It is back to school time! Welcome!
School start-up in the North Okanagan-Shuswap School District will be looking a bit different this year due to the devastation caused by the wildfires. SD83 Superintendent of Schools Donna Kriger explains for the majority of students the first day of school will be on Wednesday, September 6. This will be a half day session with students being dismissed three hours earlier than usual. However, with many families evacuated from the North Shuswap and an evacuation order still in effect for the area, district leaders have needed to establish alternate plans to accommodate students who attend the North Shuswap Elementary School.
“Information has been shared with all families of North Shuswap Elementary students indicating that the district will relocate both staff and students from that school to Carlin Elementary/Middle School beginning Monday, September 11th. The district will be implementing alternate transportation routes to Carlin for families who have been displaced because of the fires. High school students from the North Shuswap area who attend Jackson and Salmon Arm Secondary have been given the choice of attending classes in-person or through a hybrid model,” explains Kriger.
These alternate arrangements will continue until the district is able to confirm there is no structural damage to the school, power is restored to the area and the evacuation order is lifted.
The district has also been finalizing plans for students and families in the Sorrento area in the event an evacuation order should be issued for Sorrento School. These plans will be shared with families prior to Friday, September 1st.
As the situations in communities change, so will the district planning. The district is working to ensure that the transition back to a new school year is approached with empathy, understanding, and flexibility.