Welcome Back - Day 1 Information for Thursday, September 14, 2023

Jul. 16, 2024

Welcome Back!

We are very happy to be able to welcome our students back to school tomorrow, September 14, 2023. Our teachers have been hard at work to make sure that everything is ready for our students. We have a lot to cover so we apologize in advance for the long post. Please feel free to send us any questions at itlo@yk1.nt.ca.

We emailed the parents of all registered students on Wednesday afternoon with information about classroom placement, teacher name and room number for the current school year. Over six hundred messages have been sent successfully. However, a small minority of messages bounced back and weren’t received by families. All supervisors wearing orange vests on Thursday morning will have copies of class lists and will be able to tell you your child’s classroom placement information. If you haven’t received the placement information, you can also email us at itlo@yk1.nt.ca (or call us at 867-873-3477) and we will do our best to respond as soon as possible.

Parking and Traffic Flow - Morning Arrival and Afternoon Pick-Up

Please refer to the diagram below while reading about our on-site parking and traffic flow.

The traffic system at École Įtl’ǫ̀ has been designed to facilitate traffic flow while also keeping pedestrian safety as a top priority. Traffic through the main parking area (A, B, C, D, E) is one-way only. Please note that Area I is reserved for staff parking and cannot be used for student drop-off.

Zone A – Visitor vehicle arrival, turning off from 51A Avenue.
Zone B – Visitor vehicle departure, turning onto 51A Avenue.
Lane C – Reserved for buses only at all times.
Lane D - Entry into the quick drop-off area. Traffic is one-way and vehicles pull into the driver’s side lane (E) to drop off passengers
Lane E – Quick drop-off area. Drivers must remain with their vehicles. Passengers exit the vehicle from the driver’s side and use the sidewalk and crosswalk to the left of the vehicle to get safely to the school grounds.
Area F – Longer-term visitor parking. Any pedestrians walking to the school grounds should use the nearest sidewalk and then cross onto the playground using crosswalks G and H.
Crosswalks G and H – Pedestrians must use these crosswalks to make their way safely onto the school’s playground.
Area I - This is reserved for staff parking only. There is no student drop off or pick up from this parking area.

Arrival (for Thursday Morning Only)

Students Who Need to Register - Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5

If you intend to have your child attend École Įtł’ǫ̀ but you haven’t yet sent in their registration information, you can help things move more smoothly by filling out a form in advance and bringing it with you. After bringing your child to the school, please enter the school via the main doors (labelled ‘A’ on the diagram below) and come into the office where we will be happy to take your child’s registration. The form can be downloaded from:

https://media.yk1.nt.ca/media/Default/medialib/yk1-registration-form-september-13-2022.67e8fa4391.pdf

Registered Students - Junior Kindergarten

The school has two entrances. In the diagram below, the main entrance at the front of the school is ‘A’, and the side entrance is ‘B’. Drop-off for JK students starts at 8:00 AM. You should feel free to enter with your child via door B and accompany them to their classroom. The JK rooms are on the first floor directly across from this entrance. An Educational Assistant will be there to help you get your child settled. The school day will start at 8:30 with the ringing of the second bell of the morning. A bell schedule for the school is included further below in these instructions.

Registered Students - Kindergarten to Grade 5

Students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 who walk, are dropped off by parents or the bus will be asked to arrive between 8:05 and 8:20 during the scheduled hours of supervision. We ask everyone to wait outside in the area of the Main Courtyard. Teachers will have their own class lists, but also lists for the entire school in case you need help finding another teacher. They will come out and meet you and your children outside. The bell will ring at 8:20. At this time, students in K through 5 should line up in the courtyard in front of the placard with their teacher's name. Then, teachers of Kindergarten, Grade 1 and 2 students will bring them in via the Side Doors (B). Teachers of students in Grades 3 through 5 will bring their classes in via the Main Doors (A).

Please make sure that your child knows their teacher name and their classroom number as provided in the emails sent out on Wednesday afternoon. This will help things go more smoothly.

Departure

Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten Students

Our school day ends at 15:20 for all students this year. There is no staggered dismissal. We understand the importance of ensuring that each student goes home safely and parent pick-up is an important part of that. We also have procedures in place to make sure students attending the after-school program arrive at their designated rooms safely. Schools are busy places, especially at the end of the school day. Therefore we ask that any parents coming to pick up students in Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten enter by the Side Doors (B), and no earlier than 15:15.

Students in Grades 1 Through 5

Students are dismissed from their classes at 3:20. Supervision is for bus students only, and there won’t be supervisors on the school’s playground. At the bell, students in Grades 1 and 2 will exit via the Side Doors (B), while those in Grades 3 through 5 will exit via the Main Doors (A). We ask that parents meet their children in the bus area in front of the school, or at the Upper Courtyard. Bus supervision continues until the last bus leaves. If all buses are gone before 3:30, a supervisor remains outside until 3:35.

Regular School Schedule

Here are the key times for our school schedule this year. Please note that these are the timings that we have on regular school days. They are slightly different for tomorrow, and these changes are outlined below

8:00 - Earliest drop-off time for students in JK (JK arrival and drop-off procedures are outlined above)
8:05 - Outdoor supervision starts - Earliest possible arrival time for students in Grades K to 5
8:20 - Warning Bell - Students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 line up in the Main Courtyard and wait for their teachers to come and accompany them into the school
8:30 - First Bell - Start of the school day for all students
9:50 - 10:10 - First recess
11:30 - 12:20 - Lunchtime followed by outdoor play period
13:40 - 14:00 - Afternoon recess
15:20 - Dismissal - All students are dismissed at the same time.

Late Arrivals and Mid-Day Pickups

While we prefer to see all students in school for the entire day, appointments and unforeseen events do come up. Therefore, we ask that if arriving after 8:30:

Please call the office (867-873-3477) or email us at itlo@yk1.nt.ca to let us know that your child will be late.
For any students arriving after 8:30, especially those in Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten, please feel free to accompany them to the office (near the Main Doors (A)) so we can provide them with a late slip. Older students can come to the office to request their late slips before heading up to their classrooms.
If picking up before the end of the day, please let us know in advance. For younger children, feel free to come through the Main Office Doors (A) so that we can arrange for the pickup. For older students, you also have the option of letting us know that you have arrived so we can arrange for them to come and meet you.