INNISFAIL — Although Alberta kindergarten to Grade 12 students are tentatively scheduled to return to in-person classes on Jan. 11, Chinook’s Edge School Division (CESD) officials are working on contingency plans should online learning be extended beyond that date, says superintendent Kurt Sacher.
As part of provincial COVID-19 prevention measures, grades 7-12 students have been learning online since early in December. Grades K-6 students began online learning on Dec. 18.
Although in-person classes are scheduled to resume following the Christmas break, that could change, said Sacher.
“Our staff has been preparing for some time to be able to go online longer if we need to,” he said. “We know it’s possible that the government could end up extending it (online classes) based on what has happened in other provinces across Canada.
“We are planning for both outcomes and we feel that we are prepared for either. We are hopeful that we get some advanced notice as to what the plan is, but we also recognize government is trying to monitor changing numbers as well.”
From Jan. 4 to 8, all of the division's students will be learning online.
“We always prefer face-to-face learning if we can provide it because it allows us to really use our skills as a staff and support the development of the whole child, from an academic and social perspective,” he said.
