Saskatoon, Regina school divisions release scheduling plans for Friday

For the second time in 10 days, school divisions across Saskatchewan have had to make new lunch plans.

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation announced Tuesday evening that teachers would be withdrawing lunch-time supervision on Friday as part of their latest round of sanctions against the provincial government now that contract talks have stalled.

The sides have been trying to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement since their previous deal expired in August.

Here are the plans for the school divisions in Regina and Saskatoon.

Saskatoon Public Schools

Morning classes at elementary schools are to be held as normal, although half-day pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs may experience slight changes to their schedules.

All of the schools will be closed at lunch.

Students who are bused to school will be bused home at lunch unless alternate arrangements have been made by parents, caregivers or families. There won’t be bus service at the end of the day.

Students can return to school after lunch for classes, but those who were bused home at lunch won’t be bused back for the afternoon. They’ll have to get a ride back to school and also will need to be picked up after dismissal.

Kids who don’t return for the afternoon will get take-home materials to work on after lunch.

High schools will move to the regular shortened Thursday schedules on Friday. Students can return to school in the afternoon if they so choose, or they can stay home and work on assigned materials.

Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools

The division’s schools in Saskatoon, Martensville and Warman will be closed for the lunch break on Friday, and will work on a modified daily schedule.

In elementary schools, students will be in their classrooms in the morning, with dismissal at lunch expected to be up to 30 minutes earlier than normal.

At lunch, all students will have to leave the school and its grounds. Buses will pick up students around 15 to 30 minutes before lunch to ensure they’re not left unsupervised.

Students who are able to return to school in the afternoon are encouraged to do so, as teachers will be in the classrooms. Students who can’t make it back to school are to work from home on learning packages.

Half-day pre-kindergarten programming will continue, with morning students receiving busing to and from school. Those in afternoon classes won’t have busing available to them.

Before- and after-school programs will continue as normal, except during lunch.

There won’t be any end-of-day bus service.

As for high schools, students will have classes in the morning on a normal shortened Thursday schedule. All students must leave the school property over the lunch hour.

In the afternoon, students are encouraged to return to school to work with teachers. Students who can’t make it back to school are to work at home on assignments that were handed out in the morning.

Busing won’t be available after school.

Regina Public Schools

The division says students will be sent home early at lunch hour Friday, with elementary schools dismissing kids at noon and high schools sending students home at 12:50 p.m.

Elementary schools will be closed from noon to 2 p.m. From 2 p.m. until the end of the school day, schools will be reopened for students who are able to return. If a student isn’t returning, families must enter the absence in Edsby or contact the school directly.

The division’s high schools will move to a five-period day, with classes starting at 8:30 a.m., 9:25 a.m., 10:20 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. Students have to leave the school at 1 p.m.

High school teachers will be available from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. via email, Edsby or prearranged phone call.

The division said end-of-day transportation will begin just prior to early dismissal. If students at elementary schools decide to return to school from 2 p.m. to the end of the school day, they won’t be bused home.

Before- and after-school programs are to run as usual. Field trips, charter buses for full band and all other bus charters are cancelled.

Regina Catholic School Division

Start times for classes and morning transportation won’t change, and all before- and after-school programs will be held in the morning only.

The big change comes when school is dismissed.

“End times for in-person learning will change for the majority of students,” the division said in a post on its website. “Afternoon bus transportation will change. Please expect a drop-off time one hour and fifty minutes (just under two hours) early.”

The division added that principals were to send out further details about their individual schools.