Thunder News Flash – January 1, 2022

The 2021 calendar year has come to a close, and we are now entering a new year.  It is very easy to focus only on the challenges that lay ahead of us, such as the postponement to the start of school in January, the rising COVID daily case counts, and our fears that this pandemic is going to be with us for many more months to come.  Joseph was an important figure in Jesus’ life, and even though there is very little written about him in scripture, what is recorded about the time before Jesus was born can teach us to put all of our trust in God.  It would have been very easy for Joseph to turn his back on Mary, pregnant with a child that was not his, but instead Joseph believed the message of an angel.  From this we learn that Joseph had three very important qualities – he was righteous, compassionate, and obedient to God.  If we put our faith in God, like Joseph, can we change our view of what 2022 can hold for us?  Can we see the beauty of our world with the bright sunshine we have experienced lately, glistening off of the white snow?  While there may be some in our families whose health has been affected by this pandemic, can we instead see our children in front of us, full of wonder and awe?  Instead of grumbling when we have to go to work, can we be thankful that we have a job to help support our family and put food on our table?  But most important of all, when 2022 presents us with more challenges than we can imagine, will we try and manage everything ourselves, thinking we are in control, or will we take a moment to pray to God, knowing He truly has a plan for our lives?

By now all families should be aware that by an Order of the Public Health Officer in BC, schools will reopen for the majority of students on Monday, January 10th.  During the week of January 4th – 7th, school staff will be at the school planning for the implementation of the revised health and safety protocols for the week of January 10th.  Parents should have received a survey from the school via email on December 31st, and we ask that all families complete the survey by 3:00pm on Sunday, January 2nd.  The information provided through this survey will help us determine how many families require care for their children next week, based on the priorities described in the survey.  In addition, any families who have children at the school with exceptional needs would have received an email on December 30th inquiring about care for their children during the week of January 4th – 7th.

There is still much work to be done before the school doors can open to all children on January 10th, including the following:

• once staff have determined the protocols at the school which need to be revised, the school’s Communicable Disease Plan will be updated, emailed to all school families, and posted on the school’s website
• classrooms will need to be reconfigured to provide as much space as possible to try and avoid any “inadvertent physical contact” between children
• school staff will need to create some preliminary plans should there need to be a functional closure of a class, or the whole school, due to illness.  Functional closures could occur if there were a large number of students or staff away due to illness, and the school could not operate effectively or safely

Much more information will be sent home to parents via email or through this Thunder News Flash as it becomes available.

Students in Kindergarten – Grade 7 are required to wear masks in all indoor settings at school, unless parents have informed the school that their child is exempt from wearing a mask.  That means that students must be wearing their mask when they enter the doors of the school each morning.  Many of our students have been arriving at school without a mask, or their mask becomes wet/dirty during the school day and must be replaced.  While the school will always provide a mask to a student who needs one, we certainly have been going through box after box of disposable masks.  This is definitely not good for the environment, as all of these masks eventually make their way to a landfill!  We need your help in the following ways:

•  Please ensure that your child has at least two masks with them each morning, and that they put one on just before exiting your vehicle in the morning so that they are ready to enter the school when they arrive at the doors.  Whether your child wears disposable masks, cloth masks, or you have upgraded them to N95 masks, we certainly would appreciate your help with this  
• We would also request that each child again brings a small package of disposable masks to school with them on January 10th to be used just in case they have forgotten or misplaced their mask during the day.  This would be a huge help to the school

The next Work Bee was scheduled to take place at the school on Saturday, January 8th; however, it has been postponed to Saturday, January 15th.  With the Omicron variant, the change in the start date of school, as well as the forecast for snow, it seemed prudent to delay the Work Bee by one week.  Hopefully all parents scheduled for the January Work Bee will be able to make it on January 15th from 9:00am – 2:00pm.  Please complete a daily health check before coming to the Work Bee, and stay home if you are feeling unwell.  Please also ensure that you are wearing a mask when you arrive at the school, and that you bring gloves for both inside and outside work, as well as any small, cordless gardening tools you are able to bring.  Your work around the school, both inside and outside, is much appreciated.

It is even more important than ever that parents complete a Daily Health Check with your child each day before they come to school.  The easiest way to do this is to go to the BC K-12 Health Check website by clicking here.  Please also remember that adults and children in Kindergarten – Grade 7 are required to wear masks in indoor spaces.  These proactive steps will help us all remain safe and healthy.