September 10, 2020—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 5
‘Consistent desire’ for kids to return to school: SD70 School district prepares for return, but not all parents are willing to risk bringing COVID-19 into their homes By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor Port Alberni, BC - Despite widespread concerns over the spread of COVID-19, over 90 per cent of parents are planning to send their children back to school when classes resume this month in the Alberni Valley, Tofino, Ucluelet and Bamfield. In a letter sent to parents on Sept. 4, Greg Smith, School District 70’s head superintendent, noted a strong desire among many families to have their children back in the classroom when facilities reopen for students on Sept. 10 and 11. As was the case across the province, SD70’s schools closed during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic after the March break. Schools reopened as an option for parents later in the spring, but most families kept their children home to avoid contracting the incurable respiratory disease. The school district has stated that a hybrid classroom and home learning option like what was offered in the spring will not be available this fall. “The response is not uniformly distributed throughout the district, but there is a clear, strong and consistent desire from parents to have their children return to their schools with their peers and classroom teachers this school year – even if it means waiting to see how the first weeks go before sending their children to school,” wrote Smith. All schools are now required to maximise in-class instruction within guidelines set by the B.C. Ministry of Health. Part of these guidelines will be “learning groups” to limit the number of contacts students have during the day. For SD70’s elementary children, individual classes will serve as the learning groups. Each group of students will stay with each other throughout the day, including during outdoor recess and lunch periods. “Outside a learning group, appropriate physical distancing will remain the expectation,” wrote Smith. The arrangement is more complex for high school students attending Alberni District Secondary or Ucluelet Secondary. Morning classes will keep a learning group together, covering two courses of material over the first eight weeks. But some mixing is expected in the afternoons, as teenagers from different learning groups will be in the same classroom to study their elective options. This will require physical distancing and preventative requirements, such as wearing face
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Not all parents are willing to risk coronavirus infection this fall, including Letitia Charleson, who is postponing college studies to educate two of her children at home. Pictured is Charleson with father Josh, Nuuchi Charleson, Maddexx George and Malyla Charleson. risk for my household. I feel like it’s masks. in the spring, the need for daily connecjumping a little bit too fast and I feel that Last school year 1,369 of SD70’s stutions with students became evident, as dents identified as Aboriginal, comprising many continued their schooling remotely. there should have been more smaller steps.” 30 per cent of the student population. Ten “Back in the springtime a lot of NEWs Adding to this concern is that CharleNuu-chah-nulth education workers are did a lot of cultural learning though other son’s daughter has asthma, and her onedistributed throughout the school district, means,” said Samuel. “They created year-old son is a risk due to respiratory who will be supporting these students videos, they created Powerpoints for the navigate through the new COVID-19 students to interact that way to learn how issues. “Common colds drain into his respirameasures. our people are traditionally. They were tory area as he’s been in the hospital in Richard Samuel, a cultural development very innovative during that time.” his first year, just needing extra oxygen to supervisor who manages the NEW workAlthough most of SD70’s students are ers, said that the team is currently helping returning to full-time classes this Septem- get to his heart,” she explained. The mother has had to adapt by stepschool principals connect with students to ber, some have chosen to study through ping away from studies she planned to inform them of what the next school year the school district’s online platform for begin this fall at North Island College, will be like - even if families can’t be home studies, Distributed Learning, or instead serving as a full-time teacher for reached by telephone. other remote learning options. Samuel “They’re able to track them down her 11-year-old son and five-year-old said that the NEW workers will be daughter. through other means, like social media, supporting students who opt for home “I will just continue staying at home Facebook messenger, or any other kind schooling by providing material each focusing on our children’s education,” of means that they have,” he said. “They week and regularly checking in. said Charleson. “Each family and each have a personal connection with all of “The Nuu-chah-nulth education role these families.” primarily is for cultural learning opportu- household have different priorities and different choices.” Samuel noted that when studies resumed nities for students and teachers,” he said. For those parents who will be sending “When it comes to academic support, their children back on Sept. 10 and 11, we’re looking at student achievement entry into schools will be discouraged to where they work together with all school mitigate risk of infection inside the facilistaff and work as a team to ensure the ties. The school district announced more student is achieving well academically GATEWAY TO THE PACIFIC RIM efforts to clean and disinfect facilities, through the school year.” although there will be no new roles to Under normal circumstances two of check students or staff for symptoms of Letitia Charleson’s children would be coronavirus infection. starting classes at Haahuupayak this If a student displays possible symptoms, month. But after the number of B.C.’s SD70 guidelines state that the child must active cases rose from under 200 to be immediately separated from others, more than 1,300 over the last two and a given a mask and arranged to be taken half months, the risk of infection is too home. Each school will have a designed great for Charleson’s family bear. As isolation room for this purpose, but the her daughter prepares to start Grade 1, Charleson is concerned with how quickly symptomatic child’s class will not be automatically quarantined. germs spread among young children. “Staff responsible for facility cleaning “With my middle child, my daughter, must clean and disinfect the space where as soon as she started going to daycare, Hours of operation - 7:00 am - 10:30 pm the student was separated and any areas as soon as she went back to school, little Phone: 724-3944 used by them,” states the SD70 guidecolds and flu would come back into the lines. household,” said Charleson. “Putting on E-mail: claudine@tseshahtmarket.ca top of that COVID-19, it’s just a huge
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