Dear TDSB - Ward 14 Families,
Thank you to all the parents, caregivers, staff, and community members who have been sharing their questions and concerns over the past few weeks as we worked through the final plans for the return to school in September. Below I have included important information for families of elementary students to prepare you for the registration process which begins tomorrow, August 26th. I will follow up with a second newsletter for secondary parents later this evening.
School starts on September 15, 2020. Entry dates will be staggered by grade over the first week to safely reintroduce students to the building. Once registration is complete, more information will be sent out by your school to prepare you for your return to school. Please also watch the TDSB's Return to School Webpage for updates.
As always, of you have any questions, please contact me at Trixie.Doyle@tdsb.on.ca
-Trustee Trixie Doyle
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Registration for In-School or Virtual Learning
After recent changes from the Ministry of Education, the TDSB has adjusted and finalized the models for in-school and virtual learning for September 2020. As a result of these changes, we wanted to give parents/guardians the opportunity to review the new models and make a final decision about registration for their children.
About the Registration Process:
Registation beings on Wednesday, August 26th and ends on Saturday, August 29th
On August 26, parents/guardians with an email address on file will receive a link to register their children online. Only parents/guardians who do not have an email address on file or who do not complete the online registration before the deadline (Saturday, August 29) will receive an automated registration phone call.
It is very important that all parents/guardians complete this registration, including those who have already filled out the pre-registration survey sent earlier this month.- The link to register online cannot be shared as it is connected to an individual student through a unique student identification number.
- Parents/guardians with more than one child will receive one email per child and will be required to complete a separate registration for each child.
- Phone calls will come from School Messenger and will display a “1-833” number. This is the same number used for Attendance calls.
- Starting the week of August 31, schools will begin following-up with parents/guardians who did not complete the registration.
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In-Person Learning
Class Sizes- JK/SK classes capped at 15 students
- Grade 1 to 8 classes capped at 20 students
In all other schools:- JK/SK classes capped at 27 students
- Grade 1 to 3 classes capped at 20 students
- Grade 4 to 8 classes capped at 27 students
Please note that these class size caps have been determined based on a number of factors including preliminary numbers that anticipate approximately 80% of students returning to in-person learning and on schools identified by Toronto Public Health on August 20, 2020 as being in neighbourhoods at higher risk for COVID-19. Class size caps may fluctuate (up or down) once the number of students returning to in-person learning has been confirmed and the staffing process completed.
Plans for the regular school day return include that students in Kindergarten to Grade 8 will: - Attend school five full days per week
- Receive 300 minutes of instruction per day within a regular school day
- Be in a class with the students cohorted as a group (including recess and lunch) with their classmates and homeroom teacher (including one DECE in kindergarten)
- Receive the full breadth of programming from their homeroom teacher and specialized teachers (e.g. Core French teachers)
- Likely experience changes in the timing of recesses, lunches, and bathroom breaks as they are staggered to limit or avoid interaction with other class groups
- Practice health and safety measures, including physical distancing, hand and respiratory hygiene and screening for symptoms. Additionally, all students will be required to wear masks, with exemptions for medical reasons. Regular outdoor breaks will help support students who may need time away from their mask.
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Virtual Learning
For students whose parents/guardians have chosen to continue their child's learning at home, there will be four elementary 'Virtual Schools,' each connected with one Learning Centre. Each of the four Virtual Schools will be fully online and will be staffed with TDSB teachers, principals, vice-principals, guidance counsellors, and support staff. Students will be taking part in synchronous (live/online) learning throughout the day with the following maximum class sizes and synchronous (live/online) learning times:
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Structure of Day - Students will be assigned to an online Homeroom with a Homeroom Teacher who will also be online.
- Daily attendance will be taken.
- Students will have 300 minutes of learning opportunities (synchronous and asynchronous) each day.
- Large Group Instruction will be scheduled for 40-50% of the day, depending on grade level.
- Guided instruction (small group), synchronous (live), “Check & Connect” (small group or individual) will also be part of the learning process.
- Independent work will be made available in Brightspace.
- The online Homeroom Teacher, DECE for Kindergarten where applicable, and prep subject teachers will deliver the grade-appropriate Ontario curriculum.
Expectations for Synchronous Learning by Grade
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Virtual School French Programs Each of the four Elementary Virtual Schools will have offerings of French Immersion and Extended French Programs.
Access to DevicesEvery student in the Virtual School will be required to have a device. For those without access to a device, access will be arranged through the student’s home school through the Principal.
Student Support OpportunitiesA process will be established through the School Support Team for students in an Elementary Virtual School to have access to student support services including but not limited to special education resource support, social work, speech and language and psychology.
Students with Special Education Needs Through TDSB Virtual School, students with special education needs will continue to be supported in alignment with their Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and Identification, Placement Review Committee (IPRC) placement decisions whether that be regular class or special education class. Classroom teachers and special education teachers (e.g., Resource teachers, HSP teachers) will work in collaboration to support students and provide accommodations, modifications and/or alternative programming as needed. In addition, all students will be provided with teaching and learning strategies like Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction coupled with daily opportunities to receive meaningful feedback reflective of the virtual learning environment.
Specialized ProgramsAt this point in time, Elementary Specialized Programs will not be available in Virtual School.
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Switching Between In-Person and Remote Learning We recognize that parents/guardians and/or students may want to switch between in-person learning and Virtual School. It is important to note that, for health and safety reasons, and because of the impact switching would have on staffing, physical distancing and space allocation, it will not be possible to immediately transition between the two models. As a result, an opportunity to enter the Virtual School or to return to in-person learning will be provided at three key dates during the school year as follows:
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