Update from the OCDSB

Link to COVID-19 updates from the OCDSB:

Posted on: August 12, 2020

Background on Secondary School In Person Learning Model

https://ocdsb.ca/contact_us/ocdsb_news/background_on_secondary_school_in_person

On July 30th, the Ontario Ministry of Education announced that it was not yet safe for our secondary schools to return to conventional learning and the OCDSB and some other districts would open using an Adaptive Model.

The Ministry “Guide to Reopening Ontario’s School” indicated that:

• School should emphasize cohorting as much as possible

• Limit indirect and direct student contacts to approximately 100

• Limit secondary students to a maximum of two in-person cohorts as much as possible

The Ministry Guide specifically identified that secondary schools should consider a model in which the school day is shortened and also promoted the “quadmester” model. The Guide describes quadmestering as students taking no more than two courses at a time in which they take one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. The Guide also encourages a synchronous period of learning each school day for all the students in the class.

Continued...

Posted on: August 7, 2020, 2020

Back to School Planning - Making Sense of It All

https://ocdsb.ca/contact_us/ocdsb_news/back_to_school_planning

School starts on September 3rd. This year, the return to school is complicated as we try to safely navigate COVID-19.

We are so fortunate that our community has been so engaged in the planning. The great participation in the ThoughtExchange survey was a significant indicator of community interest in helping us to support families in getting their children back to learning safely in the fall. Additionally, staff and trustees have received many communications sharing suggestions, and identifying areas of concern. We want to let you know that this input has been shared and considered in designing a safe and effective return to school.

As we continue to work out plans, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and health authorities, we wanted to provide an update about what we know at this time and when you can expect to learn more.

What will school look like in September?

Students will be able to attend school In Person or by Remote Learning. Based on Ministry of Education guidelines, student attendance will be organized in the following way:

IN PERSON

• Elementary students will attend school five days per week, with enhanced health and safety protocols in place. Students will remain in one classroom with the same group of students all day, including lunch and when they go outside for recess.

• Secondary students (grades 9-12) won’t be returning to full-time classes. Instead, the secondary school year will be divided into four quadmesters (each semester divided into two sections) and students will take 2 classes at a time. Each class will be divided into two cohorts. Cohort A will attend school 2 days one week and 3 days the next week; Cohort B will do the opposite. All students will be in class for five days in a ten day period. The school day dismissal time will be earlier than usual.

REMOTE LEARNING

Students who participate in Remote Learning will receive instruction at home using a combination of live online instruction (synchronous) and posted learning activities and materials (asynchronous) which cover the required course curriculum. Remote learning will involve more scheduled learning activities for students than what occurred during the spring closure period, and students will be expected to be online and present for scheduled instructional times.

Continued....

Latest information

Posted on: May 19, 2020

Ministry Extends School Closures for the Rest of This Year

All OCDSB schools will remain closed for the rest of this school year, per Ministerial order. This provincial decision was based on advice from the Chief Medical Officer of Health. Staff, students and families will receive more information today.

Latest information

Posted on: April 28, 2020

On Sunday, April 26, Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced that all publicly-funded schools will remain closed to students until at least May 31, 2020.

According to the Ministry of Education, the extension was based on the advice from the Chief Medical Officer of Health and health officials on the COVID-19 Command Table and is part of the government’s ongoing effort to stop the spread of the virus.

The OCDSB Learn at Home program will continue during this time. To learn more, visit: ocdsb.ca/learnathome

For more information on the OCDSB's response to COVID-19, visit: ocdsb.ca/covid19

Learn at Home - Phase 2

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board / Our Schools / Novel Coronavirus Information for Parents / Learn at Home

OCDSB Learn At Home is Phase 2 of a province wide learning at home strategy to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. OCDSB Learn At Home is a way to focus student learning on key concepts so that students can finish their academic year and advance to the next year or graduate. Download OCDSB Learn at Home Plan - Phase 2

Posted on: March 31, 2020

Dear OCDSB Families:

Today, the Government of Ontario announced that schools and child care centres will remain closed to students until Monday, May 4, 2020. As these dates come closer, this decision will be re-evaluated based on public health advice and the closure may be extended if necessary.

Commitment to Finishing the Academic Year

The learning needs of students from kindergarten to Grade 12 are a priority and there is a strong commitment to ensuring that all students can finish their academic year and be supported to advance to the next year or earn the credits they need to graduate. There is a very strong recognition of the unique needs of students in grades 11 and 12, ensuring no student will have their graduation compromised by COVID-19.

Phase 2 - Learning At Home

Beginning April 6th, students and staff at the OCDSB will move to the second phase of Learning At Home. Over the past two weeks, the OCDSB has been planning for this possibility. Today’s announcement and direction from the government will help to shape the plans that we have been working on.

