Important updates to the UGDSB’s reopening schools plan
For Immediate Release
August 19, 2020
GUELPH, Ontario – In the last several days, a number of important updates have been made to the Upper Grand District School Board’s reopening schools plan.
The board staff has shared overviews of the reopening models for elementary and secondary schools on the board website. The overviews contain information including the structure of the school day for in-person learning or remote learning, expectations for remote learning, and sample schedules. The overviews are posted at http://www.ugdsb.ca/fall2020models.
Updates to the UGDSB reopening models were made following the August 13 announcement from the Minister of Education allowing school board to access their reserve funds in excess of previously allowed limits, to enhance physical distancing, reduce class sizes and enhance ventilation.
Class Size Reduction Strategies
The UGDSB model overviews contain information on the board’s strategies for reducing class sizes in elementary and secondary schools. In elementary, these strategies include dividing many of our larger Kindergarten classes into two groups to provide physical distancing for our youngest students and reducing the number of students in junior and intermediate classes by hiring additional teachers. The board is looking to hire approximately 60 additional teachers to support elementary schools.
Many of UGDSB’s secondary schools operate at or near capacity and do not have the space to add additional classrooms. Space issues aside, a large percentage of secondary classes have 30 or more students, and it would only be possible to split a very small number of them into classes that would attend school in class, full time.
For this reason, the board focused on reducing the number of in-person hours for students in order to allow for smaller cohorts and physical distancing. Additional teachers will be hired to support student and classroom teachers with delivering a combination of in-person and remote learning. The board is looking to hire approximately 100 additional teachers to support secondary schools.
For more information on these strategies, visit www.ugdsb.ca/fall2020models.
Ventilation
The board’s Plant Operations staff are working to ensure all scheduled preventative maintenance is complete and HVAC systems are performing as designed. The staff are also making sure that all required filter changes are complete as per the schedule and filters will be visually inspected before schools open as an additional precaution. Windows in exterior classrooms can be opened by staff where possible to maximize fresh air. The board has purchased 300 stand-alone HEPA grade air filtration units that can be used in rooms such as interior windowless classrooms where opening windows is not an option along with other areas to improve air quality. Staff are also investigating opportunities to increase ventilation and decrease recirculated air through programming strategies and will implement those where possible based on the system design capabilities.
Trustees’ Decision on Mandatory Masks
At the August 18, 2020, Special Board Meeting, Trustees brought forward and approved motions making it mandatory for all UGDSB students (JK-12), staff and visitors to wear masks inside schools and on buses, allowing for appropriate medical exemptions. The motions included that school staff explore alternatives such as face shields for students unable to wear masks, that staff approach compliance with parents and younger students in JK-3 with a focus on education, and that there would be progressive disciplinary action for students not complying.
Progressive discipline is a whole school approach that makes use of a continuum of proactive measures, interventions, supports and consequences to promote positive behaviours. In developing a Progressive Discipline approach, preventative practices, corrective and supportive strategies are used to reinforce positive behaviours.
Pre-Registration Survey Changes
In light of these recent updates with respect to reopening models and masks, parents/students in both elementary and secondary schools are being given the opportunity to change their original pre-registration decision regarding in-person or remote learning. Parents/students who already completed their pre-registration survey but would like to change their decision may do so by visiting www.ugdsb.ca/fall2020form and filling out the provided form. This form is only for parents/students who want to change their information from their original pre-registration decision. The deadline to fill out this form is Sunday August 23 at 4pm. Parents/students who never completed pre-registration will be contacted by their school directly and should not fill out this form.
About the Upper Grand District School Board
The Upper Grand District School Board serves more than 35,000 students through 65 elementary schools and 11 secondary schools in the City of Guelph, County of Wellington and County of Dufferin. The UGDSB covers the ancestral and traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Six Nations of the Grand River, and Saugeen Ojibway Nation Territories. Student success is the goal of over 4,000 dedicated teaching and support staff who are aided by the contributions of caring volunteers and community partners.
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Categories: Media Releases • News Tags: Reopening Schools