YELLOWKNIFE EDUCATION
DISTRICT NO. 1

ADMINISTRATION SCOLAIRE DE
DISTRICT Nᵒ 1 DE YELLOWKNIFE

P.O. Box 788, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2N6
C.P. 788, Yellowknife NT X1A 2N6
Tel: (867) 766-5050•Fax: (867) 873-5051
Tél. : (867) 766-5050•Téléc. : (867) 873-5051
www.yk1.nt.ca
August 11, 2020
Dear staff, students, parents/guardians and stakeholders:
Re: Return to School Planning for the 2020-2021 School Year
Yellowknife Education District No. 1 (YK1) would like to thank you for your patience and
understanding as we continue to navigate COVID-19. It’s been a challenge working around this
pandemic but staff, students and families have demonstrated remarkable flexibility and adaptability.
Much has been learned during this time and will continue to be learned over the coming months, and
we appreciate your support throughout this uncertain period.
As you know, YK1 has been working closely with other NWT education bodies, the GNWT’s
Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) and the Office of the Chief Public Health
Officer (OCPHO) on a plan to reopen schools safely for the 2020-2021 school year. All schools have
submitted re-entry plans to ECE and the OCPHO, and all have been approved. Schools will share their
specific plans with families by August 14, 2020. We have every intention of starting the school year
on time and in-person on August 31, 2020.
As we get ready to welcome back staff and students, our priorities will be:
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Maintaining the health and safety of students, staff and families:
o Ensuring all health and safety measures as required by the CPHO and the Workers’
Safety and Compensation Commission are effectively implemented
o Promoting practices to reduce transmission of the virus and to be responsive and flexible
in response to changing health circumstances
Maximizing in-person instruction and delivering quality programs to the degree possible
Ensuring learning continues for all students, regardless of circumstances
Providing remote learning opportunities and maintaining regular contact with students who
cannot attend school in-person (to be arranged with the school’s principal)

Increased Health and Safety Measures
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Parents will be asked to monitor their children daily for symptoms and to not send them to
school if they are sick. A screening process will be developed, and people who are sick will not
be allowed in school. If students become sick at school, they will be quickly isolated, parents
will be contacted, and the student will be sent home
Students will be required to wash their hands frequently, including before coming to school.
They will have regular access to hand sanitizer when hand-washing is not available
Schools will be disinfected more frequently, including classrooms and high traffic areas
Schools may stagger drop-off and pick-up times and modify lunch, recess and break times to
limit gatherings and promote physical distancing
Schools will have designated entrances and exits, and restrict/manage flow in hallways and
common areas with floor markings and/or physical barriers
Students will be asked to label personal items and to not share (including food)

 YELLOWKNIFE EDUCATION
DISTRICT NO. 1

ADMINISTRATION SCOLAIRE DE
DISTRICT Nᵒ 1 DE YELLOWKNIFE

P.O. Box 788, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2N6
C.P. 788, Yellowknife NT X1A 2N6
Tel: (867) 766-5050•Fax: (867) 873-5051
Tél. : (867) 766-5050•Téléc. : (867) 873-5051
www.yk1.nt.ca
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There will be no assemblies and there will be limitations on gatherings
There will be changes to student transportation in line with recommendations from the
OCPHO. Every student must wear a mask on the bus, and there may also be scheduling changes
Parents, guardians and visitors will have limited access to schools to reduce potential exposure
There will be changes to emergency evacuation procedures, fire drills and lockdown
procedures
Students will get frequent reminders to minimize physical contact with their friends as much
as possible
Some classrooms and instructional time will also look different, with:
o Increased spacing between desks and other furniture
o Physical distancing measures for Grades 7–12 students
o Possibly more time spent learning outside
o Non-medical masks for students whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained
o Face shields for teachers and other school staff
o Changes to school schedules and hours of instruction

Education Delivery by Grade Level
Recommendations from the OCPHO lay out different public health advice and restrictions depending
on a person’s age. Younger children are seen to be at a lower risk for contracting and spreading
COVID-19, which is why there are fewer physical distancing requirements for elementary students
than there are for junior and senior secondary students. JK–6 students won’t have to practice physical
distancing while in their classroom “bubble”, but will have to take additional precautions outside of it.
While situations will vary from school to school, the following section explains how education delivery
will generally look based on grade level.
JK–Grade 6
● Full-time, in-person instruction
● No physical distancing inside the classroom “bubble”, but students must maintain a physical
distance of one to two metres outside of the classroom
● Changes to classrooms to maximize safety, such as the removal of materials that cannot be
easily cleaned (toys, sand or water tables) and modifications to gathering circles etc.
● Use of non-medical masks when physical distancing cannot be maintained, which includes in
the hallway and on school busses
● Assigned doors for exit and entrance
● Changes in the school, including sanitation stations for hand cleaning, additional signage and
physical barriers as necessary
Grades 7–9
● Full-time, in-person instruction as much as possible
● Physical distancing of one metre between students and two metres between staff
● Assigned doors for exit and entrance

 YELLOWKNIFE EDUCATION
DISTRICT NO. 1

ADMINISTRATION SCOLAIRE DE
DISTRICT Nᵒ 1 DE YELLOWKNIFE

P.O. Box 788, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2N6
C.P. 788, Yellowknife NT X1A 2N6
Tel: (867) 766-5050•Fax: (867) 873-5051
Tél. : (867) 766-5050•Téléc. : (867) 873-5051
www.yk1.nt.ca
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Changes in the school, including sanitation stations for hand cleaning, additional signage and
physical barriers as necessary
Students will be encouraged to keep personal items with them to limit locker access
No communal food or student spares, and staggering of breaks, exits and entry times
Use of non-medical masks when physical distancing cannot be maintained, which includes in
the hallway and on school busses

Grades 10–12
● Full-time, in-person instruction as much as possible
● Physical distancing of two metres between students and staff
● Assigned doors for exit and entrance
● Changes in the school, including sanitation stations for hand cleaning, additional signage and
physical barriers as necessary
● Students will be encouraged to keep personal belongings with them to limit locker access
● No communal food or student spares, and staggering of breaks, exit and entry times
● Use of non-medical masks when physical distancing cannot be maintained, which includes in
the hallway and on school busses
Contingency Planning
As you might expect, YK1 schools are preparing to move between in-person, distance and blended
learning at a moment’s notice as the pandemic dictates. Staff, students and families should be prepared
for learning to change quickly in response to evolving circumstances. These circumstances include, but
are not restricted to, multiple teachers becoming ill, a possible or confirmed outbreak at a school or if
territorial rules around physical distancing become more strict. This is why we are taking such a
flexible approach with all 2020-2021 planning.
Should there be a case of COVID-19 at a school, parents should be prepared for their child(ren) to be
sent home quickly and for contact tracing to be done before schools can reopen. Should a child develop
symptoms at a school, they will be isolated safely and parents will be contacted to pick them up. If a
number of school staff are impacted by COVID-19, school closures may become necessary. If schools
cannot be open full-time, JK–6 students will be prioritized for full-time, in-person schooling, along with
Grade 12 students so that they are prepared for post-secondary opportunities.
YK1 is committed to providing regular updates about re-entry plans as the 2020-2021 school year
approaches. We will continue to work with all of our educational partners so that we can provide
quality education programs in a safe and healthy manner. Our hope is that you will continue to
support us as we move forward with these plans. We look forward to sharing more information with
you soon, including school-specific plans by August 14, 2020.