{"id":3766033,"date":"2021-12-31T19:47:37","date_gmt":"2021-12-31T19:47:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sd46.bc.ca\/?p=3766033"},"modified":"2024-12-02T06:03:55","modified_gmt":"2024-12-02T14:03:55","slug":"january-delayed-return-to-school-updates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sd46.bc.ca\/january-delayed-return-to-school-updates\/","title":{"rendered":"January Delayed Return to School Updates"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
December 31, 2021<\/span><\/p> Dear SD46 Families,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> I sincerely hope this message finds you well and that you have been able to enjoy the break.\u00a0 As the holiday comes to a close, once again we find ourselves in the position to pivot and adapt to the new context regarding Covid-19.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> The Provincial Health Officer and the Ministry of Education announced that there will be a delayed return to school \u2014 to allow more time to introduce enhanced safety measures \u2014 as local and provincial authorities work with districts to adapt to the impacts of the Omicron variant.<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/p> The full return to in-person learning will be delayed until Monday, January 10, 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p> \u00a0<\/p> During this time there will be no online learning or other instruction, as it will be a continuation of the Winter Break for most students. However, in order to support our healthcare system, as well as be able to functionally operate as a district, our schools will be open to providing supervision for a limited number of students from Jan 4th<\/sup>to Jan 7th<\/sup>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> Children of health care workers (including contracted health services and first responders) who do not have other options for care\u00a0<\/b><\/p><\/li> Children of SD46 staff who do not have other options for care\u00a0<\/b><\/p><\/li> Children who have diverse needs<\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul> If your child(ren) falls into one of the above categories, please fill out\u00a0<\/span>this short survey<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>by\u00a0Sunday, January 2nd<\/sup>, 10 pm <\/b>so school staff can prepare for the supervision of your child(ren) starting on Tuesday, January 4th<\/sup>.\u00a0You can also reach out directly to your principal regarding your specific situation to discuss supports and school attendance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> Buses will not be in operation for the week of Jan 4th<\/sup>to Jan 7th<\/sup>as we work through health and safety protocols and available staffing with Thirdwave.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> We understand this is difficult for everyone, and once again we are called upon to work collectively as a community to do our best with the circumstances we have been given.\u00a0\u00a0We know continued kindness, patience and understanding is what our children and youth need as we navigate this next phase of the pandemic.\u00a0\u00a0Our staff have shown time and time again their dedication to providing a rich and safe learning environment for our students and we are grateful for their hard-work and diligence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> To ensure continued alignment with BCCDC direction, an <\/span>addendum to<\/span> the\u00a0<\/span>Provincial COVID-19 Communicable Disease Guidelines for K-12 <\/span><\/a>Settings has<\/span> been created. It outlines focused actions and additional prevention measures B.C. public K-12 schools must implement in response to the recent rise of cases of COVID-19 due to the emergence of the more transmissible Omicron variant.<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Guidelines and existing protocols that have succeeded in minimizing the spread of the virus in schools include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>