Northland School Division

Northland School Division (NSD) is pleased to provide its re-entry plan. On July 21, 2020, Jason Kenney, Premier, Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Education and Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health announced that in-person classes will resume under scenario 1, which is a complete return to school with health and safety measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Prior to the announcement, Alberta Education with support from Dr. Hinshaw, provided guidance to support school divisions with re-entry plans. As a result, Northland School Division (NSD) has developed a re-entry plan outlining school operations and expectations. 

• NSD 2020-2021 Re-entry Plan https://www.nsd61.ca/download/291974.
• NSD Re-entry Parent/Guardian Guide https://www.nsd61.ca/download/291977.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank our committee of principals, directors, and senior administration for putting together a plan that outlines additional health measures and multiple options to support in-person and at-home learning,” Robin Guild, Board Chair. We value the partnerships we have with our parents and guardians. This year will be no different and it is more important now, more than ever, that our families and schools work together to support our students and to model healthy practices. I also want to thank Minister LaGrange and Dr. Hinshaw for providing guidance with implementing additional health measures.”

Schools will resume in-school classes on September 8-11, 2020 with the added health measures. Students will have a staggered entry in the first week, with parents being notified which days during the first week that their child will attend in-person classes. NSD’s re-entry plan includes the following health measures:

• mandatory use of masks Kindergarten-Grade 12 on buses;
• mandatory use of masks for all staff and students Grades 4-12, highly recommended for Kindergarten-Grade 3 students;
• enhanced cleaning and hygiene protocols;
• daily screening requirements;
• strict stay-at-home guidelines for individuals who feel unwell or have symptoms related to COVID-19;
• enforced public-health measures; and 
• cohort and physical distancing strategies.

“While developing the re-entry plan, we wanted to ensure the transition back to school is smooth and operations take place in the safest way possible,” said Dr. Nancy Spencer-Poitras, Superintendent of Schools. “For families not yet ready to send their child to school, we are offering an at-home learning option. Both the in-school and at-home learning options allow students to stay connected to their school throughout their learning.”

To support NSD’s re-entry plan, a parent/guardian survey is being posted on the division’s website and Facebook page to gauge if they are:

• comfortable with sending their child back to school with added health measures;
• comfortable with sending their child back on the school bus with added health measures;  
• choosing the at-home learning option.

NOTE: Click here to view the letter to parents and guardians.