SHAWNIGAN Project Restart 2020-2021 CONTENTS

1) Introductory letter 2) Overview 3) Restart Plan Guiding Principles 4) Mitigation Strategies 5) 2020/21 Provisional School Calendar 6) Start of Year Arrival 7) Campus Implementation 8) Boarding Houses & Day Students 9) Dining Hall 10) Academics 11) Athletics 12) Fine 13) Health Centre 14) Final Word 15) Contact Us 16 ) References

www.shawnigan.ca Dear Shawnigan Lake School Parents and Guardians,

As we move into the final stage of the 2019/20 academic year, we are so proud of the way that our community has responded to the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented. Through SOUL and SOUL Seeking, teachers have been able to support our students in their learning and to maintain the community connections that we value so dearly. Students have shown the resilience, creativity and work ethic that we have come to expect from such a special group. We have appreciated the partnership that you have provided over the past months and your patience and support have given us strength during these challenging days. As we plan ahead to a full restart of on-site boarding education at Shawnigan for the school year 2020/21, we have been buoyed by the recent Ministry of Education’s endorsement of our ‘ Boarding Schools - Restart Plan’. The Shawnigan Lake School community is well-placed to provide the safest possible educational experience for your children, while maintaining the highest possible standards of curricular/co-curricular programming and pastoral care. To plan the details of how we will manage the upcoming academic year, a ‘Project Restart’ Task Force has been established, which has been working towards developing a series of mitigation strategies that will enable Shawnigan to operate in a safe, challenging and productive manner. This team has been working in consultation with experienced healthcare professionals (including former BC Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Perry Kendall), boarding school educators from and from across the world and our own Shawnigan Lake School staff. As our work continues to develop, it is important that we keep our Shawnigan community abreast of the progress that we are making. With British Columbia continuing to wage a successful battle against COVID-19 and no active cases on Vancouver Island since June 4, there is much cause for optimism. However, at Shawnigan, we are fully aware of the need for vigilance and accept that there may still be challenging times ahead. We look forward to providing you with more information in the near future and, in the meantime, hope this document provides reassuring answers to the questions you have. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to our House Directors if you have any other questions or would like more information.

Kind regards,

Matt Clinton-Baker Assistant Head - Student Life

1 Overview

Following March Break and the province-wide suspension of in-class learning by the B.C. Ministry of Education, Shawnigan Lake School quickly pivoted to the Shawnigan Online Unique Learning (SOUL) platform, moving the Shawnigan experience online and supporting the continuity and quality of our students’ learning. In parallel with the B.C. Ministry of Health’s approach to control the spread of the novel COVID-19 virus, Shawnigan also immediately implemented a number of critical mitigation strategies. Since our School prioritizes the wellness of students and staff, we plan on implementing even more mechanisms to support our community as we embrace the return to a full on-campus, in-person boarding and day experience in September 2020. We are also creating a communciations strategy with other local private and public schools to keep our local Shawnigan community up to speed with our plans. We believe our action plan is thoughtful, safe, responsible and comprehensive, with strong structures in place to support our students’ physical and mental health and wellbeing. We hope the details contained within inspire and secure a shared confidence. Thank you for your partnership, your commitment and your belief in Shawnigan.

Watch Awake My SOUL Video: Intro to Campus Restart

2 Restart Plan Guiding Principles

The Project Restart Task Force has established the following guiding principles to help us achieve our goal. To resume boarding at Shawnigan, we must: • Comply with any requirements ultimately set out by the relevant health authorities and Worksafe BC • Focus on safety and wellbeing by providing the safest possible education option outside of home- based, online learning • Provide the ‘Shawnigan standard’ of education and pastoral care • Develop and implement a comprehensive COVID-19 infection response plan

As the diagram above outlines, the safety of Shawnigan students and staff is imperative. However, we recognize that, alongside our medical support structures and controls on campus, we need to build in exceptional mental health provision for our community. Students will be returning to campus, either as boarding or day students, after an extended period of time at home and away from the usual routines of School life. As such, we shall build in extra provision in terms of mental health and wellbeing support systems for the next academic year. These measures will include developing resources such as internal and external counselling for individuals, a deliberately designed pastoral care program, greater access to on-line support and resources, and BC Ministry of Health recommended support systems for high school age students.

