Calgary family demands answers after 6-year-old with cough walks home from school alone
Adanech Sahilie was shocked when her six-year-old son knocked on the Calgary family's front door Wednesday morning.
That's because she'd just dropped him at school an hour earlier.
"He said he walked home from school, that was a shocking experience," said Sahilie," I asked him why, he said he was coughing in class and his teacher asked him to grab his stuff and go home. My heart dropped."
Her son said his teacher told him he had to go home since he had COVID-19 symptoms, so that's what he did.
He left his classroom at Holy Child School in the southwest Calgary community of Silverado and walked more than a kilometre home, crossing several busy roads in the process.
He's never walked alone before.
"When he told me what happened, it was a very shocking experience," said Sahilie."I don't know how he made it, it's a miracle. If it was last week, freezing cold and I was working from the office instead of home, the situation could've been way worse. I'm not happy."
Adanech Sahilie was shocked when her six-year-old son knocked on the family's front door Wednesday morning.
The Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) policy dictates if a student exhibits COVID-19 symptoms they should go to the main office, where staff will notify their parents to come pick them up.
They can wait in a private room until their parents arrive.
In this case, Sahalie says she was never contacted. She also says her son said he was told to go home, not to the school office.
LOST TRACK
CCSD says the teacher says they did tell him to go to the office, though it appears no one in the office was notified and staff lost track of the boy, likely not even realizing he was gone.
"It's a very unfortunate situation and we are sorry for any stress this caused the family," said CCSD spokesperson Felicia Zuniga.
An investigation has been started by CCSD to find out what happened.
"The school wants to look at where the breakdown in communications happened," said Zuniga. "What happened between the teacher asking him to leave the class because of the COVID-19 symptoms and calling the office, to him leaving. We need to talk to all the staff who were involved and find out where the miscommunication was."
"It's a very unfortunate situation and we are sorry for any stress this caused the family," says Felicia Zuniga, a spokesperson for the CCSD.
CCSD says staff have apologized to the family and are reviewing protocols when it comes to younger students.
Sahalie said her son says two different strangers stopped him on his way home, asking if he was lost or needed help.
One woman made sure he crossed a busy street safely.
"I don't know if this happens repeatedly, I have no clue," said Sahalie, "but there should be a safety protocol followed, especially in an elementary school."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ontario doctor alleged to have killed 4 people around same date in 2021: documents
Court documents allege an eastern Ontario doctor killed four people around the same date in 2021.

Freedom Convoy-affiliated group refusing to leave Ottawa church after eviction notice
Members of a Freedom Convoy-affiliated group remain at an Ottawa church one day after the owner of the historic property moved to evict them over unpaid rent.
Retailers sitting on 'mountains' of excess inventory in need of liquidation: expert
Consumer behaviour, a looming recession and the reactions of retailers to pandemic-driven supply chain issues are combining to drive a liquidation renaissance, according to one business advisor and retail futurist who spoke with CTVNews.ca.
Michelle O'Bonsawin named as Canada's first Indigenous Supreme Court justice
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nominated Ontario judge Michelle O'Bonsawin to the Supreme Court of Canada on Friday. She is the first Indigenous person chosen to sit on Canada's top court and the appointment is being celebrated as filling an important role at the highest level of the country's justice system.
Plane fails to descend as pilots reportedly fell asleep during flight
Two pilots are believed to have fallen asleep and missed their landing during a flight from Sudan to Ethiopia on Monday, according to a report by commercial aviation news site Aviation Herald.
Sale of Ottawa church to 'Freedom Convoy'-affiliated group falls through, but leader says deal is still on
The current purchase of a historic Ottawa church slated to become an 'embassy' for a group affiliated with the Freedom Convoy has fallen through, according to documents obtained by CTV News. But The United People of Canada director said it was his understanding the deal was still in place.
Calgary man convicted in multimillion dollar Ponzi scheme sentenced to 10 years
A Calgary man who bilked his clients out of millions of dollars in a Ponzi scheme has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for what the judge called a deliberate and large-scale fraud.
A child has died of brain-eating amoeba after swimming in a U.S. river
Federal health officials confirmed Friday that a Nebraska child died from a rare infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba after swimming in a river near Omaha.
Transport minister says COVID-19 to blame for airport delays, flight cancellations
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra told the House of Commons transport committee the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting labour shortages are to blame for the significant wait times at Canadian airports, and said the ArriveCAN app is here to stay.