Supporting Student Well-being as the Year Draws to a Close
May 11, 2021
As we move to at-home learning (May 7-24, 2021) and with the end of the school year coming soon after, the well-being of students remains a priority for all of us at St. Paul Education. While we want our students to still be engaged in their learning over the coming weeks, if your child(ren) is experiencing any stressors, please reach out to your school administration. We will work with you and provide the necessary flexibility to alleviate some pressure for you and your child(ren), either emotionally or academically.
Mental Health Supports and Resources
Our Family School Liaison Workers remain available to provide a variety of supports and resources. Contact your school administration or your Family School Liaison Worker directly to discuss your concern.
Families can also access a variety of mental health resources on the COVID-19 Updates and Resources page on our website.
Achievement
The pandemic has created impacts for everyone, but they may be experienced differently by different grade levels. Academic achievement is important to all of us, and especially important for students who are nearing graduation, however, well-being is central for each and every person.
Grade 12 Students
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s progress, please contact the school for an overview of their standing in courses required for graduation. With approximately six weeks of school left, it may be possible for your child to complete key assignments or assessments to demonstrate their learning at an acceptable level and meet the requirements for graduation. High school administrators will also be following up with families of at-risk students over the next two weeks. Career counsellors also remain available to assist students with post-secondary planning and review of graduation requirements. At this time, we do not know what the restrictions might look like in terms of recognizing graduation, but as soon as we know more we will be sharing this information with families.
Grade 10 and 11 Students
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s progress, please contact the school for an overview of their standing in their courses. There may still be enough time for your child to demonstrate an acceptable level of understanding on key learnings that are required for next year’s courses and to stay on track to graduate without having to repeat all or part of a year. High school administrators will also be following up with families of at-risk students over the next two weeks.
Junior High Students
Junior high is an important time for the building blocks of high school. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s progress, please contact the school for an overview of their standing in their classes. The important thing for junior high students is to develop good work and study habits and learn the basic skills that will help them in high school. Junior high administrators will be following up with families of at-risk students over the next two weeks.
Elementary Students
A lot of important development occurs throughout the elementary years, and not all of it is academic. It is important that our elementary students finish the year on a positive note. Teachers will focus primarily on literacy and numeracy skills and will meet the students wherever they are at in the fall to continue their learning. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s transition to the next year, please contact their teacher or the school administration.
Workload While Learning at Home
Alberta Education has directed that for the next two weeks, learning for students in Grades 7-12 should be ‘business as usual’. That said, please understand we recognize that having yo