Skip to content

Rocky View Schools students likely to see staggered re-entry next year

“The transition years from middle school to high school can be fairly traumatic for many kids. This year we’ve added having a staggered re-entry for the entire system. Moving from the COVID situation where our kids are at home, to returning back to school, there was a lot of learning especially with the new COVID protocols we put in place."
RVS stock photo
Rocky View Schools students could be returning to school in a staggered format next year. File Photo.

COCHRANE— Rocky View Schools announced calendar exceptions for the 2021-22 school year at Thursday’s (June 3) board meeting, and included details on the return to school, which could possibly be a staggered re-entry for Rocky View Schools students.

The plan laid out by Rocky View Schools allows for up to three days of staggered re-entry, which will be decided on a school-by-school basis.

Details of each school's re-entry plan will be provided by the schools to their community.

Superintendent Greg Luterbach said the beginning of the school year can be stressful for kids, and those emotions could be heightened due to the new COVID-19 protocols in place.

“The transition years from middle school to high school can be fairly traumatic for many kids. This year we’ve added having a staggered re-entry for the entire system. Moving from the COVID situation where our kids are at home, to returning back to school, there was a lot of learning especially with the new COVID protocols we put in place,” he said. “There was a lot of new learnings that had to occur for kids to be successful moving around the building in a healthy safe manner.”

Luterbach said COVID-19 protocols led to some new opportunities over the school year to build new, stronger relationships between teachers and students in classes.

The reduced class sizes imposed by COVID-19 protocols, he said, have allowed teachers to really get to know their students and vice versa, which is a huge component in a student’s success.

“Getting to know one another has paid amazing dividends as relationship building is one of the key components to a child’s success in the school. Having that relationship time to connect with your classroom teacher is incredibly vital and has paid some really positive dividends as the school year has gone on,” he said.

Luterbach anticipates that many of the kids enrolled in online classes will be returning to in-person classroom settings next year.

Many of those students have not been in a classroom setting in more than a year at this point, and there could be significant stress and anxiety tied to their return.

“There will be an incredible amount of new learning for them. There are also the kids who are transitioning to new buildings, and the stress and anxiety that goes with this. We would like to continue that opportunity for relationship building and allow for up to three days of staggered entry,” he said.

Luterbach said he wants to ensure schools have the opportunity to build their own plans and have the ability to adapt to the situation as needed while maintaining some of those relationship-building opportunities.

“It is important, transitioning back, that things continue to be fluid and I think providing those opportunities, those small group opportunities, to build those relationships— We’ll really reap those benefits for the entire year.”

Ward 4 Trustee Norma Lang said she had heard from her own children and other students who would like to see a normal re-entry into school.

Because schools have the autonomy to develop their own plans for the return to class the possibility of a restriction-free re-entry is an option.

“Talking to my own student, who’s going into Grade 12 next year, and some of her friends, I just— I know for kids looking into next year, something that’s the most important to them is they want the next school year to start as normal as possible. From that perspective, the idea of a staggered entry going into Grade 11 or 12 isn’t something that they’re super keen on. They just want a first day of school, without masks, just as normal as possible with all of their friends there,” Lang said. “Maybe that’s a little pie in the sky, but I think the flexibility built into the recommendation keeps the door open for the possibility of that if the situation allows for it.”

The Rocky View Schools board of trustees approved the 2021-22 school year exceptions motion during the meeting.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks