COVID-19 Updates

When should I keep my child at home?

Now that students are back in school, our schools have been receiving a lot of questions about when and how long students need to stay at home if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. There have not been any changes to the requirements since they were last updated at the end of October.

All students, staff, and visitors to schools are required to complete the COVID-19 Alberta Health Daily Checklist before entering a school and following the directions on the checklist. The first two pages of the checklist apply to all students in our schools. 

There continues to be two groups of symptoms - core symptoms and other symptoms. If your child is experiencing one of the four core symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste), they must isolate for 10 days from when the symptoms started or the symptoms are resolved, whichever is longer. They are also asked to get tested for COVID-19. If the test is negative, and if the symptoms have resolved, the student can return prior to the 10 day length provided they have not been in close contact with a positive case.
If your child is experiencing one of the nine other symptoms (chills, sore throat/painful swallowing, runny nose/congestion, feeling unwell/fatigued, nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, unexplained loss of appetite, muscle/joint aches, headache, or conjunctivitis (pink eye), you need to keep them at home and monitor them for 24 hours. If their symptom is improving after 24 hours, they can return to school. If their symptom does not improve or worsens after 24 hours they need to remain at home and you need to use the AHS Online Assessment Tool or call Health Link 811 to check if testing is recommended.

If they have more than one of the other symptoms, they need to stay at home and you need to use the AHS Online Assessment Tool or call Health Link 811 to check if testing is recommended. They can return to school once their symptoms go away as long as it has been at least 24 hours since their symptoms started. 

Please ensure you notify your child’s school when they will be absent. If your child is feeling well enough to continue their studies at home, please connect with their child’s teacher to find out what learning opportunities are available for them. They will not be able to view a live stream of their classroom, but they may be able to access assignments and resources through Google Classroom. 

Changes to COVID-19 Reporting

On Thursday, January 14, the government announced that it was changing the language it uses to describe case numbers in schools. It will no longer be using the term “watch,” which stakeholders had indicated was confusing. It has also changed when the term outbreak will be used. Moving forward, here are the terms that will be used when the the government or NLPS is sharing information with parents about COVID cases in our schools:

• Alert: 1 case
• Alert: 2-4 cases
• Outbreak: 5-9 cases
• Outbreak: 10+ cases

Parents will continue to be notified whenever we are informed of a case of COVID-19 connected to their child’s school. We continue to work closely with Alberta Health Services to ensure timely communication about cases and that necessary measures are in place to protect students and staff.

Thank you to all of the parents who have informed us when their child has tested positive for COVID-19. This has helped us to respond quickly and inform students and staff of the need to isolate and get tested.

Contact Tracing During Winter Break

Thank you to all of the parents who have contacted our schools to inform us that their child has tested positive for COVID-19. This communication has allowed us to respond quickly to inform staff and students of the need to isolate and to implement enhanced cleaning protocols. 

While schools will be closed for Winter Break from December 19 to January 4, we recognize that some students may receive a positive COVID-19 diagnosis over the holidays and need to inform us so that contact tracing can be done and close contacts can be notified. In the event that students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 test positive for COVID-19 after December 18th, parents can inform the school division by calling 780-826-3145, entering the number 2020 when prompted for an extension number, and then leaving a message. This number will only be available from December 19 to December 22. After that time, school division staff will not be available for contact tracing until schools re-open. AHS ultimately remains responsible for contact tracing and informing individuals of isolation requirements.

Calendar Change

As many of you may already be aware, the Board has approved a change to the 2020-2021 calendar for January. The Family Friday that was scheduled for January 15th is being moved to January 8th. That will put it within the week that all students will be learning from home. This will reduce the amount of time students are participating in learning from home by one day and will increase in-person learning time when all students are expected to return to schools on January 11. We hope this will also help alleviate some child care costs for families.

Online Learning - Connectivity

MCSNet has provided us with the following information on how they are supporting families during this period of online learning from home:

MCSnet is supporting local students by offering a $40 credit when they upgrade their internet package in the month of December. This gift will allow parents of students to upgrade their subscription to accommodate the traffic from at-home learning. This offer can only be activated online by clicking on this unique link for your school division: https://mcsnet.ca/student-gift-from-mcsnet/?offer=SVDZHXWPZNL41ZRL

This link will take you to a webpage with further information about the credit. Once you click on the CLICK HERE TO UPGRADE link, it will take you to your MCSnet My Account to upgrade your current internet package. After you upgrade, a credit will appear on your account and will be present on your next monthly invoice. The upgrade credit can be applied to each account, if you have more than one MCSnet account. 

Chromebook Sales

We continue to have Chromebooks available for purchase on School Cash Online. The deadline to purchase a Chromebook will be Sunday, December 13. This is to ensure that everyone who purchases a device can receive it prior to the start of Winter Break on December 18.

K-6 Learning January 4-8, 2021

As announced at the  end of November, students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 will continue to attend in-person classes until Winter Break. Classes will resume on January 4 as planned, but students will not return to their schools. Instead they will be learning from home for one week.

We have already received many questions from parents about what this will look like, how much time students will be required to be online, and if it is mandatory for students to participate.

To be clear, this week is considered part of the regular school year and as such all students are expected to participate to the best of their ability, as they are at any other point during the school year.  Parents may choose to excuse their students for a variety of reasons (illness, travel, etc.) and should contact their child’s teacher, preferably in advance, to make arrangements for missed assignments the same way they would if students were missing school due to a sports tournament or family vacation. 

Attendance

Teachers will be taking attendance on a regular basis (at least once per day). If students are unable to attend a class or participate in learning on a particular day, parents should report their absence the same way they would if they were absent from an in-person class (using School Messenger or calling the school directly).

Attendance notification will be sent to parents if students do not check in with their teachers at designated times and parents have not reported their absence to the school.

Google Classroom

All teachers will be using Google Classroom to share assignments and connect with students. Teachers have spent time teaching their students how to log in and use Google Classroom and other Google tools. You may also have received instructions from your child’s teacher on how to assist them with logging in and accessing Google Classroom.
Parents who are unfamiliar with Google Classroom, or accessing Google Classroom for the first time, are encouraged to view one or both of these videos. This will help parents support their child in their learning.

