August 4th, 2020

WRDSB staff are so excited to welcome our students back in September and with the announcement from the Minister of Education we now have a better idea of what school will look like.   Despite this announcement just being made last week, we want our students and families to know that we have been hard at work planning for the reopening of our schools and that every effort is being made to ensure that the health, safety and well-being of our students and staff remains our top priority and is at the heart of our planning.

The following is an overview of these plans and important information regarding the Confirmation of Attendance Form that must be completed by families for their child/children and submitted by Tuesday, August 11th.  The information shared here is intended to help families make informed decisions.

On July 30, 2020 the Ministry of Education provided direction to school boards for the reopening of schools plans for September 2020.

The Ministry of Education has decided that:

• Elementary students will fully return to school with enhanced safety measures and a maximum of 30 students per class.
• Secondary students will return to school in a hybrid model, where students will attend in one of two cohorts on an alternate schedule that will include in person attendance for at least 50% of instructional days

As a result of this decision, we are pleased to welcome our students back on the first day of school, September 8, 2020.  Students who will not be returning to school in person will have an option to participate in Distance Learning.

In order to plan for the upcoming school year, parents are required to complete the Confirmation of Attendance form and indicate whether or not their child (or children) will be returning to in-person learning in September. A separate form must be completed for each child and is required for both elementary and secondary students. The deadline to complete this form is Tuesday, August 11, 2020.

We know that parents have a lot of questions about the upcoming school year and we also know that schools and classrooms will look different when we return. The health and safety of students and staff is our top priority as we prepare for the upcoming school year. We will have increased health and safety measures in every school that, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and Public Health requirements, will include; staggered entry and exit of students, enhanced cleaning measures, frequent hand hygiene practices, and the mandatory use of masks or face coverings for students in Grades 4 through 12. The use of masks for Grades JK  through 3 students will be encouraged but not required in indoor spaces.  Staff will be provided with medical-grade masks and eye protection.  Every effort will be made to support physical distancing wherever possible.

Appropriate signage will be posted throughout our school sites, plexiglass will be installed in appropriate office spaces, hand sanitizer will be available in classrooms and offices, and our school buses and classrooms will be thoroughly and frequently cleaned. In addition, schools will have designated entrances and exits. Hallways and stairwells will be designated for one-way flow and physical distance reminders will be placed throughout the building. Health and safety is at the heart of every element of our return to school planning.

As students return to school, educators will welcome them back with warmth, calm, care and joy. We are delighted to see our students again! We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging experience for many students and families and we will be focusing on building nurturing relationships and supporting their well-being.

We want to ensure that students, staff and families are informed throughout the 2020-2021 school year and will be providing regular updates via our website, school communities, and social media channels. Below you will find more information about our approach to reopening as well as what our elementary and secondary school schedules will look like in September.

ELEMENTARY REOPENING

Full Return Model with Enhanced Health & Safety Protocols

For families who choose to have their child/children return to school in person, your elementary student(s) would return to school with enhanced safety measures and will be part of a common cohort of students to limit contact.  The Ministry of Education has directed school boards to ensure that direct and indirect contacts in schools for students be limited to approximately 50 students. Bell times and school day schedules would look mostly like what students and families experienced prior to our school closures in March with approximately 300 minutes of face-to-face teacher instruction. Students would have two, forty-minute nutrition breaks with staggered outdoor breaks to ensure cohorts are maintained and physical distancing is maximized. However, there will be increased health and safety measures in place including staggered entry and exit of students, frequent hand hygiene, the required or recommended use of masks when physical distancing cannot occur, and enhanced cleaning measures as a few examples.

Below you will find a sample daily schedule for the Full Return Model:

ELEMENTARY DISTANCE LEARNING

For those families who choose to have their child/children engage in Distance Learning and not return to school in person, distance learning will be provided by qualified WRDSB Teachers with programming based on the full Ontario curriculum.  Teachers will provide distance learning students with approximately 300 minutes of daily learning opportunities through daily asynchronous (independent learning with online resources) and synchronous (together as a large or small group and teacher-led) learning.  Students will be assessed and evaluated by teachers, putting an emphasis on conversations and observations in addition to the collection of student work submitted electronically or by mail.

