Sun West School Division Director of Education Randy Emmerson, has many thanks to give for the patience his team received as the Safe Schools Plan for students re-entering school was created.

With the school year finally here, lots of attention is going to be put on a safe return to the classroom, and what continued presence COVID-19 will continue to have on schools this year. Sun West has released their plan with the updated guidelines from the Ministry of Education, with the below points being some of the key ones outlined on the school division’s website:

• Students in Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 6 are now required to wear masks in common areas of the school such as entrances, hallways and lunch rooms.
• It is strongly recommended that Grades 7-12 students wear masks in common areas and in classrooms until they have reached their learning locations.
• It is strongly recommended that staff wear masks in common areas of the school.
• It is strongly recommended that school visitors wear masks in common areas of the school.
• It is strongly recommended that all students and staff wear masks while on school buses.

Here is the full list of Sun West rules headed into school.

d staff.”

Emmerson talked about how when creating the plan the emphasis wasn’t exactly put on the fact they would be making the decisions themselves, instead looking at the entire situation where they would take the government’s multi-point program into account, and allow schools to adjust it to the current state of the virus in their community.

“There are 14 or 15 different ways the school division has been given advice about what we could do to make the school environment safe. We look at our plan and we know that the provincial language, particularly with masks, is a recommendation and that’s what we are sticking with for now,” explained Emmerson, “Taking a look at the other parts of the plan, we think we have surpassed what is recommended at the provincial level within their plan for at least 8/10 things, and the others we are meeting.”

The Director of Education also gave this detailed response about how managing a safe response to school is about more than just working around masks.

What this means is that the school divisions have a plan in place to properly move students in the best ways to avoid possible transmission, though only time will tell how effective the strategies are.

Students are back in the classroom today all around the province and west central. Even with all of the new mandates and talk of the virus still sticking around the classroom, this year is slated to start with a way more positive outlook than last September. Teams will be organized as school sports are ready to go, some clubs are sure to start back up, and the Sun West Director of Education believes all of this to start the year can and should lead to a fantastic return into the classroom.