 

• Video: Google Classroom for Parents (2020 remote learning overview)
• Video: Google Classroom: A Guide for Parents

Students will need access to a reliable working device such as a Chromebook, laptop, or desktop computer to fully participate. Ideally students will have their own device so they can connect with their teacher and complete assignments, however, we realize that may not be possible for all families. 

Schools have procedures in place for families to sign-out Chromebooks if students do not have devices for use at home. Please contact your child’s school if you would like to sign-out a device for your child.
In the event that online learning is not possible in homes due to a lack of connectivity, parents can contact the school to make arrangements to seek alternative solutions.  

Timetable and Instruction
Teachers will continue to deliver and evaluate curricular outcomes. Students will be assessed on what they have learned and assignments and projects will demonstrate a high level of academic rigour.
The school day will look slightly different for students depending on what grade they are in. 

Grades 5 & 6
Learning for students in Grades 5 & 6 will look similar to what students in grades 7-12 are doing now. They will follow timetables consistent with the one they follow during in-person classes. For instance, if students normally have Language Arts from 9:10 to 10:40 in the morning, teachers will be providing instruction and assignments in Language Arts during that time.
Generally speaking, it is not expected that students will spend their entire day online connected to their teacher in a synchronous learning environment. Instead, instruction will likely be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities. For instance, students may connect with their teacher and the rest of their class online and participate in a synchronous learning opportunity followed by a period of time spent completing an assignment on their own, watching a video or accessing a resource. They may also have opportunities to connect with their teacher one on one or in smaller groups throughout the day. When instruction is synchronous it will be recorded and shared so that students who are unable to connect at that time can view the content later.

Grades K-4
Lessons will be uploaded to Google Classroom either daily or for the whole week.  Students in grades 1-4 will connect with their teacher and other students in their class at two pre-scheduled times during the day:

• Grades 3 & 4 - 8:50 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. - 1 p.m.
• Grades 1 & 2 - 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Kindergarten students will connect from 11:10 a.m. - 11:55 either every day (for schools with only one Kindergarten class) or on alternating days (schools with multiple classes). Please check with your child’s teacher to confirm which days they need to connect.
Please note that times have been staggered to support families with limited connectivity and/or devices. We realize this will not address all issues with connectivity and shared devices, but we are hoping it will reduce some issues.
This is when attendance will be taken and teachers will provide instruction related to the assignments that have been provided for that day. Teachers may also ask students to connect online for group work or one on one meetings during the day. Teachers will communicate the times when this will occur. Teachers will also provide students and parents with information on how they can be contacted throughout the day to answer questions and connect with students who may need assistance.
Programming will be focused on literacy and numeracy with some assignments connected to other subject areas.

Student Support Services
Students will continue to be able to access some of the services they currently receive through their school such as counselling services or therapy. Some supports may be modified to better assist students with online learning.
Schools may also offer some supports on site, specifically supports that cannot be provided or accessed online. Schools and teachers will communicate with parents to make arrangements if necessary.

Expectations for Parents
Parent support will be important for students to be successful with learning from home. Parents are encouraged to provide the appropriate level of supervision and support given the age and needs of their children. It remains important for parents to check in regularly with their children to ensure they are participating in learning opportunities, and completing assignments. Parent assistance may also be required to troubleshoot issues with technology and connectivity.
Regular communication with your child’s teacher will also be important both to ensure student progress and to advise the teacher of any challenges you are experiencing and what additional support or assistance your child may need to be successful.

Questions?
As always, if you have questions, please feel free to contact your child’s school, send an email to communications@nlsd.ab.ca or submit a question in our Northern Lights Public Schools Questions and Answers group on Facebook.

Online Learning Support

Nelson Heights Middle School in Cold Lake has created a series of videos to help students and parents with navigating Google and completing tasks. They have graciously agreed to let us share the link with all division parents. You can access the site here: https://sites.google.com/nlsd.ab.ca/nhstechhelp/home Please note that this site was originally created for Nelson Heights parents, so some of the processes that are explained may look different at your child’s school (ie attendance). Also please do not email your questions to the email address listed on the site. If you have questions, please contact your child’s teacher or school directly.

Virtual Fatigue

We shared this in our Wellness Wednesday email yesterday, but for those who may have missed it, our SFSK Wellness Coaches have created a resource with tips for parents to help their children deal with virtual fatigue. It is full of strategies and activities to help get your child back on track when they are fidgeting and having trouble focusing during online learning.

Virtual Fatigue for Parents

Internet and Connectivity

Earlier this week we shared information about the Telus Internet for Good program that is providing Internet at a reduced rate for families with students who are learning from home.

We were recently informed that MCSNet is working on a package for their customers that would offer enhanced Wi-Fi at a reduced cost for one month. They should be sharing details with their customers soon.

As always, if you have questions, feel free to connect with your child’s school, email communications@nlsd.ab.ca or submit them to our Northern Lights Public Schools Questions and Answers group.

Internet and Connectivity Issues

We have been receiving a lot of questions from parents about the expectations for at home learning and the need for students to be online in order to participate in learning opportunities. 

Many families have expressed concerns about Internet access, data usage, and connectivity. We know through our experience in the spring and the survey data we collected that these are all barriers to being able to fully participate in online learning, particularly for families in rural and remote areas. 

If you are experiencing any of these issues, please contact your child’s teacher to discuss what alternatives may be available. We will do our best to work with your family to ensure students have access to what they need to continue learning at home until January 11.

One option that is available to families that are in areas serviced by Telus is the Telus Internet for Good for Students program. This offers families the opportunity to access Telus Internet for $9.95 per month for 24 months.

If you would like to participate in this program, please contact your child’s school to let them know. This is open to all families with students who need it for learning in their homes.

Schools will be contacting Telus with the number of families who want to participate and Telus will provide the school with access codes. Once schools receive the access codes, they will share them with families. Families can then call TELUS at 1-866-835-8744 to redeem the offer.

