February 25, 2026
School district staff have been phoning families and sharing information today. The following information was provided in follow up to the phone calls.
One question that came from both elementary and high school parents was how the two schools will work together on the same site? The two schools will have different start, break and end times to help control traffic. Parking will be clearly identified. The two schools will operate separately with separate facilities.
At the Elementary School
Students at Tumbler Ridge Elementary will return to learning on Thursday, February 26th and Friday, February 27th from 10:30am to 1:00pm. On Monday, March 2, students will return to their regular schedule. Gym classes will resume as normal and the gym use during the day will be for elementary students. Students recess and lunch will be at normal times and plans will be made for students to go outside as usual. Safety around the construction zone has been carefully planned, with fencing and barriers in place to prevent students from accessing unsafe areas.
To start with, all students will enter and exit through the front door. A team will be at the door to welcome your child/children. Doors will be locked throughout the day. A phone number will be posted on the front door to access the school office. Guardians and guests wishing to gain access to the school will need to call the number to gain access.
Interior cameras are running in the elementary school, and a more robust system is underway including interior and exterior cameras. Mountainview Safety Services have been contracted to maintain a perimeter around the entire school campus, including the elementary school and the phase 1 and phase 2 areas for high school students.
At the High School
Tomorrow, Thursday, February 26th students and families/caregivers are welcome to visit the new portable space between 10:30 and 1:00.
On Friday, February 27th, students will be welcome to attend for one block between 10:30 and 1:00. This will be their B block focusing on 1 course at a time to start with. Lunch will be from 11:30 am – 12:00 pm. Specific information around lunch time and breaks will be shared with student when they return. We are working on determining which portable your child will be in. We will have a team working outside to help your child find their portable. Next week, the tentative plan will be for students from 10:00 am-2:00 pm but this may change based on needs. The school will communicate with updated schedule information as we move forward.
Each portable has 2 entry points, and each door will be locked at all times. Staff will welcome students at the beginning of the class block and after lunch. Two Safer School Liaison staff will be on site until spring break as well as district counselling team.
Mountainview Safety Services have been contracted to maintain a perimeter around the entire school campus, including the elementary school and the phase 1 and phase 2 areas for high school students. An external camera system will be installed. RCMP has conducted a security review of the area, and the Safer School Coordinator has worked with the administration around safety planning.
The Tumbler Ridge Secondary portables will each have a handheld radio which have each been assigned to a single channel. If there is a need to call an alarm, all portables will receive the same verbal message simultaneously. A Muster Point has also been allocated.
