Supplemental learning has become the new normal for students in Saskatchewan since all classes were suspended and a state of emergency was declared in the province on March 18 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After a couple of weeks to reset and prepare, all school divisions offered supplemental learning for students, including for the Southeast Cornerstone and Holy Family School Divisions in the southeast area.
The Cornerstone board of trustees heard a presentation on the learning that has been provided to students since the suspension of classes took effect, as they took part in a virtual board meeting on Wednesday.
All teachers were asked to contact the families of their students to offer the supplemental learning, and they then made arrangements to provide the class materials, including loaning laptops to those students who don’t have access to a computer at home.
There are also hard copy lesson materials available for families who didn’t want a laptop to use.
For Cornerstone, staff were able to reach 88 per cent of their students, and of those reached, 95 per cent of the students (or 6,931 students) were interested in taking part in the supplemental lessons, which are offered on an optional basis.
One Grade 7 teacher was able to contact 27 of their class of 31 students, and those students completed at least one of their lessons online.
The Ministry of Education stated when classes were suspended across the province that whatever marks the students had as of March 13 would be the marks for the end of that school year. With the supplemental classes, students can improve on those marks, but the marks cannot go down.
All materials, whether hard copy lesson materials or laptops, were couriered to each family by the Cornerstone bus drivers, and students enrolled in the Cyber Stone Virtual School were able to resume their lessons on March 30.
The couriers began delivering on April 21, and they will courier materials every Tuesday and Thursday. Initially, 349 students will receive the learning packages.
For those online or receiving a laptop, the school division is using Microsoft Teams as the platform for the online learning.
In addition to classes, school support staff such as school counsellors, speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists will reach out to their students via this platform.
A total of 620 legacy laptops were loaned out and delivered to families as of April 10, and there were requests for another 113 to be delivered in a second wave of deliveries, with a third wave now being prepared.
“We were in a very good spot to move forward,” said education director Lynn Little. “Staff will be using the platform to have staff meetings.”
In the meantime, Cornerstone administrators are working on a plan to retrieve students’ personal items and resources which are still at their schools, and to get school-community councils back up again with virtual meetings.
Some issues yet to be resolved include what to do about graduation ceremonies for all of the high schools in Cornerstone, when they will be able to return to school, and what that return will look like for staff and students.
“We’re working these pieces through. We do have plans in palce and teachers are skilled in identifying the needs of their students,” said Little, adding they also reached out to the administrators to ask what challenges they’ve had, and what silver linings they’ve seen in this unprecedented situation.
Many of the administrators indicated the teachers have been making a direct connection with as many of their students as they can, said Little, and “we have received outstanding support from the community.”
Message to parents were provided by a number of the administrators, including encouragement to them to continue what they’re doing to help their children.
“We will learn and get through this together,” said one, and another added, “If you need support, do not hesitate to reach out.”
Another said, “Whatever you are managing to do right now, it’s your best, and your best is good enough,” in offering parents encouragement. “Parents, don’t put too much pressure on yourselves.”
