Health & Wellness in School

The CBE takes the health and safety of our students and staff seriously. 

In all matters of health, CBE takes direction from Alberta Education and Alberta Health Services. In November 2022, the Chief and Senior Medical Officers of Health in Alberta provided school boards with a letter to share with families. It highlights measures individuals can take to reduce the spread and lessen the impact of illness in school communities. These include:

• stay home when feeling sick;
• if possible, avoid close contact with people who are sick;
• wash hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
• cover your cough;
• avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands; and
• clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and items at home, especially when someone in your home is sick.

Using a well-fitting, high quality mask is encouraged, especially in crowded indoor settings. Wearing a mask can help reduce your risk of becoming sick and help protect others from being exposed. Individuals should be supported regardless of their choice to mask or not.​
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Monitoring Ab​​sences 

We will continue to internally monitor student and staff absences this school year. Daily school-by-school absence numbers are being posted to this page.​

Illness Outbrea​ks

An outbreak may be suspected when there is an increase in absenteeism or a number of individuals are experiencing similar symptoms in a school. This could be due to any number of symptoms including respiratory, gastrointestinal and rashes.

If a school has more than 10 per cent of their student population away due to illness, the school will report to Alberta Health Services Public Health for investigation. If AHS declares an outbreak, they will provide information to families and recommendations to assist the school in preventing further spread of illness. ​After AHS has declared an outbreak in a school and CBE has been notified, an intensive cleaning of the impacted school is conducted after school hours.​

​Ventilatio​n

Spring 2022, the CBE upgraded to MERV 13 filters in schools wherever possible. These filters will continue to be utilized this school year and are changed more frequently. In addition, all schools are mechanically ventilated and systems are set to maximize air exchange.​

As we have done throughout the pandemic, we continue to follow the guidance and direction provided by Alberta Education and Alberta Health Services. If new measures are announced, they will be communicated with families and staff before they are implemented in our schools.​​​​​​​