Announcements

** This survey is now closed. We will review all responses and will follow up with families requesting these service provisions by Friday, April 3, 3030 **

Dear parents/guardians,

The Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District is conducting a survey to determine the need for childcare and educational services for children of essential service workers in our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the Ministry of Education has suspended all in-classroom instruction, school districts have been asked to provide daytime childcare for children of essential service workers so that these individuals can continue to work. Essential service workers are those whose work is considered critical to preserving life, health and societal functioning.

Although the primary focus for school districts is children aged 5-12, school districts have also been asked to work with community partners and non-profits to coordinate school-aged care and 0-5 care at the same district site(s). Please note that families who qualify for this service will need to arrange transportation for drop off and pick up.

** This survey closed at 4 pm on Monday, March 30, 2020. We will review all responses and will follow up with families requesting these service provisions by Friday, April 3, 2020. **

Dear families,

As spring break draws to a close, I want to thank you for your patience as we work towards reconnecting with all students to provide teaching and learning opportunities during this challenging time. We now have extensive and clear guidance from the Ministries of Health and Education on how we are to organize for student learning in our new context.

I am writing to provide you with information about some of the changes we are making to our education system at this uncertain and quickly changing time. I also wanted to update you on the planning work our school district has been doing over the past couple of weeks. (more…)

Dear families,

This afternoon, the provincial government announced that it would be indefinitely suspending all in-class instruction for BC’s Kindergarten to Grade 12 learners. This means that schools will NOT be opening after spring break for regular daily instruction. This temporary measure is being put in place to help keep students, staff, families and wider community safe as the province responds to the COVID-19 outbreak.

I know you will have many questions about what this announcement will mean for you and your family. (more…)

Dear families,

Before we head into spring break, I wanted to take a moment to share with you some important school-related updates on the novel coronavirus.

I have attached for you a letter from Deputy Minister Scott MacDonald that highlights a number of the important announcements made yesterday by Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry. (more…)

Dear parents/guardians,

Since we are soon heading into spring break, I wanted to take a moment to highlight some important reminders about travel in the current context of COVID-19, as provided by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam.

If you are planning an international trip with your family this spring break, please remember to monitor the Government of Canada travel site for the latest travel advisories at www.travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories. Dr. Henry notes COVID-19 is currently found in 80 countries, and advises there should be both a careful assessment of and a low tolerance for international travel. Dr. Tam, in the meantime, advises Canadians to avoid all cruise ship travel.

Those with underlying health issues should reconsider trips at this time. (more…)

Dear families,

I am writing to you regarding the school district decision to cancel the field trips we had scheduled for spring break. These cancellations included two trips to Japan, a trip to Italy, a trip to Europe, as well as a trip to New York.

We know that a great deal of planning goes into these trips, and that our students and staff truly look forward to them. We also anticipated that the decision to cancel the trips would be upsetting news for many of our families. I can assure you that senior staff took all this into consideration when making this difficult decision.
(more…)

Novel Coronavirus Update

We are writing to all school districts to give you updated information on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), a new virus causing respiratory illness. Fraser Health is working closely with provincial partners and school districts as we manage and support cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in our region. We want to assure the public that people who may be at risk of COVID-19 exposure were contacted by public health officials. There are no new cases of COVID-19 in our region. (more…)

Dear parents/guardians,

On Monday, February 24, 2020, all school districts in the province received guidance from the Office of the Provincial Health Officer and the BC Centre for Disease Control regarding recommended measures for preventing and controlling respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, in schools and childcare settings.

Please see the document below for a summary of these recommendations, information on how the recommendations are being implemented in our school district, and guidance on the steps you can take at home. (more…)

Dear parents/guardians,

As you know, on February 21, Fraser Health provided school districts in the Fraser Valley with an update on novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Since the release of this update, many different concerns have begun to circulate online in the region.

Although school districts cannot speak about specific schools or specific individuals, I want to reassure you that the Fraser Health Authority reports there is no public threat at schools in the region or anywhere else in the province. Whenever there is a public health matter, school districts work closely with health authorities to keep students and staff safe. (more…)

On Feb. 24, Minister of Health Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry issued a joint statement announcing B.C.’s seventh case of COVID-19 – a man in his 40s – a close contact of the sixth case who lives in the Fraser Health region. Please see more: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020HLTH0043-000320

Please note provincial recommendations on travel-related, self isolation:

The Provincial Health Officer is advising people who have been to Hubei province in the last 14 days, or who have been in contact with someone who has, to call public health officials and self-isolate for 14 days. (more…)