Two weeks after students in Alberta returned to in-class learning, a Foothills School Division school will go back to learning at home due to an outbreak of COVID-19.
Blackie School, a K to Grade 8 school southeast of Okotoks, will shift to total online learning on Jan. 25 after five active cases of COVID-19 were reported in connection to the school last week.
"We understand and respect that this may be challenging for families. Please know that you may be eligible for federal support through the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit or the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit,” said division superintendent of schools Chris Fuzessy in a prepared statement issued to Blackie School parents.
A full return to in-class learning is anticipated for Feb. 5, after 14 days of the school being closed.
The school, with an enrolment of approximately 95 students, first confirmed a case connected to the school on Jan. 20, two more cases and another one were announced on Jan. 21 and 22, respectively.
There was no school on Friday Jan. 22 as it was a professional development day.
All four individuals in those initial cases were part of the same class cohort.
A fifth case was reported of a person connected to the school on Saturday, Jan. 23. The individual is not part of the original class cohort. The decision to go to online schooling was made Jan. 23 after the division consulted Alberta Education and Alberta Health Services.
The Blackie School community is being urged to receive COVID-19 testing.
“We strongly encourage the entire Blackie School Community to book and obtain a COVID-19 test, even if your family is experiencing no symptoms,” Fuzessy said. “You can do so online through the Alberta Health Services COVID-19 self-assessment or by calling Health Link at 811. You can reference School Outbreak number 2021-669 for priority testing.”
Grade 7 to 12 students in Alberta went to online schooling on Nov. 30 until the Christmas break on Dec. 18. They also were taught on line for the first week of school from Jan. 4 to 8 before returning to the classroom on Jan. 11.
Kindergarten to Grade 6 students remained in class until the Christmas break. They were taught online for one week after the break.
They also returned to the classroom on Jan. 11.
