COVID-19

APEEE Position on a Preventative Approach to Minimise the Impact of COVID, approved 08 February 2022

The epidemiological situation in the EEB1 has been extremely challenging in the 2021-2022 school year, with almost double the number of cases in the first four months as in the whole of the 2020-2021 school year. There have been repeated large outbreaks, forcing increased mitigation measures, mass quarantines, and class/cycle closures. EEB1 remains particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 outbreaks due to:

  • its size and overcrowding;
  • the group mixing (buses, canteens, L2, L3, classes, etc.);
  • and the mobility of our population.

The APEEE believes there is a strong need to apply preventative measures to reduce the risk of outbreaks. We favour the application of a preventative approach, implementing best practice recommendations from the Belgian authorities as well as best practice from other European Schools.

In particular:

  • Ventilation: The APEEE supports implementation of Belgian best practice ventilation guidelines and recommendations. The new CO2 meters, of the installation of which should be completed by this month, should be used to implement in full the Belgian federal authorities’ ventilation plan for workspaces, including monitoring whether the air quality objectives are met and reporting any cases in which the thresholds are breached. In those spaces where current ventilation systems are insufficient to achieve good air quality, the necessary actions (HEPA filters, reducing class occupancy, etc.) should be implemented ASAP.
  • Testing/Tracing: The Belgian authorities currently recommend that parents use rapid tests (such as saliva tests) to test children attending school as much as possible. EEB1 should inform parents on this guidance, and look in particular at the experience of the European Schools in Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to understand both the logistics involved and the impact of the use of rapid tests on the spread of COVID. Rapid testing should remain voluntary for families.
  • Pedagogical Continuity: The APEEE stresses the fundamental value of in situ teaching for pedagogical and well being purposes. It is extremely important that pedagogical continuity is ensured for all pupils, both in the case of distance learning, when the whole class is online and in the case of hybrid teaching, where only some pupils find themselves affected by quarantine or by longer-term vulnerability. It is imperative that the school improves the offer and specifically the quality and quantity of “live” online teaching and communication, taking into account the fact that the current situation will likely continue for the next months. The APEEE calls on the school to put in place a harmonised and coherent policy and to ensure its application across all sections and cycles. For this, it is crucial that this harmonised approach is well communicated to all stakeholders. The APEEE calls on the school management to cooperate with the other European schools’ management to identify best practices and ensure that all stakeholders in the European School system work together to update the current Distance Teaching and Learning guidelines to address shortcomings, including by identifying specific rules for hybrid teaching. On this subject, the APEEE has adopted a joint position with the EEBIII APEEE and INTERPARENTS.

Related documents:
APEEEs EEBI/EEBIII and INTERPARENTS: Joint Position on Distance Teaching and Learning Policy (January/February 2022)

The following are the APEEE Communications on COVID-19 from March 2020 to July 2021, with related APEEE statements and background documents.


(11/07/2021)

Dear EEBI Parents,

For the last weeks we have focused on local COVID arrangements primarily inasmuch as they relate to the end-of-year arrangements. Longer-term measures are not yet being discussed in the school bodies.

APEEE Fights Proposed 2021 End-of-Year Half-Day Schedule
The APEEE closely followed the question of the end-of-year schedule, a schedule which included over a week of half-days for primary and lower secondary and days off for upper secondary. We believe the schedule put in place was in contravention of the General Rules of the European Schools (See: 180 Working Days for Pupils).

On 20 April, the APEEE President sent an open letter to the EEBI Director expressing concerns about the proposed half-days of school planned for end June and early July. This letter was also forwarded by the EEBII APEEE to their director with the EEBIII APEEE writing a similar letter.  As the letter achieved no result, the APEEE Board voted on 12 May to send two follow-up letters on the same issue, one letter to the Secretary-General of the European Schools and another letter to the Commission’s Director-General of HR and Security; these were promptly endorsed by the EEBII APEEE.

A response from Secretary-General Giancarlo Marcheggiano was received on 15 June, explaining the rationale behind the decision to cut the schedule and the extraordinary circumstances which warranted longer class councils. The Secretary-General was of the view that this decision lies within the autonomy of the School Directors, given the pandemic situation. On 21 June, we received a response from Director-General Gertrud Ingestad, in which she shared the concerns of the APEEEs about the legality of the measures proposed and their impact on parents and students. The issue was likewise raised in a 28 May letter sent from the Chair of the European Parliament CULT Committee Sabine Verheyen to the Secretary-General in follow up to the February 2021 CULT Committee session on the European Schools. The letter asked the Secretary-General and the Directors of the Brussels-based European Schools to reconsider this decision, “which in the current context sends the wrong message to pupils, parents and the outside world alike.”

Unfortuntely, despite the strong support of colleagues in the European institutions, the schedule was rolled out as planned.

End-of-Year Schedule for S7 Students
The end of year also proved difficult for our S7 students as they tried to organise something like a normal Bac celebration. The APEEE was happy to grant this year’s cohort an exceptional gift of 300 EUR to enable them to purchase decorations and other treats for an on-campus Pizza Party, which took place under the Chateau on 11 June—the final day of their written exams.

In addition to this, S7 parents were disappointed to learn that they would not be permitted to attend the Proclamation Ceremony this year. Despite a letter written by S7 class representatives on 23 June asking the direction to reconsider the decision, the event was held for the second year in a row without the live presence of parents. Still, parents and extended families were able to enjoy the ceremony live-streamed, and it was held outside for the first time as a precaution against COVID.

TEAMS Guidelines
Beyond this, in the wake of a successful TEAMS Training module for EEB parents hosted by the four Brussels APEEEs, APEEE delegates worked with student and teacher representatives as part of the Secondary CE’s Homework Policy and Distance Learning Working Group to produce TEAMS Guidelines for teachers, students and parents. A draft was presented to the Secondary Educational Council in May and July.

The document provides an overview of TEAMS for Education (as currently configured for our school) and gives some recommendations for how the tool should be used in different scenarios. It is not intended to be prescriptive—-at least not yet—-but it is hoped that it may serve to harmonise practice within the secondary programme. Teachers are still concerned that attempts to standardise practice may be detrimental to their working methods.

The APEEE continues to push for the management to provide better quality assurance for distance learning, as there are still problems with teachers scheduling and showing up to online courses. Parents likewise remain concerned about the educational offer to quarantined students and to classes with vulnerable teachers. The management is thus far not receptive to these concerns. They have responded better to worries about an over-abundance of screentime, especially among younger secondary students.

Appreciation for our Hard-Working EEBI Medical Team
Finally, in response to the unfortunate reports from the direction of parents abusing our hard-working medical staff in the heat of the wave of cases in May and June, the APEEE presented the Uccle and Berkendael nursing teams with flowers thanking them on behalf of the APEEE Board for their efforts.

Through the entire period, the APEEE has continued to attend the so-called mini-SAC (“School Advisory Council”) meetings organised by the direction on a more or less biweekly basis. These were attended by representatives of all stakeholders including also the APEEE Services. We put our ideas in when possible, though consultation proved difficult as these meetings did not have a fixed agenda or documentation provided.

We have also continued to receive written weekly COVID updates from our local Commission expert, Santiago Calvo-Ramos, with a strong focus on preventative measures such as ventilation, masks and vaccination. These provide practical advice that can be followed up with the school in different forums. The APEEE Board has now approved inclusion of these weekly updates on the APEEE’s COVID-19 Update page.

Kathryn Máthé
President of the APEEE

We attach:
APEEE: APEEE President Letter to Director on Proposed Half Days of School in June 2021 (20 April 2021)
EEBI: Letter from EEBI Director to the APEEE President on the proposed Half Days of School in June 2021 (26 April 2021)
APEEE: Letter to DGHR on Proposed Half Days of School in June 2021 (14 May 2021)
APEEE: Letter to OSGES on Proposed Half Days of School in June 2021 (14 May 2021)
EP CULT Committee: Letter from CULT Committee Chair Sabine Verheyen to the Secretary General of the European Schools - European Schools, follow-up to exchange of views and recent events (28 May 2021)
OSGES: Letter from Secretary-General Giancarlo Marcheggiano to the EEBI and EEBII APEEEs - Organisation of the end of the school year in the Brussels European Schools (2021-06-L-5; 15 June 2021)
Commission DGHR: Letter from Director-General Gertrud Ingestad to the EEBI and EEBII APEEEs - Proposed Half Days of European Schools in June 2021 (21 June 2021)
APEEE: Letter to EEBI Director on BAC Proclamation 2021 (23 June 2021)
EEBI: Director Letter to APEEE concerning Request to Include Parents in the Proclamation Ceremony (24 June 2021)
CE Working Group: Secondary TEAMS Guidelines (draft version; May 2021)


(10/05/2021)

Dear EEBI Parents,

In recent months, the school has settled into a rhythm around corona. The primary and S7 have been in situ with a few notable breaks after holiday periods. S1-S6 have been in rotation more or less assuring that each child is in situ 50% of the time; secondary is set to go back to school full time in the coming weeks if all goes well. Buses are running, but the canteen is open for nursery only. Eureka has found new ways to get children back their lost items. Distancing, masking and hygiene measures have become routine in the school community, and we have learned a lot about testing, contact tracing (don’t forget about: coronalert.be), quarantine and now vaccines.

Nevertheless, the new variants are proving a real challenge, despite our best efforts and the real progress we are making. The more contagious “UK” variant is now the dominant strain and the “Brazilian” variant, which is associated with greater illness severity, is now gaining ground. Before the Easter Break, we saw the shut down of both our primary campuses as the virus made its way into our P4-P5 classrooms. Masks were required for children in these levels, and as from 21 May they will be "strongly recommended". There is still concern as we have seen that the new variants can spread much more quickly than previously; measures that were previously effective in curbing the spread of the virus may now be insufficient. The process of vaccinating our teachers has seen real setbacks and quick tests are not yet cleared for use.

