WWS’ COVID-19 Updates*

*Most recent update: Oct 5, 2021

Stay at Home When Sick

  • Personal Daily Health Assessment

    Students and staff should are requested to stay at home when:

    • New symptoms of illness develop. If the symptoms are consistent with a previously diagnosed health condition and not unusual for you, you may return to school.  For mild symptoms without fever, monitor at home for 24 hours. If symptoms improve, you 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 or complete a Health Check online.)
    • You have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19, you will be asked to stay away from school for 14 days from the last date of possible exposure.

DO YOUR DAILY CHECK >

  • Ongoing WWS Sickness Policy

    Please 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 and/or 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 and/or a significant sore throat and/or an earache.

WWS SICKNESS POLICY >

Child Unwell at School?

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

Report Student Absences

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

(1) Precautionary/Short term – Email School  (absence up to 3 days)

(2) Extended Absence Fillable Form (3 days + requires form).

(3) Transitional Absence Fillable Application Form 2020-2021 (long-term during Covid-19 + requires form).

There are a variety of reasons a student may be away from school.  Please read WWS Absence Programs 2021-2022 to understand which category your child’s absences fall into. Please note that all absences of three days or more require an absence form to be completed and sent to Reception. All absences should be reported to Reception daily ideally prior to 9am.

TRAVELLING OUTSIDE OF CANADA? 

If WWS families or students are planning on travelling outside of Canada during the school year, you are asked to please adhere to the travel guidelines as set out by the Government of Canada Covid Travel Requiements. This helpful link is for vaccinated families who are travelling outside of Canada with children 12 and under who are unable to be vaccinated at this time.  Please note that unvaccinated children under 12 are expected to self-isolate upon their return which may require an Extended Leave of Absence form for the school. 

Please contact Reception directly to update the school of any travel plans and coordinate submitting details.

Email Reception to Report Student Absence

Parents have the responsibility to alert the school for student illness. For Early Years, children are required to stay home for a minimum of 24-48hrs and the school may ask for a medical note to return (depending on their illness).

Expectations for School Community

  • Visitors at School

    Visitors will be welcome with an appointment.

    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 before & Sign out after your visit @ Reception in SG Field House

  • Pick-up & Drop Off Procedures

    We are no longer required to stagger pick-up and drop-off times and strict physical distancing is not required, however, we ask all school members to respect others’ personal space. We will continue to use floor markings to address traffic flow throughout the school to minimize crowding and allow for ease of people passing through. Indoor visits still require an appointment.

  • Meetings, Field Trips & School Events

    For this year, field trips and outdoor education High School group semester trips will be planned with the expectation that if circumstances change for Provincial Health guidelines (beyond our control), they may be cancelled or rescheduled at any time. Most families will hear from their teacher through email in advance of any school events that may affect their student. .

Expectations in Class

  • Masks at School & Classrooms

    The provincial government has announced that beginning Monday, October 4, 2021, all students in B.C. schools will be required to wear a mask when inside a school building, including while at their desks and on buses. This builds on the existing guidelines that currently apply to all students in grades 4-12. Learn more about this change to the face coverings mandate in the Ministry of Education news release.

    Because we recognize that many students in grades K-3 may not be used to wearing masks, we will be doing the following to support your child(ren):

    • teachers will spend slowly introduce the goal of building mask wearing into student routines by Wednesday, October 6.
    • when possible K-3 classes we will spend more time outdoors. Please ensure that your child has a daily change of clothes, quality rain gear, layers and warm clothes.
    • transparent school desk barriers for students from K-3 have been purchased. Due to high demand and irregularity of shipping transport at this time, patience is required for this order to arrive.

    Mask wearing remains a personal or family/caregiver choice for these students. Please note: The decision regarding individual requirements when choosing to wear a mask is a private and personal one that will be respected. Please contact Brian Gohlke, Director of Business & Finance if you’d like to discuss exemptions to the mask policy.

  • School Supplies & Food

    WWS will continue with current guidelines to properly dispose of classroom garbage, recycling and organics in order to limit waste collection and protect the health and safety of our students, teachers and staff. Students are  encouraged to “pack-out” what they “pack-in”.

    Sharing of clothing, food or supplies will be limited and strictly monitored for Covid-safety protocols. Please clean up after yourself in the classroom.

  • School Cleaning Protocols

    The school will continue with Covid-19 Facilities Hygiene procedures including cleaning and disinfection processes 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.

BC Education & VCH (Sea to Sky) Updates

General Health & Communication Guidelines

  • COVID-19 school exposure communication

    What will happen if there is a confirmed COVID-19 exposure at school?

    WWS will heed the advice of provincial public health officials if a student or faculty member is confirmed to have been at school during an infectious period of COVID-19. If an exposure risk is determined to be valid, then public health will direct the school to communicate any recommended suggestions to students and staff.  Public Health will attempt to preserve private information of individuals or families involved, unless required for contact tracing.

    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.

    For more details on school exposures or any questions related to Covid-19, please visit Vancouver Coastal Health’s website.

  • Schools as "Controlled" Environments

    How ‘safe’ is a school environment?

    Infection prevention and exposure control measures help create safe environments by reducing the spread of communicable diseases like COVID-19. These are more effective in “controlled” environments where multiple measures of various effectiveness can be routinely and consistently implemented. Schools are considered a “controlled” environment by public health because:

    1. Schools include a consistent grouping of people.
    2. Schools have robust illness policies for students and staff.
    3.  Schools can implement effective personal practices that can be consistently reinforced and are followed by most people in the setting (e.g. diligent hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, etc.).
    4. Schools can implement a variety of health and safety measures (e.g., enhanced cleaning and disinfecting practices, using outdoor space for learning activities, grouping students and staff in learning groups to limit in-person interactions, implementing staggered schedules, etc.)

What can I do to help stop the spread?

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

  • Vaccination for those 12 and over – Vaccines are the most effective way to reduce the risk of COVID-19 in schools. Everyone eligible is strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated (i.e., receive 2 doses) against COVID-19 to protect themselves and those around them – including those who are not eligible to be vaccinated. Both doses are needed to get the most effective protection against serious cases of COVID-19 and provide longer-lasting protection.
  • Maintain a distance of 2 meters for person-to-person conversations.
  • Wear a mask indoors. In B.C., it is now required to wear a non-medical face mask in public indoor spaces.
  • 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 complete self-monitoring/health assessments daily.
  • 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.

BC Education’s Learning Stages & Various Resources

(*Updated Sept.7, 2021)

Whistler Waldorf is currently in Stage 1 of BC’s Ministry of Education – COVID 19 Stages of Learning model.

Stage 1: Full  Class Instruction

1. Will students be in cohorts? Schools are no longer required to use learning pod groups or cohorts in Stage 1.

2. How will co-curriculars be affected? WWS does not foresee any significant differences during this stage and anticipates returning to our normal overnight outdoor education trips in Stage 1.

3. Do students need remain physically distant? Strict physical distancing is not required, however, WWS reminds students and staff about respecting others personal space and will use available space to spread people out. WWS will also continue to take students outside more often, where and when possible.

For online distance learning resources with helpful education learning links, view WWS’s Fun Links & Resources for Parents

For specific details on WWS E-learning or distance learning plans and links, view WWS’ E-learning Updates