Return to Learning

Parents/guardians must self-assess their children daily for COVID-19 related symptoms before sending their children to school (visit https://covid-19.ontario.ca/self-assessment/) 

Students who are sick should not come to school 

If a student develops symptoms during the school day, they will be immediately isolated and a call will be made to their parent/guardian to have them picked up 

All staff will be required to wear a level 1 surgical/procedural mask and where close contact is required, they may have additional personal protective equipment 

Students from Grades 4-8 will be required to wear face coverings/non-medical masks indoors in school (these should be sent to school with each child) 

Primary children (Kindergarten – Grade 3) will not be required to wear masks but will not be prohibited from doing so  

Breaks will be built into the school day where students and staff can physically distance and remove their masks for periods of time (e.g., outdoor recess, outdoor instructional periods) 

Protective protocols including physical distancing and hand hygiene will be taught and practiced at school 

Hand sanitizing stations and pumps will be available in the school and for all classes where there is no sink 

Water fountains will not be used; students will be encouraged to bring water bottles and use the water re-filling stations in the school 

Enhanced cleaning of high contact surfaces and washrooms will be implemented  

Assemblies and large gatherings will not occur 

Visitors to the school will be limited and upon appointment 

Where visitors are permitted, they will be limited to designated areas within the school and will be required to wear masks and sanitize their hands 

Should a student or staff member exhibit symptoms, the school will work with the public health department to contact trace and test  

In the event of an outbreak, there may be a need to transition to online learning for a period of time 

Student and staff well-being and mental health will be a priority as we return to schools 

Self-care resources will be made available to all staff to support personal resiliency and well-being  

Evidence-based strategies tailored to elementary and secondary levels will be shared with all educators to support the general well-being and mental health of all students (e.g., movement break activities, social-emotional learning videos) 

Additional resources from School Mental Health Ontario will be shared to support students as they return to school 

Students with special education needs will be supported in both the in-person and online models through the classroom teacher, program support teacher and other school-based supports deemed necessary 

Schools will be communicating with parents/guardians, before the start of the school year, regarding transition opportunities for students with special education needs 

Resources have been made available to educators to support students with special education needs in adapting to the changes in the physical environment and health and safety protocols (e.g., social stories, visual aids/prompts)  

Safe return for students who are medically fragile will be supported through consultation with Public Health in partnership with parents/guardians 

Individual Education Plans (IEPs) will be reviewed and updated, taking the adapted school environment into account when developing strategies for learning 

Students using Assistive Technology will be supported with any technology issues and training as needed through their Program Support Teachers and Board Assistive Technologists 

Hearing and vision resource teachers will be in regular contact with the students on their caseloads and their educators to ensure a smooth transition and will provide ongoing support throughout the school year 

Student Services staff members will support the re-opening of schools through consultation with educators and working directly to deliver and support programs that benefit all students in the areas of self-regulation, stress management and social-emotional learning 

Regulated health professionals (i.e., Social Workers, Psychometrists and Psychologists) will deliver in-person and/or online, school-based supports for those on their caseloads, following the required health and safety protocols 

Outside service providers will be allowed access to the school in order to provide service to the students on their caseloads, following the required health and safety protocols

Students in Kindergarten – Grade 8 will return to school on a full-day, five days per week model (this includes grade 7-8 students at Monsignor John Pereyma and All Saints Catholic Secondary Schools) 

Due to busing restrictions, some changes to start and finish times at individual schools may need to be altered but the school day will still be comprised of five (5) hours of instruction plus lunch and recess breaks 

Instruction will be provided in all subject areas as outlined in the Ontario Curriculum however, as a result of health and safety measures, some of our curriculum delivery may need to be modified 

As a result of health and safety measures, some of our curriculum delivery may be modified to meet the needs of our students and staff members 

Students will be limited to their own class cohorts and not mix with other classes 

Within their classroom, students may share toys or equipment but will be instructed on washing their hands before and after use 

Where necessary, (for example to receive French instruction) teachers will rotate into the classroom (students will stay in their own room) 

Staggered entries and designated outdoor play areas will also be utilized to minimize contacts 

Educators will be encouraged to utilize outdoor space for instruction wherever appropriate and possible

The Durham Catholic District School Board has been classified as a “designated school board” by the Ministry of Education which means that secondary students in our Board will be returning to school on an alternate day model 

Students will be taught in cohorts of approximately 15 students every other day 

A quadmester system will be in place. In the quadmester, the year will be broken into four blocks of time 

Instead of taking four courses at a time (as is the practice for a semestered system) students will take only two courses at a time which will assist in limiting contacts 

The secondary courses will include both in-class and online learning  

The daily schedule will be condensed and families will be notified of the condensed schedule prior to the start of the school year. 

An online learning program will be available to families who choose not to have their children return to school 

Online learning in September will include the full curriculum 

Students who opt for online learning will be placed in a virtual class that may include students from multiple schools 

These classes will be formed according to the class sizes that are utilized in regular schools and will be assigned a classroom teacher 

Students will be required to connect daily and will be provided with a schedule for learning 

Real time or “synchronous” learning will be a part of the online program 

The Ontario policy - Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting in Ontario Schools K-12 will guide assessment practices

Families who choose to begin the school year in the online program, may not be able to flexibly return to in-class learning  

The board will be required to maintain cohorts and monitor the number of students in each class which may limit the ability to admit new or returning students upon request