Community

APRIL 4, 2022 -- Anxiety, worry and stress are something we all feel, and sometimes we may need help. Mental health supports are available to help you if and when you need it. Listed below are some helpful resources.

HealthLine 811 - offers mental health and addictions service, including 24/7 crisis support, advice to help manage a caller’s situation, information and connection to community resources.

Wellness Together Canada (https://www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA) - connects people to peer support workers, social workers, psychologists and other professionals for confidential chat sessions or phone calls. Their website offers immediate crisis support/counselling by clicking the “I Need Help Now!” button at the top of the page. Crisis support resources for Indigenous Peoples can be found at https://www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA/indian-residential-schools-crisis-support

211 Saskatchewan (https://sk.211.ca/) – connect with resources in your community by searching a database of over 6,000 community, social, non-clinical health and government services across the province.

PocketWell app download (measure and track your well-being)

Mobile Crisis Helpline in Regina – (306) 757-0127

Kids Help Phone - 1-800-668-6868

Indigenous Peoples:

Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310 (hopeforwellness.ca)

Reconciliation Canada (https://reconciliationcanada.ca/need-help/)

TAO Tel-Aide Francophone Helpline in Saskatchewan - 1-800-567-9699

Farm Stress Line - 1-800-667-4442

NORS - overdose prevention hotline - 1-888-688-6677

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Online Therapy Unit (https://www.onlinetherapyuser.ca/) - for Saskatchewan residents who are experiencing mental health difficulties, including depression and anxiety

Family Service Saskatchewan, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, supports free mental health walk-in clinics in 24 communities. These clinics offer free one-time counselling sessions, which are now available by phone.

Family Service Regina - (306) 757-6675

MARCH 30, 2022 (Updated) -- Parents/caregivers are invited to attend this in-person event to learn more about mental health and strategies to support the well-being of children, youth and families.

NEW DATE: Wednesday, May 4, 2022

7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Campus Regina Public Auditorium

For details, please CLICK HERE.

February 18, 2022 – High school may be next year or several years away, but now is a great time to look ahead at some of the unique learning opportunities offered by Regina Public Schools.

Grades 11 and 12 students registered at Regina Public high schools can keep learning at their neighbourhood high school while also attending and benefiting from specialized programming at Campus Regina Public (CRP). CRP is a career-centred educational institution offering specialty two-credit courses that are occupation-specific and taught by experienced teachers and industry professionals using state-of-the-art equipment.

CRP maintains partnerships with local companies and post-secondary institutions to ensure that our students are learning industry standard skills paired with academic excellence. This combination of experiences will allow our students to make informed career decisions.

Take a moment to learn more about CRP and the programming offered. High school may be a long way off, but looking forward can contribute to learning success. Watch the informative introductory video.

Like what you see? Learn more by visiting the Campus Regina Public website.

February 14, 2022 – Announcing the 14^th annual Shared Values Recognition Program! Regina Public Schools employees and those who work closely with our students in schools make the difference in the lives and the futures of all our students.

Peer and community recognition are a good indicator of merit. The Shared Values Recognition Program encourages recognition of those in our schools who should be honoured. This program allows Regina Public Schools staff to recognize and honour employees who exemplify the Shared Values in making significant contributions through their work.

What are the Shared Values? Our school community is united by four shared values statements: I belong; I want to know; I am responsible; and I respect. These values give direction to what we teach both inside and outside the classroom. Our Shared Values transcend our differences, highlight our similarities, and provide an equal opportunity to recognize and encourage the unique characteristics and contributions of students, parents, caregivers and staff.

As part of this program, up to 10 Regina Public Schools employees will be honoured. Parents, caregivers, students and anyone who volunteers at a Regina public school or works with Regina Public Schools staff is encouraged to submit a nomination. The nomination form and the program rules are available by following this link.  

This link includes:

-  Program Rules

      -  SVRP Nomination Form 2022

      -  SVRP All-time Recipient List

      -  Highlights from previous years

Please use the all-time recipient list to ensure your nominee has not been previously honoured. We look forward to seeing your nominations!

February 10, 2022 – Regina Public Schools is changing its COVID-19 safety requirement following an announcement from the Government of Saskatchewan. Read that announcement here.

