School District 57 superintendent of schools Anita Richardson and district chairperson Tim Bennet understand the worries parents have as children prepare to go back to classrooms on Sept. 10.
Richardson and Bennet hosted an online town hall session on Thursday night to answer parents' questions about what the return to school looks like in the middle of a pandemic, and what options exist for parents who aren't ready to send their kids back.
"We understand the angst everyone is feeling. We've had the same discussions around my kitchen table. My wife is a Kindergarten teacher, and my kids are going back to school," Bennett said. "Thank you for trusting us to take care of your children. (And) if you're not ready to come back next week, that is OK."
For specific questions about what is happening in children's schools and classrooms, principals and teachers are the first point of contact, he said.
Those who missed seeing the town hall session live will be able to view it on the district's Facebook page and website, Bennett said. In addition, the district will be publishing answers to frequently-asked questions.
Parents should have emails from their children's schools with specific information about their school schedule and school-specific information, Richardson said.
Many of the questions from parents were around school safety – including questions about why public health directives for schools are different than those for the general public – and about options for parents who don't want to send their children back to class.
Students at elementary level will be grouped in learning groups of up to 60 students, Richardson said, which means about two or three classes. Secondary students can be organized into learning groups of up to 120, according to provincial health guidelines.
"In School District 57 we have made our secondary school learning groups closer to 60 to 70," Richardson said.
That's been made possible by going to offering classes in four quarters, instead of two semesters, in most secondary schools in the district, she said.
Students won't be required to social distance inside their learning groups, but will be encouraged to avoid physical contact.
Secondary students will be required to wear masks when in common areas where social distancing with students or staff outside of their learning group isn't possible, she added. Secondary school students will be provided two reusable face masks – one right away, and one when supplies are available, Richardson said.
Extra hand washing stations, staggered lunch hours, designated entrances for student learning groups and other safety measures are all outlined in the school district's back-to-school plan available online, she said.
"Common learning spaces such as computer rooms, gyms and libraries will be used," Richardson said. "Each room will be cleaned between groups."
Actives like school sports and band programs will continue, although no inter-school competition will be allowed. Students taking part in shop classes will be assigned tools for their use, whenever possible, to reduce sharing as much as possible, she added.
All the safety measures in place are based on directives from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry's guidance for schools, Richardson said. Henry and her team have studied what happened in other jurisdictions like New Zealand where students have gone back to school and found there was no increase in COVID-19 cases once schools reopened, she said.
Students who don't follow the safety guidelines will be educated about the rules, and if they continue to repeatedly not follow the rules the normal progressive school disciplinary system will be used to enforce them, Richardson.
If a student does show any symptoms of illness, they will be sent home as soon as possible and required to stay home, Richardson said. However, only students who have symptoms will be required to stay home, unless directed otherwise by Northern Health.
Children who have pre-existing conditions like asthma will be allowed at school.
If any student or staff member is diagnosed with COVID-19, Northern Health will contact those who need to self isolate or get tested.
"We will follow Northern Health's direction. We are advised who to proceed by Northern Health," she said. "We are not to share information about any potential cases unless directed by Northern Health."
Parents have four options available to them for their children's education, Richardson said.
Parents can send their children to school when classes return Sept. 10; arrange a gradual return-to-school plan for your child with your school; enrol your child School District 57's distributed learning program; or home-school.
If students enrol for distributed learning or home-schooling, they will lose their spot at their current school, Richardson said. Holding spaces isn't possible, because there may be students on a waiting list to get into that school, or new students may move into that catchment area, she said.
"We'd like to as many students as possible in class," Richardson said. "A return to school is about more than learning."
Parents interested in enrolling their children in distributed learning should register their children on the waiting list, Richardson. The waitlist will inform the district's decision about providing extra resources for distance learning.
On Thursday afternoon, the school district found out it will receive $2.4 million in federal funding for school safety. That funding can be used to hire additional teachers to provide distance-learning options, Richardson said.
Richardson said she understands it is a tough decision for some families, but her own children will be returning to school this month.
"I know it's a stressful time for all of us. We're all being required to be brave," she said. "I wish you all the very best in the decision you make."
