Students to get two extra days of summer vacation, as Province revises back to school plans

Education Minister Rob Fleming will be a popular guy with students as we head towards the end of August, with the Minister announcing yesterday that the return to school for students will be delayed two days with a return to the classroom now set for September 10th.

The delay for students was announced in order to allow for more time for teachers and school staff to develop their protocols for the schools as part of the COVID-19 response for education.

“Schools are going to look different in September,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Education. “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, Minister of Education

In his update for British Columbians, Mr. Fleming provided a snapshot as to how the first week of school is going to look for teachers, staff and students.

Starting Sept. 8, all staff will meet with their school’s joint health and safety committee to receive instructions about how the updated guidelines, co-developed with the BC Centre for Disease Control and provincial health officer, will work in their school. This will also allow time for educators and staff to adjust to their new routines, finalize plans for learning groups, review health and safety protocols, and confirm lesson plans that align with the new normal in schools. 

Students will be welcomed back to class for orientation by Sept. 10 and will use their orientation time to get familiar with classrooms that will look different than they did before the pandemic. 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.

Some further background on the provincial response and plans for what they are calling Orientation week can be reviewed here.

As we noted on Monday, locally SD52 officials are still working towards the District approach to the new requirements for education under COVID, they will be relaying their information to students, parents and guardians later this month through the District website and social media information options.

Some additional notes on the SD52 plans can be found here.

Further background on education across the Northwest can be reviewed here.