Central Weekly Update – Monday, January 24-28, 2022

Central Families,

A reminder that this Friday, January 28, is PA day so there is no school for students. We have received a lot of the iPads that we loaned to families so thank you to those families that have returned them. Please continue to return the school iPads so that we can use them at the school. A reminder that they will be locked soon so please label with your child’s first and last name and return to the school as soon as possible. Please continue to check your emails for updates from the school and register t0 receive updates on our school website at https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/central/

Please welcome Ms. Kim, the DECE who will be replacing Ms. Duong  in Ms. Smith’s  Kindergarten class and Ms. Peterson, the DECE that will be replacing Ms. MacDonnell in Ms. Jude’s Kindergarten class. We are happy to have these DECE’s join our team so please be sure to connect if your children are in these classrooms.

Our return to in-person learning this week went well. Educators were excited to see students back and students were happy to be with their peers. We recognize that this time of significant change and transition is impacting our mental health. Please know that support is available.

Last week the Parent Involvement Committee invited families to a virtual session on the return to in-person learning. There was a lot of participation and engagement as we reviewed Covid-19 updates and school operations for elementary and secondary schools. For those who may have missed the session, please watch a recording of the presentation here.

Testing for COVID-19

To slow the spread of COVID-19 and to continue to support school communities, HWDSB is pleased to offer rapid antigen test kits for symptomatic students and staff who are in person. This testing option is voluntary. Information has been shared with families as they received their tests this week. Learn more about Testing for COVID-19 at HWDSB.

Communicating self-reported positive test results

Although Ontario has stopped COVID-19 case management in schools, we have created a process to share information when staff and families tell a school about positive test results. This process is new and will be monitored and adjusted as we receive feedback.

Starting Monday, January 24, a parent/guardian can notify their child/ren’s principal of a positive student test result (PCR or RAT). Staff also have the option to self-report a positive test result. The school will post to their website without disclosing the name or position of the case. We encourage families to subscribe to their school website to get notifications of updates.

Self-reporting a test result is encouraged but voluntary. Any information that schools share with communities will not be confirmed by Hamilton Public Health Services (HPHS). This means that we cannot confirm the infectious period, but we want families to be able to make an informed decision about sending their child to school.

Guided by the Ministry of Health, HPHS will no longer dismiss cohorts of positive cases. Students and staff in schools are generally no longer considered high-risk contacts requiring isolation. Students and staff who do not have symptoms, who have not been advised to isolate, and who pass the COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening may go to school.

Families are reminded to continue following all public health protocols, including masking, physical distancing, and close monitoring of symptoms. Please follow the directions provided in the COVID-19 school and Child Care screening and stay home if your child is sick.

Short-Term Virtual Learning

Families planning to delay their return to in-person learning will have a short-term virtual learning option. Please note that this option will be delivered separately from full-time remote learning and will be delivered through independent (asynchronous) learning. Parents, caregivers and guardians will be responsible for checking their child/ren’s learning progress.

How it works:  

• Families considering this option should contact their child/ren’s principal to let them know they will be participating in short-term virtual learning. Principals will ask families to complete a temporary excusal from school form and students will be marked absent until they return to in-person learning.
• Beginning Monday, January 17, families will be able to access learning packages for their child/ren on the Learn at Home webpage. Learning packages will be updated weekly and posted online by Monday at 9 a.m. Additional programming may be added during the week of January 24.
• Families access the learning package for their child/ren’s age category and can complete the tasks throughout the week. Paper copies of learning packages can be requested from their home schools.
• Children will work through their learning packages independently or with the help of a parent/caregiver. There is no remote instruction or one-on-one support for short-term virtual learning.
• From Week 2 (January 24) a chat function will be available through MS Teams for families.
• Optional engagement opportunities such as virtual excursions or guest speakers will be announced to families on the Learn at Home page.

Short-term Virtual Learning will be available until at least February 18, 2022. Students will return to in-person learning at their home schools in their original classes at the end of the short-term option or at an earlier date of their choosing.

For more information on short-term and full-time options for elementary families, visit the “Elementary Students” tab on the Remote Learning Options page or read the Frequently Asked Questions.

Attendance Rate Reporting

This week, principals began submitting daily attendance data of students and staff on a provincial platform. Starting Monday, January 24, this information will be made public, updated daily, and a link will be provided on the HWDSB web site to the provincial site. In addition, we are currently informing HPHS of any daily attendance rates that exceed 30 per cent attendance rate.

School-based COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics

HWDSB is working with HPHS to provide school-based vaccine clinics for children and youth. More details on this will be shared when clinics are confirmed. In the meantime, we encourage anyone to get a vaccine by visiting City of Hamilton’s COVID-19.

School Closure Preparedness and Advisories

Parents and guardians should be prepared if there is a school closure due to a public health concern or challenges with staffing. In these situations, a school may temporarily transition to remote learning and some classes may close if there is not an educator available. Families will be notified of the closure through School Messenger. We will give as much notice as possible, although in extreme circumstances, a decision could be made by 7:30 a.m. on the day impacted.  School closures will be also be communicated through the HWDSB website.