After two months of much needed summer rest, the students and staff have returned to the halls and classrooms of Holy Redeemer. Although the community is still dealing with the fourth wave of COVID-19, the School Division has committed to a more normal school year.
“We’re excited to see our students again,” says Principal Betty Churchill. “Last year was an extremely tiring year, however our students and staff navigated it with so much professionalism. This year, we are hoping to resume to a more normal school year.”
Last year the school saw some strict protocols including mandatory masking, close-knit cohorts, a limitation and cancelation of extra-curricular activities, and of course, the six weeks of online schooling.
This year, the School Division has committed to a different set of protocols. Masking is now highly recommended for students and staff, however it is mandatory for visitors. Extra-curricular activities and field trips are a go, and students once again will have lockers.
“A lot of students seem to already be enjoying themselves a lot more than last year,” says Churchill, who adds that the school is still cautious and encourages handwashing and hand sanitization, as well as physical distancing to keep the risk of possible exposure to a minimum. Recently, Wal-Mart donated a number of hand sanitization bottles to the school. “Our Division has advised us of these policies, however we are also told that things may change at a moment’s notice and we’ll be asked to pivot to a different routine or protocols.” Churchill added that after the last 18 months of dealing with the pandemic, she is confident the school community will deal with any changes appropriately.
Beyond the direction of the School Division, the provincial government will be organizing a COVID vaccination clinic at the school sometime in the fall. With parental consent, students will be able to receive one or both shots of the Pfizer vaccine.
Extra-curricular activities are now in full swing. The Athletics Program is gearing up to start their Volleyball and Cross Country Running Programs, while the Football Program is expanding to include a Bantam Division. “We’ve fundraising over the summer to help fund a Football Program for our junior high students and we can’t wait to get started,” says Head Coach Mike Bachinsky. “In addition, our Senior Team will be kicking off their season on Thursday, September 16th versus Drayton Valley.” Kick-off time is 4:30 pm on the field behind HRH.
Additional protocols with the Athletics Program state that any indoor sports will proceed with no spectators, however outdoor sports will be allowed spectators.
Another long-awaited extra-curricular program that is returning is the Drama Program. This year, the Program will return with a main stage production of A Christmas Carol. “Auditions are set for September 14th to 16th,” says Drama Teacher Peter Taylor. “The performances are set for December 1st to 4th. It will have been two long years since our school performed a show, and there are a number of students just chomping at the bit to get back on stage.”
So the school year is returning to normal, but the school community is also aware that we are still navigating uncertain times. That said, HRH remains committed to providing the same world class education everyone has come to expect in a safe, faith-filled environment.