School District 58 looking to assist essential workers returning to Merritt

School District 58 Nicola Similkameen will have access to one of their Merritt schools at noon today, as the phased return to town begins with the Bench area, including Bench Elementary School.

As students have now been out of class for over a week, Superintendent Steve McNiven addressed a number of scenarios being considered by the district.

“Our focus has been on supporting basic needs and wellbeing by reaching out to families. We are now starting to talk about what can some further connections and remote learning opportunities look like. Things like dispersing technology, making sure we have connection to the kids, that’s our focus on the Merritt side right now,” said McNiven.

The plan with Bench Elementary School is still in the works from the district as they look at supporting the students of essential workers.

“One of the items that we are thinking through is supporting essential service families right off the bat. We are also considering what will be equitable access to face-to-face learning look like. So that means as students return depending on the facilities that we have available, how can we connect face-to-face learning to as many students as possible. Knowing we have three schools impacted by flooding, that will take some time for those areas to come back up,” said McNiven.

The mental health of students in the district also remains a massive priority for the district moving forward.