We realize that Telus does not serve all of the families in our area and that there are many other companies offering Internet service in our communities. To date, we have not received any information from other service providers about any offers that they may be providing to families to assist with students learning online at home. Parents are encouraged to contact their Internet service providers to learn what options may be available to them.

Bus Fee Refunds

We have received many questions from parents about whether or not we would be refunding bus fees for the time that students are learning at home. NLPS will be refunding fees for students in grades 7-12 for the month of December and for all students for Jan. 4-11.

Refunds will be done on a month by month basis. For December, refunds will be processed next week. January refunds will be processed in January. 

We have a message from our Board Chair to share with you tonight, as well as information about the transition to online learning for students in grades 7-12. 

Message from the Board Chair

As many of you are aware, on Tuesday the government announced that all grades 7-12 students in the province will transition to Scenario 3: At Home Learning on Monday, November 30. Students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 will continue attending in-person classes until Christmas Break. Following the break, on January 4 classes will resume in Scenario 3: At Home Learning for all students until January 11 with the anticipation that school will then shift back to in-person learning.

At our Board meeting on Wednesday, trustees reviewed the division’s plans to provide instruction and support to students during this time. The Board believes it is important for students to have access to robust programming that aligns as closely as possible with the learning opportunities they would have if they were in a classroom with other students and a teacher. We know this is what our students and our parents want as well, based on the feedback we received in the surveys we did last year.

To be clear, the learning expectations for grade 7-12 students over the next three weeks will look very different from what occurred in March to June of last year. Our teachers will continue to cover the curricular outcomes in the program of studies for all subjects students are currently enrolled in. Attendance will be taken and students will be expected to follow a daily timetable, participate in online classes and complete and submit assignments and assessments. More details are included below.

The Board is confident that the plan presented by administration will ensure high quality learning opportunities, allowing students to progress in their studies and receive the support they need to be successful. We are proud of the work our staff have done to prepare for this scenario. We are confident we have the resources in place to successfully transition students to online learning in a rigorous and engaging manner.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our families and students for the patience and understanding you have shown during this challenging time. We appreciate the support you have shown to all of our staff and your willingness to work with us to ensure our students are able to learn in a safe and caring environment. 

Arlene Hrynyk
Board Chair

Information for K-6 Parents

K-6 students will continue with in-person classes until December 18, and will transition to online learning from January 4 to 11. We will share further details about this transition closer to the Christmas Break.

One area that will be affected by the grades 7-12 shift to online learning will be transportation. Due to having fewer students on buses, ride times may vary, which might alter pick-up and drop-off times. NLPS Transportation will provide parents whose schedules might be impacted with more information about these changes.

Expectations for Online Learning - Grades 7-12

Google Classroom

Instruction will be primarily provided online using Google Classroom. Students in grades 7-12 should be familiar with how to log in and access assignments and resources in Google Classroom. Students will need access to a reliable working device such as a Chromebook, laptop, or desktop computer. It is encouraged that each student have their own device as they may need to be online at the same time. Schools will have procedures in place for families to sign-out Chromebooks if students do not have devices for use at home. Please contact your child’s school if you would like to sign-out a device for your child.

Parents who are unfamiliar with Google Classroom, or accessing Google Classroom for the first time, are encouraged to view one or both of these videos. This will help parents support their child in their learning.

• Video: Google Classroom for Parents (2020 remote learning overview)
• Video: Google Classroom: A Guide for Parents

In the event that online learning is not possible in homes due to a lack of connectivity, parents can contact the school to make arrangements to seek alternative solutions.  

Timetable and Instruction

Generally speaking, teachers will be following timetables consistent with the one that would be followed at school. For instance, if students normally have Language Arts from 9:10 to 10:40 in the morning, teachers will be providing instruction and assignments in Language Arts during that time.

Students will receive instruction in all subjects they are currently enrolled in. High school students will continue with all of the classes they are enrolled in according to their regular schedule. 

Teachers will continue to deliver and evaluate curricular outcomes. Students will be assessed on what they have learned and their next report card will include assessments and evaluations already completed and those undertaken during the four weeks of Scenario 3 learning. Assignments and projects will demonstrate a high level of academic rigour.

At the high school level, students will work to complete the course requirements to earn the credits associated with the courses they are enrolled in. Student marks will be based on the work completed before, during and after the Scenario 3 period. Expectations for completion of assignments and assessments will be similar as when students are attending in-person classes. Diploma exams are optional for the rest of this school year. Students are encouraged to discuss the option to write diploma exams with their parents and teachers.

Generally speaking, it is not expected that students will spend their entire day online connected to their teacher in a synchronous learning environment. Instead, instruction will likely be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities. For instance, students may connect with their teacher and the rest of their class online and participate in a synchronous learning opportunity followed by a period of time spent completing an assignment on their own, watching a video or accessing a resource. They may also have opportunities to connect with their teacher one on one or in smaller groups throughout the day. When instruction is synchronous it will be recorded and shared so that students who are unable to connect at that time can view the content later.

Attendance

Teachers will be taking attendance on a regular basis (daily, twice daily or by class). Students will be required to check in with their teachers during scheduled classes.

If students are unable to attend a class due to illness, or any other reason, parents should report their absence the same way they would if they were absent from an in-person class (using School Messenger or calling the school directly).

Attendance notifications will be sent to parents if students do not check in with their teachers at the designated times and parents have not reported their absence to the school.

Resources

Students will be bringing supplies and resources home with them tomorrow. This might include Chromebooks if necessary. If there are items that are left behind, parents will be able to make an appointment with their child’s school to pick up those items. 

Student Support Services

Students will continue to be able to access some of the services they currently receive through their school such as counselling services or therapy. Some supports may be modified to better assist students with online learning.
Schools may also offer some supports on site, specifically supports that cannot be provided or accessed online. Schools and teachers will communicate with parents to make arrangements if necessary.

 

Expectations for Parents

Parent support will be important for students to be successful with online learning. While some students in grades 7-12 are able to work independently with little supervision, others may need more assistance. Parents are encouraged to provide the appropriate level of supervision and support given the age and needs of their students. It remains important for parents to check in regularly with their students to ensure they are participating in learning opportunities, and completing assignments. Parent assistance may also be required to troubleshoot issues with technology and connectivity.

