Weekly Update, May 4 – 8, 2020

In-Person Classes Cancelled for the Remainder of the School Year

The most recent information from Alberta’s Education minister is that in-person classes will not return this school year. While you are welcome to read the Minister’s remarks below, we are working hard to support students and their families to complete courses and get final grades for this year.

Course Work and Food Drop-offs

To do everything we can to help our students, we are working to arrange drop-offs of school work and some food items where requested. Drop-offs of quarantined documents/course will continue this week (so be sure to be in touch before Wednesday if you need a food basket).

Online Course Support

We are also supporting students with an online learning environment. Students can access course work by contacting their teachers in one of the following ways:

• by calling 780-428-1420 ext. 211,
• by text at 780-224-9382,
• by emailing at email hidden; JavaScript is required
• by messaging us on our StaffAtBsec Facebook account (must add friend first).

Next Year – Planning for School

While supporting students to complete this year’s courses, we are also planning for next year. Whether in-person classes begin again or not, we will be accepting pre-registrations for the coming school year soon. We will be releasing the school calendar by the end of May and will tell students and their families about our plans to keep people safely engaged with school no matter how we deliver classes (likely a blend of in-person as soon as it is safe and online options as well).

Graduation

Students who complete necessary credits for a high school diploma will still earn them. At the present time, we have not cancelled the graduation ceremony at City Hall, but information about whether we hold that event depends on the current health emergency and restrictions on large groups of people. We will communicate plans for the class of 2020 after May 15th.

Communication from the Minister of Education

Communication from the Minister of Education to School Authorities, Friday May 1, 2020. If you have any questions, please contact the school in any of the ways listed above.

As announced yesterday by Premier Kenney during the release of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy, the province has made the decision to not have students return to in-school classes for the remainder of the academic year. While I know many of you anticipated this decision, I do understand it is still difficult to hear. It is another example of the far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it has changed the lives of all Albertans in so many ways.

I have spoken with many education partners since we cancelled in-school classes indefinitely on March 15. This week alone, I have held phone calls and video meetings with board chairs, administrators, teachers, parents and students, with the support of our partner organizations such as the ASBA, ATA, CASS, ASCA, TAAPCS and AISCA. The predominate theme during these discussions was schools should only open again when it is safe to do so, and that would unlikely be in this school year. Another important element was to provide a level of certainty soon for the remaining two months.

Looking ahead, we will continue to work with you on our re-entry plan. I appreciated the calls and video meetings, and look forward to reviewing additional feedback in the coming days. As Deputy Minister Corbould and I committed to, we will share a draft plan with our partners next week for your further input.

While the Premier touched upon concepts such as re-opening some schools on a trial basis, the possibility of summer school and coming back earlier than normal to regain some of the lost time, I want to be clear that no decisions have been made on any aspect of the re-entry plan. These items are only three of many considerations before us. Also, proposals that ultimately appear in the re-entry plan will be subject to approval from the Chief Medical Officer of Health and subject to the terms of collective agreements.

Thank you for all your efforts to manage this unprecedented situation as our students learn from home. I look forward to our continued collaboration as we shape the 2020-21 school year together. Please stay healthy and safe.

Sincerely,

Adriana LaGrange

Minister of Education