By Pepper Parr
September 4th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton District School Board Elementary students will get to do a dry run on returning to school next week – the “letting students experience” a return to classroom takes place on Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th.
Those students with family names that begin with A through to those whose family name begins with L will go to their school on Thursday the 10th.
The Halton District School Board has a secure supply of PPE
They will be met at the school door, have their hands sanitized and get a face mask test to ensure the thing is being worn correctly.
Then they are taken to their class and given instruction on how school will operate for the foreseeable future.
Parents will not be allowed to enter the school.
On Friday, those students with family names that begin with M through to the end of the alphabet, will go through the same routine.
There will be no curriculum taught on those days.
Nor will there be school bus service to the schools.
Director of Education Stuart Miller asked parents to be patient and careful as they approach the school entrance.
Classroom spacing will be different. No passing notes from desk to desk.
The focus will be to teach them the importance of staying within their cohort and “exposing them to the new reality”.
The Board is working at making video material available to parents so they can prep their children for these introductory sessions.
Teachers are encouraged to get students outside as much as possible and to ensure that they stay within their cohort.
There will be washroom rules, recess rules, lunch rules and exercise outdoors rules.
Walking around the school will not be what it was when they left school in March. There will be direction markers along the hallways.
Intent to Return Survey
Parents/guardians (and students 18+) were asked to complete the Intent to Return survey by Aug. 23. If you have not completed the survey, or if you have completed the survey and would like to change your response(s), please contact the main office at your child’s school. The last day to switch between in-person and virtual learning is Tuesday, Sept. 8.
