August 31 – WSS Newsletter #2

NEWSLETTER #2 
August 31st, 2020

Return to school information for September
This newsletter will focus on our return to school plans for September based on the BC Restart Plan. The primary focus of this newsletter will be to identify key dates and times for the first week of school and to address the Health and Safety protocols that are in place as we return to in-class instruction.

First Day of School – September 10-11th – Student Schedule
Our students will begin either September 10th or 11th for an orientation to school safety protocols. Students will meet their teachers and the students in their cohort. Students ​will meet with teachers in classrooms to​ receive all pertinent information for a smooth start to the school year; health & safety, student schedules, access to technology & learning platforms, school routines for breaks and lunch, mask policies & expectations to name just a few.

● Thursday, Sept. 10th – Grade 8s at 10am-11:30am
○ A-K enter at Main Doors (social distance of 2M required if there is a line)
○ L-Z enter at Gym Doors (social distance of 2M required if there is a line)

● Thursday, Sept. 10th – Grade 9s at 1pm-2:30pm
○ A-K enter at Main Doors (social distance of 2M required if there is a line)
○ L-Z enter at Gym Doors (social distance of 2M required if there is a line)

● Friday, Sept. 11th – Grade 10s at 9am-10:30am
○ A-K enter at Main Doors (social distance of 2M required if there is a line)
○ L-Z enter at Gym Doors (social distance of 2M required if there is a line)

● Friday, Sept. 11th – Grade 11/12s at 12:30pm-2:00pm
○ A-K enter at Main Doors (social distance of 2M required if there is a line)
○ L-Z enter at Gym Doors (social distance of 2M required if there is a line)

Daily Schedule – Effective September 14th (Staggered Entry, Lunch & Exit)
To support physical distancing when students are outside of their cohort, we will have staggered entry in the morning, at lunch and at the end of day exit.

● Grade 8s will begin their first class at 8:40am
○ A-K enter at Main Doors (social distance of 2M required if there is a line)
○ L-Z enter at Gym Doors (social distance of 2M required if there is a line)
● Grade 9/10s will begin their first class at 8:55am
○ Grade 10s enter at Main Doors (social distance of 2M required if there is a line)
○ Grade 9s enter at Gym Doors (social distance of 2M required if there is a line)
● Grade 11/12s will begin their first class at 9:10am
○ Grade 12s enter at Main Doors (social distance of 2M required if there is a line)
○ Grade 11s enter at Gym Doors (social distance of 2M required if there is a line)

Health & Safety Measures
Schools have a comprehensive set of safety measures in place, including enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols, frequent hand washing and/or sanitizing, and policies that require students and staff to ​stay home if they are ill​. ​Students will be required to practice appropriate hand hygiene. Alcohol-based hand sanitizing stations will be located throughout our school and at the entrances. Hand hygiene signage has been placed throughout the schools well.

About School Health
School District 42 is compliant with the BC Ministry of Education Guidelines. Significant documents are posted to both the school district and Ministry of Education website.

Here are a few key links:

● SD 42 Restart Plan
● SD 42 Restart – Overview for Secondary Schools
● BC Ministry – Back to School Plan
● BC Ministry of Education K – 12 Restart Plan

Daily Student Self Health Assessment
Everyone entering the school environment is expected to do a Daily Health Assessment. This is a personal review of the signs and symptoms of Covid-19. It is not necessary to print or submit. Please review the form in the attached link: (​SD42 Daily Health Assessment​). ​Students who have any symptoms of illness must not attend school. District staff will need to perform this same daily assessment and will also be required to stay home should they have any symptoms of illness.

What if you feel ill?
The BCCDC guidelines for schools are firm. If a student, staff member or any other adult has any symptoms of a cold, influenza, COVID-19, or any other infectious respiratory disease, ​they must not enter the school.

Students, staff members and any other adult must stay home and self-isolate if they have:
● Symptoms of a cold, influenza, COVID-19, or any other infectious respiratory disease
● Travelled outside Canada in the last 14 days
● Identified as a close contact of a confirmed case or outbreak

This includes the children of essential service workers.

Student or Staff Confirmed Case with Covid
● If a staff or student in a school is confirmed by public health as positive for COVID-19, public health will work with school administration to determine what actions should be taken, including if any staff or students who have been in contact with that person need to self-isolate, and if other staff and students’ families should be notified.
● Schools should not provide notification to staff or students’ families if a staff member or student becomes ill at home or at school, including if they display symptoms of COVID-19, ​unless directed to by public health .

Best Health & Safety Practices In 2020-21
The challenges for the pandemic have created new planning and school preparation practices. Students should be sure to:

● Have a few masks, regularly cleaned, never shared, stored in a clean zip lock bag, not in the bottom of a school bag.
● Bring their own water bottle and utensils for lunch.
● Pack in and pack out lunch waste. We should all reduce and reuse before we recycle.
● Ensure that they have their own school supplies for each subject of the quarter. Sharing supplies cannot be supported and teachers cannot supply the “big bin” of pencils etc anymore.
● Students are encouraged to bring their own disinfecting wipes to clean items such as keyboards.

Mask Use in School
Masks will be ​required​ for staff and students in high traffic and common areas such as hallways, or anytime outside of their learning group whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained. Exceptions will be made for students who cannot wear masks for medical reasons. Students and staff are not required to wear masks in their cohort class. Wearing a mask within class in your cohort is a personal choice that will always be respected. The school district will provide a reusable mask to all secondary students.

Ventilation and enhanced cleaning and disinfection routines
​Ventilation systems in all school district facilities will meet WorkSafeBC requirements. All schools will be cleaned in accordance with the Provincial COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines for K-12 Settings. General cleaning (including single-use surfaces like student desks) will occur once every 24 hours, while frequently touched surfaces as well as all shared equipment, appliances, manipulatives, and tools, will be cleaned and disinfected twice every 24 hours. The school district has hired additional custodians to meet the demands of these enhanced cleaning routines

Lockers
Students will not be receiving lockers this year. With only two classes per day we feel students will be able to carry their school supplies. Lockers create challenges with traffic flow in our hallways and the lockers are not adequately spaced apart.

We are looking forward to a safe and positive return for students next week. Please do not hesitate to email Principal, Darren Rowell, (​Darren_Rowell@sd42.ca​) if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Darren Rowell  Principal,
Westview Secondary School 

Have a Question?
The following list of Counsellors and Administrators and their grades are listed below:
● Ms. O’Leary (Counsellor – Gr. 9, 11 & 12s A-L) ○ lauren_oleary@sd42.ca
● Ms. Sharpe (Counsellor – Gr. 8, 10 & 12s M-Z) ○ shannon_sharpe@sd42.ca
● Mr. Kater (Vice Principal – Gr. 8 &10s) ○ steve_kater@sd42.ca
● Mr. Lindgren-Streicher (Vice Principal – Gr. 9 &11s) ○ karl_lindgren-streicher@sd42.ca
● Mr. Rowell (Principal – Grade 12s) ○ Darren_Rowell@sd42.ca