Manitoba teachers head back to work, schools prepare for the uncertainty of Omicron

Teachers across Manitoba were back to work on Thursday after winter break, preparing for a week of remote learning amid uncertainty of the Omicron variant.

Brian O’Leary, superintendent of the Seven Oaks School Division, said teachers are currently contacting students, sending out Chromebooks, putting together lessons plans, and sorting out which kids need to come for in-person learning next week.

He noted the week of remote learning, which begins on Jan. 10, gives students and staff more time to get vaccines and boosters, and gives schools more time to see how things progress before they reopen.

“We will next week distribute the rapid antigen tests to all of our students Kindergarten to Grade 6, where the vaccine uptake isn’t as high as it is for the older age groups,” O’Leary said.

“We will ensure we have an adequate stock of masks for staff and medical-grade masks for students as well.”

O’Leary said he hopes the schools don’t end up in an extended period of remote learning.

“We really do want to have kids in school,” he said.

One person that agrees with O’Leary’s stance on returning to the classroom is Dr. Marni Hanna, a community pediatrician and the President of the Manitoba Pediatric Society.

Hanna penned a letter to the premier, several ministers, health officials, as well as the presidents of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society and Canadian Pediatrics Society, advocating for in-person learning.

In the letter, Hanna emphasized the fact that school is important for a child’s mental, physical and developmental health, noting the school shutdowns have had a negative impact on children.

“In particular, the children of Manitoba have had a lot of mental health issues,” she said.

“That’s kind of the big one, with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, excessive screen use and behaviour issues related to that, obesity, and even suicidal thoughts that unfortunately some children even acted upon.”

Hanna added that she’s skeptical that closing schools will make a large dent on stopping the transmission of COVID-19.

“The spread of COVID in schools has reflected what is going on in the community, but it has not in the past been a driver of the spread of COVID,” she said.

She said the upcoming week of remote learning is understandable, “but this should not turn into weeks or months of remote learning for children this time. It’s been a long time now, we know what to do and this should’ve been foreseen ahead of time, so that families could have a lot more ability to plan for this. It’s incredibly stressful.”

Hanna said schools serve as a social network for kids, adding that it makes them feel safe and provides a sense of normalcy.

“A large part of my day now as a pediatrician is devoted to dealing with mental health issues for children. And these have just skyrocketed since the pandemic started,” she said.

KEEPING SCHOOLS SAFE

O’Leary said the school division is taking a number of steps to ensure that schools are safe including spreading kids out as much as possible, using Plexiglass dividers and ensuring the ventilation system is working optimally.

“We’re expecting all of our kids back in school. So the main protections are going to be masking, stay home if you’re symptomatic, the testing for the younger kids and vaccination,” he said.

O’Leary noted the division is concerned about having a large number of teachers staying home sick, but it has ways of prioritizing and shifting staff.

“With this new variant, we’re not in control. We just need – to a great degree – to watch and react and I think we’re prepared to do that,” he said.

-with files from CTV's Michelle Gerwing