RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) –As Canadian wildfire smoke makes its way into South Dakota, educators are doing what they can to protect students.

“If the air quality is poor, we keep kids inside and get really crafty. Finding ways for them to expend that energy and still have fun and get the breaks that they need. But our number one goal is to keep them healthy and safe,” Grandview Elementary Principle Cyndi Lundgren said.

In Rapid City, each school makes its own decision after receiving air quality alerts from both the city and the district’s main office. 

It’s all about being prepared from past experiences. And last year when they had to deal with this overflowing smoke in the air, students had to move inside. And schools like Grandview are prepared now to adjust and kind of make sure students feel ready and comfortable no matter what the air quality is outside.

Once the schools have the information and make a decision, they need to make sure students are still getting the free time they need to succeed.

“So what we’re going to do instead is, we’re going to take a walk around the school, we’re going to go to the gym. We’re going to find ways to be crafty, like we might do a Go Noodle in the classroom which is a video that’s for students and they dance and do just fun things and stretches and breathing activities,” Lundgren said.

Whether the district’s dealing with rain, snow or smoke, student safety is always the top priority.

If you would like to see the air quality in your location during these times, you can view them here.