Covid-19 Safety Protocols

Thank you for Your Continued Support.

We need your continued support in the following measures:

 

Perform a Daily Health Assessment.

Please check your child each day before bringing them to school. Students who have ANY symptoms should not attend school until they are completely symptom-free. We will implement a ZERO SYMPTOM POLICY for the interim, and will call you to pick up your child, if they exhibit any signs of illness.

 

Maintain social distancing when you drop-off and pick-up your child(ren).

Do not stay on the school grounds at QEA before or after class, and please do not allow children to continue play after school. At Jericho Park, please maintain social distances drop off before and after class.

Wear a Mask.

Adhere to the Provincial Mask Mandate. Parents and caregivers, along with staff, teachers, guests and visitors over the age of 5, are required to wear masks during interactions with the Preschool staff and students. Teachers will continue to wear masks on QEA school grounds, unless eating and drinking. In adherence with the VSB policy, parents and caregivers will no longer be allowed to enter the preschool classroom at drop-off and pick-up times.

 

For 14 days after arrival from abroad, your child must not attend school

For children of families returning from a trip abroad: for 14 days after arrival, your child must not attend school, camp or day care -- including Bayview Preschool and Outdoor Nature Program. (Learn more about the requirements for partially vaccinated children under 12 here.)

Reminder of Bayview Preschool Safety Protocols

As COVID-19 continues to impact our lives, we will update our COVID-19 POLICY COVID-19 Policy & Procedure Handbook based on the latest information and guidance fromBC's COVID-19 Safe School guidelines, the Ministry of Children & Family Development, and the Provincial Health Orders.

We want to assure you of the safety measures we are taking to minimize the transmission of COVID-19, and to maintain a safe and healthy environment for children and teachers. Mask wearing and frequent hand hygiene will continue, and be reinforced by educators. Staff will also continue to:

  • clean high touch surfaces frequently (once per day)

  • advise on traffic flow and prevent crowding

  • reinforce daily self-health checks, and ensuring students and staff stay home if they are feeling sick increase outdoor learning opportunities wherever possible

Our Policy Update:

On Wednesday 19th January, the BC Centre for disease Control released the updated Public Health Guidance for Childcare Settings with the following impacts to our preschool.

Symptomatic staff or children: Staff or children that are exhibiting COVID symptoms should stay home until they feel well enough to return to regular activity. According to newly released testing guidelines many staff and children will not be eligible for COVID-19 testing.

Confirmed Case(s) of COVID-19 in staff or children: Staff or children testing positive for COVID-19 by PCR or rapid antigen test should isolate for 5 days, regardless of vaccination status.

Household or other close contacts of symptomatic staff or children or confirmed case(s) of COVID-19: Although the guidance says staff or children who are contacts may continue to attend childcare, regardless of vaccination status, unless they develop symptoms and/or test positive for COVID-19, we respectfully request that if someone in your household has a confirmed case (tests positive) or suspected case (has symptoms) that your child does NOT attend preschool until the 5 day isolation period is complete.

In order to protect our educators, children, and families, we have decided to take an interim cautionary approach, as the Omicron variant is highly transmissible and rampant in our community. The infectious period is two days before symptoms appear so it’s likely that if a child is exposed to COVID-19 at home and continues to attend preschool, they could infect other children and their teachers before they show symptoms. Many of our children have close contact with their Grandparents, and we have members of our teachers and children's families who are immunocompromised. Our request to staff or families to keep children home for 5 days when there is a confirmed case in their household is one step we can all take to provide a safe preschool environment.

Having reflected on this new guidance and our current protective measures we have decided to re-introduce daily temperature checks each morning in our preschool program at QEA. We will make these temperature checks a fun experience for the children. We do respect the children’s decision to decline a temperature check upon arrival.

Throughout the pandemic, our community of amazing families has continued to support the preschool and keep their children home when sick, or when self isolating. We hope that we can continue to work together to keep everyone healthy and avoid a functional closure in the future.

In the event that a functional closure becomes necessary we will inform families via Seesaw by 7.30am in the morning. Please let me know if you need help accessing your child's Seesaw account. Notifications of COVID-19 exposures in our preschool and outdoor programs will be sent to close contacts via email.

Our team offers its heartfelt thanks to our families for their continued faith in us to make difficult decisions which are safest for the entire Bayview Preschool community.