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Greetings from the Virtual Board Retreat
Greetings from the three day Virtual Board Retreat! Throughout our time of connecting and strategizing, the governors have been discussing the exciting ambitions and objectives that are arising out of Shawnigan’s Project Future – our strategic plan for the crucial next two years. The priorities identified in Project Future will safeguard the School, allow us to be nimble and innovative in uncertain and disruptive times, and serve as a springboard into the decade ahead.
We look forward to formally launching Project Future on Monday 1st February – which is also the 135th anniversary of the birth of our School Founder, C.W. Lonsdale.
The School has remained in regular contact with the member of staff who last week reported a positive COVID-19 test, and I am happy to report that this member of the Shawnigan family appears to be recovering well. Please find below the update that we first shared with parents on Monday 25th January:
The School has remained in regular contact with the member of staff who last week reported a positive COVID-19 test, and I am happy to report that this member of the Shawnigan family appears to be recovering well. Please find below the update that we first shared with parents on Monday 25th January:
Dear Shawnigan parents and guardians,
Following on from my letter on the evening of Friday 22nd January, I am writing to give you an update on our COVID-19 exposure on campus.
Students and staff have responded in an exemplary way to the news. Thank you also to the parents who have written to the Head’s Office and the House Directors to express your support and appreciation of our protocols and communications.
With permission, I can inform you that the exposure was isolated to the Commissary (the School Store) and we have one part-time member of staff at home with a COVID-19 positive result and three others self-isolating at home on the advice of Island Health. An external company, Clean Sweep, has done a rigorous deep clean of the area. Fortunately due to the protective plexi-glass at the Commissary desk, our staff’s responsible adherence to the Shawnigan safety protocols, our mask policy, the flow pattern and restrictions on numbers in the store, Island Health has informed us that they deem this exposure to be low risk.
Public Health has confirmed that, at this time, a) no students are required to self-isolate and are not considered to be at risk and b) it was contracted off campus by a part-time employee.
This exposure provided us with an opportunity to test our emergency response systems on Friday afternoon and evening and I am pleased to report that we and Island Health believe that our response was swift, appropriate and effective. The Shawnigan Covid Response Team met at lunchtime today to review our response to the exposure and we will build in the learning outcomes into our documentation for future possible exposure.
Matt Clinton-Baker gave an update to students at lunch today in Marion Hall and we have asked House Directors to follow up with the students in houses this evening.
Beyond this letter and last Friday’s from the Head’s Office and the Frequently Asked Questions, please do be in touch with your House Director if you have any further questions.
Our team will continue to do our very best to protect our community and we all need to continue to be super vigilant and responsible in our approach.
With best wishes,
Richard D A Lamont
Headmaster
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
