SHARE ON: |
| |
| |
 |
 |
|
|
Shamattawa First Nation chief and council made the difficult decision to shut down the reserves only school last November after a COVID-19 outbreak devastated the remote northern Manitoba community.
They hoped cancelling classes for about 500 students at Kisemattawa Kiskinwahamakew Kamik School would be temporary. But as weeks brought growing case numbers, they realized the children were safer at home.
Last week, some 10 months later, students returned to the classroom.
I know the kids are so happy, said Chief Eric Redhead. I think they feel normalcy coming back into the community and into their lives.
He said the last COVID-19 infection in the community was about two months ago.
The last time students were in class, the community of 1,100 was dealing with more than 300 cases of the virus, forcing the school to be converted into an alternate isolation centre.
Redhead said the education department eventually held back students from progressing to the next grade.
There was just not enough time in class to pass everyone, Redhead said.
Shamattawa, located about 745 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, deals with overcrowded homes, a water system that is unable to service the entire community and inadequate internet service.
Virtual learning was not an option, Redhead said, because of the unreliable internet connection and lack of computers or tablets in homes.
He said he believes the decision to hold students back was a good one given the circumstances.
I dont think it would have been fair for the kids to expect for them to learn on their own.
Redhead said, for the most part, parents were understanding of the decision.
The school plans to continue with safety measures -- including mandatory masks indoors, social distancing, temperature checks and frequent sanitization efforts. But Redhead said the community will resort to shutting down the school again if theres another COVID-19 outbreak.
He worries about how that will affect the students academic success and hopes the next federal government, following the Sept. 20 election, will make reliable internet for northern and rural communities a priority.
Another northern Manitoba community also held back some of its students after a COVID-19 outbreak. the military was called in to help and three schools were shut down.
Greg Halcrow, director of education for Pimicikamak Cree Nation, or Cross Lake, said teachers attempted to send homework packages but students fell behind without reliable internet or in-class learning.
The education department came up with a dual curriculum plan for the 2021-22 school year.
For the first part of the year, Halcrow said, students will repeat the curriculum for the previous grade then move into the curriculum for the current grade for the latter part of the year.
I think it will be a challenge, but its something we are capable of overcoming and getting these kids back on track to where they should be, Halcrow said.
But it means 55 students who were supposed to graduate will have to repeat Grade 12 until January, he said.
Graduates will then have a chance to enter a transitional period before heading to post-secondary schools in the fall of 2022.
Its not all doom and gloom, said Halcrow. There are opportunities that have presented themselves. That is how were approaching this year.
Garden Hill First Nation, located about 600 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, had said in May it would have to hold students back due to the pandemic.
Ernie McDougall, who was recently hired as the new director of education for the community, wouldnt confirm if thats still the case for the 2021-2022 school year. He said the move was still being discussed within the education department.
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
4 am |
| -6 ℃ |
| CLEAR SKY |
WIND: SE 14 KM/H
GUSTING TO 26 KM/H |
|
|
 |
5 am |
| -5 ℃ |
| FEW CLOUDS |
WIND: SE 14 KM/H
GUSTING TO 23 KM/H |
|
|
 |
6 am |
| -4 ℃ |
| SCATTERED CLOUDS |
WIND: SE 14 KM/H
GUSTING TO 25 KM/H |
|
|
|
7 am |
| -4 ℃ |
| FEW CLOUDS |
WIND: SE 16 KM/H
GUSTING TO 28 KM/H |
|
|
 |
8 am |
| -2 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
WIND: SSE 15 KM/H
GUSTING TO 27 KM/H |
|
|
 |
9 am |
| -1 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
WIND: SSE 15 KM/H
GUSTING TO 26 KM/H |
|
|
|
10 am |
| 0 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
WIND: SSE 15 KM/H
GUSTING TO 28 KM/H |
|
|
|
11 am |
| 2 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
WIND: SSE 13 KM/H
GUSTING TO 20 KM/H |
|
|
|
|
TODAY |
HIGH OF 6 ℃
LOW OF -6 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
|
|
 |
SATURDAY |
HIGH OF 6 ℃
LOW OF 0 ℃ |
| SCATTERED CLOUDS |
|
|
|
SUNDAY |
HIGH OF 7 ℃
LOW OF 1 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
|
|
 |
MONDAY |
HIGH OF 9 ℃
LOW OF 2 ℃ |
| RAIN AND SNOW |
|
|
|
TUESDAY |
HIGH OF 2 ℃
LOW OF -7 ℃ |
| SNOW |
|
|
|
WEDNESDAY |
HIGH OF -9 ℃
LOW OF -19 ℃ |
| LIGHT SNOW |
|
|
|
THURSDAY |
HIGH OF -15 ℃
LOW OF -23 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
|
|
|
FRIDAY |
HIGH OF -8 ℃
LOW OF -18 ℃ |
| LIGHT SNOW |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
| Massive Online Privacy Savings! |
| |
| Protect your online activity this Black Friday! Save big on Surfshark VPN subscriptions and enjoy secure browsing, streaming, and privacy. |
| |
| Black Friday deals won’t last—shop Surfshark VPN now! |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
 |
JOJO MASON
AS IF WE WONT
04:12 AM |
|
 |
ELLA HENDERSON
ONE DOOR CLOSES
04:08 AM |
|
 |
MIRANDA LAMBERT
TOURIST
04:05 AM |
|
 |
CARLY PEARCE
DASHBOARD JESUS
04:01 AM |
|
 |
BROTHERS OSBORNE
BACK HOME
03:58 AM |
|
 |
POST MALONE
MISSIN YOU LIKE THIS
03:55 AM |
|
 |
JOHN FOSTER
TELL THAT ANGEL I LOVE HER
03:51 AM |
|
 |
KELSEA BALLERINI
HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE ME
03:48 AM |
|
 |
SCOTTY MCCREERY
RED LETTER BLUEPRINT
03:42 AM |
|
 |
MORGAN WALLEN
DAYS THAT END IN WHY
03:39 AM |
|
 
 |
