News from Vanier - August 3 return to school update

Dear Vanier students and families:
 
Here are some updates about the start of this school year since my last email (July 13).
 
Planning
 

• The Guidelines for K-12 School Settings were released on July 23 and we are using those to continue planning for the 2020-2021 school year.
• The three large Whitehorse secondary schools (FH Collins, Porter Creek, and Vanier) are working closely to ensure that the three schools operate similarly to each other.
• We are developing our finalized Health and Safety Operational Plan which will be shared on or before August 12.

 
School Calendar
 

• A Professional Development (PD) Day has been moved from October 1 to August 19 to give schools an extra day to prepare, therefore the first day of school for all students will now be Thursday, August 20.
• Our Grade 8 orientation afternoon will move from Tuesday, August 18 to Wednesday, August 19 from 12:30 until 3:00 pm.

 
School Schedule
 

• Grade 8 and 9s will use our traditional Monday to Friday, 5 blocks per day, schedule as found here: https://www.vcss.ca/bell-and-class-schedule.html

• The Grade 10-12 bell schedule is anticipated to be (subject to change):

• A year-long calendar specifying which days are Day 1s and Day 2s will be available before the school year starts.
• Teachers will use a blended learning model facilitated using Microsoft Teams to facilitate additional learning time when students are not in classrooms.
• Students’ shift assignment will be based on surname (last name):
  • Surnames starting with A through L will be Shift 1
  • Surnames starting with M through Z will be Shift 2
  • This will flip at the semester break (ie. Shift 2 will meet in the mornings and Shift 2 will meet in the afternoons, for equity reasons).
  • It is not possible to switch shifts, except under very limited circumstances (e.g. blended families where students have different surnames will be able to have all students in one shift).

• When students are not in classrooms, it is expected they are working on school – please avoid scheduling work or other obligations during these times.  This way students can collaborate (either electronically or in person) outside of classroom time.
• A supervised off-site “study hall” will be available for students if they cannot return home or learn effectively at their homes.  It will have digital devices for students to access.  More information on this will come in a future email.

 
Student Timetables
 

• We are working on creating student timetables this week and plan to mail them to households towards the end of the week.
• Please send any questions or comments about timetables to [email protected]
• Our student information system (based in British Columbia where school doesn’t start until after Labour Day) goes off-line for summer maintenance from August 8 until the 17th.  We will not be able to make any schedule changes during this time.
• Counsellors and administration will be available for schedule changes on Tuesday, August 18 and Wednesday, August 19 – we will confirm the details in a future email.
• We will include a list of Grade 10-12 classes available in each block with the timetables, so students can look for alternative classes to the ones they have been assigned to.  Keep in mind, there are many full classes.

 
School Supplies and Lockers
 

• School supply lists are attached to this email and are also posted on our school website.
• Students will not be issued lockers this year.
• Grade 8 and 9 students will be issued a plastic bin to store their supplies in their classroom.
• Grade 10-12 students should be able to store all their materials in a backpack with room for textbooks and/or workbooks.

 
In the meantime, please feel free to reply to this email with any of your questions or concerns or send them to [email protected] or call the school at 667-5901. 
 
Sincerely,
Ryan Sikkes, principal