Grades 10 to 12 students in Whitehorse to return to full-time, in-person classes

Grades 10 to 12 students at F.H. Collins, Vanier Catholic and Porter Creek secondary schools will be able to return to full-time, in-person classes on April 19, 2021.

Two planning days have been scheduled to support school staff in adjusting their course plans for the remainder of the school year. Grades 10 to 12 students will not attend in-class school during these two days and will be expected to be learning from home on work assigned by their teachers. Planning days are scheduled for:

  • Thursday, April 15, 2021; and
  • Friday, April 16, 2021. 

To support a safe transition, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health has provided updated health and safety guidelines to allow for relaxing the two metre physical distancing rule at these three schools, while emphasizing:

  • keeping cohorts/groups of students together and avoiding mixing with other groups as much as possible throughout the school day;
  • minimizing prolonged face-to-face interactions;
  • avoiding physical contact and maximizing physical distancing as much as possible;
  • limiting congregation of students and staff during transitions between classes and in common areas; 
  • non-medical mask use in common areas.

Department of Education central administration staff are working with school principals and school councils at the three high schools to determine how school operations should be adjusted to reflect these guidelines. Once finalized, updated operational plans will be available on each school’s website. Any changes to school operations and programming will be shared with students, families, school councils and school staff ahead of April 19, 2021.

Although school children and teachers have adapted and made the most out of a difficult year, we know students do better overall in a face-to-face learning environment. I feel confident that with our current processes and ongoing immunization we can have our kids return to full-time class safely. As always, we will continue to monitor COVID-19 activity within the territory, and should we face a surge of COVID-19 cases we will have contingencies in place to ensure continued learning. 

Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Brendan Hanley

While we have seen some students succeed on the half-day, in-class schedule, we continue to hear from parents/guardians who are worried about the impact this schedule is having on their child’s learning. Returning students to full-time in-person classes for the remainder of the school year provides students with greater access to teacher support and a chance to get back to their normal school routines before next school year. It also supports our graduating students to finish their Grade 12 year with their friends and teachers as they would in a regular school year.  

Deputy Minister of Education Nicole Morgan

Quick facts 
  • Whitehorse Grades 10 to 12 students at F.H. Collins, Vanier Catholic and Porter Creek secondary schools have been on the half-day, in-person class schedule since the beginning of the school year due to COVID-19 health and safety measures in schools.

  • All other Yukon students have been attending full-time in-person classes since the beginning of the school year.

  • F.H. Collins Grade 8 students will continue to attend classes at the Wood Street Centre for the remainder of the school year. 

Media contact 

Erin MacDonald
Communications, Education
867-332-7008
erin.macdonald@yukon.ca

News release #: 
21-096