Return to School
At-Home and In-School News and Information
COVID-19 Self-Assessment Survey
Heading to school? Please take a self-assessment first.
April 15, 2021-Letter to families: Important information regarding plans for students to engage in remote learning next week
NNDSB's Director of Education issues a letter to families regarding important information ahead of next week's return.
April 14, 2021-Letter to families: NNDSB's Parent Involvement Committee hosting free webinars on student well-being
NNDSB Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) is focusing on the Ministry of Education goal of promoting well-being.
https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/blog/letter-to-famili…udent-well-being/28237/
April 12, 2021-Letter to families: Ontario government moves schools to remote learning after spring break
A message to families regarding the government's decision to move schools to remote learning beginning April 19.
April 12, 2021-Letter to families: Asymptomatic COVID-19 testing available during spring break
Asymptomatic testing is available for students, children, and staff at assessment centres and select pharmacies.
April 11, 2021-Education Minister issues letter to families
A letter from Minister Lecce regarding the week of Spring Break.
https://www.ontario.ca/page/letter-ontarios-parents-minister-education#section-0
April 9, 2021-Letter to families: Access to COVID-19 testing during Spring Break
A message to families regarding access to COVID-19 testing during the Spring Break.
April 8, 2021-Letter to families: Health advice for spring break
A message to families ahead of the spring break.
https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/blog/letter-to-families-health-advice-for-the-spring-break/28201/
April 7, 2021-Letter to families: Schools to remain open during stay-at-home order
Ontario's Premier announced today that in-person learning will continue during the stay-at-home order.
April 7, 2021-Letter to families: NNDSB masks free of nanoform graphene
The disposable masks supplied by NNDSB are free of nanoform graphene.
https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/blog/letter-to-familiesnndsb-masks-free-of-nanoform-graphene/28186/
April 1, 2021-Letter to families: Schools to remain open after the long weekend
A letter to families regarding schools remaining open after the Easter long weekend.
April 1, 2021-Letter to parents and community partners from NNDSB's Board Chair and Director of Education
A letter to parents and community partners from NNDSB's Board Chair and Director of Education.
https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/blog/letter-to-parents-and-community-partners/28140/
March 31, 2021-Letter to families: Students asked to take learning supplies, work and resources home
A letter to families asking students to bring their learning supplies, work and resources home with them before the long weekend.
March 31, 2021-Message to families: Voluntary COVID-19 testing information
A message to families regarding voluntary COVID-19 testing information is now available.
https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/blog/message-to-families-covid-19-testing-information/28122/
March 16, 2021-Letter to secondary families: Ministry changes to community involvement policy
A message to families regarding ministry changes to the community involvement policy for secondary students.
February 19, 2021-Letter to families: Updated School and Childcare Screening Tool
A message to families regarding updates to the school and childcare screening tool and new direction for attendance requirements.
February 18, 2021-Letter to families: reopening of Sunset Park Public School
A message to families at Sunset Park Public School.
February 17, 2021-Letter to families: updated 2020-21 school year calendar
A message to families with the updated 2020-21 school year calendar.
https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/blog/letter-to-families-updated-2020-21-school-year-calendar/27660/
February 11, 2021-Letter to families regarding March Break deferred until April
A message to families regarding the deferral of March Break.
https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/blog/letter-to-families-march-break-deferred-until-april/27592/
February 3, 2021-Letter to Families: All NNDSB Schools to Return to in-class Learning
Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced today more schools are set to resume in-class learning.
February 3, 2021-Letter to Families: Change To Student Immunization Records Process
This letter is to inform you about a change to the process this year regarding students’ immunization records.
February 2, 2021-Secondary Students COVID-19 Self-Screening
Beginning Feb. 10, all secondary students (Grade 9-12) will be required to confirm that they have completed a COVID-19 self-screening as part of the attendance process.
January 21, 2021-Message from the Director of Education
The purpose of this letter is to provide you with additional information with regards to the Ontario government’s Jan. 20 announcement.
https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/blog/letter-to-families-jan-21/27397/
January 13, 2021-Additional Information Regarding Ontario Premier's Announcement
Further to our communication about the provincial state of emergency, which comes into effect Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 at 12:01 a.m., updated information has been provided from the Ministry of Education and the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit regarding the use of masks at school while outdoors.
January 12, 2021-Information Regarding Ontario Premier's Announcement
The Province of Ontario has declared a second state of emergency and imposed a stay-at-home order effective Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 at 12:01 a.m.
January 8, 2021-Message from the Director of Education
All schools in the Near North District School Board, with the exception of MacTier Public School will re-open on Monday, January 11, 2021, for in-person learning.
https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/blog/message-from-the-director-of-education-january-8-2021/27162/
January 8, 2021-Communication from North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit
January 8, 2021-Communication from NPSSTS
Student transportation will return to its normal status effective January 11, 2021.
https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Communique-2021-01-08.docx_dc.pdf
January 7, 2021-Message from the Director of Education
The Government of Ontario has declared that elementary and secondary schools in the North, including those in the Near North District School Board, will be open for in-class learning beginning Monday, Jan. 11, 2021.
https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/blog/message-from-the-director-of-education-january-7-2021/27146/
January 7, 2021-Government of Ontario Announcement
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise at an alarming rate throughout the province, the Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts, is extending certain measures to keep students, education staff, and residents of Northern Ontario safe.
January 2, 2021-Minister of Education Shares Message With Families
It has been a trying year for all Ontarians. Yet, through the greatest challenges we faced, our province – most especially inspired by our students, parents and education staff – came together. Unified in our effort to stop the spread and save lives.
