As announced yesterday by the provincial government in response to the emergence of COVID-19, a Ministerial Order has been issued to close all publicly funded schools in Ontario from March 14 to April 5, 2020.

In a March 13 media release, this means that all Bluewater District School Board (BWDSB) facilities, including elementary and secondary schools, will be closed from March 14 to April 5, 2020.

Further information will be shared with parents and students through SchoolMessenger updates, through BWDSB's dedicated web page at bwdsb.on.ca/Parents/Wuhan_novel_coronavirus[http://www.bwdsb.on.ca/Parents/Wuhan_novel_coronavirus], as well as through BWDSB Facebook and Twitter pages and local media.

The following Question and Answer was provided by BWDSB March 13 and applies to the closure period of March 14 to April 5, 2020 as issued by Ministerial Order by the provincial government.

ADULT EDUCATION

Q. Will Adult Education be impacted?
A. The Adult Education program will not run.

BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS/CHILD CARE CENTRES

Q. Will before and after school programs run?
A. Before and after school programs will be cancelled.
Q. Will child care centres be open?
A. Child care centres in schools will be closed. This does not include stand-alone sites.

BOARD/COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Q. Will board and committee meetings occur?
A. Board and committee meetings will be cancelled.

BOARD FACILITIES

Q. What board facilities will be closed from March 14 to April 5?
A. Facilities closures include:
Elementary schools
Secondary schools
BWDSB Education Centre
Outdoor Education Centre
Maintenance Shop

COMMUNITY USE OF SCHOOLS/PERMITS

Q. Will school permits be cancelled/issued?
A. All permits will be cancelled/not issued.

CO-OP PLACEMENT/DUAL CREDITS

Q. How will co-op placements/dual credit/OYAP programs be handled?
A. Our teachers will not be involved in any school-based/OYAP/dual credit programs.

CUSTODIAL/MAINTENANCE

Q. Will deep cleaning occur in schools and board sites during the closures?
A. Precautionary deep cleaning will occur in schools and board sites during March Break.

EXTRACURRICULARS

Q. Will extracurricular activities occur?
A. Extracurriculars (i.e. athletic/artistic competitions) occurring in our schools and facilities are
cancelled for the foreseeable future.

FIELD TRIPS

Q. What is the status of field trips?
A. All field trips (international and otherwise) are cancelled for the foreseeable future. This will
be re-evaluated following the order period.

MARCH BREAK CAMPS IN SCHOOLS

Q. Will March Break camps occur in schools?
A. March Break camps in schools will be cancelled.

OSSLT

Q. What happens with the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) scheduled
for March 31?
A. The OSSLT will not be written on March 31.

RETURN TO SCHOOL ON APRIL 6

Q. Will screening occur when students and staff return on April 6?
A. School board staff will not be screening. Screening falls under the purview of the Ministry of
Health.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Q. Will supports be provided to families with children in special education?
A. Special education support will not be provided. We are contacting community agencies to
share our protocols.

STUDENT LEARNING

Q. Will BWDSB eLearning courses continue?
A. We are awaiting further information from the provincial government. Teachers may follow
appropriate communication protocols with students.
Q. Will BWDSB teachers be providing additional work for students during this period?
A. No. The Ministry of Education may be providing additional learning resources on their
website during this period.

TRANSPORTATION

Q. How will transportation be impacted?
A. School buses will not run from March 14 to April 5.