(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Return to school

P.A. Catholic School Division launches online learning in response to pandemic

Aug 20, 2020 | 5:27 PM

Students at Prince Albert Catholic schools will have the option to continue their education entirely online this year.

The Prince Albert Catholic School Division (PACSD) made the announcement Thursday. Online learning will be available for students in kindergarten through Grade 12 in English and French Immersion.

“We know there’s immunocompromised students, we know there’s families that might have elderly grandparents living with them,” PACSD Director of Education Lorel Trumier told paNOW. “Families need to do what’s right for them and what we’re trying to do is give them an opportunity.”

In-class learning will also continue to be available, along with updated safety measures including mandatory masking in grades 4 to 12.

Trumier explained parents expressed interest in learning remotely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic during a survey conducted by the division in June.

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She also credited funding recently announced by the provincial government, along with the delayed start to the school year as factors that enabled PACSD to launch the online programming.

Families will be responsible for providing the technology and internet connection required for online learning.

(Screenshot/pacsd.com)

Cost and allocation of teachers

The cost of the new distance learning option will depend on the number of students who sign-up, said Trumier, but the division will access funding from the provincial government.

“We do realize there will be additional teachers that will need to be put in place,” she said. “But we just launched it today so we’re going to be basing our decisions on the uptake.”

Trumier said the new option will not mean additional work for teachers.

At the high school level, any online classes teachers are assigned will fall within their regular duties. For example, two of the five classes they’re required to teach could be online.

As for elementary schools, there will be specific dedicated online teachers at the system level.

“For elementary, homeroom teachers are the model children are used to, so we would be working from that model for online as well,” Trumier explained.

Deadline for families

Families have up until Sept. 30 to complete the intake form for online learning, but Trumier encouraged those interested to do so as soon as possible.

“Students that are contemplating online learning, we ask that they complete the intake right away so we can start those conversations with those families,” she said.

Hybrid high school learning

Meanwhile, all students at Ecole St. Mary High School (who don’t opt-in to fully online learning) will spend their school day partially in-class and partially online. The hybrid option is part of level three of the provincial government’s Safe Schools Plan.

“It puts us in a position where we were able to lower our class sizes,” Trumier explained, adding the hybrid system will also provide continuity if students have to miss school, for example, if they’re waiting for the results of a COVID-19 test.

School begins Sept. 8.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom