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
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.