The school is now asking that secondary students reDOUBLE their efforts:
reHAND-WASH, reMASK, reDISTANCE.

With important end-of-year exams on the horizon, now is not the time to let our guards down.

Ventilation and CO2 Meters: The APEEE has continued to receive a weekly COVID-19 Update on our school from Commission Health Economist and EEBI parent: Santiago Calvo-Ramos. In particular, we have benefitted from early warning about the importance of air circulation to prevent spread. We raised the management’s attention to this issue and have been pleased to learn of the arrival of a number of CO2 meters for use on both sites. The number is still relatively small, 10 or so altogether, but they are being rotated around classrooms and used to test spaces where there is particular concern or when teachers specifically request. This is a very positive development that will reduce the possibility of airborne contagion within the classrooms. The APEEE is currently querying whether the methodology used is in line with the standards recommended by the Belgian authorities.

The school is also moving from a periodic ventilating of rooms (mainly through opening and closing windows) to ensuring that rooms are ventilated all the time (with windows and doors standing open). This has been possible with the onset of warmer weather. There have also been ventilators installed in some rooms and new windows in others, e.g. DaVinci basement. We will continue to see how these measures can be supported, improved and eventually carried over into next year as we go into the next phase.

Looking forward... it remains unclear when vaccinations will be safely distributed to students, although we are beginning to understand more what the next steps may be:

  • Vaccination for students of ages 16 and upwards is already possible and will occur as part of the roll-out of the vaccination process by the Belgian authorities, either in the late summer or in the autumn.
  • Vaccination for the 12 to 15 still needs to be approved by European Medicine Agency, the Belgian authorities have indicated that, if approved as well by their Paediatric Taskforce, they could begin to be vaccinated from September onwards.
  • For those younger than 12, trials are ongoing and the manufacturers plan to seek authorisation in September, which could lead to vaccination (if approved by the European and Belgian authorities) by the end of the autumn or beginning of the winter.

We are thus looking at a gradually improving situation that will allow our school to regain normality step by step over the rest of 2021, assuming that there is no spread of new variants less susceptible to vaccines. In the meantime, we continue to work to improve the distance learning offer. We have seen real progress over the last half year, but there is still no consistent approach, particularly in the secondary.

In closing, we look forward to the coming months of sun and a slow opening-up of the school and of our lives. We hope to proceed together, always with due caution, but already we do begin to see a light at the end of a very long tunnel.

Kathryn Máthé
President of the APEEE

We attach:
APEEE: Report on DL Meeting with Management (23 April 2021)


(01/02/2021)

Dear EEBI Parents,

We know that many of you are beginning to feel weary after a very long year, and we wanted to take a moment to thank you for your hard work and forbearance over these months. Nevertheless, in recent conversations with the school management, we have been made aware that since the return to school after the long break, students have begun to neglect the basic hygiene and distancing measures that have been in place from last year.

Our individual actions and common effort ensure the safety of our children, their teachers and of the whole school community. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to remind you of the practices that we should all continue to follow:

  • Strong hand hygiene should continue to be observed by pupils and their families. While the latest research indicates that transmission through the air is the most common way people get infected with COVID, strong hand hygiene is an easy measure that is still shown to reduce the risk of infection.
  • As well as the current classroom mask requirements, masks are compulsory in school buses for Secondary and Primary school pupils and strongly recommended for Nursery pupils. Children of the Brussels European Schools spend a great deal of time every day on the school bus; these enclosed and crowded spaces increase the risk of transmission. Masks can help reduce this risk. (At the same time, keeping to the school bus seating plan can help control any outbreaks that do occur.)
  • For those pupils with a mobile phone and while keeping to school mobile phone rules, it is highly recommended to download and activate the CoronAlert App: coronalert.be. When faced with quick-spreading new variants, the app can be a formidable tool for identifying high-risk contacts and ensuring that outbreaks are detected and curtailed at an early stage. The app must be used by a critical mass of EEBI pupils to effectively keep the school safe. Don’t forget to enable the Bluetooth on the phone!
  • Isolation and testing (when applicable) in response to COVID-like symptoms remain an important first line of defence against the virus.
  • Until the 1st of March, travelling outside of Belgium is allowed by the Belgian authorities only in exceptional circumstances. Quarantine requirements should be respected after returning from a trip abroad. Please see up-to-date requirements on www.info-coronavirus.be/en/travels/.

UPDATE ON THE COVID SITUATION

Belgium

The number of cases has been relatively stable in Belgium for the last month with a daily average slightly above 2000 new cases. At the same time, the vaccination process has begun, with the Brussels region planning to have all adults above age 18 vaccinated by the end of June. Similarly, the measures taken last year to reduce infections in the school appear to have worked, and before the Christmas holiday break the number of cases within the school was relatively low.

