Tips for celebrating the holiday season safely at school!

'Tis the season for winter concerts, holiday festivities and giving to those less fortunate, and with that in mind, the district is sharing some tips for classes to have a happy and healthy holiday season!

Holiday fun has always been a part of our school celebrations at this time of year. Our yearly Holiday Fact Sheet provides clear guidelines for our teachers, staff and parents, to ensure the health and safety of everyone, in line with district COVID-19 protocols.

Live Performances

Now that concerts and music festivals have returned, winter assemblies and performances are allowed with restrictions that include a 50% capacity limit, masks indoors and physical space between performers. Attendees must also follow visitor protocols, including:

• Check Up: Do a daily health check before attending, and stay home if you aren't feeling well.
• Back Up: Respect the personal space of others.
• Wash Up: Practice frequent hand hygiene. Hand sanitizer should be readily available at schools.
• Mask Up: Masks are required to be worn while indoors.

Schools may also wish to offer a virtual option for parents and families to watch holiday concerts from home, either through Microsoft Teams or a pre-recorded performance on the district's Vimeo platform.

Food & Treats

Classroom activities involving food and treats are permitted with limitations. Food must be individually portioned, packaged and prepared by an establishment with a COVID Safety Plan treats prepared at home are not allowed. Communal food is still not allowed, but distribution of hot chocolate and coffee is acceptable.

This year, gingerbread house and cookie decorating is allowed, so long as the required food items cookies, icing, candies are purchased from a store or prepared in a teaching kitchen or foods lab. Decorating should be limited to one student per gingerbread house or cookie.

Staff meals (i.e. pancake breakfasts) may take place at schools if prepared in a cafeteria, teaching kitchen or by a caterer and individually portioned or served. Other staff events should be treated as personal events and held off school property, such as at a restaurant.

Secret Santa gift exchanges are allowed! Teachers are asked to please develop a distribution plan to prevent crowding in small areas.

Donations & Fundraising

As the season of giving, schools are encouraged to continue donations of food, clothing, toys and money for various charitable organizations.

The Surrey Food Bank can safely pick up food donations at schools through its 2021 holiday campaign.

Donations to the Surrey Christmas Bureau can be safely dropped off at the bureau's toy depot (10355 King George Blvd.) on Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or at all Surrey fire halls. Pickups from school sites can also be arranged.

Fundraisers such as Purdy's Chocolates, poinsettia and wreath sales are allowed, as long as schools follow appropriate health and safety protocols. Please send students home with these items. Otherwise, pickup should be arranged with the items picked up outside with physical distancing and masks where appropriate, as well as with staggered pickup times to avoid crowding and congregating. If possible, offer drive-thru or curbside pickup!

Classroom Fun

There are tons of ways to celebrate the season with your class! Here are just a few ideas for some in-class holiday fun:

• Have a pajama day and enjoy some great winter reads! Look for our Winter Reading series starting up in December on surreyschools.ca and our district social media!
• Enjoy some friendly competition with a door decorating contest against some other classes! Pick a theme like favourite holiday songs.
• Host an outdoor scavenger hunt with your class for seasonal items you can see, smell or touch, such as fallen leaves, the smell pine or the rough feel of tree bark.
• Make festive cards and mail them to a local senior's care facility or homeless shelter. Please call the site in advance to ensure they are accepting cards and follow all safety protocols outlined by organizations.
• Get students in the holiday spirit with movies like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, or Frosty the Snowman!