SD52 prepares for Stage 3 of classroom return set for June 1st

SD52 Superintendent Irene Lapierre has outlined some of the elements of the Prince Rupert District's return to classroom instruction set for June 1st, the local district following the guidance of the Ministry of Education which laid out the blue print for a resumption of in class instruction last week.

As part of the overview of the return to class program,  a number of additional measures will be found in local schools.

Desks spaced apart and avoiding groups or gatherings of students in hallways or other common areas

Regular cleaning of high-contact surfaces like door knobs, toilet seats, keyboards and desks at least twice a day, and cleaning the school building at least once a day

Students, educators and staff will be required to clean their hands before entering school property, and there will be more hand-sanitizing and cleaning stations available, with well-stocked supplies

Staggered drop-offs, lunch and recess breaks, with increased outside time

Each school district and independent school must have its return-to-class and safety plans approved by the ministry before moving to the next stage. The plans will be posted on each district’s website for families to access.

For parents/guardians and students of District 52, Stage three includes a mix of in class and online instruction to take the District through to the end of the school year.

The District will continue on with the program for children of essential service workers, students with disabilities and students who require additional support, five days a week.

That has been an ongoing program since April, as part of the continuity of education mandate of that time.

Moving towards June 1st, the District will introduce the following:

Kindergarten to Grade 5 -- Part Time, Two to Three Days a week, with 50% of students at a time in schools.

Grades 6 to 12 -- One Day per week, with 20% of students at a time in schools.

Remote and online learning continues to be available for students.

Parents/Caregivers have a choice as to whether they wish to have their children return to in-class instruction.

In the Superintendent's Update. Ms. LaPierre notes that Safety will remain the top priority when it comes to the planning and decisions to be made.

The District will be in touch with parents/caregivers during the course of the rest of this month to provide more information on the June 1st launch.

You can review the full correspondence here.

As we noted yesterday, Rob Fleming the Minister of Education is hosting a Virtual Town Hall tonight at 7:15, where he will further outline the steps the province is taking towards the June 1st return to school.

You can still submit questions if you wish, the submission page can be found here.

Tonight's Town Hall can be viewed through the BC Government Facebook Page and You Tube Channel.


For more notes on Education in the Northwest see our archive page here.