The Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools’ board has issued a statement on the provincial emergency orders restricting non-essential travel in some areas and prioritizing fuel for essential vehicles.
“We received confirmation from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Transportation that educational staff are deemed essential service workers to ensure we can safely maintain the operation of our schools during this time,” the statement reads
It said as school districts in B.C. plan ahead, the following principles will guide them: keeping students and staff safe, as well as those in the broader community; maintaining access to in-person instruction and educational continuity and reducing fuel usage within the sector to the greatest extent possible.
The school district implemented the following measures to ensure it does its part to eliminate non-essential travel and reduce fuel consumption for the duration of the orders, which are in effect until the end of November.
- Instruct staff who are able to work from home to do so;
- Encourage carpooling or utilizing public transit;
- Encourage active school travel (E.g. walk, bike, scooter);
- Cancel in-person events (E.g. sports and extracurricular);
- Cancel in-person meetings (E.g. Board and Committee);
- Cancel field trips (with the exemption of walking field trips); and
- Cancel school activities that require parents/caregivers to drive the student (E.g. before and after sports).
“The province’s fuel supply is limited, and we implore the community to take these restrictions seriously and to do their part to limit fuel consumption,” the district’s statement said. “We thank you for your ongoing support and patience and will provide updates that concern you as soon as new information becomes available.”
@_hay_tyler
editor@ladysmithchronicle.com
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