Quw’utsun Smuneem Elementary is closed for the rest of the week after staff absences have resulted in a functional closure.
The school was closed at the end of the day on Monday, Jan. 24 and remains so until the end of the week.
“With COVID rapidly spreading throughout the community, Cowichan Tribes’ education staff have been closely monitoring staff and student absentee rates at its daycare and schools. The number of staff absent at Quw’utsun Smuneem Elementary School is now impacting our ability to safely operate our school,” said a press release issued by the First Nation.
“We hope this functional closure will allow us to safely resume in-person learning on Monday, Jan. 31.”
The release said staff “are looking at ways to support connections during this closure, where possible. This may include online learning, learning packages delivered to students’ homes. We are also looking at ways to support student wellness, such as delivering nutritious daily lunches and snacks as well as daily check-ins.”
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