Back-to-school: Everything you need to know as Hamilton students return to class Monday
Hamilton students head back to classrooms Monday after a two-week period of remote learning - the fourth since the onset of the pandemic.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce confirmed Wednesday that students would return to classrooms Jan. 17 with some changes to COVID rules and protective measures.
We've answered some of your back-to-school questions here:
What measures are in place to protect staff and students?
Local boards say they have received thousands of optional non-fitted N95 masks for teachers and are distributing them to schools. To date, the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board has received 182,000 and the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board has received 140,000 from the province.
Three-ply cloth masks will be available for kids starting Monday. The Catholic board says it has received about 30,000 which allows for a mask per student.
Boards are set to receive an additional 95 high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters - 38 for the Catholic board and 57 for the public - as part of the 3,000 promised to Ontario schools boards by the Ministry of Education. It is unclear when they will arrive and how they will be allocated.
Hamilton school boards have a patchwork of ventilation systems, some rated better than others. Where ventilation is poor, classrooms have HEPA filters to purify the air. All kindergarten classes also have portable filters.
Do I have to screen my child for COVID-19 symptoms before school?
Daily COVID-19 screening is required for all students and will be verified at schools.
When the screening tool reads Do not go to school/childcare" it will let you know the next steps to take based on symptoms.
Isolation periods vary based on symptoms, age, vaccination status and other factors. For further information, check out Hamilton public health's guides on what to do for a symptomatic child at home and a symptomatic child at school.
Can I get a test from my school?
New school guidance from the province says that only some students and teachers who show symptoms of COVID-19 will have access to PCR tests when classrooms reopen. Tests will only be used in limited circumstances."
Elementary students are expected get two rapid tests each to take home when they return to the classroom.
The Catholic board said Friday it has received an initial shipment of 50,000 tests. The public board received a shipment of 89,000 rapid tests Friday, and is anticipating a second shipment next week.
Staff at both boards worked through the weekend to repackage tests, which come in boxes of 25, into small plastic bags with two each.
Will I know when there are cases and outbreaks in my child's school?
Ontario schools will no longer report COVID-19 cases and outbreaks in schools, and cohorts will not be dismissed due to potential virus exposure.
Starting Monday, boards are required to report to public health when absenteeism - including staff and students - reaches 30 per cent in a school, but it will not confirmed whether absences are due to COVID.
Schools are required to report daily absences, which will be posted online as part of the province's COVID-19 data starting Jan. 24.
Can my child continue to learn remotely?
Hamilton's public board plans to offer students an additional opportunity to transition from in-person to remote learning. Elementary students can request the change until Jan. 20. High school students can request to switch to eLearning courses through their guidance counsellor.
The Catholic board continues to discuss whether students will be offered a formal opportunity to switch this semester.
Short-term asynchronous remote learning is available at both boards. Interested families are asked to make this request through school principals.
Are students in my child's class vaccinated?
School vaccination rates range from 92 per cent to 31 per cent, with private, faith-based schools overrepresented at the bottom of the list. But Hamilton public health says the most recent data does not include the youngest age group, meaning rates at many elementary schools are likely much lower than recorded.
Less than half of the youngest eligible group - the majority of elementary students - have a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
As of Jan. 14, 42 per cent of kids ages five to 11, who became eligible in late November, have had a first dose - compared to 49 per cent provincewide - and seven per cent have had two doses. Eighty-four per cent of youth ages 12 to 17 have had a first dose and 80 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Ontario has not added COVID-19 to the provincial list of mandatory vaccines for students in schools.
Can my child get vaccinated at school?
In a Jan. 12 release, the province said parents will now be able to authorize public health to vaccinate their child safely and conveniently" at school. Local school boards say they are working with public health to facilitate school-based vaccine clinics.
Will there be closures amid staffing shortages?
Hamilton school boards are warning families of potential disruptions to learning when students return to classrooms.
In a letter to parents Wednesday evening, the Catholic board warned that students could be sent home with short notice" as a result of staffing challenges." The public board gave a similar warning in a letter Thursday, advising parents that a temporary move to remote learning could be possible," but is a last resort."
Local school boards have struggled to find enough educators for classrooms throughout the pandemic. In October, the public board reported average daily vacancy rates of 15 per cent for teachers and about 25 per cent for support staff.
The province will now allow retired teachers to work more days - nearly double what was previously allowed - to address shortages.
Will high school students return to a regular timetable as planned?
Secondary students at both boards will return to a regular" winter semester with four courses as planned. Second semester begins early February at both boards.
Will sports, music, clubs and extracurriculars continue?
All in-person meetings, sports and extracurriculars are paused until further notice. At the public board, gym and music class continue, but there will be no band or choir. Cohorting remains in place.
How do I return my child's loaned device?
The public board is asking students to return loaned devices to schools on Monday. Catholic board chair Pat Daly told The Spectator on Thursday that the Catholic board plans to let students hold onto devices until later in the week in the event that classes or schools go remote. Clearly we're not out of the woods yet," he said.
Kate McCullough is an education reporter at The Spectator. kmccullough@thespec.com