Examinations will not occur on the current designated dates in the 2020-21 school year calendar. These dates will be deemed Culminating Activity/Credit Rescue assessment days for each Quadmester.

For 2020-21, Grand Erie confirms that all final culminating activities shall be no greater than 10% of the final mark.

Culminating activities are administered at or towards the end of the course to allow the student an opportunity to demonstrate comprehensive achievement of the overall expectations for the course. Teachers can provide a broad range of culminating activities to allow students to more effectively demonstrate their learning.

While no formal mid-term report will be issued, “communication with parents/guardians and students about student achievement should be continuous throughout the course, by means such as parent-teacher or parent-student-teacher conferences, portfolios of student work, student-led conferences, interviews, phone calls, checklists, and informal reports.” (Growing Success, p. 54)

Teachers shall share “a mark to date” with students and their parents/guardians for those who are not yet meeting minimum course expectations and are at risk of not earning the credit. A percentage mark update is especially important for Grade 11 and 12 courses so informed decisions can be made regarding full disclosure and withdrawal from courses.

Withdrawal dates typically occur within 5 days of the issuing of the first (mid-term) report card.

For the 2020-21 school year, course withdrawal dates have been determined based on the completion of approximately 75% of the total course hours. Grand Erie’s Grade 11 and 12 course withdrawal dates are:

• Quad 1 - October 28
• Quad 2 - January 19
• Quad 3 - March 29
• Quad 4 - June 9

For students that withdraw from a Grade 11 or 12 course after the posted deadline or “drop date,” the course would be recorded on their Ontario Student Transcript (OST).

Final report cards will be sent at the completion of courses at the conclusion of the Quadmester.

For students graduating in the 2020-21 school year, the community involvement graduation requirement will be reduced to a minimum of 20 hours.

Rules regarding eligible and ineligible activities for all secondary students, as well as how community involvement hours are reported has changed for this year. Please visit this link for more information.

The literacy graduation requirement has been waived for students graduating in the 2020-21 school year. For students not graduating this school year, there may be an opportunity to attempt the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test online in spring 2021 to obtain this graduation requirement.

Yes. There are specific dates when these switches can take place in order to ensure a smooth transition for all students.

SECONDARY OPT IN/OPT OUT TIMELINES

*this is last system change over date for the remainder of the year

Dec. 18 – Messaging and Declaration link shared with families via home school/virtual school

Jan. 6 – Last date for declaration completion. Link closes at 4 pm

Feb. 2 – First day Quad 3 in new learning model for students who have requested a change in learning models.

As always, if extenuating circumstances present themselves after this final declaration, families are encouraged to connect with their child’s principal.

ELEMENTARY OPT IN/OPT OUT TIMELINES

*this is last system change over date for the remainder of the year

Jan. 4 – Messaging and Declaration link goes shared with families via home school/virtual school

Jan. 13 – Last date for declaration completion.  Link closes at 4 pm

Feb. 15 – Family Day

Feb. 16 – First day for students who have requested a change in learning model.

As always, if extenuating circumstances present themselves after this final declaration, families are encouraged to connect with their child’s principal.

Yes. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to make decisions based on the individual needs of each child. 

Online learning delivers curriculum for students who wish to learn at home, with teacher supports. Students will be engaged in learning activities online for a significant portion of the day. Synchronous learning (a teacher working live with students) will happen at certain times each day, but not for the full day. There will be times during the school day when students will need to work with some independence online.

Homeschooling is entirely parent-led and does not include teacher support from Grand Erie. Parents who wish to teach their children at home are required to notify the Board of their intention to do so. For more information, see Procedure 107 – Home Schooling.

Home instruction will not be offered at this point in time. 

Each student will work with a designated teacher who will provide curriculum and learning supports in the online format. This teacher will be available to assist students’ needs and to answer any questions from parents. If your child has an Individual Education Plan (IEP), the Learning Resource Teacher can also support your child and your child’s teacher.

Yes. Parents should bring any technical difficulties to the attention of their child’s teacher, who will work with Grand Erie Information Technology staff to find solutions.

Devices, and internet access, will be available to students. Schools will assess technology needs and arrange for the distribution of devices and internet access.

Families opting for online learning should be aware that this learning option is delivered online, not through mailed correspondence or any other method.

In-class learning will occur in quadmesters. Students will attend school, in person, five days per week with 300 minutes of instruction daily. Student will take two courses per quadmester. Students will take one course per day for a full week. They will then alternate weekly between the two courses. There will be one break in the morning, and one in the afternoon as well as an opportunity for lunch. Students are encouraged to remain on school property for the entire school day. Students in each grade will have a designated door for entry and exit. Washroom breaks will be tracked so that only one student per class will use the washroom at a time.

Online learning will occur in quadmesters, similar to the model used for students who are attending in-person. Students will be expected to be online five days per week. Students will take two courses per quadmester. Students will take one course per day for a full week. They will then alternate weekly between the two courses. There will be one break in the morning, and one in the afternoon as well as an opportunity for lunch. Students will receive a minimum of 220 minutes of synchronous learning per day for each course they’re enrolled in. Students participating in online learning will be in class groupings with other secondary students throughout Grand Erie, not just students in their home school. Students will require a device and internet in order to participate in online learning. Brightspace will be the primary platform for course content delivery.

