PARRY SOUND, ON-The Near North District School Board has outlined what its students can expect this coming school year.
Following the directives released by the Ministry of Education, and under the guidance of the local health unit, health and safety measures have been outlined to help not only the students but teachers stay clear of the virus.
Both elementary and high school students will resume their regular school schedule of five days a week with a couple of changes. Recess, lunch and bathroom breaks will be staggered in timing to reduce the possibility of spreading the virus while high school students will adopt a quadmester model, which breaks up the school year into four segments.
Before students return to school, parents are asked to complete a survey to see if their child will either continue online education or come back to the classroom. The form can be filled out here and must be done before August 14th at 5:00 p.m.
If you wish to make a change to your selection as the COVID-19 situation evolves, you can do so by filling out the survey again.
When students return to school, certain measures will be in place; these include:
- Grades 4 to 12 will be required to wear masks indoors on school property, while students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 will be encouraged but not required.
- Staff who are in regular contact with students will be provided PPE.
- All staff must self-screen every day.
- Frequent hand washing as a way to prevent the spread.
- Personal belongings brought to school should be minimized.
Mental health and well-being staff will be available for in-person and online support to assist students in need, and those identified as having high needs special education and mental health needs will be provided with transition activities/programming during the last two weeks of summer prior to opening.
For the students that are in need of transportation, private ways of getting to school are encouraged, but for those who plan on taking the bus, be advised that physical distancing may not be possible. With this in mind, it will be mandatory for masks to be worn for Grade 4 to 12 students and encouraged for Kindergarten to Grade 3 students.
For more details, visit the NNDSB website here.