Hello Parents/Guardians and Students,
I am honored to be the Acting Principal for the remainder of the school year. We all wish Ms. Howell the very best in her new role as Acting Director of Area 6. She has created a wonderful learning environment for students and we, as a school, will continue to support student achievement at Henry Wise Wood.
COVID-19 Update / Online / Ongoing Learning - As a school, we are so proud of the way HWW has come together at this difficult time to stay safe, take care of one another, and continue to learn together.
As a result of the spread of the virus, the province of Alberta has declared a state of emergency and it has become necessary for our larger community to take some additional precautions.  Following these restrictions is one very important way that we can all get back to our normal routines, and to keep each other safe.
Yesterday at 4:30 pm, the provincial government announced that all grade 7-12 students will be moving to online learning from November 30 – December 18 and then again after our winter break from January 4 – 8.
That means that we will be online for the last three weeks before our winter break AND for the first week back from winter break.
We hope to return to in-person learning on January 11.
HWW's Administrative team is working on processes to support students who do not have a device to learn online. More information about this process will be shared when it is available.  We are also working on a plan for what returning to school in January will look like and how we will address final exams. This plan may look different this year and we will update you when we have that information.
There is an expectation that you will remain active in learning, attending all of your virtual classes during scheduled times and completing all assignments to the best of your abilities.
Please be CLEAR: this is VERY different scenario from the March lockdown.
Diploma Courses only- The government also announced that Diploma Exams will be optional for the remainder of the school year (January, April and June diploma exams).  We are working on a process for students to indicate if they plan to write their diploma exams. More details to follow in the coming weeks.
Students need to be:
Proactive – if there are issues with your ability to access your classes (technology or other concerns) speak to your teachers ASAP!
Responsible – stick to the bell schedule and attend your classes on time.
Engaged – we all know online is a challenge but the more engaged you are the easier it is to keep on top of your learning.
Healthy – there are many supports in the school and community, if things are not going well for you please ask for help! Consider your physical and emotional health; remember we are all in this together, talk to your teachers, counselors, admin if you are struggling.
​More information to follow through School Messenger, HWW Website and Instagram.
Take care and be safe.
Tony Barile
Acting Principal