While these positive developments give us hope that this year we may see a return to some semblance of normal life, there are also reasons for caution which mean that we will need to keep our guard up over the next few months.

First, the number of cases has begun to increase gently over the last week, suggesting that there may be a change of trend. As we also know, new more infectious COVID variants have been detected over the last month and at least two of these appear to have gained a foothold in Belgium. Based on international experience and on studies commissioned by the Belgian government, these variants are likely to become dominant by the end of February and drive up the number of cases in Belgium, putting more pressure on our school. The impact of vaccination is likely to be too slow to help relieve this pressure, at least over the late winter and early spring.

School

In this difficult situation, the EEBI school management have decided to continue to apply measures in line with the red code for schools, recently extended by the Belgium government. They will maintain rotations for Secondary as well as other distancing measures that were in place before the Christmas break; they will follow new measures to prepare seating plans for Nursery and Primary classes; and they will continue to have classrooms and buildings aired regularly. They are also planning to purchase CO2 meters for the classes whose teachers request it, in order to help more closely monitor ventilation and thus lower the risk of airborne transmission. However, these measures will only work if complemented by the good practices that parents and our children developed over the spring and autumn.

For up-to-date information on COVID, please see: COVID-19 Update.

We hope that by working together as partners with the school management and staff, the APEEE Services and the Belgian authorities, we can continue to keep the school safe for our children and our community.

Kind regards,

APEEE Board


(05/01/2021)

Dear EEBI Parents,

In the period from mid-October to mid-December, the COVID-19 situation in Belgium and at EEBI fluctuated and evolved. The APEEE has followed developments closely within the framework of our monthly meetings, and has attempted to represent as far as possible the position of EEBI parents at each juncture. It has not always been easy to reach a consensus between the wishes and needs of parents across sites, levels, sections, and family situations, but we have endeavoured to find common ground whenever possible.

Social Distancing and Hygiene
In particular, with the onset of the so-called “second wave” in Belgium, the APEEE urged the school to review hygiene and social distancing measures put in place at the start of year, and we were glad to see the school management and Services implement several additional on-the-ground measures in October which seemed slow the spread to some extent. These included: an increase in the stocks of hydrogel and the number of dispensers; more attention to ventilation of classrooms and common spaces; a call for students to use the “Coronalert” app; and renewed attention to mask wearing even for the smallest children.

On 29 October we initiated discussions with the school on the implementation of the latest FWB regulations followed up by a bilateral meeting between the APEEE Bureau and the Director on 6 November. During this period, the APEEE Board has also benefitted from a weekly written analysis from Santiago Calvo Ramos, a parent working as a health economist on COVID-19 for the Commission.

We believe that as parents, it is important to discuss with our children what we can do to further reduce the risk of infection—ensuring that our kids play it safe by keeping to the distancing, mask and hygiene rules. The APEEE continues to support the school in recommending the use of the Belgian Coronalert App (https://coronalert.be/fr/ or https://coronalert.be/en/) by all students already toting a mobile phone.

Pedagogical Continuity and Distance Learning
The APEEE has likewise continued to call on the school management to develop and make available an EEBI Distance Learning Strategy for each cycle/sub-cycle that can be consulted by all stakeholders. The strategy should:

  • lay out common online tools and practices, setting a minimum standard that all teachers should follow.
  • cover various scenarios and situations,
    • on site learning with quarantined or vulnerable students and teachers;
    • hybrid or rotation learning;
    • and full distance learning.

(See: Pedagogical Continuity and Distance Learning – based on a statement approved by the APEEE Board on 8 December)

Otherwise, feedback received from class parents in both cycles and sites has been broadly positive about developments in the distance education programme over the recent period, though there remains a strong belief that distance education cannot meet the needs of the youngest children and their families. In October, the school installed classroom cameras across both campuses (as well as smart boards at Berkendael) to support distance teaching and learning, a measure generally applauded by teachers and parents. And we have seen needed investment in teacher training, with a dedicated TEAMS training at the November pedagogical day and an APEEE-funded peer-training project on the TEAMS and OneNote for secondary science teachers.

Finally, we have been heartened by two recent developments. The first is the approval of a European School Distance Teaching and Learning Policy at the December 2020 Board of Governors. This policy sets basic standards for distance learning which apply to all European Schools, thereby ensuring equal treatment for students across the system. The second is the appearance from the Uccle primary direction of distance learning guidelines, which can be considered the first piece of a school-wide strategy.

As always, parents should not hesitate to get in contact with your class or section representatives if your have any questions or problems (see: Parent Representatives) or you may also contact the APEEE Secretariat at: info@uccleparents.org. The EEBI Administrative Board will take place on 25 January, and this will be a good opportunity to take stock of the school's longer-term strategy on COVID-19.

