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, schools will be fully open and
students will be learning in-person.
What are the requirements for masks?
As of October 1st, 2021, the province has indicated that masks will be required for all staff, visitors and students (k-12) while indoors or in a bus. Masks can only be removed outside, or when there is 2 metres of spacing indoors for eating/drinking or short mask breaks.
https://gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/covid/response_management-k12.pdf
What does physical distancing in classrooms look like?
Students are distanced to the greatest extent possible within the school while also ensuring
that educational outcomes are achieved and normal activities can resume. Students
will be learning in their regular classrooms but their desks will be spaced as
widely apart as possible. Due to the
large size of our schools relative to student population, in many cases desks
will be 2 metres apart but this will vary depending on the class size and
available space and there will be situations where students will be seated
closer than 2 metres. Please contact
your school if you have particular questions about the classroom that your
child will be in.
Will there be requirements for vaccines?
Public Health is not mandating COVID vaccines for students.
Public health has indicated that staff will be able to choose between being vaccinated or be regularly tested for COVID.
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. and wear a mask. They will be grouped according to grade
cohorts to limit the number of contacts in a day. 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?
If your child is ill they should stay home and not go to school.
Please click on the following link for up-to-date guidance and the
current process to follow. In general, your child may return to school if
they have received a negative test and have been symptom-free for 24
hours.
https://sharedhealthmb.ca/covid19/screening-tool/
Can I send my child to school if someone
in the house is self-isolating?
If someone is your household is getting tested for COVID and they are not a close contact of a known case then your child may continue to come to school.
If someone has been travelling out of country or province there are a number of criteria and exceptions that may apply. See below.
https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/fundamentals/self-isolation.html#voc
If my child is told to self-isolate due
to being a close contact at school does the whole household
need to self-isolate?
No, the whole household would not need to self-isolate unless your child becomes symptomatic.
https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/testing/monitoring/close-contacts.html
What happens if my child gets sick while
at school?
You will be contacted and asked to
come and pick your child up.
What do we do if someone in our family
travelled out of Province or Country?
In general, the whole
household would need to self-isolate and your child should not attend school.
For details and exceptions, including those for fully vaccinated individuals, please see the following
link.
https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/fundamentals/self-isolation.html#voc
What would be the criteria for a 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. 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.