New COVID-19 Public Health Measures for Schools
From: Darryl Seguin, Superintendent
To: All Staff, Students, and Parents/Guardians
Yesterday the provincial government announced new mandatory public health measures across Alberta to protect the health system and slow the spread of COVID-19. The Livingstone Range School Division Board of Trustees and Senior Administration will support our staff, students, and families as we comply with these measures to help our communities and province.
The following mandatory restrictions for schools will begin on Monday, November 30:
Grades 7-12 students
- Move to at-home learning Nov. 30 to Jan. 8, except during winter break (December 21-January 1 in LRSD)
- Resume in-person classes Jan. 11
- Diploma exams are optional for the rest of the school year. Students and families can choose to write an exam or receive an exemption for the January, April, June and August 2021 exams.
Grades K-6 students (including Early Childhood Services)
- Continue in-person learning until their scheduled winter break (December 21-January 1 in LRSD)
- Move to at-home learning after the winter break until Jan. 8
- Resume in-person classes Jan. 11
What does this mean for our teachers, staff, and students?
Students in Grades 7-12 will begin at-home learning on Monday, November 30. Your child’s school will provide more information to you about the schedule and any expectations. Some of the instruction will be synchronous (in real-time) and some instruction may be asynchronous (materials provided ahead of time and students work on it independently during that class block, for example). Unlike at-home learning in the spring, for this period of at-home learning, expect classes to be more rigorous and requirements more similar to in-person learning including assessment and reporting. Students who do not have access to technology may request to borrow technology from the school during this period of time.
Kindergarten to Grade 6 students will continue to come to school as usual and meet in-person with their teachers and support staff until Christmas break. Teachers will help prepare students for the one week of at-home learning (January 4-8, 2021). Your child’s school will provide more information to you about the schedule and any expectations.
We know this is not an ideal situation, but we also know that we are better prepared for this than we were in the spring. Our students, staff, and families have proven that we can adapt and continue learning despite our circumstances.
We will provide updates and more detailed information for staff this week. Please also check www.lrsd.ca for the latest information.
We will get through this together, and our School-based and Divisional leadership will continue to support student learning every step of the way.