The latest one-day rotating strike is done for students in Saskatoon and surrounding area schools, along with Northern Lights and Creighton School Divisions, but tomorrow (Thurs) is another day with another form of job action.

On Monday, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation announced that teachers won’t be available for noon-hour supervision, province-wide on Thursday. President Samantha Becotte explains that supervision over the lunch break is voluntary for teachers. She estimates the average pay for the hour at about $20, but says it varies with each school division.

Becotte realizes that students and families are caught in the middle, but stresses that negotiating on class size and complexity is necessary to ensure reliable funding for more than just one-time projects. She invites the province to come back to the bargaining table with a new offer, noting that since the government presented its first proposal, there have been no changes. Becotte says their committee is ready to negotiate and “nothing is written in stone” from the STF’s first offer.

Here are the plans for Saskatoon schools for noon hour Thursday:

Saskatoon Public Schools says all their elementary schools will be closed over the lunch hour, but will open again for the afternoon. Or students who stay home will be provided with take-home learning materials to complete at home. Students who are bused to school will be taken home at lunch unless alternate arrangements have been made, because there will be no bus service at the end of the school day.

For students at the collegiates, Aden Bowman, Estey, Mount Royal, Nutana and Walter Murray had already planned a shortened schedule for staff meeting purposes, so the plans don’t change. Students at Bedford Road, Centennial, Evan Hardy, Marion Graham and Tommy Douglas were to have a regular day, but now it will be a shortened schedule, although students can return to school in the afternoon for learning support.

Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools says it will be classes as usual in the morning then the schools will be closed over the lunch hour. For elementary schools dismissal at lunch will be up to a half hour earlier and buses and taxi schedules will be adjusted. Similar to the public school division, there will be no end-of-day bus service. For the afternoon, students will receive learning packages so they can come to school or stay at home to do their work.

For high school students, it was already a scheduled shortened day. The schools will be closed at lunch. Students using the special education bus or taxis will be picked up as much as 30 minutes before lunch to ensure no one is left unsupervised.