Updated Sept 20/21
Our current schedule: September 2021 Schedule.docx (7)
We’ve had a very successful re-opening of our indoor programs at Kimbourne! There are a great many guidelines and protocols we’ve introduced for the first time. Our staff have thought long and hard about best practices for making our programs accessible and safe while maintaining the high quality our community is accustomed to. Our linktree helps you get registered!
- Distancing will be required while waiting outside prior to the program opening, and while entering.
- Screening of every adult and child arriving will happen at the door. Please note that Toronto Public Health has amended their screen, indicating that children with runny noses and no other symptoms do not require a COVID test, but that our internal policies continue to exclude people with runny noses (unless it is consistent with their baseline) until their symptom have been resolved for 24 hours.
- People who are not registered will be turned away unless the program is not at capacity. Please don’t bring extra people who are not registered.
- at our Kimbourne site, room capacity is set at 25 people including staff. This is based on the fact that our room is very large, and our experience with how families use our space, which normally accommodates over 80 people easily. At staff discretion, we may DECREASE capacity for some programs.
- Capacity at our Terry Fox site is 12 people, including staff, as the room is small.
- We will be experimenting with stroller parking stalls at Kimbourne, to eliminate the notorious congestion in the stroller room and make distanced arrivals and departures easier. Parents and caregivers who are able to lock their stroller to the railing up on the lawn are encouraged to do so. Leaving strollers on the ramps is never permitted.
- Strollers must be parked outside the entrance at our Terry Fox site.
- We ask parents and caregivers to support their children in physical distancing, including observing caps on the number of children who can use our fabulous climber at one time.
- Masking is required for adults. Children over two are required to do their best with masking. Contact us if your child needs an exemption.
- Hand sanitizing is required when arriving and leaving, as well as before and after the following: eating, using play dough and sand, and attending to respiratory hygiene such as nose wiping/blowing, and using the washroom/diaper changing.
- We encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19. We also request that participants refrain from asking others to disclose their vaccination status, since health care information is private.
- As always, do not bring hot drinks into our programs.
- Label items like water bottles to avoid accidental mix ups.
- Leave all toys at home please.
- Washroom/diaper changing occupancy is one person or family group at a time.
- Marked bins will be placed around the room for toys that need to be sanitized. We ask parents and caregivers to support their children in getting into the routine of putting toys they’re done with into these bins.
- Public Health guidelines now permit sensory items such as play dough and sand. We will offer these with enhanced hand hygiene: all children and adults must clean their hands before participating in these activities. Play dough will be single use, so you are welcome to take it home with you, otherwise give it to staff to dispose of it when you are done.
- Table activities and snack happen at a table assigned to you. Please don’t bring toys to your assigned table.
- We can provide snack or you can bring your own nut-free snack.
- We all love Circle Time, but singing indoors is not a best practice, so will endeavor to end each session with an OUTDOOR circle time!
- And YES, Our Kimbourne site, including our washroom, is wheel-chair/mobility device accessible. Our Terry Fox site is physically accessible as well, but since it is a school, we recommend contacting us at eecc@rogers.com to discuss the best way to access the building. We can also provide adult and child noise defenders on request.
Baby Time at Kimbourne!!
Soooo many babies were born during the pandemic and we’re excited to meet them all! Reinstating our Baby Time program, and responding to the needs of families with new babies is a priority for us. This program is minimally structured as we’ve found the parents prefer an informal hangout to a more structured approach. A few details…
- We love babies but can not hold them for you currently as we are practicing physical distancing.
- Our play area is quite large, so spread out and do your best to help your child stay 2 meters from others.
- Older siblings over the age of 15 months can not be accommodated at the Indoor Baby Time program, but can be in our Tuesday afternoon Baby Time program, which is outdoors.
- Adults are expected to wear masks at all times.
- Washroom/diaper changing room occupancy is limited to one family at a time.
- Used diapers go home with you. We provide bags.
- There are hand sanitization stations around the room.
- There are toy sanitization bins around the room. Please put toys in this bin when your child is done with them or if they have been in a child’s mouth.
- Drool and spit up happen! Please ask our staff to assist in clean up as needed.
- We won’t be singing indoors, but if the weather is good, we can end the program with a circle time on the lawn.
