Near North District School Board

Letter to Families

By

Friday, Oct. 1, 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The weekly Letter to Families was intended to help you learn how Near North District School Board (NNDSB) will support you in the return to school. We are hopeful that you and your child(ren) are settling into new routines. As a result, these letters will now be scheduled on a monthly, not weekly basis. The Letter to Families will be distributed on the first Friday of the month.

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The 2021-2022 school year is off to a great start at secondary schools with the kickoff of Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs.

This year, we add two additional programs: Mining at Northern Secondary and Hospitality and Tourism at West Ferris Secondary.

These two incredible programs join our 15 existing programs to support hands-on and experiential learning that relate to career pathways and sector-related experiences. Students enrolled in SHSM have the opportunity to participate in unique certifications as well as learning alongside NNDSB’s community partners.

There is a SHSM program to match any student pathway! Students interested in these programs can reach out to their school’s guidance departments for more information or, visit the SHSM page of the board’s website to learn more.

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We encourage families to take some time to become familiar with NNDSB’s virtual learning tools and resources to help prepare for any situation that results in your child(ren) being required to learn from home.

The Near North District School Board supports the use of virtual learning platforms that allow students to connect with learning resources in a secure environment. Three primary, board-supported platforms include Brightspace LMS, Edsby and Office 365.

Please familiarize yourself with these resources and tips to prepare for remote learning:

  • students are encouraged to confirm they’re able to sign into their classroom virtual learning platform (LMS, Edsby, Office 365). If you encounter any issues logging in, please email passwordreset@nearnorthschools.ca or during regular school hours please call: (705) 472-5169 (North Bay), (705) 773-7975 (Parry Sound)
  • use the following links for parent information regarding Brightspace LMS and Edsby. Contact your child’s teacher if you’re unable to login.  Click here to reset your parent password
  • the Learning at Home page hosts a variety of resources and helpful links to support at-home learning including access to various learning platforms as well as math and literacy resources
  • Microsoft Teams is a board-supported communication tool used to connect synchronously using audio, video and chat. Use the following link to learn how to join a Teams meeting across various devices: Microsoft Teams for Students
  • teachers will continue to integrate digital tools into classroom learning to ensure that students are prepared for a possible “pivot” to remote learning.

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NNDSB follows the direction of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the public health unit when devising COVID-19 plans.

Thank you,

Near North District School Board

Letter to families: Second of four weekly updates leading up to the start of a new school year

By

Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This is the second of four weekly communications being issued Thursdays with information/updates before school starts.

The first day of school is Tuesday, Sept. 7. Some classes/programs may be working on an alternative schedule, in which case families will be notified. If there is no notice, all students will begin school on Sept. 7.

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On Tuesday, Aug. 17, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health announced that high-risk settings, including education, are required to have a COVID-19 vaccination policy for employees. The Ministry of Education intends to introduce a vaccination disclosure policy for all publicly funded school boards. All board staff will be required to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID, provide a medical reason for not being vaccinated, or participate in an education program approved by the Ministry of Education.

School board employees, student transportation drivers, visitors and other professions who are not immunized, including those with medical reasons, will be required to complete regular COVID-19 testing as directed in provincial guidance.

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The Government of Ontario is also working with public health units to run voluntary vaccination clinics in or near schools to make vaccination more convenient prior to the start of school for staff, students and their families. Students who will turn 12 before the end of 2021 are now eligible for vaccination.

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Nipissing-Parry Sound Student Transportation Services (NPSSTS) wants to share the following information with families of students who are eligible for transportation.

Transportation changes must be received and recorded by the school before coming to the NPSSTS. Families can use the NPSSTS website at www.npssts.ca to verify busing information. If an eligible student does not require transportation this year, families are asked to email info@npssts.ca with details.

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A second version of the Ministry of Education’s guidance document was released on Friday, Aug. 13. The board’s senior and management teams are looking into how this school year will be impacted by the document’s contents. Staff continue to work with the local health unit to devise plans and practices that keep staff and students safe. As those plans are confirmed they will be shared via this weekly communication, the board’s website and on the board’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

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Near North District School follows the direction of the provincial government, Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the public health unit when devising its COVID-19 plans.

Thank you,

Near North District School Board

 

Letter to Families – Guidance for September planning

By

Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Yesterday, the Ministry of Education released COVID-19: Health, Safety and Operational Guidance for Schools 2021-22. This plan provides the direction that all school boards in Ontario, including Near North District School Board (NNDSB), are to follow for the upcoming school year.

Staff are reviewing the document, and families will receive updated information about a safe return to school.

The full plan may be accessed via the link above. Here are a few key details of the announcement:

  • Students will return to in-person learning for the full school day, although remote learning may have been selected in June as your family’s option for the upcoming school year;
  • All staff and students will be required to self-screen every day before attending school. NNDSB uses the Ontario government school and child care screening tool;
  • Students in Grades 1-12 (encouraged for students in kindergarten) and staff will be required to wear masks while indoors and on student transportation. Masks are not required outdoors, and social distancing is encouraged;
  • Extra-curricular and inter-school sport activities will be permitted with some modifications.

The Ministry of Education encourages vaccination as a tool to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and will work with the Ministry of Health and public health units to create vaccination opportunities for staff and students. Information about vaccines and local clinics may be found here.

NNDSB has been supported by the provincial and federal governments in optimizing air quality in classrooms through improved ventilation and/or filtration and will continue to utilize best practice guidelines.

NNDSB will continue to follow the directions of the provincial government, the Ministry of Education and the health unit, and will keep families updated via Letters to Families, its website, and the board’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Near North District School Board

Biindigen

Mii gwi Anishinabek wewena nkenmaaminak dependajig maa kiing.
"We acknowledge in a good way, the original people of the land here"
We value the cultures, histories and relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (North America)

Connect With Us

Near North District School Board
963 Airport Road, P.O. Box 3110, North Bay, ON P1B 8H1
[P] 705-472-8170   [TF] 1-800-278-4922   [F] 705-472-9927