Prairie South School Division expects some normalcy to return in September for the start of the 2021-22 school year but believes summer activities will determine how official plans look.
Board chairman Robert Bachmann and outgoing education director Tony Baldwin issued one final letter to parents and families at the end of June about COVID-19 activity throughout the division this past year. Despite the pandemic, they thought Prairie South had a successful year and commended staff and parents for their efforts supporting children and schools.
“We are hopeful that the summer months will see ongoing vaccination activity so that students and staff can return to the safest environments possible in the fall,” they said.
The division office believes it will be August before anything concrete is known about pandemic restrictions for the new school year, they continued. Baldwin and Bachmann expected September to begin with fewer restrictions than at the end of June but pointed out COVID-19 activity during the summer would determine the exact preparations.
Families were encouraged to watch for information by mid-August about the plans Prairie South would put in place for the new school year.
“Each of us has been impacted by COVID in some way. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the families in Prairie South who have lost loved ones due to COVID-19, including the passing of a committed and caring staff member in April 2021,” Bachmann and Baldwin continued.
“As you spend time with your children this summer, it is important to acknowledge that there will be some recovery time necessary for them and for you. We’d encourage you to do some thinking about how COVID has impacted your family and you as individuals; taking care of yourselves is an important part of taking care of your kids.”
There was some good news at the end of the 2020-21 school year, as there were only five new positive COVID-19 cases in schools during the last two weeks of June, they said. The division office will regularly work with public health during the first 10 days of July if there is contact tracing work that needs to be performed. They hoped this wasn’t necessary since they knew students and staff were eager for a well-deserved summer break.
Baldwin and Bachmann also encouraged families to acknowledge this year’s graduates and staff who retired, as both groups were more affected by the differences in the school year than others. Both men wished those groups well in their future endeavours and were thankful that they were part of the Prairie South School Division family.
