THE Surrey School District said on Monday that on August 26 it shared its plans to safely return to in-class instruction. These plans reflect the measures put forth by provincial health experts and the Ministry of Education and include the important steps all schools will take to safely welcome our students back in September.

“We are confident in our plans, but we know that many of our families are nervous,” said Laurie Larsen, Chair of the Surrey Board of Education. “Many of our students haven’t been in a school since March, so it’s normal to have some apprehension about returning. We want to support these families by offering transition programs for students in grades kindergarten through grade nine. These elementary and secondary transition programs will be available to all families who are not ready to have their child return to full-time face-to-face instruction when school begins in September.”

“This summer has been busy for our district as we create and strengthen the learning options we are able to offer our students during this pandemic,” added Dr. Jordan Tinney, Superintendent for the Surrey School District. “Our senior leadership, and in particular principals and vice principals, have been working hard to create plans for their schools that are safe, responsive to their staff and student needs, and consistent with the guidelines put forth by provincial health experts. This has not been an easy task, and we know that this pandemic is unpredictable, but the health and safety of our staff, students and parents is always our first priority.”

In response to the pandemic and parent concerns expressed through its surveys, families in the Surrey School District can now register for the following options for September:

Elementary

· Full-time in-class instruction: This option has students safely returning to full-time in-class instruction with set cohorts/learning groups and physical distancing.

· Surrey Blended: Elementary Transition Program: This blended learning option is a combination of online and face-to-face learning through your local school, with a goal of gradually increasing face-to-face instruction. It is available to all K-7 students in the district.

Secondary

· Full-time in-class instruction: This option has students safely returning to full-time in-class instruction with set cohorts/learning groups and physical distancing. Students in grades 8 and 9 will attend school full time while students in grades 10-12 will participate in a blended model with both online and face-to-face learning.

· Surrey Blended: Secondary Transition Program: This learning option offers flexibility for families that are planning to not return to school in September. School staff will work with individual families on plans for transition which may include a delayed start or reduced attendance, with a gradual transition back to full-time in-class instruction School staff may also discuss options related to online learning through the district’s online learning school Surrey Academy of Innovative Learning (SAIL) or possibly their local school.

· Surrey Academy of Innovative Learning (SAIL): All secondary students (grades 8-12) who wish to take online learning can register with the district’s online school the Surrey Academy of Innovative Learning (SAIL).

The Surrey School District said it is attempting to meet the needs of the community in these unusual times. These transition programs will provide additional choice and flexibility to our core offerings. While it will take some time to adjust and create these options to their full instructional design, it anticipates transition programs to be fully operational by September 21, with an orientation for registered families during the week of September 14.