The Kamloops Symphony is carefully monitoring the ongoing developments surrounding COVID-19, and how they affect our Music School. Our priority remains the health and wellbeing of all our students and staff during this complicated, and ever-evolving time.
The Symphony is committed to ensuring a safe teaching environment, for both students and teachers, while also delivering high quality music education for students and creating stability for our music teachers. With the recent directives to indefinitely suspend K-12 schools in B.C. and the ban of other public gatherings, the Kamloops Symphony Music School will be making several operating changes going forward.
Effective immediately, we are strongly encouraging all existing students to transfer over to online lessons when possible.
To accommodate the transition to online teaching, we will ensure that teachers have the tools to offer lessons through streaming platforms, either from the school studios or from their own homes. Although we understand an online environment is not necessarily ideal and may not be possible or suitable for all students, creating physical space through these methods is the best way we can ensure continuing our services, while also limiting risk to the community.
For the time being, the physical school will remain open. However, lessons that are to be taught in person will be carefully reviewed to ensure the safety of everyone involved and are not encouraged.
Given this development, we have asked individual teachers to reach out to all their students to determine the best steps forward, as we expect each student’s circumstances to be slightly different. We are also giving teachers the power to limit their teaching exclusively online. Although we understand that these changes may not be possible or workable for everyone, we hope to minimize the impact of these extraordinary circumstances as best as we can. During these trying times, we feel that continuing with regular activities, even through alternative measures, will be essential for our mental health.
Regardless of the outcome of your lessons, we urge everyone to carefully monitor their own health, and practice self-isolation should any symptoms arise.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this ever-changing and unpredictable situation. We urge you to be mindful of your own wellbeing and show compassion to those who may be in need.
Sincerely,
Daniel Mills
Executive Director
Kamloops Symphony Orchestra & Music School