Tla’amin Nation Shelter in Place Order and School Attendance

Dear Teachers

As you are likely aware Tla’amin Nation has voluntarily enacted a Shelter in Place Order to protect its residents and the broader community of Powell River from Covid-19.

This containment measure was put in place very quickly and will stay in place as long as necessary to protect the community and region. The Order was extended until Monday September 14th at 5 PM.

Nation residents have been advised to keep their children home and the school district is supporting the Nation’s decision. The Order also applies to Tla’amin education staff.

Tla’amin Nation is currently conducting vigorous contact tracing and those experiencing COVID-19 symptoms are self-isolating.

These are stressful times for Tla’amin families. With over 20 confirmed cases, now including treasured Elders, anxiety is high. As educators we ask for your help in managing this situation and supporting the best possible outcomes for Tla’amin children. Specifically we are asking you to do three things

1. For some children, the normalcy of school is important. Tla’amin education staff are on standby to help deliver assignments and keep children connected. Writing a personalized note introducing yourself and letting the impacted students know that you care about them, and can’t wait to meet them, goes a long way.

2. For some children, especially those from impacted families, school might not be the most important thing. How we welcome children back in to the circle and set a tone within our classrooms will be extremely important. Tla’amin education staff have some ideas about how to do this in a good way and we encourage you to reach out to the contacts listed below for advice and support.

3. Many Indigenous children in the district are not subject to the Shelter in Place Order and there is mixed understanding of this in the Region. Engage in frank and open discussion with your students about the steps Tla’amin is taking to protect all of us. If you want support in how to manage these conversations, again we encourage you to reach out to the staff listed below.
We thank you for your commitment to supporting the Tla’amin Nation and all Indigenous children across the region in this Covid-19 pandemic.

If you have any questions please call
School board office | 604-485-6271 | info@sd47.bc.ca
Gail Blaney at 604 483 5299 | gail.blaney@sd47.bc.ca
Jessica Johnson at 778-986-5431 | jessica.johnson@sd47.bc.ca

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