Updated: Provincial Back-to-School Guidance

On August 3, the Ontario Ministry of Education released its guide to the safe reopening of schools, COVID-19: Health, safety and operational guidance for schools (2021-2022).

Grand Erie District School Board is reviewing the Ministry guidelines carefully and will provide detailed guidance to staff and families in the coming days. Local Public Health Unit directives will also play an important part in the development of this guidance.

You can expect to see Grand Erie’s guidance address the following in greater detail:

• Elementary and Secondary school students will return to the classroom five days a week, unless they have opted to participate in remote learning.

• Symptom screening will be mandatory each day for all students and staff.

• Masks indoors are mandatory for all staff and students from grades 1-12. Grand Erie is reviewing options regarding masking for students in JK and SK.

• Elementary school students will remain in one cohort for the full day with one teacher. Specialized education staff are permitted to go into different classrooms and schools.

• Masking and cohorting are not required during recess or outdoor breaks, but distancing is encouraged.

• Indoor common spaces (cafeterias, libraries) can be used with distancing and masking.

• Secondary school students are to not be timetabled with more than two courses at a time during the fall semester.

• Field trips, school assemblies, and extra-curricular activities will be permitted in September in all grades, with attention to proper distancing and Provincial requirements regarding space.

• Indoor low-contact inter-school sports (The Chief Medical Officer of Health has subsequently said both indoor basketball and hockey will be permitted) will be allowed to resume as well as high-contact outdoor sports with safety protocols in place.

• Music programming will be allowed, including that which involves singing and wind instruments with safety protocols in place.

• There will be emphasis on proper hand hygiene.

• Schools are expected to optimize ventilation indoors and support outdoor instruction wherever possible.

• The Ministry has instructed school boards be prepared for a return to remote learning should circumstances change.

More information is expected from the Ministry and the Chief Medical Office of Health regarding protocols following positive cases and symptoms at school. As these become available, we will work with local Public Health Units to update our current protocol.

Parents can support their child (age 12+) to be fully or partially vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the start of the school year as an important step in the fight against this disease. For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine and to book an appointment, please visit: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccines-ontario.

We will work diligently to ensure our schools are safe and healthy places for our students and staff returning this fall. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school in September.

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