Photo courtesy of Colton McKee

By Scott Roblin

School Outbreaks

Local high schools following outbreaks at other southern Alberta schools

Sep 10, 2020 | 6:01 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – It’s as close to business as usual at Medicine Hat high schools as possible with the pandemic still dominating much of the hallways with masks and physical distancing.

However, news of three outbreaks of COVID-19 at southern Alberta schools in recent days has given educators and school staff pause.

That includes Crescent Heights High School, who have been monitoring the recent outbreaks closely.

“I do think it gives an extra bit of urgency to it again,” said vice-president for Grades 10-12 Shonna Barth. “For a while it was a little tricky I think for people to feel the importance of it in Medicine Hat because we haven’t had a lot of local cases, we’ve been really fortunate. But, when it’s starting to move closer to home, it just reminds us that these aren’t just silly rules and it’s important.”

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Outbreaks of two or more cases in a 24-hour span have been reported at Henry Wise Wood High School in Calgary and Chinook High School in Lethbridge, as well as an elementary school in Calgary announced on Thursday.

This comes after Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw relayed concerns this week surrounding high school students and the need to keep large groups of students where physical distancing is not possible to a minimum.

At Crescent Heights High, Barth said they have directed their messaging towards students consistent highlighting why masks in hallways and staggered class schedules.

“We really try to empower them about their role in keeping us all healthy and safe, that every one of us has a part in that,” said Barth. “We don’t want to scare kids and worry them coming into the building. But, if we follow the rules that Alberta Health Services have put in place for us, it’s going to help us be able to stay healthy longer.”

Since classes for students began last week, Crescent Heights High has not seen any jumps in recent days of families choosing to pull their kids from in-person classes and switching to the online hub model.

The new normal is still a foreign feeling for the school’s students and staff, however the adjustment is becoming less and less of a struggle.

“We’re feeling a bit more of a sense of calm,” said Barth. “Our educators are very tired, they’ve been putting in a lot of time and emotion through this last stretch. But, it does feel calmer in general because we are feeling like we’re back to somewhat normalcy of what we’ve done before.”