Letter from Principal, May 21, 2021
Hello Students and Families of Sherwood!
How are we at the May long weekend already?!
This year has certainly been a trying one for all (I don’t have to tell you that!) and I know we have collectively dug deep to get through it. Thank you for your patience, kindness, questions and support as we worked and learned through this experience together, as a community.
Please read below for a summary of the Ministry expectations for the learning model for September as well as other important items to note:
- All Boards in Ontario are being told to run a quadmester model (2 classes at a time for half a semester).
- There is to be 300 mins of instruction for all students for the 2 classes (150 mins in the morning and 150 mins in the afternoon).
- Local Public Health could impose other restrictions such as limiting the number of contacts further with the request to implement this year’s adaptive model again (the familiar Cohort A/B), but this wouldn’t be known until late August.
- Remote learning must be offered in all Boards: HWDSB has declared that its version of remote learning will be eLearning in secondary (not the synchronous, blended learning model as we have now).
- eLearning is generally asynchronous (very little, if any, live instruction), and the course offerings are not as numerous as what is offered face-to-face.
- eLearning courses will be offered by a variety of qualified teachers across the Board–your student will not necessarily be with a Sherwood staff member.
- Parents/students over-18 are to declare in the Portal before June 1st if they are staying home for remote learning (full eLearning) and you are to declare with the knowledge that once your student starts in eLearning, they are to stay in it for the entire semester (i.e. cannot change to face-to-face until Feb 2022).
- Those that do not declare remote (eLearning) will be assumed to be attending face-to-face.
- Students staying for lunch are to stay in their morning class for lunch or leave for the entire lunch period–there is to be no gatherings in the hallways and cafeteria.
- School bell times — for Sherwood, our bell times were changed (as previously communicated in March) as part of a multi-Board transportation overhaul–we now start at 8 am and end at 2:30pm. **Please see the attached for an updated bell schedule for Sept. 2021.
- Transportation will align to the bell times regardless of the September model.
- The OSSLT (Literacy Test) has been waived for June 2022 graduates.
- Community hours will remain at 20 hours for June 2022 graduates.
2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR: REMOTE LEARNING DECLARATION:
I know there is much that can happen between now and August and we are hearing promises of full vaccination for students by August end. This may have implications for September … we just do not know at this point. What is most important is that we learn as much as we can now about your student’s decision for September so that we can make the best timetable changes we can under the circumstances to give your student a robust learning experience.
If you want your student to stay at home to learn for semester 1, please declare this in the Parent Portal by June 1st. Please connect with your student’s guidance counsellor if you have further questions about courses.
STUDENT SUCCESS DAYS (June 22 -28):
As per semester 1, there will be no formal exams. The focus of these Student Success Days is to help students who are currently failing or in danger of failing the course and offering them a plan to recover/save their credit or to at least bridge some gaps in their learning in preparation for September. This is NOT meant for students to upgrade their marks. Teachers are working with their students to develop plans for success now. Students who do not require the use of the Student Success Days will finish regular classes on June 18th, 2021.
Self-contained Classes
Students placed in self-contained classes will attend school daily during Student Success Week.
Please be safe and well and enjoy your long weekend!