As we prepare to welcome our students back to Iqra School on Tuesday, September 8, our priority remains the health and safety of our students, staff, and community. We look forward to having students and employees back on campus, bringing it alive with joy, laughter and the love of learning.

Classroom Instruction

We will meet the Ministry of Health guidelines for physical distancing between students and between the teacher and students based on learning groups. Groupings of desks and tables will be allowed for students within the same learning group and physical distancing will be used to separate students of different learning groups. Teachers will rely on a variety of tools, including technology, to facilitate collaborative work when it must occur between students of different learning groups.

Campus Upgrades

We have installed additional sinks in both of our campuses to increase the capacity of students who wish to wash their hands. We have also installed guidance lines within our campus to ensure students traverse our campus in an orderly and easy-to-follow manner.

Health Screening

All students, staff and visitors must complete a questionnaire as well as pass a temperature check prior to entering out campus. Temperature checks will be completed via the use of a non-contact infrared thermometer.

Face Masks

Masks offer an added layer of protection, especially for indoor public spaces where physical distancing cannot be maintained. At this time, non-medical masks are required in schools for students in Grades 4 and above, as well as teachers, staff and visitors, when physical distancing of two metres is not possible. Parents and caregivers will choose whether younger students, Grade 3 and under, should wear a mask.

Hand Hygiene

Hand hygiene, which refers to hand-washing or hand-sanitizing, is one of the most effective ways to reduce virus transmission.

Students will be encouraged to wash their hands regularly with soap and water and/or hand sanitizer. All students, staff, and visitors will be required to sanitize their hands prior to entry into our campus.

Below is a great resource to practice appropriate hand-washing techniques. We encourage everyone to try and replicate the steps shown in the video to optimize hand-washing efficiency. Please remember to use water conservatively.

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

Physical Distancing

Students will be encouraged to maintain physical distancing at all times. Students will enter the school through a designated entranceway. When possible, students should arrive at school immediately prior to the morning call to avoid congregating in common spaces. Directional signage will be used in hallways and stairwells to maintain a steady flow of traffic and minimize congestion. Signs enforcing physical distancing will be posted throughout the school. Bathrooms will be limited to two students at a time. Classrooms have been reconfigured, and unnecessary furniture and items in classrooms has been removed to allow for maximum space for movement and accessible cleaning.

Cohorts within the School

“Cohort” refers to minimizing the number of students and teachers any individual comes in contact with, and to maintaining consistency within those contacts as much as possible. Manitoba Education & Health authorizes a maximum of 75 students per cohort, however, in the best interests of safety, we will be drastically reducing this number.

Visitors

To minimize the number of persons on our campuses, we highly encourage visitors to call us at (204) 615-1119 to schedule an appointment.

In-class Attendance

As per the instruction of the Manitoba Education & Training (MET), regular class attendance is mandatory. In the event that a student exhibits underlying health conditions that prevent the students from attending, our teachers will provide a learning package for them to complete at home.

Reminder

We kindly request parents to keep the following in mind:

1) Ensure your child brings a clean prayer mat with them on their first day. Each student will be praying Dhuhr Salah on their own prayer mat to reduce contact with other students.
2) Ensure your child brings a nutritious snack and lunch to keep them energized throughout the day. Students are also required to bring their own filled water bottle with them everyday. Water dispensers are available on campus.
3) Ensure your child brings indoor shoes with them to help keep our campus as clean as possible.
4) Parents are requested to park in an organized manner during pick-up and drop-off times, as there will be a large number of parents/children in front of the entranceways during these times.

Ending Statement

Iqra School takes seriously the safety and wellness of our students, staff, parents, and the community. We believe we can successfully navigate our return to on-campus learning and support the Ministry of Health’s recommendations during this pandemic. Together, our entire community is committed to working through these challenging times. We look forward to welcoming our students to our campus this fall. We have and will continue to contribute to the safety, well-being, and happiness of our students to the best of our ability, while at the same time maintaining our trust in Allah (SWT). May Allah protect us all.