January 13, 2022
School Return Update – January 13
Dear Queen Elizabeth School Community,
As we near the close to our first week of full return, I wanted to provide an update for you on our January School Start Up and provide some important reminders and requests for help.
Our school return has been successful, and we are excited to welcome students back to full time, in person instruction. Having said that, we appreciate the concern and understand that families are worried about the new covid variant and how schools are working to keep their children as safe as possible. We are very pleased and appreciative with how diligent families and staff members have communicated illness, taken proactive steps to follow daily health check guidelines, seek testing where necessary and in turn minimize or effectively eliminate potential for exposure within our school community. Thank you for all you do, to help keep our school community safe.
Functional Closures and Isolations
Schools use attendance records and follow up communication with families to coordinate with Fraser Health and implement any necessary actions or enhanced safety measures that may be required. Fraser Health will contact individual schools to work through classes with high absenteeism to determine if any measures need to be taken, such as a class isolation. This communication takes place daily, and the quality of our information is very important, which is why we ask you again to please communicate clearly and promptly with us, if and when your child is away.
Functional school closures would occur when staff absence is high and we are unable to cover those absences and operate the school safely. A functional closure would be a temporary measure and these decisions are made in consultation with Fraser Health and our Superintendent. Families would be informed with as much notice as possible to allow for childcare arrangements, and remote learning would be provided in the event of a Functional School Closure. Staff are prepared to provide Remote Learning for their classrooms should it be required at any time this year. Essential Service Worker families and those with Special Needs Students would be provided childcare during a school closure, should they require it, just as it was from January 4th to 7th with our delayed start to school.
We need your help and ask families to continue to:
– Report student absences daily, or for a range of days, before 9:00 AM. More importantly, please include the reason for your child’s absence. Reason for Absence is crucial to our efforts to respond properly and keep Fraser Health and our district informed with accurate information and attendance records. Please tell us if your child is ill, what their specific symptoms are, if the student has tested positive or potentially been exposed to a family member or other positive case, or if you are keeping your child home because you are worried about the current Covid situation. This information is crucial to our efforts, and we appreciate being told in advance of the start of the school day, as following up on unreported absences is a time consuming and unnecessary task for the office staff.
– Report Positive Cases and or Potential Exposures within your family immediately and follow public health guidelines to ensure you adhere to the quarantine requirements for positive cases in vaccinated children (5 days) or unvaccinated children (10 days). We will discuss the details of your case with you when reported to confirm your child’s return date and provide any needed supports in their absence.
– Please do all you can to arrive to your child’s lineup on time at or before the 8:50 AM warning bell. Staff will be out following that bell, between 8:50 and 8:55 AM to bring their line ups in. If students miss that transition inside, they are late and will need to come to the office so we can account for their presence, as they miss the attendance process that classroom teachers complete daily in their classrooms. We understand occasional lateness is part of life and happens from time to time, but habitual lateness needs to be addressed. Frequent late arrival has a negative impact on your child and their learning and social development. Please work with us to support your child’s on time arrival at school so they can participate fully in the important classroom arrival routines each morning, ensuring they are ready to learn each day. If child readiness or challenges with morning routines at home are often the cause for late arrivals, talk to us, we can help.
If you have further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.
Thank you
P. Manville