Back to school concept. apple, accessories and books in the classroom, teacher wearing mask in the background. © Can Stock Photo / erika8213Back to school concept. apple, accessories and books in the classroom, teacher wearing mask in the background. © Can Stock Photo / erika8213
Chatham

Returning to school in the new year is still the plan

Plans have not changed to return to school in Lambton-Kent after the holiday break.

Education Director at the Lambton-Kent District School Board John Howitt and his counterpart at the St. Clair Catholic District School Board Scott Johnson said they are not telling students to take their tech devices home in case schools are closed in January. Howitt and Johnson maintain the plan to return to class January 3, 2022 remains the same as last week.

Howitt said no announcement has been made and until the school boards know for sure, they don't want to add to the stress and anxiety of students heading into the holidays.

"Our concern that asking students to take everything home has unintended consequences of raising anxiety of what is very often already an anxious time in many, many homes. Schools are a place of stability for our students and when they're off for two weeks, we sometimes see some behaviours and anxieties leading into those kinds of holidays," said Howitt. "Why we would raise the level of stress in those students that could lead to greater anxieties for them doesn't seem to make sense to us at this time."

Howitt said if an announcement is made to switch to online learning, the school boards could use the first two days of learning in the new year to connect with families to determine what they need.

Johnson said anticipating something that may not happen is not a good idea.

"Our board is not preparing anything different. We are planning for a return to school in January. If students do not return in January, then we will pivot to remote learning if instructed to do so at that time and if we have to support technology deployment at that time we would do so. We think doing so before we have any direction might be premature at this time and might send the wrong message to parents as well," said Johnson.

Some school boards have already told their students to take their belongings home in case learning switches to online in January.

Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby said the public health policy is that schools are the last to close and the first to open under pandemic circumstances, adding that in-class learning is safe and safer than staying home in some cases.

Howitt and Johnson are also urging parents and students to not throw out the rapid antigen COVID-19 test kits going home with students before the Christmas break after some comments surfaced on social media that some families were going to toss them in the trash.

Howitt said that would be disappointing because so many people want them and can't afford them.

"We are looking to keep schools safe when we return and there's a lot of questions from parents about whether or not asymptomatic students are attending school and the rapid antigen tests are one of the ways parents can know whether or not their children are an asymptomatic positive and require a PCR test or not to help insure a safe return to school on January 3rd," Howitt said.

Chatham-Kent has eight COVID-19 school outbreaks with a combined 24 cases.

Read More Local Stories