Can my kid take the bus? What will Manitoba classrooms look like? Your back-to-school questions answered

All kindergarten to Grade 12 students are expected back in class in less than two weeks, but what's that going to look like with COVID-19 still circulating in Manitoba?

Health and education officials gave the public a sense of that this month, including at a remote town hall early last week where parents quizzed Manitoba Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen and Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin on the details of the Sept. 8 return to in-person classes.

The back-to-school plan is framed around three different scenarios or risk levels, butCOVID-19 is ultimately in the driver's seat, and its prevalence in the community will influence policy.

The other main driver is the ability of individual schools to implement spacing requirements.

That's why when class is back in session, no two schools will look the same and why some high schoolers are more likely to be doing a combination of virtual and in-class learning.

The province is adding plans fromindividual school divisions to itswebsite as they are released.

What will classrooms look like?

K-8 students will be in class full time, as willstudents with additional needs in all grades. High school students, maybe not.

Generally, classes will be configured to allow for two metres between students. There will be assigned seating where possible.

Many K-8 students, especially younger kids, will remain with their homeroom classmates throughout the day.

Teachers, rather than students, may move from class to class for different subjects to minimize foot traffic.

When it's not possible to keep two metres apart, students will be grouped into cohorts with at least one metre of space between them.

The maximum cohort size is 75, which could include students from more than one classroom, depending on space constraints. Students won't be allowed to mix outside of their cohorts.

But the cohorting model won't always work at the high school level. Many courses are electives, and that makes for far more movement betweenclassrooms some Grade 11 students might be taking Grade 12-level courses, for example.

There may be more blended options, including some in-class and virtual learning for them. It will largely depend onhow much distance high schools can reliably maintain between students.

Right now, the province is hoping all high schoolers will be able to be in classrooms full time, but given spacing considerations, high school students will only be required to be in class for two days in every six-day cycle.

Lunches and recess breaks from K-12 will be staggered to avoid congestion in common areas.

Assemblies generally won't happen unless physical distancing is possible.

What about getting to and from school?

Buses will run, but parents are still encouraged to drop off their kids at school.

Divisions are confident that those who need to bus will have access to the service, though each one will give details of exactly who qualifies to take the bus in its own back-to-school plan.

Schools will manage entrancesand exits to minimize congestion at drop-off times.

One person per seat is recommended, but students who live together and those who are in the same cohort groups may sit together.

Students will have assigned seats on the busand will need to stay in those seats while on board.

When are kids not allowed to go to school?

Students with symptoms must stay home when sick, and sick notes won't be required.

The province is expecting higher absenteeism rates this year for that reason.

The same goes for teachers. Substitutes will fill in as needed and will be allowed to work at more than one school, though the province could still bring inrestrictions if the risk level increases.

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There may have been a time when parents could send their kids to school with a mild illness, but Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen said that won't be possible when in-person classes resume.

My child has a medical condition. What's the plan for them?

Remote learning options will be available for students with compromised immune systems or other conditions that increase their risk of serious complications if they get COVID-19. Those students will need to consult with a physician and be medically advised not to return to in-class learning.

Accommodations will be made for those with other health conditionswhen they come back to school.

What if I want to home-school, then change my mind?

Manitoba's home-school division has to accept students who return to public school during the school year, as long as they have theright to attend the school and their parents or caregivers live in the division's boundaries, a provincial spokesperson told CBC News in a statement.

When students make the change from being home-schooledto attending a public or funded independent school, that school's principal is responsible for deciding where to place them.

The principal would also be in charge of determining whether a student should get high school credits for the programming and course work they have completed.

What about gym class and school sports?

Gym class will occur outside where possible, or inside with distancing enforced.

The province has crafted some guidelines for how sports can be adapted to reduce the spread of COVID-19, though some leagues have announced their seasons will be on hold for the foreseeable future.

Cross-country might be up and running, but Manitoba's education minister admitted it may be more of a challenge for big team sports like basketball and football.

"For some [sports],it might not be practical,"Goertzen said.

How will schools keep kids safe?

Provincial health officials have worked with school divisions on a variety of measures.

Enhanced sanitizing, hand hygiene and distancingwill be in place across divisions and grades. Schools and buses will have more cleaning products on hand.

Students can't share lunch, pencils or supplies. Lockers may be restricted as well to stop students from gathering in hallways.

Masks will be mandatory for students in Grades 4 to 12 and staff when they can't physically distance. Those students will also have to wear masks on school buses, along with the driver. So will any visitors in schools.

Younger students are also allowed, but not required, to wear masks.

Masks will be given to any students or staff who need them, and students will be allowed to take their masksoff during outdoor play.

The province initially only strongly recommended masks in schools, but changed course after pushback from parents and educators.

Roussin said earlier this month that people with trouble breathing, kids under age two and those unable to remove a mask on their own shouldn't wear one.

Heading back to class could also produce anxietyor causemental health challenges to surface for students. Manitoba Educationhas asked divisions to develop supports specific to each school community.

Schools are permitted to do some form of screening of students for symptoms, but that isn't a requirement. Routine screening or temperature-taking in schools actually isn't recommended, since normal temperatures can vary throughout the day and between different people.

The emphasis is on parents paying close attention to how their kids are feeling and checking for symptoms every morning. Staff will also need to self-screen for symptoms daily before coming to work.

Roussin recommends parents with a sick kid assume they could have COVID-19 and get themtested.

If a student develops symptoms at school, they will be isolated and their parents or caregivers will be called to pick them up.

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Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin outlines what would happen if a student at a school tested positive for COVID-19.

If a student tests positive for COVID-19, the regular contact tracing investigation will occur. The student won't be allowed back to class until their health-care provider or public health officials say it's safe for them to return.

A case or cluster at one school also isn't likely to trigger changes across the board. Health officials say the nature of specific exposures will be taken into account and targeted risk assessments will follow.

What happens if things get worse?

If Manitoba's COVID-19 fortunes take a serious turn, expect overall public health and school guidelines to change accordingly.

The province could decide to re-introduce at-home learning or move to a blended model across the board.

Some communities or schools could choose to retreat to online-only instruction based on a local outbreak or their own unique concerns, as was the case when COVID-19 arrived in Manitoba.