Parent frustrated at continued Thom Collegiate closure

Rick Gallinger is one parent who’s growing frustrated with the continued closure of Thom Collegiate.

The high school was closed for a week due to positive COVID-19 cases, but that closure had to be extended due to even more positive cases.

Gallinger has a daughter, Atlanta, who is in Grade 10 at the school.

“To have it hit home with my daughter and her friends at the school, it really makes you think and you want to cut down on all your contacts too just to make it better than them,” said Gallinger.

Gallinger said he also has heard rumours that the cases at the Argyle Street school can be connected to a house party held by one of the students.

Gallinger said it was a tough quint for his daughter to do at home because it’s sewing and motor mech classes.

“There’s only so much stuff she can memorize. She misses her friends,” Gallinger said.

He also works as a bus driver for Regina Public Schools and says all the kids have been wearing their masks.

“The first week or so they were trying to show their nose but it was 100 per cent on my bus. I’ve got good kids,” Gallinger said.

But Gallinger said he has heard the students at Thom haven’t been as diligent with their masks, only covering their noses or only their mouths.

He said it’s disappointing there’s not more enforcement surrounding the rules.

“Especially after coming off of last year. I just wish they would have had a better plan starting at the provincial level that ‘If A happens, you do this. If B happens, you do this.’ It just seems like (health officials) are making it up as they go along and it’s not really helping anybody,” Gallinger said.

“What they have to do is consistently enforce the restrictions they have. We’re eight months in with education. If you don’t know what you’re supposed to be doing, you’re some special kind of dumb. Your parents went out of town for the weekend, they said, ‘Don’t have a party.’ You had a party.”

Thom is set to reopen Friday.