COVID-19 Procedures & Protocols
VIS follows all current Ministry of Health and Education measures for elementary schools in Ontario. As new variants may continue to emerge, we offer a reminder to current and prospective families that for the overall well-being and physical health of our students, VIS is equipped with a hospital grade HVAC ventilation system. Moreover, our use of the highest level MERV16 filters far exceed the required MERV13 filters designated for most buildings in Ontario. In our experience over the past few years, we attribute our incredibly low transmission rate as a school to the impeccable standards of our ventilation system and relationship with the Distillery Management.
COVID-19 Vaccination Policy
The vaccination status of any staff member, student and/or visitor to the school will remain confidential and will not be disclosed to anyone other than the administration, Ministry of Education or Toronto Public Health to protect confidentiality, medical privacy and to avoid legal repercussions against the school.
However, VIS’ policy is in line with the Ministry of Education’s policy for private schools which is outlined below:
“The Ministry of Education will require all private schools to implement a COVID-19 immunization disclosure policy as an additional tool to advance safety and support local public health units in working with private schools to follow COVID-19 Guidance: School Case, Contact, and Outbreak Management.
The policy will require that private school employees undertake one of the following:
– Provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19; or
– Provide a formal/official documented medical reason for not being vaccinated against COVID-19; or
– Participate in an educational program approved by the Ministry of Education.
This approach will also apply to student placements, frequent school visitors (e.g. school nutrition program staff), and other professionals who deliver services in schools. Staff members who are not immunized, including those with medical reasons, will be required to complete COVID-19 antigen testing TWICE weekly as directed in provincial guidance. The means of obtaining, administering, and reporting the test will be communicated solely to the administration and the Ministry of Health.
For eligible students, our policy is that the vaccination of children from ages 12-19 is at the discretion of the parent to make that medical decision for their child. Therefore, we do not hold vaccination clinics at the school, but respect the decisions of each family in our community, whatever they may be. In any event, we remain committed to maintaining a safe working and learning environment for all of our staff, students and their family members and at all times will take the appropriate steps to promote a healthy environment whereby we can limit the spread of the COVID-19 disease or its variants.