Aspen View is prepared for back-to-school

ATHABASCA – Aspen View Public Schools started releasing information about its return-to-school plan based on Scenario 1, which was announced July 21 by Minister of Education Adriana LaGrange. 

The plan will have the safety of staff and students as a priority and will follow the guidelines established by Alberta Education and Chief Medical Officer of Health Deena Hinshaw and “plans will be updated to reflect changes to guidelines as they are made” including options for online, virtual, outreach and homeschooling said Supt. Neil O’Shea. 

“When we look at some of the online learning, the value of that is if they stick with us and our programming, if we end up going to Scenario 3 where it's back to at-home school learning, they're already connected to us; it just flows nicely,” said O’Shea. 

“If we go into a scenario where they want to come back to school at Christmas time, back to regular classes, then it's more of a seamless entry. So, I think there's advantages for parents to stay with us. But parents make choices for all sorts of reasons and I think our biggest thing is, we're flexible; we want to sit down and meet with parents and talk with them.” 

A 20-page ‘Aspen View Public Schools 2020-21 Re-Entry Plan’ release Aug. 5 addresses what the Division has done in preparation for returning to school and what the expectations are of parents and students, including a mandatory daily self-evaluation before leaving home. 

But it is an evolving situation, O’Shea said, noting in March that N-95 masks were being snapped up and now cloth or disposable are acceptable. 

“One of the strengths that we have in our province is that as superintendent, I'm networked with other superintendents in the province. So, we spent lots of time on the phone saying, ‘What have you heard? How are you moving forward this in your community?’ Usually if I don't hear it, somebody else has and that information will be shared.” 

In the coming weeks, Aspen View will be ensuring parents know what to expect going back to school, the pros and cons of each form of continuity of learning and the new rules that will be implemented around cohorts and school access. 

“The other things that we’re going to be attempting to do is keep those kids cohorted on their playground as well. For the bulk of the day they’re going to be cohorted with the class in their school, when they go out on the playground that 30-cohort might become a 90-cohort because now three classes are together,” he said. 

Masks will be mandatory for Grade 4-12 students and all staff in common areas like hallways and buses, and in classrooms if physical distancing cannot be maintained. Masks are optional for K-Grade 3 students. Physical education will only consist of activities where distancing is possible. Music class will have no singing or wind instruments. Home Economics classes will not be able to share the food they cook outside of their cohort. And there will be no more general assemblies. 

While some things have changed a lot, other things remain close to the same, O’Shea said, and maybe even one day restrictions can be lifted. 

“We're hoping that if we come out fairly strong on some things in September, then by October or mid-November we can reassess our plan and hopefully start to loosen up on some of those measures,” O’Shea said, adding nutrition programs will remain. 

O’Shea said that the important thing is children are returning to school, a return to as much normal as possible, while still addressing the concerns and anxieties of parents. 

“One of the things we can't lose sight of is yes, this is challenging, but it's also a very exciting time of year. Kids are going to come back to school and that whole piece about building relationships, whether it's with their friends, whether with their teachers or whatever, is going to all start over again. And that's the important piece in all of this.” 

The Aspen View Public Schools 2020-21 Re-Entry Plan can be found on the division's website at aspenview.org, along with more information. Specific schools can also be selected in the top left corner. 

Heather Stocking, TownandCountryToday.com
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