Dear SD43 families, 

Thank you for your cooperation in completing the daily health check before sending your children to school and for following the protocols in place. I'm writing to inform you of the community communication plan that will be initiated in the event of a potential COVID-19 exposure in a school. 

In matters of health, the district closely follows all guidelines from the Provincial Health Officer and our School Medical Officer at the Fraser Health Authority. This includes contact tracing and communication of potential exposures. If a member of the school community were to test positive for COVID-19, Fraser Health would follow up directly with those individuals who may have been exposed and provide them instruction on whether to isolate or seek testing. When the school is notified of a potential exposure, based on a lab confirmed case, a letter will be sent to the school community. The letter will identify the school and outline the next steps or actions to take, if any. Individual students, families or classrooms will not be identified in order to preserve personal privacy, but you will be contacted by health authorities if you are considered a close contact. Please follow any directions provided if you are contacted. If you are not contacted by health authorities, it has been determined that your child is not at risk of developing COVID-19 and your child may continue to attend school. Please continue to do daily health checks before school.  

The safety and well-being of students continues to be a top priority for SD43. The protocols in place continue to be honed and refined to ensure schools are a controlled environment and as safe as possible. 

SD43 Stage 2 Health and Safety protocols have been updated and posted on the district website for parents/guardians ​​(https://www.sd43.bc.ca/FAQ/Documents/Health%20%20Safety%20Protocols%20for%20Schools%20Stage%2 02%20September%2023%202020;%20for%20Parents.pdf).​

This information and more directly related to the district COVID-19 Pandemic response is posted on the district website at www.sd43.bc.ca/faq. Fraser Health has also created a dedicated webpage to inform the public of school exposures at www.fraserhealth.ca/schoolexposures. 

If you have any questions or concerns about the health of anyone in your household and COVID-19 please call 811.  

Sincerely, 

Patricia Gartland

Superintendent & CEO