Superintendent’s Office
December 9, 2020
Dear Parents/Guardians,
On Dec. 2, 2020, Manitoba Education announced remote learning expectations for the two-week period of Jan. 4-15, 2021. Hanover School Division is able to provide confirmation to our families that HSD will also move to implement this new model, in alignment with all other school divisions in Manitoba. We acknowledge the hardships that being in the red/critical level created for families. We thank you for your partnership, feedback, communication and patience these last few weeks.
As mandated by the province, Hanover School Division will implement the following directives effective Jan. 4, 2021.
- Students in Grades 7 to 12 will be in remote learning.
- Parents/Guardians of Kindergarten to Grade 6 students will be provided with the option of remote learning if they wish to keep their children at home.
- Regular, in-person classroom learning will occur during this period for Kindergarten to Grade 6 students, as well as for any Grades 7 to 12 students with special learning needs and for students at risk that must be accommodated in the school or classroom setting.
As our Grades K-6 families consider January remote learning, we encourage you to consider the emotional well-being of your child as well as their academics. As parents/guardians, you know what is best for your child, and we are here to support you and your choice to keep your child in school or at home for January remote learning. If you select this option, your child must remain in remote learning for the entire two weeks. Please visit the remote learning page on our website to learn more about your role in remote learning and student participation requirements.
To ensure our schools have sufficient opportunity to prepare for the remote learning period, we will be sending a survey to parents/guardians of Gr. K-6 children to determine the number of students who will be remote learning after the Christmas break. The survey will be sent tomorrow morning (Dec. 10).
Our regular busing schedule will resume for the period of Jan. 4-15. Reducing the number of students on our buses will minimize virus exposure to riders. To that extent, we strongly encourage alternative transportation where possible.
For our families with students in Grades 7-12, we know this two-week period of remote learning will have various impacts depending on your unique circumstances. Our teachers and support staff will be in touch regularly throughout this time to ensure learning continues. We encourage all families to reach out to school staff at any time for support to help your child; their success and well-being are our priority.
We believe students learn best in the classroom, among their peers, supported by their teachers, and we hope that all students will be able to return to in-class learning soon. In the meantime, we appreciate your patience and understanding. We are committed to providing your child with the education they deserve regardless of if they are at home or in their classroom.
Respectfully,
Shelley Amos, Interim Superintendent/CEO
Hanover School Division