(Victor Thunderchild/Facebook)
By paNOW staff
Victor Thunderchild, a well-known and well-respected Prince Albert high school student counselor died Saturday morning after being hospitalized with COVID-19. He was with the school for nearly 30 years.
Victor Thunderchild was in hospital with COVID-19 since April 2.
“We are heartbroken with the news of Victor’s passing. Our condolences go out to his family, friends and every heart that he touched,” Carlton Principal Jeff Court said. “Victor was a staple in our school/community and will be missed immensely.”
Safe Schools Saskatchewan Advocacy believed Thunderchild’s death could have been prevented with more measures.
Prince Albert Daily Herald
Saskatchewan Teachers Federation president Patrick Maze speaks in Prince Albert on Nov. 1, 2019. (Peter Lozinski/Daily Herald)
Teachers and their advocates have been making it known that they should be changed to be included in frontline workers eligible for a vaccine.
The province, on the other hand believes that teachers can get their shot when their age group becomes available.
Health Minister Paul Merriman said during a press conference on Tuesday that both teachers and corrections officers are eligible if their age category comes online with the province.
“And again teachers are included in our age sequencing if there is some teachers out there I think this is towards the end of the break if there is an opportunity on the weekend to go to the drive thru and I might encourage any of them to do that,” Merriman said.
Prince Albert Daily Herald
The Sask Rivers Education Centre/ Daily Herald File Photo
A report looking at the state of Saskatchewan Rivers School Division facilities shows that while the schools are being kept in excellent shape by the maintenance department because of effective planning.
At their regular meeting on Monday, April 12 the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division received their annual Accountability Report on Facilities in the division. The report is prepared by Superintendent of Facilities Mike Hurd who oversees the buildings in the division and provides an update on a number of subjects.
“Our division is applauded by others in terms of the management and care that we can do in our schools by Mike and his team efficiently. It is not just spending a bunch of money and getting great things done. It is spending some money and getting those things done,” director of education Robert Bratvold said.
Prince Albert Daily Herald
The Sask Rivers Education Centre/ Daily Herald File Photo
The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division saw no surprises in the education portion of the Provincial Budget announced Tuesday in the Legislature. According to director of education Robert Bratvold the education budget was as the division anticipated.
“It recognizes that there are fiscal challenges and implications. Locally it was pretty well exactly what we got last year plus an increase to account for the payment for teacher’s collective bargaining salary increase,” Bratvold said.
According to the province’s release Tuesday, the 27 school divisions will receive $1.96 billion in school operating funding for the 2021-22 school year, an increase of $19.2 million over the previous year. This includes fully funding the 2.0 per cent salary increase as part of the Teachers’ Collective Bargaining Agreement.
COVID-19 connected to Carlton Comprehensive High School
Carlton Comprehensive High School. Photo by Jayda Taylor/Daily Herald
On Friday evening the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division notified the public that a case of COVID-19 had been connected to an individual at Carlton Comprehensive High School in Prince Albert.
“Investigation has indicated that there are no designated close contacts. This means that two teachers and two classrooms of Grade 9s will need to self-monitor only and that no isolations are required,” the release from the division explained.
According to the division there is no evidence that the cases was/were acquired or transmitted at school and in person learning will safely continue for the entire school after the Easter Break.