OTTAWA -- The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has released its 2020-2021 school year calendar, with Sept. 3 set as the first day of school.
"The school year calendar was updated to allow for school staff to receive additional training on health and safety protocols from August 31st to September 2nd as we prepare for the year ahead," the school board said in a note to parents and guardians.
Both elementary and secondary students are set to return Sept. 3.
Earlier this month, the board voted in favour of students returning to the classroom full-time in September. A plan floated by the board in June would have seen students in class just two days a week, with at-home learning expected the other three days, but the plan was widely criticized by parents.
The calendars for the OCDSB's new school year include PA days in January, February, April, and June for elementary students and one in April and three in June for secondary students. The last day of school will be June 25, 2021 for elementary and June 22, 2021 for secondary, as June 23-25 are PA days.
An announcement from the Ontario government on the plan for September is expected next week.
Following that announcement, the OCDSB says "all families will be required to complete a confirmation of attendance form for each student."
Schools were closed after March Break in Ontario and did not reopen for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first day of school for students in the Ottawa Catholic School Board is also Sept. 3.
