December 13, 2020

Dear Parent(s)/Guardians of the Prince Albert Catholic School Division,

This letter is to provide further communications relating to the announcement dated Friday, December 11, 2020 that both the Prince Albert Catholic School Division and Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division would be temporarily transitioning to the Level 4 Remote Learning model within the Saskatchewan Safe School Plan. This measure is in response to the increased rates of community transmission of COVID-19 as per Public Health recommendations.

Please be assured the decisions are taken in the interest of health as priority. Late Friday afternoon, Public Health officials shared recent data relating to case counts, transmission rates and trends. The implications are great and widespread for our community. Managing increased cases is an emerging health risk based on transmission rates and is a major factor to transition temporarily to level 4.

Staff have been and are currently working on contingency plans for remote learning. Teachers and school-based personnel will be posting the information and learning activities via the Edsby Student and Parent Portal. Remote learning Level 4 will be offered somewhat different that the spring Supplemental Learning Program. The Level 4 Remote learning program will include:
• Lessons, assignment and learning activities will be posted in Edsby Student Portal.
• Students will be provided the opportunity to access their textbooks and learning materials for school (arrangements will be made in the next couple of days by school-based personnel for pickup of materials).
• Curriculum outcomes will remain a priority.
• Additional points of contact such as virtual applications and phone calls will be planned and prearranged when practical.
• Additional online applications will made available (such as Reading Lexia and Power Up program and Mathletics program, etc.).

School division staff continues to consult with the Public Health Officers to ensure the continuance of education in a safe learning environment and will resume in person classes when advised to do so. These matters are reviewed and assessed regularly as required by evolving health risk assessments.

Please do not hesitate to contact your child (ren)’s teachers and school-based principal for support on educational matters specifically related to your child. While returning to normal is desired, COVID-19 requires an unprecedented response from all sectors.

We would like to emphasize that there was, and continues to be, careful consideration to these matters. We want to ensure the continuation of education within a safe learning environment. Updates will continue to be posted on our division website and, in the Parent and Student Edsby Portal school wide announcements and classroom announcements. If you are unable to access the applications and Edsby Student/Parent Portal for any reason, do not hesitate to contact our school staff and they will be able to help you.

Yours truly,
L.Trumier
Director of Education