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back to school amidst pandemic

COVID orientation days will kick off K-12 back to school

Aug 12, 2020 | 10:53 AM

VICTORIA—Orientations to get staff and K-12 students familiarized with what school will look like this fall will kick off the school year.

On the week of September 8-11 a gradual restart to classes will allow for extra time to get staff and students acquainted with COVID-19 health and safety measures.

“Staff, students and parents need time to get familiar with all the new health and safety procedures that are designed to keep them safe and confident in their school settings.”—Rob Fleming, B.C. Minister of Education

On September 8, all staff will meet with their school’s joint health and safety committee to receive instructions on how the updated guidelines will work at their school.

A student orientation will take place on September 10, in order to get students used to how the year will differ from previous ones. “Students will be assigned to their class, find out who is in their learning group, practise their new routines and familiarize themselves with how to safely move from the class to outdoor and common areas of the school,” reads a release from the Ministry of Education.

The K-12 education restart steering committee and working groups with membership from all education partners and health experts will create detailed operational guidelines which will be available by Aug.17 to support school districts with their restart plans.

Across the province, school districts were provided with a readiness checklist on August 10 to ensure they are updating their health and safety plans and considering communicating and consulting with their unions, Indigenous rightsholders, staff and families in their local communities.