BARRHEAD-The teachers and staff of Barrhead Comprehensive High School (BCHS) are doing their best to ensure students have as normal of school experience as possible. And that is why the school is allowing extracurricular sports activities, albeit on a limited basis.
BCHS principal Darcie Eamor said the school currently is holding cross-country and volleyball sessions.
"We know that kids are anxious to play the sports that they love and we want to give them that opportunity," she said.
Eamor added the school is starting the sports season slowly holding practices only as because they want to make sure they are following all the guidelines.
She noted that schools have numerous sets of guidelines that they have to follow including the Government of Alberta, Alberta Health Services as well a several sports organizations that provide direction to schools.
Eamor hopes the school might be able to progress beyond practices, depending on what the guidelines are at the time, what other schools decide to do and what the kids themselves want to do.
"As we have seen, all of this is a moving target and can change at a moment's notice," she said. "That's why we are not making any long term plans for any sports programs."
As for how students are adapting to school and having to conform to new COVID-19 guidelines including daily health checks, masking in all public spaces, such as hallways, maintaining physical distancing when possible, by following hallway circulation patterns and not congregating or socializing in common areas, Eamor said it has gone better than anyone could have hoped for.
"The kids have been great. They are doing a fantastic job of complying with all the added health precautions," she said. "They are just happy to be back in school with their teachers and friends. That is why we want to give them these opportunities—those extra familiar pieces when so many other things have changed."
