Dear Parents:

It’s been a while since we’ve written because we don’t have much that is new to report. We see this in two ways – we’re continuing to do well at school in the COVID environment and we’re not making much headway in terms of getting back to a more “normal” school routine. We’re choosing to go with the cup-half-full view and hope that you are able to do this as well.

As of today, we have had 39 positive cases of COVID-19 where we have supported the contact tracing process through Public Health in our schools and other facilities. 12 of 39 Prairie South schools have been impacted with one or more positive cases. Provincially, about 300 of 700 schools have been impacted with one or more positive cases.

We are continuing to request information regarding upcoming activities with a focus on Graduation 2021 celebrations. The Saskatchewan Health Authority is aware that many students, staff and families are anxious about this, and they have committed to provide information as soon as possible. What we know for now is that virtual ceremonies are safe and will be allowed and that indoor ceremonies will not be allowed. We are working on shrinking the yellow zone to assist with planning at the local level; we think it is likely that we will be looking at outdoor graduation ceremonies with restrictions as the most likely outcome.

Staff in all schools have been working hard on student literacy skills and we know that parent support for this work is great for kids. Regular reading with children is a gift that costs nothing and builds connections within your family as well as skills for the future. Thank you for continuing with this important task at home.

Please continue to take care of yourselves and your families. It’s exciting that the vaccine rollout is progressing and that the most vulnerable people in our families will be safer as a result. We hope the cold weather is gone for good as we know that being outside and active is one way we can all be healthier. Together we’re going to be okay.

Thank you,

Dear Parents:

We hope this finds you and your families well. It’s an understatement to say that it has been a challenging fall and although we are doing a great job of taking care of students, families and each other, we know that many of you are anxious about the days and weeks to come.

In comparison with the rest of the province, we continue to do well in terms of positive COVID cases in our schools. To date we have had 24 positive cases in either staff or students where contact tracing at school has been necessary. In most cases, the contact tracing process has identified several students or staff who were in close enough proximity that it is necessary for them to self isolate, and in some cases we have sent entire classrooms home as a precaution. Overall, we have only 2 cases where Public Health believes transmission happened at school; both of these were cases where someone was unmasked and later turned out to be contagious. While this is 2 too many, it is a very small number considering the interactions that have happened between 750 school-level staff and 6500 students in the first 3 months of the school year and we are grateful for that.

The success we have had is a direct result of the commitment and hard work of Prairie South staff. Additional cleaning routines, mask rules, and restrictions on staff and student movement have made an already complex job even more difficult for staff in schools. Staff attention to these things, and their willingness to sacrifice some of the things they love about school have kept people safe in our homes and in your homes. We’d encourage each of you to speak with pride about the work we are doing together. The resilience of staff in the education sector is the only thing that is keeping the economy in Saskatchewan afloat right now, as parents are able to be in the workforce while kids are at school. While this isn’t the mandate of the public school system, it is something that we should be proud of, and that we should collectively be pointing out to provincial decision-makers. We hope you will join me in thanking school staff for their commitment as the holidays approach.

Many will have seen in the news that several other school divisions in the province have had to adjust operations between now and the middle of January. We’re very happy that we aren’t in a situation where this is necessary for us. Our Public Health partners have confirmed that there is no need to move from our current model, and this will allow us to proceed as we have been over the last several months. As individual communities experience an increase in cases, we may need to do some adjusting, but at this point we are looking forward to a very well-deserved holiday and a return to school as planned on January 4th.

Last year we encouraged staff and families to do their best, and we continue to believe that this is important. We are concerned about the effects of the pandemic on the mental health of students and staff. Talk to your children about how they are doing – it is important to acknowledge that each of us has been affected in some way by COVID-19, and conversation with a caring adult will help your kids to manage the strain they are experiencing. Additionally, our reading scores have dropped across the division for grades 2 and 3. During the holiday season, please take the time to read with your younger children daily for 15-20 minutes. This isn’t homework – it’s a way that moms and dads can show care for their children. Reading with your kids is a rare gift that doesn’t cost anything and continues to pay off for a lifetime.

