Regina Public Schools will be switching to virtual learning until at least January.
The move is being made effective Dec. 14 and will be in effect for all grades across the public school system.
Students are scheduled to return to in-person learning on Jan. 11, a week after school resumes from the holiday break.
Spokesperson Terry Lazarou says there was never a thought of simply extending the Christmas break and this proactive move is being done to ensure safe continued learning for students and keep them healthy..
“If someone were to test positive or be a close contact, it wouldn’t be happening in the school and it wouldn’t necessarily impact the holiday period of anyone attached to our school community.” Lazarou said. “This is not an extended break. Students will learn from home with the resources they need so when they return January 11th, they will have had the opportunity to work and the opportunity to keep up.
The school division also made the following statistics available:
- 63 student and 26 staff COVID-19 positive cases.
- 39 (out of 57) schools affected.
- 56 classrooms closed.
- 8 elementary schools closed, 1 collegiate closed.
- More than 8,422 employee absence days so far this year, (24% more than at this point in a typical
year). - More than 1,100 employee absence days due to quarantine leave.
- Chronic shortfall of replacement staff due to more employee absences and a reduced pool of
available substitute staff. - Growing anxiety and other mental health challenges to all employees and students
By reducing the number of people in all schools and buildings and allowing for more physical distancing, the fear and anxiety of becoming exposed to COVID-19 at work may be minimized. Taking these temporary measures will ensure that students will continue with uninterrupted learning. The following key benefits were also weighed in the decision:
• Teachers and all employees can continue to teach and work, without disruption. Currently, the impact of one school-based student or staff member diagnosed with COVID-19 can affect multiple people in a school. This proactive intervention can help ensure that a single case will not disrupt and affect the learning and working of many others.
• Students can learn from home, without the fear of exposure to COVID-19 at school, or of exposing others.
• High school students can complete Quint 2 and be ready for Quint 3 in January.
• School Division work and planning can resume without the constant disruption of pandemic-related contact tracing and schools closing.
• As a measured action to reduce in-school risk, this proactive intervention may allow all schools and buildings to reopen and in-class learning to resume on January 11.
• Attempt to reduce possibility of a long-term School Division-wide move to Level 4 described in COVID-19 Response Plan.
• The School Division will continue to provide supports for vulnerable students, such as community food programs and the provision of devices for students that need them to learn remotely.
