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Strategy to Reduce Virus Spread

August 28, 2020 -- Regina Public Schools is implementing a three-part strategy to reduce the risk of COVID-19, as well as other viruses, including colds and flu, as students return to school and the colder fall and winter weather sets in. The strategy focuses on face masks, cleaning and increased, filtered ventilation.

Mask Use

The first part of this strategy will include the use of face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE), as required for staff and students. Cloth face masks will be required for all Grades 4-12 students and recommended for students in the younger grades. All students being transported will be required to wear masks. While exemptions are possible, the objective of the mask wearing is to keep everyone safe in schools. Compliance will be appreciated. Guests to school division buildings will be limited and will also have to wear face masks. Students who do not have or forget their face masks will be able to obtain one from their school.

Enhanced Cleaning

All schools and school division buildings have ramped up their cleaning protocols. Facilities staff will be using new equipment to disinfect all surfaces. The equipment, which looks very much like a paint sprayer, will be used to dispense a fine mist over all surfaces. The product is called Vital Oxide, which kills viruses, including the coronavirus. Vital Oxide is safe to use around children and adults. It is non-toxic and not considered hazardous by OSHA Hazard Communication Standard 2012. Facilities staff have developed a disinfecting schedule for all school rooms, including high-use areas such as bathrooms. The disinfecting protocols will be in addition to the traditional routine of dusting and cleaning that is done at every school, every day.

Every classroom will have spray bottles with cleaners to spot clean as necessary, and school facility staff will always be on hand to complete more thorough cleaning of classrooms and other areas as needed

Students, staff and guests, upon entering every building, will also be asked to use hand sanitizer that will be at every school entrance and throughout school buildings. Frequent hand washing will also be recommended to all students.

Increased, Filtered Ventilation

Clean, fresh air has never been more important in all Regina Public schools. Beginning immediately, the fresh air intake in all schools and buildings has been increased to beyond industry standards to enhance ventilation and the flow of fresh air. Staff working in classrooms and offices with windows that open may open their windows. Staff considering opening their windows will continue to be mindful that some students and staff may suffer from seasonal allergies and other respiratory conditions worsened by outdoor air.

Regina Public Schools is investing in new purification systems for every school and building. By the end of September, new filter technology will be added to ventilation systems to complement the increased air flow. The filter technology is called bipolar ionization. It will:

    • Reduce particles and smoke in the air

    • Kill pathogens (bacteria, viruses, molds) including human influenza viruses, coronavirus and SARS

    • Help control allergens and asthma

Regina Public Schools’ three-part strategy is a long-term investment in the health and safety of students and staff. Schools’ localized strategies, including limiting the size of gatherings, keeping student cohorts together and limiting some activities and practices that could potentially spread the virus are the foundation of learning safely. Mask use, enhanced cleaning and increased, filtered ventilation will complement school- based safety strategies. All health and safety practices at Regina Public Schools are guided by direction from the Government of Saskatchewan and local and provincial public health authorities. Practices and procedures are subject to change according to school based experiences and government direction.

Changes to Expect at Elementary Schools

August 14, 2020 -- The return to school is just around the corner and parents, caregivers and students are preparing for a school year that will be like no other. Regina Public Schools administrators and staff are also planning, preparing and getting ready to re-open schools and restart education in a way that is as safe as possible for students and staff and that honours the guidelines and direction provided by the Government of Saskatchewan, as well as by local and provincial health and public health authorities.

What’s new?

We are encouraging elementary school parents and caregivers to register for the 2020-21 school year by going online. This is only for students new to the division, or for students going to a new school. Students enrolled at a school from a previous year are automatically registered. For families interested in e-Learning, more information will be available, including how to register. Registration will be through Regina Public Schools, and is available for all families who chose to use it. More details are coming as soon as possible.  For families interested in Home-Based Education, please follow this link.

What to expect on the first day of school?

For health and safety and to make the transition back to school less stressful during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the first four days of school will be very different than in previous years. The first day of school is September 1, however school start will be staggered. This means that not all students will start and attend school at the same time during the first week. Exact times and details will be available soon and will also be sent to all families directly from their school in the third week of August, 2020.

The reason for this is to help students and staff transition to learning safely. During these first four days, there will be fewer students in class and teachers and other staff will be able to work more closely with students to help them adjust to safety guidelines and to learn about how their school days will be different.

Families with questions should contact their school. Schools will contact Pre-K and Kindergarten families about school start details.

 

Adjusted Recess

One way to help keep students physically distant is to limit large gatherings. In previous years, the time before and after morning and afternoon recesses were times where most students gathered in hallways and other small spaces.

New for 2020-21, all elementary schools will be following adjusted recesses. This means that the morning recess will be at 8:53 to 9:08 a.m. and the afternoon recess will be from 3:22 to 3:37 p.m. These times will have adult supervision on the playgrounds.

School transportation will also be altered to ensure that students arrive to school in ways to further encourage physical distancing on the playground and at school entrances.

What about playing and body breaks? Teachers will be providing morning and afternoon breaks for their classes during the instructional day, as needed. Individual classes on the playground will reduce crowding and may help students stay safe!

Some Regina Public Schools have been successfully using adjusted recesses for many years. They can provide teachers with more flexibility with instruction time and play time.

Note that there may be some minor time differences for schools with joint transportation or who previously had an adjusted recess. Please check with your school.

Help us cut down on school zone congestion to stay safe!

Regina Public Schools is encouraging all school families who do not use school division transportation to get to school safely. Please do not drive or stop vehicles within one block of your school. Walk, bike run and stride over to school.

Car and people congestion around schools makes keeping physically distant difficult. Please help make the transition back to school a safe one. This poster will be at all schools. 

School is for students and staff!

Regina Public Schools will be limiting and restricting public access to schools. Cleaning and disinfecting all school rooms and areas will be a regular activity every day. We are trying to ensure that we know who to expect in our schools and where they will be in the building.

Schools will encourage electronic and telephone communication with parents, when possible. All school guests and visitors will be asked to contact the school prior to visiting. Before entering the school, they will be greeted by staff.

Members of the public will not be permitted into the schools and guest speakers and outside presenters will not be allowed until further notice.

Signage at schools will reinforce that all visitors and guests must call a specific phone number prior to entry.

Each school will have its own specific plan for visitor and guest safety and that will be shared with parents.

Masks required and recommended where necessary

Regina Public Schools will be requiring all Grades 4 to 12 students to wear non-medical masks while at school and recommending that all pre-kindergarten to Grade 3 students wear non-medical masks while at school. In both cases, this will apply when physical distancing is not possible.

All staff and visitors in our schools will be required to wear masks.

All students and staff using Regina Public Schools transportation will be required to wear non-medical masks while being transported. See details here.

What to expect for high school?

We are working to come up with plans to allow for safer physical distancing in our high schools. Stay tuned here – more to come as soon as plans are finalized.

Expect to hear more details directly from your schools by the third week of August.