More details on return to school coming in August as parents question plans

Parents still have questions on how classrooms will look come September when students are let back into Saskatchewan’s schools, and school boards aren’t ready to share the details yet.

Schools can officially reopen on Sept. 1 at the earliest, but all school divisions needed to submit draft preliminary plans to the Ministry of Education at the end of June.

Responses from those draft plans are expected by the end of July, in some cases.

Saskatoon Public Schools says they have no confirmed plans in place as of yet but hinted at when we can expect those plans to be announced.

“We are hoping to share our reopening plan with parents in mid-August,” Saskatoon Public Schools spokesperson Veronica Baker said.

“Right now, we are awaiting that (ministry) response and working on the many logistical details for school reopening.”

Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools spokesperson Derek Kunz said numerous operational changes are in the works to help limit interactions. Changes include building entry and exits.

The division is also determining how much personal protective equipment it will need and procuring the necessary supplies.

Premier Scott Moe indicated more clarity will be coming in a provincial update on the return to school after the August long weekend.

Wandie Velasquez has a student heading into grade 5 in 2020. She worries about the return to class.

“I’m concerned about how kids are going to maintain space,” she said. “Are my kids going to get sick? I don’t know.”

Velasquez said she liked an idea she had heard, which split classrooms in half and had students work remotely for half a day, as well as in-class for the other half.

She said she also had a one-year-old at home that she worries about when it comes to class time. With her five-year-old heading to school, she doesn’t want COVID-19 to enter her home.

“Obviously, I don’t want my kids to get sick. I don’t wanna get sick. My parents are older, I don’t want them to get sick,” she explained.

Amanda Smith is another concerned parent. She suggested hiring more janitors to ensure the cleanliness of schools, but also expressed she wants things to return to normal.

“I don’t want school to be a jail for kids,” she said.

“I don’t want teachers to focus 80 to 90 per cent of their time to teach kids to stay six feet apart and wear masks and wash their hands … They should focus on learning.”

She says she doesn’t want the responsibility to fall on children when it comes to bringing and wearing masks during school hours as well.

“(Kids) need more education,” she said.

“We’re all taking chances. I mean, you’re not going to say ‘aren’t you scared if you get in the car, and have a car accident?’ Yes,” she said. “We can’t lock (ourselves) in a bubble. We’re all going to get sick, sooner or later. Let’s deal with it. Let’s focus on that aspect.”