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Parent has concerns about school restart plans

A concerned local parent has turned to social media to publicly question School District 57's return-to-school decisions. Christina Watts, a local artist and small business owner, has two children in Heritage elementary school in Grades 5 and 7.
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Christina Watts, local concerned parent, posted a video online through her Facebook page to voice concerns she has about her children returning to school during the pandemic.

A concerned local parent has turned to social media to publicly question School District 57's return-to-school decisions.

Christina Watts, a local artist and small business owner, has two children in Heritage elementary school in Grades 5 and 7.

She's afraid her children will get COVID-19 because of the risk of exposure they face in school, Watts said.

"Dr. Bonnie Henry says we will see cases of Covid in the schools when they resume," Watts said. "For us, this is not an acceptable risk. Talking with numerous other families, we are not alone."

The consequences of not putting the children back into the school is that they could lose their place in the school, even when they live in the catchment area.

While looking to other options, Watts discovered the B.C. Distance Learning Programs but the program is full and the wait lists are daunting.

Home schooling lacks the support Watts' family needs to be successful and there is no online learning option that follows the B.C. curriculum, which is her first choice at this time to continue her children's education.

Watts was inspired to start a petition to try to get the attention of School District 57. The petition is called Safe Learning Options for School District 57 at change.org.

Watts is concerned because each learning pod her children will be in has 60 students in it which means their family is suddenly exposed to 120 people, plus their families who go to work and have friends and do activities.

The potential for exposure is so great and the consequences of contracting COVID-19 are dire, Watts said.

"Why can't the learning pod just be the kids in each classroom - that would be 30 students," she added. "That would diminish the risk."

Soon after Watts posted her video on Facebook she tagged Tim Bennett, trustee and board chair at School District 57, and Shirley Bond, Prince George-Valemont MLA and got responses from both that acknowledge Watts' concerns.

School District No. 57 (Prince George) is hosting a virtual town hall meeting today at 6:30 p.m. to answer questions from the public about the district's restart plan and the return to in-class instruction. SD 57 trustees and senior administration staff will host the meeting via video conference.

https://www.sd57.bc.ca/Pages/newsitem.aspx?ItemID=351&ListID=75c80a8f-296a-4d0a-940f-ee765426e1a2&TemplateID=Announcement_Item#/=

If Watts gets a chance to ask questions she wants to know if the schools are truly prepared to keep children safe, are the teachers ready and do the teachers feel they will be safe.

"I'd rather be safe than sorry," Watts said.

"I am asking the province, our School District 57 and local schools to provide what our family and many others need. The opportunity to stay in their respective schools with teacher supported learning from home options that follow the BC Education curriculum. Less children in the school, make it safer for kids who are unable to learn from home as well."