The Nanaimo Ladysmith Public School District announced their Restart Plan on Wednesday. (file photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

back in class

Plans announced to avoid student congestion and prevent COVID-19 transmission in Nanaimo-Ladysmith schools

Aug 26, 2020 | 2:38 PM

NANAIMO — Plans are in place to ensure all students in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith district are as safe as possible during the fulltime return to the classroom next month.

The school district announced their restart plan on Wednesday, Aug. 26 in conjunction with school districts across the province.

Those in elementary schools will be in study groups of no more than 60, which includes staff. The number allowed in a cohort increases to 120 for secondary schools, a new standard across all of B.C.

To avoid clogged hallways and situations where students can’t physically distance, classrooms will move around at different times. Signage in the hallway to direct traffic flow through the school.

The beginning and end of day, as well as lunch and break, will be staggered between junior and senior grades.

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Students are planned to be outside as much as possible.

Traditional water fountains will be closed but self-filling water stations will be used.

The school district ordered 35,000 reusable masks and 15,000 disposable masks.

All SD 68 secondary schools will move away from the semester system to ensure learning group sizes are adhered to, according to a 26 page report available online.

Supt. Scott Saywell said it’s possible the district may use space outside of Dover Bay Secondary, Wellington Secondary and NDSS to improve safety for students attending those schools.

Saywell conceded maintaining the integrity of learning groups will be difficult early in the school year.

“There’s a short period of time where we have to understand who is in our schools, who hasn’t returned and then organize those classrooms according to class size and composition as well, it’s not an easy undertaking.”

Return to school plans for independent schools across B.C. are still being approved and due to be shared next week.

The province anticipates students return to their respective schools on Sept. 10.

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