Just a reminder: don’t send your kids to school on Monday morning.
Last week, the B.C. government announced students across the province won’t be returning to school until Monday, Jan. 10. The announcement is due to the fast-spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Each individual principal will have sent an email to each student family explaining what is happening for each individual school and about essential worker students. Only a select students of essential workers will be returning to classrooms this week.
Here’s what School District 67 superintendent Todd Manuel said will be happening this week:
Dear parents and guardians,
Despite the challenges we are continuing to face through the pandemic, I hope you have found time to rest, rejuvenate and reconnect with family and loved ones during the holiday season.
Given the Ministry of Education’s announcement on Dec. 29 regarding a delayed return to school to support
safe, in-person learning, I wanted to send a brief update on what you can expect in terms of communication and
planning as you prepare to have your child return to school on Monday, January 10. There are a few updates I
would like to highlight:
No online learning during this week
• A full return to school for students in kindergarten to Grade 12 will be delayed until Monday, January 10,
in order to give public health and B.C. schools additional time to adapt to the impacts of the Omicron
variant on communities and schools, and to implement enhanced safety plans to support the continuation
of in-class learning.
• During this time, schools will be open for limited numbers of students in particular need.
• School Principals will be communicating directly with families to ensure that students of essential service
workers, and students with particular needs are provided the opportunity to receive support in schools
next week.
• Regular classroom instruction will resume on Monday, January 10.
• There will be no online learning put in place next week.
The purpose of the week will be for school staff to review and prepare to welcome students back with renewed
Health and Safety protocols as outlined by the BC CDC, Provincial Health Authority and Ministry of Education.
These safety measures will include moving school gatherings to virtual settings whenever possible, implementing
strategies that prevent crowding during class transition times, and limiting visitors to those who are supporting
activities that directly benefit student learning and wellbeing.
Ventilation
Additionally, our facilities team will continue to monitor our school ventilation systems. All schools have had ventilation systems upgraded and adjusted, including increasing the frequency of filter replacements, mechanical adjustments to boost the airflow intake into schools, and where necessary, re-engineering of ductwork to allow for improved filtration systems.
All of our schools are now using MERV 13 filter systems, and school specific ventilation reports can be found here.
The fight against COVID-19 continues to be a community response.
Health Checks Should Continue
Thank you for continuing to help your child to follow the health and safety protocols that are in place to protect our school communities, including doing a daily health check and staying home when sick, wearing masks, and cleaning hands regularly.