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Toronto Prep School will be reopening and welcoming our students on Thursday, September 9th, 2021. For this effort to succeed we need the collaboration and cooperation of the entire TPS community. Our return to school plan is predicated on one central principle: safeguarding the health and welfare of students, families, staff and the larger community in a manner that reflects Toronto Prep School’s core values.

As noted by medical experts, the key to minimizing the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak is to layer different strategies in a way that gets us to a situation where any potential spread would be quickly identified and contained.

The layers are as follows:

The first layer is to keep the virus out of the school setting to the best of our ability. This involves a home assessment of each student by the parent/student in order to make certain that students do not come to school sick.

Directions for the assessment

Online Assessment Form

Furthermore, students may be assessed for symptoms throughout the day in an effort to immediately identify any student who may develop symptoms while they are in the school.

The second layer involves steps to lessen the chances of students and staff transmitting infections. With this in mind, Toronto Prep School has implemented the following measures:

staff, faculty and students must be fully vaccinated for in person attendance (medical exemptions not withstanding);
uploading proof of vaccination, please upload via this Google form if you have not yet done so;
the mandatory wearing of masks indoors;
physical dividers in all classrooms, offices and school areas;
a rigorous hand hygiene routine;
enhanced daily cleaning of classrooms, common areas and bathrooms;
designated entrances and exits for our campus;
improved ventilation and the use of HEPA-carbon air filters designed to purify the air in all classrooms;
masks may be removed during lunch, but only when students are seated behind the acrylic dividers

Finally, if transmission does occur the ability to minimize the spread by reducing the amount of interactions among the school population via isolation of the person displaying symptoms until they can be safely transported from the school premises.

The role of our actions play an integral part in this plan. Everyone has to do their part and collaboratively we will succeed in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 by securing a safe and engaging learning environment.

Overarching Protocols

Vaccination: TPS already has a 99.5% full vaccination rate as of today. This is wonderful and the best line of defence against COVID-19.
Masks: all TPS faculty and students will wear masks throughout the day apart from when they are eating lunch, which will take place within the safest setting possible (see below).
Distancing: Physical acrylic dividers will remain in place in all TPS classrooms and common areas.
Air Filtration: TPS will continue to use freestanding HEPA filters in every classroom and common area (even though our HVAC was recently overhauled!).
Surface Cleaning: we will continue to clean high touch and traffic areas (washrooms, lounges, foyers, etc.) with our eco-friendly CINTAS cleaning supplies as well as using CINTAS disinfectant wipes to clean eating areas before and after each usage.
Hand Hygiene: TPS has over 50 non-touch hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the school, as well as numerous washrooms for hand washing.

Lunch Protocol

We urge students to go outside for lunch.
If students are staying at TPS, they can eat in any and all common areas with the caveat that they are seated at a table behind an acrylic shield and only then do they take their mask off to eat. Students are to use disinfectant wipes on the surface of the table before and after they eat.
Most clubs will take place at lunch in the homeroom of the teacher running the club; lunch can be eaten in those classrooms as well with the caveat that students are seated at a table behind an acrylic shield and only then do they take their mask off to eat. Students are to use disinfectant wipes on the surface of the table before and after they eat.
When students have finished eating, they must put their masks back on before getting up and socializing.

Fitness Centre/Physical Education Protocol

After speaking with our medical advisors, we have decided that masks will continue to be mandatory during workouts and all sporting events that take place indoors. We will ensure that physical activity will not be so strenuous as to make students uncomfortable.
When classes and/or sports are conducted outside, and physical distancing lends itself to the activity (for example, spaced out yoga), masks may be removed.