By Sheldon Spackman

In Need Of Feedback

Red Deer school districts need to know who’s returning to class this fall

Aug 5, 2020 | 12:02 PM

With the first day of school now less than four weeks away for most students, local school districts are continuing their efforts in planning for the new year.

On Friday, both Red Deer Public Schools and Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools will send out surveys to parents asking whether they plan to send their children to class under Scenario 1 (near normal conditions with enhanced safety measures in place).

On Tuesday, Minister of Education Adrianna LaGrange, announced that masks will be mandatory for students in Grades 4-12, with masks being optional for Pre-K to Grade 3 students.

Staff and teachers are also required to wear masks in all settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained. Students will be required to wear them as well in all shared and common areas such as hallways and on buses.

The scenario, however, may have some parents uncomfortable. As a result, local school divisions will need to know who will be there, and who would rather learn from home.

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Chad Erickson, Superintendent for Red Deer Public Schools, told rdnewsNOW last month that their first survey revealed roughly 93 per cent of survey respondents plan to send their kids back to class on Sept. 1.

“Having said that, times have changed and things have evolved over the past couple of weeks, so we plan to re-do that survey,” said Erickson. “What we’re going to do is put together a video for parents that shows what that school experience is going to look like for students in Red Deer Public in the fall, so that parents are informed as they make their decisions before sending their kids back to school. While we take our direction from the province and the chief medical officer of health, it really is up to families what they plan to do with their own children in their house.”

For those who choose to keep their kids at home for online learning, Erickson said it would be a different look than seen during the end of the last school year.

“We may utilize some of our distance learning programs that we have in the district to help support that, and we really need to hear from our staff as well,” remarked Erickson.

At Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, Acting Superintendent Kathleen Finnigan also told rdnewsNOW last month that parents definitely want their children back in class this fall.

“We did a student survey as well and they want to come back, and educators as well would like to return,” said Finnigan. “We want our students back. We want to welcome them back safely. Safety comes in many different forms. Safety in terms of the physical, but also the emotional.”

Students at Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools in Red Deer, Sylvan Lake and Blackfalds return to class Aug. 31.