The Saskatchewan government says regular communication between provincial school divisions and health officials will take place throughout the school year as students return to class as soon as Wednesday.
Vaccination among those eligible in the province continues to be at the forefront to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools.
“High community vaccine uptake continues to be key to protecting children under 12 who are not yet eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine,” the province said in a release Tuesday.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the Delta variant, the province says it’s happy to see students return to in-class learning, something that was, for the most part, taken away last year.
“We are excited to Welcome Back students to a more regular school year for 2021-22,” said Dustin Duncan, Saskatchewan’s education minister.
“Schools are safe places and an important part of the mental health and development of our kids. We are looking forward to seeing students and staff get back to the joy and fun of learning after the summer break.”
School divisions and their schools say they are ready to provide the support necessary to students as they transition back into classrooms.
“The beginning of any school year is exciting, this year included. We all learned a lot last year, possibly more than we expected,” said Vicky Bonnell, Regina Catholic School Division board of trustees chair.
“Our students and staff became far more accustomed to being flexible, having adapted very quickly to many different situations last year. Our division leaders are now infinitely more experienced at dealing with challenges. We pray this year brings more quality learning, and a chance to reconnect within our school communities.”
The province is encouraging students, teachers, school staff, parents and caregivers to share back-to-school photos on social media using the #WelcomeBackSASK hashtag.