SPERD upping cleaning tools, custodial work, cancels all extra-curricular activites

St. Paul School Division is upping the number of hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes in their classrooms while increasing custodial time as some of the measures against COVID-19.

On Friday, they posted to their website a message to parents and students about what’s going on within their school division and said any decision to close schools will be made in conjunction with Alberta Health.

They said they are unaware of any cases of COVID-19 in any of their schools.

What they’ve done as a school division:

• Increased the number of hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes in classrooms and common areas
•  Increased frequency of cleaning of high touch surfaces, such as water fountains, door handles, desks, and railings
• Shared tips and preventative measures including good hygiene, social distancing and food
• sharing information on our social media sites and website
• Shared communications on how to talk to children and students about COVID-19
• On our website created a direct link to COVID-19 resources and the latest information.
• Cancelled the school division international trip to Spain and France
• Posted signs to encourage proper hygiene practices to prevent transmission of respiratory illness
• Discouraged hand-shaking as part of sporting events
• Cancellation of basketball zones tournaments

On Monday new additional custodial hours will be allotted to SPERD schools to increase cleaning frequency.

Also starting next week, bus drivers will be disinfecting handrails and seats.

They are also taking the following precautions:

• Extra-curricular and curricular events, such as field trips and sporting events will be cancelled
• Parent-teacher interviews, parent councils and other group meetings are now cancelled or postponed
• School team practices and school-based clubs are cancelled
• School assemblies will be cancelled or postponed
• There will be no third party access to school facilities on evenings or weekends such as community sports teams and outside clubs
• School professional development activities involving outside agencies and speakers will be postponed indefinitely

SPERD is expecting students and staff who return from international travel from Friday, March 13 to follow the advisory from Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, Theresa Tam to self-isolate for 14 days.

SPERD will provide updates on their website and social media.