29 May 2020 Dear Parents / Guardians RE-OPENING OF SCHOOL IN TERM 3 1. We trust that your child/ward has had safe and meaningful school holidays. With the end

of the Circuit Breaker period on 1 June 2020, we will be progressively bringing students back to school from 2 June 2020 (Term 3), in a careful and safe manner. We will share this letter with your child /ward through their Class Mentors today too.

Arrangements for Resumption of Classes 2. Priority will be given to the graduating cohort. Starting from 2 June, Sec 4/5 students

will attend school daily from Mondays to Fridays. To reduce the number of students in school at any one time for better safe distancing, Sec 1-3 students will rotate weekly between Home-Based Learning (HBL) and returning to school for lessons, during the first few weeks. Please refer to the table below for the weekly rotation schedule that will be implemented nationally.

Week In-School HBL T3W1 (2-5 June) Sec 1, 2, 4 & 5 Sec 3

T3W2 (8-12 June) Sec 3, 4 & 5 Sec 1, 2 T3W3 (15-19 June) Sec 1, 2, 4 & 5 Sec 3 T3W4 (22-26 June) Sec 3, 4 & 5 Sec 1, 2

3. To start off Term 3, we will be implementing staggered reporting and dismissal timings to

reduce congestion, as follows: Tues-Fri: • Sec 4/5 students are to report to school by 7.30am • All other levels as per the above schedule are to report to school by 7.45am Mon: • Sec 4/5 students are to report to school by 8.20am • All other levels as per the above schedule are to report to school by 8.35am Dismissal timings will be staggered at 15 minute intervals by level (e.g. Sec 1 and Sec 3 at 2.30pm, Sec 2 at 2.45pm and Sec 4/5 at 3.00pm).

4. Students will be able to download their Semester 2 timetables for reference from the

school website from 29 May onwards at https://go.gov.sg/gdss-sem2tt. For S1 students, their personalised timetables will be distributed to them in school on 2 June.

5. The timetables have been enhanced with more recess/lunch timings across the various

classes to ensure that safe distancing can be carried out when students have meals in school. Safe-distancing markers (e.g. seat and queue markers) have also been placed in relevant spaces and venues. Students should only remove their masks when consuming food or beverages. They should refrain from talking when their masks are removed. Students are encouraged to bring packed food to avoid having to queue for food and intermingling.

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6. Similar to arrangements during Full HBL, Sec 1-3 students on HBL will undertake a combination of online and offline learning, based on MOE guidelines. An overview of all learning for the day will be available at https://go.gov.sg/hbl-assignments by 2359 hrs the day before. Detailed lesson guides will also be available on SLS, including for offline work. The T3 HBL schedule will follow Semester 2’s timetable; please refer to the school website for your child/ward’s timetable.

7. Based on feedback given from our recent Teaching & Learning Survey, our students appreciated parents’/guardians’ presence and encouragement during Full HBL. They also indicated that they would feel better supported with a more conducive learning environment with quiet personal space to learn. Our students hope to have greater independence in organising their studies. Your support for them in these areas would be appreciated by your child/ward, as well as complement our efforts to nurture self-directed learners.

Safeguarding the Well-being of All Students

8. To safeguard the well-being of all students when they return to school, we will be

implementing the following safe management measures, in addition to staggered reporting, recess and dismissal timings: • Twice-daily temperature taking with visual screening will continue to be carried out for

all students and staff; • Cleaning high-touch surfaces more frequently and disinfecting our premises daily; • Wearing of masks / face shields by all students and staff at all times; • Frequent hand-washing throughout the school day and wiping down of surfaces and

equipment after use; • Fixed exam-style seating in classrooms / spaced seating in the canteen and other

learning venues with at least 1m safe distancing; and • Minimising intermingling across classes and levels.

9. Students with fever or flu-like symptoms will be sent home immediately. For students

placed on: (i) Leave of Absence (staying in same household with individuals issued Home Quarantine Order or Stay-Home Notice), and (ii) Approved Absence (staying in same household with individuals issued MC due to flu-like symptoms), it is imperative that they do not return to school. They should remain at home for the duration of the LOA/AA. Your support is essential to ensure that our school remains a healthy and safe environment for all students and staff.

10. As part of the above safe management measures, we require all parents/guardians of students returning to school to submit an online declaration via the following link: https://go.gov.sg/gdss-familymedstat-declaration. If your child/ward is returning in T3W1 (2-5 June), please submit it by 1 June. If your child/ward is returning in T3W2 (8-12 June), please submit it by 7 June.

