以下信息是由董事会主席玛丽莲·丹尼斯在4月28日常规公开董事会会议开始时发表的。

本周是阿尔伯塔省的教育周。每年，我们都有机会认识到教育在我们社会中的重要作用。今年的主题是“学习是一段旅程”。我想我们可以肯定地说，今年，我们都经历了一段令人难以置信的学习旅程。

自从三月中旬因新冠疫情而取消学校课程以来，我们都不得不适应新的工作、教学和学习方式。

这是不同的。我们知道我们无法完全复制学生和教育工作者并肩坐在教室里时通常发生的事情。但我们可以庆祝教学、学习和联系的许多方式仍在进行。

我们的系统迅速做出了适应。虽然面临着挑战，但我们取得了重大进展，我们将继续竭尽全力支持学生。我们的125,000多名学生中有超过98%转向了在线学习，每周有14,000个Google Meet会议正在进行，自春假以来已经创建了超过6,000个Google Classroom网站，为约80,000名学生提供服务。我们的中学生和高中生每周参加约4,500个虚拟教室会话。

教育是一项社区事业，而这从未像现在这样被凸显出来。我们共同渡过这个难关！卡尔加里大学呼吁志愿家教为成百上千名学生提供支持，家庭更加投入其中，努力支持孩子在家学习，社区伙伴也在更大程度上站出来为学生提供支持。

很多家庭依赖学校来帮助喂养他们的孩子。迄今为止，我们已将10.9万美元的超市礼品卡分发给学校，学校再将其分发给学生和家庭。我们计划在5月和6月分发约28万美元以支持学生。

作为面临食品不安全问题的儿童的支持者，CBE营养合作伙伴一直致力于支持这些儿童。随着课程取消，这些合作伙伴意识到许多学生和家庭将无法获得他们每天所需的营养支持。我们怀着无限感激之情感谢卡尔加里儿童午餐袋、卡尔加里餐车服务、卡尔加里食品银行、加拿大早餐俱乐部和总统选择儿童慈善组织。

为了让学生能够在远程学习环境中获得所需的技术支持，我们做了很多工作。截至上周，我们的IT部门和学校已经发放了大约2,400台学生借用设备——笔记本电脑、Chromebook和iPad。

CBE与电子再循环协会和计算机赠与学校合作，获得可以提供给学生的计算机。这两个组织收到捐赠的二手计算机设备，进行硬盘擦除工作，然后通过CBE向家庭提供这些设备。

此外，卡尔加里公立教育基金EducationMatters已经筹集了超过33,000美元用于购买需要的技术设备的学生。感谢每一个为这个活动做出贡献的人。

联系很重要。关系很重要。我们看到工作人员开车穿过学校所在的街区，为他们的学生挥手。我们看到工作人员制作的视频和学校窗户中的信息，让学生知道我们的工作人员在想念他们，怀念他们，并期待有一天他们能够再次并肩在教室里学习和教导。学生向提供基本服务的工人致敬，音乐老师在长期照护住所外演奏音乐，学生为隔离中的老人创建了积极的留言热线。这一切行动都有影响，提醒我们我们并不孤单。

这是困难的时期，适应居家学习和分离并不容易。我们非常感激我们的学生、教职员工、家庭和社区为应对这场COVID-19危机所面临的挑战而团结一致。

非常感谢大家。保重，保持健康。

了解阿尔伯塔省教育周的更多信息。

The following message was delivered by Marilyn Dennis, Chair of the Board of Trustees, at the commencement of the April 28 regular public board meeting.

This week is Education Week in Alberta. Every year, we have the opportunity to recognize the important role that education plays in our society. The current theme is “Learning is a Journey.” I think we can safely say that this year, we have all been on an incredible learning journey.

Since in-school classes were cancelled in mid-March due to COVID-19, we have all had to adapt to new ways of working, teaching and learning.

This is different. We know that we can’t possibly replicate what normally happens when students and educators are in classrooms side by side. But we can celebrate the many ways that teaching, learning and connecting are still happening.

Our system did a remarkable job of adjusting quickly. It has not been without challenges, but significant progress has been made and we continue to do our very best to support our students. Over 98 per cent of our 125,000+ students have moved to online learning, 14,000 Google Meet sessions are happening every week and over 6,000 Google Classroom sites have been created since spring break, serving about 80,000 students. Our middle school and high school students attend about 4,500 virtual classroom sessions every week.

Education is a community endeavour and this has never been highlighted more than it is now. We are all in this together! The University of Calgary is calling out for volunteer tutors to provide support to hundreds of students, families are becoming even more involved as they work hard to support their children learning from home and community partners are stepping forward in greater ways to support students.

Many families rely on schools to help feed their children. To date, we have distributed $109,000 in grocery gift cards to schools that are in turn providing them to students and families. We have plans to distribute approximately $280,000 to support students for May and June.

CBE nutrition partners have always worked to support children facing food insecurities. With the cancellation of classes, these partners realized that many students and families would be missing the nutrition supports they access daily. With deep gratitude we recognize Brown Bagging for Calgary Kids, Calgary Meals on Wheels and the Calgary Food Bank, Breakfast Clubs of Canada and President’s Choice Children’s Charities.

Much work has been done to support students in getting access to the technology they need in this environment of remote learning. As of last week our IT department and schools had handed out approximately 2,400 student loaner devices - laptops, Chromebooks, iPads.

The CBE continues to collaborate with the Electronic Recycling Association and Computers for Schools to obtain computers that can be passed on to students. Both of these organizations receive donations of used computer equipment, does the work of wiping the hard drive and then makes the equipment available to families through the CBE.

In addition, EducationMatters, Calgary’s public education trust, has raised more than $33,000 to buy technology for students who need it. Thank you to everyone who has made a contribution to this campaign.

Connection is important. Relationships are important. We have seen parades where staff drive through the streets of the neighbourhoods where their schools are located in order to wave to their students. We are seeing videos created by staff and messages in school windows letting students know that our staff are thinking of them, are missing them and are looking forward to when they can be learning and teaching side by side in our classrooms once again. Tributes from students to workers providing essential services, music teachers making music outside of long-term care residences, and students creating a positive message hotline for seniors in isolation. Every one of these actions have impact and remind us all that we are not taking this journey alone.

These are challenging times and adjusting to learning at home and being separated has not been easy. We are incredibility grateful for the way our students, staff, families and community have come together to face the challenges presented by this COVID-19 crisis.

Thank you so much. Take care and stay well.

More information about Education Week in Alberta.