On Tuesday, August 17 the TDSB Planning & Priorities Committee had a special meeting where trustees were provided with updates from both Senior Staff and Toronto Public Health regarding the return to school this fall. Please see below for a summary of the information presented and links to the full presentations.

The online Q&A section of TDSB's Return to School 2021-2022 website is updated weekly with new information.  Please see below for links to the website and this week's Q&A document.

Staff are working hard to finalize the operational guidelines for the new school year and will be providing more information at next Wednesday's Board Meeting. Information still to come includes COVID case management in schools, daily screening protocols, Ministry immunization policies, and more details about sports and music in our schools.  I will provide another update after the Board meeting next week.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at trixie.doyle@tdsb.on.ca

Cheers,
Trustee Trixie Doyle

August 17 Planning & Priorities Meeting

Staff Presentation Slidedeck

Toronto Public Health Slidedeck

TDSB Operational Guidelines for the 2021-2022 school year were based on the Ministry of Education guidelines COVID-19: Health, Safety and Operational Guidance for Schools (2021-22) and recommendations from the Toronto Public Health's COVID-19 Guidance for Schools JK to Grade 12.

Note: guidelines will be revised regularly as circumstances change throughout the school year, including updates from the Ministry of Education and Toronto Public Health guidance.

SELECTION FORM RESPONSE RATE

• Overall, 71% of the online selection forms were completed.
• Of those, 86% in both elementary and secondary choose the in-person model.
• Responses from families who made their selection via phone were not included and will be provided in a later update.
• Families who did not respond online or by phone have been placed in the in-person model
• Requests for a switch between in-person and virtual learning will not be possible until the February switch date.
  

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

• Emails will go out August 23 to families who have not yet returned borrow devices.  Devices can be dropped off at the nearest TDSB school starting August 30th.
• Families who selected virtual learning and requested a device will be contacted by their homeschool to pick up devices between September 2-9.

LUNCH ROUTINES

• Elementary to continue to eat in classrooms or other spaces where physical distancing and effective routines can be maintained
• Secondary lunch protocols are being developed and will nee to take into consideration school layout and size of space

ASSEMBLIES

• Virtual assemblies will continue.
• Assemblies will be allowed outdoors (weather permitting) with distancing between cohorts.

RECESS AND BREAKS OUTDOORS

• Elementary students will continue to take breaks within cohorts with physical distancing
• Protocols may be updated as status of pandemic changes

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION (HPE)

• Protocols are being developed with Toronto Public Health & Ophea (Ontario Physical and Health Education Association) to address HPE during the pandemic.
  

MUSIC

• Vocal music will be allowed indoors with masks and outdoors without masks. In both cases physical distancing will be required and cohorts maintained.
• Protocols are being developed with Toronto Public Health and Ontario Music Educators Association (OMEA) to address the use of musical instruments during the pandemic.
  

EXTRA CURRICULARS

• Protocols are being developed for extra curriculars
• A phased in approach is being developed for community use of schools, beginning after school procedures are well established.

ELEMENTARY LEARNING GUIDELINES: IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL

• Instructional Model: In all elementary schools there will be in person classes and
  dedicated virtual learning classes. Where numbers are small in individual school, virtual classrooms will be created from a cluster of schools in the Learning Network/Learning Centre. Simultaneous learning (educators teaching lessons for both in-person and virtual students at the same time) may be used as a solution in exceptional circumstances to meet student needs.

• Class Size: Regular classroom caps and system averages for in person and virtual are being honoured and all classes will be staffed, based on these caps. 
• Virtual learning classes will be comprised of straight and combined grades. There is potential for triple combined grade classes if required in some cases (as may be the case for in person learning as well).
• All virtual learning teachers will work in person in a school and will be considered a member of the in person school staff. Educators will have the camera on during instructional time.
• Virtual learning classes follow the daily schedule of the school to which the virtual learning teacher is assigned (e.g. start and end times).
• Brightspace will be the learning management platform for all virtual learning classes (reporting, Principal access, etc.). Google Classrooms can be used within the Brightspace platform. TDSB also supports other online web conferencing tools such as Zoom for educator use in virtual classrooms.

