On Monday, September 12, 2022, we look forward to an exciting start to
the 2022/23 academic year and safely returning to in-person learning.
Yesterday, school principals, administrators, and staff returned to begin preparing classrooms and lesson plans and participating in professional
learning activities. All students will return to in-person learning on
September 12 except our Preschool students, who will have a staggered
return to school over 3 days from September 12th to the 14th
.
PRE-RETURN TESTING
In alignment with the Department of Education’s COVID-19 Return to
School Testing Policy, when students and staff are out of school for 5 days or longer, a negative certified antigen or PCR test is required as a prerequisite for returning to school buildings for in-class teaching and learning. We want to keep our school environment safe as possible for staff and students to minimise any potential disruption of learning caused
by a COVID-19 breakout.
All students must have a certified negative result for COVID-19 –
obtained within three days of returning to school, dated between September 9 and September 11, to return to school on September 12. As some pre-schools will have a staggered start, please note that
your child’s negative test must be obtained a maximum of 3-days before
their start date.
Testing Schedule for Students:
Based on feedback from our parents as a result of the previous return to school testing, I am pleased to announce to following updates
1. Testing will be at 3 locations (Dalton E. Tucker Primary, Bermuda
College, and Francis Patton Primary), and the hours of testing
have been extended (10 am to 6 pm on Friday at Bda College; 10
am to 4 pm at all other locations and days; Bda College on Sunday
only).
2. PCR (Saliva) testing is on Friday only at all locations
3. Certified Anti-Gen testing is at all locations on Saturday
4. Certified Anti-Gen testing is at Bda College on Sunday
5. Anyone returning to the island Saturday or Sunday can use their
return test used to enter the island
6. The process has an option to allow for Negative Results to be shared directly with the school Appointments for testing above must be booked online at:
schools.resqwest.com/web/, and testing is free for all students. Many parents have already booked appointments for their children, and the Saturday and Sunday time slots are filling up first. We look forward to all parents registering their children for a pre-return test.
REVISED SCHOOL COVID-19 GUIDELINES
As in-person learning remains the aim of all schools, the Ministry of Education invites schools, parents, and caregivers to work together to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in schools.
Although many COVID regulations have been relaxed, we cannot move forward as if COVID is not still within our community.
As we commence the 2022/23 academic year, the Department of Education and Private Schools now have increased flexibility for their COVID-19 policies and procedures. Therefore, as required, they can introduce enhanced guidelines, policies, and practices appropriate to
their system and school environments.
However, it must be noted that the Department of Education, Public and
Private Schools are still subject to the Public Health Act 1949 and the
Department of Health Guidance on Infection Control, Exclusion and
Reporting of Health Events in Schools, Nurseries, and other Childcare
Settings to reduce the spread of infectious diseases in school settings.
The Department of Education and Public and Private Schools also have
obligations under the Occupational and Safety Health Act 1982 to ensure safe and healthy work environments for students, staff, and visitors.
The complete listing of guidelines can be found on our website
www.moed.bm
SIGNATURE LEARNING PROGRAMMES FOR OUR SENIOR SCHOOLS
Not only are we looking to return to school safely, but we are also on the
countdown to the celebration for the launch of Signature Learning Programmes.
Beginning September 12, 2022, incoming S1 Students at The Berkeley
Institute and CedarBridge Academy will participate in Signature Learning
Programmes. CedarBridge Academy will offer STEM and Trades and
Professions, while The Berkeley Institute will offer Health and Social
Care and Financial and Insurance Services.
Bermuda, this is the change you have been asking for.
To help our children follow their passions and interests, build on their
talents and capabilities, and most importantly, help them to achieve their
careers and further aspirations.
The Signature Learning Programmes have been built by us for us
through engagement with teachers, students, parents, and business and
community leaders.
We have created a vision for how we want learning to be: personalised,
flexible, relevant, future-focused, inspiring, and authentically Bermudian.
The differences you will see in the Signature Learning Programmes
include:
A world-class curriculum that is relevant for our children, for
Bermuda, and globally
A model of teaching and learning that incorporates authentic, real-
world learning experiences and meaningful projects, attentive to
the differing needs of each and every child
Assessments that demonstrate what your child has done can do,
as well as what they have learned
Graduation requirements that ensure that children who leave with
the Bermuda Signature School Diploma have the necessary experience, skills, knowledge, values, and relationships to take up jobs or apprenticeships in their chosen profession or trade and
contribute to the requirements for entry into colleges and universities
System policies, procedures, and frameworks that will support and
sustain 21st-century learning.
Learning such as this will create a generation of young people who are
engaged, adaptive, entrepreneurial, innovative, culturally connected, and
empowered.
We look forward to empowering our young people to develop the skills,
knowledge, values, and relationships that will enable them to access –
and be the creators of – the jobs of the future.
Young people who can compete locally and contribute globally.
This is a significant milestone in the reform of education in Bermuda and
a further manifestation of this Government’s commitment to our young
people.
Next week, you will begin to see banners throughout the City and along
the roads leading to our two senior schools, videos, graphics, and more
to celebrate the launch of our first time ever Signature Learning Programmes
We are finalising the details for the September 12 welcome celebrations
and will share any planned activities with the public before the first day of
school.
GOVERNMENT’S $150 RELIEF INITIATIVE
This Government remains committed to ensuring that our families receive support and resources as we return to normalcy.
As a reminder, we are issuing a relief of $150, a one-time payment for each student enrolled in a government preschool, primary, middle or senior school.
As of today, September 2, parents are advised that they can log on to
PowerSchool (bdamoed.powerschool.com) to apply for this relief. The
application form will be launched this evening.
Instructions to Parents/Guardians
Instructions have been prepared and will be emailed to all parents and
guardians using the email address parents have provided on file through
PowerSchool.
The application form can be accessed from a laptop, computer, tablet, or
phone using the Internet (not the PowerSchool App), The step-by-step
instructions are very easy to follow.
It is important to note that an application is only considered complete
after submitting the application form and emailing the banking
confirmation/ID details to reliefdocs@moed.bm.
Along with a copy of an official Government photo ID. The instructions
are provided for our parents to make the application process quick.
All applications will be subject to verification, and funds will be sent to
your bank for deposit within 10 business days of submission of a completed application.
A list of frequently asked questions will also be sent to parents, should
they have questions about the payment process or the Relief programme.
If parents have not already reset their PowerSchool account, they can do
so by going to bdamoed.powerschool.com and using the ‘forgot password’ function. The re-setting of the PowerSchool account is critical to making an application for the $150 Relief.
The application for this Relief will be open for two months, from today
until October 31st, so that all of our parents can access this financial
support for families.
CONCLUSION
Bermuda, we look forward to the exciting changes that are happening to
evolve education for our country and welcome you to continue to support
our young people through their educational journey.
At this time, I would like to welcome the Minister of Transport to share
details regarding Public Transportation for Students.
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