Regular communication with your child’s teacher will also be important both to ensure student progress and to advise the teacher of any challenges you are experiencing and what additional support or assistance your child may need to be successful.

COVID-19 Questions and Answers

Question: If my child tests positive for COVID-19 do I need to call the school?

Answer: If your child tests positive for COVID-19, please inform your child’s school as soon as possible. This will allow us to start the process of identifying close contacts and informing them that they need to self-isolate, as well as enacting enhanced cleaning protocols and any other action that needs to be taken as a result.

Question: What is considered a close contact in a school?  If students or staff are wearing masks at school, are they still considered close contacts? When do students need to isolate? Why do close contacts need to isolate for 14 days, even if they test negative for COVID19? 

Answer: Alberta Health Services has released a document that answers these questions and many other Frequently Asked Questions related to COVID-19 and schools: Back to School during COVID-19: FAQ. These are the same guidelines we are following as a school jurisdiction when we respond to a confirmed case of COVID-19 associated with one of our schools.

Chromebook Purchases

NLPS continues to have Chromebooks available for families to purchase. If you would like to purchase one, please sign in to School Cash Online, and click on “ITEMS” on the menu running along the top of the screen. From here, you’ll see a list of available items below, organized by tabs. Click on the tab containing your student's name (not a tab with a school name or the Northern Lights Public Schools tab), and you will see a Chromebook item listed there. Click on the title of the item, and then select “ADD TO CART.”

Chromebooks will be delivered to the school the parents have selected. Schools will contact parents to make pick-up arrangements. Please allow for up to a week for delivery to the school. The deadline to purchase a Chromebook for the current school year is December 4. 

We have a number of updates we need to share with you today including a letter from the Chief Medical Officer of Health regarding a change in the Daily Screening Checklist for Students, an update to our Re-Entry plan, clarification of our COVID-19 notification process, cold weather reminders, switching between in-person and online learning, and administrative procedures being shared for feedback.

Letter from the CMOH

Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health has written a Letter to Parents to explain changes to the daily symptoms checklist. The new COVID-19 Alberta Health Daily Checklist (For Children Under 18) comes into effect starting tomorrow (Monday, November 2). Please ensure you are completing the checklist with all of your children prior to sending them to school. 

The new checklist applies to students ONLY. The symptoms and requirements for adults have not changed and are different from the ones for children. Adults should refer to the Symptoms and testing page of Alberta’s COVID-19 website for guidelines.

NLPS Re-Entry Plan Update

As a result of changes to the COVID-19 Alberta Health Daily Checklist (For Children Under 18), we have also updated our NLPS School Re-Entry Plan. For those who wish to review the plan, the changes have been highlighted in pink. All previous updates have been highlighted with different colours to make it easier to see the changes to the original plan. The colour key is on the first page of the document.

COVID-19 Notification Process

Many of our schools have been getting calls from parents who are anxious about rumours or misinformation they have heard about cases of COVID-19 being identified at one of our schools.

Northern Lights Public Schools, Alberta Health Services and the Alberta Government are committed to being as transparent as possible with respect to COVID-19 cases. If and when a case of COVID-19 is identified as being connected to one of our schools, the parents/guardians of that school will be notified as soon as possible.

There is a process in place for notifying parents included in the COVID-19 in school (K-12) settings document. Once Alberta Health Services informs us of a case connected to a school, we have a process we will be following to identify any potential close contacts of the individual who has tested positive, follow up with those students and parents, and then provide information with all students and parents at that school.

If you hear from someone in the community that there is a positive case at a particular school, but have not received any information from the school or Alberta Health Services, that means either Alberta Health Services has not yet completed their investigation and determined that the case is actually connected to that school, or the information you received is incorrect. If you are concerned about something you heard, please contact your child’s school directly. 

Deadline to Switch Between In-Person and Online Learning

Parents who wish to switch their children from in-person learning to our Learning Together Anywhere program, or from our Learning Together Anywhere program to in-person learning, have until November 4 to inform their child’s school of their intent. The two schools will then work together with your family to ensure supports are in place to make the transition go as smoothly as possible.

Most student transitions are expected to take place on November 12, 2020, but dates may be adjusted to meet the needs of students or the schools involved in the transition. 

Updated Re-Entry Plan and Daily Screening Questionnaire

On October 8, 2020, the provincial government provided school divisions with an updated COVID-19 information: guidance for school re-entry -scenario 1 document that contains further information and clarification in a number of areas.

As a result, Northern Lights has once again updated our School Re-Entry Plan to reflect the new guidance and clarify information included in our original plan. To make it easy to see the changes, we have highlighted them in orange. Prior changes are also highlighted in different colours, with a colour key included on the first page of our document.

One change made to the government’s guidance was an update to its Daily Checklist. As a result, we have updated our Self-Screening Questionnaire that all students, staff and visitors are required to complete before entering any of our schools or facilities. Other areas where additional information or clarification were provided include cohorting (Page 8 of the NLPS School Re-Entry Plan), and singing and band (Page 9).

We have also added a new section to our plan that includes guidelines for the use of personal protective equipment (Section 8 starts on Page 29 of the plan). 

As we progress throughout the year, we expect more clarifications will come forward from the government and we will need to make further changes to our School Re-Entry Plan. We are also continuing work on our plans for Scenario 2 and 3 should the government determine that it is necessary to change the learning scenario for our schools at some point during the school year. We will share those plans with families once they have been completed.

As always, if you have questions, please feel free to contact your school administration, or you may email them to communications@nlsd.ab.ca. You can also submit questions on our Northern Lights Public Schools Questions and Answers page.

As we continue to get questions from parents about the screening questionnaire, what to do when students are ill, and when students can return to school, we continue to seek clarification from Alberta Health Services and then update our procedures and documents to reflect that new information.