In the meantime, we continue to raise parent concerns on the following pedagogical issues:

  • Distance teaching in primary – prolonged periods with teachers conducting lessons remotely to in situ classes of young children
  • Distance education from nursery to P2
  • Educational support during COVID-19
  • Secondary assessment and Baccalaureate in COVID-19
  • Rotation and exam scheduling
  • Outreach to quarantined teachers and students
  • Mobile device policies

Several of these, and in particular developments on the 2021 Baccalaureate, were treated in the memorandum sent by the Secretary General's Office in the wake of the December Board of Governors' Meeting. A good cross section of current issues of importance to parents can also be found in the open questions posed to the direction at the APEEE General Assembly. In addition, please find the latest COVID-19 pandemic information received from the school and FWB at: COVID-19 Update.

Kathryn Máthé
President of the APEEE

We attach:
APEEE: Report on Meeting with Director on FWB Updated Measures and Impact on EEBI (6 November 2020)
APEEE: Berkendael Nursery and Primary Distance Learning Suggestions (November 2020)
APEEE: Uccle Nursery and Primary Distance Learning Feedback Report (November/December 2020)
APEEE: Secondary Distance/Rotation Learning Feedback Report (November/December 2020)
OSGES: Proposal for a Distance Teaching and Learning Policy / Proposition de politique d'enseignement et d'apprentissage à distance / Vorschlag für eine Strategie zu Fernunterricht und-lernen für die Europäischen Schulen (2020-09-D-69-4; December 2020) - EN / FR / DE

Document 2020-09-D-69-4 was approved at the December 2020 European School Board of Governors meeting with one addition to section II.A.1. "Timetables must be examined cycle by cycle and if necessary, adapted by the management to fit learning scenarios, and to ensure the best balance between the achievement of learning objectives with the well-being of pupils in each year and educational staff." The official policy (ref. 2020-09-D-10 v.3) will be published by OSGES in the second half of January 2021.

EEBI Uccle Primary: Consignes et recommandations pour différents scénarios / Guidelines and Recommendations for different scenarios (parent version; 15 December 2020) - FR / EN
APEEE: Agenda Points for the extraordinary School Advisory Council (25 November 2020)
OSGES: Recent decisions of the Board of Governors linked to the COVID-19 pandemic / Les récentes décisions du Conseil supérieur en rapport avec la pandémie de COVID-19 / Jüngste Beschlüsse des Obersten Rates im Zusammenhang mit der COVID-19-Pandemie (2020-12-LD-8; 04 December 2020) - EN / FR / DE
APEEE: Member Questions to Director at APEEE General Assembly (8 December 2020) - responses contained in the meeting minutes


(04/10/2020)

Dear EEBI Parents,

The APEEE continues to receive questions from parents, particularly in the primary. Below we endeavour to address the full range of issues raised. Do not hesitate to contact our Secretariat with any questions not answered at: info@uccleparents.org

Social Distancing and Hygiene, “Bubbling”, Contact Tracing and Quarantine:
The APEEE sent a list of safety- and hygiene-related feedback from the parents across different sections to the EEBI Safety Officer on Thursday, 17 September (see below). We are still waiting for a reply on this list. In the meantime, on Monday, 21 September, we were informed by the director that:

  • the APEEE should not continue to collect feedback from parents to present to the school;
  • parents should be advised to contact the school directly with any concerns;
  • parents writing the school would mostly receive a standard response, but that all feedback was being considered at weekly management meetings;
  • all changes to the school’s arrangements/practice would be reflected in the Friday report to parents.

The director is also worried that communication from the APEEE to parents on these issues could lead to further confusion, so we have been asked to minimise this.

It is important to highlight that the APEEE/Secretariat is not receiving any information from the school on identified cases, quarantined classes or other measures. We receive this information either from individual parents or in the weekly reports sent to all parents. Note: The APEEE Services has more regular communication with the school on these matters related to contact tracing.

Given the rising case count, the APEEE is urging a stronger “Culture of Prevention” at the school. This would go beyond numbers of soap dispensers and paper towels, to instilling habits and routines in the classroom and among the pupils in their break period, and could include inter alia:

  • voluntary wearing of masks in primary in certain situations;
  • more proactive desk wipe-downs, hand sanitisation, etc.;
  • additional signage about social distancing and hygiene practice.

The APEEE encourages all mobile-toting students to download and activate the new Belgian contact-tracing app:

https://coronalert.be/en/

Students should remember to keep location and blue-tooth turned on to enable the app to operate properly.

