This memo outlines additional information regarding safe mask
use for students while at school.
Students in Grades 4 to 12 are required to wear a mask and students in
Kindergarten to Grade 3 are strongly encouraged to wear a mask. The processes in this memo are based on the
following principles:
● Safe storage of the masks,
including protection of the inner layer to avoid contamination.
● Maintaining a physical
distance of two metres when not wearing a mask.
● Incorporating appropriate
mask breaks during the day.
Parents and students should remember:
● Provide multiple snug and
comfortable masks (at least 3) for
your child, so they have back-ups ready.
● We suggest separate bags to
store clean and dirty masks and a pouch or fanny pack to hold them. Wash cloth
masks daily.
Opportunities for Mask
Breaks:
York
Region Public Health recommends that students be provided time during the
school day to remove their masks to reduce mask fatigue. Teachers may consider additional times to
provide students a break from mask wearing such as:
●
Indoor gym classes where 2m physical distance can be
maintained
●
DPA outside
●
Other instructional times when staff may wish to take their
students outside. Please note that for
community walks students/staff will still be required to wear a mask and
maintain physical distancing at this time.
This
will require staff to proactively plan their day to ensure they are providing
additional opportunities for students to unmask that may be outside the regular
classroom schedule. Teachers will have
to monitor their students to determine the frequency of mask breaks.
Mask Removal for Recess
We have worked with York Region Public Health, and our regional hospital partners to develop a process that focuses on student and staff safety within the school setting. Please follow the process below when transitioning large numbers of students in and out of schools at recess time.
The process can be followed for both morning and lunch recess to provide students a mask-free time while remaining physically distant at two meters while outdoors.
- Morning Entry:
○ Students come to schools with
their masks on, which remain on until recess.
○ Students enter in a
physically-distanced manner.
- Recess Exit:
○ Students sanitize hands while
in the classroom.
○ Students who are not wearing
their mask outside are to take off their mask, fold it in half so that the
outer surface is inwards (so that the outer surface which is contaminated is
not contacting anything during storage) and store appropriately in the
classroom (e.g., in a student owned pouch or on a paper towel on their desk).
○ Staff manage the safe and
orderly student exit from school in a predetermined, physically-distanced way
(by hallway, grade, separate doors, and etc.). Please ensure that students are
maintaining the two metres physical distancing rule as they exit the classroom
and transition through school.
○ In establishing recess
routines and considering tasks such as retrieval of items from coat hooks,
etc., staff must take into account the wearing of masks or physical distancing
of two metres.
- While Outside:
○ Students are to play with
only students from their cohort and must maintain two meters physical
distancing.
○ Students should be discouraged
from entering the school during recess (e.g., washroom, drink). In emergency
situations students may seek the approval of staff to enter the building, and
staff must ensure physical distancing.
- Return from Recess
○ Students replicate the
process from before recess in reverse order and proceed directly to their
classroom. They should not be stopping to use the washroom, get a drink or
return items to their coat hooks before donning their mask.
○ When back inside the
classroom students wash or sanitize hands and put on their mask
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