JANUARY 26, 2021 — Regina Public Schools places a priority on mental health and well-being for all students, staff and families. On Bell Let’s Talk Day (Thursday, January 28, 2021), join in the conversation and take action to support mental health and create positive change!

For more information, please visit https://letstalk.bell.ca/en/bell-lets-talk-day.

JANUARY 22, 2021 – Regina Public Schools announces the completion of an important project that will contribute to the health and safety of all students and employees in all Regina Public schools and buildings.

All Regina Public facilities now have enhanced, new air filtration systems. Announced in October and in the Return to School Parent Handbook, the school division has increased airflow and replaced or updated all ventilation systems in all its schools and buildings.

The newly installed air filtration systems use a technology called “bipolar ionization.” This filtration:

• Reduces particles and smoke in the air;
• Kills pathogens (bacteria, viruses, molds) including human influenza viruses, coronavirus and SARS; and
• Helps control allergens and asthma.

The installation of the air filtration systems was a multi-phase process that began in September 2020. The first phase included installing systems on rooftop units, unit ventilators and furnaces. The second phase, completed in December 2020, included the installation of the large-scale air-handling units on school buildings.

Regina Public Schools staff worked with external contractors to complete the installations. They focused on following all health and safety protocols and minimizing disruption to school staff and students. This complex work involved more than 800 individual installations at schools and school division buildings.

Following a public request for proposals process, the new ventilation systems were funded by Regina Public Schools, with support from Government of Saskatchewan and Government of Canada pandemic funding.

Improving airflow and filtration in all Regina Public Schools is part of the school division’s three-part safety strategy outlined in its Return to School Plan. This strategy includes mandatory face mask use and physical distancing, where possible; enhanced cleaning protocols; and the increased, filtered ventilation in all schools and buildings. To review the back to school plan please visit this link.

JANUARY 21, 2021 -- The Regina Public Library is hosting some fantastic virtual programs for Aboriginal Storytelling Month (February). If you are interested, please sign up on the Regina Public Library website. Contact Wendy Sinclair at wsinclair@reginalibrary.ca if you have any further questions.

Indigenous Storytelling Through Books

https://www.reginalibrary.ca/attend/programs/4832496

Indigenous Storytelling Through Graphic Novels

https://www.reginalibrary.ca/attend/programs/4832501

Indigenous Storytelling Through Puppets

https://www.reginalibrary.ca/attend/programs/4828890

January 20, 2021 -- Ever wondered what happens when there is a case of COVID-19 at a school? A lot of work goes on behind the scenes. After the notification from Public Health, it usually begins with school division and school-based administration identifying potential close contacts in the school. This work is done in consultation with and confirmed by Public Health.

What is contact tracing? We are trying to find out where the staff member or student was on the day that they were contagious. Were they in one classroom or several? Did they go throughout the school or stay in one office? How close did they sit or stand to others and for how long?

Once that has been determined, the school division springs into action. This could be during the school day, at night or on weekends or holidays. To keep all employees and families informed, we follow these steps:

1. We are informed by Public Health.

2. We call all school staff and inform them of the specifics and what they may need to do.

3. School staff and division office staff telephone all confirmed close contacts and provide them with the information they need to know. For instance, do they need to quarantine for 14 days? Do they need to self-monitor, etc.? This work is the responsibility of Regina Public Schools staff.

4. Once close contacts and staff have been called and informed, communication with the school community, the public and the news media is completed.
   • If there is a need to immediately contact all school families for their health and safety, or to announce the closing of a school or program, a recording and a set of text messages will be made and telephoned to the entire school community.

   • In the past, these messages were sent every time there was a case in a school. As of January 2021, these messages will only be used to quickly inform school families if they need to be informed of a change in school attendance or routine.

   • In the event that telephone and/or text messages are made to close-contact students and/or families, the message will clearly identify if it is a close contact call or an information-only call.

   • In every case of COVID-19 at a school, school families will be notified by letter, usually on the same day or by the next school day.

   • Close contacts and affected classes get one letter with instructions for self-isolation or self-monitoring. All school families will receive an informational letter.

5. If there are any close contacts at a school, following direct communication with those families, the school division will post information on the school’s website.

6. The school division will then inform Regina-area news media who help inform school families and the public. We are grateful for their support and assistance.

7. The school division’s Twitter account is also used to inform families, the public and, after business hours and on weekends, the news media.

8. Usually by the next school day, the school division will inform all school division employees.

There has been a lot of speculation why sometimes schools are closed, why sometimes it is only a classroom and why, at other times, learning continues as normal. It is all about the close contacts. If the individual who has COVID-19 was out of the school while contagious, nothing needs to be done; we just inform school families. If that individual was in one classroom and there were several contacts, we will inform them and follow Public Health direction, but keep the classroom open. If there were many close contacts in one or several classrooms, we may close the classrooms and switch to remote learning for up to 14 days.

Why do whole schools close?

If there are many close contacts and the potential for further infection is possible, or the disruption to learning is too significant, we will close the school and go to temporary remote learning. The other situation may be that many staff members are close contacts and the school cannot operate without an appropriate number of employees.

We can bring in substitute teachers, educational assistants, facilities staff, administrators and even temporary principals. Sometimes, however, the number of close contacts is too large, challenging our ability to operate the school. At those times, the school may close and students would go to temporary remote learning.

Things to keep in mind

You may get a telephone call or text from Regina Public Schools even if you do not have a child in an identified school or any school.  In rare cases, this is an error. Most likely, if you do get called or texted, you have been made an emergency contact by someone else – a relative, a friend or a neighbour. If you get these calls and you are not an emergency contact, please contact your local school or email info@rbe.sk.ca; provide your name and phone number and we will try to fix it.

If you do have a child in a school but do not get informed, then you are not on our parent/guardian contact list and should be. Please call your local school. They can also help get you set up to get text messaging. These messages are important during the pandemic and also when other important information needs to go out, such as an incident at a school or a cancellation in busing.

Regina Public Schools employees are working hard to create a learning and working environment that is as safe as possible for students and staff. We are also striving to keep our school families well informed and prepared, even on weekends and holidays. The process we follow continues to evolve. We appreciate your patience and your ongoing support!

January 14, 2021--Your Board of Education and school division would like to know your thoughts about the recent temporary remote learning in which all students participated, before and after the holiday break.

We are asking parents, guardians, students and employees to participate in a voluntary, anonymous and confidential survey. Deadline for completing the survey is January 29, 2021.

A summary of the survey results will be on the Regina Public Schools website, when available.

Surveys were sent home from all schools on January 14, 2021. The survey link is available here.

Attached here is the letter that went home to school families.

JANUARY 11, 2021 -- The Saskatchewan Health Authority has provided an updated poster called, "Does Your Child Have Symptoms?" that can be accessed by CLICKING HERE.