AHS recently updated their K to 12 school re-entry website, with a section titled “If a student shows symptoms.”  In it, AHS recommends that students who show any of the symptoms on the Self-Screening Questionnaire, should be tested for COVID-19, regardless of whether they have the five “common” symptoms or the nine “other” symptoms. As a result, we have updated our When Do I Keep My Child at Home? document to include additional details on when to get tested and how that affects when you can come back to school.

AHS has also created a website called Guidance for Parents of Children Attending School and/or Childcare that has even more detailed information on what parents should do if their child has symptoms. This will answer many of the questions about testing that we have been getting from parents about testing, whether or not they should have their child tested, and what happens if they get tested. 

As always, feel free to contact your child’s principal if you have any questions about the screening questionnaire and the expectations associated with student illness and returning to school afterwards.

We would also like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We are grateful for your ongoing support and cooperation this year.

We would like to start tonight’s message with a heartfelt thank you to all of our NLPS families, students and staff. The last couple of weeks have been challenging and we appreciate your graciousness and support as we have all worked together to get students back to school safely. 

We also appreciate all of the questions, input and suggestions for improvement that have been shared. We are continuing to fine tune our processes where possible and clarify areas that have caused some confusion or concern. We continue to follow the requirements and expectations of Alberta Health Services, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, and Alberta Education.

Our update tonight will be brief as there have been no changes at the provincial level requiring an update or amendments to our NLPS Re-Entry Plan.

Bus Cancellations

We usually wait for the weather to get cooler before reminding parents to download our Bus Status App or check our website every morning for bus cancellations. 

This year, however, we have already experienced several bus cancellations not due to weather-related issues and expect there will be more throughout the school year.

Our ability to provide busing on a daily basis to all of our students is being impacted by two things: COVID-19 and a shortage of bus drivers.

Our bus drivers, like everyone else, are required to do the Daily Screening Questionnaire and isolate if they have symptoms. Normally NLPS or our bus contractors would call a spare to fill in for a driver and we would not have to cancel the route. Cancellations have happened in the past due to driver illness, but it was rare.

Due to changes in the qualifications individuals need to become bus drivers, there is currently a shortage of spare drivers available to NLPS and our bus contractors. NLPS operates a licensed driving school and we are in the process of training more drivers and working with our contractors to train more drivers. We hope this will reduce the number of times we have to cancel a route due to lack of driver availability during the year.

If you know of anyone who has a Class 2 license and has completed Mandatory Entry-Level Training or is interested in taking the training, please contact our transportation department for information on what opportunities may be available.

COVID Updates

• In response to the many questions we have received about when students can return to school following self-isolation or illness, we have created a When to Stay Home guide that summarizes what has been shared in the government’s Student illness document.
• We have created a COVID-19 Updates section on our website where we have posted all of the Parent Updates that have been shared via email. You can find a link to the COVID-19 Updates page on our homepage.
• We have updated the second page of our Daily Screening Questionnaire to align with recent clarifications made by Alberta Health Services. Thank you to all of the families who have been diligently reviewing this checklist every day before sending children to school or entering our buildings.

COVID Links and Resources

• Nutrition and COVID-19: Resources for Families with School-Aged Children
• Tips to help your child be comfortable and confident wearing a mask

If you have any questions, please feel free to email them to communications@nlsd.ab.ca or post them in our Northern Lights Public Schools Questions and Answers Facebook group.

Once again, we would like to thank all NLPS families for their assistance with a successful start to the 2020-2021 school year. We appreciate your support and particularly your patience as there have been clarifications made to the provincial re-entry plan in a couple of areas. While these are appreciated, as they have answered some of the questions we have been asked, it has also been a bit confusing for everyone, as it takes some time to adjust every time there is a change.

Student Illness Guidelines - UPDATE

On September 3, the government released a new document Student illness: If a student has COVID-19 symptoms. This document clarifies many of the questions parents have been asking about what to do if their children have one of the symptoms on the Daily Screening Checklist.
The main difference between these guidelines and our previous understanding of the checklist and isolation requirements, is that it clarifies that the mandatory 10-day isolation requirements only apply to five of the symptoms on the checklist: fever, cough (new cough or worsening chronic cough), shortness of breath or difficulty breathing (new or worsening), runny nose, and sore throat.
If your child has any of the other symptoms on the checklist, they need to stay at home until their symptoms have resolved, but are not required to isolate for 10 days. 

Attendance Notifications

Due to the delayed start of the Learning Together Anywhere program, we will not be doing automated attendance callouts this week.. You may still receive a personal phone call from your child’s school if they do not come to school and you have not reported their absence, but you will not receive a notification in School Messenger or the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

Parents who are reporting their child’s absence using School Messenger or our toll-free number, will notice we have added a new absence reason we have called COVID Related Absence. Please use this if you child is self-isolating.
There are three way that parents can report a student absence:

• School Messenger
  • Log in to the app and choose Attendance from the drop down menu on the left-hand side of the screen, then click on the Report an Absence button in the lower right-hand corner or
  • In a web browser, go to go.schoolmessenger.ca, log in and choose Attendance from the drop down menu on the left-hand side of the screen, then click on Report an Absence in the top right-hand corner.
• Call 1-833-288-7008 toll-free and use our Safe Arrival system to report your child's absence
• Call your child's school directly and leave a message.

Visitors to Schools

As part of our COVID-19 protocols, all NLPS sites are limiting visitors at this time. If you need to visit a school for any reason, please check with them first to ensure you are aware of any site specific guidelines you must follow (some may require you to book an appointment time in advance).

All visitors (parents/guardians, community members, services providers and division-based staff) will be required to complete the Self-Screening for COVID-19 questionnaire. These are posted at all entrances to our buildings. Visitors will be required to put on a mask before entering any building. Once inside, visitors are required to sign in and sanitize their hands before proceeding further into the school.

Movement within a school or division site may be restricted. When you sign in, you will be advised of the protocols in place at the site you are visiting.

Re-Entry Plan Update

Due to updates made to the provincial re-entry plans for preschools and out of school care programs, we have again updated our NLPS School Re-Entry Plan. 

Questions?

If you have questions, feel free to email them to communications@nlsd.ab.ca or share them in our Northern Lights Public Schools Questions and Answers group.

