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Preparing to welcome students back to school

It’ll be a short and very different return
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It’s like a strange time warp.

Some students in Cowichan Valley School District No. 79 are going back to class and, yes, it is June 1 and not September, with the coronavirus shaking up the schedule and leaving students at home since the spring break.

The Board of Education for the Cowichan Valley School District has been hard at work with staff and partners to plan for the transition to part-time voluntary in-class instruction on June 1.

“We know that the announcement from Premier Horgan and Minister Fleming was met with a number of emotions and questions,” noted Candace Spilsbury, chair of the Cowichan Valley School District Board of Education. “Those emotions and questions are all valid as we navigate this change together.

“No matter what decision families make, whether to come to school or stay close to home, our district will support their learners. We are still committed to providing great educational opportunities to all learners.”

The return will only involve Kindergarten through Grade 5. Those students in Grades 6 through 12 will continue with virtual and at-home instruction.

“Schools are safe to open and we are excited to welcome those of you who are choosing to come back on June 1st,” added Spilsbury. “Our custodians have worked hard to implement the new cleaning and safety protocols created by the BC Centre for Disease Control and WorkSafeBC. We know it is safe to bring our learners back to school. Next week will see staff from our schools come back together to localize stage three of BC’s Education Restart plan, creating a ‘made in Cowichan’ response to schooling in our valley. These plans will be shared out to families from schools as they are finalized.

“We know there is work to be done, and the Board of Education is fully supporting our community as we navigate this transition back into class.”



Don Bodger

About the Author: Don Bodger

I've been a part of the newspaper industry since 1980 when I began on a part-time basis covering sports for the Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle.
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