Dear families,
Thank you to everyone who participated in the district survey last week or have been emailing their requests for onsite/remote learning these past few days. Most of the following letter will be directed to those wishing to return to onsite instruction. Please know, however, if you’ve indicated you are continuing remotely, teachers will be reaching out early next week through zoom/email/phone to talk about the way things might change. Please know that, at this time, we are still coming up with a process to get items students have in the school to them if they are choosing to work remotely. As such, we won’t be handing out student items (inside shoes, workbooks, etc) until we can confirm the process through the district.
For those choosing to return to us, we sincerely look forward to welcoming your child(ren) beginning the week of June 1 for in-class learning as part of the school district’s implementation of Stage 3 of the K-12 Education Restart Plan. Our implementation of Stage 3 will be guided by the Public Health Guidance for K-12 School Settingsdocument prepared by the Ministry of Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control. This document will guide us in best ensuring the health and safety of staff and students.
We ask that you take the time to review the Public Health Guidance for K-12 School Settingsdocument carefully and review the following sections with your child(ren):
- staying home when not well
- hand hygiene/washing
- cough/sneeze etiquette
- sharing of toys/items
- minimizing physical contact/physical distancing
Staff supervising your child(ren) will, of course, provide this same instruction and on-going reinforcement.
Further, at Kanaka, students should be aware of the following protocols:
- Students will only be going through the hallways when they need to use the bathroom.
- Each class will have a specified bathroom they must use (except at recess / lunch).
- One student will be allowed in the bathroom at a time to maintain physical distancing (younger students will be given preference).
- Unless authorized by the principal, students should notbring toys or sports equipment from home.
- PE, french and music programs will be done by classroom teachers in class/ outside
- The gym, computer lab, and library are currently closed.
- Communication with your classroom teacher should occur through email/phone rather than at the classroom door.
In the section that follows, you will find information about the daily/weekly schedule, details about drop-off and pick-up, required daily health screening, the reporting of absences, guidance on what your child(ren) should bring with them to school, as well as the anticipated shape of the day.
Daily/Weekly Schedule:
Here is a “snapshot” of our weekly schedule:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| Classes in building | Div.1-3
ESW care 8:30-2:20 |
Div.4-23 Group A (Div. 4-23)
8:30-2:20 |
Div.4-23 Group B (if needed)
ESW care 8:30-2:20 |
Div.4-23 Group A 8:30-2:20 | Div.4-23 Group B (if needed)
ESW care 8:30-2:20 |
- Mondays: students enrolled in grade 6/7 and grade 7 classes opting for part-time in-class instruction will attend this day from 8:30 am to 2:20 pm
- Tuesdays and Thursdays: [Group A] students enrolled inkindergarten to Grade 5/6 classes opting for part-time in-class instruction will attend these two days from 8:30 am to 2:20 pm. Note: Grade 6 students in grade 5/6 combined classes will only attend Tuesdays.
- Wednesdays and Fridays: [Group B] students enrolled inkindergarten to Grade 5/6 classes opting for part-time in-class instruction will attend these two days from 8:30 to 2:20 pm. ** Parents in Group B will be contacted directly. If you are not contacted, you are in Group A **
- Monday to Friday:Kindergarten to Grade 7 aged children of Essential Service Workers (ESWs) that have been registered with the school will attend Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 2:20 pm. On days that children of ESWs are not with their class group, responsibility for supervision and support of learning will be shared by the librarian, prep teacher and administration in room 1130 or on the stage.Parents requesting this service will be told where their child will be.
Drop-off/Pick-up:
In these extraordinary times, we’d ask you not drop your students off too early (before 8:15am) to ensure they can maintain social distancing. Most classes will be in front of their outside doors. However, Mrs. Strachan’s and Ms. Bishop’s class will be outside the main doors by the flags. In support of minimizing physical contact/physical distancing advice from public health, students will be met at the locations noted on the map at 8:30 am and led in a controlled manner into classrooms. At 2:20 pm, students will be led by staff out of the building to marked spots outside their doors. If your child will be picked up by someone other than a parent, please be sure to provide the school office with appropriate details.
Consistent with recommendations from public health, entry into the school building will be limited to students and staff. Should you have a need to enter the school building, please first call the office (604-467-9050) between the hours of 8:00 am and 3:30 pm to speak with staff.
Required Daily Health Screening:
You must assess your child(ren) every morning before sending them to school. All students who have any of the following symptoms must stay at home and parents should follow up with their health care provider or call 811:
- common cold
- influenza (flu)
- COVID-like symptoms
- any other infectious respiratory disease
If any family member or close contact of your child(ren) is showing COVID-like symptoms or has been confirmed to have contracted COVID-19, your child must stay home and you should contact your health care provider or call 811.
If your child becomes ill while at school, we will follow the advice set out in Public Health Guidance for K-12 School Settingsand contact you to come to the school right away to pick up your child.
Attendance/Reporting Absences: If your child is not attending due to illness or any other reason, please contact the school in the usual manner (phone (604-467-9050), portal, or email reception, to report the absence. Attendance will be taken by staff each morning and we will follow up with parents on all absences not already reported to the school. Arriving late for school in our current context will be extremely challenging to manage; as such, we ask that you ensure your child arrives for the 8:30 am welcome by your child’s teacher at their designated meeting location. If your child does arrive late for school, they are to go to their outside door. If there is no one in the class, please phone the office at 604-467-9050 for assistance.
What Should Your Child Bring to School?
Please ensure that your child brings to school the following items:
- a morning and afternoon snack and a lunch
- their personal or school district loaned computer/iPad
- personal water bottle (school drinking water fountains have been shut off)
Please also ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather as we will be incorporating time outside on the school grounds both during supervised break times and as part of educational programming.
Shape of the Day/Playgrounds:
While in-class days will start at 8:30 am and end at 2:20 pm, recess and lunch breaks will be staggered to permit space for student to play outside during break times. Both school and municipal playgrounds will be re-opened effective June 1. Students will be permitted to use playground equipment under supervision of staff followed by hand washing with soap. Please see the schedule below of the staggered recess/lunch times:
| GROUP 1 | GROUP 2 | GROUP 3 | |
| Classes | Sommers, Strachan, Murphy, Beyer, Hoogstins, Stewart, Babcock, | Smith, McKeown, MacGregor, O’Halloran, Grill, Dilley, Ling | Bishop, Vos, Lyman, Moran D, Rondpre, Flanagan |
| Recess | 9:40-10:00 | 10:05-10:25 | 10:30-10:50 |
| Lunch (inside – sup by tchrs) | 11:50-12:10 | 12:30-12:50 | 12:10-12:30 |
| Lunch (outside) | 11:10-11:50 | 11:50-12:30 | 12:30-1:10 |
Again, we look forward to welcoming your children to school next week. Please do not hesitate to contact us at the office number (604-467-9050) or by email at chad_raible@sd42.ca if you have any questions.
Regards,
Chad Raible
Principal
Kanaka Creek Elementary