Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw School has made the difficult decision to officially cancel in-class instruction for the rest of the school year due to COVID-19.
“After careful consideration and several discussions, including with the GNN Health Department, GN School Staff, the Ministry of Education, FNSA (First Nations Schools Association) and other First Nation schools, the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Council has decided that, for the safety of students and staff, the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw School will cancel in-class instruction for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year,” stated a news release from the school that was posted online. “This was a difficult decision given how important education and being in school is for our children. However, considering the timeline remaining in this school year (just over 5 weeks remaining) and the logistics of keeping students and staff safe at school (social distancing, cleaning, etc), we feel this decision is in the best interest of the community.”
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The release noted that the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw School will continue to “support students and families remotely through work packages and online learning until June 19” and “will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation locally, provincially and federally over the coming months and work with all stakeholders to plan for a return to school in the fall. We are hopeful school will commence in September, as a new school year. This timeline allows for continued monitoring of the pandemic situation and collaborative planning on a school re-entry strategy that ensures the safety of students and employees. The school staff dearly miss the students and are looking to them to inspire us to formulate what school could look like when we are back to in-class instruction in the school building together.”
Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw School is a First Nation band school located on the Tsulquate Reserve in Port Hardy.
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