COVID-19 School & Health Updates

Please ensure that you:

1. Remain at your vehicle while dropping off/picking-up your child(ren) for Grade school and up.
2. Maintain a 2-metre physical distance from others when walking/biking; and stick to designated traffic flow paths.

Pick-up and Drop-off Zones Map

STAGGERED PICK-UP AND DROP-OFF TIMES & ZONES:

Kindergarten – Grade 5 – Drop-off between 8:20-8:30am / Pick-up between 3:00-3:10pm
Grade 6 + – Drop-off between 8:30-8:40am / Pick-up between 3:10-3:20pm

Little Cedars – Children can be walked to their classroom and dropped off between 8:20-8:30am. Please walk in the designated area. Children are to be picked up BY 3pm at the latest, please. Pick-ups after 3pm will be considered late, and our late fee policy will apply.

LATE ARRIVALS:

Parents of Kindergarten-Grade 3 students who arrive late should accompany their child to Reception and wait outside. Your child will be checked in and accompanied to his/her classroom. Grade 4+ students who arrive late should check in at Reception independently prior to going to class.

PLAYGROUND UNAVAILABLE AFTER SCHOOL:

After dismissal, children should not play on the playground or school grounds. These changes are intended to minimize exposure to both staff and your children during COVID-19.

Visitors will be welcome with an appointment only. Visitors will not be allowed in our classrooms.

If you need to drop something off for your child, please check in with Reception in advance and leave the items outside of reception where they will be collected. Please follow these guidelines when visiting the school.

1. Seek approval for the visit from the person to be visited.
2. Complete a self-health check
3. Arrive wearing a face covering
4. Sanitize hands upon entry
5. Sign in
6. Comply with social distancing norms.

WWS has implemented changes to its existing prolonged absence process in response to covid-19.

1. Precautionary/Short term Absence (absence up to 3 days)
2. Extended Absence (3 days + requires form)
3. Transitional Absence (14 days + requires form)

For more details, view WWS Absence Programs 2020

To report an extended Absence, please use one of the following forms:

Extended Fillable Absence Program & Application Form

Transitional Absence Fillable Application Form 2020-2021

Do not send your child to school if you suspect he or she may be ill, and has exhibited any of the following signs or symptoms:

• An elevated temperature of 100 degrees or more during the last 24 hours.
• Vomiting within the last 24 hours.
• Repeated episodes of diarrhea within the last 24 hours.
• Chills, loss of appetite, unusual fatigue, and/or lingering headache.
• A significant amount of nasal discharge, particularly if the discharge is yellow or greenish in color.
• A persistent cough.
• A significant sore throat.
• An earache.

Parents also have the responsibility to alert the school as to the reason why they are keeping the student home. In Early Years, students are required to stay home for a minimum of 24-48hrs (depending on the illness) and to also have a medical note (depending on the illness for their return).

In September, BC CDC provided the following COVID-19 clarification for how to evaluate new symptoms:

Students and staff should stay at home when new symptoms of illness develop. The key symptoms to watch for are fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, loss of sense of small or taste, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

• If the parent indicates that the symptoms are consistent with a previously diagnosed health condition and not unusual for that individual, they may return to school.
• For mild symptoms without fever, monitor at home for 24 hours. If symptoms improve, they can return to school without further assessment. If symptoms include fever or if after 24 hours symptoms remain unchanged or worsen, seek a health assessment (call 8-1-1, see a primary care provider or go to a Covid-19 testing centre.)

In order to lessen the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak, parents must agree to monitor their child(ren)’s health each day that their child(ren) attends school using this Daily Home Screening for Students. 

Parents are required to fill out an agreement form (before the start of the school year), acknowledging and agreeing to perform daily health checks at your home.

At WWS we will have three learning pods. Classes will not be combined.

Learning pods are simply to reduce student contact during transitions, traffic flow and with teachers. Should you not be comfortable with a return to school, please look at our Extended Absence Program.

For more specific info., please see  WWS Stage 2 Learning Pod Information

On the advice of Dr. Bonnie Henry (PHO), non-medical masks are not recommended for elementary students due to the increased likelihood they will touch their face and eyes, as well as require assistance to properly put on and take off their mask.

All students in Grades 6+ will be supplied with two re-usable masks for use when they are outside of their learning pod and physical distancing cannot be maintained.

The decision for anyone to wear a mask in the classroom is a personal one that will be respected.

New guidelines are in place for disposing of classroom garbage, recycling and organics in order to limit waste collection and protect the health and safety of our students, teachers and staff. ALL students will be asked to “pack-out” what they “pack-in”.

No sharing of clothing, food or supplies will be allowed at this time. Please clean up after yourself in the classroom.

If a student becomes unwell at school, parents will be immediately called to pick up their child as soon as possible.

Who should I contact at the school if our family is in isolation from recently travelling outside of Canada? 

In addition to B.C. Health, Health Canada is advising against all non-essential travel outside of Canada (including the United States). If you do travel outside of Canada, you are asked to self-isolate (stay away from school or work) for 14 days upon your return to B.C. If you plan on being outside of Canada during the school year, please contact Reception to update the school of your plans.

What additional steps is the school taking for extra cleaning at this time?

The school will take extra care with cleaning and disinfection processes, with particular attention to common surfaces during this heightened situation. Additional cleaning of common surfaces by faculty/staff  is happening at regular intervals throughout the school day and the evening cleaning crew is using a more significant disinfectant protocol as recommended by the health authorities.

As well, all faculty, staff and students are required to maintain appropriate hand washing and sanitizing protocols upon entering the building and throughout the day.

Individual parents, guardians, faculty or staff are not authorized to provide any public statements about potential or confirmed COvid-19 cases unless directed to do so from VCH.

What about school events, gatherings and field trips?

WWS will make decisions about holding or canceling future school events and field trips with an abundance of caution and based on updated information from the Provincial Health Authority. WWS will send a direct email to families with updated information in advance.

How can I keep from getting sick and spreading COVID-19?

Vancouver Coastal Health recommends the following preventive actions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an
  alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water when your hands are visibly dirty.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick (and do not return to school until you are fever-free for 24 hours without medication). We ask you to strictly adhere to this
• policy.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash hands.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.