Dear Parents/guardians, 

Hope this email finds you well and all keeping safe. As I’m sure you are aware there was an announcement on Tuesday that Child Care programs may operate as of Friday June 12, 2020. We are very excited to gradually reopen and see all of our families again; however, we will only do this when all is in place and it is safe. 

Safety is our number one priority when it comes to reopening and we have been working on our infectious disease preparedness and response plans. I’m sure you can appreciate that the program processes and environment will look quite different once we reopen. These new measures and our gradual reopening information will be shared with you soon. What we can tell you today is that new measures will include the following: 

• Screening of all staff and families daily 
• No visitors in the building including parents 
• Strict disinfecting regiments 
• Cohorts of 10 (max of 10 people per space) 
• No groups or staff to share spaces, each room an island except the staff assigned to that room 
• Supply staff designated to one cohort and location 
• Communications with parents will primarily be digital and through phone calls 
• Training of staff on enhanced protocols 
• Communication updates via emails and phone calls (Hi Mama, and Sandbox) 
• There may be use of PPE for staff when social distancing is not possible 

These are only a few measures, and a full breakdown will be provided to you, prior to gradually opening our doors. 

To borrow the phrase that you have heard at nauseum: “We are all in this Together,” and appreciate your patience as we navigate through all that is required to ensure a safe environment for us all. 

Please share with your community that we are taking registration at St. Gabriel Child Care Centres. We do encourage you to register for the Before and After School Programs. At some point in the summer we will be committing to our waitlisted families and we want to ensure our current families have a spot. We understand there is a lot of uncertainty around everyone’s situation for September at this point; therefore, when you know more about your own situation, you can contact us and let us know.

As we move forward in our gradual reopening, directions may change as information changes and we will endeavor to communicate these at our earliest. Your patience and cooperation are greatly appreciated as we navigate through this very fluid situation with gratitude and hope.

FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q. If school schedule is different in September ie: if my child only goes to school two days a week will my enrolment adjust?

A. Yes. if you registered for 5 days a week (for the Before and After School program) and we enter the year with a reduced school week for all school children then we will adjust your child’s enrolment and fees as soon as we are able.

Q. What can I do if I do not know what my work situation will be in September?

A. We realize that you may not be aware what your work situation will look like and suggest that you register and then update us with written notice as soon as you know so that we can safely plan our classrooms accordingly to Ministry guidelines. Again, we will not be taking deposits or September fees until be know more in regards what the school year will look like. 

Q. Will you be working with reduced capacities in before and after school?

A. At this time the announcement for Phase 2 childcare opening shared a cohort of 10 per group; however, we are not clear for September if that will be the same or different. As we gradually open and learn more there may be new or revised guidelines and processes. We will share this with our families. Though capacities may be reduced, ratios and staffing requirement as stated in the CCEYA will remain the same.

Q What health and safety guidelines will be put in place?

A. We currently are working on finalizing our infectious disease preparedness and response plan and will be sharing all the measures we will be taking before we reopen. We will only open when it is safe to do so for our families and for our staff, safety is our priority. Again, when we know what the school year will look like we will then set up the deposits and payments for September providing 10 business days notice for the withdrawal.

Q. How will fees be handled for Before and After school Programs?

A. At this time, we will not be collecting any fees, such as registration fees or security deposit until further clarification is provided by the Ministry of Education. Monthly payments for B&A program will commence in September based on your child’s enrolment. Should your child’s school attendance schedule be modified by the school, please provide written notice to [email protected], so that way we can modify your billing and payments to reflect this change.

If we have not answered your questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you have questions about:

St. Gabriel Child care Programs: [email protected]

St. Clement, Gregory or Margaret Mary Before & After Programs: [email protected]

your account please contact: [email protected]

If you are having challenges navigating Sandbox please contact Danielle at: [email protected]