May 15, 2020: Letter from the superintendent

Dear families,

This morning, Minister of Education Rob Fleming announced that all schools in BC will be moving to Stage 3 of BC’s Restart Plan. As a result, effective June 1, 2020, families will have the choice of bringing their children back to class on a part-time basis. The goal is to return to full-time classes in September 2020, provided it is safe to do so. For your information, Stage 3 includes the following:

• Kindergarten to Grade 5: in-class learning 2 to 3 days per week, supplemented with remote instruction.
• Grades 6 to 12: in-class learning 1 day a week, supplemented with remote instruction.
• Children of essential service workers (aged 5-12), students with disabilities/diverse abilities, and students needing additional supports: option to attend school 5 days per week.
• Families who decide not to send their children to class: continued remote instruction until the end of the 2019/20 school year (June 1 to 24 for most schools; June 1 to July 21 for Kanaka Creek Elementary).

The details of Minister Fleming’s announcement are captured in the attached news release. A video of today’s press conference is also available online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96E1NAVD_iU&feature=emb_logo.

The safety of students and staff is always our top priority. During Stage 3, all district schools and facilities will operate under the strict guidelines developed by the Ministry of Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control. A copy of these guidelines is attached. Additionally, our approved return-to-class and safety plans will be posted to the district website once they are approved by the Ministry of Education and before our schools reopen.

Next Steps

To help us plan for the start of Stage 3 services, please take our brief survey to let us know if your child(ren) will be accessing in-class learning beginning June 1, 2020, or if they will be continuing with remote instruction for the remainder of the school year. Please carefully review the attached documents and/or watch Minister Fleming’s press conference video before taking the survey so that you can make an informed decision.

The survey, which you can find at https://letstalksd42.ca/voluntary-return-to-school-survey, CLOSES at 4 pm on May 20, 2020.

TAKE THE SURVEY NOW

As soon as we have had an opportunity to review the survey results, your child’s school principal will provide you with additional details related to attendance schedules and procedures.

Essential Service Workers

Children of essential service workers who have been accessing childcare and educational programming will be returning to their home school before June 1, 2020. Assistant superintendent Ken Cober will provide families registered in the Essential Service Worker program with details in the coming week.

Food Hamper Program

The school district will continue with its food hamper program until the end of June for families who have been accessing this service.

Transportation: Regular and Special Needs

Information about regular student transportation and transportation for students with special needs will be provided in the coming week.

Over the next two weeks, we will be finalizing our operational plan and submitting it to the ministry for approval. You will have an opportunity to review our approved operational plan before our schools reopen on June 1.

I would like to thank you once again for your patience and your resilience during this challenging time. I sincerely look forward to welcoming our students back to our schools, even if it is only on a part-time basis.

Sincerely,

Sylvia Russell
Superintendent