Due to rising record numbers of daily new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the Government of Alberta has declared a state of public health emergency in Alberta, effective November 24, 2020, through to January 10, 2021.

Students and parents/guardians are advised that starting Monday, November 30, 2020:

– Grades 7 – 12 students will be learning from home. – Kindergarten – Grade 6 students (including ECS) will be in school as usual until the Christmas break (December 19, 2020 – January 3, 2021). – After the Christmas break, all Kindergarten – Grade 12 students will be learning remotely for the week of January 4 – 8, 2021. – In-person classes resume on January 11, 2021.

The above measures are mandatory, and apply province-wide.

Please note that there will be no changes to the schedule and operation of the Black Gold Distance Learning Program.

At-home learning includes regular live online teacher instruction, as well as directed activities and assignments that students will complete independently. Grades 7 – 12 students in at-home learning will remain connected to their assigned teachers.

Unlike the emergency remote learning that occurred in the spring, at-home learning will include all the required areas of the provincial curriculum in the courses that students are enrolled in. We maintain high expectations that students  will complete assigned coursework within allotted time frames.

Schools will continue to provide students with complex needs the services and supports they require. Parents are asked to  work with their teachers and school principals to discuss appropriate arrangements and scheduling.

All extracurricular activities, field trips and other activities requiring transportation are cancelled until further notice. All parent/guardian and staff meetings, including school council meetings, will be done virtually or by phone.

Diploma exams are optional for the rest of the school year. Students and their families can choose whether to write the exam or receive an exemption for the January, April, June, and August 2021 exam sessions.  If students choose to write the exam, the exam will represent 30 per cent of the student’s final grade.

“Black Gold School Division remains steadfast in its commitment to the health and safety of students and staff in schools and at the worksite,” said Board of Trustees Chair Devonna Klaassen. “We have been preparing since September for this eventuality, and I have full confidence in our teachers and staff to deliver the best learning opportunities for our students as we navigate this critical period.”

“I want to thank our students and their families for their ongoing diligence and patience as we work to overcome this temporary challenge,” said Superintendent of Schools Bill Romanchuk. “Our teachers will need more understanding and support from our school community than they have had at any time this school year.”

From the outset of this public health crisis, the Division has been diligent in implementing health and safety measures to protect our schools. And they appear to be working! To date, there has been no evidence of any in-school transmission.

For more information on the temporary move to at-home learning, please refer to the Black Gold School Division 2020-2021 At-Home Learning Plan