École des Beaux-Lacs move some classes online because of Covid-19

Covid-19 has been making its way through classrooms at École des Beaux-Lacs which has prompted the school to move some classes online for students.

Principal Margo Moyen of École des Beaux-Lacs says they switched their kindergarten, grade one, and grade two classes to at-home learning due to a high number of Covid-19 cases and absences within these cohorts. Grade one was sent home on January 24 and kindergarten and grade two on January 25.

“Grades one and two started back at school on Tuesday of this week but we decided to extend at-home learning for kindergarten students until Monday, February 7 as cases continued to rise within this cohort,” Principal Moyen told Lakeland Connect.

Principal Moyen says, in addition, staff was hugely affected last week by both positive cases of Covid and/or symptoms requiring them to stay home.

“On any given day last week, we had between six and nine staff members missing from school,” Principal Moyen said. “We still managed to offer our educational programming but had to be creative within the limits on our human resources.”

Lakeland Connect asked Principal Moyen how students are coping with Covid-19 times and the pandemic lingers on.

“Overall, the students are coping incredibly well,” Principal Moyen told Lakeland Connect. They’re so adaptable and resilient. We are beginning to worry about the amount of school being missed by many students, however, as it is definitely affecting their acquisition and mastery of the French language in addition to disruptions in learning in all subject areas.”

Principal Moyen says they have received their shipment of masks and tests from the Alberta Government put supplies have dwindled.

“We received one shipment of masks and tests from the government and distributed these amongst our families,” Principal Moyen said. “We have been receiving some calls from families asking for more tests but we have no more to give.”

Principal Moyen says, “No word as to when another shipment will arrive from the government.”