News & Events

March 4, 2022

Principal’s Message – March 4

Dear Queen Elizabeth School Community,

February was a busy month for Queen Elizabeth Elementary! Primary classes engaged in a month of Kindness activities and explorations of family making connections to Valentine’s and Pink Shirt Day. Classes also engaged in a variety of activities to recognize Black History Month such as personal identity projects, exploring and completing activities around the books Wonder Horse, Viola Desmond Won’t Be Budged, and Sulwe. Students learned about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railway and created works inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat, an American artist and pop icon. Our reconciliation work continues through lessons to help students understand indigenous culture through the appreciation and creation of art inspired by the Haida Nation.

It was wonderful to welcome families back into the school this month for student conferences and we look forward to the Spring with the return of warmer weather and more importantly the anticipation of more school events, field trips and the potential for a continued relaxation of Covid Protocols within schools.

Please see the following important updates and information as we head into our final week before Spring Break.

Rapid Antigen Test Kits

We have received our Rapid Antigen Test kits from the Ministry and will be distributing them to families before Spring Break. Each student is eligible to receive a box of 5 tests, and they will be distributed directly to parents or caregivers. Once all schools in New Westminster receive their kits we will send specific distribution details to our families – please stay tuned.

The following is important information for you with regards to storing, handling, and administering the Rapid Antigen Tests.

The kits are approved by Health Canada, and the safe and proper use instruction of these kits has recently been updated and is available on the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) website. Please take a few minutes to read this information to ensure that you are properly storing and using the kits that have been provided: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/rapid-antigen-testing/rapid-testing-at-home

As outlined by the BCCDC, if you administer a test and find it is positive, it means your child likely has COVID-19. In which case you should:

If the result is negative, your child may return to school when they feel well enough to return to regular activities.

In either case, please notify our school if your child will be absent, and make sure to specify if the absence is a result of an illness, to support our continued tracking and reporting to Fraser Health.

Thank you for continuing to do daily health checks, for keeping your kids home when they are sick, and for working as partners in keeping our school as safe as possible.

Wellness Event – March 9th 6:30 – 7:30 PM

New Westminster School’s invites you to join Dr. Saira Sabzaali for a virtual Wellness Centre Series event. Please see the linked PDF with more detail and a link to register.

Resources to Support Conversations with children about the Russia-Ukraine War

The following links and resources may be helpful to you to support conversations with your children about the Russia-Ukraine War:

https://newwestschools.ca/parent-tips-talking-about-war-and-conflict/

The Ministry of Education has also shared the below resources to support both staff and parents in having conversations with kids:

How to Talk with Students about the Russia-Ukraine War: Includes 5 tips to help teachers and principals talk to students thoughtfully and appropriately about what is going on in Ukraine.

How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War: Common Sense Media gathers tips and conversation starters to help you talk to kids of different ages about the toughest topics.

Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of elementary school children: This article from the American Psychological Association can help adults guide their young children beyond fear and to resilience.

Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of middle school children: The American Psychological Association breaks out tips and strategies for parents and teachers of middle school-aged children.

National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Provides resources that can be filtered by topic or keyword and by audience with a focus on how adults can identify traumatic responses in young people and how to support them.

Thank you

P. Manville
pmanville@sd40.bc.ca