Last month the Ministry announced that this September, all schools in the province will open for conventional in-person delivery of teaching and instruction, five days a week. This applies to all Kindergarten to Grade 12 students.
Now the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board has released its detailed school reopening plan
Parents have the option for their children to receive instruction remotely which allows them to make the final determination whether they feel safe with their children returning to school.
The document states, "it is critical to balance the risk of direct infection and transmission of COVID-19 in children with the impact of school closures on their physical and mental health. Current evidence and experience support the concept that children can return to school in a carefully structured manner that protects children's health and minimizes risks from a public health perspective."
Classrooms will be arranged to allow the most space as possible between students and to encourage physical distancing of 1-2 metres.
Students in Grades 4 to 12 are required to wear masks indoors on school property. Students may wear their own non-medical masks, and non-medical masks will also be made available for students. Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 will be encouraged, but not required, to wear masks in indoor spaces.
The Board is offering three different models.
Model 1: normal school day routine with enhanced public health protocols
Students will remain in their class with their teacher for the school day and during recess and lunch breaks. Elementary students will remain with their classmates and their homeroom teacher, with limited contact to other subject teachers for classes.
Secondary students will also have limited contact with multiple subject teachers and other students.
This model will closely resemble a regular school day; however, students, parents and staff can expect that there may be some restrictions to limit student movement from class to class
Model 2: adapted school day routine based on smaller class sizes, cohorting and alternative day model.
Students at both elementary and secondary will attend school according to an established alternate day cycle over 10 days. Students attend three days one week and two days the next week.
Model 3: at-home learning with ongoing enhanced remote delivery
If the Minister of Education or Public Health officials order schools to close, at-home learning with on-going enhanced remote delivery would be provided virtually.
In all three models, all families have the option to continue student learning at home, in an online format this September.
