Given the impact of COVID-19, the Mini School staff has prioritized the safety of our students and paused all trips and group activities this year. A Mini School credit of $375.00 for the 2020-2021 school year will be carried forward for all Mini 8-11 students returning to the Mini program for 2021-2022. A refund is available upon request for families in need of funds and may be made to Margaret Yee, our business assistant.
A refund of $375.00 will be sent in July for all non-returning students and current Mini 12 students.
The Mini School parent information meeting for parents/guardians of prospective grade 7-11 students will take place on Wednesday, January 27th at 7:00 PM via Zoom. Learn about Mini School’s offerings from Rob Young and other Mini School teachers and see what McNair Mini is all about.
Happy Holidays from all of us at McNair Mini School! We are writing you today to provide an update regarding student fees for the Mini School program.
With COVID-19 precautions in mind, Mini School staff members have been hopeful but realistic about the chances of continuing our outdoor education programs. With Dr. Bonnie Henry’s announcements extending restrictions and the latest projection modelling for Canada in mind, we are conscious that safety for our students must remain the number one priority. We are also aware that work opportunities may have been impacted and family finances may not be the same as previous years.
To that end, the second payment that McNair Mini School usually processes around February will be cancelled—there will be no second installment for student fees. The money already collected will stay with student accounts until such a time when we can determine expenditures—if any—for costs related to the program. If we are unable to take any of the planned Spring trips, we anticipate refunds for all students. Those refunds will be minus any trips that were taken and/or project costs (like the Mini 12’s memory book) and will be made in July 2021. Our Business Assistant, Margaret Yee, will process any refunds by cheque at that time.
If you have any other questions (about potential refunds or upcoming trips), please contact Rob Young at royoung@sd38.bc.ca. We will continue to offer your child/children the quality education they expect, all the while ensuring that safety remains central to all aspects of our program planning. We continue to hope that we may be able to go ahead with our planned Spring outings and will be in communication with parents closer to the scheduled dates of those trips.
The McNair Mini-School program has decided to participate in “SD 38 GIVES BACK”; a joint initiative to collect donations for the Richmond Food Bank Society from Monday, Dec. 7th to Thursday, Dec. 17th, 2020.
The Mini School program is now inviting each of you to donate to the Richmond Food Bank in the form of non-perishable food items, cash or cheques (payable to McNair Secondary).
Also note that this initiative is entirely voluntary; we have all been hit hard in one way or another and we should only give what we are able.
Food Items, gift cards and other donations will be collected at McNair in boxes at your Grade entrance door. Mini School students are asked to make their donations directly to their Mini-School teachers.
McNair also has the ability to take donations online. Please visit your School Cash Online account at https://richmondsd38.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/35719/125/False/True. Families who contribute in excess of $20 will be eligible for a Tax receipt issued by the Richmond Food Bank Services.
We thank you in advance for your generous contributions.
With the pandemic at its current stage, McNair Mini School–in prioritizing the safety of our students and staff–will be cancelling annual events and digitizing others where possible.
The annual Mini School potluck is officially cancelled. We hope to connect with our extended Mini School friends and families next year when it is safe to convene.
McNair Mini School would like to welcome you and your child back to the 2020-21 school year! As staff and students navigate the complexities of school reopening, we are grateful for the support that you have provided during the period of online learning beginning in April and the continued support you give to your child’s learning every day. This is a year unlike any other, and the Mini School program is responding to the emergent concerns around safety, which remains our top priority. In this quarter system, our classes are smaller and we are better able to observe safe practices with our students to ensure physical distancing, to encourage mask wearing, and to deliver a quality education that you have come to expect.
The Mini School program is still in effect and students are currently timetabled into their appropriate Mini School classes. A big part of the program is the extra-curricular trips like Strathcona and Whistler and the Spring excursions. Obviously Strathcona did not happen, and all other trips are on pause as we await more direction from the District and the Provincial Health team. We collected significantly less money than normal for the Mini school program last Spring ($375 instead of $650), and the intent is to use that money for any upcoming trips we are able to take the students on. In the event that the trips cannot happen at all this year, we will refund the money. But the program and the enriched learning that occurs in the Mini School classes is continuing.
Thank you for your patience while we sorted out some of the details for Mini School 2020/2021.
Strathcona:
As you may have guessed, our annual trip in September to Strathcona has been canceled for this year. Following the recommendations from our provincial and national health ministers, the message from Richmond School Board is that, “All overnight field trips have been suspended until further notice.”
Fees:
Being cautiously optimistic, we are hoping that it will be safe enough to be permitted to go to Whistler and/or our spring trips, and we continue to make tentative arrangements to that end.
A $375 deposit is due by June 19th to secure your spot in the Mini School Program (which will be used towards the Whistler and Spring trips), and can be paid via SchoolCashhttps://richmondsd38.schoolcashonline.com/Home/SignIn
Note: Only the incoming grade 7s and parents who requested and received the May 2020 refund are required to submit payment. Parents/guardians of grade 8-11 students who opted to have their refund credited to the student account are exempt from the $375 deposit.
Depending on updates to COVID-19 mandated restrictions, a second installment of approximately $400-$500 may be due sometime in January.
If you have any questions relating to Mini School, then please don’t hesitate to contact me at royoung@sd38.bc.ca.
