Dear Parents, Guardians and Caregivers,

 

Next week, all students, both virtual and in-person learners, will be on April Break. I hope you have an opportunity to relax, rest and take a break from what has been a complicated and challenging school year.

 

I want to thank you for continuing to follow the health and safety measures while schools were open. Our collective efforts made a difference in the health and safety of our school communities. As you know, the province has implemented a province-wide shutdown for four weeks in response to the worsening trends of COVID-19 across Ontario and in Toronto. We must all continue to follow the public health measures to help prevent and limit the spread of COVID-19, including:

• Socializing only with your own household
• Staying home if you feel ill and getting tested
• Participating in the targeted testing offered by the TDSB and its health partners
• Screening, every day, for COVID-19 symptoms before attending child care
• Practicing good hand hygiene, masking and physical distancing

For the week of April 12-18, there are additional asymptomatic testing options available to students, including pharmacies that currently offer testing and assessment centres across the province. Read thefull list of available options here. Some TDSB schools may also be offering school-based clinics in partnership with the Ministry of Education. Parents are encouraged to take advantage of this testing capacity to have their children tested to support a safe return to school.

 

As of now, schools are closed to in-person learning until Sunday, April 18. We expect to hear at the end of next week what the plans are for a return to in-person learning and when it may be and will email you again as soon as we know more. We understand the impact on the mental health and well-being of all students and staff.

 

Should you be interested, the Ministry of Education has suggested the following learning resources/supports to allow students to supplement their learning and interests during the break:

• Students in Grades 1-8 can continue to engage in their own learning through supplemental, curriculum-linked activities available at TVO Learn and TFO IDÉLLO, apprendre à la maison.
• Secondary students can continue to access TVO's Independent Learning Centre (ILC) Open Houseand Portes ouvertes pour les cours TVO ILC in French-language. Mathify (English) and Eureka!(French) are also available to provide one-on-one online tutoring services for elementary and secondary students.
• Mathify covers online math tutoring in English for Grades 6 to 10 and Eureka! supports all subjects for French-language students in Grades 1 to 12.

By following public health advice, we can all enjoy a safe spring break and continue to support in-person learning in our schools.

 

Have a safe, fun and restful break.

 

Sincerely,

 

Karen Falconer
Interim Director of Education

Andrew Gold
Interim Associate Director

Curtis Ennis
Interim Associate Director

Craig Snider
Interim Associate Director