TLA Newsletter: September 6, 2021

Welcome; procedures; Covid-19 Safety Plans update

View September 6, 2021 TLA News (PDF)

Dear TLA Parents and Families,

We extend a warm welcome to students and families new and old as we begin the academic year.
It is our sincerest hope that the summer holidays have been a time of rest and relaxation for everyone.
To ensure a smooth transition back to school, we have outlined below a few important items for your
consideration.

This message is being sent as an email fan out on Labour Day and as a hard copy to all families on
the first day of school. Those of you new to the school or who have changed your email contacts
recently, please send an email message with this information and your family name to the office
(tlaoffice@traditionallearning.com), subject Line: EMAIL CONTACT FOR NEWSLETTERS. We want
everyone to get news in a timely manner!

Our annual Back to School BBQ will not take place this year, as it is considered a social activity.
This event has always been joined to the Meet the Teacher Night which this year we will offer online .
There will be no continued, Temporary Transition Plan for students to be supported in their education
at home should their parents be unwilling for them to return to class. These students may be enrolled
in home schooling or in Distributed Learning programs instead.

High school students in grades 9 through 12 will be receiving a letter from the school on the first
day regarding instructions for their menthol in French 9, and Career Education 10 & 12. These must
be read and acted upon immediately by parents of those students.

Any students who do not have complete school uniforms are required to wear comparable items until
the official school uniforms arrive; please send a note for the home room teacher with the student
indicating when the missing items will be in place.

British Columbia schools have very recently been instructed to replace their former Covid-19 Safety
Plans with Communicable Disease Prevention Plans to help prevent the spread of diseases such as
influenza, Norovirus, and, of course, Covid-19. This new plan is less restrictive than the former but
does retain elements of the previous plan and includes some practical, common-sense procedures
and practices aimed at keeping everyone healthy. As with the other schools in the Catholic
Independent Schools of Vancouver Archdiocese, we are not permitted to ask or inquire into the
vaccination status of members of our school community as this is a private medical matter.

We are in the process of finalizing this TLA Communicable Disease Prevention Plan, and want to
introduce you to the various components which will be included in it. These are based on instructions
and procedures provided by the provincial health authorities and the Catholic Schools of Vancouver
Archdiocese, and will be published shortly in more detail. Our Communicable Disease Prevention Plan
will include the following:

Ventilation of Interior Spaces will be improved at the school using various means, including
open windows, fans, and High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters in classrooms and other
interior spaces. This equipment is in the process of being assembled and will be in place
shortly.
Daily Individual Self Health Checks by staff and by parents of students to discern any
concerning symptoms should continue take place every day. When any evident symptoms
present themselves, individuals are asked to stay home. Teachers will support students at
home in these situations by providing work to help them to keep up with their studies. Daily
health checks last year appear to have resulted in a significant reduction of illnesses in general
at school. It is rather a paradox that during the pandemic, students and staff at our school
experienced remarkably good health and excellent attendance. This likely has been due to the
vigilance of parents and staff in this area.
Frequent hand washing & sanitizing, as well as respiratory etiquette will be part of our regular
routine here at school.
Daily Frequent Contact Surface Cleaning will take place at school by teachers, students, and
Parent Participation Personnel.
Masks will be worn indoors by staff, parents, and visitors to the school, as well as students in
grades four to twelve when physical barriers are not present, with the same conditions and
exceptions outlined by our Covid-19 Safety Plan.
Student Physical Spacing – Although student cohorts and strict physical distancing are no
longer mandated, indoor physical activity will be such that students will be separated as much
as possible. During intense physical activity masks will not be required. PE classes will be held
outside whenever possible.
The school administration will keep abreast of provincial updates to the Communicable
Disease protocols and during periods of elevated risk, the medical health officer or the
provincial health officer will provide information and guidance about the risk and how to reduce
it. These, and other in-house modifications to the CDP Plan, will be announced to parents via
the email fan out list, and the school website.
Parents and drivers dropping off students at the school will continue to do so at the front,
and the east side of the property. Students will be responsible for carrying their personal
belongings onto the property and into the school itself unaided by parents. Parents and others
who need to visit the school office will be requested to do so through the front doors, and limit
their visit to the front entrance and to the office. Parents and visitors will still need to sign in and
provide information for contact tracing purposes.
NOTE: Parents of students in Kindergarten have particular exceptions to these regulations
during the gradual entry program for Kindergarten students during their first week. Parents of
Grade 1 students may, if necessary, assist their children to take their belongings to class on the
first day. Other than that, parents are requested to drop off such item s in the office.
Protocols in response to students or staff exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms at school, as
well as the response by the school to any cases and possible exposures remain the same as
found in our previous Covid-19 Health and Safety Plan. Cases and potential exposure
responses will be managed under the direct instructions of the Fraser Health Authority.

Please stay tuned for more updates which will be forwarded to you this coming week! I look forward to
the beginning of school with all of our new and existing families and students.

Yours sincerely, Martin Dale, Principal