The majority of parents with children in the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) are opting to send them back to the classroom in September.
Parents have been given until Tuesday to decide whether their child will attend school in-person or stick with full-time remote learning. As of Monday, parents had made their intentions known for 63,500 students. Of those, 8,200 students plan to learn at home.
The board is still awaiting responses from parents of the remaining 18,500 students at its 161 schools.
“Our plans have been shared with the Ministry of Education and local public health units and they are supportive of our comprehensive and multi-pronged approach,” TVDSB Education Director Mark Fisher said in a statement. “We need the support of parents and guardians to complete the survey so that we can ensure adequate teaching staff and classroom space are in place when schools reopen.”
Parents had been given a week and a half to make their selection using the board's online Parent Portal. Those choosing continued online learning were asked for additional information about access to the Internet and the availability of necessary devices, such as computers and tablets.
Those wishing to move from one option to the other will be permitted to do so on certain dates, the school board said. Elementary students can make the switch on November 2 and February 8, with the board requiring advanced notice by October 16 and January 22. Secondary students can change models on February 4, with advance notice to be given by January 15.
Thames Valley, along with the London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB), unveiled their back-to-school plans at separate meetings held last week.
Elementary students in both boards will return to school during normal hours, five days per week. However, to reduce unnecessary contact, students will be grouped together in cohorts for the full day. Lunchtimes and recesses will be staggered to avoid larger groupings of students.
Secondary students will experience a combination of in-person and online learning. Under a new “quadmestered” approach, students will take two courses at a time for a 10 week period. The students will then alternate to their next two courses for another 10-week period to complete the semester. The start and end times for the day will remain the same, but periods will be extended from 75 minutes to 120 minutes. High schoolers will also be divided into cohorts with a maximum of 15 students each.
Students in special education classes will attend five days a week in both elementary and secondary schools.
Ontario children have not been back inside the classroom since March when all schools were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parents with children in the LDCSB have until Thursday to decide whether to continue online learning or send their kid back to school.
-With files from Kirk Dickinson
