Several students from John Paul II Collegiate in North Battleford don their masks as a COVID-19 requirement, as they get ready for class. (submitted photo/Frazer Donahue)

By Angela Brown

Following precautions

Battlefords area school divisions report good first day back to school in COVID-19 era

Sep 9, 2020 | 5:04 PM

Battlefords area school divisions are reporting a successful first day return to school without any apparent hiccups during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Light of Christ Catholic School Division Education Director Cory Rideout, the division’s schools experienced a “great first day back” yesterday.

“All precautions are being followed,” he said in an email to battlefordsNOW. “We do have an online learning option available to students and families. Our virtual learning supports are in place, and we’re ready to continue to provide exceptional learning environments – in person or virtual – to our students and families.”

Living Sky School Division Director of Education Brenda Vickers said having a staggered start-date at the schools helped make it easier for students to get to know all the new procedures.

“From everything I hear the students who needed to wear masks were wearing masks, and learning new routines,” she said. “I think everybody had a really good day.”

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She said if there were any challenges they were relatively minor, adding it was a “very quiet day” for the division.

Schools are following social distancing measures and sanitization protocols as part of the safe return-to-school plan.

Living Sky hired more teachers to lead virtual classrooms for students who wish to pursue online learning this year.

Vickers said the division received over 400 requests from families interested in having their children participate in some type of virtual learning, instead of in-person.

“My guess is that some kids are immunocompromised, so this works for them when they can’t be at school,” she said.

Other families may just be worried about their children going back to school during a pandemic.

In any case, she said, the online option is always available.

The division is still waiting to tally how many students pursue this route, on a short-term basis or for the school-year.

Vickers said the division was surprised to receive so many requests for virtual classroom instruction.

“We never dreamt we would have this many requests,” she said. “We just couldn’t even imagine.”

—

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

by Angela Brown

Battlefords area school divisions report good first day back to school in COVID-19 era

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