PRAIRIE VALLEY SCHOOL DIVISION - The excitement is building for the Prairie Valley School Division as they begin a new school year.
They’re welcoming back 10,000 students and staff from the lazy days of summer so they can learn together.
“We are excited to bring back extra-curricular programming and regular high school scheduling,” Prairie Valley said in a Facebook post. “We are happy returning to classroom configurations where group work and collaborative activities can encourage students to reconnect and personalize their learning together.”
The school division said it spent its summer prepping and cleaning its buildings and buses. They’ve been preparing classes and planning lessons to make this year the best it can be. And they’ve completed a multi-year program to bring ventilation and air filtration up to North American standards.
While the division had hoped for a start with no restrictions, COVID had other plans.
“We appreciate that some are disappointed these safety measures are continuing. They will be adjusted, based on new information,” the school division said.
“In normal circumstances, few of us would choose to wear a mask. Sadly, these aren’t normal times. Throughout the pandemic, school divisions, including ours, have followed the recommendations of the Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Health Authority.”
The province’s Safe School Plan has given broad direction for the entire province. Everyone has been encouraged to consult with their local medical health officers to tailor the plan to local context and need, based on what they are seeing in active cases, transmission and vaccination levels.
Last year, the school division said its COVID control measures were quite successful. While 25 of 32 communities did have cases appear in their schools, the level of further transmissions was extremely low. This means the safety protocols and measures in place worked.
“We did have a few communities who appeared to be dodging the virus, only to have it suddenly appear and run rampant through their long-term care homes, with many children absent from school. So, we follow all safety protocols, not just for the healthy and strong, but for every child and extended family member who is medically fragile, as good neighbours do.”
While many people say they are “done” with COVID, the virus is not done with people.
“As a school division, we must provide the safest environment possible for our students. The duty of care we must provide when families entrust their children to us is far higher than that of a normal household.”
The division says it will follow the advice of the medical experts when making the health decisions for 10,000 people about to return to an indoor environment. It is why schools have rules in place for safe and orderly conduct that are likely more strict than individual homes. They are committed to making school as safe as possible for every child.
It has come to their attention that there are a few, some without children in their schools, who are encouraging children to defy the rules and come to school without a mask and instead come armed with an internet version of a waiver, giving permission for them to do so. This waiver is not a legitimate document, the division said.
The website where it can be found includes its own waiver, stating the authors will not be responsible for any harm caused by using this document.
“We value our relationship with our parents, who have been outstanding partners in education, particularly through COVID. We look forward to that continued partnership built on mutual trust and respect in our shared interest of trying to do and give the best for our kiddos,” the division said.
The division thanks the parents who have reached out to engage in respectful dialogue regarding masking whether for or against.
The excitement is building for the Prairie Valley School Division as they begin a new school year.
They’re welcoming back 10,000 students and staff from the lazy days of summer so they can learn together.
“We are excited to bring back extra-curricular programming and regular high school scheduling,” Prairie Valley said in a Facebook post. “We are happy returning to classroom configurations where group work and collaborative activities can encourage students to reconnect and personalize their learning together.”
The school division said it spent its summer prepping and cleaning its buildings and buses. They’ve been preparing classes and planning lessons to make this year the best it can be. And they’ve completed a multi-year program to bring ventilation and air filtration up to North American standards.
While the division had hoped for a start with no restrictions, COVID had other plans.
“We appreciate that some are disappointed these safety measures are continuing. They will be adjusted, based on new information,” the school division said.
“In normal circumstances, few of us would choose to wear a mask. Sadly, these aren’t normal times. Throughout the pandemic, school divisions, including ours, have followed the recommendations of the Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Health Authority.”
The province’s Safe School Plan has given broad direction for the entire province. Everyone has been encouraged to consult with their local medical health officers to tailor the plan to local context and need, based on what they are seeing in active cases, transmission and vaccination levels.
Last year, the school division said its COVID control measures were quite successful. While 25 of 32 communities did have cases appear in their schools, the level of further transmissions was extremely low. This means the safety protocols and measures in place worked.
“We did have a few communities who appeared to be dodging the virus, only to have it suddenly appear and run rampant through their long-term care homes, with many children absent from school. So, we follow all safety protocols, not just for the healthy and strong, but for every child and extended family member who is medically fragile, as good neighbours do.”
While many people say they are “done” with COVID, the virus is not done with people.
“As a school division, we must provide the safest environment possible for our students. The duty of care we must provide when families entrust their children to us is far higher than that of a normal household.”
The division says it will follow the advice of the medical experts when making the health decisions for 10,000 people about to return to an indoor environment. It is why schools have rules in place for safe and orderly conduct that are likely more strict than individual homes. They are committed to making school as safe as possible for every child.
It has come to their attention that there are a few, some without children in their schools, who are encouraging children to defy the rules and come to school without a mask and instead come armed with an internet version of a waiver, giving permission for them to do so. This waiver is not a legitimate document, the division said.
The website where it can be found includes its own waiver, stating the authors will not be responsible for any harm caused by using this document.
“We value our relationship with our parents, who have been outstanding partners in education, particularly through COVID. We look forward to that continued partnership built on mutual trust and respect in our shared interest of trying to do and give the best for our kiddos,” the division said.
The division thanks the parents who have reached out to engage in respectful dialogue regarding masking whether for or against.
