(Supplied: Grand Prairie Public School Division, Facebook)

By Abby Zieverink

Back to School

GPPSD school year planning aligning with provincial recommendations

Aug 19, 2021 | 4:53 PM

As back-to-school season is right around the corner, the Grande Prairie Public School Division is gearing up with its back-to-school plan.

Grande Prairie Public School Division Superintendent Sandy McDonald says the current plan aligns with the recommendations released by the province, meaning cohorts will be implemented to the greatest extent possible, and a daily self-screening assessment provided through AHS will be mandatory.

Meanwhile, masking will be highly recommended when in the schools, though not mandatory. Masks will be mandatory when on the school bus until at least September 27.

“What our plan is doing is mirroring what the province has put in place, so not everything is back to how it was before the pandemic started, some of this will be transitioning back to more open schools as we have the opportunity,” said McDonald.

Although their plan is in place, McDonald explains getting students and staff back into the classroom will continue to be discussed, suggesting there is no plan completely set in stone yet.

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“As public health information changes and as we get different direction from the community, it’s possible our guidelines will change,” he said. “But we’ve got a starting point right now that aligns very much with the guidance released by the Minister of Education.”

McDonald says the top priority for their division is the health and safety of staff and students, along with the wellness of individuals in the school community.

“Our experience last year was really quite restricted, so we want to kind of get everyone back into school, then slowly and safely transition back to normal,” McDonald said.

“I think it’s very good for students to return to those more normal activities.”

McDonald believes students being back in school and taking part in extracurricular activities, along with peer bonding, is important.

He says any decision they make surrounding the back-to-school plan, or any changes that potentially may come, will revolve around student learning and teaching.

Something he calls “the core”.

“To support the core of what we do, we really do need to honour and respect all of the individuals who make up our school community. We need to do that so we can focus on student learning, which of course is our primary outcome.”

McDonald suggests one of the reasons behind the possibility of adapting the back-to-school plan based on feedback is because he wants to ensure everyone is comfortable.

“And to feel like they belong, and they feel that this is a place that’s good for them to work and learn, that comfort level is important to us,” explained McDonald.

The GPPSD board will be meeting on Tuesday, August 25, to discuss feedback on the back-to-school plan.

The full back-to-school plan for GPPSD can be found here.