Connaught students go online for two days as multiple illnesses strike

By LAUREN THOMSON Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on January 25, 2022.

lthomson@medicinehatnews.com

On Friday, Jan. 21, Ecole Connaught published a press release announcing the school would temporarily shift to online learning, but it’s not the reason one might think.

“Today, we experienced a large number of student and staff absence, approximately 45% of our school population,” the press release said. “After an AHS investigation we learned that there is a highly contagious gastrointestinal illness (GI) spreading through our school. GI illness is not related to COVID-19, which is a respiratory illness. However we are also seeing rising levels of absence due to COVID-19.”

Due to the rapid and widespread impact on the school community, the press release states the division’s superintendent directed the school to shift to online learning for Jan. 24 and 25, with a return to in person learning on Jan. 26.

The school will be closed to the public and staff to complete additional cleaning and disinfection of the building, as recommended by AHS.

“The health and safety of staff and students is our No. 1 priority when illnesses are present in a school community,” the press release states. “This was not an easy decision to make because we know how school closures impact families in ways that we are not able to support. We are proud to be part of a school community that is patient, flexible and supportive of one another when things get hard.”

More information can be found on Ecole Connaught’s website.

8
-7