Letter to Parents/Guardians Re: New Targeted Provincial Restrictions

Dear Parents and Guardians: 

I hope you are all well, and keeping healthy. I am writing to update you on new Targeted Provincial Restrictions announced by the Government of Alberta on April 29, 2021. The new targeted restrictions are in effect for “hot spot” regions, municipalities or communities that have met two criteria in terms of COVID-19 cases. 

Those criteria are: 

• At least 350 cases per 100,000 people

• At least 250 active cases

For schools in communities where these criteria are met and these targeted restrictions apply, Grades 7 to 12 must shift to online learning, while K to 6 students will continue in-classroom learning, unless Alberta Education approves a shift to online-learning. These restrictions will remain in place for two weeks, or until the region falls back below the case threshold – whichever is longer. 

To this point these new measures have only been applied to the municipalities and regions of Fort McMurray, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Calgary, Airdrie, Strathcona County, Lethbridge, Edmonton. 

You may be wondering why these measures have not been applied to our communities, counties and regions across Wolf Creek Public Schools. That is because as of today our communities, counties and regions do not meet the two criteria shared above. As an example Ponoka County has 537.7 COVID-19 cases per 100,000, but, with 148 active cases, doesn’t meet the active case threshold. 

We continue to work with school administrators and monitor cases in schools, and the impact they have on students and staff in terms of quarantine and isolation and school operations. School boards can continue to request, on a case-by-case basis, that individual schools move temporarily to at-home learning due to operational reasons; that approval comes from Alberta Education.  The decision to move a portion of a school, such as grade(s), continues to be at the discretion of the school board, which we have done in a handful of cases this school year. 

Although things can change in the weeks and months ahead, I ask that you continue the daily routine of self checking for symptoms, handwashing and sanitizing, distancing and all the measures that help to reduce spread and keep one another safe. And of course, we will continue to work with your schools to address the impacts of case counts, with the safety of students and staff as our top priority. 

It’s been a challenging year and I want to thank you for your continued cooperation and understanding. 

Sincerely,

Jayson Lovell

Superintendent