School Plan. Enhanced Safety Measures

January 7, 2022 

A version of this letter is also available in Arabic or Punjabi.

Dear Abbotsford Middle School families, 

Last week, our Superintendent shared all students will return to school on January 10, 2022 after an extended winter break, allowing schools to adapt to the impacts of the Omicron variant that is affecting our province. 

Over the last few days, our school has been busy preparing continuity of learning plans and enhanced safety measures in advance of students returning to school on Monday. It is with this letter that we wanted to remind families of our ongoing measures and share the enhanced protocols we are implementing to keep students and staff safe. 

Health & Safety Measures 

Guidelines and existing protocols that have succeeded in minimizing the spread of the virus in schools include: 

• Doing daily health checks and staying home when sick. 
• Encouraging everyone who is eligible to get fully vaccinated. 
• Using available space to spread out and to respect the personal space of others. 
• Wearing masks in accordance with the Provincial Health Officer Order on Face Coverings. 
• Cleaning hands regularly. 
• Cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces at least once a day. 

Our schools' new enhanced health and safety measures will also include: 

• Maximize space between students with Grade 7 students lining up in the basketball courts and Grade 8 students in front of the school
• Seating arrangement, reconfigurations in the classrooms to provide maximum space 
• Alternating times for students to access lockers in each hallway 
• Capacity limit in washrooms 
• Closure of PHE changing rooms 
• Implement strategies that prevent crowding during class transition and break times. 
• Staggered entry and exit out of the building as well as directional traffic flow in and out of explorations and PHE classes. 
• Utilizing exterior walkways for class transitions.  
• Conduct gatherings and events virtually. If gatherings and events must be in person, minimize attendance as much as possible, do not exceed 50% operating capacity, and do not allow spectators. 
• Pause extracurricular sports tournaments 
• Restriction of visitors to campus to essential only 

So students and parents have an idea of our new student directional traffic flow, we have created a map to highlight the different entry and exits. 

The health and safety of students, staff and our entire Abbotsford Middle School community remains a priority and it is imperative that we all make every effort to keep each other safe. As we continue to support one another to remain healthy this winter, we remind you to conduct a daily health check to monitor your children for symptoms using the BC K – 12 Health Check website or download the BC K-12 Daily Health Checker app on Google Play or Apple App Store. As we did at the beginning of the year, using this app each day is the health check needed to decide when to keep your child at home if they are experiencing any symptoms. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. 

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. 

Thank you for your ongoing understanding and cooperation. 

Sincerely, 

Mr. J. Singh & Mr. G. Kemp