EAST CENTRAL— After Easter, the North East School Division (NESD) has planned classes to resume through supplemental learning in a home environment.
Don Rempel, director of education for the NESD, said that academically, the division is putting an emphasis on making sure the students can get their graduation certificate on time, despite the pandemic or lack of ceremony.
“Right now, we’re doing a needs assessment,” Rempel said. “Our teachers will be contacting families to see what resources they have and what their preference would be to continuing to work with teachers to support student learning.”
He said the NESD is focusing on the needs assessment from March 30 to April 3. In the following week, the NESD will communicate their expectations and what the supplemental learning will look like to parents.
“After Easter we’ll start back in earnest, we’ll start again to a routine where there is regular contact and a back and forth between students and their teachers.”
Rempel said the implementation will look different for high school students, who may already be enrolled in online courses or taking distance learning from the NESD or other providers. In this situation, those courses may continue.
“We also have a lot of high school teachers use blended learning, meaning that they’ve got things like Google classroom and a lot of different platforms where the content and even some instructional support materials are put online.”
Parents who haven’t been contacted by their schools or teachers through email or otherwise are advised to contact their school principal through email.
While Grade 12 students in the NESD may still graduate this year, the traditional graduation ceremony won’t be included.
“Right now our high school principals have probably been in touch with parents and students that we can’t do any planning for graduations this year, as far as the community celebrations and those ceremonies,” Rempel said.
“They usually involve congregating a large number of students—first of all—and secondly, all parents and family.”
Graduation ceremonies typically take place in late May, and throughout June.
Rempel said it’s still possible that if the pandemic ends the graduation ceremonies can continue— but it’s unlikely at this point.
“A lot of large events are being cancelled into May and June already. I would say it’s unlikely but I want to assure people we will tend to appropriate celebrations and recognition of our graduates.”
He said there haven’t been discussions at this point around alternative graduation ceremonies, such as a virtual one.
“It will be at school level discussions, but right now we’re working on indefinite parameters. We’re not sure what the next two or three months will look like.”
