September will look very different at schools this year and what the public board needs now is for parents to make a choice: will your child be in class or at home?
More details were released Wednesday by the Simcoe County District School Board about what a return to school will look like on Sept. 8 for both remote learning and in-school options.
“Students who opt in to remote learning may have to remain in that platform until there is a natural term transition," said Dawn Stephens, the board's superintendent of education.
"Unfortunately, we can’t have parents wait and see how things go. They’re going to need to determine whether they want in-person learning or at-home remote learning, because we have to reorganize our schools," she added.
“Once that is done, we can’t continually re-organize our schools. It’s just not something we are able to do.”
Parents and guardians who choose remote learning will be informed of their child’s teacher once schools reopen. Stephens said the reason for this is students from multiple schools may be clustered in one group depending on how many students register for remote learning and reorganization will have to occur.
“We are really hoping that with the additional public health measures and safety measures we are putting into our schools that parents will opt in to in-school learning,” said Stephens.
All students and staff will be expected to self-screen prior to attending school each day, using a self-assessment tool provided by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. Students or staff with symptoms must stay home from school.
“It’s really a collective effort by all members of the community to ensure that if a student or staff member is experiencing symptoms that they stay home and seek medical attention or make decisions in regards to testing,” said Stephens. “All community members must follow the self-assessment practices.”
All of the public board's elementary and secondary schools will reopen with enhanced public health protocols and cohorting considerations in place.
In line with the provincial recommendations, students from Grades 4 through 12 will be required to wear masks, which will be provided by the school board, while students from kindergarten through Grade 3 will not be required to wear masks, although it is recommended and encouraged.
Staff will be required to wear masks and face shields, which will be provided by the board, when physical distancing is not possible.
“Hand hygiene and physical-distancing practices will also be implemented in all grades,” said Stephens.
Directional arrows will be placed in all hallways, entrance and exit doors will be designated and there will be staggered entry and exit times and signage to support public health practices will be put in place.
Enhanced cleaning protocols will include cleaning and disinfecting twice daily of frequently touched, shared surfaces and shared resources.
“This includes doorknobs, light switches, toilet and faucet handles,” said Stephens.
Two professional learning days are planned for teachers prior to Sept. 8 for them to learn the new policies and procedures.
In regards to sports and extracurricular activities, Stephens said the board has not yet made a final decision on the status of activities.
“We have not made a decision to not have extracurriculars,” she said. “Educators voluntarily run those. The guidance document (from the health unit) does mention not allowing contact sports such as hockey or football, but we’re hopeful some extracurriculars will still be able to run. OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) has not yet made a decision either.”
Secondary schools
In high schools, students will return on a quadmester schedule, taking two courses from September to November and two different courses from November to February.
“At that time, the school board will determine whether or not we are going to go back to a traditional timetable or continue with quadmesters,” said Stephens.
Elementary schools
Students attending elementary schools will return full-time.
Elementary schools will be practising cohorting, where students in one class are kept together and not mixed with other classes. To accomplish this, common spaces such as libraries will be closed for the time being, no assemblies or large gatherings will be permitted and classes will be timetabled to prevent interactions between classes.
“Students will remain in one classroom and teachers will come into the classroom as opposed to students travelling from class to class,” said Stephens, adding that outdoor classroom spaces will be considered, based on weather. Recess and breaks will be staggered.
“We’ll see some teachers take their classes outside for outdoor learning. Hopefully we have wonderful fall weather,” she said.
Remote learning options
Voluntary learn-at-home opportunities will be available to students whose parents/guardians determine that they do not want their child to return to in-person learning.
The board is developing a parent/guardian support platform, accessible through the board website, that will include self-help tools and resources as well as access to school board staff who will provide individualized support related to technology, learning platforms, curriculum, mental health and special education needs.
Stephens also said the board is putting plans in place should a second wave of COVID-19 occur.
“If we have to shift into all-remote learning, we want parents to know we are able to do that seamlessly,” she said, adding that the board has purchased additional technology supports including wifi hot spots for students who live in areas not served by fast enough internet speeds.
This week, parents/guardians will be contacted by the public board to complete a survey regarding individual student/family circumstances and intentions in preparation for September.
The survey will address in-school and voluntary learn-at-home options as well as technology and transportation needs.
As the board just received the planning document from the province last week, Stephens said specifics school-to-school will now be worked out based on the public survey results and communicated to parents.
“We really need families to choose, and then we can staff accordingly,” she said.
During his health unit media call on Wednesday, Dr. Charles Gardner addressed the health unit’s role in providing advice to school boards on the subject.
"In a sense, to me, this is like having a fourth stage of opening up the province as we move into schools commencing again in September," said Gardner, the medical officer of health with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. "We will have to watch very carefully as this unfolds."
Gardner also encouraged families to send their children back to the classroom.
"On the whole, I would encourage people to have their children return to school because I believe the balance of benefit is there,” he said. “They're more likely to benefit from being there, despite the potential risk of transmission, than if they're not there."
The public board is working with the Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium to develop plans for transportation of students, including seating plans to support maximum physical distancing and enhanced cleaning protocols.
An announcement is expected on Thursday specifically regarding transportation details.
— With files from Erika Engel
