December 8, 2020
To all Fort McMurray Catholic School Families,
As you are most likely aware, the Government of Alberta announced new mandatory health measures in the fight against COVID-19 late this afternoon.
Although these measures do not include any further changes in education, we wanted to reach out and give a friendly reminder of what the weeks ahead are expected to look like in the Fort McMurray Catholic Schools family.
Early Entry Program- Grade 6
- In person instruction (scenario #1) will continue as per normal
- No changes to the Virtual Learning Academy schedule
- Christmas break December 18, 2020- January 3, 2021
Grades 7-12 Scenario #3: Off-Site Instruction
- Grade 7-12 students will continue to receive instruction in scenario #3 (off-site instruction) as they have been since December 1, 2020
- No changes for our Virtual Learning Academy and Sacred Heart Outreach program
- Christmas break December 18, 2020- January 3, 2021
Week of January 4-8, 2021
- As per the previous Government of Alberta announcement all students (EEP to grade 12) will learn off-site for the week of January 4-8, 2021
- More information for our EEP- grade 6 families about this week will be shared soon
- There will be no changes for our Virtual Learning Academy and Sacred Heart Outreach program
Return to in class learning
- As per the previous Government of Alberta announcement the return to in person learning (scenario #1) is still scheduled to occur on January 11th, 2021
- There will be no changes for our Virtual Learning Academy and Sacred Heart Outreach program calendar
Also important to note:
- Specialized Programs will continue in class with the current Fort McMurray Catholic Schools calendar (This includes ILP and Vocational Education programs)
- Individual students can come to school to gather materials and get support
- Counselling can continue virtually or in-person. All in-person meetings will follow all COVID-19 protocols
Fort McMurray Catholic Schools is hosting a Parent Webinar on the topic of Mental Health for the Holidays tomorrow, December 9th at 6:15pm.
We wish to reassure you that Fort McMurray Catholic Schools continues to follow the latest public health advice in being as safe as possible during this COVID-19 pandemic. As Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr Deena Hinshaw has repeatedly said, schools are a reflection of the community.
We continue to implore our community to do all it can to stop the spread of COVID-19. Please stay home if you are sick, please isolate when you are required to, please physically distance, and please wear a mask.
Thank you to our families for sharing test results with us as quickly as possible. You being proactive assists us in isolating close contacts in a timely manner. This helps slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
Please continue to refer to official sources when looking for information:
- New Alberta Mandatory Health Measures News Release
- All Alberta Enhanced Public Health Measures
- FMCSD 2020/21 Relaunch Document: https://bit.ly/2E1DfJD
- FMCSD Mental Health website: https://bit.ly/39HONMu
- AHS Daily Checklist: https://bit.ly/2G7vOlm
- AHS Symptom list: https://bit.ly/33cV3eV
Please continue to monitor for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 using the Alberta Health Screening Questionnaire. Please remember to complete the checklist each day prior to attending school. If you or a member of your family has any of the symptoms of illness listed, please fill out the online Alberta Health Services COVID-19 self-assessment or call Health Link at 811.
Thank you for your grace, compassion, and patience as we continue our way forward through the 2020/21 school year.
Sincerely,
George McGuigan, Fort McMurray Catholic Schools Superintendent