Northwest School Division office in Meadow Lake (Nicole Reis/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Nicole Reis

Northwest School Division back to school plan

Northwest School Division lines up back-to-school plan with province

Aug 5, 2020 | 4:49 PM

Northwest School Division (NWSD) #203 back to school plan has been released after the provincial government announced details for schools resuming class on Sept. 1.

In March due to COVID-19, the government closed schools and the division offered virtual and paper package learning options for students to continue their education remotely.

NWSD #203 director of education Duane Hauk told meadowlakeNOW each of the division’s 23 schools will have their own plan similar to the province’s plan and will adjust according to public health and provincial government guidelines.

“Each school will have their own plan as it relates to the division plan,” Hauk said. “Because schools are of different sizes not only in square footage of the building but also with student and staff population, [each plan] will look different.”

In June, the province announced in-person classes would resume in the fall and, on Tuesday, provided more of the details for the plan developed by Saskatchewan’s 27 school divisions.

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In the NWSD’s 42-page plan, a number of safety procedures are outlined such as staggering classes, sanitized buses and training for drivers, and regular cleaning of classrooms and common areas. School staff and students will be provided with proper cleaning procedures and materials. The division is also looking at potentially staggering lunch and recess breaks, and considering where lockers are situated to ensure adequate spacing.

“At this point, we are following the provincial guidelines,” Hauk said. “We are definitely making sure we have enough PPE on hand. The province will be ordering for us, but we will be ordering additional PPE as well.”

Hauk revealed Carpenter High School is considering having a block scheduling of classes. Instead of having five classes per day, students may have three classes per day which could include more time spent in a day on a particular course therefore completing the course sooner.The shift is intended to shrink the cohort of students gathering together from one class to another.

“The provincial plan and the division school plan will be similar,” Hauk said. “As we learn more, and work together with our students, our staff and our parents as to what is working and what is not working, there will more than likely be changes that will happen as we go through the school year.”

Over the summer months, the division has been preparing contingency plans to shift back to alternative methods of learning while developing ways to accommodate student needs in the event schools are faced with another closure.

The plan is informed by the latest information from the province and public health and is a fluid document that will be updated as the public health situation in Saskatchewan evolves.

Parents and caregivers will receive even more detailed information when staff return and share their school re-open plans later in August.

In a release from the President of the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF), Patrick Maze, said considering masks in the classroom is a step in the right direction.

“Teachers and parents are questioning whether this is enough and why there are inconsistencies between the broader public health measures and what is required in schools,” Maze said in the release. “We all want to return to the classroom, but it must be done safely.”

The Federation acknowledges a return to school will not be completely risk-free, but should be made as safe as possible by exploring all options to avoid the Three Cs – closed spaces, crowded spaces and close contacts – in schools.

With files from CKOM

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722