September 16, 2021
Good afternoon Holy Spirit Catholic School Division families,
As you know, yesterday the Government of Alberta updated the provincial health measures and determined that the province is now in a “State of Public Health Emergency.” To see, the provincial release, please visit: https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=79835371972F5-959C-11E8-8A4B6C2B5B2084EB
We wanted to provide an update about how this new information will impact current practices within our division schools.
1. Masks
Our current policy regarding mask wearing for all our staff and K-12 students will remain in place, especially since we know that our younger learners cannot yet be vaccinated and that the number of COVID cases continues to increase. As previously stated in our Guidelines for Maintaining Safe and Healthy Schools, masks will not be required during physical activity, eating (while seated), or when outdoors.
Individuals who are unable to wear a mask will require a doctor’s note that is in alignment with the Alberta Health CMOH Order 40-2021. The Government has placed a Medical Note for Mask Exemption on the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta website. The form can be found here: https://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/covid-19-masking-medical-exception-letter-template.pdf
2. Cohorts for Elementary Schools
As indicated in the Government of Alberta’s September 15, 2021 release, all of our elementary school classes will be required to implement class cohorting. While most of our schools have already been taking this precaution, some changes may still need to be made. This information will be shared from the respective schools.
Given the need to cohort classes in our elementary elementary schools, there will be no athletic activities organized between schools.
3. Spectators at Indoor Sports and Performance Activities Prohibited
At this time, we are pleased that indoor sports and performance activities can continue with some health measures in place. However, until further notice, spectators will not be permitted to attend games and performances in-person as it is not operationally feasible to accommodate spectators in a manner that could satisfy provincial health guidelines.
Also, for families who may have been interested in attending high school football games, please see the joint announcement forwarded to our Catholic Central High School families today: https://www.holyspirit.ab.ca/resources_publications/news/whats_new/cch_vs__lci_football_game
Holy Spirit Catholic School Division remains committed to maintaining a safe environment for students, parents and community members. These measures will come into effect immediately and be in place until further notice. We will continue to monitor the current situation and re-assess our practices as new information becomes available.
In the meantime, we ask for your prayers for our students, staff and families as we continue to navigate these challenging circumstances.
Sincerely,
Ken Sampson, Superintendent