This is how Sask. schools will operate when classes return this fall
The Government of Saskatchewan is preparing for schools to return to “pre-pandemic” conditions in the fall.
Guidance for schools as they prepare to return to in-class learning without masks, social distancing or other COVID-19 restrictions will still be provided by the Ministry of Health according to the province’s 2021-22 Safe Schools Plan.
“This includes getting vaccinated as soon as you are eligible, staying home when you are sick, and ensuring hand hygiene and environmental cleaning protocols are consistently used,” the government said in the document.
Fritz Wyssen has two children who go to school in Ituna. He said the family is looking forward to the changes this fall, as the children can better focus on their academics.
“At the same time, also giving them the power to, if they want to wear a mask, absolutely go ahead, (and) that they have cleaning stations,” said Wyssen.
Wyssen said he was also glad to see an emphasis on keeping children home when they are sick.
“It just keeps that whole environment of the school that much healthier,” he said.
Fritz Wyssen and his family. (Supplied: Fritz Wyssen)
Fritz Wyssen and his family. (Supplied: Fritz Wyssen)
Some cleaning protocols will remain in place, including routine disinfection of school transportation and promotion of hand hygiene in classrooms and bathrooms. School-wide plans for in-depth cleaning should also remain in place, according to the Safe Schools Plan.
Sports and extracurricular activities are permitted to return in full, including sports, dance, drama band, choir, field trips and nutrition programs.
“We’re looking forward to a much more involved school year with more extra-curricular activities, and kind of get back to the norm,” Wyssen said.
Local medical health officers will remain involved in discussions related to any public health risks in schools and will provide tailored approaches to health issues that could arise.
Prescribed structure for day-to-day school operations and protocol for physical distancing will not be in place. Schools will not be required to submit a plan for the school year to the Ministry of Education.
“Staff are encouraged to avail themselves of all Ministry of Health recommended vaccinations,” according to the Safe Schools Plan. “Staff are encouraged to discuss the efficacy of recommended vaccinations with their personal health care providers.”
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and schools will work together to identify the need for contact tracing and quarantining.
Regina Public and Catholic School students resumed in-person classes on May 3, after being sent home for remote learning at the end of March.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Angst and calls for resting places as Surrey, B.C., pet cemetery development continues
A single headstone is all that remains of dozens of markers for long-buried pets in a subdivision in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, where a half-acre parcel bears a large sign announcing the proposed construction of new homes.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.