Manitoba provided details on what the rest of this school year will look like.
All Kindergarten to Grade 12 schools in Winnipeg and Brandon as well as in the Garden Valley and Red River Valley school divisions will remain in remote learning for the remainder of the school year.
“Extending remote learning as recommended by public health will protect students, families, teachers and staff as our COVID-19 case counts remain high and our health-care system is still under tremendous strain,” Education Minister Cliff Cullen said in a news release. “We know the value of face-to-face instruction, and limited use for small groups of students will allow students and teachers to end the year on a stronger footing.”
Other schools that are currently in remote learning will have an opportunity to reopen in small groups of 5-6 students, beginning June 14. Cullen says this limited return is optional.
Schools will be required to follow certain guidelines, such as:
• determining capacity limits to ensure two metres of physical distancing;
• maintaining cohorts;
• where possible, limiting the amount of time students
spend in the facility;
• maintaining physical distancing of at least two metres;
• wearing masks, except while seated; and
• limiting gatherings between students.
For schools in other parts of the province that remain open, they are required to continue following guidelines that remain in place, which are:
• schools with multiple cases (outside of same household cases) will be moved proactively to remote learning as per existing guidance;
• school officials can require students and/or staff who are showing symptoms to stay home for 10 days and encourage them to seek testing and household members without symptoms should also self-isolate (quarantine) until the sick individual’s test result is received;
• all extra-curricular activities, organized sports and off-site activities are suspended, except for physically distanced walks/runs in the local community;
• no indoor singing and no indoor use of wind instruments are allowed; and
• all other public health measures remain in effect.
Schools that are considering a modified graduation ceremony “must adhere to the public health orders and guidelines in effect at the time the ceremonies take place.”