Regina Public Schools will be moving to remote learning ahead of the Easter break.

Grades 9 through 12 will be heading home for remote learning on March 24, while elementary school students will be learning from home starting March 29.

In-person classes are scheduled to resume on April 12, right after the Easter Break concludes.

Regina Public School teachers and staff received this memo Friday afternoon on the move to remote learning:

In a news release, the Regina Public School Division says the move to Level 4 learning is being made to proactively respond to the rise of COVID-19 variant cases in Regina and area.  As for why high school kids will begin online starting March 24 and those pre-K to Grade 8 will start March 29, spokesperson Terry Lazarou says it is a little easier.

“With high schools on the quint schedule, there was the ability to allow us to get them out of the school setting sooner.” Lazarou said.

Regina Catholic Schools heading to Level 4

Not long after the Regina Public School Division announced the level 4 remote learning measures, the Regina Catholic School Division followed suit with similar measures.  Spokesperson Twylla West says it is a move that had to be made not only because of the variants of concern that have everyone on edge, but for operations.

“We are running out of substitute staff available and as the pandemic continues to heat up, we are seeing more and more teachers having to self-isolate which is taking them away from our schools.” West said

All schools will move to remote learning on March 29, with hybrid learning taking place for high school students beginning March 22.

As is the case with those in the public system, in-person classes will resume after the Easter break on April 12.

Both divisions did something like this before and after the Christmas holidays which was met with approval by both staff and families of students.