The topsy-turvy year of learning takes another turn today (November 30) for students in grades 7 to 12 in Rocky View Schools (RVS) and other school divisions across Alberta.  

Last Tuesday, the government announced several new restrictions and a State of Public Health Emergency over the alarming rise in cases of COVID-19 in the province.  Part of the restrictions involves a shift to Scenario 3 for all students in the province in grades 7 to 12.  It means that all RVS junior and senior high school students that have been taking classes in-person will shift, temporarily, to at-home, online learning.

Elementary school students in Kindergarten through grade six, that have been learning face-to-face with their teachers will continue with their in-person classes.

Letters were sent home late last week to both groups of students from Board Chair Fiona Gilbert and RVS School Superintendent Greg Luterbach outlining how the changes would affect them.  A Temporary At-Home Learning Guide for parents and students in grades 7 to 12 was also created containing additional information on what to expect.  You can see all of the documents HERE.

Online learning for grade 7 to 12 students will continue up to, and including, December 18th when the Christmas break starts for all students.  The break runs from December 19th until January 3rd.  The week of January 4th through 8th, all students, K to grade 12, will remain home and engage in temporary online learning.  All in-person learners are expected back in their classrooms on Monday, January 12th.  Students already registered in RVS online learning will continue in that mode under their normal conditions as per the school calendar with December 18th through January 4th off.

Luterbach says the division is reviewing its timeline for parents and guardians to decide if their children will continue with their current mode of learning, either online or in-person or move to the other.  RVS originally said families had from December 1st to December 11th to decide if they wanted a change effective February 1st.  An update to that timeline is expected to come this week.  For now, students in K to grade 6 are expected to continue in their current learning mode for the time being.   

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