According to that announcement, the Government of Saskatchewan expects school divisions to remove their requirements for mandatory vaccination/rapid testing and mask mandates when the Public Health Orders are rescinded after February 28, 2022.

Vaccination

With respect to vaccination, approximately 98 percent of employees are fully vaccinated. This adds a significant layer of protection in schools and facilities. However, as per government direction and as of February 14^th, Regina Public Schools will no longer require adults entering any of its facilities or schools to show proof of vaccination. The school division continues to encourage all who are eligible, including students, to get vaccinated and/or to get their booster, when eligible.

Mask use

Until March 1, 2022, every adult and student in a Regina Public school, facility and transportation must wear a mask. After March 1st, the school division will strongly recommend continued mask use by students and staff. Mask use is an additional layer of protection during a pandemic.

In addition, Regina Public Schools will:

• Support and encourage employees and students who choose to continue to wear masks and encourage families to continue to ask their children to wear masks in school.
• Maintain enhanced cleaning protocols in all schools, buildings and buses.
• Encourage regular self-testing at home. Kits will continue to be available from schools.
• Remind school families to diligently monitor for mild, cold-like symptoms, including cough, sore throat and sneezing without fever and to stay home if they are present.
• Encourage families to notify schools if there is a case of COVID involving a student. Note that this is encouraged but not required.

Measures taken early in the pandemic continue to be in place for the safety and benefit of all. These measures include:

• air filtration upgrades;
• additional technology devices, program equipment and learning resources to support physical distancing; and
• more hand sanitation stands and water bottle fillers for student and staff use.

Extracurricular

Field trips, tournaments and elementary extracurricular competitions, and mixing elementary cohorts for educational purposes will resume following the February break. Parents, volunteers and other school visitors may begin to access schools in a gradual and safe manner. 

The school division will continue to consult with school administrators and with Regina Public Health and will revisit parameters prior to the end of the February break and thereafter.

To read a letter to parents from the Director of Education about these changes, please follow this link.

FEBRUARY 9, 2022 -- The nationally recognized Pink Shirt Day occurs on the last Wednesday of February every year. This year, that date falls during the Family Week break. As such, the Ministry of Education has declared Wednesday, February 16, 2022 as Pink Shirt Day in Saskatchewan.

Pink Shirt Day became established after two Nova Scotia students, David Shepherd and Travis Price, took action to turn the tide against bullies who were targeting a male student who wore a pink polo shirt on his first day of school, calling him homophobic slurs, and threatening him. Mr. Shepherd and Mr. Price decided that “enough was enough,” went to a nearby store and bought 50 pink shirts to distribute and wear at school the next day. They then emailed classmates to get them on-board with their cause that they dubbed a “sea of pink.” Not only were the purchased pink shirts worn, but hundreds of students showed up the next day wearing their own pink clothing. This visual shift in the power differential sent a powerful message to the bullies, who discontinued their bullying. The link to an original news article can be found here.

Since that time, this day has become an important one for empowering students to speak out against homophobia, transphobia and bullying in general, and to show solidarity for their fellow students. All students and staff have a right to learn, work and interact in a safe, caring and affirming environment, and to be accepted for the human beings they are. Underscoring this is our division’s Shared Values: I respect; I belong; I am responsible and I want to know.

January 28, 2022 -- The attached letter from the Director of Education will be sent to all school families today. It is in response to changes announced by the Government of Saskatchewan related to self-isolation and close-contact protocols.

Read the letter here and/or below.

January 28, 2022

Dear school families:

Since 2020, we have worked to create a school learning environment that minimizes risk for students, staff and visitors to all our schools and facilities. We have followed public health and government direction and added Regina Public Schools-specific requirements to our safety practices and protocols. At the same time, we have had to adapt as public health requirements and the course of COVID-19 in Regina and the province have changed.

Yesterday, the government of Saskatchewan announced a change to COVID-19 self-isolation and close contact protocols. You can read that document here: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2022/january/27/update-to-covid19-selfisolation-close-contact-protocols

The result of this announcement is that Regina Public Schools will no longer be collecting information regarding positive student COVID test results, nor will be identifying or informing possible close contacts. The school division will no longer report on cases of COVID and school families will not be asked to notify schools of a positive test. We would appreciate, however, that families honour the new self-isolation requirements and that students stay home if they are ill. As with any illness or absence, it is essential that it is reported to the school. Please continue to do so!

