SCDSB Re-opening plan for September 2020Return to in-school learning

On July 30, 2020, the Minister of Education announced that students would fully return to school.

• SCDSB is part of a group of boards where:– elementary students would return full time to the classroom every

day; and,– secondary students would return full time, but alternative

timetabling models were recommended.

Public Health MeasuresThe Ministry of Education (MOE) worked closely with medical professionals to determine the following public health measures that will be in place:• students in Grade 4 through 12 are required to wear cloth masks;• students in Kindergarten through Grade 3 are recommended to wear cloth

masks;• staff will wear a mask and a face shield provided by the SCDSB;• hand hygiene and physical distancing practices will be implemented in all

grades; and,• adaptive school environment practices such as directional arrows in hallways to

prevent crowding, designated entry and exit doors, staggered entry and exit times, and signage to support public health practices.

Daily self-screening

• all staff and students must self-screen every day prior to attending school, using the self-assessment tool provided;

• the SCDSB will provide parents/guardians with an assessment tool to perform daily screening on their child; and,

• Staff or students with symptoms must stay home from school

Cohorting and timetabling: • cohorting refers to the practice of keeping students together with limited

exposure to multiple teachers or classmates; and,• timetabling is the creation of the daily schedule for students.

Elementary school: • students will be cohorted with their homeroom class;• students will remain in one class where possible;• planning time teachers will come into the classroom;• outdoor classroom opportunities will be maximized;• library spaces and gym spaces will only be used if assigned to be a larger

classroom space;• all assemblies will be cancelled;• students will eat lunch in their classrooms; and, • staggered breaks and recess time.

Secondary school • SCDSB secondary schools will adopt a quadmester approach for

semester 1;• quadmester refers to a student taking 2 classes at a time versus 4;• this will reduce the cohorts to 2; and, • students will take 2 courses from September until November and then 2

different courses from November until February.

Sample Secondary School (times will vary)

Period 1

8 a.m. to 10 a.m. (8 minute break in the period at intermittent times)

Lunch

10 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. (students remain in classroom)Period 2

10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. (8 minute break in the period at intermittent times)

12:45 p.m. dismissal for independent study

students on buses – study hall assignment

2 p.m. (approximately) bus dismissal

Enhanced cleaning protocols will be implemented including:• cleaning and disinfecting at least twice a

day of frequently touched surfaces and shared resources such as doorknobs, light switches, toilet, and faucet handles.

Voluntary learn at home • remote learning opportunities will be available to students whose

parents/guardians determine that they do not want their child to return to in-person learning;

• attendance will be taken for students who are participating in remote learning;

• parents/guardians who choose remote learning for their child will be informed of their child’s teacher after schools reopen, students may be clustered from multiple schools; and,

• as schools will be reorganized to accommodate remote learning, students who opt into remote learning must remain in that platform until a term transition time, such as term one ending in February.

Preparing to be flexible:• all SCDSB classroom teachers will create a digital classroom in either

Google (elementary and secondary) or D2L (secondary); and,• if the need should arise for schools to shift into remote learning, students

and educators will be prepared to do so seamlessly.

Technology The SCDSB has purchased an additional 8000 Chromebooks and 2000 Internet hotspots to support students who need technology should they choose remote learning, or should we have to transition to remote learning.

Mental health and well-being:• mental health and wellness promotion, prevention and

intervention strategies, responsive to identified needs;• safe, supportive and inclusive teaching and learning

environments;• SCDSB social workers will continue to provide direct support to

students with emerging or identified mental health concerns along with resource and consultation support for staff and families;

• SCDSB child and youth workers will continue to promote and to provide social emotional skill building to students; and,

• families can continue to access resources and supports online and make contact with our team for consultation and discussion.

Transportation:• Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium (SCSTC) is

working with operators to ensure frequently touched surfaces are cleaned twice daily;

• parents/guardians will be surveyed to commit to whether they plan on using SCSTC transportation for school start-up;

• SCSTC staff will be assisting schools to generate seating plans for students on buses to support maximum physical distancing and placement of cohorted students; and,

• medical masks and approved eye protection will be provided to operators for distribution to drivers.

Next steps:• parents/guardians will receive an email survey in the next few days where

they will be asked questions with regards to return to school, transportation, technology and Wi-Fi access;

• further meetings with education union groups and the Joint Health and Safety Committee will continue throughout August as final preparations are made;

• consultations with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit will continue as we approach September; and,

• preparations for the 2 professional development days for educators prior to the first day of school for students (September 8) will be finalized.