Instead of dividing the school year into two semesters, the quadmester model breaks it up into four quadmesters. In this model, students take two classes at a time over the course of four quadmesters rather than eight courses over two semesters. This allows students to obtain the same number of credits, but establishes a schedule that decreases movement throughout the school during COVID-19.

Schools will provide more information about timetables after August 27. Time is required to compile the information from the return to school survey around students’ selections to determine next steps.

No. Secondary school students in Grand Erie will be returning to school in-person five days a week, unless parents opt for online learning. The Ministry of Education has mandated certain school boards across the province – generally those with larger populations – adapt the cohort model for secondary school students. Grand Erie was not one of those school boards.

Physical Education will focus on individual sports or health units and will operate classes outdoors, where possible.

Grade 9 and 10 students will have lunch in their Period 1 classroom, if possible. Grade 11 and 12 students will have lunch in the cafeteria to meet physical distancing requirements.

Following updated guidelines set by the Ministry of Education in January 2021, students in Grades 1-3 are now required to wear masks when at school. Additionally, on January 25, 2021, Grand Erie District School Board Trustees passed a motion that mandated masks for students in Kindergarten. This means that ALL Grand Erie students (Kindergarten to Grade 12) are required to wear masks when at school or while using Student Transportation Services Brant Haldimand Norfolk (STSBHN). Masks must also be worn outside, when social distancing cannot be maintained.

Yes, schools will provide a non-medical mask to students who don’t have one.

While non-medical masks are what the Ministry of Education has mandated for students, in cases of medical or other exemptions, a face shield is an acceptable alternative. Families will be required to provide this face shield for their child.

While students in Grades 4-12 will be required to wear their non-medical mask all day, schools will provide opportunities for students so they can safely remove their mask, and will build these breaks into the regular school day.

Yes. Teachers and support staff will be wearing masks and other PPE.

The Ministry of Education has not made any changes to class sizes in Grand Erie for the 2020-21 school year.

Classrooms will be cleared of excess furniture to maximize space for desks, and every effort will be made to arrange seating that allows students to maintain distance from one another.

Yes. Assemblies and activities that bring more than 50 students together will not be taking place at this time.

For the start of the 2020-21 school year, there will be no food served in school cafeterias. Grab and go items will be available through each school’s Nutrition Program. Grand Erie will review and monitor this decision as the school year progresses.

Given current public-health guidelines, athletics/sports will not proceed at this time. Extracurricular activities and clubs may be able to meet, with physical distancing guidelines in place. Schools will provide more information in September as to whether these kinds of activities can move forward.

Students will be assigned seats, and a record of the seating plan kept for contact tracing. Students who live in the same household or who are in the same classroom should be seated together. As physical distancing is difficult to maintain on a bus, the use of non-medical masks for students is strongly encouraged. Students in Grades 4-12 will be required to wear masks at all times while riding the bus and transferring between buses. Student Transportation Services Brant Haldimand Norfolk will be sharing more information with families soon.

To minimize the probability of transmission, the use of masks will be required for all students in Grades 4-12 and highly recommended for students in Kindergarten-Grade 3. Hand hygiene practices will be promoted while riding the school bus. The use hand sanitizer before entering the bus is strongly recommended for all students as is physical distancing when moving between buses.

Because physical distancing is difficult to maintain on the school bus, students in Grades 4-12 will be required to wear a non-medical mask while riding the bus and transferring between buses. It is strongly recommended that students in Kindergarten-Grade 3 also wear a non-medical mask while riding the bus and while transferring.

Buses will be cleaned at least twice per day with an approved disinfectant spray, known to be effective against COVID-19. The disinfecting will be performed by the school bus driver and take place before students board the bus in the morning and afternoon.

School buses will have their high touch surfaces disinfected at minimum of twice daily. High touch areas are defined as: seats sides and tops, hand railings, interior windows and wall section below passenger windows. The disinfectant(s) used are approved by Health Canada and shown to be effective in neutralizing COVID-19.

Yes. Active transportation is strongly encouraged, with physical distancing guidelines observed by students from different households walking or riding together.

Grand Erie will utilize a number of health and safety strategies:

• all non-essential furniture, supplies and equipment will be removed from classrooms to assist with physical distancing
• masks are mandatory for students in Grades 4-12 and highly encouraged for those in Kindergarten-Grade 3
• staff will be required to wear medical masks and eye protection or face shields
• regular hand-washing and/or hand-sanitizing will be built into the school day and encouraged often
• where possible, adjustments will be made to the HVAC systems in schools, and windows will be opened, ceiling/floor fans will be used to help with ventilation
• there will be signage placed to encourage physical distancing and the use of arrows to create one-way hallways, if required
• there will be increased cleaning and disinfecting of touch points, bathrooms and shared items

Yes, hand sanitizing stations will be available in all schools, and its use encouraged as students, staff or visitors enter and exit the building.