In accordance with the announcement, effective today, students who receive a positive test result on a PCR or rapid antigen test will be required to self-isolate for five days, regardless of vaccination status. This is a change for not fully vaccinated students from the previously required 10 days.

Further, students who test positive for COVID-19 will be required to self-isolate for five days from the date of test or 24 hours after fever has resolved without the aid of fever-reducing medications and all other symptoms have been improving for at least 48 hours, whichever is later.

Students currently on remote learning and self-isolating, and have no symptoms, may amend their self-isolation from 10 days to five days, as of noon, January 28. Information relating to changes about current remote learning classes will be sent out from schools.

Close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases will no longer be required to self-isolate, regardless of vaccination status.

Regina Public Schools will continue to require mask use in all its schools and buildings, will continue practice enhanced cleaning and encourage good hand washing hygiene. The school division reserves the right to move a class or a school to temporary remote learning if it is prudent to do so for health or operational reasons.

I know many of you have mixed feelings about this change in direction. In the past we have done everything within the reach of the school division to minimize health risk and disruption for learning and work for all school families. We will continue to do so while following the direction of Regina Public Health. I will also share important developments and information with you as it becomes available. Thank you for your understanding.
In learning and in health,

Greg Enion
Director of Education

January 17, 2022 -- Did you receive this message? It is legitimate. Parents/guardians and emergency contacts of Regina Public Schools students may receive this text message to voluntarily opt in for the family communication (text) system. Text messages are only used for urgent communication to families.

We apologize for not providing any prior notice. We just learned that a recent coding change to our information system triggered these texts. Although mostly new families will receive them, others who had previously opted in for the urgent text communication notices may also receive them.

Opting in is completely voluntary. Thank you for your understanding.

JANUARY 14, 2022 -- The Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed January 27, 2022, as Family Literacy Day and January 23 to 29, 2022, as Family Literacy Week in Saskatchewan. The week provides opportunities for communities, libraries, schools and other organizations to plan events that raise awareness about the importance of family literacy. Parents with literacy skills support children to acquire literacy skills, contributing to strong families and strong communities.

You are invited to celebrate with the Saskatchewan Literacy Network and the nine Family Literacy hubs by joining a free livestream event on Thursday, January 27^th at 10:30 a.m. CST. Local authors and illustrator Bernice Johnson-Laxdal and Miriam Körner will share from their book, “When the Trees Crackle with Cold: A Cree Calendar."

Everyone is welcome to join! Families, classrooms and groups can sign up to receive a free package of digital resources and a chance to win a signed copy of the book! Sign up at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TreesCrackle-SignUp

To view the poster, please CLICK HERE.

January 11, 2022 -- Regina Public Schools communicates incidents of cases of COVID-19 in schools. The school division also reports if a classroom has moved to remote learning. The school division does not currently report on individual case numbers in schools.

Why the changes?

We used to report case numbers. In 2021, individual cases, whether they were in students or adults, were officially announced and provided by Saskatchewan Health Authority. That is no longer the case. As of the return to classes on January 4, 2022, Regina Public Schools relies on notification of cases from parents, guardians, students and staff members. They have been asked to self-report to their schools/workplaces.

Self-reporting and the subsequent tracking at the school and school division level is inherently less reliable in terms of accuracy. We have seen case report numbers increase during the day after we have already reported them. We have also seen these numbers decrease after a report -- due in part to the discovery that a student was not in school while infectious.

In reporting cases to school families, Regina Public Schools' goal is to quickly inform families and staff, and to make them aware of cases of COVID-19 affecting their schools. We do not wish to send out potentially incorrect or incomplete information. School administration sends out an information letter to parents/guardians/students about affected classrooms.

What’s the current process for reporting?

For your information, the current process is:

• A parent/guardian, student or staff member contacts school administration and self-reports if a RAT (rapid test) shows they have COVID-19, or if they have a positive result on a PCR test.
• School administration sends out letters to school families about affected classrooms.
• The school division informs the greater Regina community and the news media through the school division website, Twitter and news release.

Regina Public Schools continues to strive towards transparency in all its reporting and is grateful for the extra effort and patience demonstrated by students, school families and staff during a very challenging time in our history.