Ministry Expectations for Phase 2

The Ministry announced the following expectations for Phase 2 including:

• Reconnecting students with teachers and other school staff, including mental health workers;

• Re-establishing teacher-led learning by grade groupings as follows:

  • Kindergarten-Grade 3: five hours of work per student/week (focus on literacy and math)

  • Grades 4-6: five hours of work per student/week (focus on literacy, math, science and social studies)

  • Grades 7-8: 10 hours of work per student/week (focus on math, literacy, science and social studies)

  • Grades 9-12: three hours of work per course per week for semestered students; 1.5 hours of work per course per week for non-semestered students (focus on achieving credits/completion/graduation)

• Leveraging digital resources and identifying alternative forms of teacher-student connectivity, such as phone and mail;

• Developing a program of training for educators to support them in virtual learning delivery;

• Requiring final report cards for all students;

• Prioritizing and supporting students on track to graduate;

• Distributing laptops and/or devices from schools as needed, while observing public health direction;

• Maintaining a responsive posture for health care and community partner requests; and

• Establishing formal COVID-19 working groups with education sector unions to work together, share ideas and to find solutions in the support of students.

You can read the full news release from the Ministry of Education here.

We know there are still many questions about the extended closure and what it means for your child, but this is a step forward in our progress. Together with our education and community partners, we are working out the details of this next step that recognize and support the needs of all learners. That includes working on plans to increase access to devices such as computers, tablets and portable wi-fi hotspots for families that need the supports; access to special education resources and supports; and access to meal programs and other community-based services that support the health and well-being of our community.

During this time, we continue to encourage everyone to follow Ottawa Public Health advice to stay home and practice physical distancing. As a reminder, you can visit our COVID-19 website for the latest updates, learning resources, frequently asked questions and mental health resources for families: ocdsb.ca/covid19.

Stay safe and be well.

Camille Williams-Taylor

Director of Education/Secretary to the Board

EQAO and Additional Resources

Posted on 03/18/2020

Dear OCDSB Families:

I hope you are well and managing these challenging times. I wanted to share the most recent information from the Ministry of Education about school related issues.

As you know, all schools remain closed until April 5th, 2020. There are many questions about what happens after that date. The Ministry of Education has advised that they are developing plans, which include guidance for staff, students and families on how to manage re-entry to school. This also includes preparing for a possible extended closure if that is necessary based on public health advice. We will continue to keep you updated on this.

EQAO Assessments

All EQAO assessments will be cancelled for the remainder of this school year. This includes the grades 3, 6 and grade 9 assessments as well as the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). For students who are graduating in the 2019-20 school year, the literacy graduation requirement as set out in Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements, 2016 will be waived. Students who are not graduating this school year will have the opportunity to write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) in the upcoming 2020-21 school year.

Continuity of Learning

In the next week, we anticipate additional information from the Ministry about online learning resources. District staff are also compiling an inventory of learning resources that families could use to support learning while students are at home. We know you have many questions and we appreciate your patience as we work with District staff and the Ministry to address them.

We are aware that families have additional questions. We continue to work with our partners to get the information families are requesting. We know that this is a stressful time for families. We are committed to developing resources to help. Here are some online resources that address anxiety relating to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

• How to Manage Anxiety During COVID-19

• KidsHELPPHONE Messaging about COVID-19

We will provide updates on a regular basis as new information becomes available. Please stay well and practice the guidance of Ottawa Public Health in terms of social distancing and self-isolation as required.

Kindest regards,

Camille Williams-Taylor

COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

Schools Closures

Posted on 03/12/2020

Dear OCDSB Families,

Today, the Ontario government has announced that all schools will be closed to students from March 14 to April 5th, 2020. This includes all OCDSB elementary and secondary schools. At this time, there are many unanswered questions about this decision, including the impact on childcare programs and services, March Break camps, community use permits, administrative buildings, school year calendar, dual credit programs, and many other issues. The Ministry has announced that some additional details will follow and some decisions will be local board decisions. What we are able to confirm at this time is that students will not attend school during this period.

This decision was made to help reduce the spread of the Coronavirus. The Coronavirus is a respiratory infection which causes flu like symptoms including fever, cough and difficulty breathing. You can learn more about the virus from this Public Health Canada Coronavirus Fact Sheet. It will take our collective effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

We know that many families will be travelling during March Break. If you plan to travel over March Break, please take all safety precautions. For travel outside of Canada, follow Government of Canada Travel Advisories and be aware that this situation is changing rapidly. Please check the Ottawa Public Health recommendations for self-isolation, prior to your return. We would hope that all students are in a position to return to school on April 6, 2020.

How can you stay healthy?

Some of the things that you can do to help reduce the risk and possible spread of the Coronavirus are:

• wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;

• cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze;

• avoid touching your face and eyes;

• if you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve or arm;

• reduce your attendance at large public gatherings;

• stay home if you are ill; and

• get a yearly influenza vaccination, available from clinics and pharmacies.

Here is some additional information that might be helpful.

• Information on Hand Hygiene and this Handwashing

• Ottawa Public Health website

• Government of Canada Travel Advisories

• Frequently Asked Questions

We know that families have lots of questions about this decision. At this time, we are working with the Ministry and health partners to get answers to these questions. As soon as we know more, we will share that information with you.

Thank you for your patience and support during this challenging time.