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By Veronica Beltran

back to school

SD57 reveals Re-Start Plan for September 2020

Aug 26, 2020 | 11:35 AM

PRINCE GEORGE— School District 57 (SD 57) is taking a phased approach at their school re-start plan which will get underway on September 8.

When students re-enter the classroom this September they will be starting up in Phase 2 of SD57’s Re-start Plan. The plan has been created in complement to the Ministry of Education’s principles to their COVID-19 response, which adhere to the standards, guidelines and direction from the Provincial Health Officer.

The plan consists of information for students, staff and parents to be informed about public health measures and feel safe in schools and understand their roles and responsibilities in maintaining and promoting public health and school safety.

SD57 is following the Hierarchy of Infection Prevention which includes (from most protective to least protective): Public Health Measures, such as testing when feeling COVID-19-like symptoms or staying home when sick, or not hosting assemblies; Environmental Measures such as only allowing visitors and non-site staff to enter school buildings by appointment, parents and caregivers remaining outside of the school to pick-up and drop-off children; Cleaning and Disinfecting of all high touch surfaces, along with general cleaning will be conducted with the help of a daytime custodian; Administrative Measures such as learning groups to minimize interaction between students and staff, while in Stage 2 members of the same learning group must minimize physical contact; Personal Protective Equipment such as masks and gloves are not needed for most staff, however, will be required in high traffic areas such as hallways and buses.

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To and from school transportation will also see a bit of a change in SD57, with enhanced cleaning, and bus drivers being asked to regularly wash their hands. Drivers will also be required to wear a mask, along with staff and students on-board.

Parents will have to access their children before sending them off to school for any COVID-19 like symptoms and are asked to keep them home if they do display any signs of illness—this goes for staff as well. Students are still able to attend school if a member of their household has a cold, influenza or COVID-19-like symptoms, as long as the student or staff member is asymptomatic.

Hand hygiene will be big heading back to school, with staff and students encouraged to wash their hands for 20 seconds as often as is necessary, or use hand sanitizer. Students and staff will be reminded of the importance of hand hygiene, and students and staff will be required to wash their hands upon entry of the school. Respiratory etiquette is another highlighted measure with staff and students being required to cough and sneeze into their elbow, sleeve, or tissue and perform the appropriate hand-hygiene afterwards.

Physical distancing must be maintained in schools with students and staff outside of each others learning groups. Recess will be organized by teachers, within their learning groups and lunches will be staggered so that 50 per cent of learning groups are outside in designated play areas at one time.

Extra curricular activities and special interest clubs should occur when physical distancing can be maintained and when reduced physical contact is practiced by those within the same learning group. In person inter-school events including competitions, tournaments and festivals should not take place at this time.

Schools Districts across B.C. have had to create Re-start Plans in order to see the start of the school year. For a full look at SD57’s restart plan click here.