Mr. Heah's Newsletter- July 29th, 2020: School Restart Plan Letter to Parents
Dear Cloverdale Catholic School Parents/ Guardians,
I trust that this update finds you and your family enjoying the beautiful weather and lots of family time. Normally, you would not be receiving any communication from me during the summer break, however, on the heels of this afternoon’s announcement regarding the K-12 restart plan, I felt it important to provide you with a brief summary of what the restart plan looks like, and the key points you should be aware of. Please understand, that this is new information for all school authorities, and so it is important to recognize that the information outlined below is general information, and not school-specific. My hope is to highlight some key points so that you have a general idea of what to expect when September 8th comes. The ministry has asked that all school authorities release a local restart plan to the ministry by August 17th for approval, followed by an email to parents by August 26th. School authorities will be receiving more detailed information from the Ministry of Education on August 10th, to help facilitate the planning for the restart. CISVA will also be communicating with schools, providing further direction in creating a safe restart plan for our schools.
Today Minister Fleming and Dr. Bonnie Henry announced all schools in B.C. will begin the 2020/21 school year in Stage 2 of BC’s K-12 Education Restart Plan with the goal of maximizing in-class instruction for all students within the revised public health guidelines.
In order to maximize the number of students who can return to in-class instruction while also reducing the number of close, in-person interactions, the Provincial Health Officer (PHO) has recommended the use of cohorts, or learning groups, for students and staff. This will reduce the number of people each student or staff member comes into contact with, thereby reducing the risk of transmission and ensuring quicker contact tracing by health authorities.
What is a Learning Group?
A learning group is a group of students and staff who remain together throughout the school quarter, semester or year and who primarily interact with each other.
For example, a learning group could be made up of:
A single class of students
Multiple classes that sometimes join together for additional learning activities
A group of secondary school students with the same courses
Learning groups can also include staff, like:
Teachers
Specialist support staff
Education Assistants (EAs)
Learning groups provide a range of benefits for students including more in-class learning time, increased peer interaction and support, and decreased feelings of isolation.
Elementary schools will still be organized into classrooms as students’ primary learning environment.
Elementary schools will have the option to create learning groups of up to 60 students and staff who can interact more regularly.
For example, this could be two classes that work together on shared projects, or up to three primary classes that go outside together on a regular basis
Learning Group Sizes for Stage 2
Elementary: 60
Middle: 60
Secondary: 120
Physical Distancing
Within a learning group, K-12 students and staff do not need to maintain physical distancing.
Minimized physical contact is still required
Outside of a learning group, middle and secondary students and all K-12 staff need to practice physical distancing of two metres.
Extracurricular activities will likely involve students interacting outside of their learning groups and appropriate physical distancing is required in those circumstances.
Schools may also use the following approaches to provide physical distance between students and staff:
Different classroom and learning environment configurations, like desk and table formations
Staggered recess/break, lunch and class transition times
Increased outside time for students
More individual activities or activities that encourage more space between students and staff
Why Use Learning Groups?
Compared to other public settings, schools have a relatively consistent set of people accessing the building. By introducing learning groups, schools are further reducing the number of interactions between students and staff.
The majority of those people are children, who are at lower risk of COVID-19 infection
Schools also have a comprehensive set of safety measures in place, including enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols, frequent hand washing and/or sanitizing, and policies that require students and staff to stay home if they are ill.
Other public settings do not have these features and measures in place
As a result, they have stricter social distancing and mask requirements
Immune Compromised Students
Parents of children with complex medical conditions or underlying risk factors should consult with their health care provider to determine their child’s level of risk regarding return to school
Protective self-isolation is only recommended for children with severe immune compromise, on a case-by-case basis
Wearing Masks
Students and staff are not required to wear masks in schools.
Wearing a mask is a personal choice that will always be respected
The Provincial Health Officer (PHO) and the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) advise that masks are not recommended for use by young children.
In young children, masks can be irritating and can lead to increased touching of the face and eyes
For older students and staff, non-medical masks will be provided upon request for use in situations where the person is interacting with someone from outside of their learning group and cannot maintain physical distance for an extended period of time.
This includes riding the bus to school where a student may be sitting next to a person outside of their household or learning group
You can find all of the above information on the Ministry of Education’s COVID 19 website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/covid-19-return-to-school.
Our aim at Cloverdale Catholic School is to ensure that our students are provided with a learning environment that is safe. Your children’s safety and health, as well as that of our school staff is our top priority as we prepare for this stage 2 restart. Please know that we will be doing everything we can to ensure that Cloverdale Catholic School follows all of the safety precautions and health protocols as set out by the Provincial Health Office. I ask that all parents/guardians carefully read the documents that will be shared by August 26th, so that you are well- informed and can do your part in keeping our students and staff safe and healthy. Your cooperation and support will be vital in ensuring the overall success of this restart plan.
It is with great excitement that we prepare to welcome all of our staff and students back to school in September! You are in my prayers, and I ask that you pray for me and the school staff as we work towards planning for a successful school restart in September.
God bless,
Mr. Clive Heah
Principal