Nearly two weeks of remote learning have begun for all schools in the Red River Valley School Division (RRVS). The province confirmed the move over the weekend, citing rising COVID-19 infection rates in the community and throughout the area.

RRVSD includes École Heritage Immersion in St. Pierre, École St. Malo in St. Malo, and Morris School.

Charlene Geiler is the Chairperson for the RRVSD Board of Trustees, and she says she wasn't surprised by this latest development.

"Of course, we would prefer to have our students in school with their teachers as long as we could do it safely, but unfortunately due to multiple positive cases and a growing number of close contacts, we're finding high absences for staff and students," she said.

"We had a couple of schools that had multiple positive cases across different cohorts and then as they were in contact with staff members [that resulted] in so many being off having to isolate," added Geiler, "it just keeps growing and it's probably best for the safety of all of our staff and students to have them stay home for two weeks."

Geiler notes the Board wasn't too caught off guard by the short notice and says trustees, senior admin and staff took care throughout the year to have a remote-learning plan in place should it be required.

For those without internet access and/or devices at home, Geiler says the Division is providing those resources upon request.

Students in the Red River Valley School Division are set to return to in-class learning on Monday, May 31st.