Covid-19 Resources
LATEST UPDATES
Some new guidance has come out for Daily Health Checks. Please read the new Daily Health Check Document carefully (posted below). It also outlines the procedure that staff and students should follow if they are symptomatic for COVID-19 (testing and self-isolation protocols have been updated).
Please continue to perform a daily health check for your child.
January 19, 2022
Please click here to read a new letter from the Fraser Health Authority Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ariella Zbar.
January 9, 2022
As you may be aware from the news, schools were asked to review their Communicable Disease Plan and make some adjustments due to the current COVID situation. Here are some items to pay special attention to:
HEALTH-RELATED NOTES
The mask requirement remains in place. Please ensure that your child comes to school with a mask. 3-ply is recommended (vs. cloth) but are not required. For children currently with mask exemptions - if possible, can they please wear a mask for part of the time if they are able? Masks are still required on buses.
All masks should be well-fitted.
It is vital that you do a Daily Health Check for your child EVERY morning. The health check can be complete online or through the Thrive app. If your child has symptoms related to COVID-19, he or she should not be coming to school.
If a child becomes symptomatic while at school, we will be calling you to come and pick him or her up. Please be sure to have emergency plans in place for this.
IN AND AROUND THE SCHOOL
Please be diligent about not coming inside the traffic cone area when dropping off and picking up children
For Monday, January 10th only: children will come directly inside the school as the parking lot is very icy (unless that changes overnight!). Please pull up as close to the steps as possible, so your child may walk on an area that has been cleared.
Visitors to the school are limited to those who are supporting the safety/well-being and learning of the students. While we will welcome volunteers to help with midday disinfecting of frequently-touched surfaces (we could use another couple of volunteers, incidentally) and those who are helping with hot lunch, we ask that you avoid visiting the school for the time being.
Sports practices and games are off-limits to spectators at this time (and no sports tournaments will take place).
We are not required to have cohorts this year, so students will be able to be outside together as usual. However, teachers will ensure that hallway traffic does not become too crowded by ensuring students adhere to using the appropriate entry/exit doors, and by coordinating entry/exit times with other classes.
At this time, any school assemblies will be virtual; however, we are permitted to be in the church for Mass.
WHAT IF MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY GET COVID?
As you are no doubt aware, the rapid spread of the Omicron Variant has made it difficult for public health to provide testing and do contact tracing as they have done in the past. As such, the protocol for school case reporting has changed. Here is an excerpt from a document provided by the Fraser Health Authority Medical Health Officer, Dr. Ariella Zbar.
As Public Health is not contacting every person who tests positive, school exposures will not be issued by Public Health for individual cases. In the event of a declared outbreak, Public Health will issue a public notification.
Public Health will continue to work with schools if, for example, there is a significant increase in absenteeism that is atypical for the time of year, and actions are to be taken, such as notification to the parents and guardians of the affected grade or school community
We will be closely monitoring attendance of staff and students and will be in communication with our health authority and CISVA to determine if it is ever necessary to do a closure of the school or suspend in-person learning temporarily for a class (i.e., if attendance drops below a certain threshold, or too many staff members are ill to be able to provide a smooth operation of the school). As a staff, we have discussed contingency plans in the event that we do need to close temporarily.
It is very important that you inform the office if your child is absent due to illness. Please report by 9:30 a.m., as we must submit an attendance report by 10:00 a.m.
IF YOU TRAVELED OUTSIDE OF CANADA DURING THE HOLIDAYS
Also from Dr. Zbar's letter:
Parents and guardians are reminded that, as of January 7th, 2022:
• Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children and youth up to and including 17 years of age are subject to the 14 day quarantine requirement.
• During quarantine, these children are not to attend school in-person.
• More information on returning from travel and quarantine can be found here.
Click here to read Dr. Zbar's letter. There are various links to click on if you require more information about anything.
I am confident that with the diligence that members of our school community have already shown over the past 20 months, we will come through this latest challenge just fine. I appreciate the spirit of cooperation that has been a hallmark of St. Mary's throughout the pandemic.
Praying for the safety and well-being of all,
Jeanine Sallos