We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to all parents, students and staff for an amazing start to the 2020-2021 school year.

It is now the end of day two of our two-day staggered entry to start the year, and we are pleased to report that, with a  few exceptions, everything has gone as smoothly as possible. We would like to thank all parents and guardians for the work they did in advance to prepare students for all of the changes they would experience at school this year. Across the division, students came prepared, co-operated with all of the direction provided to them, and showed exceptional patience and tolerance in complying with the new requirements and supporting each other and our staff.
We would also like to thank all NLPS parents for the patience you have shown while we worked toward preparing our schools for re-opening. We know this is a confusing time for many parents, and there has been a lot of information to process in a short period of time. We are also grateful for the kindness and care shown to our staff through encouraging messages and conversations. This will be a challenging year and your support and encouragement are appreciated.

We have a couple of updates to share with you as we continue with the remainder of our first week of classes:

Re-Entry Plan Update - Masks

On Saturday evening (August 29, 2020), the Chief Medical Officer of Health issued Order 33-2020, which clarified some of the previous information that was available about mask use in schools.
As a result, we have updated our NLPS Re-Entry Plan. The new changes have been made in red.
We have also created an NLPS Mask Guidelines document that outlines the requirements for mask use within the division. This includes how we will support mask use, mask exemptions, acceptable masks, provision of masks, mask use and storage, who must wear a mask, who should not wear a mask, when masks must be worn, when masks are not required, and other risk mitigation strategies that are in place to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

In an effort to provide a high standard of care and a safe learning environment, the refusal to wear a non-medical mask when required will not be accepted. In the event students repeatedly refuse to wear a mask, students shall face disciplinary action that may include but is not limited to: isolation, parental contact, suspension or expulsion. In the event staff repeatedly refuse to wear a mask, they may face a variety of disciplinary actions up to and including termination. 

As detailed in the guidelines, exemptions to mask requirements are available. Individuals wishing to be granted an exemption must follow the exemption process, which includes filling out a form provided by their school and submitting that form to their school administration. While a decision is being made about whether or not to grant the exemption and/or during the appeal process, the individual is expected to comply with the mask requirements in place, or discuss alternate learning options that could be made available.

Learning Together Anywhere
We are continuing to prepare for our Learning Together Anywhere program. We appreciate the high level of interest in the program and everyone’s patience as we work on finalizing details. 

Families who are enrolled in our Learning Together Anywhere program can expect a welcome email tomorrow (Thursday, September 3) with more information about the program. Classes will begin on Tuesday, September 8 with students connecting online with their teachers to start their learning activities.

We are now less than five days away from the first day of school. We know you have been getting many messages from schools with information about what next week will look like, so we are going to keep tonight’s update brief.

Masks

The reusable masks that the provincial government is providing for all staff and students arrived at our division office in Bonnyville earlier today (Friday, August 28). We will be distributing them to schools on Monday. We will then distribute two masks to each student on their first day of school.

As students will not receive them prior to school starting, all students who are required to wear masks (grades 4-12) will need to have a mask to wear when getting on the bus or entering the school on their first day. If you do not have a reusable or disposable mask that your child can use, your child’s bus driver or school will provide them with a disposable mask to use when they get on the bus or arrive at school.

Chromebooks

NLPS is pleased to offer a Chromebook purchase plan for families of students registered with the division. These devices can be used by students in our schools, or by students participating in the online Learning Together Anywhere program. All of our schools have wifi availability that will allow these devices to connect to the internet during the school day.

The division has secured a large volume of Chromebooks from one of our vendors, and will be making them available for purchase for NLPS families. All Chromebooks have an 'end of life' date - these are dated for June 2026. If parents or students are purchasing devices from other vendors we strongly encourage them to inquire about the end of life date (often referred to as Auto Update Expiration - more information can be found here).

The Chromebooks that we have procured are HP 11A G8 models. The cost of the Chromebooks is $258 per device. Parents are welcome to pay for the entire amount upon purchase, or can select a payment plan that allows for scheduled payments up to January 31, 2021. Payments will be accepted through School Cash Online. The option to purchase the devices will be available in School Cash Online starting Monday, August 31.

Once parents have completed the purchase process in School Cash Online, the Chromebooks will be delivered to the school the parents have selected. Schools will contact parents to make pick-up arrangements. Please allow for up to a week for delivery to the school.

Parents of students that are enrolled in the Learning Together Anywhere program who purchase a Chromebook will be asked to pick up the device from the selected school.

Please note that the purchase of a Chromebook is not an expectation, but rather a service that we wish to provide our students. As in the past, schools will continue to have Chromebooks in the school for students to use as part of their learning experience.

Attendance

Due to staggered entry and the delayed start of the Learning Together Anywhere program, we will not be doing automated attendance callouts during the first week of school. You may still receive a personal phone call from your child’s school if they do not come to school and you have not reported their absence, but you will not receive a notification in School Messenger or PowerSchool.

Parents who are reporting their child’s absence using School Messenger or our toll-free number, will notice we have added a new absence reason we have called COVID Related Absence. Please use this if you child is self-isolating due to having symptoms listed on the Daily Screening Questionnaire.
There are three way that parents can report a student absence:

• School Messenger
  • Log in to the app and choose Attendance from the drop down menu on the left-hand side of the screen, then click on the Report an Absence button in the lower right-hand corner or
  • In a web browser, go to go.schoolmessenger.ca, log in and choose Attendance from the drop down menu on the left-hand side of the screen, then click on Report an Absence in the top right-hand corner.
• Call 1-833-288-7008 toll-free and use our Safe Arrival system to report your child's absence
• Call your child's school directly and leave a message.

As always, you may contact your child’s school with any questions specific to that school. You may also send questions to communications@nlsd.ab.ca or submit them on our Northern Lights Public Schools Questions and Answers Facebook group.

We have several updates for parents this evening. We know there is a lot of information being shared and appreciate the time you are taking to read everything.

