Hanover Division students who are enrolled in kindergarten to grade 8 this coming year, will be confined to a cohort of a maximum of 75 people. These groups of 75 people or less will arrive at school together, depart together, play at recess together, have lunch together, and attend class together. There is to be little to no intermingling with any other cohorts.

The division released their plan for reopening their school late Monday afternoon and among the rules, regulations, and practices they outlined was what exactly a school population will look like when split into limited factions called “cohorts”. According to HSD “the purpose of cohorts is to limit the mixing of students and staff so that if a child or employee develops an infection, there are fewer possible exposures and contact tracing can be more easily done.”

The division indicates they will go to great lengths to ensure students from different cohorts do not cross paths. Those measures will include staggering schedules to prevent multiple cohorts from sharing the same hallway, sanitizing rooms like gymnasiums after each use, and having teachers move from classroom to classroom instead of students. Even among the cohort physical distancing of one metre will be required, wherever feasible.

Students who may be used to busing from one school to another for Tech Ed. or any other industrial arts will simply not be able to do so.

In high school, meanwhile, the cohort model was not determined viable. Rather, students in grades 9 to 12 will participate in a hybrid of at-home and in-school learning with a minimum of two days in class per school cycle. While senior students typically are able to enjoy a wide range of electives, HSD says this year “the priority focus is on teaching core subjects. Electives may be limited to accommodate scheduling if they do not affect educational requirements. Schools are attempting to run as many electives as is feasible. ” Consideration may be given to offering some electives remotely.

As in a regular school year, school attendance is mandatory for children ages 7 to 18 in Manitoba, with the exception of those deemed “of greater risk”. Full-time remote learning will not be an option for students.

The Hanover School Division stresses that these decisions and the many, many more outlined in the “HSD Divisional Plan For Resuming In-Class Learning” are based on the recommendations of provincial public health authorities. In light of the ever-evolving COVID-19 situation, the division acknowledges that all plans are subject to change. If and when change happens, students, parents, and staff will be kept in the know.

“We believe that continuous, transparent communication is essential in these unprecedented times,” says HSD.