The Portage la Prairie School Division (PLPSD) continues to adapt to the reality of COVID-19.

The Division has adopted a recovery learning method. Superintendent Todd Cuddington outlines what this means.

"It's essentially a guide for teachers and parents to be aware of what types of things will happen in the fall when we get back to a more normal classroom experience."

He knows that students will have a learning gap, and some academic skills will be lapsed at an accelerated pace from being away from school for so long. Cuddington says it's going to take a lot of work to catch up.

"We're going to be finding out where students are lagging behind, and working with the teacher from the prior year to get a sense of where the skills are at with certain students. The province has created some helpful guidelines, and we, in turn, have created our own document."

The biggest hurdle for the division will be finding out what students have failed to engage in learning and what ground they need to make up. PLPSD is also finding a way to give parents an accurate report card on what has been achieved since March.

"Right now, we've shifted a lot of instruction to using our Google Classrooms. Teachers are continuing to make sure students are engaged in the younger grades. If there's a preference for packages, those packages are going home and we're doing check-ins. The key is we want students to stay connected to the school."

Students involved in vocational skills like hairstyling, automotive repair, and construction have faced some extra difficulty in learning. PCI and the division have stepped up to provide take-home kits so students can continue to sharpen their skills and learn. Cuddington says they hope to further help students.

"(There are) some day-camps that have been permitted to open with groups of 16 or fewer students with certain requirements. We're also going to be moving in the direction where students who need to make up apprenticeship hours in the construction in trades area can come in and work with teachers on certain trades."