Bold claim: Hoax closures can disrupt families and trust, even when schools stay open. Here's a clearer, expanded rewrite of the report with the same facts, explained for beginners and with potential discussion prompts.
SRSS and Kleefeld School remain in session after hoax closure messages circulated
The Steinbach Regional Secondary School (SRSS) confirmed they are open and operating on Wednesday morning. This followed the circulation of false closure notices sent to news outlets, with some messages claiming to come from staff at SRSS and Kleefeld School.
Meanwhile, surrounding school divisions announced closures due to an approaching winter storm. The Red River Valley and Borderland School Divisions canceled classes for the day. SRSS Principal Sherry Bestvater commented on the situation, noting a disappointed student who believed classes were canceled.
Bestvater expressed surprise at the reported closure, stating that she was already at work by 7 a.m., with staff and teachers arriving, confirming the school was open.
Kleefeld School also confirmed that it would be open and hold classes as scheduled on Wednesday.
Official guidance on school closures came from Hanover School Division (HSD). The division advised families and staff to rely on established HSD communication channels for closure information. These channels include: direct emails from the Hanover School Division, announcements on the official HSD website, verified HSD social media channels, and Bright Arrow—the division’s platform that distributes emails, texts, and voice messages to parents.
Bestvater reiterated the message: SRSS is open and operating as usual.
Although SteinbachOnline did not report SRSS or Kleefeld School closures on Wednesday morning, the hoax notices had been posted on CHVNradio.com. The story was removed promptly once it was confirmed false.
Discussion prompts:
- How should schools respond when hoax closures spread on social media or news outlets? What best practices can communities adopt to minimize disruption and confusion?
- What responsibilities do media outlets have to verify closure notices before publishing, and how can they balance speed with accuracy?
- Do you think there should be consequences for individuals who spread false school-closure messages, and what form should those take? And this is the part most people miss: trust in official channels matters; how can families verify information quickly during storms or emergencies?
