2020/2021 School Year Plan

Updated: October 2, 2020

We have worked hard to develop comprehensive Health and Safety and School Year Plan so we can ensure the health, safety, and well-being of our entire community.

Please note:

The information below may change depending on updated government review, guidance, and implementation.

Our Values

Compassion - Southridge understands that individual responses to the pandemic are varied and that they are generated from multiple and varied influences. A human-centered approach is necessary. The school is compassionate in its approach to dealing with these differences while also upholding the regulatory directives of the Provincial Health Officer and the Minister of Education.
Truth - Southridge operates based on facts and truths related to COVID-19 as they are established by the scientific community, interpreted by the Provincial Health Officer, and integrated into the education system by the Ministry of Education.
Respect - Southridge respects the authority of provincial orders and directives to create healthy and safe school environments, and its daily operations are guided by the most recent information made available by regulatory bodies.
Tolerance - Southridge acts with an understanding that the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the way education looks and feels in K-12 schools globally, and our community is tolerant of those shifts while trusting the school to make decisions based on the priorities outlined below.

Our Priorities

Safety - The health and safety of our community, including students, teachers, staff, and families is the first priority in all decision making related to school operations and programming.
Relationships - Establishing healthy and secure relationships between adults, students, and families helps students feel safe. When students feel safe, they are better able to attend to their learning, and are more successful in all aspects of their cognitive, social, and emotional development at all ages.
Continuity of Learning - Intentional, thoughtful, and innovative approaches to teaching and learning between grade-levels and across the Junior and Senior Schools, regardless of the required stage of education, ensures that learning continues to influence the cognitive, social, and emotional growth of our students today and in the years to come.

Helpful Resources:

Ministry of Education Return to School

Health and Safety:

Health and Safety Guidelines

Health Screening Procedures

BC COVID-19 Symptom Self Assessment Tool

Attendance

Students and employees who have common-cold, influenza, or COVID-19 like symptoms must stay at home, seek assessment by a health-care provider, and self-isolate while they await results. If unsure if self-isolation or testing for COVID-19 is necessary, they are directed to use the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool and call 8-1-1 for further advice.
Full-time in-class learning is an expectation at Stage 2 of the BC K-12 Restart Plan. All Southridge educational programming takes place at school.
There may be a small number of students who are severely immune-compromised or have significant underlying medical conditions identified by a medical doctor as high risk to attend school. These students will be accommodated on a case-by-case basis to the best of the school’s ability upon provision of supporting documentation from a medical doctor to the appropriate school Principal.

Shifting Changes:

Shifting Changes:

With the uncertainties of COVID-19, and in accordance with the most recent health and safety guidelines for K-12 schools mandated by the Ministry of Education and the Provincial Health Officer, we will likely need to adapt/move through different stages of education across the 2020-21 school year, including:
- Stage 2: In-class - Students participate in full-time at-school learning. Learning Group size maximums are 60 students for K-7 and 120 students for Gr. 8-12.
- Stages 3 and/or 4: Hybrid - Students come to school some days and learn at home some days. Learning Group size maximums are 30 for K-7 and 60 for Gr. 8-12. The number of days is dependent on school density targets defined by the Ministry of Education.
- Stage 5: Remote in-class instruction is suspended; self-directed and remote learning replace in-class instruction.
Children (age 12 and under) of Essential Service Workers will have access to full-time in-school supervision of learning during Stages 3-5.
Students with designated learning needs will have opportunities for part or full-time in-school supervision of learning during Stages 3-5.

Health and Safety Plan

IMPORTANT: Please review our full Health and Safety Guidelines for a complete outline of the measures described below and more.

Safety at the Centre:

Daily Self Assessment:

Learning Groups:

In the Junior School: Learning Groups are based on the grade level. Students learn and socialize within their Learning Group. When students interact with adults or peers outside their Learning Group, whether indoors or outdoors, no physical contact is permitted and a 2m distance is expected.
In the Senior School: Learning Groups will be based around grade level and a semester system will be introduced. Students interacting with those outside of their cohort will be required to maintain physical distance whether indoors or outdoors.