Creating a sense of belonging and connections for students is critical in distance learning and a greater challenge compared to connecting in-person.  As such, teachers and other educational staff will provide 1:1 check-ins and connect with students and families to provide support, answer questions, and to continue to develop that ever-important educator-student relationship.  Students learn best when they know that the educator supporting them, knows them, cares about them, and is there for them.

SECONDARY REOPENING

Adaptive / Hybrid Model

In this model for secondary students who choose to attend in person, there would be two cohorts (groups): A, B.

Each class would be divided into two cohorts, either A or B, with approximately 15 students per cohort. A combination of face-to-face instruction and distance learning, delivered through asynchronous (independent learning with online resources) and synchronous (together as a large or small group and teacher-led) learning, would make up the learning experience for our students.

In September, secondary schools will experience a quadmestering format, which involves a four-semester school year, with each semester offering two credits each.  Each quadmester is approximately 9.5 weeks and ensures students are still engaging in the required 110 hours of learning.

Below is a visual reference for how the Adaptive/Hybrid weekly schedule will rotate.

Below is a sample daily schedule. Please note that bell times may vary or be subject to change.

SECONDARY DISTANCE LEARNING 

For those students who do not return to school in person, WRDSB Teachers will provide students with approximately 110 hours per course of learning opportunities through daily asynchronous (independent learning with online resources) and synchronous (together as a large or small group and teacher-led) learning.  Students will be assessed and evaluated by teachers, putting an emphasis on conversations and observations in addition to the collection of student work submitted electronically or by mail.

Creating a sense of belonging and connections for students is critical in distance learning and a greater challenge compared to connecting in-person.  As such, teachers and other educational staff will provide 1:1 check-ins and connect with students and families to provide support, answer questions, and to continue to develop that ever-important educator-student relationship.  Students learn best when they know that the educator supporting them, knows them, cares about them, and is there for them.

FLEXIBILITY

In the event that there is an increase in COVID-19 cases and the school year is interrupted, or in the event that a full return is possible in secondary as well as elementary, the Waterloo Region District School Board is prepared to adapt accordingly to any of these three Learning Delivery Models.

TRANSPORTATION (Elementary and Secondary):

Wherever possible, active transportation (i.e. walking, biking) is a preferred method of travel to and from school. However, those students who are within the bus transportation boundaries and do not opt out of transportation will be required to wear a mask while riding the bus. Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region is building student cohorts and mapping out routes and will provide more information in the coming weeks. Please visit www.stswr.ca for updates on bus times.

If you do not wish to have your child assigned to the bus please fill in the Do Not Ride Form.

COVID-19 MONITORING

Staff and students are asked to self monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and stay home if they are feeling unwell. Anyone who tests positive may not return to school until they are cleared according to public health guidance. Schools must ensure records of classes, including seating charts, bus cohorts, and daily records of any approved visitors to the school, including supply/occasional teachers or custodians are maintained and readily available to be provided to public health for contact tracing purposes.

STUDENTS WITH HEALTH CONDITIONS

In-person learning may not be possible for everyone. If your child is medically fragile, immune compromised or has chronic or persistent health conditions, we recommend that you speak with your health care providers to identify which learning delivery model is best suited to your child’s health needs. It is important that your child’s healthcare provider(s) is consulted to ensure your child’s physical health needs are considered as we plan for a return to school during the COVID Pandemic.

SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS

Students with complex Special Education Needs in low ratio classroom settings (classes of 15 or fewer students) will have the option to attend school every day, as will students in regular classroom settings who have similar needs. We have developed health and safety protocols/expectations for staff who are working with Special Needs Students when physical distancing is not possible.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES:

Over the last several months we have been working closely with Waterloo Region Public Health, the Ministry of Education, subject matter experts from throughout the Waterloo Region District School Board, Labour Groups, Community members, and our Board of Trustees to develop plans that honour human rights and equity, promote health and safety, and encourage the well-being of our students, staff and broader community.  We are committed to supporting our most vulnerable students and staff while providing high quality learning.  We know that clear communication is important to our families as we harness the feedback from the 18,000 families, 5,100 students, and 3,000 staff who completed our Exchanging Ideas survey in June.

The following Guiding Principles have been developed to direct our efforts toward Return to School/Work. Importantly, Human Rights and Equity have been at the forefront of our decisions.