Dear VTT Families,
I am always inspired by the energy and promise accompanying each new school year. Our faculty is returning refreshed and recharged, brimming with enthusiasm about the experiences they have planned for their students this year. The campus, recently scrubbed and polished by our hard-working custodial team, stands shiny and ready to welcome over 500 students for the 2021-22 school year. As of this writing we have 96 new students and 50 new families joining our VTT family. We hope you will all welcome them with a warm VTT embrace.
Last year, our VTT community worked together to hold the line and keep everyone safe. As I reflected on 2020-21, I was proud of what we achieved together so that our students could attend school every single day and benefit from in-person learning and their social support system. I ask you to again hold the line with us by adhering to the guidelines that are there to protect and preserve the school experience for our students. Thank you for your faith in us and for entrusting VTT with the sacred responsibility of educating and caring for your children.
Below we have prepared a list of questions and answers to help you and your children get ready for the new school year.
What are VTT’s COVID protocols this year?
We did not have to close our doors last year due to the team effort of our community to follow all protocols and keep their children home when sick. With over 18 months of data and experience to draw from, the BCCDC has found that schools are lower-risk sites for COVID-19 transmission when infection prevention and exposure control measures were in place and respected by the entire school community. According to public health, schools continue to be considered low-risk settings for COVID-19 transmission, particularly in the context of a highly immunized population.
Vaccines are the most effective way to reduce the risk of COVID-19 in schools. We strongly encourage everyone who is eligible to be fully vaccinated (i.e., receive 2 doses) against COVID-19. School exposures are less likely in communities with higher vaccination uptake.
Given the lessons learned from the last 18 months, public health recommends the following:
- Full-time, in-person learning.
- Resumption of sports, music and extracurricular activities.
- Continued focus on hand hygiene.
- Continued emphasis on strict sickness policies.
VTT has updated its Health and Safety Plan, now called the COVID-19 Communicable Disease Prevention Plan, to reflect the changing conditions of our province’s COVID caseload. As of August 22nd, 83% of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. had received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 75% had received their second dose. This encouraging data translates to a reduction in some of the more stringent measures adopted last year. For instance, strict physical distancing guidelines (cohorts and 2 meters personal space) will be replaced by practices that respect personal space through effective utilization of the school campus and intentional student movement. This year, there will be no Ministry prescribed cohorts.
What is VTT’s mask policy?
Early Childhood (Rishonim and JK)
Students in this age group will not be required to wear a mask as per the guidelines received from public health. Should parents wish to send a mask with their child, please know that teachers will do their best to encourage its use as per the parents’ wishes, but they will not be able to guarantee that your child wears it throughout the entire school day.
SK-Grade 3
For students in SK to Grade 3, we strongly encourage the wearing of masks and ask all of our families to ensure that their children bring at least one mask to school. Although we are hopeful that all parents will consider having their children wear masks, mask wearing remains a personal or family/caregiver choice for these students.
Grade 4 to 7
Public health has now mandated mask wearing for students in Grades 4 and above. Masks will be worn at all times indoors with the exception of when students are outside, eating or engaging in high intensity physical activity.
**Masks do not need to be worn in outdoor settings.**
VTT & Vaccines
We are currently working with Public Health, FISA (Federation of Independent Schools of BC) and ISABC (Independent School Association of BC) to develop an approach to vaccines that safeguards the health of all staff and students in the building and abides by WorkSafe BC's expectations for employers. We will be implementing strict protocols and procedures around vaccinations, masks and health and safety in general. At this time, ONLY parents and visitors who have been fully vaccinated will be permitted in the building at prearranged times. Students who are eligible to be vaccinated, but have not been, may be ineligible to participate in field trips, sports teams and overnight experiences.
Anyone who is choosing to remain unvaccinated will continue to be a valued member of our community, but we ask you to understand that there will be significant restrictions placed on their ability to engage with and in the school. Please refer to our Communicable Diseases Prevention Plan for further information on our position regarding vaccines.
What are VTT’s sanitizing & hygiene protocols?
VTT will be doing a deep clean every night and will ensure we have the custodial staff clean high touch surfaces daily. Early Childhood will clean and sanitize even more frequently due to the age of the students and hands-on nature of the program.
We will continue to emphasize the SANITIZE IN AND SANITIZE OUT protocol for all students, staff and visitors upon entering and leaving the building and/or a classroom.
What is the school’s illness policy?
