Schools in the Lambton Kent District School Board (LKDSB) say they are ready to safely welcome back students this September, but there are few new rules in place.
After the province's 26-page back-to-school plan was released earlier this month, the board has spent most of its time preparing for the upcoming school year. All students returning for in-person classes or virtual learning will start the year on time this year on September 7, 2021. Kindergarten students will have a staggered entry with their first day of school beginning either September 8 or 9.
"We have followed the ministry's guidance throughout the document, however, there are a few exceptions of things that are permitted that we are just not quite ready to embrace yet," a statement from the school board read. "There may also be some nuances that will occur between school, based on local context, school populations, and local data."
Just like the 2020-21 school year, all students, staff and visitors will be required to fill out a COVID-19 pre-screening questionnaire before coming to school.
The LKDSB said it will treat all suspected and confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 seriously. If a student comes to school and begins to show symptoms of COVID-19, said student will be isolated from their cohort and supervised until a parent or guardian can pick them up.
Schools will report suspected and positive cases to the health unit and either Lambton Public Health, or Chatham-Kent Public Health will reach out to close contacts of a potentially sick individual with further instruction. All confirmed positive cases will be posted on the board's website.
Before the first day of school, families of elementary school children will be told who their child's teacher is and where their designated entry door is. Students will then have to enter through their designated door every morning and afternoon, they will also be assigned a spot where they can place their materials.
Secondary school students will be granted access to their homerooms 15 minutes before the first bell. Lockers will not be utilized at the start of the year but the school board said it will reassess the use of lockers as the school year progresses.
Masks will be required for all students in grades 1-12. Masking for kindergartners will not be made mandatory though it is encouraged. Children will only have to wear a mask while indoors or on busses. Some students may be granted an exception to masks, families will have to work with their school to determine if their child is eligible.
Also the same as last year, schools will again implement stringent physical distancing, hygiene and health and safety protocols. Frequent hand washing will be encouraged, hand sanitizer will be placed at entrances, exits, classrooms and hallways.
Additionally, the school board said it has hired more custodial staff to help focus on sanitizing high-touch surface areas. Ventilation systems of all LKDSB schools have also been assessed, though inspections are ongoing. Stand-alone HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters will be used in occupied classrooms, gyms and libraries where mechanical ventilation systems aren't in place.
Lunchtime for students will look similar to last year. Prepared cafeteria food will not be available in schools and students will be required to bring their own lunches. Schools can provide pre-packaged foods to students who may have forgotten their lunch. Students will also be encouraged to bring refillable water bottles to school as drinking fountains will not be accessible.
Elementary school kids will eat their lunch with their classroom peers in a designated area, or they can opt to go home for lunch with a parent/guardian's consent. High schoolers will be permitted to leave school grounds to purchase food, schools will communicate plans for shared eating spaces to students on the first day of school.
"In secondary schools that could look like eating outside or going to local establishments for lunch," the board added.
Clubs and extra-curricular activities such as sports will continue with provincial health requirements in place. The school board said it will not hold any large gatherings within schools for the time being.
"An example of that would be our assemblies, we think we need to gather a little bit more data and let the school year get started before we go in that direction," said the board.
Students participating in a virtual learning model for the 2021-22 year will be required to participate in both live and on-demand learning.
Children in Grades 1-8 will put in six-hour school days with 225 minutes of synchronous learning and 75 minutes of on-demand learning. Secondary school students will have a minimum of 225 minutes of real-time learning with a teacher split up between the morning and afternoon.
Kindergartners will also be required to do 300 minutes of learning per day however, they will only have 180 minutes of live learning with their teacher.
Accommodations will still be made for families of students who have special learning needs. Where appropriate, educators will provide more opportunities for synchronous learning for students based on their individual strengths and needs.
Mental health supports will also be available for students. The board added that staff have been provided additional training in order to better provide support to students and to understand how to identify a student who may require additional mental health supports.
With just over two weeks before the school year begins, the LKDSB said it is looking forward to a safe school year. The school board's full 42-page 'Reopening and Operating Our Schools' plan can be found by clicking here.