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Schools Reopening Update
The health, safety and well-being of students and staff is a top priority for the Thames Valley District School Board and the Ministry of Education. Here is a link to the safe return to learning for the 2021-22 school year:
TVDSB: https://www.tvdsb.ca/en/our-board/covid-19-information.aspx
Plans for schools reopening consider the health and safety needs of our students and staff to operate safely in our school learning environment. To best understand one aspect of the careful planning for school reopening, is to picture yourself as a student and envision a typical day's journey. All transitions will need to be considered carefully in designing safe protocols to support the health and well-being of our students.
We need to consider how to support students in navigating the following:
safe arrivals at school (walking, by school bus, by car)
safe entry into the school building and hallway (convene/line up outside, enter through designated doors, physical distancing in the hallways, staff supervision)
classroom environment (optimal format for teaching and learning, how to safely provide support, use math tools, intentional use of technology, safe hands-on learning materials, safety for all working inside a shared classroom environment)
using the washrooms (sharing multi-use spaces, handwashing, school cleaning protocols)
proper wearing/care of personal protective equipment (PPE) for all staff and students
injury/illness attention and prevention (daily screening process for all staff and students, safe storage of medicines, infection isolation, supervision,)
lunchtime (litter-less lunches, and independence in eating/opening containers for our youngest students, supervision)
safe and fun recess activities, gym/physical education classes (what games are appropriate for physical distancing, supervision and scheduling of class or division cohorts)
safe dismissal from school (hallway physical distancing, supervision, exits for walking, school bus and car pick ups)
attendance (face-to-face everyday in-person learning /full remote learning)
By looking at the day through a student’s eyes, we can envision the opportunities and risks that exist for both the students and adults who create and provide the educational experience.
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Moving from In-Person classes to Remote Learning. This is a distinctly different way to teach and connect for everyone. Remote learning during a pandemic can present a variety of opportunities and challenges that don’t exist in a traditional classroom setting. While the approach to your child’s learning will be different, our goal is to continue to deliver educational instruction in an online platform that is responsive to the needs of our students.
We understand that many parents, including our staff, are having to balance taking care of the wellness needs of their families, working from home, and providing instruction in a virtual or real-time manner. The saying "patience is a virtue" really applies during Remote Learning. We appreciate your support of your children and the efforts of our staff very much! Please see the bottom of this page to help with supporting mental health and wellness, organization and self-regulation.
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Kindergarten, Gr 1/ 2, and Gr 6/ 7 will be using the Brightspace Learning Platform. All other classes will use the Google Classroom Learning Platform. Both of these platforms are used to send out announcements and assignments for their classes as well as provide a link to Google Meet for synchronous virtual video. Every student in Thames Valley has a GOTVDSB log in and password account that they are able to use to access the Google Classroom.
--> Parents and Students, If you need to understand the features of Google Classroom and need help logging in and learning how to open and submit work, CLICK HERE for a reminder.
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Considerations
Considerations
Be mindful of your child’s stress or worry.
Your continued attention to your children’s questions and concerns is important.
Continue to monitor and limit exposure to media.
Be supportive by listening, validating their worries and concerns, and reassuring them that this situation is time-limited.
Promote adequate sleep, balanced meals and exercise as part of daily routine
Add music or mindfulness activities for calming and mood-lifting
Here are some resources you might find helpful: Talking about COVID-19 and Talking to your Anxious Child
Please visit the TVDSB Mental Health and Well-Being Site
We remind students and families to access the Kids Help Phone, providing 24/7 counselling and information at 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.
Suggestions
Suggestions
Provide consistent routine and set aside a time of day for online distance learning
Create a spot in your home with your child and designate it for learning purposes with access to tools, paper and technology
Create a visual structure for time on task: "First... then...next...finally" with time frames as appropriate to age/ability level
Create mind maps, concept maps, outlines and charts to help your child improve their thinking and learning https://www.mindomo.com/
Help your child organize their ideas with mind maps, easy-to-take photos or the addition of images/visuals; consider https://popplet.com/
Ideas
Ideas
Try to break down the learning time into shorter time frames of the day (ie: math activities after breakfast; language after lunch, social studies after snacks)
Look at the Week at a Glance that is provided at the beginning of each week with your child and identify together the easiest activities- or the ones your child can do independently - and start with those activities first
Sometimes frequent movement breaks (or doing activities while moving), drinking water, or chewing gum help to focus
Connect with your child's teacher and ask for their suggestions if you are finding your child is having difficulty engaging in the learning activities
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