Message from the MEI Head of Schools

 

Dear MEI Families,

We are extremely excited to welcome you back to school in two weeks. We can do this together, friends. Let’s hold on to Jesus, trust Him, and take good care of each other!

The government has announced that independent and public schools in British Columbia will offer full-time in-person learning for the 2021/2022 school year beginning on September 7th, 2021 as planned.

Please take careful note of the safety requirements announced today that I have either summarized or directly quoted below. I encourage you to read the “Provincial COVID-19 Communicable Disease Guidelines for K - 12 Settings” document that was updated today, August 24th, 2021 (Click here).

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact your principal.

Vijay Manuel

Follow @headofschools for updates throughout the year

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Government guidelines continued from June

• Hand hygiene requirement continues
• Stay-at-home-if-sick requirement continues
• Mask requirement for all staff indoors including on buses continues
• Mask requirement for all visitors indoors including on buses continues
• Mask requirement for students in grades 4 - 12 including on buses continues
• Masks not required but recommended for students in K - 3 
• Continued enhanced cleaning

Government guidelines that have changed

• No cohorts/learning groups
• Parents must complete a health check daily before sending their child to school (Click here)
• Adults must complete a self-health check daily prior to entering the school (Click here)
• Respecting personal physical space replaces the 2-meters-apart requirement
• Extra-curricular activities may resume
• Gatherings may resume at school

Exceptions for the Mask Mandate 

Quoted from the “Provincial COVID-19 Communicable Disease Guidelines from K-12 Settings” updated on August 24, 2021 (Click here)

“The guidance outlined above regarding mask requirements does not apply to staff, students and visitors in the following circumstances:

• to a person who cannot tolerate wearing a mask for health or behavioural reasons;
• to a person who is unable to put on or remove a mask without the assistance of another person;
• if the mask is removed temporarily for the purposes of identifying the person wearing it;
• if the mask is removed temporarily to engage in an educational activity that cannot be performed while wearing a mask (e.g. playing a wind instrument, engaging in high-intensity physical activity, etc.);
• if a person is eating or drinking;
• if a person is behind a barrier; or
• while providing a service to a person with a disability or diverse ability (including but not limited to a hearing impairment) where visual cues, facial expressions and/or lip reading/movements is important.”