It's going to be a busy summer for Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools officials, who are tasked with implementing its school re-start plan. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

work to do

Unanswered questions at secondary schools leads SD 68 ‘to do list’

Jul 31, 2020 | 5:29 AM

NANAIMO — It’s unclear what program delivery will look like for Nanaimo-Ladysmith Public Schools with the province’s K-12 education system returning to in-class instruction in September.

In particular, district 68 supt. Scott Saywell said logistical challenges are being examined for secondary schools to create the safest environment possible.

“Secondary poses different problems because we have students who because of their timetables are all over the place, so cohorting students is going to be the big issue for us,” Saywell said in reference to tightened learning groups unveiled by the province on Wednesday.

The province outlined new health guidelines for K-12 schools to form ‘learning groups’ among students and staff to stick together to limit COVID-19 transmissions and make contact tracing easier.

Saywell said a new timetable will have to be created for their secondary schools.

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He said shuffling some students from their two largest secondary schools to less populated high schools are among “early thoughts” he’s had.

“I’ll say we are exploring a number of options for those schools that are in the 800 to 1,500 range, particularly ND(SS) and Dover that are approaching the 1,500 student range,” Saywell told local reporters in a teleconference.

The province’s school re-start plan to take effect Sept. 8 stated a blend of in-class and remote, self-directed learning may apply for schools in the province with more than 1,500 students.

“We’re going to be able to return 100 per cent of students to school,” Saywell said, minus potential omissions from students with health complications.

He said complying with the new health guidelines at the elementary level will be “relatively easy to do” since those environments involve smaller amounts of students and typically one teacher.

SD 68 supt. Scott Saywell said principles and vice principles at their secondary schools are discussing what next school year will look like. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

New provincial directives include increased spacing between students in classrooms.

Nanaimo District Teachers Assn. president Denise Wood said the province’s plan poses a lot of questions, gaps and concerns.

She said it’s unclear to her how the plan can be safely and effectively implemented.

“The folks in the ministry who are putting this together really don’t understand the reality of a classroom. Students do not physically distance and teachers don’t teach at a distance when they’re in the classroom,” Wood told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Face coverings are optional for students and staff as part of the province-wide school re-start plan although reusable masks will be provided if requested.

School districts will have to release their back-to-school guidelines by Aug. 26.

An optional, part-time return to K-12 schools occurred in the province in June, after the first wave of COVID-19 cases in B.C. calmed down.

Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools has 34 schools housing more than 14,000 students and 2,000 staff.

— with files from Alex Rawnsley

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes