NOTE: This story was updated at 6:53 p.m. on Aug. 26 with new information.
Students who need extra supports from their local school this fall will still get them, even in the era of COVID-19.
That’s one of the messages New Westminster school district superintendent Karim Hachlaf delivered to parents during a townhall meeting held via zoom on Monday, Aug. 24.
Hachlaf told parents that the district won’t compromise on its ability to support students with diverse needs, even in the midst of the pandemic.
He said students who require specialized supports and services – such as counselling, education assistants, speech and language pathologists and the like – will still be able to access those. Students with IEPs (individual education plans) will also continue to get the support they need for those plans.
“Our students with diverse needs will not be excluded,” he said. “Inclusion remains a priority.”
Social and emotional supports will be available for both students and staff to provide extra help in the COVID-19 era, and school meal programs will continue with new COVID-19 safety protocols in place.
Hachlaf said the district will also ensure that in-person and remote learning options are available to accommodate “unique family circumstances” where the typical classroom setting won’t work.
And the school district will continue to reach out to parents of preschoolers by continuing its Strong Start centres – which will now be available by appointment, rather than drop-in, with distancing measures in place.
“We want to work with you in every possible way,” Hachlaf told parents.
The district is also working to reassure families with health concerns and worries about immune-compromised family members.
“Even students with immune-compromised systems can very much attend school,” he said, noting the provincial health officer has provided direction to that effect.
However, Hachlaf said there may be “rare circumstances” where a student’s or family member’s medical concerns make it unsafe to attend class in person, and he urged families to reach out to their school principal to discuss their personal situation. Doctor’s notes will be required, and those cases will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Families in this situation need to reach out to their school principal by no later than 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 31.
Hachlaf told the Record that the school district will do its best to try to meet every family’s needs, whatever those may be.
“We want families to know that we are going to continue to work with parents every step of the way,” he said. “This is an evolving situation, and we want to do our best to support our students and their families. We want to be really upfront about what we know we can guarantee, but where we can, we’ll do our best to accommodate the needs people have.”
The district’s full back-to-school plan is online now.
Parents who have questions are asked to email [email protected].
