August 4, 2020

Re: Back to School Update
 
I hope you are enjoying your summer vacation and the stretch of good weather. We have been fortunate in BC to see numbers of COVID-19 cases remain fairly low and, as a result, are expecting a full return to at-school learning this September. As a result, I am writing to share with you help information as you prepare for your child(ren)'s return to school. 
 
On July 29th, Education Minister Fleming announced the return to full-time, in-class instruction for BC's Kindergarten to Grade 12 students. To assist schools and families with navigating the return to school, the Ministry of Education and BC Centre for Disease Control have published several resources online.
 
The Ministry of Education created a page with public information. Please review it to find important information about the return to school in September, including the following highlights:
  • You will note that Minister Fleming announced a Stage 2 return to school under the plan.
  • A central feature of the return to school plan is the creation of learning groups.
  • Restart Plan requirements and timelines - It is important to note here that schools will receive a planning template on August 10th and be required to submit Restart Plans to the Ministry of Education the following week.
Important information from the BC Centre for Disease Control:
While we are excited about the return to school, we ask for your patience in awaiting details that we will be preparing this month as we ready the school, and staff for students. There is still much to be learned by the school prior to finalizing plans. 
 
While we have been planning for the return to school during the spring and summer, we will now be developing plans from which we can start the school year effectively and be prepared to quickly move between stages should the need arise. We will communicate our plans with you as soon as they have been approved by the Ministry of Education. 
 
For now, I would ask that you prepare your school uniforms and ready your child(ren) for school. Book a uniform fitting at Top Ten. 
 
I am excited by the prospect of the full return to students and staff to school! Rest assured that we will diligently prepare for the safe return of students. At the same time, I also am very confident that, if required, our students and teachers will be able to adapt quickly to any stage of the restart plan that may be required. The success of our Sabres e-Learning programme this spring showed me that our students, their families, and our staff, was adaptable and resilient in the face of challenge. 
 
For the remainder of the summer, you can expect to hear from us each Tuesday as we will be publishing The Post each Tuesday, starting August 18.
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