Catholic schools still in good shape for in-person learning

By ALEX McCUAIG Special to the News on April 23, 2021.

Despite Calgary and Edmonton schools moving to online learning for students due to rising numbers of COVID cases and lack of substitute teachers, Medicine Hat Catholic schools are in a good position to continue in-person classes.

Dwayne Zarichny, superintendent of Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education, says schools remain well below levels of COVID cases of students and teachers that would require a return to fully online classes for junior and senior high school students.

“Parents are naturally concerned about the safety of their children,” said Zarichny. “So we take that very seriously. However, given the guidelines that are in place right now, we are continuing on a status quo basis.”

Those guidelines that would trigger the process for the board to request approval from provincial officials to go online include a rate of infection of students and staff of 40 per cent as well as a shortage of substitute teachers.

Local Catholic schools are currently sitting around one per cent with no current outbreaks being recorded.

But to keep that situation going, Zarichny says parents, students, teachers and board staff need to continue to follow public health measures.

“The best message is to first and foremost follow all the protocols that are in place whether that is in respect to social gatherings for (parents) or their children,” he said. “If their children aren’t feeling well, wait until the symptoms subside or, if they fall within the COVID symptoms, make sure the test is done prior to sending them back to school.”

Zarichny says the school board has hired additional custodial staff to help keep schools sanitized throughout the day.