Good Afternoon Eardley Community,

I hope this email finds you well on a long weekend. I am writing a short update this afternoon pertaining to the Outaouais region going into the Red Zone over the weekend. Please see below for important information.

Over the weekend, as I am sure you may have heard, the Outaouais region has gone into the Red Zone (Level 4, Maximum Alert). What does this mean for Eardley Elementary? For elementary schools, it does not affect our current practice gravely. As we at Eardley and WQSB have been quite tight on our processes and protocols in order to be proactive and safe. Please see below for the reality in a Red Zone (I have bolded the increased measures) –

Please note that our processes and protocols are more important than ever. I have attached our parent-guardian reference guide as a reminder to what has been put into place at Eardley Elementary. As well as the COVID-19 latest symptom chart from Public Health, the COVID Wakelet and our protocol if there is a confirmed case within the school.

I understand that this is a very scary time for all involved. We will continue to follow strict Public Health guidelines and the safety of our staff and students is of our utmost concern. If you have any questions, concerns or comments please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please take care, stay safe and stay healthy.

Samantha Halpin

Good Afternoon Eardley Community,

I hope this email finds you well.  I am writing a quick update as to our updated process and protocol if there is severe inclement weather (such as today).

**If there is severe inclement weather (hard, torrential rain, thunderstorms, wind, blizzard, severe cold etc.) **

AM DROP OFF –

• Please arrive at 7:55am and drive through the bus lane.
• Stop at the front entrance to drop of your child(ren)
• A staff member will be greet your child(ren) at the front entrance and escort them inside

PM PICK UP –

• Please arrive for approx. 2:35pm
• Wait until the busses are loaded and have disembarked
• Please do not enter or block the bus lane before the busses have loaded or disembarked
• Once the busses have left, drive through the bus lane and stop at the front entrance
• A staff member will be greet you at the front entrance and walkie-talkie for your child(ren) to be dismissed. Siblings will be dismissed together

As always, any questions, comments or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.

Take care,

Samantha Halpin

Good Morning Eardley Community,

I hope this email finds you well and you are settling in nicely to our beautiful Fall weather. I have a short update for you this morning. Please see below –

• Governing Board
  • Our GB had our first meeting on September 30^th. We had a productive meeting, please find the minutes attached.
  • Upcoming GB Dates –
    • Virtual meeting for school fees: Oct. 14^th, 2020 @ 6:30pm
    • November 18^th, 2020 @ 6:30pm
    • January 13^th, 2020 @ 6:30pm
    • February 10^th, 2020 @ 6:30pm
    • April 7^th, 2020 @ 6:30pm
    • May 26^th, 2020 @ 6:30pm
• Letter from Mike Dubeau, our Director General and Ruth Ahern, our Assistant Director General
  • This letter details the press conference held yesterday by Mr. Roberge and the changes to red zone regions. Please note that our region is still considered an orange zone.
  • Even with our zone designated orange, we across Western Quebec will continue to adhere to the one classroom bubble concept, to prohibit intramural sports and to organize lunch periods in classrooms.
• Tech Update
  • Please note that starting tonight @ 6:00pm until 1:00am WQSB will not have access to the network or emails.  This is due to a fiber optic update.
• Info COVID-19 Q&R
  • Please find attached an incredibly helpful resource that entails COVID information.
  • There is a lot of information out there – please understand that we are working directly with Public Health and following the guidelines sent to us from Public Health. I understand the frustration and know that this is not an easy situation on parent(s)/guardian(s) alike.

• Wait 24 hours and monitor for worsening or additional symptoms. This period of observation is necessary to monitor for additional or worsening symptoms and therefore, to determine whether you should have your child tested for COVID-19.
• If your child still shows one or several of these symptoms after 24 hours, consult the COVID-19 Symptom Self Assessment Tool on the official government website and follow the directions.

As always, if you have questions, comments or concerns please feel free to contact me.

Please stay safe and take care,

Samantha Halpin

Good Morning Eardley Community,

I hope you are enjoying a nice start to your Wednesday Morning. Please see the update below.

