms and not linger in the hallways. 

Remember:

• Wear your mask
• Wash your hands
• Use hand sanitizer

3. Technology Returns

If students borrowed equipment from the school board (Chromebooks, SEA equipment), we are requesting that it all comes back on Monday, February 8th. Please ensure the charger comes back with the Chromebooks. Technology should be returned to the Main Office and we will begin the collection, inventory and sanitizing from that point.

4. Busing

Bus transportation will resume for students who are returning to in-person learning. Routes and stops will remain the same as they were in December, before the shutdown of schools. Please visit stsco.ca for further information.

5. Inclement Weather - School Closures on Snow Days

We remind families that KPR schools will be closed on inclement weather days to protect student health.

• If ALL buses are cancelled across the entire board, ALL schools will be closed for the day.
• If ALL buses are cancelled within a specific region, schools in that region only will be closed for the day
• If ALL buses are cancelled for a specific school or group of schools, only that school or group of schools will be closed for the day.
• If only some buses are cancelled or delayed, schools will remain open.

We would like to thank our student and parent community for persevering through online learning these past 5 weeks. Please enjoy your weekend - we can’t wait to see the students back on Monday!

To Parents/Guardians/Students

As we have completed our first two weeks of Quad 3, parents/guardians and students will be able to access student progress as of February 12.

See attached for more information

Notice for Quad 4:  the final round of transfer requests to and from the Virtual High School will be from March 15^th – 25^th (closing at 2:00 pm).  Contact guidance for assistance.

Students/Parents/Guardians:

The mid-term grades for Quad 3, Week 1 will be available in Edsby by the end of the day on March 4th.

Mid-term grades will not include comments or learning skills as in the past.

To access the mid-term update online:

• Login to Edsby (https://kpr.edsby.com/) from a web browser (this option is not available from your mobile phone)
• Click View Report Cards option from the left side of the screen

If you have specific questions related to the mid-term updates, please contact your child’s teacher directly via telephone, email or through Edsby.

Thank you.

Dear Parents and Guardians:

Re: Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) – March 25, May 3, 4, and 5th

Starting on March 23, 2021, Grade 10, Grade 11, and non-graduating Grade 12 students across the province will have the opportunity to write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). Successful completion of the OSSLT remains a diploma requirement for all students not graduating at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. This year’s test will be entirely online and will be administered over an extended time period. Each school will determine the specific date(s) the test will be written. The OSSLT is administered by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), an independent agency of the Government of Ontario, to determine whether students have acquired the minimum literacy (reading and writing) skills expected by The Ontario Curriculum across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9. 

OSSLT results do not count toward students’ grades, but a successful attempt on the OSSLT will satisfy the literacy requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. There are supports for students who are not successful, including an opportunity to rewrite the test next year or to take the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC).

Students with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) are allowed to use specific accommodations on the OSSLT that are regularly used in classes (i.e. scribing). All students, regardless of an IEP, will be allowed extra time, as well as access to the built-in accommodations within the OSSLT (i.e. text to speech function). If your child has an IEP, please contact your child’s Special Education Resource Teacher if you have any questions.  

In June 2021, EQAO will send out the individual student results to their schools with the result being noted as either successful/unsuccessful.  

Opportunities to develop literacy skills are embedded across the curriculum and staff are committed to helping students learn the strategies that will help them to be successful on the OSSLT and in life beyond school.  For more information about the OSSLT, or to take the online practice test, please visit www.eqao.com. 

 Sincerely,

S. Grdovic

Principal

Upcoming Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) – May 3, 4, and 5th

As communicated earlier, the administration of the OSSLT has started on March 23, 2021 for Grade 10, Grade 11, and non-graduating Grade 12 students across the province.

Successful completion of the OSSLT remains a diploma requirement for all students not graduating at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. This year’s test will be entirely online and will be administered over an extended period of time.  The OSSLT is administered by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), an independent agency of the Government of Ontario, to determine whether students have acquired the minimum literacy (reading and writing) skills expected by The Ontario Curriculum across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9. 

OSSLT results do not count toward students’ grades, but a successful attempt on the OSSLT will satisfy the literacy requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. There are supports for students who are not successful, including an opportunity to rewrite the test next year or to take the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC).

At Clarke H.S., students will be completing the OSSLT during Quadmester 4, Week 1;

Students enrolled in ENG2P/EMS30 (Mr. Brydson) will write on Monday, May 3^rd.

Students enrolled in PPL20/30/40 (with Mr. Gillan) will write on Tuesday, May 4^th.

Students enrolled in HFM3M1 (with Mrs. Cornthwaite) will write on Wednesday, May 5^th.

In June 2021, EQAO will send out the individual student results to the school with the result being noted as either successful or unsuccessful.  

For more information about the OSSLT or to review the online practice test, please visit www.eqao.com. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the school at 905-987-4771.

April 19, 2021

Students/Parents/Guardians:

Congratulations to our students who have completed Quad 3.

Final reports for Quad 3 will be available electronically by the end of the day on April 20.  A signed paper copy will be placed in your child’s OSR.  Reports will include a grade, learning skills, and a comment according to normal practice at the school.

To access the report card in Edsby:

• Login to Edsby (https://kpr.edsby.com/) from a web browser (this option is not available from your mobile phone)
• Locate Classes section
• Click View Report Cards option from the left side of the screen

 A paper copy of the final report card for Quad 3 will be provided, upon parent request only.

