LAKELAND - It's been a week since students returned to school in the Lakeland area after an extended holiday break was announced by Alberta's Education Minister, Adriana LaGrange, to combat the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant throughout schools in order to prepare for a safer return.
With students returning to school, the provincial government began distributing medical-grade masks and at-home rapid tests as a preventative measure for staff and students. This week Northern Lights Public Schools (NLPS) got their first shipment and began implementing the sudden procedures, said Bill Driedger, associate superintendent of teaching quality and professional services at NLPS.
“We pivoted and got ourselves ready for the week…on very short notice we submitted our numbers to the province for all of our schools; that was students and staff including masks and tests for our substitutes that we might have in our schools, support staff or non-school staff as well, to ensure that we have those available.”
The initial delivery provided a 10-day supply of rapid tests and masks for each student and staff member throughout the schools. The initial plan was that the masks and tests would be re-supplied as they go. Over the last few days of the week, however, provincial officials have admitted that shipping issues have reduced the overall amount of supplies they can distribute. Provincial officials are asking schools to carefully monitor the amount of supplies they are using.
“We have been informed that ... 20 masks per individual is officially enough for 10 days. There might be more coming, but before that, they might be asking us to take a count as to how many masks or tests we might have in the division and then they’ll adjust at that point in time…we've been informed but I’m not aware of any dates at this point in time.”
Despite the delivery issues announced by the province, Driedger said NLPS schools requiring the supplies have received their first shipment.
“We have been keeping track of our schools and a good chunk of our schools have already received these supplies…we made sure they were delivered directly to the schools just to expedite the process.”
Additionally, NLPS has created an online request form for parents to have access to the supplies if children, classes or entire schools are affected by future COVID outbreaks.
Provincial testing gone
In September the NLPS board of trustees voted to continue to inform families of a potential close contact through self-reporting information to the school district, he said.
That self-reporting relies on parents and guardians contacting schools if a student tests positive for COVID as provincial health officials no longer provides contact tracing assistance to schools.
Driedger encourages parents to continue to inform schools about any positive test results, calling it an extra layer of defence.
With the health and safety of students and staff continuing to be the priority, Driedger says division officials are doing the best they can to keep ahead of the constant changes and challenges of the ongoing pandemic situation. If there are shortages in supplies — which could likely be the next hurdle — staff and administration will do what they can to adjust.
“Were all hearing that there might be shortages of tests and how that might affect future shipments; I’m not sure,” we’ll have to wait and see, he said.
