To Parents, Guardians, Students, Staff and Community Members of School District 84
February Community Consultations
For those who were unable to attend the community consultations, we hope you will have a look at the presentation slides and accompanying questions.
Community Consultation Slide Presentation
Community Consultation Questionnaire
The Board needs your feedback, so please email completed questions to Annie McDowell amcdowell@viw.sd84.bc.ca by Wednesday, March 3, 2021.
Thank you!
District Covid 19 Safety Plan – (Worksafe BC) – February 2021
Letter to Staff and Parents re Updated Protocols – February 5, 2021
February 5, 2021
Dear Staff and Parents of School District 84:
Yesterday, the Minister of Education and the Provincial Health Officer announced updated COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, which are to be implemented in all schools. As a result of our stringent and robust health and safety protocols, these updated guidelines do not represent significant changes to our current operation. Our enhanced guidelines will build upon our proven health and safety protocols. We want students, parents, guardians, and staff to continue to feel confident with our safety measures.
The main areas of enhancement to our current protocols are:
- Masks
All middle and secondary students and K-12 staff will now be required to wear masks in all indoor areas, including when they are with their learning groups and riding in our buses. The only exceptions are when:
- sitting or standing at their seat, desk or workstation in a classroom
- there is a barrier in place
- while eating or drinking
- PE and Sports
Activities that include prolonged physical contact should not be a part of physical education or any other classroom learning. For example, activities like tag or touch football are lower risk, since students may only come into contact with each other briefly, whereas activities like wrestling or rugby are prohibited. Teachers are encouraged to adapt activities wherever possible to reduce physical contact. High intensity physical activity (that significantly increase respiration rates) will occur outside whenever possible.
- Music Programs
K-12 staff and middle and secondary students must wear masks when singing indoors. Music education should be delivered in line with the Guidance for Music Classes in BC during COVID-19 document developed by the BC Music Educators’ Association and the Coalition for Music Education in BC.
The District will update and provide schools with a COVID-19 health and safety checklist to ensure consistent implementation of the updated provincial guidelines. We are required to confirm every school has completed the checklist and have updated safety plans.
To support daily screening, a new K-12 health-checker app has been developed for students and their families and can be found at https://www.k12dailycheck.gov.bc.ca Please remember that students and staff are required to do a daily health check, and that anybody who is sick should not come to school.
We encourage you to visit the BC Centre for Disease Control’s new website with information and resources about health and safety measures in K-12 schools at www.bccdc.ca/schools Staff, families and students can find up‑to‑date information about K-12 schools at www.gov.bc.ca/safeschools.
Further information, along with updated school safety plans, will be available soon on our District website at www.sd84.bc.ca.
Sincerely,
Lawrence Tarasoff
Superintendent and Secretary-Treasurer
