January 21, 2021

Students return to class beginning next week

BY SOUTHGREY.CA STAFF — On January 20, Stephen Lecce, Ontario Minister of Education, issued the following statement to provide an update on which schools can resume for in-person learning:

"On the advice from the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the government is allowing seven public health units and over 100,000 students to return to class on Monday, January 25.

Getting students back into class is our top priority. According to Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health and leading medical and scientific experts, including the Hospital for Sick Children, Ontario's schools are safe places for learning.

The announcement prompted Bluewater District School Board (BWDSB) Director of Education to issue a letter to parents/guardians today:

To ensure schools remain safe, the government is introducing additional measures including provincewide targeted asymptomatic testing, enhanced screening, mandatory masking for students in Grades 1-3 and outdoors where physical distancing cannot be maintained."

We can now confirm that both elementary and secondary students in Bluewater District School Board will return to in-person learning at school on Monday, January 25, 2021.

Student transportation services, as well as before and after school programs will also resume on Monday, January 25, 2021. 

For those whose children are already enrolled in the Remote School, there will be no change as these classes will continue as usual.

With our return to in-person learning, all health and safety protocols that were in place prior to the holiday break still apply. However, please note the following, which includes a few important changes as directed by our provincial and local public health officials:

• All students are still required to complete the provincial daily COVID-19 self-screening questionnaire before coming to school. The questionnaire can be found at https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening, or click here for the paper version.
• Grades 1-3 students are now required to wear masks at school and on the bus. This is in addition to the existing requirement for students in Grades 4-12 to wear masks. Masking requirements will also be in place for specified outdoor activities where physical distancing is not possible. Kindergarten students are encouraged, but not required to wear masks.
• As further precaution, the Ontario government gave some advice to support provincial efforts to prevent further spread of COVID-19. Students are asked not to congregate before school starts, and to return directly home after school. Targeted voluntary COVID-19 testing is being expanded for students, staff, and their respective households. Schools will be identified by public health, with a focus on those experiencing outbreaks, with high case counts, or in high priority communities.
• Targeted voluntary COVID-19 testing is being expanded for students, staff, and their respective households. Schools will be identified by public health, with a focus on those experiencing outbreaks, with high case counts, or in high priority communities.  

To support families during this period, child care will remain open and available for non-school aged children across the province. Where elementary schools continue to be closed for in-person learning, before and after school programs continue to be closed and prohibited from charging parent fees. Emergency child care will be extended to support those workers that require it during this period.

To support students facing mental health difficulties, the Government announced an additional and immediate $10 million from its phase 2 federal funding allocation to support student mental health and expand access to services in both rural and urban communities. This funding builds on the Government's investment of more than $32.5 million in student mental health since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This investment supports up to 475 additional staff to support student mental health and compliments the addition of 625 school-based public health nurses and expanded mental health education.

In addition, direct financial supports through the Ontario's Support for Learners program remains open until February 8, 2021.

BWDSB Director of Education Lori Wilder said, "I realize that there may be some questions related to health and safety as students and staff return to in-person learning while the provincial stay-at-home order remains in place. With this regional approach, and through consultation with public health, it has been determined that our relatively low local COVID-19 case numbers place us in a favourable position for students to physically attend school as many were doing before the holidays. As always, the health and safety of our students and staff remain our top priority. We will continue to follow the guidance of public health and provincial direction."

She also extended deepest thanks to all families in her district for their resilience and patience in supporting their children and BWDSB students through remote learning over these past few weeks and looks forward to seeing students return to in-person learning.

 

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