January 5, 2022
Dear STMC Parents,
This is the second in our series of three IMPORTANT School Reopening Emails – Please Read
The Ministry of Education recently requested that all schools review and update their COVID-19 Health & Safety – Communicable Disease Plans to ensure that they reflected the new measures that were announced last Thursday. While we are constantly making modifications to our STMC COVID-19 School Safety – Communicable Plan we know we cannot be complacent with our approach to this new variant. We have, and will continue, to tweak our safety plan to ensure that we keep our two Christian Brothers, our staff (… & their families), as well as all of our students (… & their respective families) as safe as we possibly can.
While our COVID-19 protocols have always exceeded the minimum requirements, the release of the updated guidelines for schools by the Ministry of Education on December 30, 2021 provided us (once again) with the opportunity to both review and enhance our existing internal protocols.
Our UPDATED STMC COVID-19 School Safety – Communicable Disease Plan builds on our previous plans. These plans have been centered on good hand-hygiene, use of face masks and other PPE, as well as our reliance on vaccinations. With the emergence of the Omicron variant in early December 2021, a far more enhanced and involved COVID-19 School Safety – Communicable Safety Plan is required.
The Provincial COVID-19 Communicable Disease Guidelines for K-12 Settings and WorkSafeBC regulations provides strong guidance and measures for us at STMC in order to maintain the health and safety of our staff and our students while at school. As outlined in the guidance documents, our school’s administrators, our staff, our students and our parents can contribute to the ongoing health and safety of the school environment through important measures, including:
- Being fully vaccinated (Doses 1 & 2, and the Booster when eligible)
- FULL Compliance with Communicated Health & Safety Protocols
- Staying Home When Sick
- Performing Diligent Hand Hygiene
- Practicing Respiratory and Personal Hygiene (i.e. effective use of all available and recommended PPE – particularly face masks)
- Physical Distancing and Minimizing Physical Contact
- Cleaning and Disinfecting
UPDATED STMC COVID-19 School Safety – Communicable Disease Plan (January 5, 2022):
This is admittedly a lengthy and comprehensive document. But we do ask you to go through it prior to the re-start of classes next Monday. It is in ALL of our best interests that we are all on the same page with these requirements. It is attached now as a PDF but will be on our school website as soon as possible!
3rd & Final Reopening Email (Friday, January 7 by 4pm):
Our final restart email will hit inboxes late Friday afternoon. This last one before the restart of classes next Monday will provide specifics regarding our revised lunch break schedules, as well as important information regarding Daily Health Checks and COVID Protocols for families with respect to the reporting of positive COVID cases, Self-Isolation, and Self Monitoring.
Finally, as we have asked in each of our correspondences with you since the start of the pandemic we ask that you pray for the continued good health of our two resident Christian Brothers – Bro. Bassett, Bro. Cass – as well as everyone associated with our St. Thomas More family!
Pax et Bonum!
Yours in Christ,
Dianne Doyle – President, STMC
Steve Garland – Principal, STMC
