Following the completion of a catchment boundary review with community consultation, on November 18, 2020, the Board of Education approved the implementation of the following catchment boundary changes for the 2021/22 school year:

• move study areas A1 and A2 to the Lochside Elementary catchment;
• move study area C to the Brentwood Elementary catchment;
• move study area D to the Cordova Bay Elementary catchment; and
• move study area E to the Lochside Elementary catchment.

More information regarding the study areas and the catchment boundary review can be found in the attached materials. For additional information, enquiries can be sent to  .

Parkland Track 2021 is a community lead initiative to replace the running track at Parkland Secondary, which is at the end of its life, with a new 8 lane track and soccer field. For more information on this initiative to create a competition quality athletics facility for the community, please visit https://www.parklandtrack2021.com/.

Saanich School District Seeks Community Input for School Catchment Boundary Review

The Saanich School District is seeking community input to inform a school catchment boundary review. The purpose of the review is to address imbalance between school capacities and catchment populations in the southern zone of the district, and to consider other catchment boundary issues that may exist in the district.

To balance school capacities with catchment populations, the district completed a study identifying options to add capacity where possible, and to adjust catchment boundaries where necessary

To participate in our survey, open until end of the day October 21, click here.

• For more information, click here.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Today, Island Health provided school districts with a letter that we are sharing with all parents about the new gargle test for COVID-19.  It provides information about the new test, when to go for the test, as well as health checks and return-to-school protocols.  You can find the letter Taking Your Student For a Mouth Rinse & Gargle COVID-19 Test on our district website here.

Sincerely

Dave Eberwein
Superintendent of Schools

Q&A have been grouped into four themes: Click here to view the answers.

1. RETURN TO SCHOOL
   1. ​Why are schools returning to in-class instruction in September?
   2. Is it safe for children to return to school?
   3. What has B.C. learned from the reopening of schools in other places?
2. HEALTH & SAFETY
   1. ​Why are safety measures in K-12 schools regarding physical distancing and masks different than what is expected in the general community?
   2. What is the frequency and protocol for classroom cleaning?
   3. Will playgrounds be sanitized between the different learning groups using them?
   4. How is SD63 ensuring that the HVAC systems are satisfactory?
   5. Will parents need to supply masks and sanitizing supplies?
   6. What happens if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 at the school?
   7. Will children keep their school supplies at school, or will they be expected to bring in their items daily?
   8. What is a daily health check? When and how should I do them?
   9. Will I be notified if there is a positive COVID-19 case in my child’s school?
   10. Is it safe to share books and other paper documents?
   11. How were the learning group sizes determined?
3. LEARNING COHORTS & PHYSICAL DISTANCING
   1. ​What are cohorts or learning groups?
   2. Are children required to be physically distancing in their classroom?
4. STUDENT LEARNING
   1. ​If I register my child for distributed learning or home schooling, will they lose their place at their current school?
   2. When do I have to decide about whether to choose in-class instruction, distributed learning, remote learning or home schooling for my child?
   3. What is the Remote Learning option?
   4. Can students move back and forth between In-class and Remote Learning?
   5. What supports will be in place for students with disabilities and diverse abilities?
   6. What about immunocompromised students and parents/caregivers?
   7. What are the initial proportions of students in each of the learning options?

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Re: Returning to School Options

As indicated by the Minister of Education yesterday, the Province is providing districts with funding to allow for a remote learning option for those parents/guardians who are not yet ready to have their child(ren) return to in-class instruction. The purpose of the email is to provide you with a description of the options available to you as we begin school in September. We are providing a Declaration Form so we can accurately plan for start-up in the limited amount of time we have before school begins. It is important we receive a form for each child who will be entering Kindergarten through Grade 12. Please complete the Declaration Form no later than Monday, August 31st at 3:00 pm. This information is critical to our planning as we ready for school in September.

Families will need to select from 1 of 4 instructional methods for each of their children:

1. Student will return to In-Class Learning at school (Elementary and Middle 100% attendance model; Secondary 75%-100% attendance model).
2. Student has been enrolled in Distributed Learning. Please see the following link for more information about this option: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/support/classroom-alternatives.
3. Student will Learn Remotely through the district and maintain a place in their school for when they are ready to return. **Please see the information below regarding this option.
4. Student will enroll in Homeschooling. Please see the following link for more information about this option: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/support/classroom-alternatives.

Link to Declaration Form: https://www.sd63.bc.ca/Return-To-School-Declaration

Option #3: Remote Learning

On August 26th, the Minister of Education announced that districts will now provide a remote learning option as part of their offerings to their community. Link to Minister’s announcement: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020EDUC0057-001592

In Saanich, the Remote Learning option will have the following components:

• Students will learn remotely at home with the assistance of a teacher assigned by the district (not their regular classroom teacher).
• Teachers will connect with students periodically throughout the week.
• The focus for all levels will be on core academics:
  • Elementary / Middle – Language Arts and Math
  • Secondary – Core Academic Subjects (no electives will be offered due to their instructional nature).
• French Immersion will be supported for Elementary, Middle and Secondary.
• Individual Education Plans (IEPs) will be followed and supported.

We expect the Remote Learning option to begin sometime during the week of September 21, 2020. Students who are enrolled in the Remote Learning option will have the option of returning to In-Class Learning in their school at natural breaks during the year (i.e., Quarter-semester breaks: 10 weeks/20 weeks) as well as the Winter and Spring Breaks. This is to minimize changes to Student Cohorts (Learning Groups) within the school.

Immune-compromised Students: If your child has a medical condition that prevents them from learning at school, please contact your local school directly for more information. As we have always done, schools will continue to work with families to best support your children who are medically compromised.

We know that this time of uncertainty has been challenging for families. Our goal continues to ensure that we build a robust educational program in our schools to meet your needs. Thank you for your continuing patience and understanding.

Please complete the Declaration Form by 3:00 pm on Monday, August 31, 2020.

Link to Declaration Form: https://www.sd63.bc.ca/Return-To-School-Declaration

Sincerely,
Dave Eberwein
Superintendent of Schools

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