Following the Premier's announcement of the province-wide lockdown, here is some additional information regarding your child's education
Learning
Students will participate in distance learning from home January 4-8, 2021. In-person instruction for all elementary schools as well as the high school will resume on January 11, 2021.
- During the distance learning period:
- Students in grades 1-12 and their parents will receive a 300-minute daily schedule that includes 225 minutes of synchronous learning (connected live with a staff member) and 75 minutes of asynchronous learning (tasks to be completed independently).
- Kindergarten and garden students will receive 180 minutes of synchronous learning and 120 minutes of asynchronous learning
- Students in grades 9-12 will receive 60 minutes of synchronous learning and 15 minutes of asynchronous learning per period.
- The Teams platform will be used for distance learning.
- On January 4, students will join their class via the Teams platform by clicking on the appointment that will be in their Teams calendar. This meeting will take place from 9:30am to 10:30am. At this meeting, teachers will share guidelines for accessing distance learning and other important information. In order to answer questions, explain how it works, and share the distance learning schedule, parents are encouraged to click on the appointment that will be in their child's Teams calendar. Teachers will be available from 2:30-3:30 p.m. on January 4, 2021. If these times do not work for you, please contact your child's teacher to schedule an appointment.
- If you need help with Teams, we invite you to see the Technology Support page [link to support page] on the Council's website or discuss it with your child's teacher.
- During the distance learning period, teachers will take attendance of students and the usual follow-ups will be done by the school according to Policy B009-P School Attendance.
- Students already enrolled at Milky Way Catholic School will have no change in their learning style or schedule.
- Students with special needs will continue to be supported by their teacher and support staff during the distance learning period.
Wellness
The holiday season may be very different this year. If you or your children need mental health support, there are support services available to you day and night. No matter what your age, you can call a help line, 24 hours a day, whether it's for reassurance, help putting things in perspective, or just to find out what your options are and how to act on them. Asking for help is a sign of courage!
Call the Crisis Intervention Line (services offered in French) :
Thunder Bay - 346-8282
Kenora Rainy District (West): 1-866-888-8988
Thunder Bay District (East) - 1-888-269-3100
Other resources are also available on our website by clicking here. [link to wellness page]
Students and their families will continue to receive mental health support from the Board during the distance education period.
Other distance learning resources
The Department of Education recently announced the launch of two portals: IDELLO, TFO's Learning at Home and TVO Learnwhich provides additional educational resources designed by Ontario certified teachers for students pursuing distance learning.
High school students can also visit the Open House for courses TVO ILC and Independent Learning Centre (ILC) Open House TVO's online resources that provide access to 144 online courses for grades 9-12. These resources are designed to provide flexible learning opportunities so that students can advance their learning or deepen their knowledge of a specific topic.
Technological tools
All students should have brought home their technology tool to use during Distance Learning Week. However, if your child did not bring their device for any reason, the school administration will be available on January 4 by appointment to safely distribute it.
While transmission rates of COVID in schools remain low, all Ontario schools will move to distance learning on January 4, 2021. This is being done to support the government's broader efforts to limit the spread of the virus. We recognize that these changes can be difficult and stressful for many families. We are doing everything we can to support and accompany you. We will keep you informed of any new developments affecting our school communities.
Our schools are safe places for our students and staff. We will be ready to welcome students on January 11, 2021 and know that we can continue to rely on our families to follow the health measures that keep everyone safe. Together we will get through this difficult time.
Thank you very much for your cooperation and understanding.
>> Letter in PDF format [https://csdcab.on.ca/index.php/download_file/view/9844/3214/]
