After starting the modified school calendar with mandatory masking, the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) will do so with students on the traditional calendar.
A note to parents went out early Wednesday afternoon, informing them of the rules. Traditional calendar classes begin Sept. 1.
“After careful consideration, taking into account increases in COVID-19 cases and the vaccination rates for youth aged 12-19 in the City of Calgary, the Calgary Board of Education will mandate masking indoors for all staff and kindergarten to Grade 12 students for the start of the 2021-22 school year,” wrote CBE Chief Superintendent Christopher Usih.
Provincial COVID-19 case numbers have remained stubbornly high. On Aug. 16, another 406 cases were logged by the province.
Students on the modified calendar began school yesterday. Parents were hopeful a commitment to masking and sanitization would significantly reduce the chance of infection.
Along with mandatory masking in K-12, the rules outlined by the CBE in their letter to parents with students in the modified calendar remain the same.
Usih said that the decision would be reviewed before the end of September.
“We all play a role to ensure our return to school is as safe as possible and that we minimize the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and workplaces. The CBE has and will continue to encourage all eligible employees to get vaccinated,” Usih wrote.
Full information on the health precautions can be found on the CBE website.
Online school: CBe-learn
Calgary Board of Education has decided to provide the opportunity for students to transfer to online school.
They announced the re-opened registration today on Twitter.
Transfer requests can be made as early as August 23, Usih said in the statement.
CBe-learn starts on September 7 or 13.
The start date will depend on when the students’ designated school office is open, when the transfer request is made and acceptance timeline.
Forms can be submitted digitally any time through each school’s main inbox on their website.
Transferring to online is a commitment for the full 2021-2022 school year.
“It is not designed to allow for transitions to in-person learning at any point during the school year,” Usih said.
“Students who transfer to CBe-learn from alternative programs or schools with capped enrolment/lotteries will not have their space held and would need to go through the transfer or lottery process again if they wish to return in future years.”
More detailed information will be available on each school’s website.