Catholic School Board outlines return-to-school plan

By Ron Giofu

AMHERSTBURG — One day after unveiling its return-to-school plan to trustees and the public via an online meeting, the Windsor-Essex Catholic District Board (WECDSB) gave the media a chance to get an in-person look at what is being proposed.

Board officials, including principals, showed what is being planned during stops at St. Thomas of Villanova Secondary School and St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School last Thursday morning. Communications co-ordinator Stephen Fields emphasized a point that was made the previous evening, that it is a “risk reduction” plan that is very fluid.

In the case of secondary schools, particularly those as large as St. Thomas of Villanova, the student population will be split in two and the students will be placed into cohorts of roughly 15 students apiece. Students in cohorts A and B will rotate when they go to the building over the first two “quadmesters” with the rotation allowing each cohort to attend school during five days over each two-week period.

St. Thomas of Villanova Secondary School has an enrolment of approximately 1,200 students with about 600 to be in the building at any one time. Masks will be mandatory.

“There will be enhanced cleaning measures between the two cohorts,” said superintendent Emelda Byrne. “The rationale for cohorting is to be able to facilitate contact tracing among the students in the two periods.”

Semesters will be broken up with the first going from Sept. 8-Nov. 11 and the second being from Nov. 12-Feb. 1. There will be two periods per day and while the periods are expected to be longer than normal, it is unclear how long as details have to be hammered out with other school boards due to the sharing of student transportation.

Desks at St. Thomas of Villanova Secondary School are labelled “1” or “2” to help students know where to sit. Periods 1 and 2 only will take place in the first of four mini-semesters (or “quadmesters”) at Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board secondary schools with students being divided into cohorts of 15 students each.

Other details to be hammered out include whether or not there will be online learning the days students are not physically in the buildings. More information is expected on that after the WECDSB conducts a survey on how many students will return to school and how many opt out and learn from home.

Byrne indicated with only two periods, there will be less transition between classes and less contact between students.

Villanova principal Amy Facchineri indicated there will be only a certain number of students allowed in a washroom at a time. Water fountains with water bottle refill stations will be used but the actual mouthpiece will be closed off. Students and staff will also be encouraged to use sinks within classrooms to wash their hands.

Hand sanitizer will also be available throughout the schools, including some stationed in the middle of hallways. Students will also be told to stay to the right of each hallway and proceed in the direction that arrows point them, with the arrows posted on lockers. The lockers themselves will not be used and students will bring their supplies and jackets to class with them, though backpacks will be allowed into classrooms.

Desks in classrooms will be marked “A” and “B” with students in the cohorts to be allowed to use the desks marked for them only.

“We do need to get students back to school not only from an academic perspective but from a mental health perspective,” added Byrne.

Cafeterias and auditoriums will not be used for their standard purposes, but principals will have the flexibility to utilize the space should students need to be placed there during spares or for other reasons. Students will be required to physically distance where possible.

There will also be a room in the school for isolation, should a student or staff member show symptoms of having COVID-19. Students will be sent home as quickly as possible and if more than one student, teacher or staff member has symptoms, the WECDSB will work with the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit on how to proceed.

At the secondary level, it still has to be determined whether there will be nutritional breaks or a lunch period though food is expected to be consumed in whatever classroom the student is in at the time.

Superintendent Melissa Farrand and principal Linda DiPasquale outlined what will happen at the elementary level, including desks one metre apart, recesses at different times to stagger how many children are at recess at any one time and removal of carpets and the rearranging of resources by colour to help students understand and stay physically distanced.

“Teachers are creative by nature so they will come up with different ways to support physical distancing,” said Di- Pasquale.

DiPasquale said they still plan on offering a nurturing, loving environment to students. She indicated while there will obviously be classroom learning, they hope to do learning outdoors as well as St. Joseph is lucky enough to have ample playground space.

“We are going to try and do as much outdoor learning as possible,” she said.

Mixing of cohorts will be discouraged and parents will have a checklist to complete to ensure students are screened daily, Farrand added.

Students in JK through Grade 3 will be encouraged to wear masks while mask wearing will be mandatory for students in Grades 4-8. Enhanced cleaning will also occur with hand sanitizer also readily available at the elementary level.

“We’re doing everything we can,” said DiPasquale.