PRSD will make sure all kids can learn
By MO CRANKER on November 27, 2020.
mcranker@medicinehatnews.com
Prairie Rose School Division is ensuring all students have access to learning – before and after the Holiday break.
It was announced recently by the Alberta government that Grade 7-12 students would finish the winter learning from home, and that all students would return from the break on Jan. 11.
Because the school division covers such a large area, there are rural students who may not have access to the internet and technology to stay connected through this period.
Superintendent Roger Clarke says the board will work with every student’s situation to make sure they can continue their learning.
“All of our Grade 4-12 students have been issued Chromebooks, but there will be some rural students who might have challenges with connectivity at home. We’re asking those families to contact their school’s principal so we can work with them,” he said. “We spoke with the deputy minister and we confirmed that we can have kids come to school who have unique learning needs, and we can use our transportation to get them there.
“Maybe 20 kids from a school of 400 can’t connect; they would be able to come to school to learn to ensure they don’t fall behind.”
Clarke says he was not caught off guard by the announcement.
“With the numbers rising, we were expecting something,” he said. “We didn’t know exactly what impact we would see, but we figured something was coming.”
As for the quality of education and difficulty level, Clarke says kids just need to be ready for school.
“We’re going to be teaching as if the kids are here,” he said. “It’s going to be in real time. If a student had a math class Monday, they’ll have math on Monday.
“It will be expected that students are in attendance for their classes.”
As for staffing, Clarke says there have been not been many instances where positions haven’t been able to be filled.
“Finding a replacement rural bus driver on short notice can be difficult and we had an instance where that happened,” he said. “We’ve had challenges with things like staff not being able to come to school, but we’re working every day and doing the best we can.”
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