COVID-19 Mask
On March 17, 2020, while Shawnigan Lake School students were enjoying their Spring Break, British Columbia’s Public Health Minister, Bonnie Henry, announced the province’s first COVID-19 death, prompting the closure of schools. Immediately, Shawnigan assembled the COVID-19 Response Team to manage logistics and ensure the safety of staff and students.
Following Spring Break, a new online academic program, SOUL (Shawnigan Online Unique Learning), was launched, which featured three daily academic classes, regular meetings with Houses and Advisors, and a weekly Chapel service, led by the Rev, “Soul Man.” Time zones were a challenge, so adjustments were made to accommodate all students. With many students having left important learning materials at School when they left for Spring Break, House Directors worked tirelessly to mail these essentials to students.
Soon, SOUL transitioned into SOUL Seeking, a project-based initiative that allowed students to explore passion projects from home. These projects ranged from carpentry to culinary arts to music, and so much more. While students remained home, many staff worked on campus under strict safety protocols. At 7:00 p.m. staff took it in turn to ring the Chapel bells to honor healthcare workers.
The School year ended early, but Shawnigan hosted a socially-distanced Closing Day on May 29, where graduates could gather briefly with one guest per student, despite some being unable to attend due to travel restrictions.
For the 2020-2021 school year, Shawnigan Lake School aimed to offer in-person learning while following very strict health protocols, such as checking temperatures daily and wearing masks like the one seen here in the early days, and later transitioning to N95 masks.
International students arrived early to quarantine for two weeks before integrating with others. Then students were grouped into cohorts based on their Houses, and they attended all of their classes, sports and fine arts in these cohort groupings. Meals were served in dorms, and Chapel services were streamed into individual Houses. In the event of contracting the virus, students were moved to Camp Pringle, located on the other side of the lake, to isolate until they tested negative while continuing their education remotely if able.
Graduates in 2021 enjoyed a special event at Marion Hall, though families could not attend in person. A separate ceremony was held outside each of the Houses, maintaining the close-knit cohort system until the very end.
By September 2021, the School lifted many COVID-related restrictions, including mandatory masks and cohort-based classes. The 2022 graduates were able to return to Whistler for a traditional celebration, marking a welcomed return to normalcy. The Grad Class of 2020 was also invited to Whistler at that time to enjoy an evening of celebration with their peers and staff as a way to bring closure to their Shawnigan Journey after COVID-19 had cheated them of this rite of passage.
Some of the pivots that occurred during COVID-19 remain in place today, and we refer to them as the “gifts of COVID.” These include Houses hosting grads and their families on Closing Day; the Remembrance Day service taking place outside; and parent-teacher conferences occurring on Zoom, to name only a few.
The information presented in this write-up is based on current information available in the School's Archives and consultation with key people who have some relevant connection to this "object." If you have further information about this "object" that you would like to contribute, please contact the School’s Advancement Office at alumni@shawnigan.ca.
Soon, SOUL transitioned into SOUL Seeking, a project-based initiative that allowed students to explore passion projects from home. These projects ranged from carpentry to culinary arts to music, and so much more. While students remained home, many staff worked on campus under strict safety protocols. At 7:00 p.m. staff took it in turn to ring the Chapel bells to honor healthcare workers.
The School year ended early, but Shawnigan hosted a socially-distanced Closing Day on May 29, where graduates could gather briefly with one guest per student, despite some being unable to attend due to travel restrictions.
For the 2020-2021 school year, Shawnigan Lake School aimed to offer in-person learning while following very strict health protocols, such as checking temperatures daily and wearing masks like the one seen here in the early days, and later transitioning to N95 masks.
International students arrived early to quarantine for two weeks before integrating with others. Then students were grouped into cohorts based on their Houses, and they attended all of their classes, sports and fine arts in these cohort groupings. Meals were served in dorms, and Chapel services were streamed into individual Houses. In the event of contracting the virus, students were moved to Camp Pringle, located on the other side of the lake, to isolate until they tested negative while continuing their education remotely if able.
Graduates in 2021 enjoyed a special event at Marion Hall, though families could not attend in person. A separate ceremony was held outside each of the Houses, maintaining the close-knit cohort system until the very end.
By September 2021, the School lifted many COVID-related restrictions, including mandatory masks and cohort-based classes. The 2022 graduates were able to return to Whistler for a traditional celebration, marking a welcomed return to normalcy. The Grad Class of 2020 was also invited to Whistler at that time to enjoy an evening of celebration with their peers and staff as a way to bring closure to their Shawnigan Journey after COVID-19 had cheated them of this rite of passage.
Some of the pivots that occurred during COVID-19 remain in place today, and we refer to them as the “gifts of COVID.” These include Houses hosting grads and their families on Closing Day; the Remembrance Day service taking place outside; and parent-teacher conferences occurring on Zoom, to name only a few.
The information presented in this write-up is based on current information available in the School's Archives and consultation with key people who have some relevant connection to this "object." If you have further information about this "object" that you would like to contribute, please contact the School’s Advancement Office at alumni@shawnigan.ca.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
