Grande Prairie – On Saturday, September 12, 2020, administration at Peace Wapiti Public School Division was advised by Alberta Health Services (AHS) that a case of COVID-19 had been diagnosed in an individual from Whispering Ridge Community School (WRCS). The following letter (also attached as a PDF) was emailed to all WRCS families.
School remains open for in-person learning
In their regular Sunday message to families today, September 13, 2020, WRCS administration provided the following guidance:
- All families with children who have been in close contact with the confirmed case will be contacted directly by AHS and given direction.
- The plans set in place to create zones and cohorts at WRCS has worked as planned and helped in the successful completion of contact tracing with AHS.
- School will continue as usual during this week for all students who have not been identified by AHS as a close contact.
- Today, the entire school is undergoing an additional deep cleaning in preparation for Monday.
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Letter to WRCS families:
September 12, 2020
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Today, we were advised by Alberta Health Services that a case of COVID-19 has been diagnosed in an individual from Whispering Ridge Community School. Our thoughts are with this individual and their family, and we wish them a safe and speedy recovery. We are working closely with Alberta Health Services to ensure necessary measures are in place to protect all students and staff.
Alberta Health Services will be contacting the parents/guardians of any students, as well as any staff/visitors/volunteers who may have been in close contact with the case.
Alberta Health Services defines a close contact as "a person who provided care for the individual, including healthcare workers, family members or other caregivers, or who had other similar close physical contact with the person without consistent and appropriate use of personal protective equipment; OR who lived with or otherwise had close prolonged contact (within two metres) with the person while they were infectious; OR had direct contact with infectious bodily fluids of the person (e.g. was coughed or sneezed on) while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment."
Out of respect for this individual, and in accordance with Alberta Health Services guidelines, we cannot disclose personal details. At this time, we ask that you model care and kindness when speaking about this situation to your children at home, and in the community, recognizing that this virus can infect anyone at any time.
We remind parents/guardians of students, as well as any staff/visitors/volunteers to monitor for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19. The Alberta Health Screening Questionnaire can be found here. If you are viewing a printed copy of this letter, the website is www.alberta.ca/k-to-12-school-re-entry-2020-21-school-year.aspx – scroll to the Screening Measures section mid-way down the webpage. Please remember to review the checklist each day prior to sending your child(ren) to school.
As a reminder, if you/your child has any of the symptoms of illness listed on the Alberta Health Screening Questionnaire please fill out the online Alberta Health Services COVID-19 self-assessment or call Health Link at 811, and stay at home/keep your child at home. If you are viewing a printed copy of this letter, the online AHS COVID-19 self-assessment may be found here: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/journey/covid-19/Pages/COVID-Self-Assessment.aspx.
The health and safety of our students, staff and their families is our first priority. We will continue to provide additional information to parents/guardians as it is available.