August 6 School Re-Entry Update

Welcome Back!

We are excited to welcome back students and families and look forward to having our school hallways filled with the energy only our students can provide.

On July 21, 2020, Hon. Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Education, announced that in-school classes will resume for the 2020-21 school year under near-normal conditions with health measures in place. Since that announcement, Aspen View Public Schools has been actively engaged in developing a division plan that reflects a safe re-entry for the 2020-2021 school year for students, staff and families. The plan has been created following the guidance and direction provided by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Alberta Education, and data received from the re-entry surveys completed by parents, students and staff in June 2020. The plan is based on the following guiding principles:

  • The health, safety and wellbeing of students and staff;
  • The continuity of learning for students;
  • Flexibility in educational program offerings to meet the comfort levels of students and families.

Safety

In order to keep everyone as safe as possible, a number of changes to protocols and routines have been implemented. These include but are not limited to:

  • Requiring staff and students to conduct daily health checks using a self-screening questionnaire provided by Alberta Health Services;
  • Stay-at-home protocols for those who are feeling unwell;
  • Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting in schools and on buses;
  • Encouraging physical distancing wherever possible;
  • Organizing students into learning cohorts;
  • Implementing the use of masks as directed by Alberta Health Services and Alberta Education;
  • Increased hand sanitizing and hand washing stations.

Learning

We recognize the variety of needs among our families and students, and we acknowledge the difficult decisions facing parents in these uncertain times. We are committed to working with families to provide safe and comfortable learning opportunities for all Aspen View students.

Aspen View Public Schools is pleased to support our school families by continuing to provide a range of options to support the ongoing learning of our students:

School Re-Entry: All Aspen View schools will resume in-person classes from Kindergarten (or Pre-Kindergarten, where offered) to Grade 12 under near-normal conditions with health measures in place. School offices will open on Aug. 20. Most schools will proceed with ‘staggered entry’ with only identified groups of students attending school on Wednesday, Sept. 2 and Thursday, Sept. 3.  All students will attend on Friday, Sept. 4.

Online Learning: Aspen View Public Schools is currently working on an online option for Grade 1-9 students. More information will be available no later than Aug. 14. Please direct any questions to Dr. Karen Penney, Deputy Superintendent, at 780-675-7080 Ext. 03 or [email protected]

Virtual Learning: Aspen View Public Schools continues to offer a full range of courses for Grade 10-12 students through the Centre for Alternative and Virtual Education (The CAVE). For more information, please visit https://virtual.aspenview.org/ or contact Donna Wesley, CAVE Coordinator, at 780-675-9549 or [email protected]

Outreach: Aspen View Public School offers outreach education options for Grade 10-12 students for who learning is better supported outside of the traditional school setting. Outreach programs are provided through the Centre for Alternative and Virtual Education (The CAVE) and the Vilna Off-Campus Achievement Academy (VOCAA). For more information, please contact Donna Wesley, CAVE Coordinator, at 780-675-9549 or [email protected]

Homeschooling: Aspen View Public Schools continues to offer homeschooling options for students, in partnership with the Alberta Distance Learning Centre (ADLC) and other providers. For more information, please contact Dr. Karen Penney, Deputy Superintendent, at 780-675-7080 Ext. 03 or [email protected]

School Re-entry Plans

The Aspen View Public Schools Re-entry Plan was developed to let families know what to expect across the entire division. Each school within Aspen View will develop a similar plan with site-specific details that will give families a clear picture of how education will look in their community. These plans will be shared with school families and posted on school websites. All of our plans will be reviewed and adjusted on a regular basis and as we receive new information from Alberta Education and the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

In closing, we have heard the Chief Medical Officer of Health say on a number of occasions that safety during this pandemic is a shared responsibility and we must all work together. The safety of our students and staff is paramount as we enter the upcoming school year.

Neil O’Shea, Superintendent
Candy Nikipelo, Chair, Board of Trustees
Aspen View Public Schools

August 6, 2020

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