The survey is now closed. Thank you to all families for filling it out and letting us know what the preferred learning option is for your family this year. If you didn't fill out the survey, please contact your child's school to let them know.
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Recently, the Minister of Education announced greater flexibility for school districts to support families who may not yet be ready to have their children return to in-class instruction. In follow-up to this announcement we reached out to families through a Thought Exchange survey to determine what kinds of options families were wanting. We appreciate the tremendous response and the challenging decisions faced by parents at this time. We want you to know that we are listening and adjusting our plan in accordance with that feedback. Three key themes emerged from the Thought Exchange: 1) offer a remote learning option, 2) maintain student spots in their classrooms and 3) reduce class size.
In response to that feedback we are adjusting our return-to-school plan to provide you with more information about a gradual transition option that will allow us to maintain your child’s placement in their current class and school until you are ready to have them return for in-class instruction.
Planning – Please read the following information carefully, then proceed to the survey at the end.
In order to accurately plan for our school start in a few weeks, we require families to provide us with an indication of their plans for returning to school. The short survey linked to this email will provide your school with information that will greatly assist in their planning. Given that there isn’t much time before schools are scheduled to open, we ask that you complete this survey as quickly as possible and no later than Tuesday, September 1 at 9p.m. This information is critical to our planning as we prepare for school start-up.
Options
Families will need to select from 1 of 4 instructional methods for each of their children:
- In-Class Learning: Student will return to in-class learning at school (Elementary and Middle 100% attendance model; Secondary 1/8 model, with attendance every day for either am or pm and independent study for the balance of the day).
- Gradual Transition Through Remote Learning (Kindergarten* - Grade 8 Only): Students will learn remotely through a teacher assigned by the district and maintain their place in their school for when they are ready to return. **Please see the information below regarding this option.
- Distributed Learning (DL), Grades 9-12: Student will enrol in a Distributed Learning program. Please see the following link for more information: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/support/classroom-alternatives/online-distributed-learning.
- Homeschool: Student will enrol in Homeschooling. Please see the following link for more information about this option: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/support/classroom-alternatives/homeschooling.
Option #2: Gradual Transition Through Remote Learning
On August 26th, the Minister of Education announced that school districts will be able to provide a remote learning option to families who are not quite ready to have their children return to in-class instruction.
In SD62, the Remote Learning option for students in Grades 1 - 8 will have the following components:
- Students will learn remotely at home with the assistance of a teacher assigned by the district (not their regular classroom teacher).
- Teachers will connect with students periodically throughout the week.
- The focus for all levels will be on the core academic subjects of Language Arts and Math.
- Students in French Immersion will have their spots maintained in the program but may not be able to receive remote learning in French. This will depend upon available staff.
- Individual Education Plans (IEPs) will be followed and supported.
- Parents and Caregivers must be prepared to provide the necessary support and guidance to help their children successfully keep on track with their learning.
*Students in Kindergarten will be connected to their classroom on a regular basis, but will not receive direct instruction through remote learning. With the play-based nature of kindergarten, building a connection to their classroom and providing suggestions for activities that families can do to support their skills development, will better suit student need.
In order to maintain a stable learning environment for students learning at school and those at home, students not returning to school in September (by September 30) will be provided an opportunity to transition back at a natural break during the year (i.e., winter or spring breaks). This is to minimize changes to Student Cohorts (Learning Groups) within the school. We anticipate the Remote Learning option will begin by September 21, 2020.
Secondary students (Grades 9 - 12) will not have access to the remote learning option but will be supported through Distributed Learning while maintaining their space at their school.
Students with Complex Medical Needs (Immunocompromised)
If your child has a medical condition that prevents them from learning at school, please contact your local school directly for more information. As we have always done, schools will continue to work with families to best support your children who are medically compromised.
Next Steps
Schools will contact families directly once they receive your choice for your child(ren).
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Scott Stinson
SD62 Superintendent of Schools