As I welcome you back to school in the midst of our 5th wave of Covid-19, I would like to review our safety rules in class: Community prevelance of Covid is extremely high right now, so you must assume you will be exposed to Omicron when you return to school. There is no vaccine mandate at school so there is no way of knowing who is at higher or lower risk. Further there is no more contact tracing so we have no idea who is infected and who is not.
The following safety precautions will be made to mitigate the risk from this exposure:
1. Windows open at all times in my class while I supervise the class. Dress warmly!
2. Outdoor activities are being planned for the remainder of the semester.
3. Students are NOT to attend school sick. There will be NO ACADEMIC CONSEQUENCES for absence in my class. If you email me to say you are not feeling well and will be home, I will mark you absent, and will excuse your absence. Further if you feel more comfortable learning from home, please contact me and I will be flexible for you.
4. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND NO EATING INDOORS as this is where the exposure is most likely to occur. If you eat OUTDOORS, it is much safer and will help reduce the chance of getting sick and missing school.
5. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND upgrading your mask to N95 if possible. The black VSB masks given out were washable K95s. These masks need to be tightly fitted on your face
6. While students of any vaccine status is very welcome in my class, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND making sure you are fully vaccinated and you access the booster shot as soon as possible. This step will enhance safety at our school.
I am commited to airborne precautions in my class. This means walks to Trout Lake, to the forest in Central Park, to the Renfrew Ravine to do ecological activities. It means doing in class labs in cold wintry conditions . We can try our best to beat Omicron and have fun doing it!
ASSIGNMENTS
We will be spending some time on LOCAL FIELD STUDY in the month of January to end the semester! Please have a look at the field study form which you will need to hand in SIGNED by your parent or guardian. this form is due on Tuesday for 5 marks.
I would also like you to design a safety poster (can be digital or on paper) which summarizes the main points of this important paper written by academics and doctors. TRY TO ILLUSTRATE THIS with as FEW WORDS as possible. It can be in a variety of creative formats such as A COMIC, a POSTER, a RAP or POEM, illustrated, a PODCAST or recording of a public safety announcement.
The best of these assignments will be shared with professionals with credit to you. If they use it as part of a pandemic safety campaign, you may put that on your resume or portfolio! 20 marks
20 - This stands out in its effort and creativity.
18-19. This is done in ink and colour and includes all the details above and the details are all correct. This is excellent
15-17. This is very good work with effort and correct details. Some details are not there but most are there and there is excellent quality of drawing and presentation.
10-14. This is a very good start and your work shows creativity. It is not in colour or ink and looks like a very nice draft
5-9. This is incomplete but a decent start.