Please take care of yourselves and stay safe during the last few school days of 2020 and over the holiday break. Have a peaceful and safe holiday; together we’re going to be okay.

Thank you,

Dear Parents:

We hope this letter finds you and your families well. As the COVID-19 situation changes in the province, we are updating protocols in schools throughout Prairie South and wanted to take the opportunity to communicate with you today.

There has been a change in direction provincially related to mask protocol in schools. Beginning Monday, November 30th all students and staff in Prairie South will need to be masked at all times when they are in school or on the school bus unless they are eating or drinking. This isn’t a significant change for some of our students, however this will be the first time that masks are required in all situations for PreK to 3 students and for all students while in the gymnasium. We have attached the updated mask protocol for your review. This protocol will be in place until the Christmas break, and we will re-evaluate this in time for the start of school in 2021.

To date we have had 19 positive cases in total in our schools and we’ve had some parent inquiries about what the process looks like when we have a positive case. When a student or staff member tests positive for COVID, we receive notice from Public Health at the school and school division at the same time. The school principal and superintendent work together to provide contact tracing documentation to Public Health, and staff from the Saskatchewan Health Authority begin to contact parents of students who might be considered close contacts. The classroom teacher is interviewed by Public Health and will provide information about mask compliance and student movement in the classroom.

When a positive case is identified, there are 4 ways that parents might receive information:

• If your child is determined to be a close contact and needs to self-isolate for a period of time, you will be called by Public Health directly.
• Depending on the cohort, other students may be designated as contacts, and will also need to self-isolate. When a student is identified as a contact, the school will notify parents.
• Parents with children in the same cohort(s) as the positive case are notified by letter from Prairie South that a case has been identified in that cohort.
•  All parents in the school will receive a general letter from the school principal.

Everyone in Saskatchewan is currently self-monitoring, so the only people who need to do something different are those who are COVID positive or those who are identified as contacts or close contacts.  We have learned that every instance is unique in some way, but this general process has happened consistently in the cases we have had until now.

We know this has been a stressful time for families and staff but a break for Christmas is just over the horizon. We’ll figure out 2021 together when it arrives!

Thank you,

Preamble

This update to the Prairie South mask protocol is based on information received from the Government of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, local Public Health staff and a review of safety process compliance.

Continuing with students in cohorts, hand hygiene, cleaning and limited physical contact are critical elements of school safety in 2020-2021 regardless of mask protocol. Mask protocol represents a minimum expectation – visitors, staff and students may mask in other circumstances.

For the purpose of this protocol, only non-medical and cloth masks that fully cover the face from below the chin to the bridge of the nose are allowable. “Gaiter” masks, bandanas and hard plastic masks are not acceptable.

Protocol

Exemptions

1. In circumstances where students of any age require additional support, PPE may be used at the discretion of the student support team planning for that student.
2. Students or staff with a medical condition that makes mask use inappropriate or unsafe may be exempt from this protocol with written permission from their doctor.
3. In the case of Practical and Applied Arts curricular spaces masks are required unless the use of a mask creates a safety hazard

Dear Parents:

Sorry for the multiple letters this week.  As you know, the provincial situation is changing quickly, and we are working to stay aligned with provincial direction.

Based on the provincial masking guidelines introduced yesterday, we have done a major revision of our masking protocol.  Please review these expectations with your children and reinforce the importance of the guidelines as a way of keeping students, staff and members of the community safe and healthy.  This is a great opportunity for your children to learn about citizenship and social responsibility.  We will re-evaluate our masking protocol after the provincial review in December.

We have been working almost daily with Public Health since the beginning of the school year.  Their message has been consistent regarding the importance of hand washing and sanitizing, coughing into your elbow, masking and maintaining distance from others whenever possible.  Please continue to stress the importance of these prevention strategies, and please don’t send your children to school if they are feeling sick.

We have attached a message from partners in the education sector in Saskatchewan.

Thank you,