Sanitization/Disinfection Routines:

Regular cleaning and disinfection are essential to preventing the transmission of COVID-19 from contaminated objects and surfaces. Southridge will be cleaned and disinfected in accordance with the BCCDC’s Cleaning and Disinfectants for Public Setting document. Southridge has developed procedures and checklists to ensure the complete and extensive cleaning of the school in adherence to the guidelines in our Health and Safety Guidelines document.
Please see our attached Health and Safety Plan which covers all of these areas in greater depth and clarity. A summary of our updates would include:
- Two additional cleaning porters have been hired to be on site all day, wiping high touch surfaces, and maintaining additional cleanliness standards.
- Student washrooms are being upgraded to touchless water faucets.
- All hand dryers have been replaced with compostable paper towels.
- Main doors to the school have been converted to touchless operation to eliminate a high-touch point.
- Water fountains have been closed and replaced with touchless water bottle filling stations.

Physical Distancing:

Each school has developed specific and intentional processes for students arriving at the school in the morning with extended arrival times.
Students and employees will be reminded to avoid close greetings (e.g., hugs, high fives, handshakes, etc.).
Students will be regularly reminded to keep their hands to themselves with visual cues and modelling as necessary.
Classrooms and school spaces are reconfigured to maintain distance between students and staff.
Flow of students and employees in hallways is managed by the use of visual cues including floor markings where there is two-way traffic flow.
Larger meetings and events at the school continue to be held in a virtual environment.
We have added signage, floor markings, and directional arrows throughout our buildings to aid in hallway transitions and high traffic areas of the school.
Classrooms have been physically rearranged to accommodate learners and teachers who are from outside of the learning cohort, or who need to keep their physical distance for health reasons.
Additional single desk/seating units have been purchased to maintain physical distancing where required in a classroom and a student is not part of the learning cohort.
Plexiglass has been installed in key areas (reception areas, library check-outs, etc) where it may prove difficult to keep physical distance. Schools have multiple exits to be used for transitions throughout the day and for dismissal at the end of the day.

Hand Hygiene:

Rigorous hand washing (20 second minimum) with plain soap and water is the most effective way to reduce the spread of illness.
Hand hygiene measures include:
- Additional hand washing stations - an outside hand sanitizing station has been added for the Junior School playground. Hand sanitizing stations have been placed in every classroom, as well as other high traffic locations throughout the school.
- Hand sanitizing stations in every classroom and all common areas.
- Hand hygiene posters and visuals displayed in washrooms and throughout the school.
- Amended routines and additional reminders built into schedules for hand washing.

Masks:

The Provincial Health Office has mandated that non-medical masks are required to be used when a person cannot maintain physical distance from those outside of their cohort or household.
Because we cannot guarantee physical distancing in high traffic spaces or at peak transition times times and spaces in the school, for the health and safety of our staff and students, we have added the following requirements:
- Grades 4-7: non-medical masks must be worn during arrival and dismissal.
- Grades 8-12: non-medical masks must be worn any time a student is outside of their Learning Group, including while in common spaces like hallways and the Great Hall, etc.
- Staff and Faculty: non-medical masks must be worn any time staff and faculty are outside of their learning groups, including while in common spaces like hallways and the Great Halls, etc.
- Visitors to campus: visitors to campus, including parents, guests, and tradespeople will be required to wear masks on campus at all times. Mask Wearing General Rule for Grade 8-12 students and adults: masks must be worn at all times unless you are in a classroom or outside with your learning group.
Mask Wearing General Rule for Grade 8-12 students and adults: masks must be worn at all times unless you are in a classroom or outside with your learning group.
Southridge will make a reusable mask available to each student and employee at the beginning of the year.
Disposable non-medical masks (single use) are available upon request for staff and students.

Student Transportation on Buses:

Additional Policies/Procedures:

Thermal cameras will take the temperatures of all students and staff at the main entrances of the two school buildings when they arrive for the day as an additional measure to identity those who may have elevated temperatures.
Our HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems) are in good operation and are regularly serviced under a preventative maintenance contract.
We have adjusted our HVAC systems for maximum fresh air intake (30%).
Employees will be encouraged to open classroom windows for maximum fresh air when the weather permits.

Southridge School

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