Dear VTT Families,

We hope this email finds you and your family enjoying the final weeks of summer. Much is required to prepare the school for the new year and our office is abuzz with socially-distanced activity. Contrary to popular belief, summer is a busy time at VTT--particularly this year as we make the necessary adjustments and modifications to keep our community healthy and safe in light of COVID-19.
 
Whether you are new to VTT or have been with us for many years, we wanted to touch base to share some important tips and information for the new school year. This is the first in a series of communications. Expect to receive more emails in the next few weeks with respect to school start details.

  • GRADUAL (RE-)ENTRY: Early childhood and SK parents will have received an email today outlining our gradual entry model for this year. As for Grades 1-7, please note the days each grade will be at VTT during the first week of school:
  • Wednesday, September 9: Grades 1, 3, 4, 6 (full day)
  • Thursday, September 10: Grades 2, 5, 7 (full day) 
  • Friday, September 11All grades on site for the full day (with exception to early childhood and SK who continue their gradual entry).
  • More details will be sent with regards to pick up and drop off; however, parents will be assigned to drop off their children sometime between 8:15 and 8:35 a.m. and pick up sometime between 2:55 and 3:30 p.m.

  • PICK UP AND DROP-OFF: Division principals will be in touch on August 26th with information on the Grade 1-7 gradual re-entry plan, pick up and drop off locations and procedures, and health and safety and mask protocols once we receive approval from the Ministry of Education.

  • SCHOOL UNIFORMS & USED UNIFORM SALE: Cambridge Uniforms, our uniform supplier, has made Sunday curbside pick-up available for our community on Sunday, August 23rd and Sunday, August 30th from 12:00-4:00 p.m.
  • If you have not yet ordered uniforms, Cambridge is offering Zoom fittings. (Note: Our school order number is TOR807.)
  • Please note that a kippah is a required part of the school uniform for all boys. Please ensure you send your son to school with an ample and labelled supply. You can also purchase VTT-branded kippahs from the office ($10) which include a clip and a space to write your child's name.
  • We will also have a used uniform sale on Thursday, September 3rd from 3-5 p.m. in the VTT playground. We ask that parents come alone (no children, please), park in VTT's underground parkade, and proceed to the playground. Please wear a mask and maintain two meters' distance from other parents. Ronit Yona, our parent volunteer, could use some help from 2:30 p.m. Please email her if you can assist.

  • MASKS: We will be distributing one to two reusable masks to all students in SK to Grade 7. Parents are strongly encouraged to have a supply of reusable masks available for their children to use as per our soon to be shared mask protocol. It is public health's position that school-age students need to wear a mask when physical distancing is not possible. We will be explaining in detail what that will look like at VTT in our August 26th communication.

  • SCHOOL BUS REGISTRATION: Registration for the JCC bus will open on Thursday, August 27th at 7 p.m. Priority will be given to families whose children are registered in Club J. Remaining spots will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis so please pay attention to registration deadlines. We will also be sharing details about our strict health and safety protocols with respect to bus ridership.

  • AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS: We are happy to announce that we will be offering many of the same after school programs we traditionally offer for the fall term (Monday to Thursday). We will share the line-up next week and will open registration on Monday, August 31st at 8 p.m. Stay tuned for details via email.

  • HOT LUNCH: VTT's caterer, The Perfect Bite, will be offering hot lunch to our students, with the target of beginning the second week of school. The Perfect Bite will be communicating online ordering instructions soon.

  • VTT "BAYIT" PROGRAM (formerly known as the Learning Commons Drop-In): This year VTT will be offering an on-site supervision program for students in SK to Grade 7 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. daily (until 4:30 p.m. on Fridays during regular dismissal Friday and 3:30 p.m. on early dismissal Fridays). This will replace the learning commons drop-in. Parents can sign up for as many days as needed and students will be spread out in different areas of the school. Owing to the COVID-19 social distancing and health and safety restrictions, we will have to increase staffing for the VTT Bayit program and there will be a $10/day fee for this service. Registration will open towards the end of next week and we will share additional information with parents at that time.

  • SCHOOL SUPPLIES: VTT has purchased school supplies for all students in Grades 1 through 7. However, every student MUST purchase two of their own good quality pencil cases to safely store their supplies: one for pens, pencils, erasers and sharpeners; and a second, larger one for markers, crayons, scissors and glue. Both pencils cases must be labelled with your child's full name and grade. Grades 6 & 7 may require a few additional items, which will be communicated in a separate email.

  • SCHOOL CALENDAR: The school calendar is a critical component of our school operations. Although a paper copy is available, we suggest you subscribe to our digital format as calendar changes are automatically updated and synced with your mobile devices (and it is likely dates will change). Subscribing to the school calendar will allow you to stay on top of all Jewish holidays, professional development days, school events, etc. To subscribe, visit our digital calendar on our website from your mobile device and click the on the +GOOGLE CALENDAR box on the bottom right hand side. Or try clicking this link.

  • CLASS ASSIGNMENTS: Class placement letters, indicating class assignments and teachers, will be sent to all families via email a few days before school begins.
  • For those who have inquired about submitting friend requests, our class placement process always prioritizes the social and emotional wellness of your children and ensures they will be with a familiar peer group. It is unnecessary to make friend requests.
  • Along with the individual class list, it may be helpful to know that each cohort will include the entire grade, giving your children the opportunity to socialize with their friends in the other classes. We will share more information about what this will look like in our August 26th communication.

  • FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: If you use social media, we strongly recommend following VTT School on Facebook. This is a quick and easy way to get a snapshot of school life. You can follow us on Facebook by clicking this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vttschool/. This year we will be paying extra attention to developing our Instagram account as well. Find us by searching @vttschool. As both accounts are private, one must request approval to join.

  • BUILDING A PARENT COMMUNITY: For the last 16 years, we have had a very active and engaged parent chat room through the YahooGroups platform. This is an excellent way to connect with current and former parents to have any question answered, be it related to VTT or not. Our parents find this forum extremely helpful. We recently migrated to a new platform (IO groups) with hundreds of parents participating. To join (free), send an email to our parent moderator, Cecilia Rosner at ceciliarosner@gmail.com
 
We are here to support your child's transition (back) to VTT. Things will look different this year, but our commitment to our families is unwavering. There is a lot of information to convey--and process--this year. We appreciate your patience and we are confident that our upcoming emails will address your many questions.

Shabbat Shalom!

The VTT Leadership Team