In a May 5 letter to parents and guardians, Bluewater District School Board (BWDSB) Director of Education Alana Murray announced the cancellation of all secondary school exams for the 2019-2020 school year.
The announcement came from The Ministry of Education that all remaining professional activity and examination days would be converted into instructional days.
"During these unprecedented times, we recognize the increased level of uncertainty for many of our students and families. There have been many questions, especially for those students preparing to graduate," said Murray.
"The Ministry of Education has emphasized its commitment to ensuring that all students, including this year’s graduates, will be able to complete the school year without any negative impact or barriers due to the unique circumstances we are currently facing with the pandemic," she added.
Despite the cancellation of examinations, secondary students will still receive final report cards. Teachers will assign learning tasks, projects and culminating activities for both formative and summative purposes. Teachers will communicate results of these marked assignments to students. Results will be used by teachers to inform students’ final course marks.
In keeping with the understanding that marks should represent the most accurate reflection of student work, based on what is reasonable and in the best interest of students during this time, and in recognition of performance prior to March 13, 2020, teachers can adjust the weighting of assigned tasks in their determination of a final mark as needed.
Reporting on Learning Skills and Work Habits should reflect information gathered prior to March 13, 2020. Teachers should choose to include comments on the final report card.
For further details on student expectations for the remainder of the school year, visit BWDSB's Continuous Learning page.
"As always, we appreciate the ongoing support and understanding of our students and families as we all work together to ensure continued student success and well-being. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher," concluded Murray.
