The Holy Spirit Catholic School Division office in Lethbridge. (Photo: Holy Spirit Catholic School Division)

By Justin Goulet

Holy Spirit unveils back to school guidelines

Aug 20, 2021 | 9:52 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Holy Spirit Catholic School Division is preparing for a safe return to class.

The division has outlined its guidelines for a healthy start to the upcoming school year. The document is based off information provided by the provincial government’s back to school plan, announced earlier this month. The four guiding principles for the division are:

1. The safety of students and staff comes first;

2. Student learning will continue;

3. Resources continue to flow to schools;

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4. School authorities have flexibility to do what is best for their community.

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in its schools, the division will:

• Promote and facilitate hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette;
• Promote staying home when feeling sick;
• Maintain ventilation in schools;
• Ensure regular cleaning and disinfection is completed on high traffic/high touch areas;
• Ensure that masks are mandatory on school buses.

On the point of face masks, the division said, “in the absence of legislation and associated health orders, we are unable to mandate the use of masks in our division.”

“However, we highly recommend that masks be used as a means of reducing the transmission of respiratory viruses. As a result, all those who choose to wear a mask in our schools will be unequivocally supported.”

Additional measures may be taken or recommended if a school within the division experiences an outbreak of COVID-19. Should this happen, the division will work closely with Alberta Health Services (AHS0 to mitigate risk. Some of the measures that could be taken include:

• Requiring the use of masks;
• Implementing classroom cohorts;
• Limiting extra-curricular activities;
• Making localized rapid testing available;
• Any other measures, as determined by AHS and Alberta Education.

VACCINATIONS IN SCHOOLS

As part of the province’s re-entry plan for the 2021-2022 school year, it was announced that COVID-19 immunization clinics are being planned for grades seven through 12 schools across Alberta. AHS has indicated that students under the age of 18 will not be vaccinated without parent or guardian consent. When available, consent forms will be available through the school.

The vaccination clinics will be open to interested staff. Provisions may also be made for parents, provided there are sufficient resources.

ONLINE EDUCATION

In the spring of 2021, the division promoted an “E-learning” program as a way for students in grades four through 12 to continue their education.

“Any student from within or external to the division had the opportunity to register for this program.”

“Although we closed registrations and staffed accordingly, we have opened the option of E-learning for those parents who desire to have this method of delivery for 2021/2022.”

More information about the E-learning program and request for registration can be found under ‘Educational Services’ on the division’s website here.

The Holy Spirit Catholic Division’s full re-entry plan can be viewed here.