Province extends remote learning in Dauphin

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This article was published 09/06/2021 (1763 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While Dauphin students have been stuck at home since May 26, the province announced on Tuesday that this period of remote learning will continue until at least June 21.

Mountain View School Division Supt. Dan Ward relayed this message to parents in a letter that same day, explaining that the return to in-person learning for K-12 schools located within the City of Dauphin is being delayed due to a new string of COVID-19 cases that have emerged within the community.

This includes MVSD institutions as well, with Lt. Col. Barker V.C. School, Whitmore School, MacKenzie Middle School and Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Secondary School all registering new coronavirus cases since the beginning of the month.

However, Ward told the Sun on Tuesday afternoon that a lot of these new cases stem from individuals who are currently stuck in remote learning and received the virus from elsewhere in the community.

New COVID cases have also recently popped up at Grandview School and Winnipegosis Collegiate, although these MVSD institutions operate outside of Dauphin and are still providing in-person learning.

“Although there has been no evidence of community transmission of the virus within MVSD schools this year, maintaining remote learning does reduce the risk of potential exposure to the virus (resulting in entire families being required to isolate) while the number of cases remain high in the community,” Ward wrote.

Ward maintains that their K-12 students in Dauphin could potentially return to in-person instruction on June 21, even though this would represent the tail end of the academic year.

“We recognize how difficult these recent few weeks have been,” he wrote on Tuesday. “We also know there is good reason to be optimistic about the fall and the reopening of schools.”

While MVSD’s Dauphin schools remain closed for in-person learning, Ward maintains that exceptions are being made for Grade K-6 students who are at risk, have special needs or are the children of critical service workers.

Ward also reminded parents small groups of students will be allowed to return to school as of June 14 to briefly reconnect with their friends and teachers face-to-face.

“Your school will contact you with more details,” Ward wrote. “These in-person school appointments will be optional for students.”

Last week, Education Minister Cliff Cullen announced that K-12 schools located within Brandon, Winnipeg and the Garden Valley/Red River Valley school divisions will remain in remote learning until the end of the academic year.

This marks the second year in a row that some Manitoba schools have ended their academic year outside the classroom due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the province has identified 206 COVID-19 cases attached to schools over the past two weeks, 181 of which involve students.

Since the beginning of the 2020-21 K to 12 school year, the province has registered a total of 4,439 COVID-19 cases attached to Manitoba schools.

» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

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