WRDSB planning for full-time in-person learning this fall
The Waterloo Region District School Board is hopeful it will be bringing back students full-time for in-person learning come this fall.
“And ensure they’re safe and that their mental health and well-being is at the forefront,” Lila Read, Associate Director of WRDSB said.
As mandated by the province, remote learning will still be an option for students. WRDSB said dedicated teachers will assist with offering that mode of learning.
For secondary students, there will be modified semesters with alternating weeks.
“Students take four courses but they’ll only be doing two courses each week,” said Read.
Only five per cent of the student population is enrolled in remote learning for September compared to the current school year where there's around 25 to 30 per cent of the student population enrolled.
The union representing secondary students admitted that virtual learning has been a challenge for many.
“Students were disengaged. Teachers got a little bit demoralized looking at screens of little black squares,” said Rob Gascho, president of Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation Waterloo Region chapter.
Both secondary and elementary unions said they're staying cautiously optimistic for the fall.
“But still a little bit of trepidation mixed in there just with any certainty that we have just come to expect to live with throughout this pandemic,” said Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario Waterloo president Greg Weiler.
The road to normalcy might still be a long way away, some say.
“No one is expecting September to start off like it would have pre-pandemic,” said Weiler.
The school board says these plans are just a guideline for now.
In the event of a change in the public health situation, cohorts of 15 students and a quadmester model, like this year, could be adopted.
But the school board said that plan would be adjusted.
Students wouldn't spend more than three consecutive days in person or at home, a choice that the board said is best for the well-being and learning of students.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.