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Chilliwack Board of Education reaches out to families of students

No concrete answers yet to questions about educational plan moving forward
21136672_web1_SchoolboardGroupShot
The Chilliwack School Board, 2019-2020. (Submitted)

With spring break over, the Chilliwack Board of Education is reaching out to families of students to discuss how the rest of the school year will look amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

But so far there are few concrete answers as to what exactly the educational plan will look like for students and parents going forward. By Tuesday morning, some teachers had reached out to families via email but not all.

“In the coming week you will be receiving more specific details from our superintendent, principals and teachers,” the board’s letter stated. “In the meantime, and always, please see the Chilliwack School District website at www.sd33.bc.ca for information and updates as they are available.”

Below is the full letter sent out on March 31:

• READ MORE: Chilliwack parents asked to ‘be patient’ as school district rolls out pandemic plan

• READ MORE: ‘Back to school, in a virtual way’ for B.C. students in COVID-19 pandemic

Dear Families,

With the end of Spring Break, we begin the transition to a very different delivery model in order to provide continuity of educational opportunities for students and other community supports during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Once again, we would like to thank you for being our Partners in Learning. It is by working together that we will continue to support student academic achievement, social emotional learning and growth in a safe, inclusive environment.

As a Board we care deeply about the success of students and their safety is paramount. These are unprecedented times and we understand the challenges parents and students are facing. We are committed to meeting the educational needs of students by making sure we prioritize how best to serve our families.

Our staff continue to work hard and we would like to reassure parents that we will have a cohesive plan in place to ensure your student is successfully supported for the rest of the school year.

Since this news was announced on March 17, district staff have been making plans to support the delivery of ongoing learning opportunities for students based on guidance provided by the Ministry of Education. These plans are informed by the following four principles, in order of priority:

1. Maintain a healthy and safe environment for all students, families and employees.

2. Provide the services needed to support children of our essential workers.

3. Support vulnerable students who may need special assistance.

4. Provide continuity of educational opportunities for all students.

To our students, whether you are in kindergarten and missing your teacher and friends, or you’re in grades 5 or 8 and wondering how this will affect your transition to middle or high school, or you’re a grade 12 student and disappointed about what this means for all your grad activities and celebrations, we can only imagine how confusing and overwhelming this must be for you. We understand that this is really hard and we want you to know that we care about you and will do everything we can to make this situation easier for you.

The challenges caused by COVID-19 are extensive and change daily. We thank our dedicated senior staff and all employees for their commitment to our students’ education and well-being. They are following provincial guidelines and making adjustments to reflect our unique local issues and needs. We are in good hands.

These are trying times but they are temporary. We want you to be confident that we will get through this together. In the coming week you will be receiving more specific details from our Superintendent, principals and teachers. In the meantime, and always, please see the Chilliwack School District website at www.sd33.bc.ca for information and updates as they are available.

We thank you for continuing to follow the provincial health orders for physical distancing and hygiene practices. With your understanding and patience, our school community will emerge stronger and closer than ever.

Sincerely,

Chilliwack Board of Education


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