The Ministries of Education and Health provide updates, which SD83 is sharing with our parents and communities. Shuswap Middle School’s COVID-19 Quilting For A Cause was featured in the Ministry’s good news update (see below).
As of June 23, 2020, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced 13 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 2,835 cases in B.C. The statement is posted on the Ministry of Health newsroom – https://news.gov.bc.ca/ministries/health and also includes the latest modelling that was released on Tuesday.
B.C. Grad Video Series
Education Minister Rob Fleming’s Twitter and Facebook social media platforms are featuring a grad video of the day. You can watch all of the grad videos posted so far on a playlist called, “For B.C.’s Class of 2020”, on the B.C. Government YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osX1J-IzfzY&list=PLbER4Sxdn0R73_2b60oJ65w-i5QazqO6a
New! The BC Centre for Disease Control has updated its website with the most recent information on school safety and child care safety protocols. Please see http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/childcare-schools
Positive News Stories!
School District #44 – North Vancouver
A grade 10 North Vancouver student, Owen Ostler, is running a marathon in two months to raise money for Lions Gate Hospital (LGH). Due to COVID-19, LGH hasn’t had the funding to build its new Critical Care unit which would help support up to 1,400 patients a year with complex long- term health issues including heart, lung & kidney disease, step-down intensive care patients, post-surgical patients, and Emergency patients requiring close monitoring. Owen is collecting donations through a Go Fund Me page to help raise funds for LGH – https://gf.me/u/x6fs6d
School District #83 – North Okanagan – Shuswap
A quilt and a wall hanging have turned into dollars for food for students-in-need! A Shuswap Middle School counsellor named Sandy Little quilted a “Conquer COVID-19” scrappy lap quilt and wall hanging. With the help of her daughter, Molly, they decided to offer a “gift opportunity” to other SD83 staff members. For a donation going towards helping SD83 students and their families with food and mental health supports, their names would be entered for a chance to win either the quilt and the wall hanging. https://sd83.bc.ca/2020/06/08/quilting-for-a-cause/
School District #68 – Nanaimo-Ladysmith
An outdoor education teacher, Don Rinald, from Cedar Secondary near Nanaimo is singing in his best rap voice to his students as he creates fun weekly learning videos to take students along on his adventures – some of his outdoor excursions include mountain biking and crabbing.
Biking: https://youtu.be/BpgcETChSoE
Ten crab commandments: https://youtu.be/RjRD9JlhgSA
Useful Links:
- June 2 – Information Bulletin -Nearly 60,000 students return on first day of in-class instruction – https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020EDUC0037-000999
- May 15 – News release – Part time return to school for K to 12 students to begin on June 1st – https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020PREM0026-000890
- May 6 – B.C.’s Restart Plan news release – https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020PREM0026-000826
- May 6 – As part the Restart Plan news release, the province outlined the Ministry of Education’s five stage approach to supporting students, families and staff in a backgrounder – https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BG_Parks_and_Sites_and_In-Class_Learning.pdf
- Check out the Good News in Education webpage: https://www.gov.bc.ca/safeschools/goodnews
- The BC Centre for Disease Control’s COVID-19 dashboard: http://www.bccdc.ca/hea…/diseases-conditions/covid-19/data
- The Ministry of Education Keep Learning website – https://www.openschool.bc.ca/keeplearning/
- “7 Tips for talking to kids about COVID-19”poster on the Fraser Health website – https://www.fraserhealth.ca/health-topics-a-to-z/coronavirus/resources#.XqHcNc5KhPZ
- May 15 – Frequent Asked Questions “Continuity of Learning in the K-12 education system” – https://www.gov.bc.ca/safeschools
- Education Minister Rob Fleming announces on March 17, 2020 in-school classes are suspended until further notice. The Minister’s letter to parents and staff can be found at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/safe-caring-orderly/218690-covid-letter.pdf
- Information about COVID-19, including information for schools and families, is regularly updated on the BC Centre for Disease Control site: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/childcare-schools
- All joint statements from Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health Adrian Dix are posted here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/ministries/health
- The Provincial Pandemic Coordination plan: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/office-of-the-provincial-health-officer/reports-publications/pandemic-provincial-coordination-plan.pdf
- KIDS and COVID-19 QA:http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/coronavirus-(novel)#For–schools–and–childcare
- Ministry of Health response plans – https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/office-of-the-provincial-health-officer/current-health-topics/pandemic-influenza
- Government of Canada – Novel Coronavirus in China Travel Health Notice: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/travel-health-notices/210