KITCHENER -- Students and teachers in Waterloo Region and around Ontario have been told to pack up all of their belongings before leaving school for the winter break.
Minister of Education Stephen Lecce sent a message to school boards, telling them to prepare for a return to distance learning in January.
Lecce's memo said schools should be "ready for all scenarios" and take home anything that might be needed for remote learning.
"We are prepared for any eventuality, be it an extended Christmas break or a return to school on Jan. 4," the Catholic school board said in a statement to CTV News Kitchener.
"School board staff have initiated the process of communicating contingency plans to schools to ensure that a smooth transition would take place, if required," a notice from the Waterloo Region District School Board said in part.
Local teachers unions hope Lecce makes a decision soon.
"It is going to take some time for kids to adjust to this," said Patrick Etmanski, president of the local Catholic teachers association. "Parents need to know. This is not simple, this is not the sort of off-the-cuff decision to make."
"Everybody, of course, wants as much lead time, certainly us included," secondary school teachers' union president Rob Gascho said.
The memo from Lecce said transmission of COVID-19 remains low in schools, but officials are monitoring community spread, hospitalizations and ICU patients.
Both local school boards said students, staff and parents should only gather within their immediate household over the break.
