TVDSB Releases Back to School Plan

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Tuesday, 17 August 2021 05:32

The TVDSB is getting ready to welcome students back to classrooms in September.

The Thames Valley District School board is getting ready to welcome back students in September.

Classes will resume full time, 5 days a week and in person for both secondary and elementary schools. A couple of key updates include:

- Elementary and Secondary schools will provide daily In-Person Learning for the full duration of the school day (five instructional hours).
- Secondary students will follow a 20-week Modified Semester Model and will take a total of four courses over each semester – alternating two courses one week, then two other courses for the next week.
- The use of shared spaces such as libraries, computer labs, cafeterias and cubbies/lockers will be permitted.
- School assemblies, clubs, activities, sports teams, and extra-curricular's may resume where possible, and with some restrictions.
- Music programs will be permitted (including singing and wind instruments) with distancing and cohorting.
- Nutrition programs and non-instructional food events, such as pizza days, will be permitted and will commence in schools later this Fall.

Students will be asked to wash their hands multiple times a day and all students must wear a mask from Kindergarten to grade 12. The masks will be required indoors, including hallways, during classes and on school vehicles. Masks will not need to be worn outside during recess and temporarily indoors to eat and drink.

The school board has deployed portable HEBA units to some classrooms to help with ventilation systems. Portable HEPA units will be used in all Kindergarten classrooms across Thames Valley.

Vaccinations are not mandatory for students or staff at this moment. The School Board will continue to work with public health officials to support vaccination opportunities for students and families in our school district.

Virtual learning is available this year as well. Elementary students engaged in Virtual Learning for 2021-2022 will be provided with 300 minutes of instruction and learning. Please note the following:

- Physical Education and Dance will not be offered.
- Students will use Brightspace as a digital learning platform with Google Meet as the synchronous (live) meeting format.
- Kindergarten students will receive a minimum of 180 minutes of synchronous (live) instruction each day, while Grade 1-8 students will receive 225 minutes of synchronous (live) instruction each day. Attendance will be monitored throughout the day.

Secondary students engaged in Virtual Learning will be provided with 300 minutes of instruction and learning. Please note the following:

- Students will follow a 20-week Modified Semester Model and will take a total of four courses over each semester – alternating two courses one week, then two other courses for the next week.
- Students will use Brightspace as a digital learning platform with Google Meet as the synchronous (live) meeting format.
- Students will have a minimum of 225 live, online (synchronous) minutes of instruction with regular attendance practices in place.
- Specialized programs such as: International Baccalaureate (IB), Aviation, Specialized High Skills Major and Environmental Leadership will not be offered.
- Courses such as Dance, Music, Technology, Cooperative Education will not be offered.
- Mental Health and Well-Being Supports

You can find more information on the TVSDB web site.