Peace Wapiti Public School Division (PWPSD) and Helen E. Taylor School would like to remind families and community members that there is an established process in place to provide information whenever a confirmed case of COVID-19 is identified in a school.
While community members may hear through personal conversations that a student or staff member associated with a particular school has tested positive for COVID-19, rest assured that PWPSD is committed to releasing information whenever a positive case has been determined by AHS to have attended a school while infectious, using the following communication plan:
- Parents/guardians and school staff who are identified as close contacts of the case are notified via an email and letter, sent by the school.
- Parents/guardians and school staff who are not close contacts of the case are notified via a second email and letter, sent by the school.
- PWPSD publicly releases the information to local media, and then publishes the same information on the PWPSD website and the affected school website, and announces it on PWPSD’s social media channels – Facebook and Twitter, @pwpsd. The affected school is then notified to share the post on the school’s Facebook page.
Whenever there is a positive case associated with a PWPSD school, out of respect for the individual and in accordance with AHS guidelines, no further information or identifying details will be shared about the individual.
Please note that if AHS confirms in their investigation that a confirmed case has attended Helen E. Taylor School while infectious, AHS will instruct school administration to contact families. AHS will then provide further guidance to any close contacts, such as the required time to isolate and how to properly isolate.
While self-screening has become a daily practice for us all, we want to remind parents/guardians of students, as well as any staff/visitors/volunteers of the importance of continuing to monitor for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 listed in the Alberta Health Daily Checklists. As a reminder, if you/your child has any of the symptoms, please call Health Link at 811 or fill out the Alberta Health Services COVID-19 self-assessment, and stay at home/keep your child at home.
Thank you,
Mr. Robinson,
Principal, Helen E. Taylor School