Illness in Schools
In order to keep communicable diseases out of our schools, it is important that anyone who is exhibiting symptoms of illness, including fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, new or worsening cough or shortness of breath, remains at home until their symptoms resolve. Please inform your school if your child will not be attending for any reason.
Schools will inform Alberta Health Services when they have school-wide student absentee rates over 10% due to illness so they can investigate and advise. This has always been our practice.
If Alberta Health Services identifies an outbreak due to illness, letters will be shared from AHS to your school community. Various illnesses may lead to an outbreak, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, and rashes. Alberta Health Services will share information about the outbreak and recommendations to minimize further transmission within the letter.
What we are doing:
- Staying home when sick is one of the most important ways we can protect our school communities. Students and staff are encouraged to monitor for symptoms daily before coming to school.
- In order to help prevent the spread of any illness, students are encouraged to wash and/or sanitize their hands regularly. Hand sanitizer is readily available at our schools.
- Our schools continue to prioritize cleaning and disinfecting to mitigate the spread of illness.
- Families will continue to have the choice about their children wearing a mask at school, and individual decisions will be respected. Our priority is supporting a welcoming, caring, respectful, and safe learning environment.
- Ensuring proper ventilation in our schools and sites is extremely important to us. We have installed the ASHRAE-recommended MERV 13 filters in all of our schools and sites, and our HVAC systems are running for extended periods of time. We continue to reference and implement ASHRAE guidance where practicable within the limitations of existing infrastructure across the Division.
Read Alberta Health Services' Guide for Outbreak Prevention and Control in Schools.
Measles Information
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
If someone in your household is showing symptoms of measles, stay home and call Health Link at 811. If your child may have been exposed or is experiencing symptoms, please notify your school.
Additional measles information and support:
- Alberta Health Services: Measles Information
- Measles Exposure Locations in Alberta
- Measles Hotline: Call 1-844-944-3434 for inquiries regarding your immunization records, symptoms, or to book an immunization appointment.
Immunizations
Learn more about Alberta Health Services’ recommended immunization schedule for families.
Emergencies
Edmonton Catholic Schools’ first priority during an emergency is the safety of its students and staff. The types of emergencies include:
- On-Alert: An On-Alert is initiated as a precaution. The threat is outside the school. If the threat is outdoors and students are outside, they are to come into the school immediately. The exterior doors are locked and closed. Classes continue normally, but outdoor activities are cancelled.
- Lockdown: A lockdown means there is an immediate threat to the school, and emergency responders are present. All exterior and classroom doors are locked. Classes do not continue. Students and staff are not released from school until emergency responders say it is safe to do so.
- Evacuation: An evacuation requires all students and staff to leave the school and go to a designated location. In some cases, this may mean only going outside and away from the school building until it is safe to re-enter the school. In other cases, students and staff may need to go to an alternate location. Families would be informed of the alternate location.
Families should know that the Division’s emergency planning and response process places a high degree of importance on reunifying families and students as quickly, safely, and efficiently as possible. Once the school has met the first priorities of safely evacuating children and ensuring student accountability systems are fully operational, locations of parent reunification points will be provided in coordination with law enforcement and rescue personnel managing the incident.
At the reunification site, school administrators and staff will account for all students. Certain emergency situations may not allow parents to gain immediate access to their children. Law enforcement and fire rescue responders may limit the number of persons within the affected area as they manage the emergency. Students are released only to authorized individuals listed on school documents/PowerSchool. Identification may be required.
What should parents do in the event of an emergency?
The most helpful parental responses to a school emergency are to remain calm, refrain from calling the school, and wait for accurate information to be sent to the number listed on your child’s emergency contact.
Additional key points:
- Remain calm, follow procedures, and cooperate with school and public safety officials.
- Remain close to the phone listed as your emergency contact number.
- Understand that emergency pickup procedures are different than routine pickup procedures. You may be required to pick up your child at school or at a designated family reunification site.
- Follow emergency procedures. If you are asked to pick up your child, you will be asked to follow the checkout procedure established for emergencies.
- The reunification system was developed to ensure the safety of students, and it is vital that the procedure be followed.
- Remain in designated areas at the family reunification site.
- Be patient!
School Messaging
Edmonton Catholic Schools uses a school notification system called SchoolMessenger to keep in contact with our families. This system allows the Division and its schools to quickly send important messages and emergency alerts.
If you would like to make changes to how you receive messages, you can contact your school administrator, and they can make changes to your contact information.
Integrated Health and Well-Being Framework
At Edmonton Catholic Schools, we recognize that the well-being of students and staff is deeply connected. That’s why we’ve developed the Integrated Health & Well-Being Framework, a Division-wide approach that supports mental, physical, social, spiritual, and emotional well-being in our schools and workplaces.
This new framework replaces the Mental Health Strategic Plan and broadens its scope to ensure that well-being is embedded into daily practices across ECSD. Whether you're in the classroom, supporting students, or working behind the scenes, this framework provides a shared foundation for fostering a healthy, inclusive, and supportive environment.
Inclement Weather
Edmonton Catholic Schools has procedures in place for inclement weather.
Recess and Outdoor Activities
Decisions regarding outdoor activities are guided by Administrative Procedure 131 and take into consideration inclement weather that may result from the following conditions or a combination of conditions:
- Continuous rain
- Extreme wind
- Extreme cold
- Poor air quality
The suggested guideline is that students do not go outside if the temperature and wind chill factor are -20° C or colder.
Air quality is to be monitored similar to extreme cold temperatures. The suggested guideline is that students do not go outside when air quality reaches an index of 7 or more. Principals are to carefully monitor the air quality in their area when the index reaches levels of 4-6, indicating a moderate risk.
Recess will be moved indoors only during extreme weather conditions, so students are to come to school dressed appropriately for the outdoors. Emergency procedures remain in effect regardless of the weather.
Yellow Bus Service
Our transportation system has an excellent record for service; however, given the possible extremes of Edmonton weather and the potential for unexpected mechanical difficulties, it is impossible to guarantee buses will run on time or at all. A route can take significantly longer in adverse weather conditions.
If weather delays or cancellations happen, we will notify families as soon as we become aware. You are encouraged to monitor and subscribe to notifications through the BusPlanner Delays App.
Families should have a backup plan with their children so they have clear instructions about what to do if their bus does not arrive. Families must ensure that their child knows to return home or to a pre-selected location, and it is the responsibility of the family to make alternate arrangements to get their child to school.
Keeping Schools Open in Inclement Weather
Edmonton Catholic Schools prioritizes keeping schools open in extreme weather conditions to provide a safe, warm, and secure environment for students who attend. If you decide to keep your child home in severe weather, please let your school know.
If there is a weather situation that requires the Division to cancel classes, ECSD families will be notified either by the school or the Division.