Wednesday, March 18, 2020: COVID-19 Update for WCPS Parents

Greetings WCPS parents/guardians, 

On behalf of our district I want to begin by thanking all of you for remaining calm, patient and compassionate in how you are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. We have received many communications from staff, parents and community members sharing stories of how together, we remain united and incredibly supportive of each other. We are so proud of our WCPS family!

In this communication you’ll see plans continuing to build around student learning support plans. I also want to emphasize the importance of understanding the need to create an aligned and consistent approach to how we solve complex issues we are facing. 

Learning Support Plan Development for Students

All school boards have been provided with direction from Alberta Education to develop a learning support plan that assists teachers, students and parents in a continuum of learning during the pandemic crisis. This plan for WCPS is well underway to have a district-wide, cohesive approach towards the delivery of instruction and assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As was previously communicated in our last update, March 30 is our district-wide target to share the learning support plan with our staff.  Parents can expect communication from their schools during the week of March 30 - April 3. 

We want to ensure all students have access to learning materials at approximately the same timeframe. This timeline also acknowledges the Spring Break starting Saturday, March 21 for our staff and acknowledges the need for our staff and families to focus on personal health and family.

Student Fee Refunds

We are fielding some questions regarding how the district is addressing student fees. At the current time we are asking parents to hold off requesting any student fee refunds including course fees, field trip fees, transportation fees, Bright Futures Play Academy, etc. 

We are anticipating direction from the province with regards to fees in general. In the meantime, we are reviewing potential fee refund procedures and the types of fees that might be refunded either fully or as a prorated amount. Further information on this will be provided in subsequent updates.

Student Access to Technology at Home 

Our Technology Services Department is working with the Learning Services Department to determine the level of need that exists with our families in terms of how many would need a division provided Chromebook (Chromebook is a laptop or tablet running the Chrome operating system. The devices are primarily used to perform a variety of tasks using the Google Chrome browser, with most applications and data residing in the cloud rather than on the machine itself). In order to facilitate Wolf Creek’s upcoming Learning Support Plan for students, we are asking families who do not have a device for their student(s) for use in accessing the upcoming Learning Support Plan materials to please fill in the following form: 

CLICK THIS LINK . At the same time, please indicate if you have access to the internet through a wired, wireless, or cellular connection that your student(s) can use to access upcoming Learning Support Plan materials. 

Resources for Parents: Coping with COVID-19

Please continue to visit the COVID-19 Updates and Information page on the Wolf Creek website for the latest updates and resources for parents. 

Alberta Health Services have provided the following resources which include self-care strategies, strategies for parents to talk to their children, and strategies for coping and remaining connected.

• COVID-19 and Your Mental Health
• Mental Health: Coping and Connection for Children and Families During COVID-19
• Practical and Emotional Preparedness for a Pandemic

Do you have a COVID-19 Question(s) for WCPS?

A new questions form has been added to our Wolf Creek Public Schools website. If you have any questions, please fill out the form, found at: https://www.wolfcreek.ab.ca/covid-19-faqs-for-families-and-staff/ask-a-covid-19-related-question

Thank you again, for all your patience, and support. Take good care!

WCPS Strong!

Jayson Lovell
Superintendent of Schools