Updated Re-Entry Plan

On Thursday, August 20, Alberta Education and Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health provided an update to the province’s school re-entry plan: Guidance for School Re-Entry Scenario 1. They also provided school boards with new documents called Implementing School Re-Entry Guidance and COVID-19 in school (K-12) settings: A resource guide for schools before, during, and after a COVID-19 outbreak.
As a result, NLPS has updated our School Re-Entry Plan to reflect the changes in the provincial document. There are changes to two areas: Mask Use and Responding to Illness. We have added the changes in green so it is easier to see what is new in the document.

We have also added a Re-Entry Checklist at the end of the document. This is the checklist that our staff at the division level and at our schools are working on as we prepare for the first day of school on September 1. This checklist provides more information about specific actions that we are taking in our schools to implement our Re-Entry Plan.

We have also updated our Learning Pathways Guide as a result of the changes made to the provincial re-entry plan.

Learning Together Anywhere Update

Thank you to all of the parents who have already completed our Intent to Participate in the Learning Together Anywhere (LTA) program. We are pleased to share that we have enough students to run a robust program at all grade levels (Kindergarten to Grade 9). This has helped us determine how many staff we need and we are currently in the process of selecting teachers for the program.
To allow us time to complete the staffing process, we will be delaying the start of the LTA program until September 8. Teacher introductions and orientation will start on September 3 with regular programming beginning September 8.

We are also extending the deadline for families to complete the Intent to Participate form for the Learning Together Anywhere (LTA) program. We know there are some parents who are still weighing their options and waiting for more information from their child’s school before making a decision so we will continue accepting submissions until September 3. After September 3 space in the program will only be granted if it is available.

The Learning Together Anywhere program will be overseen by the administrators of Art Smith Aviation Academy - Principal Chris Vining and Assistant Principal Andrea Farrell. They will work with the teachers assigned to the program, and with students and parents to ensure student supports are in place. They will also work with the schools that LTA students would normally attend to help with transitioning students to LTA and assist students in switching back to in-person classes if they choose to do so at the end of a term. There will be three times during the year when students will be able to switch from LTA to in person classes. These will be in November, the end of January, and March.

Student Transportation

Due to a large number of registrations over the last week, our Student Transportation Department has had to rebuild routes. Bus rosters will be shared with bus contractors later this week and drivers will be contacting the families on their routes with pick up times and locations.

If you would like to confirm your registration or have questions for our Transportation Department staff, they can be contacted at 780-826-6038 or by email at nlpstransportation@nlsd.ab.ca.

School Start Date and Staggered Entry

We have received many questions from parents about whether or not the start date for school would be delayed. At its meeting on Tuesday the NLPS Board of Trustees re-affirmed the NLPS School Re-Entry Plan, including maintaining Tuesday, September 1 as the first day of classes.

NLPS will be doing a staggered entry to reduce the number of students in school for the first two days. This will provide schools with the opportunity to introduce students to the new procedures that have been put in place to address COVID-19 and will allow for time for students and teachers to get to know each other in smaller groups.

Half of students in grades 1-12 will attend school on September 1. Those students will not attend on September 2.
Students who did not attend on September 1 will attend on September 2. 

All students will attend together on September 3.

Kindergarten students will have their own staggered entry on September 3 and September 4, with all Kindergarten students attending together on September 8.

Schools will determine which students attend on which days and share that information with parents if they have not done so already.

Care to Learn Preschool and Out of School Care

Out of School Care and the full-day preschool program at Duclos School will start on Tuesday, September 1. Supervisors will be in touch with parents August 27-28 with details.

Half-day preschool programs and the full-day program at Ecole Plamondon School starts on September 14. Preschool instructors will be contacting parents September 9-11 with details.

If you have not yet registered, information about how to register is available on our website:
Care to Learn Preschool Registration.

Questions?

Our schools are now open and available to answer your school-specific questions. Please be patient over the next couple of days if phone messages are not immediately responded to as our teachers are returning and will be participating in COVID training and planning as a school team.
As always, you can also submit questions to communications@nlsd.ab.ca or to our Northern Lights Public Schools Questions and Answers Facebook group (we now have over 1,600 members!).

We had some technical difficulties with the delivery of our parent message last night, so we are resending it today. We have also made some updates due to changes announced last evening by the Chief Medical Officer of Health. The province’s Guidance for School Re-Entry Scenario 1 document has also been updated. As a result, NLPS will be updating it’s re-entry plan. We will share that with you once our updates have been completed.

As this message was originally written, our school administrators were working on their school-specific re-entry plan, discussing how their schools will deal with things like recess, drop-off and pick-up times, cohorting students, etc. We know many of you have questions about different aspects of the plans and we are working hard to make decisions and share the information with you as quickly as we can. 

In this week’s update we will be sharing some reminders, as well as answer some frequently asked questions we have been getting. 

Self-Screening and Self-Isolation

We would like all parents and students to familiarize themselves with the self-screening questionnaire that has been provided by Alberta Health Services. This was updated on Thursday evening and is different than the one we shared with you previously. Anyone who wants to enter one of our buildings will need to complete this questionnaire and if they answer Yes to any of the questions, they should not enter the building and should follow the guidelines for self-isolation on the second page.

Self-Screening for COVID-19 Questionnaire

We have received many questions about students with pre-existing conditions like allergies, where symptoms may be similar to COVID-19. What has been recommended by the Chief Medical Officer of Health is that anyone with pre-existing conditions that have symptoms similar to COVID do two things. One is make the school aware of what the pre-existing condition is and the symptoms so staff are aware. The other is to get tested for COVID to make sure the symptoms aren't from that. Once that is done, they will only need to isolate if they have an onset of symptoms that is different from what they usually have. So for instance, if they always have a runny nose and have tested negative, they can come to school. But if they then develop a fever or headache, they would self-isolate and follow the guidelines for self-isolation and testing.

Masks

We have been getting a lot of questions of masks since Alberta Education and the Chief Medical Officer of Health announced on August 4 that masks will be mandatory for all staff, as well as students in grades 4-12.

While masks are not mandatory for students in Kindergarten to Grade 3, we strongly recommend that all K-3 students who are riding the bus to or from school wear masks while on the bus. 

