West Central High School in Rocky Mountain House. (rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Sheldon Spackman

Two Weeks

High School students in Rocky Mountain House moving to online at-home learning

Sep 21, 2021 | 3:15 PM

Officials with West Central High School in Rocky Mountain House have announced that due to operational challenges, Alberta Education has approved a request from Wild Rose School Division to move all students and staff to online, at-home learning starting Sept. 22.

The change is anticipated to remain in place through to and including Oct. 5.

School officials say students will connect synchronously with their teachers at their regularly scheduled class times. However, if this presents a problem for any students, they are encouraged to contact the school for support.

All students and staff are expected to return to in-class instruction at the school Oct. 6.

“Operational effectiveness and the safety of our students and staff will continue to guide our decisions in these matters,” reads a statement, in a letter to parents Tuesday, from WCHS Principal Stacey Wigley.

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Wild Rose School Division (WRSD) deputy superintendent Greg Wedman, says they’re finding in many communities throughout the district, especially in the Rocky Mountain House area, that they’re being hard hit with a combination of low vaccination rates and high rates of infection, be it COVID-19 or otherwise.

“We find that people are following the rules and certainly isolating as they’re sick and awaiting test results,” he explains. “We’re finding it very hard to find replacement staff, and staffing at all of our schools is a large issue, especially hard hit has been West Central. But we also felt that by going online with the high school, it did not affect the younger students who would need the extra child care and a lot more easy for the high school kids to transition for the two weeks that they might need.”

Wedman admits it’s a frustrating set of circumstances for everyone involved.

“I don’t think many of them are enjoying it, but if it’s what we need to do to get us through to some of the more latest measures to being in effect, it’ll be worth it. But we’re hoping this will ease the pressure on some of our elementary schools to free up some more subs to allow things to work a little bit better for there as well,” adds Wedman.

He’s hopeful at this time that no other schools in the district will have to do the same.

“With the added measures and if people are following some of those, it should bring that infection rate hopefully down and we can get the kids back in school full time,” says Wedman.

Wedman says it’s also important to note that West Central High School will not be closed during this two week switch to at-home, online learning.

“When possible, we’ll still be running extracurricular activities for the students and things like that where it’s feasible to be able to do that,” he concludes.

As of Sept. 20, there were 267 active cases of COVID-19 throughout Clearwater County.

Related: Donalda School approved to transition all grades to at-home learning