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 Arts 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 ‘British Columbia 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 Vancouver Island 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 independent school 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