• AM Drop Off & Inclement Weather
  • A friendly reminder that when dropping off your child(ren) in the morning we are asking that all vehicles park on North street or a surrounding street and walk your child onto school property.
  • This is for the safety of all involved. With the increased foot traffic, we are asking for your cooperation to avoid any congestion or accidents.
  • Additionally, we do not have the configuration or space to allow for multiple parent(s)/guardian(s) pulling into our parking lot for drop off. We have limited space and the parking currently is reserved for staff.
  • While I understand that this may not be popular during inclement weather, we are allowing the students to enter directly into the building in the event of inclement weather. We ask that your child is prepared for all weather when arriving at school.
  • We are asking that our students arrive at bell time (7:55am) to avoid congestion and long line-ups.
• PM Pick Up During Inclement Weather
  • If there is inclement weather at pick-up time. We will first load the busses and send them on their way.
  • Parent(s)/Guardian(s) will be asked to line-up at the front entrance and a staff member will walkie-talkie to staff inside for the student(s) to be dismissed.
  • Please be mindful of the students loading the busses and remain a respectful distance to allow this process to occur first. Please do not crowd the front entrance.
  • Once the busses are dismissed we will start our pick-up process.
  • Pick-up students will remain inside and dismissed one at a time (siblings will be dismissed together).

I want to thank you for your understanding, patience and cooperation as we navigate multiple scenarios while abiding by Public Health guidelines.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Good Morning Eardley Community,

I hope this update finds you and your families well.

• WQSB Letter to the Community
  • Please find attached a letter from our Director General, Mike Dubeau and Assistant Director General, Ruth Ahern detailing the start-up of the school year and the guidelines/protocols for COVID-19.  Additionally, it details the confirmed positive cases that have been identified at our WQSB schools thus far.
• Ministry Documents – Plan Rentree 2020 & Info COVID 19 Q&R
  • Please find attached the re-entry plan from the Ministry of Education
  • Q&R is specifically related to COVID-19 and is currently only available in French.  Once an English version becomes available, I will send along to our community.
• Picture Day
  • As it stands right now, we have postponed our picture day for the Fall.  Given the increase in cases and the Outaouais region being designated an orange zone, we have made the executive decision not to have picture day in October. We will revisit this in the Spring.
• Vaccinations
  • Please see the attached letter from CISSSO regarding school vaccinations and a delay in course.
  • Please note that there will be NO vaccinations given to our Cycle 3.1 (grade 5) students and this has been postponed to Secondary 3.
  • Additionally, our regularly scheduled Cycle 2.2 (grade 4) vaccinations have been postponed and a new date is TBD.
• Technology Survey
  • If you have not already done so and require access to technology at home in the event of a class or school closure, please complete the technology survey.
  • This 11-question survey is to be completed by parents and guardians across the Western Quebec School Board to indicate the technology families have access to at home. A survey was conducted in the spring of 2020. This supplementary form will provide a more detailed and up-to-date picture of technology situations in September 2020. Further guidelines have been released from the Ministry of Education regarding requirements for online learning in case of school/class closures. The form will need to be completed separately for each child enrolled in the WQSB.
  • Please see the attached memo for parent/guardian support when accessing Office 365 with your child.
  •   Link –  
• If you have any questions or concerns, Please do not hesitate to contact me.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Samantha Halpin

Good Morning Eardley Community,

I hope this email finds you well. We are well underway in our second week and our processes and protocols are being fine-tuned.  I want to thank all of you for your patience and understanding as we have navigated the reopening of our school. It’s getting smoother by the day!

I have a few items to update you on this morning –

• Annual General Assembly
  • Our AGM will take place outdoors in the back field of the school today @ 6:45pm.  Please be mindful of the physical distancing requirements. 
  • We have four vacant spots for up for election on our Governing Board. The vacant spots are a two year term and will require a commitment of approximately 5 meetings per year.
  • If you wish to run,  please present yourself at the AGM this evening. If you cannot be present you are required to state your intention to run to myself, Samantha Halpin by noon today. Along with your intention, you will need to provide your introduction and reasons as to why you would be a good candidate. Please provide this in writing so I can read it allowed this evening during our AGM. Applicants received after noon will not be considered.  
  • Please find the agenda attached.
• Blanket Permission Form
  • Please find attached a blanket permission form to be signed and returned.  A paper copy will be sent home with your child this afternoon.
• Recess Donations
  • A HUGE THANK YOU to those who were able to donate recess equipment to our students this year.  Your generosity is incredibly appreciated and we have many smiling faces on our yard!

Please enjoy your Wednesday and take care,

Samantha Halpin

Good Afternoon Eardley Community,

I hope this email finds you enjoying this gorgeous Fall weather.  I have a short update for you today.

