With no firm date on when students in Ontario will return to class, the Thames Valley District School Board is taking steps to make sure all of its students are able to access online learning tools.
The board announced Monday that it will make available computing devices for children who don't have them at home. Families that don't have computers or tablets will be able to fill out an online form in the parent portal on the board's website or leave a message on their school's voicemail system in order to secure one of the devices. Because of the limited number of devices available, it's anticipated that there will be a limit of one device per family.
“We want to make sure that all Thames Valley students can continue to learn and thrive during this extraordinary time,” said TVDSB Director of Education Mark Fisher. He added the board is also looking into how printed resources can be made available to students who are without reliable internet service.
When Premier Doug Ford first announced that schools would remain closed after the March Break, he said they would re-open on April 6. He recently amended that schedule, saying schools would re-open on that day. However, it's still unknown when students will be able to return to school. The TVDSB said it expects to soon learn more about when classes will resume.
Until then, parents and guardians are being encouraged to keep their children's minds active through the Learn at Home online resource.
"The Ministry of Education is also expected to announce soon how teachers will be engaged with students in remote learning opportunities while schools are closed," the board said in Monday's statement.
Parents have until this Thursday at noon to inform the board or their child's school if they are in need of a device.