The Tribune

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

AN administrator at Temple Christian School has clarified that the school has not returned to a virtual learning method, as the institution has been doing so for some time, nor is its two-day closure due to COVID-19 cases.

The school sent out a notice on Wednesday advising parents of COVID-19 cases in the families of some students and one case in the faculty. The school is closing today and Monday, but not due to the virus but instead due to an advisory from Bahamas Power and Light which affects the elementary school campus.

Samuel Rutherford, administrator at Temple Christian School, sought to clarify an earlier report on the school’s closure, explaining that it is due to a scheduled disruption in power.

He said, “We sent out two letters on the first day. The first one which is COVID related, whereas we would have had a switch in the classes that came next week, we are going to allow the ones that are presently home to remain home for the additional week and then the classes that are on campus this week they will stay on campus next week.

“That is to address that COVID-19 concern. However, there is a closure due to BPL, which we have no control over, and that is just for Friday and Monday, but it only affects the elementary campus, not the whole school. BPL called us and provided documentation that they’re doing some fibre optics that needs to be done and that they needed two days.

“They really wanted to do it today (Thursday) and we said no way these parents have children that need to be accounted for etcetera, etcetera, so they agreed to do it starting tomorrow, (Friday).”

Even though Temple Christian does not have a generator, the absence of energy from BPL will not hamper learning as for the two days off campus, Temple Christian’s students will learn via virtual platforms.