FAQ for
the 2021/22 school year
Where
can I go for general information on COVID?
We
recommend following information from established public health organizations
such as:
Where can I go for further details about Manitoba Education's plan?
The link below is a provincial guide for the 2021/22 year.
https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/covid/index.html
Will students be learning in person this year?
Yes, expect for a brief period of remote learning in January, students have been learning in person.
What are the requirements for masks?
Beginning on March 15th, masks will no longer be required in schools or on school buses.
Public
health continues to recommend wearing a mask in the following situations:
- For those who are at a higher risk
of severe disease
- For those at higher risk of severe
illness attending a crowded indoor setting or if in a setting where many people
are at higher risk for severe disease (for example, healthcare facilities and
personal care homes continue to require mask use).
- For individuals who are sick or have tested positive for COVID. They should wear a mask for 10 days after symptoms develop when they leave isolation and have contact with others.
- For individuals caring for someone who is sick or has tested positive for COVID.
https://gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/covid/response_management-k12.pdf
What does physical distancing in classrooms look like?
As of March 15th, 2022, physical distancing will no longer be required in schools. Some classrooms may continue to have students more spread out then normal for the remainder of the year as long as it doesn't interfere with learning. Small group work and school assemblies will function in a similar way to before COVID.
Will
there be requirements for vaccines?
Public Health is not mandating COVID vaccines for students.
Will
there be COVID immunization clinics offered in schools?
Yes, public health will be offering
immunization for COVID in schools across Manitoba. As per our board
policy, access to immunization clinics in schools will only be available to
students below the age of 18 who have signed parental permission
forms.
Notification will be given to parents
prior to clinics occurring.
For more information on immunizations
please see below:
World Health Organization guidance
What
will busing look like?
Students
need to sit on their assigned spot on a bus similar to last year. There will be no bus notes this year.
Extra-curricular
Activities?
We know
that extra-curricular activities are incredibly important to the well-being of
our students. They will resume this year as long as they follow the
current public health guidelines.
Can students use water fountains?
Our
intention is to phase out water fountains in our schools and continue to
replace them with touchless water bottle refill stations. This will
provide a long-term layer of safety for our students. Please continue to
send water bottles along with your child.
Can
students use microwaves?
Microwaves will be allowed this
year. Hand hygiene is needed before use and masks need to be worn while
moving around the lunch area.
What is
the ventilation system like in my child’s classroom?
Over the
past number of years, our division has been in the process of upgrading and
modernizing our ventilations systems. This proactive work means that all
of our schools have air handling systems that bring fresh air in and circulate
it throughout the building. Most of our buildings have highly automated
systems that actively monitor air quality and adjust ventilation accordingly.
What do I do if my child is sick with COVID symptoms?
If you child is sick, you may request to pick up rapid antigen tests from the school.
If you test positive
with COVID, we encourage you to report the result to the school and check online
for the most current isolation recommendations from public health.
- People with symptoms should stay home and isolate for
five days after symptoms start, until they have no fever and other symptoms
have improved over the past 24 hours.
- Individuals who have tested positive but do not
develop symptoms should isolate for five days from the date of the tests.
- Individuals should wear a well-fitted, well-made mask
if they must have contact with other people while they are ill, when their
isolation is finished for 10 days after the onset of your symptoms, or test
date if asymptomatic.
There is no differential in recommended isolation based on vaccination status.
https://sharedhealthmb.ca/covid19/screening-tool/
What happens if my child gets sick while at school?
You will be contacted and asked to come and pick your child up.
Does my child need to stay at home if a household member has COVID or if they
are considered a close contact of a COVID case?
As of Feb. 15, close contacts of a person who tests positive for COVID-19 will no longer be required to self-isolate.
https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=53308&posted=2022-02-11
How will cases in schools be tracked?
COVID cases in schools will tracked through a variety of measures including, data from PCR tests, voluntary disclosure of rapid antigen test results and by monitoring overall attendance trends. In the event that there is concerning trends, schools will work with public health to assess the situation and potentially create a community alert. In the event of an alert, rapid antigen tests will be provided to students to take home and utilize prior to attending school. Use of the tests would be recommended but voluntary.
Can my child be considered a close contact due to being close to someone who tests positive at school?
As of the Province's announcement on January 13th, public health will no longer be doing contact tracing at schools and students cannot be considered close contacts due exposure in that setting.
What do we do if we travelled out of Province or Country?
As of February 15th, 2022, public health will remove self-isolation requirements for individuals entering the province. However, anyone travelling from international destinations will continue to be required to meet requirements under the federal Quarantine Act.
https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=53308&posted=2022-02-11
What would be the criteria for a individual school closure due
to COVID?
In the event that there
is a COVID case in a school, the division will work closely with public
health to determine close contacts and the risk of transmission.
Depending on the circumstances the division may pre-emptively close a school
for a day to conduct contact tracing, assess the situation, and conduct
widespread sanitization. Schools may also need to close if there is a
significant staffing shortage due to COVID that affects the feasibility of
operations. If there is a need
for a longer closure the school and division will be in contact with
parents to make arrangements for remote learning and supervision of
children of critical care workers.
Community
use of schools
Community
use of schools will continue this year. It is the responsibility of
the user to inform themselves and follow current public health guidelines for
the activities that they plan on carrying out.