St. Albert students should expect hand sanitizer, virtual assemblies and tuba-free band classes this fall as they head back to school during the coronavirus pandemic.
Alberta Education Minister Adriana LaGrange released new details on the province’s plans to reopen schools this fall June 10.
“We all know that students learn best in the classroom with their teachers and peers,” she said, and the province’s goal is to get students back in school as soon as possible.
“Based on the information we have right now, we expect students will be at school in September.”
LaGrange said classes would either be in-person, or partially or completely at home this fall, with additional health measures in place in the first two scenarios. She would decide Aug. 1 on which scenario to roll out, and said some regions might switch between scenarios in the event of an outbreak.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said students would not have to wear masks at school but would have stay home if they had symptoms of COVID-19 such as a cough or fever, and would be required to check for those symptoms every day.
“There is no one risk-free option,” Hinshaw said, and the province had to balance the risk of getting the disease against the consequences of not being in school.
New year, new rules
The province released guidelines last week on what schools would have to do to manage COVID-19 this fall.
In addition to deploying enhanced cleaning schedules and hand sanitizer, schools would have to have all students sanitize their hands when entering a classroom or entering/leaving the building and go home if they showed any coronavirus symptoms. Field trips should be postponed, and in-person assemblies cancelled. Schools may need to restrict hallway and bathroom use to ensure proper physical distancing.
The guidelines call for students to stick to assigned seats on buses, and for drivers to be protected with barriers or masks. Students are not to share school supplies or food, and should stay at least two metres apart where possible.
The guidelines specifically say activities involving in-person singing, cheering, shouting or wind instruments should be postponed.
Paul Kane music teacher Daryl Price said he’s moved all his band and musical theatre classes to the second semester as a result.
“I don’t think it’s wise for students to be in the classroom playing musical instruments with 50 people,” he said, citing the latest research on how COVID-19 spreads.
Price said he would likely hold rehearsals with maybe 10 students at once instead, and might have wind instrument players perform separately. Concerts might have to happen virtually, with each player recorded separately and combined online.
Strategies
St. Albert school superintendents were taking different approaches to prepare for fall classes.
Greater St. Albert Catholic superintendent David Keohane said his district hopes to livestream all classes this fall so students could attend them online or in person – a one-size-fits-all solution that would work under all three provincial scenarios.
St. Albert Public school superintendent Krimsen Sumners said her district would likely have dedicated online teachers for any students who stay home due to the pandemic under Scenario One. For Scenario Two (which was similar to One except it recommended a cap of 15 students per class), schools would likely have students alternate between in-person and online classes, with just half of the school population in the building at any one time.
While the guidelines do allow boards to run in-person summer school classes, Keohane and Sumners said they would proceed with online summer schools as planned, with diploma exams done in-person.
St. Albert Public board chair Glenys Edwards said she is concerned about the cost of these new safety measures, as the province has yet to announce any funding to go with them.
“It’s very important for the government to address the budgetary concerns,” she said, as otherwise boards would have to take money from classroom instruction.
Sumners advised parents to plan to see their children back in school this fall, and to be prepared to keep them at home should they show any symptoms.
