The following communication was issued to all parents/guardians and all staff at the Toronto District School Board on Aug. 4, 2021. 

Yesterday, the provincial government released the COVID-19: Health, safety and operational guidance for schools (2021-2022) for the upcoming school year.

Please note that the plan contains high level guidance for Boards to follow. The TDSB will continue to work with Toronto Public Health and with employee groups to develop specific operational plans for TDSB – details that provide more information on how our schools and administrative centres will create and maintain health and safety measures and procedures that need to be in place when school resumes in September.

As part of this commitment to student and staff safety, the TDSB will continue to require the use of facemasks by all students in JK/SK classrooms this year. In addition, the TDSB is committed to providing HEPA filters in all occupied classrooms in the coming school year.

We will continue to keep you updated on how these plans will be implemented in the TDSB and how you can prepare for back to school. Please continue to check the 2021-22 School Year webpage.

Below you will find highlights of the Ministry’s plans, which include:

• Students will attend in-person learning daily for the full school day in elementary and secondary schools across the province. Remote learning will remain an option.
• Students in Grades 1 to 12 are required to wear properly fitted non-medical or cloth masks indoors in school, but not outside. Kindergarten student are encouraged but not required to wear non-medical or cloth masks.
• Medical masks are required to be worn by school staff and visitors indoors in school, including in hallways and during classes. Staff are not required to wear medical masks outdoors.
• When different cohorts interact in shared indoor spaces, masking and as much distancing as possible should be maintained between cohorts.
• All staff and students must conduct a self-screening at home before coming to school. On-site confirmation of that screening may be required at highly transmissible times such as following a holiday.
• Students can participate in extracurricular activities, assemblies and field trips as per relevant provincial requirements under the Reopening Ontario Act.
• Libraries, computer labs and cafeterias will be open.
• Secondary schools will offer a modified semester model.

Thank you.