Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The Ministry of Education is sending COVID-19 rapid antigen testing kits home with all students in Ontario for the winter break. Your child’s participation in this rapid antigen testing is voluntary. Students are not required to participate in order to return to the classroom after the winter break, although the testing is recommended by both the Ministry and our local health unit.
Testing kits will be sent home with all Near North District School Board (NNDSB) students between Friday, Dec. 17 and Tuesday, Dec. 21, along with information about the testing program and instructions for using the kits. There are links to two demonstration videos in the instruction sheet; one for anterior nasal swabbing and one on self-screening at home. Students are asked to test Thursdays and Mondays.
The COVID-19 school and childcare screening tool has been updated to include a question regarding household members who tested positive on a rapid antigen test. When an individual tests positive on a rapid antigen test, any household members who are not fully vaccinated are also required to stay home while the individual seeks a confirmatory PCR test at a local testing centre. Please ensure that you use the updated screener when your child returns to school in January.
All Ontario schools are required to do an on-site confirmation of daily screening for the first two weeks after the winter break. Teachers will confirm with students each day during attendance that they have completed their screening before coming to school. Screening is one important way that we can control the spread of COVID-19 in our schools.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Near North District School Board
