We are excited to share that we have a number of plans in place for school in the fall.

We are currently under direction from the Minister of Health and the Chief Medical Officer, the Minister of Education, and the Minister of Transportation.

Please feel free to contact us at vimyridge@epsb.ca with any questions or concerns.

Please see our School Re-Entry Strategy Revised August 14, 2020

Message from our Superintendent:

We’ve heard from many families who are looking forward to sending their children back to classes, but we’ve also heard from many who don’t feel this choice is right for them. Throughout the year, we’ll give families a choice whether their child attends in-person classes or online instruction at home. No matter which option they select, students will remain enrolled at the school where they registered for the 2020-21 school year.

Mitigating risk and following safety strategies is a shared responsibility among all members of the school community—we all have a critical role to play in following the safety protocols set out by Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.

The provincial re-entry plan’s focus on safety does not depend on one single strategy, but many strategies that work together to support the safest environment possible within the complex dynamics of a school community.

These strategies include:

• screening for illness

• hand washing and sanitizing

• physical distancing

• cleaning standards

• strict illness protocols

• personal protective equipment (PPE) and masks

• cohorts

All staff and students in Grades 4–12 will be required to wear a mask when physical distancing at school and in the classroom is not possible, as one way to help reduce the risk of spreading the virus. We are also asking K-3 students who are physically, psychologically or developmentally able to wear a mask, to do so. All K–12 students will each receive two reusable masks. Each school staff member will be receiving reusable masks and a face shield.

Before coming to school each day, all staff and students must complete the Government of Alberta’s COVID-19 Information Screening Questionnaire to determine whether they can attend or must stay home. This is an important step to ensure we’re keeping students and staff safe. Students and staff who answer “yes” to any of the questions cannot come to school and must follow the instructions outlined from the Government of Alberta before they can return to school.

Thermometers will be used to help manage the health and well being of staff and students who feel unwell when at school. We continue to look at the efficacy of plexiglass shields. They will be used in high traffic areas like school offices.

This school year will be unlike any before; however, we remain unwavering in our focus on high-quality teaching and learning in environments that keep our students, staff and families as safe as possible. We have incredible staff who continually go above and beyond to be agile and adaptable to ensure we’re delivering quality education to all our students. Thank you for your continued dedication, support and all you do in the service of kids.

Darrel Robertson, Superintendent of Schools, Edmonton Public Schools

Return to in-person School PLANNING

• *Note: We will NOT be going to a Quartered System as other Traditional High Schools will be doing, as we will continue to support our studnet-athletes in their alternative sports programs all year long, no matter which scenario we find ourselve in throughout 2020-2021

Vimy Ridge Academy Plans:

• JH Options offered in a Quartered Schedule (daily for 5 weeks each)

• Semester Timetable of all Academic Classes Gr 7 - 12 (3 classes Sept - Jan, 3 classes Feb - June)

• Balancing The Humanities & Math Sciences: Literacy & Numeracy all year

• Sem 1: Math, Social Studies, Option/Language

• Sem 2: English LA, Science, Language/Option

• Full Year: Athletic Programming/PE/Health/Sports Modules

Instructional Supports for our Student-Athletes

• ELO Room will remain intact with a full-time Educational Assistant

• Library will remain open with a full-time Educational Assistant who will support small group and one-on-one interventions where needed

• Success Centre will remain open with a full-time Educational Assistant who will support blended learning with module courses through LearnWrite, ADLC, and in-house courses.

Agility in our Plans:

• Semester classes create space where if we are all back into school, and a second wave occurs, we can return to the same remote learning “Virtual Vimy” schedule we are currently in, however it limits junior high students to only TWO core classes to focus on rather than a full course load. This supports:

• parent work-load in student support at home (reducing stress in the home with too much work)

• manages the stress for students in isolation and course completion.

• Returns to a familiar schedule and structure (Monday Block 1, Tues Block 2, Wed Block 3, etc)

• Eliminates the Day A Day B schedule, with potentially 2 classes on the same day (Semester classes are both Day A and Day B) leaving only a morning class each day.

• Creates time for “Teacher Office Hours” in a more flexible, available structure for students. (In the current schedule, some teachers had 8 full-year classes to support and were unable to be available outside of the scheduled time for student question/support)

• Leaves every afternoon available for physical activity with our program partners to provide quality training sessions

• Teachers will be working in partnership to embed Literacy and Numeracy skills in a cross-curricular design to minimize gaps in learning from Semester 1 in 2020-2021 to September of 2021.

• PATs (if provided by the Province) will be finished in January and June for Gr 9s at the completion of the coursework.

• Should a student not complete a course in Sem 1, we can provide intervention and support to complete the work in Sem 2 for an improved mark by the end of the year. (second chances in one year)

• Essentials to successful Teaching and Learning will still be in place: Hatties Effect Size on Student Achievement

Safety, Cleanliness & Personal Hygiene practices in place will include:

• Screening for illness prior to coming to the school Daily Checklist

• COVID-19 cleaning standards

• Cohorts of students for possible contact tracing

• Social distancing where possible

• Hand-washing and sanitizing

• Strict illness protocols and

• PPE supports

• masks available for staff and students, student personal masks available for purchase through our Online Vimy Store. (until August 9th for timely delivery of products)

Resources

EPSB Re-Entry Document

Alberta Education Scenario 1: In-school classes resume, near-normal operations with health measures

Alberta Education Scenario 2: In-school classes resume with additional health measures

Article from Washington

• Bricks

• Brick to Click (pivot to online if second wave)

• Click to Brick (pivot back to school if vaccine)

• Bricks and Clicks (Blended)

• Clicks