Dec. 18, 2020
Positive COVID-19 Notifications over the Winter Break, and Laptop Safety
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Between now and 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23, if your student receives a new positive COVID-19 test result, please notify your school by emailing your school’s main inbox. This enables the CBE to inform the school community if the student may have been contagious while in school. Your student’s name will not be released. We will indicate the grade and class impacted and provide specific dates.
Please send the email to your school’s main email address, listed at the bottom of the
school website.
Please include:
- Student name
- Grade
- Date the COVID-19 test was taken
- Reason the test was taken
- Date the symptoms started
- The three most recent days your child attended school
- The most recent day your child rode the school bus (and whether it was a yellow bus, Calgary Transit, or other/specialized transportation)
- Teacher name (for elementary and specialized classes)
- The last day attending a before/after school care program (if located inside the school)
After Dec. 23, please follow all health direction from Alberta Health Services.
Laptop Safety
Recently, one of our schools reported an incident involving a Chromebook laptop that caught fire. Fortunately, the fire was extinguished quickly and no one was injured. We are investigating the incident to see what may have contributed to the fire, including having discussions with the manufacturer. We have not yet identified any concerns with any specific models.
The CBE has over 25,000 Chromebooks of many different models in use across our system. In the interest of safety, we’d like to remind you of the following best practices and safety tips for using laptops:
- Do not leave any device unattended when it is plugged in or turned on.
- Always use the device on a hard surface (like a desk or table) to avoid blocking any ventilation.
- Pay attention to any overheating or “bulging” of the battery or anywhere on the laptop. If you notice any bulging or unusual overheating, stop using it, turn the device off immediately. If the device is owned by the CBE, please report it to your school
The CBE is committed to the safety of staff and students and we are taking this matter very seriously. This message is not intended to cause undue concern, however we feel it is better to share this information as soon as possible. More detail will follow if we identify any specific issues with any of the Chromebook models in use by our staff and students.
Thank you, and we wish you a happy and restful break.
