Photo: Shaun Penner / EverythingGP

By Shaun Penner

Return to School Plan

Peace Wapiti to offer at-home learning option for 2020-21 school year

Aug 7, 2020 | 12:29 PM

The Peace Wapiti Public School Division will be offering at-home learning opportunities for families who do not wish to send their children back to school in September. This comes as the school division released its return to school plan for the 2020-21 school year on Friday.

The division says in the plan that though they anticipate most students will return to the classroom on September 1 as part of the “near normal” return to the classroom, parents who do not want to have their children return can request to continue with at-home learning, while also being provided the opportunity to have their child go back to the classroom at different points in the year.

The school division says students in Grades 1-9 can re-enter at-school learning at the beginning of one the three terms throughout the year:

• Term 1: September 1 to November 27
• Term 2: November 30 to March 12
• Term 3: March 15 to June 25

The same opportunity will be provided to high school students, but on the typical semester schedule. That means students can either start the year in school on September 1, or at the beginning of the second semester on February 1.

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The school division adds that since Kindergarten is considered an optional program in Alberta, in-class learning will be the only option provided.

With that plan to include at-home learning, the division says students may have a different teacher than the one they would have if they were back in class.

“Remote learning may be offered by a teacher who does not work at their community school,” reads the plan. “The online classroom may be a combined class or division of students.”

The division asks that those who wish to continue with at-home, teacher-led learning to begin the school year get in contact with Central Office to confirm their choice by Monday, August 24 and to reserve their seat in their regular classroom. For those who wish for their child to return to at-school learning at one of the other entry points throughout the year, the division says a minimum of three weeks’ notice is required.

The return to school plan was developed by the division’s Relaunch Committee, which was made up of Central Office staff members and school administration. The plan follows all direction provided by Alberta Education and the chief medical officer.

The plan covers areas such as mandatory mask use, physical distancing, bussing and the use of shared equipment, among many other areas. The full return to school plan for the division can be found here.