Students in Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach and across Canada will be saying hello once more to pencils, books and teachers’ dirty looks in the coming days.
All five area schools will be back in session shortly, with Creighton Community School opening its doors first later this week. Sept. 1 is the first day of class in Creighton, with classes for the Flin Flon schools - Hapnot Collegiate, Many Faces Education Centre, Ecole McIsaac School and Ruth Betts Community School - starting Sept. 7.
The first day in Creighton will get underway at 8:55 a.m. Thursday for Grades 1-6 and 8:45 a.m. for Grades 7-12. Grade 1-4 teachers will pick their students up at the west side doors facing Main Street, with Grades 5-6 entering through the tarmac doors on the school’s south side and Grades 7-12 entering either through the north doors by the office or the east doors near the tennis court.
Entrance and dismissal times will be more or less the same - 8:55 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.for Grades 1-6 - but lunchtime dismissal and recess times will be staggered. Grade 1-3 students will have a 20 minute lunch break from 11:30 a.m.-11:50 a.m. and three recess periods from 10:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m., 11:55 a.m.-12:25 p.m. and 2 p.m.-2:15 p.m. For Grade 4-6 students. Recesses will take place from 10:15 a.m.-10:30 a.m., 12:25 p.m.-12:55 p.m. and 2:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m., with lunch time from noon to 12:20 p.m.
This year, Creighton boasts a brand new floor in the school gym, a new outdoor classroom in the playground area and an outdoor shelter between the school’s jungle gym and the nearby ball diamond.
Flin Flon
With Flin Flon schools starting next week, there will be few changes from a standard school year. With no current COVID-19-related restrictions or health orders in place for Manitoba classrooms, the first day is likely to be more like those in 2019 and earlier than the past two years.
“It will look very similar to pre-pandemic times,” said Flin Flon School Division (FFSD) superintendent Tammy Ballantyne during the August 23 meeting of the division board.
“They [safety protocols] are still planned in case they’re needed, but they’re not in place.”
Only one vestigial change will stay in place - staggered entrance times for younger grades. Parents have been notified of when their child will start class on the first day.
Construction has also taken place around some Flin Flon schools.
Stairs have been removed at three separate locations around Ruth Betts and replaced with wheelchair ramps to improve access.
One prominent change for Ruth Betts isn’t a planned or pleasant one - ongoing construction on parts of the school, which will not be finished before the first day and will leave at least one part of the school temporarily inaccessible. That includes the presence of a large hole in the school’s back parking lot.
Construction at Ruth Betts and at Hapnot, where fixes are still ongoing for the school’s roof, is expected to continue into the school year.
“Ruth Betts Community School is undergoing construction. There are areas of the school that have been cordoned off, as well around the exterior of the building on the parking area side. There will be work will be continuing after school resumes, so please watch while picking up and dropping off and do so on Terrace Avenue when possible,” Ballantyne said.
“We always do ask that everything be done before school starts, but I think they’ll still have some finishing work after school starts,” added FFSD secretary treasurer Heather Fleming.
