Adjusting to Low Air Quality

Parents and Friends of Star of the Sea School,

The poor air quality this morning resulted in a late decision to use our “rainy day” school entry plan. Rather than line up on the field and wait for the entire class to go inside together, students were marshalled directly from their drop off to the exterior door of their classrooms. The result was an efficient drop-off with minimal exposure to the smoky air outside. I wish to express my gratitude to the staff for their flexibility and willingness to adapt and to parents and students for their safety and patience.

We are blessed at Star of the Sea school to have independent HVAC systems in each class with new, high-grade air filters. So, although we are having to keep the windows closed for the time being, the students are enjoying filtered air to reduce the effects of the smoke and COVID-19.

The current air quality rating is 10+ Very High Risk. The government of Canada advises that people at risk, including the elderly and children should avoid outdoor physical exertion. For this reason we will have to keep all students indoors until the air quality is improved. I will monitor the situation closely throughout the day.

Our drop-off procedure will be the same as usual. To reduce the amount of time your child will be exposed to the outdoor air, please be here early to pick-up. We will begin lining up on the field at 2:45pm.

Please pray for those impacted by the fires causing this smoke, especially those suffering from loss of life, injury, or loss of property.

Sincerely,

Mr. Jason Borkowski

Principal