Beyond this, APEEE has recently become concerned about the situation of pupils with “vulnerable family members”. INTERPARENTS has produced a paper on this to be presented at the system-level Joint Teaching Committee next week. (see below)

The next formal moment to raise these issues is at the first Uccle Safety and Hygiene Meeting on Tuesday, 20 October. We encourage parents to write your section representatives with any feedback. (See: Parent Representatives)

Pedagogical Continuity:
There have also been many letters about the arrangements put in place when teachers are absent or in quarantine or arrangements for pupils forced to stay home, either individually or in larger groups. In fact, the absence policy of the school for both teachers and pupils remains unclear, so it is often difficult to identify which teachers and students are available to participate in online learning and which are truly absent.

For teachers available from home, the school has put in place a system of distance teaching in at least some cases. In these cases,

  • teachers teach from home with the help of a support teacher, camera and projector in class;
  • in secondary, kids have also been asked to bring a device to support possible distance teaching;
  • secondary pupils not on site may attend these distance teaching classes, but this is not yet the case in primary.

For students available from home, we have not yet seen a coherent set of distance learning measures put in place. In secondary, there are some examples of teachers streaming classes, even accepting equipment from students when needed, but the school is hesitant to make a policy on this. In addition, there are continued, though not well-specified, fears about GDPR. Nevertheless, cameras should be arriving in bulk in the coming days (if not already), and with their installation in classes, we would hope to see a clearer practice established.

Parents believe that kids at home for more than a few days should be assured of a regular educational programme. The APEEE and parent reps in the Education Council have continued to ask for:

  • a systematic use of TEAMS by teachers for assignments and file sharing—-building on the groundwork laid last year; this will not only provide a lifeline to kids at home but will also set us up for any bigger changes in the risk level / social distancing measures;
  • outreach to kids at home via live-streaming and/or regular live contact with teachers and classes;
  • a harmonised Distance Learning Strategy setting working practices and technical tools for each sub cycle—we are seeking a common approach taken by all teachers across sections and supported by the school with equipment, training and technical help.

INTERPARENTS has also produced a paper on this to be presented at the system-level Joint Teaching Committee next week. (see below)

Communication and Transparency:
Finally, there has been criticism of the school for a lack of clear communication related to all of the above matters. Parents have been happy to receive a weekly Friday Report, also keeping us apprised of case counts. Nevertheless, the APEEE and parents still seek more transparency about the situation in the school community and a clearer understanding of the decisions made, procedures undertaken and solutions implemented.

In the meantime, the APEEE has provided a collection of information received from the school as well as a running tally of EEBI cases and other documentation related to the COVID-19 pandemic at: COVID-19 Update

Kathryn Máthé
President of the APEEE

We attach:
APEEE: Proposals for Measures against the COVID-19 Pandemic Submitted by Parents to the School Direction (17 September 2020)
APEEE: Agenda Points related to Pedagogical Continuity and Distance Learning under COVID raised at EEBI Administrative Board (25 September 2020)
INTERPARENTS JTC Proposal: Distance Learning for Absent Children (2020-09-D-66-en-1; September 2020)
INTERPARENTS JTC Proposal: Proposal to extend the definition of vulnerable pupils (2020-09-D-65-en-1; September 2020)
INTERPARENTS JTC Proposal: Electronic text books for European Schools (2020-09-D-41-en-1; September 2020) - link added in December 2020


(09/09/2020)

Dear EEBI Parents,

As every year, we have approached the rentrée with hope and expectation, but this Autumn these feelings may have been coupled with anxiety for families who have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak — whether returning from (or to) a red zone; concerned about a vulnerable family member; or simply unsure about how the education, school and work life will proceed under this new reality.

Since the return from break, we have received messages from some of you on the measures taken by the school in response to COVID-19. When possible, we have relayed your advice and concerns to the school, and we were happy to receive a series of communications to all parents between 28 August and 7 September, which have allayed most of our deepest worries. Please note, communications from the school are stored in your sms accounts for easy viewing. We have also made available a collection of COVID communications from the school and APEEE Services as well as recent COVID-19 regulations from the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles and other interesting resources at: COVID-19 Update.

As we move forward, we will keep passing your questions, ideas and concerns to the school management, and in particular will continue to seek:

  • assurances that the administration is implementing the latest Belgian safety regulations, and even to push for additional precautions when we feel these are appropriate to our system.
  • a Digital Learning Strategy with a clear programme for each level in line with recommendations from the Central Office. This will be needed in advance of any change in the alert level and has been awaited since May.
  • a commitment to offer at least some live teaching to vulnerable students who cannot attend classes for long periods.

If you have any concerns about measures put in place in response to COVID-19, do not hesitate to contact your Class or Section Representatives. (See: Parent Representatives)

And as always please do not hesitate to contact the APEEE or APEEE Services with any questions:

APEEE - info@uccleparents.org
APEEE Services - coordination@apeee-bxl1-services.be

A very warm welcome back!

