Covid-19 Updates

In terms of online, face to face meetings, Teachers will  mainly be using Google Meet    to connect with Students. 

As we continue to learn from this experience, we may explore other options including Zoom or Skype. 

Middle and Senior School Students are asked  to have access to a computer with a webcam for online classes.  This will help teachers track attendance and participation in class.

Though our emphasis will be on flexibility in timing and use of devices, if you do not have access to any device, it will be possible to sign out a Chromebook with a $250 deposit. Please contact your Assistant Principal directly if you would like to pursue this option.

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Classes like Physical Education, Drama, and Music will continue, with teachers using creative methods to connect with their students and continue classwork during this time. 

In these extraordinary times, our priority as a school is to focus on students’ emotional well-being and physical safety while keeping them engaged in learning. Understanding the challenges that families may be facing, our administration and faculty are even more sensitive to the importance of empathy and compassion for our students during this time. 

As we look toward planning final assessments for the year and in light of the ongoing learning situation, we are announcing the following:

• Middle & Senior School exam weeks will be cancelled.
• Middle School & Senior School Teachers may decide to do a final summative task (projects, tests, assignments, etc.) which students will have time to complete in June once classes are finished.
• Classes will end as follows regardless of the learning situation in June:
  • Grade 10 to 12: Friday, June 5th
  • Grade 9:  Friday, June 12th
  • K to Grade 8: Friday, June 19th
• All students will receive a final report card in June.

The College Board (the U.S. Company that administers the Advanced Placement Program) has announced that all AP Exams will proceed this year, with some major changes. Exams will be held later (May 11-22), be only 45 minutes long and will not contain any Multiple Choice items. The written responses will require application, not mere recall of information, and the language exams will involve only spoken responses. Because of sudden school closures, each AP exam will test only the first 75% of the course material. Students will be doing the AP exams at home, online, on any device that they can access. The College Board will email students with log-in codes and other important details, including issues of submission timing and exam security.

Our six AP teachers are hard at work continuing to prepare our 96 AP students for their upcoming exams. The College Board has worked quickly to add more learning resources, review materials, and exam information to their website, including live review classes that students can access on YouTube. Specific questions should be emailed to your AP teacher and/or the AP Coordinator Mr. Greg Accili. Best of luck to our AP students as they continue to prepare for these very challenging exams!

Exam Schedule: 

• AP Calculus - May 12 @ 11 am PST
• AP Chem - May 14 @ 11 am PST
• AP Physics I - May 14 @ 1 pm PST
• AP Psychology - May 19 @ 11 am PST
• AP French - May 21 @ 9am PST
• AP Spanish - May 22 @ 1 pm PST

Teachers are empowered to determine a final grade for students based on work completed to-date and the assessment of participation in learning opportunities that will occur over the coming months.

Students will have the opportunity to show progress with an emphasis being placed on learning and understanding of curricular competencies over compliance with grades determined accordingly.

All Vancouver College students will receive a final report card in June.
 

Grade 12 Students - Capstone Project:   The Ministry mandated Capstone Project will continue for Grade 12 students as this is a requirement for graduation.    Capstone Presentations have been shifted to Friday, May 8 between 10am - 11:30 am.   Students  will participate    in a virtual presentation  between their Advisor and a Community Member. 

Grade 10 & 11 Students - Capstone Project: Grade 10 and 11 Students are being asked to pause any work on their Capstone at this moment. While we don't anticipate there being an opportunity to present these projects this school year students should hold onto these projects as a resources in the future. 

Service Hours:  If students have already completed their required hours, they should be encouraged to now start working on reports -slides or other means of reporting out as per your requirements!

If they have NOT finished the hours requirement, we will be very pastoral, creative, and diligent in encouraging them to finish up BEFORE the deadline (somewhere around May 1, depending on your class).

For now, we will need to consider work done in and around the house as fulfilling the requirement. Making dinner for the family, yard work, clean up, anything that takes the load off the parents, can fulfill this requirement and should be done in the spirit of Blessed Edmund Rice.

Click here for further resources and ideas! 

Vancouver College Chromebooks can be borrowed for a $250 deposit. Please contact your Assistant Principal for further details.

Any return to school order will come from the Provincial Health Officer (PHO). Based on the information we have received at this point, such a decision is not imminent and any information stating a return to school date is purely speculative.

Rest assured that Vancouver College is preparing for whatever decision the PHO may make by putting together plans based on anticipated scenarios.

Students should only visit the campus to pick up textbooks if absolutely necessary.

Students must reach out to their Assistant Principal for further information and to set up a time to gather material in their locker. 

When on campus, we ask that students practice physical distancing to keep staff still at VC safe. 

Although we love the School Spirit, we are not requiring students to wear their uniforms during "school hours."

However, if you choose to do so, be sure to send any photos our way to share the Irish Pride! 

We asked, we listened, and in working with the Student Council, Grad Committee and various faculty, we have formed a plan to celebrate you while respecting all health and safety guidelines.  

To the Class of 2020:

We are going forward with the Grad 2020 Awards Selection. This requires you to apply through this   link  no later than 3 pm on Friday, May 8. As you can see from this   list, there is a diverse variety of awards and any of you could be selected - but only if you apply, so please do so!

Finally, any of you interested in speaking on behalf of your class as valedictorian, please submit a short 5-min speech to me no later than 3 pm on Wednesday, May 13. Criteria are   here   for selection.

Thank you, we are looking forward to making your graduation meaningful in this special year.

As we continue to monitor COVID-19 health concerns and regulations, we have   closed    Finnegan Summer 2020      registration at this time.

Taking into consideration the realities of COVID-19, in particular health and safety protocols given,  we have made the difficult decision to limit the camp selection for families this year, leading to the cancellation of the majority of camps,   found online.

We ask that you continue to refer to our    Finnegan Summer Webpage   for details throughout the week as we plan with our instructors for what is feasible and safe. 

Throughout the week of May 25, 2020, we will be emailing all families currently registered in camps with specific updates. 

We thank you for your patience and ongoing support of Finnegan Summer and Vancouver College.

Due to the circumstances surrounding event cancellations and campus closures, families will not be penalized for a lack of volunteer hours this school year.

Other decisions regarding the Parent Participation Program due to the COVID-19 virus will be made towards the end of April 2020.

Monetary balances still on your sons Cafeteria Card will go toward the following school year.  

Anyone not returning to VC (i.e. Grade 12's) will be entitled to a refund on any credit in their cafeteria account.