5 things you need to know before Ottawa students return to school
As Ottawa students, parents and teachers prepare for the return of in-person learning on Monday, the director of education of the city’s largest school board is preaching patience.
In a note to families on Friday, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board director of education Camille Williams-Taylor acknowledged the recent transitions have been hard for families and “there are mixed feelings about the timing of the return to in-person learning.”
“School staff, like families, are trying to balance their professional responsibilities with their personal safety and family obligations,” Williams-Taylor said. “These are stressful times for everyone and now more than ever, it is so important that we take a moment to pause, reflect and respond, rather than react.”
The rapidly spreading Omicron variant delayed the return of in-person classes for two weeks. The province said this time was used to distribute masks and more HEPA filters to school boards, as well as allow more people to get vaccinated and boosted.
Classes will reopen under different circumstances on Monday, including a new case reporting strategy. Under new provincial guidelines, parents will only be notified of a potential COVID-19 outbreak when about 30 per cent of staff and students in the school are absent.
School buses will also resume on Monday. And school-based vaccine clinics are in the works for later this month.
Here are five things parents should keep in mind when school returns on Monday:
Daily screening tool
Officials are asking students, parents ands taff to use the provincial COVID-19 screening tool every morning to determine whether to attend school in-person. You can find it here.
Mask-wearing
Schools will distribute three-ply cloth masks to students starting next week. The Ottawa Catholic School Board said it has received 120,000 to distribute, along with more than 201,000 N95 masks for staff.
The OCDSB points out that parents may want to send an extra mask for outdoor play, since masks worn outdoors in cold weather can become damp.
Rapid testing
The province is distributing two rapid antigen tests to each student. The OCDSB says it hopes to give them out to elementary students next week once the shipment arrives, and secondary students at a later date.
They are to be used if students show symptoms of COVID-19. If a student receives two negative tests and no longer has any symptoms of COVID-19, they can return to school.
Absence reporting
The Ontario government says parents will only be notified of a potential COVID-19 outbreak when about 30 per cent of staff and students in the school are absent.
When student and staff absenteeism in an individual school reaches that threshold, it will trigger the principal to notify local health officials. At that point, a joint letter from the local medical officer of health and the principal would be sent to the community.
At that point, it’s possible the school would revert to remote learning, though not required.
Possible school closures
Both the OCDSB and OCSB say they will make every effort to keep schools open, but classes may have to move to remote learning if there are staffing shortages.
Parents will be advised the night before, and they are encouraged to have contingency plans in place and monitor their emails for updates.
For more information on the return to school, you can visit the OCDSB and OCSB’s websites.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
BREAKING Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.