If you have specific questions related to your child’s grade, please contact your child’s teacher(s) directly via email or through Edsby.

Thank you and best wishes as we begin Quad 4.

Dear Parents and Care-givers,

As we end the first week of students’ return to virtual learning, we all are eager to know when elementary and secondary schools will be open again to in-person learning. Unfortunately, we do not have the answer to that as yet from the provincial government. We will share that information with you once we have it. 

In the meantime, KPR has another important date to share with you. If you wish your child or teen to learn online full-time next year, please visit the online opt-in portal at https://optin.kprdsb.ca by Friday, April 30.

Opt-in Portal Closes April 30

The online portal for families to opt-in to full-time virtual learning for 2021-22 will close at midnight on Friday, April 30. The portal is at https://optin.kprdsb.ca

We continue to believe that in-person learning is best for students, but we also know some families have indicated they wish to continue virtual learning next year, given the pandemic. To help the school board ensure resources and staff are in place for September for both modes of learning, students and families interested in virtual learning are asked to indicate their initial commitment now.

You will be able to review your decision and confirm your commitment to online learning again in late August/early September, before school begins.

While final details are still being confirmed, we expect online learning will follow the same basic structure as this year, including both synchronous (live, online connection with the teacher) and asynchronous learning.

The following points may also help you in considering your choice:

• Elementary students will be able to enter or exit full-time virtual learning at the following designated times in the school year: beginning of September, Fall Progress Report (around mid-November), Term 1 Final Report (around early February), and spring 2022.
• Secondary students will be able to enter or exit full-time virtual learning at the start of each semester (September 2021 and February 2022). The virtual learning opt-in portal includes a list of anticipated online courses. Courses that have an in-person component cannot be offered virtually.

Both elementary and secondary families wishing to opt-in to virtual learning for 2021-22 should visit https://optin.kprdsb.ca before midnight on Friday, April 30.

As a result of the extended closure period, KPR students will not be writing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) this school year, as originally planned. Successful completion of the OSSLT is NOT a requirement for students graduating in June 2021, but remains a requirement for all other students.  Students who were able to write the OSSLT before April 19, and were successful, will have met this diploma requirement.

Plans to support students in meeting the literacy requirement during the 2021-2022 school year are being developed and will be shared with families as soon as possible.

KPR is taking part in a virtual Indigenous Youth in Trades Summit, BUILDING YOUR FUTURE—AND THE SKILLS TO DO IT, on May 26^th from 9 to 4. Indigenous students in grades 7 to 12 are invited to attend and take part in interactive workshops and learn about the wide range of career opportunities available in the skilled trades.  

KPR has a limited number of tickets for this event. Students will register using the link included in the flyer (and below). Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis. Registration closes on Friday, May 14^th. Students and schools will be contacted once all of the tickets are allocated.

Registration link: https://forms.gle/4G69f9ipDV4AgBrT9

Voluntary Asymptomatic Testing Clinic at Clarke High School

The school board continues to support the Targeted Testing in Schools Program under the direction of Ministry of Education representatives, along with local Medical Offices of Health.  Testing clinics are being offered on a rotating basis throughout the board and are run by LifeLabs, Canada’s largest medical laboratory, to provide free COVID-19 testing for all students and their family members, teachers, and staff.  COVID-19 testing is voluntary and only for asymptomatic individuals (those who are not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms).

A voluntary COVID-19 testing clinic will be available for students, staff and their family members in your area on Saturday, May 15, 2021. 

If you are interested in participating, testing will be available:

• Date: Saturday, May 15, 2021
• Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
• Location: Clarke High School, Gym, 3425 ON-35, Newcastle, ON
• Please enter through the doors just east of the main doors (side doors under the overhang).  LifeLabs’ staff and signage will be onsite to help direct you.

There is no pre-registration for this clinic, participants will be registered upon arrival.  An Ontario Health Card is required to participate in the testing.  

Shorter swab = less discomfort!
The test process is very simple and safe and the collection site will be staffed by professionals who will be following a multitude of safety parameters.  The test is less invasive than previous options and uses a shorter nasal swab (like a Q-tip) that doesn’t reach as far back in the nose.  After the sample is collected, the test results will then be available within 24-48 hours at https://covid19results.ehealthontario.ca:4443/agree.

In accordance with Public Health guidelines, all attendees are screened and required to answer three questions upon arrival at our clinics: 

1.                   Are you presently in self-isolation / quarantine due to travel history or have you been told to self-isolate by public health?

2.                   Do you have any new or worsening symptoms of COVID-19?  These include: fever or chills, cough, sore throat, extreme fatigue or tiredness, body aches, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, loss of appetite, headache, nausea or vomiting.

3.                   Have you had or been recommended to have a COVID-19 test by a medical health professional or public health within the last 14 days?

Anyone who answers YES to any of these questions will be turned away and directed to a COVID-19 assessment centre for testing.

If a student or staff member is part of a class (or cohort) that has been dismissed from school, and has been told to self-isolate due to potential exposure to a COVID positive person in their class, they will not be allowed to come into the clinic for testing.  They should utilize the public system and obtain testing at an alternate location, like a hospital-run assessment centre, that has been established to handle symptomatic individuals and those with known exposure to COVID positive individuals. 

For more information about LifeLabs EDU Targeted Testing programs check out www.lifelabs.com/covid-19-updates/covid19-pcr-testing-for-schools/.  

Thank you for considering this opportunity,