Hamilton school boards adjust return-to-school schedules
Published August 31, 2020 at 1:11 pm
The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) announced Friday (August 28) that they have made adjustments to their plans for the start of school.
The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) announced Friday (August 28) that they have made adjustments to their plans for the start of school.
A staggered return to school is still in effect but has essentially been shortened to give staff more time to transition to their new assignments.
Junior Kindergarten orientation and students requiring special supports will be introduced to the new school environment on Sept. 10 and 11.
The school board provided the following calendars to shed some light on their revised schedule:
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Public Elementary schools:
Public secondary schools:
The Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB) is also staggering their return to school.
In that board, September 9-14 will see Kindergarten students return in staggered sub-cohorts and elementary students by grades.
Additionally, Grade 9 students will return on September 9th for an orientation session; instruction will begin for Cohort B secondary students on September 10th and Cohort A secondary students on September 11th.
They provided the following graphic outlining their schedule:
The HWCDSB have also introduced a plan to reduce class sizes in their elementary schools.
Through the use of reserve funds and provincial funding, class sizes will be reduced from 23.3 to 18.7 students in Kindergarten, and from 24.51 to 22.68 in Grades 4-8. Primary (Grade 1-3) classes, which were already capped, will remain the same at 20 students.
The reduced classes have created the need for approximately 50-55 new classrooms in the HWCDSB and approximately 50 additional classroom teachers and 15 DECEs for September.
The public school board plans to hold a special meeting Monday night (August 31) to address continual concerns around reopening schools.
The agenda has yet to be published but what is expected is a discussion on outbreak protocols and the reorganization of staff and students in the wake of families having determined their choices for in-class or remote learning. Approximately 20 per cent of HWDSB families opted for remote learning.
For more information on HWDSB’s plans for reopening, visit their website.
More information on the HWCDSB’s reopening plans can be found here.
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