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Parents push for ‘normal’ September

Education minister says he’ll announce in July what the school year will look like,

KRISTIN RUSHOWY

What will school look like in Ontario this September?

Quebec has already announced that students won’t have to wear masks, and cohorts aren’t needed — as parents and students here in Ontario begin to push for a normal return to school, especially for teens who should be fully vaccinated by then, along with their teachers.

“We need them to be back to normal,” said Toronto mom Tammy Doane, one of three local parents who started a lawnsign campaign, with 900 now up on lawns in and around the city and York Region.

Kids “were pulled out of school 16 months ago, basically to save our lives,” she said. “And now parents and grandparents, we are 95 per cent safer than we were before (with full vaccinations), so now it’s time for us to save their lives.”

As kids have struggled with learning from home online, as well as the isolation from friends, she said they need to be back in school, in person, full time with extracurriculars and clubs.

Most boards are planning for a full return in the fall, though they’ve been directed by the Ministry of Education to cohort secondary students in quadmesters (two courses at a time), octomesters (one course at a time) or some form of a modified semester.

After an outcry, the Toronto District School Board switched from quadmester to a modified semester, and chair Alexander Brown said his “fingers are crossed” that schedules could be back to normal come September as vaccination rates rise and COVID cases fall.

Caitlin Clark, spokesperson for Eduction Minister Stephen Lecce, said the “ministry has provided all school boards with enhanced funding so that they can be ready for all scenarios, however it is the clear intent of the government and the minister to deliver the most normal, safe, stable and positive learning experience this September as possible.”

She added that “with all students aged 12-plus and education workers prioritized for double vaccination prior to September, this will enable more flexibility and allow for a more normal in-class learning experience — including clubs, sports, and extracurriculars — supported by our government’s $1.6-billion investment to ensure the continuation of strong health and safety measures for a safe return to school this September.”

Virtual learning will remain an option for families.

Lecce has said he’ll announce in July what the school year will look like, including things like masking, cohorting and hand hygiene.

The District School Board of Niagara has already told families that “we remain committed to returning to in-person learning in September 2021. We believe this is best for students’ learning, mental health, and well-being.”

A memo from director Warren Hoshizaki said “a return to in-person means our students can be face-to-face with their teachers and peers for a full-day of learning, Monday to Friday. Students will be engaged in a wide array of curricular opportunities including hands-on and experiential learning.”

“It also means the return of extracurriculars including athletics, clubs, and other engaging activities. We will begin with outdoor opportunities and will make modifications to other activities to ensure they uphold necessary protocols directed by Niagara Region Public Health. Over time, schools will add to the complement of extracurricular offerings that students can participate in.”

On Friday, small protests were held across the province by parents who supported reopening schools this month and were disappointed when Premier Doug Ford said they would remain shuttered until the fall.

Toronto mom Annabelle Edge and her two sons spent about an hour in front of Ford’s constituency office on Friday.

She said as a lone parent, she hasn’t been able to work while Garren, 12, and Conrad, 10, are at home learning and need her help and supervision.

“It’s been 15 months,” she said. “You put money away for a rainy day — well it’s been 15 months of rainy days. It’s just not sustainable.”

While she had hoped schools would reopen for in-person learning in June, she would now “like to see a full return in the fall … we need a new strategy here.”

In British Columbia, a backto-school plan released Thursday called it a near-normal return, but said direction on masking would come later in the summer.

Quebec has said there will be no cohorting of kids, and that extracurriculars will resume. It will continue with regular hand hygiene and deep cleaning of schools.

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2021-06-21T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-21T07:00:00.0000000Z

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