Rocky View Schools’ (RVS) provided families with details on the offered RVS Online Learning as an option to consider for their families for the upcoming school year on Aug. 14.
“RVS recognizes not all students will be able to return to the classroom this year due to the pandemic and they need a quality online option,” said Board Chair Fiona Gilbert.
“With the safety and well being of our students and staff at the heart of everything we do, the RVS team has worked hard to design an online program that will help grade one through 12 students achieve the necessary learning outcomes in their grade and courses for those who choose this path,” she said.
Parents were provided with informational outlines on what the RVS Online Learning will look like at the various grade levels, how instruction will be delivered, and student progress assessed, what learning supports will be available for students with unique needs, and the expectations of all involved in the students’ learning.
Parents will have until 9 a.m. on Aug. 24, to decide if they wish to register their child or children into the RVS Online Learning program and have been asked to fill out a form by that time to allow RVS a window to plan and prepare schools and teachers.
Families will have a one-time opportunity to change from either online or face-to-face learning for the remainder of the school year in February.
“RVS understands that this is a difficult decision for some families, and we wanted to provide some flexibility in case their personal situation changed in the future,” Gilbert said. Adding, “We believe active parental involvement in this online program will be a key contributing factor to their child’s success and we want to ensure they have options.”
RVS is also adjusting the school schedule slightly for the first few days to help ease students back into their school environments and help them to familiarize themselves with the COVID-19 protocols.
Approximately a third of students will attend their designated school on Sept. 2, 3, 4 with each student only attending one of those days.
As in the past, kindergarten students will have a slightly modified schedule for the first few weeks.
Parents will be notified by their schools’ which day their child or children are assigned to attend by Aug. 28.
“On behalf of the Board, I’m proud of the steps RVS has taken to protect the safety and wellbeing of our 26,000 plus students and 2,500 plus staff through the Scenario 1 School Re-entry Plan and now with the RVS Online Learning option,” Gilbert said.
“We look forward to welcoming our students and staff back for a successful 2020/2021 school year,” she said.
For additional information, please visit https://www.rockyview.ab.ca/school-re-entry-plan/assets/update-assets/rvs-online-learning.
