Only days after Sunshine Coast schools reopened their doors to students in the New Year, the school district board’s first meeting of 2022 discussed preparing for COVID-related closures.
SD46 prepared for three types of closures, School District No. 46 (SD46) superintendent Kate Kerr reported at the Jan. 12 virtual meeting. The province had directed school districts to prepare for the potential impacts of the Omicron variant.
“As we know, what’s happening in our schools is reflective of what’s happening in our community, and so we have to prepare and plan for that, specifically around staffing levels,” Kerr said during the meeting.
A functional closure would happen when there is not enough staff, and “is an emergency measure that will only be taken if there is no other way to safely support students in person,” said Kerr. Families would be notified right away, and staff would share materials as the school district continually assesses staff levels in order to reopen schools as soon as possible.
A transportation closure or disruption would happen if there is not enough staff or bus drivers to transport students. Some routes may be adjusted, delayed or cancelled. A transportation closure would not affect school operations.
The third type of closure happens when a school is temporarily closed by a public health order, if a medical health officer determines it necessary.
Kerr said the school district’s website is a good resource for updates, including information from the public health ministry as well as the ministry of education.
On Jan. 27, Vancouver Coastal Health medical health officer Dr. John Harding will be presenting about COVID-19 vaccines for children ahead of the virtual DPAC meeting. Information can be found at www.sd46.bc.ca.
Daycare
The Sunshine Coast’s school district was the second in the province to join the Seamless Day Kindergarten pilot program, which offers before and after school care to young students in their classrooms.
At $10 a day, the licensed childcare facility uses existing spaces outside of school hours. There’s no need for additional transportation and students get consistency with early childhood educators (ECE) present throughout the day.
Jessica Heuring, an ECE and parent who uses the program said the Seamless Day program has helped parents return to work and allows her to be on call.
Now, 23 other districts in B.C. also take part in the program, and SD46 is hopeful it will expand. There is currently only one location in the Coast’s school district that offers the program.
District principal Kirsten Deasey, who is also the manager of the Seamless Day program in West Sechelt, told the board that the program’s 12 spots are full and there is a small waiting list.
“I think the province is going to hear really loud and clear that this is an important program,” Deasey said.
Truth and Reconciliation
The school board also voted to move forward with two Truth and Reconciliation initiatives. SD46 staff will work with shíshálh Nation to determine interest for honorary graduation ceremonies for residential and day school survivors who attended the Sechelt Residential School.
Staff have also been authorized to work with shíshálh and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nations to acknowledge place names for school and district sites. This proposal does not suggest changing school names, rather adding place names to existing signs.
