Students on the Onion Lake Cree Nation will have to wait a bit longer before heading back to class in person.
In a release to the community on August 24th, Chief Henry Lewis says school re-opening will be postponed until further notice, so that the health of students, staff and the community can be maintained. Lewis adds this will give them time to assess the situation and see how COVID-19 spreads once schools in other areas re-open.
In the meantime, the Cree Nation will be implementing school changes based on COVID guidelines from health officials, as well as feedback from the community gathered both through their online survey and at an in-person meeting August 19th. School staff and teachers have also returned to work Monday so that they can begin preparation for what school in Onion Lake looks like once it does resume. They also plan to focus on land-based learning and camps for now.
A school re-opening plan is being developed, which educators will update and release in the coming weeks. Another meeting will be held to determine if and when school will re-open, and Onion Lake’s school survey remains open for ongoing community input.
The plan is being worked on by OLCN Chief and Council, OLCN Education, with input from the Elder’s Council, OLCN Health and the OLCN Pandemic teams.
Onion Lake Cree Nation daycare has re-opened as of August 24th.