Edmonton school boards have been taking precautions to limit students’ exposure to the elements since teeth-chattering cold took hold of the capital region.
At Sister Annata Brockman School, students had recess indoors. Edmonton Catholic Schools has a policy in place for wintry weather. When the temperature reaches -20 C with or without the wind chill, students are kept inside.
For Michele Wedemire’s grade one class, Monday marked day six of indoor recess.
“I think this is one of the longest times we’ve ever been in. It feels like it,” she said.
Wedemire added when students are unable to venture out into the schoolyard, teachers must get creative in order to ensure they still get their daily dose of physical exercise.
“We incorporate what we call brain breaks into our day,” she explained. “A brain break is simply where we stop and we do some sort of physical activity.”
From stretching, to jumping jacks, running on the spot and accessing the GoNoodle website, they are able to offer a number of alternatives for students. GoNoodle features hundreds of videos designed to encourage kids to get moving.
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Edmonton Public Schools has a slightly different policy. Schools have morning and afternoon recess unless conditions are poor.
“Anything colder than minus 22 with the wind chill – we keep the children in,” Sherri Humphrys, principal at Julia Kiniski School, explained.
On Monday, students were back in the schoolyard for recess after spending the majority of last week inside.
“There’s been years where it’s been a two- or three-week stretch where they’re in most of the time, depending on the winter,” Humphrys said.
Don Marentette is the director of first aid programs with the Canadian Red Cross. He said two of the most pressing concerns in these conditions are frostbite and hypothermia.
“Numbness – sometimes tingling – can be a sign and as it develops into frostbite, you’ll actually start to see patches of white – a waxy white colour – that’s on the fingers or whatever the skin is,” he told Global News.
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Marentette added that hypothermia is a potentially life-threatening situation.
“If someone is in the cold elements for extended periods of time, we get worried about it when they stop to shiver because shivering is an important reaction when you’re in the cold. It’s your body’s way of getting warm and keeping warm.”
He said when dizziness and blurred vision start, the matter becomes even more serious.
“These kinds of situations are starting to tell us you’re starting to get to extreme hypothermia situations.”
The Canadian Red Cross provides information and tips online about how to stay safe during the frigid winter months.
Marentette highly recommends parents go over the symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia with their children to foster more awareness.
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