SWS Covid-19 policy & protocols
SWS Covid-19 information & parental agreement
Dear Families,
We are happy to share more details of our Stage 3 re-opening scheduled for June 1. These will be summarized in my message today, followed by detailed policy guidelines which will be emailed to parents Friday evening and posted on our parent resource page. Stage 3 will see the re-opening of preschools and childcare, and the voluntary return to in-class instruction on a part-time basis for students K-5; students in Grades 6 & 7 will attend one day a week and will be supported remotely on the days they are not attending. Students whose parents are opting out of in-class instruction during Stage 3 will continue to receive remote learning support, and there will be the continued option of schooling five days a week for children of Essential Service Workers. The Province feels confident to move to this stage, based on the following evidence: (see COVID-19 Guidance for K-12 schools, Province of BC, pg. 2)
- Evidence indicates transmission involving children is primarily limited to household settings, and from COVID-19 positive adults to children. Most cases in children have been linked to a symptomatic household member.
- Clusters and outbreaks involving children and youth are unusual and tend only to occur in areas where there are high levels of community spread.
- Children are not the primary drivers of COVID-19 spread in schools or in community settings.
Compliance with Provincial Health and Safety Guidelines
SWS is currently operating at Stage 4 of BC’s Education Restart Plan, with remote learning support for most students, and the option for children of essential service workers and students with identified diverse needs to send their children five days a week. To move to Stage 3, we will have the necessary policies and procedures in place to meet the health and safety guidelines laid out by Worksafe BC and the Ministry of Education. Our compliance will be overseen by the Ministry of Education. We have studied these guidelines and created a plan for how we can best adapt our programs and spaces to meet the health and safety standards for everyone and the continuity of learning for all students.
The school has set May 28 & 29 as non-instructional days to give teachers time to adapt our spaces and planning to meet the new requirements. There will be no Zoom calls or other instruction scheduled for those days.
As part of compliance, parents will be responsible to assess their children daily to ensure that students are not sent to school if they or a family member are displaying any symptoms of fever, respiratory or gastro-intestinal illness, or if they have been ordered to self-isolate. Parents must indicate that they understand and will comply with these policies by signing the form which will be sent out this Friday. Students will not be admitted to school until these forms have been returned.
What it will look like at school
Parents and students should know that the return to classes will look very different than what it looked like in March. Stage 3 involves a target density of 50% for students in Grades K-5 and 20% in Grades 6 and up. To accommodate these guidelines, we will be running two cohorts of classes Monday/Tuesday and Wednesday/Thursday from preschool to Grade 5. Grades 6 & 7 will run 2 cohorts once a week on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Zoom classes continuing on those days when children are not at school. Cohorts have been created with the social and academic needs of children in mind, placing siblings on the same days wherever possible. Teachers will contact families by Friday to let them know which days their child will be attending and who their classmates will be.
Cohorts will remain separate from other groups at the school whenever possible and we will be limiting access to some shared spaces and scheduling access to other spaces to make this possible. While it is not possible to maintain social distancing within these groups, we will be limiting physical contact, including the daily handshake, and spending more time outdoors. Physical distancing markers will be placed inside and outside of the school building to provide a visual reminder. Adults and older children will maintain physical distancing wherever possible. Adults not working at the school will be restricted from coming into the school building. Instead, please contact the office by email or phone, and drop off any items outside the building.
Pick up and Drop Off
At drop-off time, Grades students will enter their classes directly through the fire exits, except for Grade 6 & 7, who will come through the main entrance. Students will be asked to go directly inside and not line-up. Teachers will be in class to provide supervision at drop off time from 8:30-8:45 a.m. This will allow for a naturally staggered entrance and will avoid congestion. Student belongings (backpacks and coats) will be stored in the classrooms to minimize congestion in hallways. Upon entry, children will be sent to wash their hands and hand sanitizer from the 101 Coast Distillery will be available in classrooms and for children on walks and outdoors. We will ask that parents take their children directly home and do not linger on school grounds, where it will be more difficult to maintain social distancing.
Kindergarten classes will meet outside as usual, and kindergarten children will be asked to pack both lunch and snack. Miss Begoña and her husband Alfredo installed a sink with running water in the kindergarten so children are able to wash their hands in the classroom. A big, clean hand of applause to them both!
Preschool will happen Monday & Tuesday for Miss Sibylle’s class and Wednesday/Thursday for Miss Koeun’s class. Children will need to bring their own snacks and children will be spending a majority of the time outside.
Supporting Remote Learning
Teachers will continue to support remote learners throughout the week through Zoom calls, check-ins and the delivery of weekly lesson plans. Fridays have been set aside for teachers to connect with these students, continuing at-a-distance visits and delivery and collection of materials or small group and individual Zoom classes. The schedules may look different from what has been previously established, but we are working to support rhythm and continuity for students continuing to learn remotely.