Masks

All K to 12 staff, students in grades 4 to 12, and visitors are required to wear masks in all indoor areas, including:

At their desks
On school buses

Exceptions to the mask policy include:

A person who cannot tolerate wearing a mask for health or behavioural reasons
A person unable to put on or remove a mask without the assistance of another person
If the mask is removed temporarily for the purposes of identifying the person wearing it
If the mask is removed temporarily to engage in an educational activity that cannot be performed while wearing a mask. For example:
Playing a wind instrument
Engaging in high-intensity physical activity
If a person is eating or drinking
If a person is behind a barrier

While providing a service to a person with a disability or diverse ability (for example, a hearing impairment), where visual cues, facial expressions and/or lip reading/movements are important
Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 are encouraged to wear a mask indoors in schools and on school buses, but are not required to do so. Mask wearing remains a personal or family/caregiver choice for these students.

Keeping your distance

Strict physical distancing is no longer required. Schools can continue to create space between people, including:

Managing flow of people in common areas, including hallways and around lockers, to minimize crowding and allow people to pass through easily
Preventing crowding at pick-up and drop-off times
Reminding students and staff about respecting others’ personal space, using visual supports, signage, prompts and video modelling as necessary
Using available space to spread people out where possible
Taking students outside as much as possible