GUELPH – Wellington Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) students from Grades 1 to 12 will be required to wear face coverings when school begins in September.
On Aug. 21, director of education Michael Glazier posted a letter to WCDSB families outlining updates to the board’s return-to-school plan, which was endorsed by trustees on Aug. 20.
“This plan outlines our commitment to welcoming students back into safe, healthy and inclusive schools,” Glazier said.
The board will be incurring a deficit no more than two per cent of its operating allocation from the ministry.
“These funds are to be used to ensure student and staff safety and wellness as we start this very unique year,” he said.
The letter also mentions an Aug. 18 recommendation by Dr. Nicola Mercer, medical officer of health for the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health Unit, that all students other than those in junior and senior kindergarten be required to wear a mask while at school.
For those younger students it’s recommended they also wear face coverings while in school, but it’s not mandatory.
However, all students, no matter their age, are required to wear a face covering while traveling by school bus.
The WCDSB is currently working on a masking protocol that will include these points, Glazier wrote.
Also included in the return-to-school plan is information about when school will start for each grade and how the classrooms will look. Both elementary and secondary students will experience a staggered start to the school year.
“The board is showing its commitment to student and staff health and safety by adopting a staggered entry for all grades the first week of school,” Glazier said.
“This will allow students and staff to acclimatize to their classes and become familiar with the increased health and safety procedures the board has put in place for the well-being of our entire community.”
Elementary
The start of elementary school will look very different this year:
– Sept. 8 and 9: intake meetings for junior kindergarten and new senior kindergarten students will take place; Grade 1, 2 and 3 students will attend a full day of class;
– Sept. 10: senior kindergarten, 3/4, 4, 5 and 6 students will attend a full day of class;
– Sept. 10 to 18: junior kindergarten students will visit schools with staggered entry;
– Sept. 11: senior kindergarten, 6/7, 7 and 8 students will attend a full day of class;
– Sept. 14: students from senior kindergarten to Grade 8 will begin attending class full time; and
– Sept: 21: all junior kindergarten students will attend class full time.
The board will also be hiring new teachers, early childhood educators and support for outdoor learning to keep class sizes low.
“WCDSB has always maintained kindergarten class sizes well below the required average,” Glazier wrote. “We are prioritizing this new investment for our youngest learners to achieve an average class size below 22.”
The goal is also to keep junior and intermediate average class sizes below 23.
Secondary
The start of the school year for high school students will proceed as follows:
– Sept. 8: only Grade 9 students will attend a full day of class;
– Sept. 9: only Grade 10 students will attend a full day of class;
– Sept. 10 and 11: only Grade 11 and 12 students will attend a full day of class; and
– Sept. 14: all Grade 9 to 12 students will be in class full time.
In addition, Glazier said the board would be offering additional e-learning options and hiring additional teachers to reduce class sizes in courses that have high enrolments.
“These strategies, combined with the ability to maximize the use of our school buildings, will allow our students the space to physically distance,” he wrote.
“We have made investments in student technology including the addition of 1,300 netbooks, 500 ipads and 500 webcams.”
Glazier added, “The broadband modernization project, which includes dedicated internet connections and an increased bandwidth capacity, has been completed for all schools in the Wellington Catholic District School Board.”
Class instruction will also look different for secondary students this year, with a new quadmester model, whether students are learning in-person or online.
Students attending in person learning will receive instruction for only one course per week, meaning each week will alternate courses for 10 weeks, until Nov. 13. Dismissal will occur one hour earlier – at 2:15pm – to accommodate the removal of a formal lunch period.
Students learning online will also participate in a quadmestered model.
Ventilation and
air conditioning
While all the ventilation systems in schools are fully functional and scheduled preventative maintenance is complete or will be complete before school starts, the board has purchased individual HEPA grade air filtration units to improve air quality in schools.
“We will increase the amount of fresh air exchange in schools and ensure more frequent filter changes,” Glazier said.
Thanks
He thanked all classroom, custodial and administrative staff for their work in adapting to the ministry and public health ever-changing directions.
“My thanks also to WCDSB families as well for the patience and support you have shown over the past months,” Glazier said.
“Regardless of the learning option you’ve chosen for your children, the entire WCDSB team is committed to the well-being and safety of all our students and high quality, faith-based, inclusive education.”
For more information visit www.wellingtoncdsb.ca.
