The long-awaited New Westminster back-to-school plan is now available.
The district’s detailed plan for the Phase 2 return to school has now been posted online. The plan seeks to address growing community concern about September in light of rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in B.C.
In keeping with provincial directives, New Westminster's plan is based around the idea of “learning groups,” or cohorts, of students to minimize contact and maximize the possibility of physical distancing. The province has mandated learning groups of up to 60 children for elementary and middle schools and up to 120 for high school – and the New Westminster plan comes in under those maximums.
As outlined in a letter from superintendent Karim Hachlaf, the plan calls for elementary school cohorts of 30 people or less, with staggered recess and lunch times to reduce the number of kids in hallways and common spaces. There will also be signage and “coordinated movement” to control students’ interactions within the school, and learning groups will have designated entry and exit points to help keep them apart.
At middle schools, students will see cohorts of no more than 60 students. Again, the school district plan is calling for staggered start and dismissal times as well as assigned entryways for specific learning groups. Adults and students will be required to wear masks when entering the building and when moving through common or shared spaces.
For New Westminster Secondary School, cohorts will average between 90 and 100 people. Grade 9 students will continue to learn on a semester-based system, with one day a week (Wednesday) devoted to remote learning and the other four days in class. For grades 10 to 12, courses will be offered on a “quarter” system, with students taking two courses at a time for about 10 weeks apiece. Two half-days a week will be offered remotely, for a total of 20% remote and 80% in-class learning.
A key feature of the plan is also the provision of alternative options for those families who choose not to return to in-class instruction. (See related story here.)
“We firmly believe that the best place for students to learn is inside our schools,” Hachlaf’s letter says. “But we also recognize that every family is facing their own set of challenges – from serious health concerns to the anxiety that the uncertainties of a pandemic have presented. So we’re really proud of the new and expanded alternatives we’ve worked hard to deliver for New Westminster students and their parents.”
Those options include a newly created online learning program for students in kindergarten to Grade 8, with expanded offerings added to the existing online options for high school students.
Families can also choose one of two existing options: the Hume Park Home Learners Program and home schooling.
The Hume Park Home Learners Program is a form of schooling known as “distributed learning” that has parents partner in creating their child’s education. It includes part-time attendance on-site at the Hume Park centre and the rest of the learning happening from home.
With home schooling, the child’s education is entirely directed by the parent and isn’t supervised by a teacher.
Students with immune suppression may also be eligible for an individualized option. Though the district notes that most immunocompromised children can return safely to school, those with a doctor’s note may qualify for some form of accommodation. Families need to contact their school principal by no later than 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 31.
Registration for alternative education options opens at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 27 and closes at 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 31.
A full description of all these options can be found on the school district’s website.
The back-to-school plans include a detailed health and safety document that sets out protocols.for everything from cleaning and the use of PPE to case finding, contact tracing and hand hygiene. Check out that plan here.
Families in New Westminster will also be hearing from their school principal with school-specific details, including bell schedules and the timing for the first two days of the school year, Sept. 10 and 11, which are designated as orientation days.
Teachers will be back in class on Sept. 8 for two prep days before students arrive.
For up-to-date information, be sure to see www.newwestschools.ca.
