Spring Break moved to April 12 to 16

News 100 blueBy Staff

February 11th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The province has not cancelled the March Break – they did push t back to April 12 to 16.

Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Education, issued the following statement regarding March break:

Stephen Lecce

Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Education,

“In support of our collective efforts to keep schools safe, we are postponing March break until April 12-16, 2021.
This decision was made with the best advice of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and public health officials, including consultations with many local Medical Officers of Health.

“Many students have been learning remotely since the start of 2021. It is critical we follow public health advice to protect schools and avoid a repeat of the concerning spike in youth-related cases over the winter break, when students and staff were out of schools for a prolonged period of time. We are taking this precaution based on advice from health experts, including the province’s Science Table and the Chief Medical Officer of Health, to help protect against the emerging COVID-19 variants of concern.

“We appreciate the hard work of students and staff in the education sector and I want to be clear: March break is being postponed, not cancelled. To keep schools open, we must keep them free of COVID-19. The actions announced today serve to limit opportunities for congregation – while reaffirming the evidence that schools are safe for students. By continuing to follow public health advice, and by introducing additional safety measures and more testing, we are supporting our collective efforts to keep COVID-19 from entering our schools.

“With respect to travel, our government’s position on this is unchanged. Ontarians should refrain from travelling, particularly given the increase in new variants that pose a direct risk to our country. Please stay at home as much as possible and continue following the direction of public health officials so that we can keep schools open and protect our seniors, frontline health workers and all families.

“These decisions – based on the advice of medical experts – are never easy, but they are necessary to keep Ontario families safe.”

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2 comments to Spring Break moved to April 12 to 16

  • Penny…pardon my rudeness, but why should you get a say in whether kids (and parents) get a spring break or not? I can tell you as a parent with 2 kids doing virtual schooling since September, while working from home, it’s been downright exhausting, and time away from it is something we all need just to protect our mental health. As for “days without learning”…they’re kids adjusting to life in a pandemic. This isn’t normal. They’re learning every day whether they’re in the classroom or not. Forcing them to spend an extra 5 days there isn’t going to benefit them in the slightest – especially those in elementary school.

    I certainly don’t buy the line that postponing the March Break will reduce opportunities for congregation, especially given that congregation is happening in the classrooms and in schools during breaks and transitions. A significant proportion of the run-up in deadly cases from September thru December is attributed to the classroom settings. While in a normal year many kids would vacation with their families during the break, discretionary travel should absolutely not be permitted at this time. If families adhere to the public health recommendations, not being in school for that week should reduce the risk of spread, not increase it. It’s almost like they’re doing this to create the appearance of doing something, instead of actually reducing class sizes and improving protocols in schools.

  • Penny Hersh

    There should not be a Spring Break this year. Students have had many days without any learning. This time could be used to help them catch up.

    Teachers should be urging the Ministry of Education not to have any time off at this point in time. Students need this time for learning.

    The Christmas break ended up increasing Covid 19 cases because families and children got together when they should have been in their own homes with only the family members that live there on a daily basis.