Hi Brentwood Eagle Families!
Below this message, please find our Superintendent’s message in regards to in-person learning opportunities as they begin June 1. Each family has unique needs and we understand that decisions surrounding school attendance in-person involve many factors. More detailed information on what in-person learning will look like in the month of June will come next week. The following are preliminary details about in-person learning for June 2020 at the Elementary level in Saanich:
Students will be assigned to one of two cohorts (Mon/Tues or Wed/Thurs) following their regular school schedule
Fridays will be reserved for teachers connecting with students remaining on remote learning as remote learning will continue
Children of Essential Service Workers will be returning to their home schools and will still be accommodated for the school week
Students will be initially sorted into their specific cohort by last name. This is being done primarily to assist families who may have more than one child in a particular school so that their schedules are aligned. Some exceptions to this can be expected as we work to ensure that other specific supports for students are available within the school.
No more than 50% of Brentwood’s student population will attend at school in any given rotation
We will contact you no later than Wednesday May 27th with information on your child(ren)’s specific cohort(s). Only those who have elected to return to in-person learning will be assigned a cohort schedule. Any families who wish to change their plans in regards to in-person learning must contact our Principal, Sara Salemink, at ssalemink@saanichschools.ca no later than Tuesday May 26th at 1pm.
We know that this has been an unusual Spring and want to remind you we are here to help. Please reach out and know we care about you all. Brentwood is an amazing community and we all feel grateful to work with your children. Remember, Brentwood Eagles soar together, even when we are apart!
Sara Salemink
Principal, Brentwood Elementary
*Please see the below message from Dave Eberwein, Superintendent of Schools*
Dear Parents / Guardians,
I want to take this opportunity to thank our entire parent community for your ongoing support and understanding as we continue to work diligently to provide your child(ren) with the best possible learning experiences during this extraordinary time. Your kind words of encouragement and thanks have been greatly appreciated. As you know, on Friday May 15th the provincial government announced their plan to move BC into Phase 3 in the BC Restart Plan. My email to you today is focussed on what that means for Saanich Schools beginning June 1st:
Student and Staff Safety
We continue to rely on the Provincial Health Officer (PHO), WorkSafe BC (WSBC), The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and the Ministry of Education for the guidelines we use in the preparation of our schools and learning spaces. One of the better pieces of news we have on the Island is that the level of COVID-19 infection here is very low. The BCCDC data dashboard is an excellent resource to see the current data on COVID-19: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/a6f23959a8b14bfa989e3cda29297ded. Be sure to look for the data particular to Island Health.
Even with this very good news that our infection rate is extremely low, our primary focus in our district continues to be providing a safe learning and working environment for all of our students and staff. We have been working with our Health &Safety committees this week to ensure that all of our sites have protocols in place for your child(ren)’s potential return to school on June 1st. Information specific to your child(ren)’s school will be shared with you by your school administration in the days ahead – things like performing health checks on your child(ren) and drop-off and pick-up instructions.
In-school Learning Schedules
As of June 1st Saanich Schools will be implementing a part-time return to instruction in all of our schools. Thank you for the parents who have submitted their responses to the survey sent out last week. For some parents, we recognize that it may have been challenging to provide an answer without having a complete picture of the proposed schedule. We appreciate your understanding that we required numbers to be able to build an appropriate program.
Here is the plan beginning June 1st:
- Elementary Schools (K-5) – 2 days per week for students who are returning (50% density of students within the school)
- Students will be assigned to one of two cohorts (Mon/Tues or Wed/Thurs) following their regular school schedule
- Fridays will be reserved for teachers connecting with students remaining on remote learning
- Children of Essential Service Workers will be returning to their home schools and will still be accommodated for the school week
- Middle Schools (6-8) – 1 day per week for students who are returning (20% density of students within the school)
- Students will be assigned to a cohort for one day per week following their regular school schedule
- Fridays will be reserved for teachers connecting with students remaining on remote learning
- Secondary Schools (9-12) – 1 day per week for students who are returning (20% density of students within the school)
- Students will be assigned to a cohort for one day per week following their regular school schedule
- Fridays will be reserved for teachers connecting with students remaining on remote learning
Vulnerable students will continue to be supported on a daily basis – this may be up to 5 days in-school depending on the student’s particular needs. Your child’s school will be connecting with you to discuss how they may be best supported for the month of June.
Students will be initially sorted into their specific cohort by last name. This is being done primarily to assist families who may have more than one child in a particular school so that their schedules are aligned. Some exceptions to this can be expected as we work to ensure that other specific supports for students are available within the school. You will be contacted by your child(ren)’s school no later than Wed May 27th with information on their specific cohort. Please contact your school principal if you have not heard from them by the end of the day on May 27th.
Busing will be available for students on their regular schedules. We will be ensuring that specific physical distancing guidelines for school buses provided by the province are being followed.
In-school Learning Program
A variety of learning experiences can be expected in your child’s school. Some classrooms may have students working on certain equipment (e.g. shop classes), while others may be providing individualized support for concepts being learned in remote learning (e.g. mathematics, language arts). As we transition into Phase 3 for the month of June we are looking to find a balance that supports both the remote learners and in-class support. As per provincial guidelines, teachers are not expected to use this limited period of classroom learning to ‘catch up’ on all aspects of the curriculum that may not have been taught in remote learning. This is an opportunity to focus on topics that may require additional support until the end of June.
Details around the end of June (including report cards) will be communicated in the weeks ahead. Further updates from your child(ren)’s school (including your child’s specific cohort) will be coming out next week. Thank you, again, for your ongoing support. We are in this incredible adventure together and we have already made great strides. We look forward to working with you during this next leg of the journey.
Sincerely,
Dave Eberwein
Superintendent & CEO, Saanich Schools