September 30, 2021
To our Sister Mary Phillips School families,
Fort McMurray Catholic Schools is working diligently to support and manage the safety of our schools. We initially reached out to families on September 21st, 2021 to share with you we reached the threshold of 10% absence in our school. We reported this to Alberta Health Services as per our processes. Late this afternoon, Fort McMurray Catholic School Division received notice Alberta Health Services declared a “respiratory illness outbreak’ at Sister Mary Phillips School. Please see this letter from Alberta Health Services for more information.
AHS has defined an outbreak as an absentee rate of over 10% due to possible influenza or respiratory illness.
Sister Mary Phillips School will remain open.
The Government of Alberta has indicated schools will not be informed about individual cases of COVID-19 by Alberta Health Services. Staff and students may choose to notify a school about a positive COVID-19 test, but it is not required.
We continue to remind families to monitor for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 using the Alberta Health Screening Questionnaire. Please remember to complete the checklist each day prior to attending school. If you or a member of your family has any of the symptoms of illness listed, please fill out the online Alberta Health Services COVID-19 self-assessment or call Health Link at 811.
The health and safety of our staff, students and community is paramount. We know this news can be distressing for families and supports are available. Please be assured we will continue to work closely with Alberta Health Services to ensure we follow their ongoing recommendations. Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Joel Canete, Sister Mary Phillips School Principal
George McGuigan, Fort McMurray Catholic School Division Superintendent