Message from Chair of the Board, Rick Petrella
Message for Families,
As we progress together through another challenging school year, I wanted to thank you and express my gratitude to you for your continued trust and patience in us as we continue to offer quality Catholic education for your children.
In September, as per guidelines provided by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and after consultation with local public health units, we put several measures in place to ensure, to the best of our ability, the health and safety of our staff students and community. Among many others they included:
- Cleaning and disinfecting of high touch surfaces, at minimum twice a day. High touch surfaces could include washrooms, eating areas, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, touch screens, push buttons, handrails, computers, photocopiers, and sports equipment
- The wearing of PPE for all staff and students and the continuation of cohorting
- Updating of ventilation and air quality through the use of the highest-grade filters, calibration of HVAC systems for maximum airflow and increased fresh air intake, frequent filter changes and employment of HEPA filter units
At the start of the year, we assured you that in consultation with public health, we would continually review our health and safety protocols and we remain committed to being open and transparent with you in that regard. As infection rates consistently fall throughout the province, and our local area, we will be reviewing some of our current practices to determine if any measures can be relaxed. This includes parent participation at sports and school events, cohorting of students in certain circumstances, and community use of our schools. We are also awaiting more information from the Ministry of Education with regards to the expanded testing initiatives announced yesterday. We hope to have information out to you in the near future, possibly as early as next week.
As has been the case throughout this pandemic, the safety of our students, staff, and community is the number one consideration in every decision the Board makes. As a people of hope, we will continue to be guided by faith and will continue our journey together as a Catholic community.
God bless,
Rick Petrella, Chair of the Board