It’s been two-and-a-half weeks since Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools students have had outdoor recess.
“I don’t like being outside in the cold,” said Phillip Hrapchak, a Grade 4 student at Bishop Filevich.
Teachers have to get creative to ensure students are still getting their physical education - whether that’s dance parties, yoga, or throwing around medicine balls.
“There are lots of ways we can help our kids be successful here at school,” principal Shelly Lord said.
The school division declares indoor recess when temperatures are -25 C or below. The two-week stretch is making some students get antsy.
“We’re crossing our fingers that it warms up next week,” Hrapchak said.
Environment Canada issued an extreme cold warning Wednesday, prompting both Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools and Saskatoon Public Schools to cancel bus services.
Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools spokesman Derrick Kunz said bus cancellations happen when temperatures reach -45 C with the wind chill, a decision that is made at 6 a.m for rural bus routes and 7 a.m for city routes.
For a school like Bishop Filevich that heavily relies on bussing, having them cancelled puts a strain on the school.
“We’re missing about a third of our population right now,” Lord told CTV News Wednesday. “But teachers, as professionals, go with the flow. We’ve amalgamated classrooms, we’ve put kids together and created activities so that they still have a successful day.”
Kunz said it’s “extraordinarily rare” for the board to cancel classes, saying it only happens in “extreme” circumstances. Were that to happen, schools would still remain open.