11. Students will also be reminded not to loiter before and after lessons. They should report to school straight from home and go home directly after dismissal.

Student Management Matters

12. Students should ensure that their grooming is neat and presentable when school re-

opens on 2 June. They may refer to their Student Handbook for the school rules related to grooming. For male students, hair should be short and tidy. Students may visit a barber for a haircut before school commences, while adhering to safe management measures in public spaces. They should return home immediately after the haircut.

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13. Even as the nation prepares to exit the Circuit Breaker, we would like to take this opportunity to emphasise that students should continue to remain at home as far as possible. They should not meet up with friends in person or visit one another’s homes. It is a serious offence if a student is found to have flouted the law, and safe distancing enforcement agencies are working with MOE to implement stricter consequences, which would include a fine and prosecution for recalcitrant offenders. We would appreciate it if parents/guardians can remind your child/ward of the need to continue staying home.

Preparing Students for the Re-opening of School 14. To help ensure students are well-prepared for the re-opening of school, we have planned

the following readiness checks with them during the dates/times below: Friday 29 May • Class Mentors (CMs) will inform students about virtual temperature-taking exercise on

1 June, with the objective of re-establishing early waking routine and check that students’ ODTs are in good working condition.

• Reminders on personal grooming will also be given. In particular, CMs will emphasise that students have 3 days to ensure that their hairstyles are in accordance with school rules.

• CMs will also highlight staggered reporting times for Sec 1-3 students in T3W1 / W3 and availability of their timetables.

Monday 1 June • Class temperature-taking conducted by CMs at 7.45am. • Students will have to report their temperatures via a Back-to-School survey on

Student Learning Space (SLS). • CMs will also remind students to bring (i) their personal ODT and (ii) spare mask for

hygiene purposes. 15. We would also like to share the following practical tips for parents/guardians to help your

child/ward get ready for Term 3: • Ensure your he/she has a working ODT and bring tissue/wet-wipes to clean the ODT

to minimise the need to rinse ODTs in the toilet; • Help him/her adjust back to school-day routines e.g. sleeping/waking up times,

getting uniform ready, etc.; • If possible, bring more than 1 reusable mask so that he/she has spare mask(s) for

hygiene purposes (students who have concerns with prolonged mask-wearing due to medical conditions, etc. may also use a face shield);

• Bring reusable (e.g. Ziploc) bags for storing the masks during PE / meal times; • Over the next few days, encourage him/her to wear a mask at home for a few hours

each day, for acclimatisation purposes; • Prepare him/her for changes brought about by safe management measures, and that

he/she should follow these measures all the time; • Walk through scenarios including safe distancing when commuting via public

transportation or walking to school, and what to do during meal times (e.g. eat quickly, don’t talk, leave the canteen when done);

• Address his/her concerns about returning to school due to safety or other concerns and highlight the positives (seeing their friends and teachers again); and

• Remain calm and positive so that your child/ward does not pick up emotional cues and become anxious or stressed.

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MOE Centre-Based Learning

16. Graduating students offering subjects at external centres (e.g. languages at MOELC) willalso be able to resume face-to-face lessons at these centres in Term 3.

17. For graduating students taking lessons at MOELC, they will do so during their weeklyscheduled day, from 3.30-5.00pm. The rest of the curriculum will be carried out via HBL.Sec 1-3 students taking lessons at MOELC will continue with HBL.

18. The necessary safe management measures such as temperature-taking, fixed exam-style seating and wearing of masks will also be carried out by MOELC / hosting schoolsfor centre-based learning to ensure the well-being of students. They will also be updatingparents of relevant students directly on the lesson and safety arrangements.

19. Once again, we would like to take this opportunity to stress the importance for ourparents/guardians and students to practise good personal hygiene, be sociallyresponsible and always look out for and support one another.

20. You can look forward to a follow-up letter to parents on 2 June. Highlights will includeupdates on both academic and co-curricular programmes, as well as key school events.

21. MOE is working closely with schools towards bringing all students back to school dailyfrom T3W5 (29 June), if the situation permits. We will inform parents/guardians in duecourse. Should you require clarifications, please contact respective Year Heads or theGeneral Office at 6315 8616, or email the school (greendale_ss@moe.edu.sg).

Take care. Stay healthy. Stay home. Stay safe.

Yours sincerely

______________________________ Ms Amy Ng Principal