September 20, 2021

Re: COVID-19 Exposure

Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff and Students,

I wanted to take this opportunity to provide an update to our school community regarding last week’s news of a COVID-19 exposure at the W̱SÁNEĆ School Board. I want to ensure families that the risk to our school community remains low. The W̱SÁNEĆ School Board is working closely with Island Health to complete the necessary contact tracing to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff remains of the utmost importance.

I understand that a school exposure may cause worry but please be assured that school remains a safe space for your child(ren). Students should continue to attend school unless they are feeling unwell or have been notified by Island Health through a phone call or letter to self-monitor or self-isolate due to being a close contact of someone who has COVID-19. In the event of another school exposure the SȽEȽEMW̱ Child Development Centre, ȽÁU, WELṈEW̱ Tribal School, W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Secondary School and the Saanich Adult Education Center will remain open and we will follow all provincial health guidelines along with our policies and procedures outlined in our Communicable Disease Prevention, which is available at www.wsanecschoolboard.ca to minimize the risk of exposure within our schools.

Confidentiality remains a top priority for the W̱SÁNEĆ School Board. Parents, guardians, and students will only be informed of a school exposure where Island Health has identified staff or students that need to take a specific action, such as self-monitoring for symptoms or self-isolation because of a COVID-19 exposure. Confidentiality is a requirement of public health, and the school board is in full support of this process. To learn more about how contact tracing works for schools please visit the BCCDC k-12 website at http://www.bccdc.ca/schools/parents-and-students#COVID-19–Cases–in–Schools.

The W̱SÁNEĆ School Board will ensure students who are required to self-isolate are able to continue their educational program. We will continue to work hard to minimize any disruptions to school programming in the event of a school exposure.

The W̱SÁNEĆ School Board encourages all students who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine to get two doses to help keep our school community safe for everyone. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your school principal or director for support or more information.

Sincerely,

Curtis Olsen
Administrator