Kathryn Máthé
President of the APEEE

We attach:
INTERPARENTS: Interventions at the extraordinary Joint Teaching Committee (05 June 2020) - link added in December 2020
APEEE: Agenda Points for the School Advisory Council (07 July 2020)
INTERPARENTS: Questions for Management on Distance Learning (27 May 2020) reflection on the European School Distance Learning Recommendations, v.5 - link added in December 2020
OSGES: European School Distance Learning Recommendations, v.6 (2020-03-D-11-en-6; September 2020) for management and coordinators


(18/05/2020)

Dear EEBI Parents,

As we know, the school will undertake a partial reopening in June. More specifically,

The European Schools in Brussels will continue with the distance learning programme up to the 3rd of July, 2020. However, as from the 2nd of June, 2020 each of the four schools will organise a programme of educational activities to target certain year groups with specific aims and objectives. Each school knows its own priorities and will organise the programmes in accordance with their needs.

(Note: you can find the full letter from the Direction as well as all official communications from the School and Central Office stored in your SMS/myschoolmanagement account for reference.) The option chosen by the school direction will allow parents to send their children back to the school sites on a voluntary basis for a few days and some activities before summer. Distance schooling will remain the norm for most, if not all pedagogical content. In the coming weeks, the APEEE will concentrate on assisting the school management in detailing their programme for June and perhaps more importantly in preparing for the return to school after summer.

In the meantime, many parents still have pending concerns regarding measures taken (or not yet taken) in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the disruption in the school programme. Here below, see the status of issues of common concern to EEBI parents:

Cancelled S7 Programme and Trips:

  • The direction has informed us that the school is in negotiations with travel providers. They have asked for patience from families as they would like to sort out all trips with providers before dispersing reimbursement payments.
  • The plans for the S7 end-of-school programmes and Bacc ceremony are still pending, but there are ongoing discussions between the direction and S7 students to see how such programmes can be rescheduled in light of the current circumstances.

Prospects for Student Mobility, Work Experience and Trips:

  • The status of the Autumn 2020 Mobility Programme for S5 students is unclear. Recently, several key schools, e.g. Alicante, Varese, Bergen, Munich, Karlsruhe and LuxII, have cancelled their participation, which suggests that families planning to take part should remain cautious. We have asked the Direction to confirm.
  • The APEEE has raised the question of postponement of S5 and S6 Work Experience placements originally scheduled for the April Project Week. It may be possible to amend current contracts to allow placements to take place at a later date, but we can only see how this might work in practice after school reopens.
  • The APEEE has requested that the school allow S4 students who missed travel programmes in the 2020 April Project Week the opportunity to take part in 2021 Project Week programmes. There is some possibility that other special programmes might be rescheduled as well, but future plans are currently pending.

S4-S6 B Marks: After the publication of the Board of Governors’ decision on 2020 end-of-year evaluation of European School students, S4-S6 families raised concerns about the duplication of first semester B marks in the second semester reports and the potential impact on student motivation and university admissions.

  • Families have been assured that the section of article 59.5 of the General Rules that has not been derogated will allow teachers to take the full account of each student’s performance throughout the year. The school has committed to officially reminding teachers that they should use their full discretion in determining how much weight to assign A and B marks in the final mark. Teachers' marks are also reviewed by the class councils.
  • There was additional concern that the presence of the duplicated B marks on S6 transcripts could potentially disadvantage European School students in the university admission process—independently of the final marks assigned. In response, INTERPARENTS, the APEEE and section representatives have asked either that transcripts not include A/B marks or that the source of these marks be explained in an annotation. The direction has agreed to address the issue of the transcripts.

2020 Baccalaureate: The final formula for the Baccalaureate was not determined by the Board of Governors (BoG) during their 15-17 April meeting but is currently the subject of a written procedure to that body. The key issues at stake are the ponderance of A and B semester marks in the final mark for each course and the relative weighting of courses in the final mark. The APEEE will inform you of the results when these are known, sometime after 24 May.
For students who are not happy with the marks obtained using the formula above, two options remain:
(1) They can request to sit an extraordinary session of the Baccalaureate Examination--both written and oral parts--in Autumn; the extraordinary Baccalaureate must be taken in full and marks will automatically replace those received from the formula above.
(2) Alternatively, they can request to repeat the S7 year.
Requests for either of these measures must be emailed to the director of the school by the candidate (or a legal guardian) within 10 calendar days of receiving the results.

Remote Learning Quality: In closing, given that the status quo will continue at least through June, the APEEE has committed to supporting families that still have concerns about the quality of the EEBI distance education regime.

If you have concerns, and for whatever reason the school's complaints procedure (see 18 March message below) does not meet your needs, we urge you to be in touch with your class and section representatives--or, for Berkendael families, with the Berkendael Working Group--as well as with APEEE's Remote Learning Feedback Group.

Remote Learning Feedback Group:

We will also continue to urge the school to ensure that distance teaching meets a minimum standard for all courses.

As always please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions:

APEEE - info@uccleparents.org
APEEE Services - coordination@apeee-bxl1-services.be

We wish you and your family healthy and peaceful end of year.