Mental Health Resources in Other Languages Mental Health Crisis Line 1-800-784-2433 Here to Help Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre

3 Mitigation Strategies

Using COVID-19 public health and safety guidelines for K-12 school settings, school districts and authorities from sources including The BC Centre for Disease Control, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and WorkSafe BC, we have developed a series of mitigation strategies that will enable Shawnigan to operate in a safe and productive manner.

General Hygiene Sanitizing Spaces/Surfaces Physical Distancing • Frequent handwashing • Implementation of increased • Create a culture of physical • Coughing/sneezing sanitizing of frequently distancing (2 metres) • Avoid sharing food/drinks touched surfaces e.g. door • Limit large gatherings • Avoid face touching handles, hand railings, desks, • Visible spacing markers • Proper diet, sleeping, general washrooms • Reduce class size wellness • Enhanced laundry/ • Adjust boarding house • Directions to stay ‘home’ housekeeping protocols protocols when feeling ill • Easy access to hand sanitizers

Engineering Controls Administrative Controls Personal Protective Equipment • In key areas, such as • Campus protocols on entry (PPE) reception and Marion Hall, for day students, staff, • Access to face coverings erect physical barriers e.g. parents, guests deliveries • Increased use of PPE for key plexiglass • Directional signs for areas of the school • Enhanced food service pedestrians protocols. Rather than buffet- • Avoid congestion by varying style meals, food services timetables staff to prepare plated or • Athletic delivery modifications takeout meals • Adjust yearly breaks/ calendar • Continue to have access to our distance learning platform • Health centre protocols • Testing/contact tracing processes

4 2020/21 Provisional School Calendar

While the school calendar that was published in February continues to offer the most comprehensive overview of the 2020-21 academic year, we are in a position to advise families that it will be wise to plan on Shawnigan students remaining in Canada until at least Spring break 2021. Please factor this into your family plans. The Shawnigan network will be providing host family partnerships. We are fully aware of the challenges that this will pose to our international families. Please rest assured that Shawnigan will fully support you in making sure that all students are safely and happily engaged during the school breaks and holidays over the first two terms. Please note that Spring break 2021 may start one week later to coincide with proposed changes to the break currently being considered by the local school district. We will have to be flexible as the Canadian Government’s international travel restrictions, including potential impact on student visas, may hamper the ability of all students to join us on campus for the start of the school year. Please keep checking regularly for opening announcements for VACs (Visa Application Centres). As of now, students in 23 cities, including those in countries such as Germany, China and Japan, are able to complete the biometric portion of their study permit application. Students with a study permit confirmed before March 18 are exempt from the current travel restrictions, and students with a study permit confirmed after March 18 may be exempt. We are still waiting on clarification regarding the latter. More detailed and revised information on breaks and any other necessary adjustments will be communicated towards the end of August.

August 24 Option for quarantine on campus* September 7 - 9 Start of the 2020/21 academic year September 10 First day of classes October 9 - 12 Thanksgiving break October 30 - Nov 8 Mid-term break (home stays) * We will be in December 17 - Jan 5 Christmas holidays touch with further information in early January 5 Classes resume July.

5 Start of Year Arrival

Shawnigan Lake School will support our families in organizing and facilitating the quarantine period that will be required for some students before they are able to integrate back into campus life. We will be welcoming back students using a phased approach: • International students will be expected to return to Shawnigan in late August, with the latest arrival date of August 24. The quarantine period will finish on September 7, which is the official start to the 2020/21 academic year. Families will have a choice of quarantine options:

• Develop an off-campus plan that is submitted to the Admissions Department and approved by the Shawnigan Health Centre team, OR,

• Shawnigan provides students with a quarantine program on campus, which will result in an extra cost to families choosing this option.

