​Good afternoon,

As a school we wanted to follow up on the email sent to families last evening by our Superintendent regarding school attendance.  We recognize that with the increase in positive cases within our region, and news of a positive exposure within our school, families and students are worried about their health and safety.  The exposure case at our school was limited to a small area, and no staff or students were required to self-isolate or be tested as a result. 

With the move to Orange, safety protocols are increased at the school level.  As I mentioned in my email on Sunday, masks must now be worn at all times except while eating or drinking – and this can now take place in fewer areas of the school.  Cleaning and sanitizing measures remain in place – with hand sanitizer at all entrances and within all classrooms, sanitizing of commonly touched surfaces taking place frequently, and distancing within classrooms and common areas.

As we expected, many students were kept home early in the week as they themselves or their parents were worried.  In-person attendance has been increasing each day this week.  We are hoping this trend will continue.  We want families and students to feel confident that with the protocols in place sending students to school is a safe decision.

While accessing work through Teams helps to eliminate some of the barriers caused by not being at school, it cannot replace in-person instruction.  We know that many students have learned this year that it is challenging to work from home every second day – we do not want to see those challenges increase.  We want as many students as possible here at school, learning in person, and having the support of our staff and their peers.  For most students, nothing can replace in-person instruction – both for their learning and their mental health.

It is important to understand that teaching continues – and that students who are home are responsible to complete all assigned work.  Anxiety will only be increased if students are falling behind in their work during this time.

We know that some students are living with individuals who are immunocompromised and that school attendance at this time may not be recommended by a physician.  In those cases, we will work with families to develop a plan to support the students’ learning.

If you have an individual situation you would like to discuss, please reach out to the appropriate administrator:

Vice-Principal:  Mrs. Macdonald – Students last names A-L (Beverlee.macdonald@nbed.nb.ca)

Vice-Principal:  Mr. Palmer – Students last names M-Z (James.palmer@nbed.nb.ca)

Principal:  Mr. Butler (Michael.butler@nbed.nb.ca)

We look forward to seeing more students returning school in the coming days as we all adjust to living in the Orange Phase.​