Some parents have asked if students can wear buffs, scarves or other face coverings instead of masks. The current direction from Alberta Education and the Chief Medical Officer of Health states that non-medical masks are required for all staff, and students in grades 4-12 in common areas and in classrooms when physical distancing cannot be maintained. Buffs, scarves and other face coverings are not included as alternatives to masks in the direction that has been provided to school divisions. The Government of Alberta will be providing each student and staff member with two masks. Our expectation is that all staff and students will comply with the requirement to wear non-medical masks and either wear the ones provided or ones they have purchased or made themselves.

You can find more information about masks and what is recommended by the Chief Medical Officer of Health at alberta.ca/masks

Learning Together Anywhere

Last week, we shared our 2020-2021 Learning Pathways Guide for parents. This outlines three options for parents to consider for the upcoming school year: 

• Learning Together on Location - attending classes in-person at your school with health measures in place to help prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19
• Learning Together Anywhere - a teacher-directed online learning for students in Kindergarten to Grade 9.
• Learning Independently - a Home Education program in partnership with NLPS.

Many of the questions we have received have been about the Learning Together Anywhere program. We will have teachers specifically assigned to the Learning Together program and they will be the ones delivering instruction to students, not the teachers that the students would normally have if they attended school in person. The curriculum and expectations for learning will be the same as students who are learning in classrooms. Instruction will be provided online and having access to the Internet and a device (computer, Chromebook) will be important for students to fully participate in learning.

Students will be able to transition between the Learning Together Anywhere program and the Learning Together on Location at the end of reporting periods (usually November and March). This is to minimize disruption to learning for students. Some parents have asked if students will be able to make a switch outside of those timelines. That may be possible, but will require consultation with the teacher and the principal of the school as there may be other options to address issues and provide supports to students and/or families.

We will be offering parents the option to purchase Chromebooks through NLPS. Details are still being confirmed and will be shared as soon as they are available. Through School Cash Online we will also be able to offer payment options so parents can spread the cost out instead of having to pay everything up front.

Students in grades 10-12 who wish to participate in at-home online learning are advised to contact their local Outreach school to discuss options. Our Outreach Schools will have staff on site starting on Monday, August 24 to answer questions about programming. Please be patient if you are unable to get through right away or if your call is not returned right away. We will try to connect with everyone who is interested in this option as quickly as we can.

Reminders
 

• Learning Together Anywhere - We would like everyone who is interested in participating in our Learning Together Anywhere program to complete the Intent to Participate form by August 26th. This will assist us with ensuring we have staffing and resources in place for this program.
   
• Transportation Registration - If you require student transportation services and have not already registered, please complete the 2020-2021Transportation Registration Form in School Engage. To secure a spot on the bus for the first day of school, your registration must be received and, if fees are applicable, a minimum of one payment must be made, at least one week prior to the first day of school. Parents who have already confirmed their registration should see the fees available for payment in School Cash Online in the next couple of days.
   
• Out of School Care Registration - Out of School Care is being offered at Cold Lake Elementary School, Duclos School and Vera M. Welsh Elementary School. To register, please complete the 2020-2021 Out of School Care Form in School Engage. Registrations received less than one week prior to the first day of school may not be guaranteed to start Out of School Care in the first week of the school year so please ensure you complete the form as soon as possible. 

Got Questions?

As always, if you have questions, you are welcome to send them to communications@nlsd.ab.ca or post them on our Northern Lights Public Schools Questions and Answers Facebook group. 

School administrators will be back in their schools on Monday, August 24th. We ask everyone to be patient as we expect many of you will have questions and it may not be possible to respond to all inquiries immediately. Schools will be providing updates to parents on their websites, on Facebook and via email. Please ensure you review the information you are sent.

Thank you for your patience and understanding over the last couple of weeks as we have been working out the details of our 2020-2021 School Re-Entry Plan and our 2020-2021 Back to School Plan. The input that students, parents and staff provided to us in our re-entry survey and learning options survey have been invaluable as we have been developing these plans.

Our 2020-2021 School Re-Entry Plan details the actions we will be taking to prevent and limit the spread of COVID-19 in our schools. This plan does not address circumstances at individual schools. Our school administrators return to work on August 20 and will spend their first two days back developing detailed plans for their schools. The school plans will address things such as how to deal with school drop-off and pick-up times so that physical distancing can be maintained, what procedures are in place at recess and lunch time, and what other actions may need to be taken to address the circumstances at each particular school. These processes and procedures may look slightly different at each school depending on the age of students, number of students and staff, and specific site circumstances.

Our 2020-2021 Learning Pathways Guide details the learning options that parents may select for the upcoming school year. This includes Learning Together on Location with health and safety protocols in place, Learning Together Anywhere, and Home Education in partnership with a Northern Lights school. We encourage all parents to review this document and determine which option best meets the needs of your family. 

First Days of School - Staggered Entry 

We have received many questions about what the first day of school is and whether or not we are going to do a staggered entry to help students adjust to the new measures that will be in place at our schools.
We have not made any changes to the 2020-2021 School Calendar that was approved last year and the first official day of school will be Tuesday, September 1. 
However, we will be implementing a staggered entry schedule for students. 50% of students will start school on Tuesday, September 1. Those students will not attend school on Wednesday, September 2. Students who did not attend on Tuesday, September 1 will attend on Wednesday, September 2. All students in grades 1-12 will attend together on Thursday, September 3.
Staggered entry for Kindergarten students will continue as originally scheduled. 50% of Kindergarten students will start school on Thursday, September 3. Those students will not attend on Friday, September 4. Students who did not attend on September 3 will attend on Friday, September 4. All Kindergarten students will attend together on Tuesday, September 8.
Each school will inform parents about which day their child(ren) are expected to attend.

We know many of you will have questions after reviewing our plans. As always, you can email communications@nlsd.ab.ca or pose a question in our Northern Lights Public Schools Questions and Answers group. 

Our school administrators and administrative assistants return to work on August 20. Please remember our administrators will be meeting August 20 and 21 to develop their school re-entry plans and will have limited availability to respond to calls from parents during that time. We respectfully request that if you need to contact a school administrator that you wait until they are back at their school sites on Monday, August 24th.