With the provincial education minister having announced March 13 that classes would be suspended in all Manitoba schools for three weeks beginning March 23 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the School District of Mystery Lake (SDML) and individual schools have announced that all extracurricular activities and public events at schools have been cancelled for this final week of school before the extended spring break.
SDML said in a March 15 letter to parents and guardians that staff and students will be preparing and planning this week for learning that will take place March 23-27 and April 6-10, which would have been the weeks before and after the regularly scheduled spring break.
In addition to cancelling public events, school facility rentals, sports games and practices, band and choir performances, field trips, clubs and out-of-province travel, schools are also limiting visitor access, limiting face-to-face meetings with a large number of people in attendance and avoiding greetings that involve touching such as handshakes or hugs.
Frequent handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes with sleeves or tissues, and not coming to school when feeling ill are being recommended to all students and staff. Custodial staff are also increasing the cleaning of surfaces and doorknobs in all SDML schools.
Schools are also limiting the length of the school day to extend no more than 30 minutes before and after the school day ends. The only exceptions outside this schedule will be courses for credits.
Band practices that occur between the hours of 8:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at R.D. Parker Collegiate will continue, including lunchtime practices, but before- and after-school practices have been cancelled. The senior band trip to Minneapolis and the trip to the Brandon Jazz Festival have also been cancelled.
Students who begin feeling ill or show signs of illness during the school day will be accommodated in an area away from other students and staff until parents or guardians are able to pick them up.
“The School District of Mystery Lake will be communicating as quickly and effectively as we can and it is important for all of us to be accessible and flexible to protect ourselves and each other,” said the letter from co-superintendents Angele Bartlett and Lorie Henderson. “As the virus spreads, we will be following the health and educational authorities that are best positioned to inform our decisions and help us direct effective actions.”
