FAQs on the Ontario School Closure
We’ve compiled frequently asked questions to help address concerns from families and staff. We will continue to update this resource as we receive further information. Thank you for your patience and understanding as this is an evolving situation with many implications.
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Important update for HDSB families
March 24, 2020
Dear HDSB families,
We hope that you and your families are doing well during these uncertain and unprecedented times. Since writing to you last week, the situation with respect to the Ontario school closure has evolved rapidly. Our staff have been working diligently to look at how we can best support our students and families in these unique circumstances.
Yesterday (March 23), the Premier of Ontario announced an extension of the school closure beyond April 5, however dates have not been released. We will inform families once we know the timing of the extension. In light of this announcement, we are sharing numerous cancellations which we know will be disappointing for our students and families. Below you will also find new information and resources to support students to continue their learning at home.
Connecting with our students
Our teachers and school staff are eager to connect with their students and support them during these challenging times. You can expect to hear from them in the coming days to check-in and ensure students have a sense of what resources are available online, as well as to share initial suggestions for areas of learning over the next two weeks.
Continuing student learning at home
Ontario Ministry of Education: Learn at Home
The Ministry of Education has introduced its 'Learn at Home' online portal. It can be accessed at www.ontario.ca/learnathome and provides resources so both elementary and secondary students can continue to engage in their learning independently during the initial two weeks of the closure. A link to these resources can be found at the top of the homepage on the HDSB website.
HDSB learning resources
We have posted
additional learning resources for Kindergarten - Grade 8 students on the Board website (
www.hdsb.ca). Click on the slider at the top of the homepage to access these resources. In addition, teachers will be reaching out to students in the coming days and providing immediate learning suggestions for students to help guide their independent learning over the next two weeks.
Teachers will not be assessing and evaluating the independent learning that students will be engaged in during the next two weeks. Over the next two weeks, staff are preparing materials to support a distance or online learning approach that would come into effect for the period beyond April 5.
Should you choose to use third-party online resources, you are encouraged to review the privacy and security settings outlined in the user agreement to ensure you are comfortable with them.
Cancellation of student excursions:
All international and domestic student excursions have been cancelled until the end of June because of the health risk to students and staff due to COVID-19. Any affected families will be contacted directly by their school and provided with more information with respect to the process for refunds.
Cancellation of large group gatherings:
Should school resume in the coming weeks, there will remain a need for social/physical distancing and avoiding large group gatherings. Therefore the HDSB is cancelling/postponing any planned large group gatherings for the remainder of the school year.
This includes field trips, in-school presentations, elementary and secondary interschool and intramural athletics, proms, high school commencements, Grade 8 graduations, and our Student Excellence event on May 14. Schools will be sharing more information with their families in the coming days.
Cancellation of lunch programs:
To reduce the transmission of COVID-19, all lunch programs in elementary schools are suspended for the remainder of this school year (e.g., Pizza Days, Lunch Lady). Schools will be communicating these specific cancellations with their school communities.
Secondary school final examinations:
At this point, no decisions have been made with respect to HDSB secondary school exams. Information specific to secondary International Baccalaureate (IB) exams can be found
HERE. This letter has been shared with families of students in schools with IB programs. Information specific to secondary Advanced Placement (AP) exams can be found
HERE.
Sharing medical supplies with healthcare providers
The HDSB will be sharing our supplies of medical equipment (gloves, masks, etc.) with provincial healthcare providers as requested. This is being coordinated by the Ministry of Consumer and Corporate Resources to ensure these supplies are directed to where they are needed most.
Resources for families
Concerns about COVID-19 are impacting children and families alike. The following are a few ways to access additional information about supporting your child during these challenging times.
Mental health resources
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve compiled
frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help address concerns from families. We will continue to update this resource as we receive further information. Please check this resource frequently, and if your question is not answered, direct it to
contact@hdsb.ca.
Stay in touch
While schools are closed, we encourage families to continue to check for updates from us through email (SchoolMessenger),
www.hdsb.ca, and the Board’s social media pages (
Twitter,
Facebook,
Instagram).
Thank you for your understanding during this unprecedented time.
Sincerely,
Stuart Miller
Director of Education
March 24, 2020 - important update for HDSB families translations
Information for Parents/Guardians About COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
March 18, 2020
We hope that you and your families are doing well during these uncertain and unprecedented times. We are committed to providing you with frequent updates so you are aware of the most recent information with respect to the Ontario school closure.
Important updates:
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve compiled
frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help address concerns from families. We will continue to update this resource as we receive further information. Please check this resource frequently, and if your question is not answered, direct it to
contact@hdsb.ca.
Dual Credits, Co-op, International Baccalaureate programs
- During the school closure, students in Dual Credit programs will not attend their college classes.
- Students in high school Co-op placements will not attend their placements during the closure.
- For updates on the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, email your school’s IB coordinator after March 23 or visit:
www.ibo.org/news/news-about-the-ib/covid-19-coronavirus-updates.
EQAO Assessments & OSSLT
The Ministry of Education has announced that EQAO assessments, including the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), scheduled to take place this school year will be cancelled. For students who are graduating this year, the literacy graduation requirement will be waived. Students who are not graduating this year will have the opportunity to write the OSSLT in the 2020-2021 school year.
University and College applications
The Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) and Ontario universities are closely monitoring the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on students' applications. Please refer to the following websites for more information about university and college applications:
School and Bus cleaning
Our full complement of custodial staff are in the schools this week (March 16-20) to do deep cleaning of the schools and HDSB facilities. Buses will also be cleaned and sanitized during the school closure period.
