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PLUMBING • HEATING • HVAC SERVICES •
Vol. 11, Issue 27
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
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amid COVID concerns
By Mark Ribble TORONTO — On Thursday, July 30, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Education Stephen Lecce announced the province’s plan to return children to school in Ontario. The school year will begin on September 8 and the province is mandating that students wear cloth masks if they are in Grades 4 through 12. Students under Grade 4 are not mandated to wear a mask. In addition, all staff will be supplied with proper PPE at the cost of the province. Most secondary schools will open with certain protocols in place. Some secondary students may attend some days and learn from home on other days. “I won’t take any unnecessary risks,” said Premier Ford. “But we need to weigh the risk of COVID-19 to the harm of school closings.” Ontario was the first province to close schools in March. Ford says they’ve invested about $300 million to hire more custodians and public health nurses specifically for the return-to-school plan. Locally, Greater Essex County District School Board Director Erin Kelly, says they’ve been waiting for the announcement to come from the province. “We’ve been meeting for some time now about a return-to-school plan,” she said. “Now we can get on with our plans.” Kelly said that all elementary public schools in the district will re-open on Tuesday, September 8, with students enrolled full time, five days a week. Secondary schools will go back on September 8 with an adaptive model, which means the schools will be at half capacity, with students alternating between inschool education and online classes. Both levels will employ ‘cohorting’, which will limit the number of students and staff each pupil will come in contact with. Cohorting will be limited to about 50
From Environment Canada WED., AUG. 5 THUR., AUG. 6 high
high
24
25
FRI., AUG. 7
SAT., AUG. 8
25
28
high
SUN., AUG. 9
high
26
high
MON., AUG. 10 high
25
Prospective kindergarten students board a school bus in August, 2019 at Kingsville High School. The First Ride Program has been held annually to teach kids the importance of bus safety. Sun photo
Check out the area restaurants who are offering TAKEOUT, PATIO or CURBSIDE SERVICE on our Restaurant page on page 16
ENJOYING THE SURF LEAMINGTON — The moderate winds on Monday, August 3 brought out plenty of families to enjoy the surf at Seacliff Park. Here, Jackson, Denell and Khloe play along the shore. The trio spent the morning on the beach with their grandparents. Sun photo
“Our business is keeping children in elementary levels and 100 in high school. The purpose of this is to mitigate safe,” she said. O’Marra expects that sanitization of the chance of spread and also allow for quick contact tracing should someone the buses will be much different than before and that students may have asbecome infected. For those parents who are nervous signed seating, with one student per about sending their children back to seat. A meeting in the coming days will school, Kelly is optimistic that it can be solidify plans, but the consortium of done safely. “We will do everything in our power which Switzer-Carty is a member, will to create a safe environment for our stu- take every precaution. “Our main concerns are the safety of dents,” she said. “We also understand the children and our drivers,” she said. there will be anxiety.” Kelly went on to say that parents will “We’ve been working on a plan since the have the final choice on whether they beginning of the pandemic.” Parents, teachers and send their kids to school or school staff have many conkeep them home for online “We will do cerns about the return-tolearning. everything in our school plan, but not a lot of “I encourage the parents to communicate with power to create a answers, outside of the basic their school principal as to safe environment announcement, are availwhether their children will for our students.” able. Leamington resident and be in school or not,” she — Erin Kelly retired teacher, Marena said. Woodsit, is concerned about According to Kelly, school bus companies have been in the loop as the load that teachers will have to take decisions have been made and are cur- on. “I don’t know how a teacher will be rently working out how to safely transable to handle the regular full time load port the students to and from school. Over at Switzer-Carty Transportation, and then have to teach virtually to those Leamington Branch Manager Karen who opt to stay home,” she said. “The O’Marra says the bus company is work- minister wasn’t clear how that would ing closely with the school board and work but I believe that is burn-out in the making in the elementary sector.” health unit to optimize safety.
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