December 31, 2020-Additional Information Regarding Temporary Move to Remote Learning
As we look forward to the start of the new year, we would like to take this opportunity to share additional information with you related to the reopening of schools in January 2021.
December 23, 2020-Ontario Schools Temporarily Move to Remote Learning
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on Monday that a province-wide shut down will begin on December 26th. This means both elementary and secondary schools will be closed to students, with the expectation of “in-class” learning resuming on January 11th.
https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/blog/ontario-schools-temporarily-move-to-remote-learning/27020/
December 17, 2020-Information Regarding Possible School Closures After Holidays
The Minister of Education recently stated that schools could potentially have an extended break and be closed beyond January 4, at this time, a decision by the province has not been made.
December 14, 2020-Opportunity to Switch Between at-Home and in-School Learning for Elementary Students
The elementary transfer window for at-home and in-school learning is open until December 18, 2020.
November 30, 2020-Opportunity to Switch Between at-Home and in-School Programs for Secondary Students
Secondary school students have the option to switch between at-home to in-school and vice versa from November 30-December 18, 2020. [...]
November 8, 2020-Ontario school boards will make decisions about COVID-19 closures, adjustments
School boards will decide what form of schooling is safe for Ontario’s two million elementary and secondary students as we head into a long, uncertain coronavirus winter, says the province’s Education Ministry.
Ontario's new guidelines for schools
October 29, 2020 - Opportunity to Switch Between at Home and in-School Programs
Elementary and Secondary students will be given the opportunity to switch between home (remote) and in-school learning between the provided dates. […]
August 11, 2020 - Important Information Regarding Return to School
We appreciate that you have many questions and are looking for as much information as possible to help you plan for the upcoming school year. We have been working all summer on plans for the safe return of your child(ren) to school and are committed to making continual revisions as the Covid-19 situation evolves. […]
August 11, 2020 - Reopening Message to Parents
As we awaited the Ministry of Education announcement outlining the provincial plans to return students to school, the Near North District School Board maintained vigilance in creating plans that would align with Ministry and more importantly with our vision of student achievement and success for your children. […]
August 5, 2020 - Ministry of Education Unveils Re-entry Plan
On July 30, 2020 the Ministry of Education (MOE) unveiled their plans to return students to school safely in September. The NNDSB is identified as a non-designated school board. Therefore, with guidance from public health officials the MOE outlined the following guidelines […]
Ministry of education re-entry plan
July 30, 2020 - Ontario Releases Plan for Safe Reopening of Schools in September
The Government of Ontario has announced the reopening plan for schools this September. Please see the link below for details. In the coming days, we will be communicating what this means for our NNDSB schools.
July 28, 2020 - NNDSB Parent Survey Re: September Reopening
School boards, including the Near North District School Board (NNDSB), have been asked to plan for the following scenarios with respect to reopening of schools in September 2020:
- Regular school day routine with enhanced public health protocols,
- Modified school day routine based on smaller class sizes, cohorting and alternative day or week,
- At-home learning with ongoing enhanced remote delivery.
In order to plan for all scenarios and ensure that appropriate resources and supports, including transportation, are in place, we are requesting that you please complete a survey for each child in your family attending a NNDSB school. The information collected through this survey is vital as once an option is selected for your child(ren), parents/guardians may not be able to alter this choice for a lengthy period of time. This is due to health and safety protocols as crafted based on the Government of Ontario and the Public Health units’ guidance, including reduced class sizes and cohorts that must be adhered to.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
Please follow the link below to access the survey.
July 15, 2020
The Minister of Education has announced provincial guidelines for school boards across Ontario for a return to school in September 2020. Please see the attached letter to parents from the Minister of Education regarding this announcement.
Minister Letter to Parents - English
Minister Letter to Parents - French
School boards, including the Near North District School Board (NNDSB), have been asked to prepare their reentry plans for the upcoming school year. We will be communicating with parents and students before the start of the 2020-21 school year to outline any reentry plans, guidance on health and safety measures and protocols, and any other changes that will be implemented when schools open in September.
School boards will need to prepare for:
- Regular school day routine with enhanced public health protocols.
- Modified school day routine based on smaller class sizes, cohorting and an alternative day or week delivery.
- At-home learning with ongoing enhanced remote delivery.
Over the next few weeks, the NNDSB will be developing a return to school plan, which will continue to prioritize the health and safety of students and staff while adhering to Ministry requirements and the advice and guidance of public health officials.
Once a return to school plan has been reviewed and approved by public health officials and the Ministry, it will be shared with you.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
The letters to families listed below are non-COVID-19 correspondence. For COVID-19 news and information, please visit the COVID-19 Updates and Resources page.
- Letter to families from the Director of Education regarding important information for after Spring Break - April 15, 2021
- Letter to families: NNDSB's Parent Involvement Committee hosting free webinars on student well-being - April 14, 2021
- Letter to Families: Ontario government moves schools to remote learning after spring break - April 12, 2021
- Letter to families: Asymptomatic COVID-19 testing available during spring break - April 12, 2021
- Letter to families: Access to COVID-19 testing during Spring Break - April 9, 2021
- Letter to families: Health advice for the spring break - April 8, 2021
- Letter to families: Schools to remain open for in-person learning during provincial stay-at-home order - April 7, 2021
- Letter to families: NNDSB masks free of nanoform graphene - April 7, 2021
- Students Who Make a Difference: IDERD event - March 18, 2021
- Ministry changes to community involvement policy - March 16, 2021
