April Spring Break Update
School Returns April 19
As you may know, the province has implemented a provincewide shutdown for four weeks in response to worsening trends in key health indicators across the province. The mental health and well-being of children continues to be a key priority for the province and schools will remain open for in-person learning through the provincial emergency and stay-at-home order. The April Spring Break will continue as planned, from April 12 to 16, and schools will reopen for in-person learning on April 19.
COVID-19 Monitoring
During the 2021 April Spring Break, Grand Erie will continue to work in partnership with the Brant County Health Unit and the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit to monitor COVID-19 cases in our school communities.
Throughout the holiday, we will continue to support their ongoing contact tracing efforts by sharing the contact information of students and staff for identified confirmed or probable cases and their close contacts. If a Grand Erie student or staff member is identified as a probable case, a confirmed case, or a close contact to a COVID-19 case, the local health unit will be in direct communications to provide further information and next steps.
If new cases impacting Grand Erie schools are discovered between April 10 and April 18, in addition to working with health units to contact affected students and staff, confirmed cases will be posted on the Grand Erie website daily, Monday to Friday, by 4:00 p.m. Students must be screened for COVID-19 symptoms before returning to school on April 19th.
Asymptomatic Testing
School-Based Testing
As a reminder, starting this Saturday, asymptomatic testing for staff and students will be available at select school locations. Specific details will be provided to those students and staff eligible for this round of targeted asymptomatic testing.
Pharmacy Testing
For the week of April 12-18 only, pharmacies that currently offer asymptomatic testing for education staff, will now accept appointments from students. Children attending child care located within schools will also be eligible to access this testing. Please check with your local pharmacy on minimum testing age. To book an appointment, visit the COVID-19 Testing Locations website, and select “pharmacy” as your location type, with the booking details requested.
Rapid Testing in Pharmacies
In addition to these pharmacies, Shoppers Drug Mart locations in Brantford and Simcoe are also able to offer additional in-pharmacy Rapid Antigen Screening for students and staff beginning April 14, 2021. To book an appointment, please contact the store directly.
Asymptomatic Testing at Assessment Centres
For the week of April 12-18, students and staff will also be able to access asymptomatic testing at local assessment centres. Children attending child care located within schools, and child care staff, will also be eligible to access this testing. This testing is only being offered to students, children and staff from April 12-18. To book an appointment, visit the COVID-19 Testing Locations website, and select “pharmacy” as your location type, with the booking details requested.
Symptomatic individuals must self-isolate or get a COVID-19 test at their local assessment centre.
Spring Break Resources
During the spring break, students in Grades 1-8 can continue to engage in their own learning through supplemental, curriculum-linked activities available at TVO Learn and TFO IDÉLLO, apprendre à la maison. These rich, engaging opportunities allow students to keep up with their learning and interests. Secondary students can continue to access TVO's Independent Learning Centre (ILC) Open House and Portes ouvertes pour les cours TVO ILC in French-language. Mathify (English) and Eureka! (French) are also available to provide one-on-one online tutoring services for elementary and secondary students. Mathify covers online math tutoring in English for Grades 6 to 10 and Eureka! supports all subjects for French-language students in Grades 1 to 12.
Public Health Measures
In light of the recently announced measures, it is more important than ever that we continue to follow health advice over the Spring Break to do our part to keep schools open, for in-person student learning.
At this critical point in the pandemic, the following public health measures are crucial to help prevent and limit the spread of COVID-19:
- Socialize only with your own household.
- Stay home and get tested if you feel ill.
- Participate in the targeted testing offered by your school board.
- Screen every day, including during spring break, for COVID-19 symptoms before attending child care (the COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening Tool is available to assist families with symptom screening).
- Practice good hand hygiene habits, masking, and physical distancing.
- Refer to Ontario.ca/covidresponse to learn what public health measures are in place in our community.
- Refrain from travelling.
As a reminder, before coming back to school on April 19, please screen your child for COVID-19 symptoms. If your child or anyone in your household is ill, stay home and follow the guidance in the school screener.
Please continue to monitor our website (www.granderie.ca), and our Twitter feed (@GEDSB) for the latest information.