March 31, 2020 correspondence from Alana Murray, Director of Education, Bluewater District School Board.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As you may have heard reported in the media, Minister of Education Stephen Lecce has announced that the current shutdown of all publicly funded schools in Ontario will extend until at least May 4, 2020. This means that all Bluewater District School Board schools will remain closed for this period or until determined otherwise by the provincial government.

In a March 31 announcement and media release by the Ministry of Education, Ontario Extends School and Child Care Closures to Fight Spread of COVID-19, some new expectations have emerged in Phase 2 of the Learn at Home program, including the number of hours required each week by grade level, the distribution of technology, and final report cards. I know that these new directives will create many questions as our staff and families juggle their many responsibilities during the current COVID-19 situation.

As we await further details from the Ministry of Education, I want to provide assurance that we fully understand the challenges faced by many of our local families as we work through the numerous complex details of supporting the continuity of student learning at home. We are firmly committed to rolling out a learning plan that is extremely flexible, considerate of the needs of parents, guardians and staff, accessible, balanced, and varied in serving the diverse needs of all students in our rural communities. Our plan will also try to minimize additional stress for families by incorporating ways to distribute technology and learning materials to those who have limited access to those supports currently.

Within the next few days, we will be working with our principals and teachers to provide support and guidance in helping them to reconnect with their students through the communication tools that we have available to us. We will also be reaching out to parents and guardians to determine student needs and any limitations they may face at home regarding access to technology. This will be followed by details on the roll-out of our plan for continuous learning next week.

As this is an unprecedented situation for our board and families, we anticipate that there will be some growing pains as we get up and running. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through the many logistics and details.

It is important to remember that, above all else, our top priority at this time is to stay safely at home and practice the recommendations of our public health officials to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Sincerely,
Alana Murray
Director of Education

In a later letter to parents and guardians from Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, it stated that teacher-led learning will resume April 6.

"Students will begin receiving communication from their teachers and school board staff this week to determine the best way your child can continue learning during this period," asking parents, in particular for younger learners, "to lend a helping-hand in facilitating these initial conversations with educators when they begin reaching out."

"This early communication will help ensure all students can participate actively and fully in the rich online learning strategy. We have designed the strategy based on the technology and resources that currently exist at home," added Lecce.

The letter went on to state that not all families have access to the technology and broadband connection required to participate fully in online learning. "To remedy this situation, our government has instructed local school boards to offer their existing inventory of computers and devices to students who do not have in-home access," adding that boards will work with the Ministry to develop a plan to expand the technology to those who need it.

Lecce recognized that boards have participated in conversation with telecommunications providers to determine what options exist to allow families to access online learning resources.

"I will update you as these conversations regarding technology and broadband options continue to evolve."

The Minister of Education then outlined the "minimum expectations" for student work-time in a given week:

• Kindergarten to grade three: Five hours of work per student per week, with a focus on literacy and math;
• Grades 4 to 6: Five hours of work per week, with a focus on literacy, math, science, and social studies;
• Grades 7 to 8: 10 hours of work per week, with a focus on math, literacy, science and social studies; and,
• Grades 9 to 12: Three hours of work per course per week for semestered students, and 1.5 hours of work per course per week for non-semestered students, with a focus on credit accumulation and graduation.

"Based on these expectations, this second phase of Learn At Home will require students to adopt academic discipline and commitment to ensure that they can experience continued academic growth and achievement. I know our students are up to the task," said Lecce, encouraging parents and guardians to support and enable their children "to fully commit to the strong learning program we have enabled for this period of school closure."

COVID-19 updates are available on the BWDSB website at bwdsb.on.ca/Parents/COVID-19_Updates.