VTT has a zero illness policy at this time. Parents are asked to keep their children home if they have any signs of illness. If a child appears sick at school, the parent will be asked to immediately pick up their child. VTT will work with the parents by using the tools available to determine the next appropriate course of action. Parents will be encouraged to contact their health care provider for guidance and to use BC’s Self Assessment Tool or 8-1-1 to determine when it is safe for the child to return to school.
Mandatory Health Screen
Before attending school every day, parents/caregivers are expected to screen their child for illness: Mandatory Health Screen. This is a responsibility that is one of the most important measures we can take as a community to protect others from getting sick. It is part of our mutual covenant to protect one another.
Keeping School Informed
You, our parents, are our key partners in helping us to succeed in keeping our community safe. We ask that you keep us informed if your family has been affected by any COVID-19 related illness or possible illness that may impact the school community. These open and transparent lines of communication will help us to ensure that everyone stays healthy. Any communications with the school will of course be kept confidential. Please contact your child’s principal should you need to discuss a COVID-19 related concern as they are best situated to address it.
Out of Country Travel
Please refer to this Government of Canada fact sheet for detailed information about travel requirements for unvaccinated children who have travelled outside of Canada.
At this time, following any travel outside of Canada, children under 12 are not able to attend school, camp, or daycare for a period of 14 days. Please make your (Jewish) holiday plans with this in mind so as not to interrupt your child’s ability to attend school in person. Families should inform themselves of existing travel restrictions when making vacation plans for the 2021-22 school year.
Should a student be directly affected by COVID and be required by Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) to self-isolate, the school will support at-home learning for students. Please note that this does not apply to vacation-related quarantine.
Are parents allowed in the school this year?
To begin this year, parents will not be permitted inside VTT unless there is an urgent requirement for them to enter the building and/or arrangements have been made in advance, such as will occur with gradual entry in the Early Childhood program.
The following exceptions will be made:
- Parents/caregivers of early childhood students (Rishonim & JK) during drop off and pick up who have been fully vaccinated may enter the playground or assigned space as indicated in a separate communication.
- Parent volunteers who have provided proof that they are fully vaccinated and passed a health check.
What are this year’s school hours?
This year VTT will return to its normal operational hours with school opening at 8:15 a.m. and dismissing students between 3:15-3:30 p.m. A more fulsome email will be sent explaining our drop off and pick up procedures and how to download and use the PikMyKid App for afternoon pick up. There will be an option for parents to drop off Grade 1-7 students from 8:00 a.m. in the parkade. These students will remain in the playground until 8:15 a.m. when the doors to the school open.
What is the plan for recess and lunch?
VTT will go back to its regular recess and lunch schedule with staggered times and assigned tables for students in Grades 1-7There will be health and safety measures in place to minimize the risks associated with eating together. Students are never to share food with one another. Senior kindergarten will continue to have lunch in their classrooms as will early childhood students.
Our in-house kosher caterer, The Perfect Bite, will serve pre-ordered lunches in the Cristall Family Dining Hall though ECE and SK students will have their meals delivered to their classrooms. In addition, Grab ‘N Go items will be available at the end of the day and during your child’s assigned lunch times only. (Students are not permitted to purchase food from The Perfect Bite during recesses.) To arrange for a pre-loaded card for your child from The Perfect Bite, click this link.
Grade WhatsApp Groups
Many of our families build community and provide logistical support through established grade WhatsApp groups initiated by the class parent. We kindly request that these groups be employed to share information relevant to the entire grade rather than as a forum for complaints (lashon harah לשון הרע; hurtful speech/gossip). We ask that the language and conversation be respectful, inclusive and kind.
If you have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to reach out to your child's classroom teacher or the division principal.
Welcoming our new families to VTT
All our new families will be invited to join us for a Virtual Tea and Meet & Greet after the Jewish holidays. Please watch your email for the invitation.
I wish to thank our families for taking the time to read and digest this lengthy email. The details may be overwhelming, but we have done this together as a community before and I am hopeful that together we will continue to demonstrate our resilience, empathy and fortitude so that our children may enjoy the normalcy of being in school and the embrace of their peer group and teachers.
The division principals will be reaching out to you on September 9th with class assignments and additional pertinent information for a successful start to the new school year.
Until then, I hope you enjoy the final long weekend of the summer. May the Jewish new year of 5782 bring health and sweetness to all! Shana Tovah U'Metuka!
Warmest regards,
Emily
