Think small, think local.
That’s what Delta School Board chair Val Windsor and superintendent Doug Sheppard are telling parents in a letter to parents on Friday as students head into their two-week spring break.
Noting it’s been anything but business as usual since in-class instruction restarted in September due to COVID-19, they said that, hopefully, infection rates will decline with vaccinations and warmer weather.
“Unfortunately, rates of transmission in the Fraser Health region remain high. In order to keep our community as safe as possible and be able to return safely to school after Spring Break, we encourage you to ‘think small, think local’ this holiday. Now more than ever, we need everyone to do their part and follow the current Public Health Orders so that we can keep our schools and our communities safe,” they said.
They noted that while the provincial health officer announced changes to the health orders to allow outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people, parents are asked to keep their contacts to the same 10 people and continue with safety measures including mask wearing and physical distancing.
“This change means that your children can meet up with their friends outdoors over Spring Break. We encourage any outdoor gatherings to be with friends from their current cohort/learning group. The travel advisory states that all non-essential travel should be avoided at this time, including trips out of province and between regions of the province. This includes not travelling for a vacation. In spite of these restrictions, we hope you and your children are able to relax and participate in activities that lift your spirits and bring you happiness this Spring Break,” they added.
Other than Jarvis Elementary, no Delta public school has been forced to temporarily shut down, so far, due to COVID-19 during the school year.
