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New Updates on Covid Screening

February 26, 2021

By Dr. P. Ogborne

New Updates on Covid Screening

By Dr, P. Ogborne

Three weeks in and students are back to enjoying school (as much as possible) and teachers are back into the swing of presenting their in-class curriculum with a passion.

We recently have received some additional enhanced screening protocols that the Ministry of Health would like us to pass along to our families.

First of all, thank you for all your effort in screening and practicing COVID-19 protocols that have allowed PCS to remain healthy. Our health nurse noted that we were her only school that has not at some point had any staff or students test positive for COVID-19 during school hours. That is testament to you as parents and to the goodness of our God. But now, the Government of Ontario is asking more of us to keep this trend going.

Screening Protocols

When reviewing the PCS daily screening form, please consider the symptom descriptions (that I have placed below) as your reference for answering yes or no on the form. We are back to the one symptom requirement but that does require parental judgement. There are two observational words used. “New and Worsening.” The important information to consider from the new screening document is the phrase “new or worsening symptom of COVID-19 that is not related to any other causes or conditions they already have”.

1. If you feel the symptoms are new, and unrelated to COVID-19, keep the child home, until they are better (as per our normal procedures).

2. If you feel the symptoms are new, worsening and may be related to COVID-19, the student must continue to stay home until:

They receive an alternative diagnosis by a health care professional, or
They receive a negative COVID-19 test result, or
It has been 10 days since their symptom onset, and they are feeling better.

There is also an enhanced protocol to consider when someone in your household has a case or suspected case of COVID-19 that families are asked to follow.

Isolation Protocol

If anyone in the household has new or worsening symptoms related to COVID-19 and has been recommended for isolation and testing, they must stay home until the testing is complete. No matter who has been sent to be tested, ALL household members (parents and students) must stay home until a negative test or an alternative diagnosis has been received from a health care professional.

If the test is positive, or no test is done, then all members of the household must isolate for 14 days and the symptomatic individual must isolate for 10 days.

Simply put, if your child presents an unexplained illness then take them to the doctor as soon as possible.

Thank you for your continued diligence as we work together to keep our school environment COVID free.

Ontario COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening

Are you currently experiencing any of these symptoms?

Choose any/all that are new, worsening, and not related to other known causes or conditions you already have.

Fever and/or chills
- Temperature of 37.8 degrees Celsius/100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
Cough or barking cough (croup)
- Continuous, more than usual, making a whistling noise when breathing (not related to asthma, post-infectious reactive airways, or other known causes or conditions you already have)
Shortness of breath
- Out of breath, unable to breathe deeply (not related to asthma or other known causes or conditions you already have)
Decrease or loss of taste or smell
- Not related to seasonal allergies, neurological disorders, or other known causes or conditions you already have
Sore throat or difficulty swallowing
- Painful swallowing (not related to seasonal allergies, acid reflux, or other known causes or conditions you already have)
Runny or stuffy/congested nose
- Not related to seasonal allergies, being outside in cold weather, or other known causes or conditions you already have
Headache
- Unusual, long-lasting (not related to tension-type headaches, chronic migraines, or other known causes or conditions you already have
Nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea
- Not related to irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, menstrual cramps, or other known causes or conditions you already have
Extreme tiredness or muscle aches
- Unusual, fatigue, lack of energy, poor feeding in infants (not related to depression, insomnia, thyroid dysfunction, sudden injury, or other causes or conditions you already have)

Together Again

February 12, 2021

By Dr. P. Ogborne

Together Again

By Dr. Paul Ogborne

We left school singing “We wish you a Merry Christmas” and we returned to days with more daylight and thoughts of spring around the corner. And regardless of everyone’s thoughts and feelings during that extended time at home, we are very glad that we are now TOGETHER again.

It is a blessing to see and hear the joy of laughter and reunited friends sharing stories, and that is just the teachers. The students are heaving a sigh of relief as they once again fall into familiar routines with their friends and their studies. Mind you a few of them mentioned they were still getting used to the early morning wake ups.