Kathryn Máthé
President of the APEEE

We attach:
a letter concerning the possible reopening of the School sent by APEEE Safety & Hygiene Committee delegates on 29 April to the Director
APEEE Remote Learning Feedback Report sent on 9 April to the School
Proposed Next Steps for Remote Learning at EEBI presented at 28 April APEEE Board Meeting

(18/03/2020)

Dear EEBI Parents,

As noted in the message above, the APEEE Services will be closed without children in the school to care for, but they will be available by email through the contact address of each Service. They will treat all problems related to the unforeseen disruption after the return to school.

The APEEE will try to carry on as we can in a reduced capacity, carrying out much of our work via email or phone and holding mandatory meetings remotely if needed. Like the School, the APEEE has been quite overwhelmed by the deluge of communication over the last weeks. We have tried to respond as best we could to all concerns and to direct people to the right place. We have also greatly appreciated the School Management’s continuous communication and assurances given to families over this difficult period as well as a willingness to take parent feedback into account in their evolving response.

Over the recent period, concerns have related primarily to:

  • The cancellation of trips: as far as we know this has not yet caused any financial repercussions for parents at our school—please let us know if problems occur.
  • The impact of quarantine and school closure on the S7 students and the Bac: a conversation on this has been initiated with the Central Office through INTERPARENTS.
  • The introduction of remote learning in the primary and secondary cycles:
    • We are monitoring the programme put in place at our school and also tracking developments and best practices throughout the system to the best of our ability.
    • We are also working with INTERPARENTS to raise questions about remote learning with the Central Office.

PLEASE NOTE: if parents have any concerns—either technical or pedagogical—about the remote learning being implemented in their classes, we ask them to turn to the school first. We are hoping that the school is providing any needed technical support for teachers, parents and students. If there are pedagogical problems or concerns about the programme of a particular teacher, the school suggests that parents should go through the regular reporting structure—raise problems with teacher, escalate to advisor/deputy director…and so on. If parents cannot find answers to their problem using the normal channels, then the APEEE is of course happy to step in and support.

Related to this, the APEEE will be collecting feedback, both positive and negative, from parents of primary and secondary on their experiences with remote learning. We will share and analyse this feedback with the other three Brussels APEEEs and INTERPARENTS as part of a larger effort to learn and improve as we go. We ask parents to provide feedback through their class and section representatives (or, for Berkendael families, via the Berkendael Working Group), who can collate this and forward to the APEEE’s four-members Remote Learning Feedback Group.

As always please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions:

APEEE- info@uccleparents.org
APEEE Services - coordination@apeee-bxl1-services.be

Kathryn Máthé
President of the APEEE

We attach:
a list of pedagogical continuity and remote learning measures sent by the APEEE on 6 March to the School
a letter on Baccalaureate contingency measures sent by S7EN on 8 March to the School; later supported by other S7 classes

(09/03/2020)

Dear EEBI Parents,

We hereby wish to inform you about what the APEEE and APEEE Services have done and plan to do in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

First and foremost, we hope that you have all read by now the several communications sent by the School and Central Office of the European Schools. You can find these at: https://www.eursc.eu/en/Office/news or http://www.eeb1.com/en/communication-from-the-office-of-the-secretary-general-regarding-the-outbreak-of-covid-19-disease/ (and in your SMS accounts). It is important that parents keep apprised of the latest warnings given by the school and Central Office and particularly any changes in the red zones as they might affect their families.

The APEEE and APEEE Services have been working from our side, each in our own capacity, to address the situation.

APEEE Services' managers have made sure to vet their staff and suppliers/contractors according to the latest recommendations of the Central Office. They will continue to monitor the situation and keep close communication with suppliers/contractors and staff in the canteen, transport, extracurricular activities and back office to make sure they remain in full compliance with recommendations as these evolve.

For our part, the APEEE is also monitoring our team, but perhaps more importantly, we have done our best to compile and collate parent concerns as they are sent to us and to forward these to the school, Central Office and INTERPARENTS. We also continue to work closely with the school management, INTERPARENTS and the other Brussels schools to make sure that we are kept apprised of all the latest developments. Finally, we will work to make sure that parents’ concerns continue to be raised and addressed as the situation evolves.

From your side, we ask that parents remain patient with school management. As they remain focused on day-to-day developments and circulation of the latest information to the school community at large, individual letters and requests may not be answered immediately.

The APEEE will refrain from sending communications on COVID-19 directly to all parents as we feel that this might create confusion. But please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions:

APEEE: info@uccleparents.org
APEEE Services: coordination@apeee-bxl1-services.be

Kathryn Máthé
President of the APEEE

We attach:
the letter on coronavirus concerns sent by the APEEE on 27 February to the School and Central Office
the letter on coronavirus concerns sent by INTERPARENTS on 1 March to the Central Office and Direction of all Schools