Earlier today, the Ontario Ministry of Education announced that all schools will return to in-person learning on January 17. Students should plan to follow their regular school timetables.
When schools reopen, families should expect the following:
All students in Kindergarten to Grade 12 will be required to wear masks. Public Health Agency of Canada recommends Canadians wear three-layer cloth masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The Ministry of Education is requiring that students provide confirmation of COVID-19 screening. Similar to the start of the year, students and families will be required to complete the confirmation of screening before coming to school each morning.
As staff members are required to isolate with increased cases of COVID-19, schools may encounter challenges obtaining replacement coverage. Please be aware that there may be occasions when classrooms or schools are required to close to in-person learning and move to virtual learning for a period of time. Schools will notify families as soon as possible when this is the case.
Transportation schedules for students will be the same as the schedules followed September to December (before the school closures). Students who were attending school and transported during the closure period will revert to their schedule prior to school closure. For more information about your route, please visit: schoolbuscity.com.
Earlier today, the provincial government announced additional initiatives, such as access to rapid antigen testing, beginning with elementary school students and staff members, and additional in-school vaccination clinics. We will provide information on these initiatives as it becomes available.
Short-Term Learning Model Change Requests
We recognize students may need to move to virtual learning for isolation reasons for a short term. Families should inform their school administration if online learning is needed for shorter term isolation reasons ( e.g., five days).
Long-Term Learning Model Change Requests
When schools reopen, requests may continue to be made to move between in-person learning and remote learning. Families should contact their school about the decision to change learning models for a longer term.
Families are asked to limit frequent changes to their learning model choice to enable planning and stability for students.
Please note that transportation provision for those eligible may take some time to coordinate.
Resources for Families
Families may be concerned about their child and family’s well-being. Families can find mental health resources, community resources, programs, online learning resources and more on the Board website at www.yrdsb.ca/school-reopening.
We thank families for their ongoing support and patience. We will continue to share updates and information with you as it becomes available. You can also follow the Board’s Twitter feed: @YRDSB, or for information about YRDSB’s reopening plan, visit: www.yrdsb.ca/school-reopening.