All schools in Yellowknife are scheduled to welcome back students as scheduled on Aug. 30 and Sept. 1, said Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) spokesperson Briony Grabke on Aug. 25.
Classes at Yellowknife Education District No.1 (YK1) schools will start on Aug. 30, along with classes at Yellowknife Catholic Schools (YCS), according to the NWT Teachers Association’s 2021-2022 school calendar.
École Allain St-Cyr, operated by the Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest (CSFTNO) will welcome students back on Sept. 1.
Also on Aug. 25, a joint letter from from the three school districts that had been issued in the morning was pulled as while the districts are “still learning more,” said YK1 spokesperson Mike Gibbins.
Instead, Gibbins referred back to a joint message that was sent out on Aug. 19 that stated the districts are monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Yellowknife and in the NWT.
“As we approach the reopening of schools, we will continue to work closely with the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer and ECE to determine if any changes to our reopening plans will be required. The precautionary measures and restrictions that were in place to prevent the spread of the virus will be reviewed and adjusted according to all guidelines from the OCPHO,” he said.
A GNWT cabinet spokesperson said on Aug. 19 that with the outbreaks in the Sahtu region and the containment orders in some communities, it is “reasonable to expect” that school openings could be delayed in the region.