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School boards prepare for students' return to classrooms

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For the first time in months, many students in Brantford and Brant, Norfolk and Haldimand counties will returning to classrooms on Tuesday.

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The Grand Erie and Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic district school boards have put back-to-school plans in place, but there are still some unknowns about how things will operate during the fourth wave of the pandemic.

“I understand that last year was a difficult year and that as much as we had all hoped to be out of the pandemic for the start of the school year, unfortunately, that’s not the case,” said Rick Petrella, chair of the Catholic board.

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The provincial government introduced a 26-page return to school plan in August but school board staff say they are receiving new information daily.

“Grand Erie continues to work in partnership with local public health units to update and refine processes and protocols,” said a media release issued on Wednesday by the Grand Erie board.

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Both local boards have posted detailed back-to-school information on their websites.

Many of the health and safety procedures in place last year will remain, including masking, physical distancing, hand hygiene and daily symptom screening.

These are some of the highlights:

  • Students will opt for either online learning or face-to-face instruction. There is no hybrid model.
  • If staff and students are able to remain physically distanced, masks can be taken off outside.
  • With physical distancing, the use of shared spaces such as libraries and lockers will be permitted, with some restrictions.
  • Masking continues to be required for staff and all students in kindergarten through Grade 12.
  • All board staff and those who are regularly in schools will be vaccinated or have undergone rapid testing and tested negative.
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And, although no official announcement has been made, Postmedia has learned the Grand Erie board plans to allow sports teams to begin training and practising on the first day of classes.

An Instagram post on @bcimustangs announced that football was back at Brantford Collegiate Institute, with approval to start training camp on Tuesday.

Several sources have said that all sports within Grand Erie could begin practising Tuesday but scrimmages and games were not allowed. Postmedia also was told that the Catholic board has not yet given its sports teams the green light.

The Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations and Central Western Ontario Secondary Schools Association have both announced that their 2020-21 fall championships and festivals will go ahead, and OFSAA is finalizing its safety protocols. The Ontario Physical Health Education Association released its guidelines on Wednesday, and the newly formed Athletic Association of Brant/Haldimand/Norfolk is prepared with schedules to proceed in all fall sports.

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Dr. Malcolm Lock, Brant’s acting medical officer of health, said Tuesday that health units are waiting for recommendations from the province involving the resumption of high school sports. He said there are a number of variables, including the type of sport, whether it’s played indoors or outdoors and whether it involves contact with other players.

“It wouldn’t make sense to have all 34 (Ontario) health units making up our own regulations.”

He said the return to school is likely to mean local cases of COVID-19 will rise, but “in conditions we are able to control.”

“We’re trying to do this in the safest way possible but it’s a little bit of an unknown scenario. We’re planning for the worst but hoping for the best,” said Lock.

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He said proof-of vaccine certification, commonly known as a vaccine passport, will be useful in determining how to deal with COVID-19 outbreaks at schools. He said some school boards had been reluctant to find out which students have been vaccinated and which have not and the certification program will simplify the process.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Wednesday his government’s new vaccine certification system, which will require customers to show proof, starting Sept. 22, they have received immunization against COVID-19 before entering indoor restaurants, gyms and theatres.

If a positive case of the virus is determined during school hours, families from that person’s cohort – a class which remains together throughout the school day — will be asked to pick up those students and isolate them. Health units will provide instruction and do contact tracing. The health unit will also provide instruction if a positive case is determined outside of school hours.

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COVID-19 cases and outbreaks will be posted on the school boards’ websites.

The province has said school boards must be prepared for a potential closure and have plans in place so all students can pivot to remote learning if the COVID-19 situation worsens.

As of Wednesday, just 650 of Grand Erie’s 26,000 students had opted for online learning. At the Catholic board, more than 10,500 students opted to return to the classroom and just 153 elementary students and 108 secondary students have registered for online learning.

Tracey Austin, manager of communications for the Catholic board, said the last school year was “incredibly difficult” for students and families and supports remain in place for mental health and learning.

She said staff will be assessing “where students are at” in order to plan supports.

Both boards said mental health resources will be discussed at a PD day on Thursday.

 

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