• School Board Elections
  • Please find all of the necessary information regarding School Board Elections at the following link – https://westernquebec.ca/elections/school-board-elections-running-as-a-candidate/
• Drop Off & Pick Up
  • We are asking for your cooperation in regards to our drop-off and pick-up times. 
  • Drop-Off – Currently we have a cut-off of 8:15am.  This is due to safety and security and ensuring proper safety protocols are followed and supervised by available staff when entering the building.
  • Pick-Up – The school day ends at 2:35pm and we are asking that parents/guardians are not showing up prior to the pick-up time.  We have to follow strict guidelines ensuring we know who is in the building if we ever have to complete contact tracing with Public Health. Furthermore, we do not have the available staff to ensure safety protocols are being followed for multiple early pick-ups.
  • Of course we know that there are extenuating circumstances and emergencies that may happen.  We are absolutely willing to help and support you if something like this does occur and you need to pick-up your child(ren) early.
• Appointments
  • Due to Public Health protocol and the safety procedures we need to follow when a student enters and leaves the building we are asking that if your child has an appointment to please keep them home for the day. This again leads back to contact tracing and ensuring we know who is in the building when. We thank you for your cooperation on this matter.
• Sick Protocol
  • The parent/guardian community will only be informed if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19. The school will not inform the parent/guardian if a student is sent home sick, if there is a student awaiting testing etc.
• Governing Board
  • Our elections were held and we will hold our first GB meeting on September 30^th @ 6:00pm.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.

All the best,

Samantha Halpin

Principal

Eardley Elementary

(819)-684-5955

Good Evening Eardley Community,

I hope this email finds you and your loved ones well. I have some new information to share. Please remember that this is current and up to date information and subject to change based upon information received from Public Health and the Ministry of Education.

• Unfortunately, the Outaouais region has now been designated an “Orange Zone”. Eardley Elementary is within this Outaouais region.  This was designated at today’s press conference by Public Health. This currently does not carry any indication that schools will close, yet we will be paying close attention to the information released from the Government. Please be rest assured that we are following the strict directives from Public Health.
• Technology Survey
  • If you have not already done so and require access to technology at home in the event of a class or school closure, please complete the technology survey.
  • This 11-question survey is to be completed by parents and guardians across the Western Quebec School Board to indicate the technology families have access to at home. A survey was conducted in the spring of 2020. This supplementary form will provide a more detailed and up-to-date picture of technology situations in September 2020. Further guidelines have been released from the Ministry of Education regarding requirements for online learning in case of school/class closures. The form will need to be completed separately for each child enrolled in the WQSB.
  •   Link –  
• Access to Remote Learning
  • In the event that a class or the school has to close based upon the recommendation from Public Health remote learning will be put into place within 24 hours.
  • The school has streamlined this process and will be using Office 365 and the Teams Platform to carry out any remote learning this year.
  • WQSB is partnered with Microsoft and our work emails, student emails, cloud services etc. are all through Office 365.
  • Attached you will find an incredibly useful document that will support your learning with Office 365. *Found on the first page of the document*
  • All teachers are working with students in class to familiarize them with this platform as well.
• Academic Resources Provided if Your Child is Absent
  • If your child is absent from school it is our responsibility to provide academic resources.  This is in the context of COVID-19 and the multiple absences the system is facing due to strict Public Health guidelines. This is different from remote learning.  The teacher will provide academic resources that can be completed at home at your leisure. The resources are supplementary in nature and in no way mandatory.  Additionally, any work completed at home will not be used for assessment purposes.
  • Two Options for Teachers
    • Number 1 – Teachers are developing an online platform and uploading any pertinent academic resources for you to access at your convenience. (*This is a fluid document and will be updated accordingly).
    • Number 2 – Teachers are sending an individual email with academic resources if and when a student is absent.
  • Your individual child’s teacher will inform you which option they have chosen.  They will share this information no later than Monday, September 28^th.
  • In the meantime, if your child is absent and you would like supplementary material, please email the homeroom teacher(s) and they will provide the work.
• Extra-Curricular Activities
  • Please note that the Minister of Education announced earlier that extracurricular activities could commence between two class bubbles. However, with the recent orange designation of the Outaouais region this is now strictly prohibited. This is a direct mandate from the Ministry of Education and Public Health.
  • Eardley had not started any extracurricular activities between class bubbles, as we were awaiting further direction from the School Board.
  • Please note that whether we are in a designated orange, yellow or green zone Eardley will not be mixing class bubbles for extracurricular activities. This stance is recommended from the Western Quebec School Board and one that takes into consideration a multitude of factors.

While I understand that this is a lot of information, I am doing my best to keep our community informed and up to date on this ever evolving situation. I appreciate your patience as we continue to navigate during these unprecedented times. Your child’s safety and security is my top priority and I will send new information and protocols as they become available.

As always, if you have a question or concern, please do not hesitate to contact me – I am an email of phone call away.

Please take care,

Samantha Halpin

Principal

Eardley Elementary

(819)-684-5955

Spirit, Strength, Wisdom