| Memorandum to: | Chairs of District School Boards Directors of Education School Authorities |
| From: | Stephen Lecce Minister of EducationNancy Naylor Deputy Minister |
| Subject: |
Ministry of Education Updates |
Thank you for your continued support as we keep students and staff safe during this unprecedented school year. As announced by Premier Ford today, the province will enter a period of public health restrictions beginning at 12:01 a.m. December 26, 2020.
As you know, our Chief Medical Officer of Health has confirmed that the transmission of COVID-19 in schools has remained low, and schools remain a place for students to learn safely. This has been accomplished in part through our Government’s comprehensive safety plan that includes a mandatory masking policy for students in Grades 4-12, $1.3 billion in COVID-19 resources for school boards to be used for enhanced cleaning and personal protective equipment, improved air quality for 95% of schools, and further hiring to promote physical distancing and cleanliness in schools.
However, the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve rapidly, and we recognize that the students and staff in the education system play an important role in supporting efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. Although there have been increasing numbers of student/child and staff cases, these cases have not typically led to widespread outbreaks and school or child care closures. Our collective work in minimizing the spread is imperative to ensuring schools can continue to operate safely.
In consultation with Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, we are providing the following direction to schools:
- Elementary and secondary school students province-wide will participate in remote learning from January 4-January 8, 2021. In-person instruction will not be permitted during this period.
- Schools located in the following Public Health Unit (PHU) regions can resume in-person instruction on January 11, 2021 for both elementary and secondary students. These include schools in the following PHU regions:
- The District of Algoma Health Unit
- North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit
- Northwestern Health Unit
- Porcupine Health Unit
- Sudbury and District Health Unit
- Thunder Bay District Health Unit
- Timiskaming Health Unit
- For schools in all other PHU regions:
o Elementary school students can return to in-person learning on January 11, 2021.
o Secondary school students will continue learning remotely until January 25, 2021, at which point they can resume in-person learning.
This approach does not apply to First Nation and federally-operated schools.
Remote Learning
Remote learning will be provided for all students in alignment with Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) No.164: Requirements for Remote Learning. This PPM makes clear very specific standards for instruction of synchronous learning so that parents and students know what to expect and there is a consistent approach across the province to ensure students are fully engaged in their learning. For students in Grades 1 – 8 75% of the instructional day must be synchronous learning, while in Grades 9-12 80% of the course is delivered synchronously. Synchronous learning is part of the 300-minute instructional day during which teachers remain available to students. Educators should use their professional judgement to provide some flexibility to students on an individual basis when students are unable to participate in synchronous learning. We ask that you reinforce the expectations of the PPM including the requirements for synchronous learning by grade for staff, students and families.
In order to support stability for students there should be no class reorganizations during this period. A key objective of this period is to significantly reduce mobility and support as many households as possible in staying home. For this reason, during the remote learning period, teachers and other staff will be required to provide instruction from home. If they are unable to provide quality education remotely, boards are required to provide alternate arrangements, such as access to schools or school board offices. Any staff accessing school property must continue to abide by public health measures.
Student Supports
Boards must also ensure that plans are in place to support students with special education needs to learn remotely that leverage the capacity of education workers and board professionals (e.g. behavioural experts, speech language pathologists, and other professionals) to support remote learning. As part of our Government’s efforts to protect the most vulnerable, boards will be required to make provisions for in-person support for students with special education needs who cannot be accommodated through remote learning based on student needs.
The ministry continues to encourage school boards to work closely with local First Nations and take steps to ensure continuity of learning for enrolled First Nation students who may live on reserve and/or require additional supports.
It is important that school boards have safety plans in place for those students who are experiencing or could be expected to experience mental health challenges. Safety plans should include provisions for students to have continued remote access to services, through the school, community child and youth mental health or local healthcare partners.
In addition, students and families should be provided with information about the mental health resources that are available to them, including Kids Help Phone, which offers 24/7 counselling and referral services across the province. To use this free resource, children can call 1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868.
School Mental Health Ontario also has a number of great resources for students, parents and families on their website at www.smho-smso.ca. In addition, child and youth mental health agencies across the province continue to provide services.
Learning Resources
The Ministry of Education recently announced the launch of two new portals, TVO Learn and TFO IDÉLLO, apprendre à la maison, which provide supports for students learning remotely by accessing additional educational resources developed by Ontario certified teachers.
In addition, secondary students can continue to access TVO’s Independent Learning Centre (ILC) Open House and Portes ouvertes pour les cours TVO ILC in French-language, which provide access to 144 Grade 9 to 12 courses. These ILC resources are designed to provide flexible learning opportunities to help students keep up with their learning or deepen their understanding of a specific subject.
Boards are encouraged to share links to these resources with all students and families, as well as educators who may choose to incorporate these resources in their lessons.
Student Transportation
Because both the elementary and the secondary panels will be learning remotely the first week in January, no student transportation services will be provided January 4-8, 2021. Once elementary schools resume in-class instruction on January 11, 2021, student transportation services will resume.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Cleaning Supplies and Equipment (CSE) Shipments
January shipments of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Cleaning Supplies and Equipment (CSE) were originally scheduled to begin on January 4. The delivery schedule will now be shifted by a week, to start on January 11, 2021. While secondary schools will be closed for in-class learning until January 25, 2021, school boards are asked to make staff available to accept PPE/CSE deliveries at their secondary schools (for school boards that have opted in to school based deliveries) and the central delivery sites (for school boards that have opted in to centralized deliveries) for their scheduled deliveries starting January 11, 2021. The ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, will share updated information with school boards the first week in Januaryregarding the updated delivery schedule.
Child Care Centres in Schools
We recognize that the closure of schools will have an impact on families who may be unable to care for their child at home. In light of this, we are directing schools to continue to provide access to their on-site child care centres and to authorized recreational and skill building programs, when those programs are permitted to operate.
The ministry is working with our Consolidated Municipal Service Managers to provide Emergency Child Care (ECC) programs for school-aged children for health care and other frontline workers, free of charge for parents. Please see the attached memo for additional information.
Grants for Student Needs (GSN)
There will be no changes to the Grants for Student Needs funding for this period, including funding for staffing as we recognize that all resources will be required to support remote learning and access to schools for child care operators and educators who require it to provide quality remote instruction.
Thank you for the ongoing partnership as we have worked to keep schools safe during this time. We are encouraged that the availability of high-quality remote learning across Ontario will ensure the success of student learning during this time.
Sincerely,
| Stephen Lecce | Nancy Naylor |
| Minister | Deputy Minister |
| c: | President, Association des conseils scolaires des écoles publiques de l’ontario (ACÉPO) Executive Director, Association des conseils scolaires des écoles publiques de l’ontario (ACÉPO) President, Association franco-ontarienne des conseils scolaires catholiques (AFOCSC) Executive Director, Association franco-ontarienne des conseils scolaires catholiques (AFOCSC) President, Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA) Executive Director, Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA) President, Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) Executive Director, Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) Executive Director, Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE) President, Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) Executive Director and Secretary-Treasurer, Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) President, Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) General Secretary, Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) President, Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) General Secretary, Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) President, Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) General Secretary, Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) Chair, Ontario Council of Educational Workers (OCEW) Chair, Education Workers’ Alliance of Ontario (EWAO) President of OSBCU, Canadian Union of Public Employees – Ontario (CUPE-ON) Co-ordinator, Canadian Union of Public Employees – Ontario (CUPE-ON) Executive Director, Association des directions et directions adjointes des écoles franco-ontariennes (ADFO) Executive Director, Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario (CPCO) Executive Director, Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC) |
