Teachers to head back to school in La Loche, Sask. after shooting

Teachers are to return to a school in northernSaskatchewan one month after a shooting that killed four people.

The Northern Lights School Division said in a release thatteachers are to be back at the La Loche Community School onFeb. 22.Classes are to resume shortly after that for elementary students.

• 'A light in La Loche;' program could be reinstated after shooting
• What 3 residents wish for La Loche's future
• Go Fund Me page set up for La Loche recreational centre

No date has been set for the return of high school students, butthe division said staff are looking at options for how to make uplost class time.

The school has been closed since the Jan. 22 shooting.

Two teenage brothers were shot dead in a home and a teacher andan aide were killed at the high school in the Dene community. Sevenpeople in the school were wounded and three of them remain inhospital.

A 17-year-old boy, who can't be named under the Youth CriminalJustice Act, has been charged with first-degree murder and attemptedmurder. Friends have said he was an outcast at home and a victim ofbullying at school.

His next court appearance in Meadow Lake, Sask., is also set forFeb. 22.

Notes from a Feb. 4 meeting of parents posted on the school'sFacebook page say they want to know how the community is going todeal with bullying.

"It was recognized that parents need to teach respect at homeand work on improving the bonds with their children," the notessay.

"Concerns were raised regarding the number of supports availableto students. Currently each building has one permanent social workerfor students. This wasn't enough before the tragedy."

It said the majority of parents want students back in class "thesooner the better." They agreed elementary students should returnFeb. 23and suggested high school students go backMarch 1.

Parents will be allowed to tour the high school the same dayteachers return, said the post, adding most parents want renovationsand added security.

The town's mayor, Kevin Janvier, had suggested the buildingneeded to be torn down so people could heal. He has since changedhis mind, saying education needs to be a priority.