KAWARTHA LAKES-The Trillium Lakelands District School Board has released its plan for school in September.
The information was sent to parents on Friday and includes elementary and secondary schools as well as at-home remote learning.
Parents/guardians must choose in-school or at-home remote learning for their child. Families eligible for bus transportation must indicate whether their child will be using bus transportation to and from school.
The Ministry of Education, The Ministry of Health, and local public health units will work closely with school boards to monitor and respond to any reports of COVID-19 symptoms. Parents will be expected to self-assess their children daily before sending them to school using a checklist that will be provided to families before the school year begins.
Here’s what elementary schools will look like:
• Students will attend five days a week with 300 minutes of instruction per day.
• Students will remain in their class cohort for the full day, including recess and lunch.
• Timing of recesses, lunches, and bathroom breaks will be staggered to support cohorting.
- There will be clearly marked designated entrances and exits for students.
- Students in Grades 4 to 8 will be expected to wear a cloth mask at school.
- Students in primary grades (K-3) will be encouraged to wear a cloth mask at school.
- There will be enhanced protocols, including cleaning of high touch surfaces, regularopportunities for hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and use of personal protective
equipment (PPE), where advised and necessary.
- Specific details about bell times will be provided by the school prior to September 8.
- Most visitors, including parents, will not be permitted in school buildings.
- Schools with before and after school programs will continue with cohorted programming.
- Mental health and well-being supports will be available for students.Here’s what secondary schools will look like:
- Students will attend five days a week with 300 minutes of class time per day.
- To minimize the number of contacts each day, there will be a reduced number of credits atone time to keep student cohorts intact.
- Students will remain in class cohorts, including lunch and regular breaks throughout theday.
- Timing of lunches, and bathroom breaks will be staggered to support cohorting.
- There will be clearly marked designated entrances and exits for students.
- Students in Grades 9 to 12 will be expected to wear a cloth mask while at school.
- There will be enhanced protocols, including cleaning of high touch surfaces, regularopportunities for hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and use of personal protective
equipment (PPE), where advised and necessary.
- Specific details about bell times will be provided by the school prior to September 8.
- Schools have been asked to significantly limit or even prohibit visitors, including parents.
- Mental health and well-being supports will be available for students.Here’s what at-home remote learning will look like:
- A blend of at-home live instruction and independent learning will be similar to the amount of time that students usually spend in the classroom.
- Remote instruction and learning will be provided online with support for devices and connectivity for families where applicable and possible.
- Students participating in remote learning who are not able to access on-line materials will receive remote delivery of paper materials.
- Telephone conversations with one or multiple students, including parents will be provided when needed and where developmentally appropriate.
- Not all optional courses will be available to secondary students in remote learning (e.g. construction courses).
- Mental health and well-being supports will be available for students.Here’s what bus transportation will look like:
- Enhanced public health protocols will be in place on buses and buses will be disinfected twice daily.
- Bus drivers will be wearing personal protective equipment.
- A seating plan will be established designed to minimize contact between students. Thismay include siblings sitting together on the bus.
- All students in Grades 4 to 12 must wear a cloth mask while on the bus.
- All students in primary grades will be encouraged to wear a cloth mask while on the bus
Officials say no plan is final as things during this pandemic can change. The board says it will respond to these changes if needed, following the advice of the Ministry of Education or public health.
