Nervous about sending your kids back to school this fall?
You are not alone.
The Vancouver School Board says students will have the option to stay home - for now.
In a notice posted Friday, the school board states that it, "recognizes how important it is that families are heard in the process of making decisions for this unique school year."
Option 1 returns students to full time, in-person instruction as per Stage 2 of the BC Government’s Education Restart Plan. Students’ primary learning environments will be their classroom, with safety plans in place for COVID-19 exposure control. Elementary students may also be grouped in learning groups of up to 60 students and staff for recess, lunch or occasional learning activities.
Families with children from kindergarten up to Grade 7 will be given the option to provide for their learning at home. Home School students do not attend part-time classes or participate in any school activities.
"In addition, families can also enrol their child in the Vancouver Learning Network Elementary Program. This is a distributed learning program that operates within the Vancouver School District. This option is well-suited for students who wish to learn at home or who need more flexibility in their schooling schedule. Students follow the provincial curriculum, in a more structured educational program delivery," states the notice.
The school board adds another option for families who aren't ready to send their children back to school. The Home Transition Program would be a temporary transition option that allows students to learn remotely and to receive some learning support from the District: "Students would likely receive support through one-on-one check-in times with a teacher assigned by the District."
To help schools plan for learning groups and the support students will need, the District shared a survey with families to gauge their preferences.
More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of respondents plan to send their child to school for full-time in-person instruction (Option 1). Twenty-nine per cent are most interested in the Learn from Home Transition Option (under development). The other two options (Home Schooling and the Vancouver Learning Network) received one per cent each of the responses.
“We appreciate the time families took to complete the survey released on August 24. Based on these results, the District will develop a fourth option and will share it with families early next week,” says Deena Kotak-Buckley, director of instruction at the Vancouver School District.
The District looks to these results to inform planning as preparation continues for the start of the school year and beyond.
