SD49 has suspended face-to-face instruction due to the rising COVID-19 cases in the Bella Coola Valley. In a public letter dated Monday, Jan. 11, superintendent Steve Dishkin said that schools would remain open for students wishing to attend but there will be no in-class instruction.
Dishkin said that SD49 “has not had Vancouver Coastal Health indicate exposure(s) at any of our sites (January 11, 2021, 1500h). Should there be a confirmed case that was deemed infectious while at one of our sites, SD49 will coordinate with Public Health to develop and implement a communications plan to notify parents and children that may have been exposed. Other staff, parents and children not potentially exposed may be notified at the discretion of the school medical officer. Only public health can determine who is a close contact. If you are contacted by the health authority, please follow their advice carefully.
“Knowing that contact tracing is still underway in the Bella Coola Valley and that the Nuxalk Nation has expressed that schools should not be fully open at this time; the Board of Education has decided to temporarily suspend face to face instruction. This step will require students and families to engage with their respective schools with the primary goals of school connection, well-being, maintaining routine, and academic progress. All schools and daycares will be open for childcare services as needed. Contact site administration.”
Buses will be running with safety protocols in order that students wishing to attend may be permitted to do so. Please reach out directly to your school principal(s) for details.
