Orange restrictions in Pembina Trails

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This article was published 30/10/2020 (1782 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Students in the Pembina Trails School Division will have noticed more space between their desks and fewer classmates in attendance.

Following an Oct. 22 directive from the Province of Manitoba, the division also prepared rapidly for temporary remote learning, and alternate day learning, according to the superintendent and CEO of the Pembina Trails School Division.

“We were notified about the transition to the orange level of restrictions in schools, which gave us time to get ready to make the changes for Nov. 2,” Ted Fransen said. “Some of these changes were already in place, and others had to be worked on. Our school staff, including the caretaking staff, moved a lot of extra furniture out of the classrooms to make more space between desks.”

Parents and guardians of students in kindergarten to Grade 6 were surveyed about the idea of moving to temporary remote learning. Remote learning may include the use of cameras in the classroom, at each teacher’s discretion, he said.

As of Oct. 23, the division had received over 5,000 submissions to that survey. “Nineteen per cent of guardians have opted for the remote learning choice, and the rest opted to have their children stay in class,” Fransen said.

Teachers will find creative ways to engage the students staying at home, and parents and guardians will have to work to keep their children on track with schoolwork, he said.

“For elementary students, so much of what they learn is done in a communal setting in the classroom, so we’re not surprised to see so many parents opt to keep their children in school,” he said.

Depending on the school, some Grade 7 and 8 students have been moved to an alternate day schedule.

“Every principal has the option to move to an alternate day format if they can’t achieve the two-metre distance,” Fransen said. “Some schools are splitting the grades 50/50 and having them come on alternate days. Others are having one grade come into the school on days one, three and five, with the other grade coming on the other three days of the cycle.”

High school students remain on the alternate day schedule and there are no changes for students with special needs. There have been no changes to school bus transportation service, daycare service and relocating classes to other schools or spaces is not being contemplated at this time.

However, indoor choir and the use of woodwind instruments has been suspended. Extracurricular activities and sports will only proceed if space is available and guidelines are followed.

“Regarding sports, we’re continuing to follow Sport Manitoba and Manitoba public health guidelines,” Fransen said. “Sports are generally doing skills development, with no league games.”

Fransen applauded the hard work by school staff, including principals, teachers and custodial staff, in solving the problems required by the quick change to the orange level of restrictions.

For more on the division’s plan for orange level restrictions, see www.pembinatrails.ca/Pages/Transitioning-to-orange-.aspx