(file photo/CKOM News Staff)

By Angela Brown

COVID-19 precautions

Two North Battleford high schools moving to Level 3 to reduce spread of COVID-19

Nov 17, 2020 | 1:10 PM

Light of Christ Catholic School Division and Living Sky School Division advise they will move to Level 3 in the Saskatchewan Safe Schools Plan for two North Battleford high schools to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The divisions stated in a release today the province recommended Friday all high schools with more than 600 students move to Level 3 of the Safe Schools Plan to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. As a result, North Battleford Comprehensive High School and John Paul II Collegiate in North Battleford will both move to Level 3 on Monday, Nov. 23.

Level 3 protocols reduce in-class learning, shift to partial remote learning while at home, and reduce the number of students in the school at the same time.

Both schools are currently preparing for the transition, and will release details of the new schedules to families this week.

John Paul II Collegiate co-principal Bruce Yockey told battlefordsNOW for JPII there will still be a five-day school week for students but with more remote learning.

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He hopes the extra precautions help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

“That’s our goal first and foremost to provide safety for our students and our staff,” Yockey said. “This is the plan we feel does that the best. Then, we work within those protocols to provide the best education that we can.”

Currently, students learn remotely Mondays, and attend classes in person Tuesdays to Fridays. With the changes, students will be divided into two groups. Group A will attend classes in person Tuesdays and Thursdays, and learn remotely from home Wednesdays and Fridays. Group B students will attend in person Wednesdays and Fridays, and learn remotely from home Tuesdays and Thursdays. All students will continue to learn remotely Mondays. The changes will reduce the number of people in the building by half, and thus reduce the risk of COVID-19.

Yockey said parents and students will be advised likely sometime tomorrow which group each student will be assigned to.

He added “it’s a bit disheartening” to have to move to Level 3 but safety of students and staff is paramount.

North Battleford Comprehensive High School Principal Jay Nichol said in an interview with battlefordsNOW the school will be moving to Level 3 while ensuring students still have five days of learning per week.

For the Comprehensive High School, students will be scheduled into two groups. One group of students will be in school Tuesdays and Thursdays and will learn remotely Wednesdays and Fridays, while the second group will be in school Wednesdays and Fridays and learn remotely Tuesdays and Thursdays. Monday will be an alternate day for the groups – one week in school/one week remote learning. The schedules will be sent to families by email likely tomorrow, and will include more details about the Level 3 plan.

“We will give families as much notice as possible,” Nichol said. “So everybody is prepared to go for Monday.”

“Our preference is always face-to-face, full-time. But we’re trying to make the best of the situation, follow the directives of Saskatchewan Health, and try to keep our COVID numbers low. We’re trying to work together,” Nichol said.

Both school division administrators say they are focused on the health and safety of students and staff, and “once again ask for their school communities’ patience and co-operation in working through the next phase of the plan.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW