STF job action: ongoing work-to-rule affects noon lunch supervision and extracurricular activities

On Friday, April 5, 2024, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) announced job action starting on Monday, April 8, 2024. In a letter to the school division, the STF announced ongoing teacher work-to-rule sanctions that include: 

• Teachers are to report to school and provide professional service no more than 15 minutes prior to the start of the school day and not later than 15 minutes after the conclusion of the school day. 
  • There will be no extracurricular activities. 
• Teachers will withdraw noon lunch supervision services. 

If you are not registered for before-and-after-school care or take the school bus, please ensure your children do not arrive at school more than 15 minutes before school, and ensure you have made provisions for them to be out of the school no later than 15 minutes after school. 

Because we do not have enough out-of-scope staff to cover noon lunch supervision at our 50 schools—which would compromise student safety—schools in Saskatoon, Martensville and Warman will be closed for the lunch break, and a modified daily schedule will be implemented starting Monday, April 8, 2024. 

Elementary school changes: 

• Morning in-school learning: Classroom learning will be held in the morning. The schedule of periods/classes may be altered to allow time for learning for all daily subjects.
• Schools will be closed during lunch periods: There will be no noon lunch supervision. All students must leave the school and school grounds. 
• Dismissal at lunch will be 15 minutes earlier than normally scheduled. 
  • Bus and taxi schedules will be adjusted: Buses will pick up students approximately 15 - 30 minutes before lunch to ensure students are not left unsupervised. There will be no end-of-day bus service. 
  • Schools will communicate specific times. 
• Afternoon work period: 
  • Students able to return to school are encouraged to do so for the afternoon. Teachers will support learning of students who are present.
  • Students unable to make it back to school will work from home on learning packages (given either electronically through Edsby or handouts) based on their morning learning. Teachers may not be able to provide help or respond to messages, as they will be engaged in helping students at the school.
• Half-day pre-kindergarten programming will continue: 
  • Morning programs will receive busing to and from school. 
  • Afternoon programs will not have busing to and from school. 
• Before and after school programs will continue:  
  • Programs will operate before school in the morning and at the end of the school day in the afternoon. 
  • They will not operate during lunch or after lunch when teachers are in classrooms. 

High School Changes: 

• Students will attend their morning instruction as they would on a typical shortened Thursday. 
  • The schedule will be modified to ensure students have enough time to leave the building at lunch. 
• All students must leave the school property over lunch. There will be no noon lunch supervision.  
• Special education bus and taxi schedules will be adjusted: students will be picked-up as much as 30 minutes before lunch to ensure students are not left unsupervised.  
  • Schools will communicate specific times.  
  • There will be no end-of-day bus service. 
  • Saskatoon Transit schedules will not change.
• Afternoon work period: Students are expected to do work that was assigned in the morning. 
  • Students are encouraged to return to school in the afternoon to work on assignments. Teachers are available in their classrooms in the afternoon for tutorial/supportive instruction for students who are able to return school. 
  • Students unable to make it back to school will work from home on assignments. Teachers may not be able to provide help or respond to messages, as they will be engaged in helping students at the school. 

Sanctions will remain in place until further notice. We will provide updates via direct communication through Edsby and/or School Bundle messenger (emails from noreply-gscs@schoolbundle.ca, listed as Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, or text or voice messages from 1-306-400-6811), updates on our website (www.gscs.ca), and on our Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) accounts.  

We respect the bargaining process and STF’s right to take job action. Our primary focus will remain offering high-quality Catholic education in a safe and secure school environment for students. 

If you have specific questions about school operations, please contact your school principal. 

Sincerely,
François Rivard,
Director of Education