OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
Chair: Goronwy Price
C.E.O./Director of Education: Anthony Stack March 29, 2021
Dear Families,
On Wednesday March 24, we learned during the Provincial Government’s Covid-19 briefing that organized community-based sports/recreational activities would be permitted for children/youth under Alert Level 2 as of Saturday, March 27. The Chief Medical Officer of Health also indicated, however, that the latest medical advice has not changed with respect to K-12 education.
Essentially, this means the vast majority of our high school students cannot access in-class instruction at this time. We recognize the detailed planning of administrators, and the creativity and hard work of teachers, in the provision of high caliber virtual learning these past months. However, we also recognize the pressures on teachers, students and families operating in an ongoing online learning scenario.
We believe that in-school instruction offers the optimal environment for learning and well-being for the vast majority of our students.
Extracurricular activities are highly valuable for many reasons, but these are not normal times. The District continues to stress the importance of making in-school learning a priority over non-essential activities and champions the notion of a safe community being a key factor in ensuring a safe school. To that end, there will be no change to the current prohibition on all extracurricular activities, including school sports. Any altering of this prohibition will only occur after careful consideration and consultation with our school communities. This is certainly not something that would be contemplated while we have thousands of high school students throughout the province unable to access in-school learning.
Again, thank-you to you for your patience and support during these unusual times. Student learning, well-being, and preparedness for the next grade level or post-secondary pursuits remain our primary areas of focus.
Sincerely,
ANTHONY STACK CEO/Director of Education
Macdonald Drive Junior High 