Director Education Update

Monday, February 22, 2021

 

Dear Parents / Guardians,

The new COVID-19 Variants of Concern in Ontario are causing particular worry within the public health community and the Ministry of Education. Therefore, the Provincial Government has updated the COVID-19 daily screener. Elementary students / families a re to use this new tool and follow the advice that it gives prior to going to school each day. This guidance includes more stringent screening measures for all workplaces and schools/childcare, requiring anyone with a single symptom to stay home, self-isolate, and get tested. We also want to draw your attention to the new guidance with respect to self isolation and the fact that siblings must also stay home from school when a family member is showing symptoms.

 

Secondary Students are to also use the daily screening tool listed below and must also complete the daily attestation.

These are significant changes to the screening protocols that have been i n place since l ate fall. It is important that all of us within our community follow these guidelines as outlined by the Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario. It is with fidelity to these screening protocols we can keep everyone safe, and our schools open. We know that a third wave related to the Covid-19 Variants of Concern could force us to move back to remote l earning. Therefore, it is incumbent on all of us to follow the public health guidelines.

We appreciate that these updates reflect a change i n our present screening protocols and may lead to disruptions in our daily lives. However, we need to remain vigilant with respect to health protection measures. We appreciate your continued patience as our school staff implement these protocols, in particular when we call and ask you to pick up your child, please know our staff are following the protocols i n order to keep everyone safe. We further ask that you continue to have an alternate plan for your children if they are unable to attend school due to the need to self isolate. We have included important information for you from our Public Health Unit with respect to these new changes.

 

As you are aware the Ministry of Education i s moving forward with Asymptomatic Testing of School Age students. We are in the process of planning how this will be implemented within our school community with Public Health and the Ministry of Education. This will be voluntary for students, families and staff. Communication, along with all consent forms and documentation will be sent home when testing dates are set for each school or community. It is anticipated that these testing times will be after school or on the weekend. Please stay tuned for more detailed information.

We are hopeful as we continue with the vaccine roll out i n the Province of Ontario we will see a return to normalcy in our daily lives. In the meantime, thank you for your continued efforts i n using the screening protocols. We know these impose significant challenges on families, but we also know by following them with fidelity we are keeping our families, our school staff, and our whole community safe.

Be Safe and Be Well,
God Bless,
Gary O’Donnell
Director of Education