Lyonel Doherty

Times-Chronicle

Fatigued and anxious teachers in School District No. 53 say they appreciate the extra safety measures being taken to protect local educators during the pandemic.

Ernie Millward, president of the South Okanagan Similkameen Teachers Union, believes delaying return to school (until Monday, Jan. 10) is the right decision by the province.

“Teachers feel very fatigued at this point, similar to everyone else experiencing this pandemic. Many teachers in our schools are working at/or beyond their threshold of anxiety,” Millward says.

He notes that local teachers have been entrusted to do their part to keep schools open and they have been successful with that challenge.

Millward says as the pandemic has evolved, the aerosol transmission of the Omicron variant has been acknowledged by public health. Therefore, local teachers feel that better masks should be provided, specifically N95 masks, he states.

Millward says the district has upgraded all filters in each school to the highest standard (MERV 13 filters), and teachers appreciate this health and safety measure.

Millward points out the following measures announced are very important to the South Okanagan Similkameen Teachers Union:

  • Space arrangement — maximizing space between people, and implementing strategies that prevent crowding during class transition and break times.
  • Staff-only gatherings, (meetings, professional development) and school gatherings (assemblies, parent-teacher interviews) to be held virtually, and no spectators for in-person sporting events.
  • Limit visitors to those supporting activities of direct benefit to student learning and well-being.
  • Reminders communicated to students and families regarding mask requirements under the Provincial Health Order; administrators and staff to work to ensure alternative measures are in place for those with mask exemptions.

Millward says all of these measures help to create the space needed to give a layer of protection for teachers.

Last week the province announced the back-to-school delay for kindergarten to Grade 12 in order to give public health and B.C. schools additional time to adapt to the impacts of Omicron.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says schools will be implementing enhanced public health measures to ensure the continuation of in-person learning.

K-12 schools must reinforce existing safety measures, including:

  • Different common space, classroom and learning environment configurations to avoid face-to-face seating arrangements where possible.
  • Wearing masks
  • Doing daily health checks and staying home when sick.
  • Strategies that prevent crowding during class transition times.
  • Hold school gatherings and events virtually. If they must be in-person, limit the number of people to no more than 50 per cent operating capacity.
  • Pause extracurricular sports tournaments.

Rob Zandee, chair of School District No. 53, says what they know is that infections are representative of the communities they are found in.

“We have been extremely fortunate to have had very few exposures here in the district.”

Superintendent of Schools Bev Young says they are in the beginning stages of making plans for possible closures or disruptions due to staff shortages (due to the new variant).

In a letter to parents, Young says they are working to ensure that staff are as prepared as possible for the impact of Omicron.

In the meantime, Young acknowledges there are some students with unique needs that may require extra support, including children of essential workers who cannot make other arrangements for childcare.

As the province awaits new rapid tests shipments from the federal government, B.C.’s existing supply of rapid tests will continue to be used at schools where there has been exposure events and outbreaks.