A group of Grade 9 students and teachers at a private school in West Vancouver are in self-isolation this week after being exposed to COVID-19 during a recent outdoor trip.
A small group of students and staff at Mulgrave School are at possible risk after being exposed to the virus while they were away from the school for day camp experience, according to a letter sent home to parents from John Wray, head of school. They have been told to self-isolate for 14 days.
According to the school’s Facebook page, middle school students in grades 7 to 9 at Mulgrave took part in a number of outdoor education sessions last week, involving activities like hiking, kayaking and wilderness first aid.
Affected students, who have been contacted by public health, have switched to online learning and the teachers involved are running their classes remotely while in isolation, according to the school.
Because the students were exposed to the virus while away from the school, there has been no recommendation for extra cleaning of the school, other than that which is already being done, according to the letter to parents.
No details were given in the letter about exactly how the students were exposed to the virus. Wray urged parents to remain calm.
“We can only imagine the plethora of feelings experienced by the affected family,” wrote Wray. “As a community, we express our well wishes and empathy.”
Students at Mulgrave, a private school for students in kindergarten through Grade 12, returned to school Aug. 20.
The exposure of Mulgrave students and teachers to the virus comes as public schools throughout B.C. are preparing for the return of students to the classroom in the next week. Normally school starts the day after Labour Day, but the B.C. government pushed that back to allow teachers more time to prepare. Full-time school is expected to begin at most schools on Sept. 14.
