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Distance Learning

School District 73 lays out its Continuity of Education Plan

Mar 19, 2020 | 4:57 PM

KAMLOOPS — In-person classes are cancelled, but teachers will continue to educate their students in the Kamloops-Thompson School District.

School district officials have been hammering out a plan to allow students to learn from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff will gradually return to schools starting on Monday.

The school buildings will be off-limits to the public.

Students will begin learning from a distance by March 30.

“K-12 students will be learning from a distance, however they will be connected to a teacher and they will have some continuity of learning,” said Superintendent of Schools Alison Sidow. “It won’t be a full service model, but it will be enough to keep kids engaged in their learning and to keep them progressing.”

Sidow says an emphasis will be placed on preparing Grade 12 students for graduation, which requires a more intense learning plan.

Any families who do not have access to the necessary technology will still be able to receive educational materials.

“If we have families that require some technology, we will supply that or loan that out to them,” Sidow said. “Some families might not have good connectivity, particularly those in our rural communities, we’ll have opportunities for them to receive materials, either through scheduled interviews or meetings at schools or through mail delivery.”

The school district is also working to locate education sites for students whose parents are essential service workers during the pandemic.