If any international student is unable to return to Shawnigan by the August 24 quarantine start date, Shawnigan will support families in developing a bespoke quarantine plan based on study permit timelines and immigration regulations. Please email Mrs. Pollock for more information about this ([email protected]). • Canadian students based outside of BC may also need to quarantine, depending on the latest guidance given by the Government health authorities. The School will be in contact with families living outside of BC in mid-August to confirm plans.

• BC students will be asked to arrive at the Shawnigan campus on Sept 7. This is based on the current COVID-19 situation in BC and will be confirmed in mid-August.

6 Campus Implementation

The Project Restart team is busy making the necessary preparations to our campus and the changes to routines and procedures that will be part of the ‘new normal’ in September. We are developing our risk mitigation measures which will be implemented in all areas of campus life, including daily arrivals and departures, boarding houses, food provision in Marion Hall, curricular and co-curricular programming, transportation, laundry, housekeeping, maintenance, grounds keeping, and service and community engagement:

Daily Arrival • Each morning, boarding students to have a health check carried out by a member of staff • Prior to arrival on campus, day students and staff are asked to do a self-assessment / personal health check (with support from parents for students) • Ensure clear protocols and base location for day students whilst on campus • No parents or visitors on campus except by appointment with infection control safeguards • Staff, parents, visitors, or other community members that are ill, should not enter campus • Arrival protocols for all deliveries and contractors • Use of our security team to support restricted access to campus

Campus Movement • Clearly marked pedestrian pathways • Limit guest entry with clear visitor protocols

7 Boarding Houses

While we are opening as a full boarding school in September, there will be some temporary measures put in place to make sure that we prioritize safety above all else, while still promoting the quality boarding experience that sets Shawnigan Lake School apart. Boarding houses will continue to be the beating heart of life at Shawnigan and while routines will be different, students will be able to relax physical distancing protocols while in house in ‘bubbles,’ which are made up of small groups of students in close proximity to each other and who share a bathroom facility. Daily health screening will be conducted in boarding houses by an enhanced nursing/COVID-care team who will lead the extra health support that will be provided in addition to the excellent services provided by Director of Health Services Heather Craib and her Health Centre team. There will also be a strong emphasis put on supporting the mental health of our community, which will continue to be managed by Erica Plater and her Counselling team.

Day Students

Shawnigan Lake School is very proud of the way that our day students are fully integrated into the day to day routines of our full boarding school culture. Initially, day students will have limited access to their boarding houses, which we aim to relax in a graduated manner as the term progresses.

8 Dining Hall

Our Marion Hall Food Services team is looking forward to having students back on campus. While the delivery of food will be different, we remain committed to providing a wide variety of delicious, healthy and sustainably sourced menus, with the same attention to detail and specific dietary needs as ever.

• To avoid congestion, we will vary dining times • Plated or takeout meals • Food services staff to have access to PPE in line with latest guidance from the Ministry of Health • Use of physical barriers • Using WorkSafe BC Guidelines, create a COVID-19 safety plan that will be shared and posted

9 Academics

If there are no attendance restrictions by the provincial government, we are confident that we will be able to have full, in-class instruction with adjustments made to class sizes. This will mean the prioritizing of class size to classroom space. We are anticipating that we will be able to follow our usual daily schedule with built-in flexibility to shift classes into the evening if need be. Should circumstances change and restrictions be altered through the school year, we will look to seamlessly pivot to our SOUL programming or to a blended model where appropriate.

• Increased separation of desks in classes • When applicable, look for opportunities to create learning ‘bubbles’ • Adapt other spaces across the campus as spacious classrooms • To reduce density, limit class sizes • Within the classroom, limit student movement and put stringent routines in place for break- times and classroom changes • When collaborating, use physical barriers and face coverings • To avoid transition congestion, allow more time between classes • Use common areas, such as the Jim and Kathryn Shaw Library, ensuring twice a day cleaning / sanitizing of common touch areas including keyboards • Potentially shift some classes into the evening • Maintain distance learning infrastructure • At least twice daily, high touch area cleaning

10 Athletics

We are preparing for a positive return to athletics and will be guided by the Ministries of Health and Education and respective sport associations in this regard. If, as we hope, the situation stays the same or continues to improve, we will expand as the relevant agencies allow us. If circumstances shift and restrictions are put in place during the school year, we are confident that, given the breadth of our indoor and outdoor on-campus sporting facilities (including the Charlie Purdey Arena) that our students will be able to enjoy a robust athletic experience unparalleled across the province.

