St. Albert’s two main school boards plan to pare back their online offerings this fall as students prepare for near-normal classes, but the Sturgeon board hopes to open a whole new virtual school.
St. Albert and Sturgeon County students headed home for summer break last week at the end of a tumultuous COVID school year, one replete with masks, cohorts, hand sanitizer, and long stints of at-home virtual learning.
The Gazette touched base with St. Albert Public, Sturgeon Public, and Greater St. Albert Catholic officials to see what classes would be like this fall, given the July 1 removal of almost all pandemic health measures in Alberta.
Less, and more, online
Superintendent Krimsen Sumners said St. Albert Public had about a thousand students enrolled in the district’s online option at any one time this past school year, and had predicted about a quarter would stay online this fall. Instead, virtually all high-school students and all but about 75 K-to-9 students have said they planned to return to in-school classes this September.
“Kids wanted to be at school,” Sumners said, as it was also one of the few places they could meet their friends during the pandemic. Many teachers reported students bursting into tears when told they had to isolate at home, with some younger ones fearing they would never see their classrooms again.
Sumners said the district will run an online school for K-9 students next year based out of W.D. Cuts and Keenooshayo.
GSACRD ran an online school for up to 450 elementary to junior high students last year and chose to simulcast in-class lessons for its high schools, said assistant superintendent of learning services Cathy Giesbrecht. Interest in online learning for this fall has plummeted, so the board plans to offer a much smaller online option for K-9 students in partnership with Evergreen Catholic School Division. High school students can get online lessons through the St. Gabriel Education Centre.
Sturgeon Public had about 300 K-9 students who stuck with online learning last year, with another 250 or so taking remote courses through their outreach programs, said curriculum and instruction director Johnathan Konrad.
While most high-school students plan to stick with in-person classes, Konrad said the district has had enough interest from Grades 5 to 9 students to start up an ongoing Sturgeon Virtual Academy for those grades this fall.
“It will be fully online education,” Konrad said, with dedicated staff giving live lessons to about 300 students.
Konrad said the pandemic introduced teachers to the possibilities of online learning, and predicted that some might run more prerecorded demonstrations or virtual field trips this fall.
School officials agreed the exact shape of learning this fall will be up to the province.
“We would like to have as few restrictions as we can,” Giesbrecht said, but some might be needed as children under 12 currently aren't vaccinated against COVID-19.
Sumners and Giesbrecht said schools will likely switch back to a two-semester system this fall, and will offer whatever options, clubs, and athletics they can under provincial health rules. Hand-washing and extra cleaning will probably stick around, but expect mandatory masks and those “one-way” markers to disappear over the summer.
Konrad said school staff will be prepared to bring back masks, cohorts, and at-home learning this fall should the pandemic make them necessary.
“I know we’re ready for both, but we’re looking forward to more in-person experience and learning.”
Check the St. Albert Public, Sturgeon Public, and GSACRD web sites for updates on this fall’s plans for school.
