Approved School Year Calendars and Brief Update on Next Steps

Posted On Thursday July 23, 2020

Dear Parents/Guardians,

I sincerely hope that you and your family are enjoying the summer and staying safe. Further to our last update on the return to school, I am writing to inform you that school year calendars have now been approved by the Ministry of Education. For your reference, you can find the regular and modified calendars for the 2020/21 school year here: https://www.ddsb.ca/en/whats-happening/school-year-calendars.aspx#2020-2021-School-Year-Calendars

Please note that bell times at individual schools will be determined at a later date and may change due to transportation and other safety requirements related to COVID-19.

 

Modified Calendar Schools – Elementary (C.E. Broughton PS, Winchester PS)

If your child(ren) are currently enrolled in modified calendar at the elementary level, your school principal will be communicating information to you next week with respect to the remote learning program that will be taking place from August 4th to September 8th.

If you would prefer that your child not participate in the modified calendar year at the elementary level, please e-mail the school office no later than Tuesday July 29 informing them of your request.

 

Modified Calendar Schools – Secondary (Brock HS, Henry Street HS, Maxwell Heights SS)

If your child(ren) are currently enrolled in a modified calendar at the secondary level, the first week of school is scheduled to start on August 31st. Your school principal will be connecting with you in the coming weeks on the type of learning that will be taking place for the first week.

Next Steps on the Return to School

We are expecting an announcement by the Government of Ontario on August 4th with respect to what the return to school will look like on Tuesday September 8th. In the meantime, our staff have been working behind the scenes to prepare for a safe start to the school year. The Ministry of Education has previously indicated that students/families who decide to opt-out of in-person instruction will be provided with remote learning opportunities.

We will be meeting with the Ministry next week to discuss our return to school plans as they work towards making a final decision. Once the return to school announcement has been made, we will be sharing more details with you through e-mail, social media and our website on what learning will look like, information that we will require from you and the enhanced health and safety protocols that we will be implementing to create a safe learning environment for students and staff.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work towards a safe return to school based on the direction of public health authorities and the Government of Ontario. We look forward to sharing more information with you soon.

 

With thanks,

 

Norah Marsh

Acting Director of Education