School is back, and we have so much to be thankful for as we consider all God has done for us. It is so easy to complain in these times. Have you had any conversation that has not brought up some aspect of the situation we are in? Covid wants to overwhelm us and remove our focus from the author and perfecter of our faith ( Heb. 11). Let's draw a line in the sand and not cross over it. Let's spend more time focused and praising God rather than being overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. The Apostle Peter knew this feeling when he stepped out of the boat and faced the storm up close. It all fell apart for him when he saw the wind and became afraid. My prayer for each one of us is that we will not forget the almighty God we serve.

At times when I feel overwhelmed, I look to music to be uplifted. Here is a song that I recently enjoyed by the artist Crowder called Good God Almighty. An upbeat message about our response to God’s goodness. He is the mighty God (Isaiah 9:6)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCpVJ4hUO6s

Be blessed, be safe.

He is good. He is God. He is Good God Almighty!!!

Dr. O

The Cost of Christmas

December 18, 2020

By Dr. P. Ogborne

The Cost of Christmas

By Dr. Paul Ogborne

How much does Christmas cost you? In his new video blog, Dr. O poses a similar question and leaves us with some important thoughts to consider this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas to all of our PCS families current and past!!

Dr. O's Video Blog - #1

A Season of Joy - PCS 12 Days of Christmas

November 27, 2020

By Dr. P. Ogborne

A Season of Joy - PCS 12 Days of Christmas

By Dr. P. Ogborne

A PCS assembly tradition, during this Christmas season, is to sing the 12 Days of Christmas. Every month of the year represents one of the 12 days. You sang the day that your birthday month represented.

I was born in September, so I would sing with a mighty, but off tune voice “9 Ladies Dancing”. All in good fun and for January babies, quite tiring.

It looks like we might not be able to do this song, along with our PCS Community Christmas program. However, we hope to reimagine this and keep the community feel of this Christmas season. In light of the song, the PCS students and staff will be presenting a 12-day event that will occur during afternoon pick up.

Starting December 2nd, all vehicles picking up students will be in for a surprise. Each grade will be doing something unique. It may be a gift, a song, a game or some other activity to proclaim our Christmas spirit and joy of the season. Check out the PCS 12 Days of Christmas Calendar for a run down of the various activities and surprises we have planned.

I know this will slow down the pick up a little bit, but we are trying to mitigate that issue and maybe if parents stretched their pick up time a bit as well, then we can still, with patience, enjoy this new, (maybe), tradition.

If you are one of the eighteen families that only pick up in the Kindergarten wing, we would ask that on the days the activities are set to happen only in the back pick up area, that you pick up your child and then swing around into the backyard line up to join in with the specific activity. Beginning Tuesday, December 1st, an email with details for the following days' activity will be sent so you know where, when and what to expect during the pick up the following day.

To get us started, here is my own personal challenge. I’m giving you a little time to think about it.

Did you know that the 12 days of Christmas was a cleverly disguised Biblical knowledge song for Christians who were not allowed to practice their faith.

On December 9th, each family will be given a ballot. Talk with friends and family but please no internet search. Can you figure out the number codes? Think Biblical numbers.

Freebie - 9 ladies dancing? Represented the 9 Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22)

3 French hens… not the Trinity, think 1Corinthians 13

12 represents the main points in a creed. Which creed?

On December 17th we will collect the ballots and on the 18th we will draw and announce the winners.

During these constantly changing times I have heard the phrase in the media “Christmas celebrations may be cancelled”. Those that truly understand the meaning of Christmas know this can never happen. We can always celebrate, in any way, the coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Let's enjoy this season together.

The angels said it best “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people”

Be blessed, be safe

Dr. O

New Updates on Covid Screening

New Updates on Covid Screening

Ontario COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening

Together Again

Together Again

The Cost of Christmas

The Cost of Christmas

A Season of Joy - PCS 12 Days of Christmas

A Season of Joy - PCS 12 Days of Christmas

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