• Limit groupings and contact • Avoid some sport offerings, e.g. contact sports • Develop sporting and outdoor activities programs to support exercise (and physical distancing) • Increase hygiene protocols before and after activities • Frequent cleaning of equipment and spaces

11 Fine Arts

Shawnigan is committed to offering students a well-rounded educational experience. Significant thought and care are being put into planning the best way to deliver our diverse and dynamic fine arts and activities co-curricular programming, while including important health and safety modifications in our performing arts offerings and in our studios.

• All arts studios and teaching facilities will be set up for appropriate recommended physical distancing • Directional signage will be used where required • All students will sanitize their hands both at entry to and exit from fine arts activities • End of class protocols will involve sanitizing of equipment such as desks, instruments, and materials • If required by the activity, physical barriers and face coverings will be used • After each class, high touch area cleaning by students and staff • Potentially shift some fine offerings into the evening

12 Health Centre

The Health Centre, staffed by our compassionate and knowledgeable health care team, remains the focal point of student health and wellness on campus. In addition to our core health care team, we will have extra staffing for next year comprising two nurse interns and two COVID-19 care assistants. We have created a first draft COVID-19 Infection Response Plan that that will allow us to deal with all student illness in a measured and appropriate manner. The detailed plan will be released closer to school opening so that all of the information included is up to date with respect to current public health guidelines. In summary, our Infection Response Plan entails the following steps:

• Each boarding house has a number of single rooms with individual bathrooms, where any student exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms will self-isolate until a COVID-19 test result has been administered and the results (available within 24 hours) have been received by the School Health Centre • If the test is negative, the student will be moved back into their room • If the test is positive, the student will be moved into a quarantine facility that will be staffed by Shawnigan medical professionals. Any positive COVID-19 test will be reported to the Public Health Office, the Headmaster and the Assistant Head (Student Life). 13 Final Word

Shawnigan Lake School takes seriously the safety and wellness of our students, staff, parents, and local community. We believe we can successfully navigate our return to on-campus learning by putting in place a measured and safe framework for the start of the academic year and supporting the Ministry of Health’s recommendations during this pandemic. We are committed to ensuring that our campus is safe and protected with robust plans in place for restart. Together, our entire community is committed to working through these challenging times with confidence. We look forward to seeing you on campus this fall.

Project Restart Team Matt Clinton-Baker, Assistant Head, Student Life Julian Butcher, Director of Operations Michelle Rennie, Transportation Manager Heather Craib, Director of Health Services Darrin Austin, Risk Management Katrina Cholack, Student Life Coordinator and House Director – Grove’s

And thank you to the Shawnigan Parents Association team who gave us key guidance.

14 Contact Us

Your first point of contact should be your House Director. For further details about how our mitigation strategies will be employed in any specific area of campus life, you can reach out to the following Shawnigan staff during the summer for more information:

General Office - [email protected] Student Life - Matt Clinton-Baker - [email protected] Academics - Wendy Milne - [email protected] Athletics - Tim Murdy - [email protected] Arts - Morgan McLeod - [email protected] Health Centre - Heather Craib - [email protected] Risk Management - Darrin Austin - [email protected] International Travel - Julia Pollock - [email protected]

15 References

• BC Centre of Disease Control, BC Ministry of Health - COVID-19: Public Health Guidance for K-12 School Settings • The Ministry of Education’s Provincial COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines for K-12 Settings • The Ministry of Education’s Supporting the K-12 Education Response to COVID-19 in BC -Operational Guidelines for School Districts and Independent School Authorities

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