Coronavirus (COVID-19) School District 42 Response
Updated June 1, 2020
On May 15, Minister of Education Rob Fleming announced that all schools in BC will be moving to Stage 3 of BC’s Restart Plan. As a result, effective June 1, 2020, families will have the choice of bringing their children back to class on a part-time basis. The goal is to return to full-time classes in September 2020, provided it is safe to do so. For your information, Stage 3 includes the following:
Kindergarten to Grade 5: in-class learning 2 to 3 days per week, supplemented with remote instruction.
Grades 6 to 12: in-class learning 1 day a week, supplemented with remote instruction.
Children of essential service workers (aged 5-12), students with disabilities/diverse abilities, and students needing additional supports: option to attend school 5 days per week.
Families who decide not to send their children to class: continued remote instruction until the end of the 2019/20 school year (June 1 to 24 for most schools; June 1 to July 21 for Kanaka Creek Elementary).
On this page, you will find all information and announcements for the Fraser Health region and the Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows school district community. For general COVID-19 updates, visit https://www.sd42.ca/information-community-coronavirus/
Provision of Childcare and On-Site Educational Services to Children of Tier One and Tier 2 Essential Service Workers
If you are a tier one or tier two essential service worker in the health care sector requiring this service but you did not complete our Essential Service Worker survey, please contact us at register@sd42.ca.
Letters to families from superintendent Sylvia Russell
Proactive measures taken in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows schools
The safety of students and staff is always our top priority. During Stage 3, all district schools and facilities will operate under the strict guidelines developed by the Ministry of Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control. Click here for a copy of these guidelines.
Additionally, our approved return-to-class and safety plans will be posted to the district website once they are approved by the Ministry of Education and before our schools reopen.
Spring break school field trips
On March 4, 2020, superintendent Sylvia Russell sent a letter to affected families advising that all international field trips for spring break 2020 have been cancelled.
“While individual families can assume higher levels of risk, as a school district we cannot expose our students and staff to high levels of uncertainty that cannot be reasonably mitigated with a safety plan,” superintendent Russell writes.
“Although we deeply regret the disappointment these cancellations may cause, we want to stress that the safety of students and staff is always the primary consideration in any decision the school district makes about school trips.”
School district procedure on all level 2 field trips requires travel insurance that includes a full cancellation refund. Schools will be following up with families regarding the reimbursement process.
Field trips scheduled later in the 2019/2020 school year will be monitored and a decision will be made closer to the scheduled date.
The district has instituted a temporary moratorium on the approval of any other field trips.
The BC Centre for Disease Control recommends the following to help prevent infection and the spread of COVID-19.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
If a sink is not available, alcohol-based hand rubs (ABHR) can be used to clean your hands as long as they are not visibly soiled. If they are visibly soiled, use a wipe and then ABHR to effectively clean them.
Do not touch your face, eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
Cover your mouth and nose with a disposable tissue or the crease of your elbow when you sneeze or cough
Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
Do not share food, drinks, utensils, etc.
Stay at home when you are sick
Minimize your contact with others through physical distancing by keeping about two metres apart when outside your home
If you have fever, a new cough, or are having difficulty breathing, call 8-1-1
Ministry of Education online resources for students to support social, emotional well-being and mental health
The BC government has created free virtual educational programs for students, parents and educators to support social and emotional well-being as part of navigating the new world of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The free, virtual WE Well-being program was recently launched as part of the new WE Schools @home program. Accessible for grades K-12 in both English and French, the program is aimed at youth who are experiencing anxiety and social isolation. It places a special emphasis on WE Well-being online learning, including social-emotional learning and resiliency.
The Ministry of Education has launched Here2Talk, a free 24/7 mental health support for post-secondary students Download the app: https://here2talk.ca #COVIDBC
Foundry Ridge Meadows offers young people 12-24 access to health and social services. As of April 20, 2020, young people and their families will be able to access youth-focused virtual clinics offering counselling, peer support, primary care and family support through voice calls, video and chat.
Kids Help Phone – The website has access to support for children and youth 24/7 by text, phone, or live chat. In addition, there are resources regarding emotional support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Y Mind – The YMCA of British Columbia’s Y Mind program helps young people cope with stress, worry and anxiety. Young people 13-30 can sign up for six-week programs online for free starting early May 2020.
Parent Peer Support Family Smart Parent In Residence, Jeannie Harnett (jeannie.harnett@familysmart.ca)
Kerry Lawson (klawson@fsibc.com ); 778-868-2404 – Family Support Institute of BC (specific to families whose children have extra support needs)
The Family Education and Support Centre is offering online support groups and programs for families. Visit https://www.familyed.bc.ca/ for more information.
The BC Ministry of Education has created a new website that offers a collection of resources for parents and caregivers to help support their children learning at home.
This is a central place where families can find ideas for everyday educational activities, annotated links to free learning resources, as well as how to help children learn and how to ensure their well-being while they are at home.
Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District teacher librarians have curated a wide range of free online Remote Learning Resources for parents and students. Access these Remote Learning Resources through the Library tab on your school’s website. Or, click here to directly access the Remote Learning Resources.
Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL)
The Fraser Valley Regional Library’s digital resources can be found under the Digital Content tab on its website. Here is a link to the consolidated list: https://www.fvrl.bc.ca/databases.php.
Those who don’t already have an FVRL card can now sign up online for an eCard and get instant access to all FVRL digital content: https://onlineregistration.fvrl.bc.ca/. Daily virtual programming can be found on our Facebook page at facebook.com/ReadLearnPlay.
Our vision
Our vision is for every individual to feel valued and for all learners to reach their potential.
Our mission
Our mission is to support all individuals in their development as successful learners, and as respectful, caring and responsible members of society.