Student learning during the school closure
The Ministry of Education is working on plans to provide learning resources for students during the school closure period. We hope to have more information to share with families toward the end of March Break.
Library Services
The HDSB’s Library Services offers 24/7 access to a wide range of digital resources that students can use at home with their HDSB username and password. These can be accessed from
library.hdsb.ca or
eit.hdsb.ca.
For students who would like to read during the school closure, eBooks and eAudiobooks are available from
HDSB's Digital Library using your HDSB email address and password. If you have any questions please email
contact@hdsb.ca.
Resources for families
How to talk to children about COVID-19
Concerns about COVID-19 are impacting children and families alike. Parents and caring adults in a child’s home are in the best position to talk with children about COVID-19. In many instances, not talking about something can make children worry more. Rather than overwhelming children with too much information, start by asking your child to tell you what they may have heard about the coronavirus, and how they feel. Answer their questions in a calm and reassuring manner using information provided by credible sources. Children will also be reassured by hearing the safety precautions you are taking, including the importance of frequent handwashing using an effective routine. There are many videos of hand washing routines that families can watch and practice together.
For additional information about supporting your child, refer to:
Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource
How to talk to children about the coronavirus - Harvard Health Blog
Mental Health resources
Social Distancing
We continue to encourage all families to practise social distancing to help limit the spread of the virus. Try to remain at home as much as possible to avoid interacting with others. If you must go to public spaces, avoid getting too close to others - less than two metres.
Stay in touch
While schools are closed, we encourage families to continue to check for updates from us through email (SchoolMessenger),
www.hdsb.ca, and the Board’s social media pages (Twitter,
Facebook,
Instagram).
Thank you for your understanding during this time.
Sincerely,
Stuart Miller
Director of Education
Misinformation about COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) is circulating on social media. Please refer to these reliable resources:
Halton Region Public Health can be contacted at 311 or toll free at 1-866-442-5866.
March 13, 2020
As communicated yesterday evening, the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health
announced that all publicly-funded schools in Ontario will be closed for two weeks following March Break in response to the emergence of COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) in the province.
As a result, all schools and Board offices in the Halton District School Board will be closed from Saturday, March 14 - Sunday, April 5, 2020. At this time, schools are scheduled to re-open on Monday, April 6.
We recognize the significant impact this will have on students, families, staff and communities. This precautionary measure is being taken to decrease the spread of COVID-19 and help keep our communities safe.
We are committed to supporting families and providing you with accurate information and resources. We are compiling a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) which will be posted on the
HDSB website in the following week.
The purpose of this closure is to slow the spread of the virus by reducing the amount of personal contact. This extraordinary measure, taken in the interests of public health, and the safety of our students and staff, can only be effective if we all minimize our exposure, and maximize our diligence, during this period.
We encourage all HDSB families and staff to follow the advice of public health authorities and the federal government. Today, the Government of Canada announced that Canadians should avoid all non-essential travel outside of the country effective immediately.
As a Board, we want to ensure we use the two-week closure period to reduce the risk of contagion when schools re-open. We therefore ask that during this time, you follow the advice of public health authorities and avoid public gatherings and travel outside Canada, and self-isolate as required, so that when schools re-open we can be confident that we have all done our part to keep students and staff safe.
Reporting student absences during the closure
Families do not need to report student absences during the school closure.
Child care, EarlyON Centres, March Break camps, school rentals
As HDSB schools will be closed from March 14 - April 5, all child care centres, March Break camps and EarlyOn programs operating in school facilities will not be running. We have cancelled all community use rentals and bookings for the duration of the shut-down.
Online Learning Resources
The Ministry of Education is exploring online learning resources for students during the two-week period following March Break. We will communicate with families once we receive further information.
Status of the School Year
At this time, we have no information to share about whether the school year will be extended. That decision will be communicated as soon as we have that information.
Stay in touch
While schools are closed, we encourage families to continue to check for updates from us through SchoolMessenger,
www.hdsb.ca, and the Board’s social media pages (Twitter,
Facebook,
Instagram).
Thank you for your understanding during this time.
Sincerely,
Stuart Miller
Director of Education
Misinformation about COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) is circulating on social media. Please refer to these reliable resources:
Halton Region Public Health can be contacted at 311 or toll free at 1-866-442-5866.
Additional Resources
Letters from The Honourable Stephen Lecce, Ontario Minister of Education
Letters from Ontario Ministry of Health
Letters from Halton Region Health Department
Letters from Stuart Miller, Director of Education
Feb. 6, 2020: A Message for School Communities Regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus
As you may be aware, recent attention related to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus has created concern about interacting with individuals who might be of Asian descent or have travelled to China. We are aware of unsettling examples of how this has led to discriminatory behaviour. We recognize there are students and families who are feeling vulnerable due to public perception and stigma about the origin and spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. Halton Region Public Health continues to stress that, at the present time, the risk remains low to residents in Halton.
We want to assure you that the Halton District School Board is committed to providing an environment where no student, staff or family is targeted in any way.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission recently released the following
statement:
“Discriminatory action against any persons or communities because of an association with the Wuhan novel coronavirus, perceived or otherwise, is prohibited by the Ontario Human Rights Code.”
We ask that all members of our school communities continue to ensure our schools are bias-free and safe spaces for all our students and families. This can be accomplished by taking a stand to confront individuals who use harmful language and stereotypes.
Together we will continue to build school communities that are respectful and caring; where all students and staff feel safe and have a genuine sense of belonging.
Stuart Miller
Director of Education