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Announcements: Remembrance Day and Report Cards

Students will not be at school on Thursday, November 11th as it is Remembrance Day. Report cards will be available for pick-up on the morning of Friday, November 12. Teachers will be booking Parent/Guardian/Teacher conferences for the afternoon of Friday, November 12th. All visitors must sign in at the main doors of the school as per Covid restrictions. Students will not be at school during the afternoon of Friday, November 12th to allow for Parent/Guardian/Teacher conferences.

Mahsi!

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New Cameras Have Been Installed at the School

DGESS installed security cameras over the summer that encompass the exterior and interior of the building. DGESS also upgraded the playground over the summer. Thank you to community members who expressed gratitude for these efforts.  The school year has not yet started for students and the playground has been defaced with pornographic, bullying and drug culture messages. I will be reviewing the security tapes and those responsible, as well as their guardians, will be held accountable for these senseless acts of vandalism and bullying. The school has a zero tolerance for bullying. This extends to the way in which some community members speak to school staff. Staff will not engage with or accommodate any school visitor or caller using abusive language. Mahsicho!

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Indigenous Language Survey

Deh Gah School is assisting an indigenous language researcher from the University of Manitoba with a survey about local languages. If you would like to participate in the survey, your name will be entered in a draw for two free Bingo cards. You can pick up a copy of the survey at the school’s main office, the FC or the Band office starting tomorrow, June 1st.

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Information on Vaccines for Youth in NWT

Dear Students / Families:

As COVID-19 vaccines roll out to more and more Northerners, there is lots of information – and misinformation – being shared about these vaccines. Knowing that those aged 12-17 are newly eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the GNWT wants to offer youth the opportunity to have their vaccine questions answered directly by one of the territory’s top doctors, Dr. AnneMarie Pegg.

Between May 19-24, 2021, the GNWT is calling out for COVID-19 vaccine questions from youth across the territory. Questions will remain anonymous and can be submitted by:

·        E-mail at healthpromotion@gov.nt.ca

·        Private message on @ourGNWT or @NTHSSA Facebook pages

·        Private message on @NTHSSAcares Instagram page

Questions will be collected throughout the week and answered by Dr. Pegg in video format on May 25, 2021 before roll out begins to other NWT communities. The final video will be shared directly with the individuals who submitted questions as well as promoted on GNWT and NTHSSA social media channels. Efforts will be made to have the video translated into the Indigenous languages of the NWT.

Parents, guardians, teachers, and other adults are welcome to submit questions on behalf of youth in their lives, and are encouraged to talk about the COVID-19 vaccine at home or at school. The GNWT is working hard to ensure everyone who is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine feels informed enough to decide whether it is right for them – including our young people.

Resources that can be used for discussions about COVID-19 vaccines include:

Web links:

Videos:

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Update on Vaccines available to Youth ages 12-17

Date: Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 11:37 AM

Subject: PfizerBioNTech vaccine for youth

The GNWT will announce the expansion of its COVID-19 vaccine program to include the Pfizer-BioNTech product, which is approved for individuals 12 years of age and older. Just over 1,100 doses arrived safely in the NWT yesterday, May 4. Additional shipments are expected in the coming weeks.

To date, the NWT’s program has been solely based on the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which is approved for those 18 years of age and older. After successful negotiations with the National Operation Centre (NOC) and provinces, the GNWT is exchanging future shipments of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for Pfizer-BioNTech to protect as many residents as possible from the virus.

Due to limited supply, doses of Pfizer-BioNTech will not be offered to adults 18 years of age and older at this time; but this age group can still access the Moderna vaccine. Introducing a second product into the NWT’s inventory will allow for more a more flexible, sustainable, and reliable COVID-19 vaccine program for a few reasons:

  • Youth aged 12 years and older are eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which will offer increased protection to our schools and communities. Moderna’s potential approval for this age group is still months away.
  • The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine comes in vials of six doses compared to Moderna vials of 10 doses. A lower number of doses per vial gives health authorities a lower threshold for sending vaccine into a community and reduces the likelihood of wastage.
  • Doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can be given three weeks apart, instead of the minimum of four weeks required with Moderna. Less time between doses allows faster movement towards full vaccination and the potential for some students having both doses before summer break begins.
  • The cold chain requirements for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been updated to bring it closer to what we have been trained for to handle with the Moderna vaccine. The NWT is well positioned to offer this vaccine now due to stronger infrastructure and staffing capacity.

Due to recent clusters of COVID-19 cases in Yellowknife involving young people, Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be offered first to youth aged 12-17 in Yellowknife between May 6 and 8, 2021. Appointments can be booked on a first-come, first-served basis using the NTHSSA website, and additional opportunities will be added once resources and supply allow.

Youth from other NWT communities who happen to be in Yellowknife during this time are allowed to book appointments to be vaccinated. Doses will be held back for youth in Behchokǫ̀ and offered next week. Those 18 years of age and older in all NWT communities are still able access the Moderna vaccine by contacting the local public health unit or health centre.

More Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is expected in the coming weeks, which will be offered to youth in all other NWT communities. Details for upcoming clinics will be posted to www.nthssa.ca/covid-vaccine, shared via GNWT and NTHSSA social media pages, and communicated broadly once finalized.

Additionally, protocols and procedures have been updated and streamlined to facilitate more regular vaccine availability to asymptomatic individuals in isolation. Giving vaccine to someone during their isolation period requires additional personal protective equipment and coordination to ensure the safety of staff, clients, and others at the clinic. Starting today, asymptomatic people will be permitted to get vaccinated during their isolation period after e-mailing CPHO@gov.nt.ca to seek prior written approval.

The GNWT has updated its COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Information Sheet in English and French, which answers common questions about the vaccine. Work is underway to get the most recent updates translated into all 9 Indigenous languages of the NWT.

Below are resources and links to credible information about the COVID-19 vaccine designed for youth and adults. Please take the time to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine from trustworthy sources.

 

Web links:

Videos:

  • NWT COVID-19 Explainer Video
  • COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics in the NWT Video

Social Media:

Deh Gáh Elementary and Secondary School