By Frank
On March 13, 2020, schools across Ontario closed their doors without us knowing when they would reopen. Almost six months later, school doors are beginning to re-open to welcome students back for the 2020-2021 school year. These last 25 weeks have been marked with uncertainty, personal and economic sacrifice . . . and ultimately, with success in flattening the curve of the first wave of COVID-19 in our area.
Joint statement: Northern Medical Officer of Health & Directors of Education
By Frank
Dear Near North District School Board Family,
We look forward to welcoming our students back to school.
During these unprecedented times and the significant shifts away from our normal routines, many people have expressed concerns about the impact on students’ academic journeys. We want to encourage parents, educators, and students in the Near North District School Board family to remember the big picture. This is a time to focus on and be grateful for our family’s safety, health, and well-being and a time for us at the NNDSB to do the best we can to support your children in returning to a safe and welcoming environment. We will embark upon this journey together.
By Frank
August 26, 2020 – On Friday August 21st Near North District School Board released its comprehensive Return to School Guidance Document prepared to guide staff and families as they prepare for Startup.
On August 11th Near North District School Board released a summary document to support parents and staff. Adjustments were made to reflect the latest in Ministry directives. Friday marked the communication of the full plan.
To access (through the NNDSB website) please follow this link: https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/blog/launch-of-nndsb-back-to-school-guideline/23494/
The information contained within this Guidance Document falls within the Ministry of Education’s current parameters and meets both provincial and local health authorities’ regulations. It is critical to note that information and directives are fluid and in a state of frequent change. The material on the website document will be updated once received to reflect the most recent Ministry directives and public health recommendations. Please continue to review our website for refinements.
Student safety and well-being are the number one priority as we return to school. Information on health regulations and self-screening are available in the document.
In the coming days, the Near North Board will follow this document with information regarding a staggered entry for students to begin school which supports the necessary health and safety processes and protocols required. Transportation information will follow shortly as well.
We look forward to welcoming our students back to school.
Contact:
Maureen Egan
Exec Assistant to the Director of Education
Near North District School Board
Tel: (705) 472-8170 Ext: 5028
By Frank
Dear NNDSB Families,
We would like to acknowledge and thank you for your patience, flexibility and understanding as we have planned for school re-opening in a year like no other. We are confident in the status of our preparations and look forward to school startup and engaging with students and facilitating their learning once again. With this in mind, we would like to highlight a few critical areas for our students and their families.
By Frank
Parents and Guardians,
As previously stated, when we released the return to school plan, we continue to review and update our school re-opening models in partnership and with guidance, from the Ministry of Education and local and provincial health authorities from the lens of enhancing the safety of our students, staff, and school communities.
Change to In School Learning
Keeping student and staff safety in mind, the ministry has suggested further reduction of in contacts at school. As a result, we have revised the model to the recommended Octomester Model for secondary schools.
The Octomester Model is most significantly characterized by the fact that students will take one course at a time for approximately 20 days of full-day instruction. For example, the first octomester would run from September 9th – October 9th for a total of 24 days.
There are many positives for our students with this model, including and most prominently, the increased safety for our students as they remain with one cohort of students each day, for the duration of the course. This change has been made to allow us to support our students, in NNDSB secondary schools, in adhering to the directive of a maximum of 100 student daily contacts. For questions related to this, or any other questions regarding the start of the school year, please contact your school principal.
At-Home Learning
If you have already registered your child(ren) for At-Home Learning, additional information will be shared with you in the coming days. At this time, a waitlist has been created for additional registrations for At-Home Learning and placement will depend on staffing and programming considerations.
The safety of staff and students is of the utmost importance. We remain vigilant in planning with this in mind.
By Frank
North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit (Health Unit) has been working diligently with school boards within our district to help inform and support the school reopening efforts. Through these discussions, the Health Unit identified additional information needed by parents and guardians as they prepare their children for a safer return to school. In an effort to help fill this gap, the Health Unit has launched COVID-19 and School Reopening – Public Health Information for Families.
Click here to download letter to parents
For information from the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit regarding COVID-19 and School Reopening – Public Health Information for Families, click here.
By Frank
As we prepare for the 2020-2021 school year, one thing is certain, this school year will not likely resemble anything that we have seen before. Our focus will remain on the safe transportation of students to and from school, notwithstanding the environment that surrounds us. […]
By Frank
Wednesday August 26, 2020
As we approach the new school year, we are working hard with the Ministry of Education and the Local Health Units to adequately prepare for the safe reopening of our schools. Building a safe, effective learning experience with new parameters for our students who come with diverse learning needs and identities is a key priority. Given the complex nature of the planning required and the focus on keeping students safe, we are planning a staggered start for our schools this year.
As health guidelines and information continue to be shared with schools, we are staggering the first day of school for students to give our staff time to familiarize themselves with new policies and ensure proper implementation to avoid making mistakes once students return. This means that different grades will return to school on different days (see chart below). A staggered response is essential for students to have the space and flexibility to practice their new routines and familiarize themselves with how to safely move around the school without every other student doing so simultaneously.
We understand that there are urgent requests for normalcy and a simple return to the old status quo. However, to ensure our community is as prepared and confident as possible, we ask for patience and support during this year’s reopening. We are all eager to see our students back in the classroom and reconnect with their friends and peers, but we must take extra steps to prioritize everyone’s health and well-being.
| Day | K-6-School | K-8 School | 7-12 School | 9-12 School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tues. Sept. 8 | – | – | – | – |
| Wed. Sept. 9 | SK-2 | SK-2 | 7-8 | 9 |
| Thurs. Sept. 10 | 3/4 | 3/4/5 | 9-10 | 10 |
| Friday Sept.11 | 5/6 | 6/7/8 | 11/12 | 11/12 |
| Schools have the option to stagger JK re-entry with all students in attendance by Tues. Sept 15. | ||||
By Justin
Dear Parents and Guardians, it is with great anticipation that we look forward to welcoming students back for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. It will be wonderful to see students in our hallways once again.
The purpose of this communication is to share with you the Return to School Guidance Document prepared to guide staff and families as they prepare for Startup. To access (through the NNDSB website) please follow this link: Return to School Guidance Document
The information contained within this Guidance Document falls within the Ministry of Education's current parameters and meets both provincial and local health authorities' regulations. It is critical to note that information and directives are in a state of frequent change. The material on the website document will be updated once received to reflect the most recent Ministry directives and public health recommendations.
As well, this material covers broad issues that impact all of our schools in the District. Please look for specific information, unique to your school communities, to come from your principals shortly.
Before highlighting a couple of items in the document, we would like to express our appreciation for reaching out with questions and concerns about sending your children back to school this September. This information has informed our research, planning and decisions over the last months.
Here are a few important items for parents and guardians as you prepare your children for the new school year (for the full document, and considerably more information, please access the link above).
The above items are a small fraction of the information you will find in the full Return to School Guidance Document (link provided above).
Finally, we believe this Guidance Document supports the Board's position that students' and staff's health and well-being is critical at this time, and that in combination with effective teaching and learning, is the correct stance as we welcome students and staff back to school.
By Frank
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.
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)