VIRTUAL LEARNING: FRENCH IMMERSION/EXTENDED FRENCH

• Programming (e.g., French Immersion/Extended French) will proceed only if there is sufficient enrollment to offer classes.
• Programming may be provided to classes made up of straight and/or combined grades with the potential of triple combined grade classes, if required.
• Virtual Learning classes will be assigned to specific schools that already house the specific French program(s) and may include students from the local school and/or a cluster of local school.
• If a French Virtual Learning class is not available (i.e. due to insufficient enrollment), a student may be accommodated in In Person Learning French at the student’s current French school of record. If the student would like to remain in Virtual Learning, they will be placed in an English Virtual Learning class, and given an opportunity to switch to an In Person French class at the February switch (if space allows).

• Instructional Model: There will be in person classes, dedicated virtual learning classes,and classrooms with simultaneous learning to maintain access to desired programming andconnection to school communities.
• Class Size: Regular classroom caps and system averages are being honoured.
• All virtual teachers will work in person in a school and will be considered a
  member of the in person school staff. Educators will have the camera on
  during instructional time. 
• Classes follow the day schedule of the school to which the virtual learning
  teacher is assigned (e.g., start and end times).
• Brightspace will be the learning management platform for all virtual classes (reporting, Principal access, etc.). Google Classrooms ca be used within the Brightspace platform. TDSB also supports other online web conferencing tools such as Zoom for educator use in virtual classrooms.

SECONDARY SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS: FRENCH, IB, TOPS, ARTS, AP, ETC.

In Person Learning

• Students will be welcomed back into Specialized Programs with the intent of supporting continued progress in their chosen program this school year.
  

Virtual Learning

• If a school has sufficient requests to create viable Virtual Learning classrooms
  (FI, IB, AP, Alternative, Arts, etc.), they will be able to create a Virtual Class
  with a dedicated teacher.

Simultaneous

• If Virtual Learning classes are not possible, Simultaneous Learning (educators teaching lessons for both in-person and virtual students at the same time) will allow students to continue in their program of choice with peers.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

• Students receiving special education program and/or service in regular classes or students in an Intensive Support Program (ISP) will continue tobe supported by classroom teachers, special education teachers, support staff, and itinerant special education staff.

• Students in Virtual Learning regular classes receiving special
  education program and/or services or in an ISP, will be connected to their
  homeschool and receive support from the classroom teacher, special education
  teacher and/or support staff from their home school which may include simultaneou learning for students in elementary ISP classes (Gifted ISP model may differ based
  on the number of students who selected Virtual Learning).

Please see the Q&A webpage or click on the individual updates below for answers to the questions trustees have received and shared with senior staff. Please note that while we do not have answers to all questions just yet, staff are working diligently to provide more information and are working with both Toronto Public Health and our labour partners to finalize the operational guidelines for the 2021-2022 school year. The webpage will be updated as more information and answers become available.

**NEW** August 18 Q&A (will be posted online August 19)

August 11 Q&A

August 9 Q&A

Ontario Makes COVID-19 Vaccination Policies Mandatory for High-Risk Settings

The Government of Ontario recently announced that they will introduce a vaccination disclosure policy for all school board employees, including those at the TDSB, for the 2021-22 school year, with rapid antigen testing requirements for staff who have not received their COVID-19 vaccination. We are awaiting final details and will share more information in the upcoming days. 

**NEW** Students born in 2009 who are not yet twelve years old can now get vaccinated!

Vaccine Hunters Canada now has vaccine finding information by region / PHU, including DAILY POP-UPs, WALK-INs and APPOINTMENT options. Visit vaccinehunters.ca/diy.

More information can be found on the TDSB website: