Government of Ontario Announces Three Options for the Return to School in the Fall with Final Decision Expected in August

Today, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Education Stephen Lecce announced the government’s plan for the reopening of schools in the fall.

The plan includes three options: the continuation of learning at home; a return to in-school instruction with enhanced health and safety protocols; and, an adaptive learning model that features a combination of learning at home and in-school instruction with limited class sizes and alternating days and/or weeks.

The adaptive learning model, as outlined by Minister Lecce, provides for a maximum of 15 students per classroom per day. It also requires students to register prior to the start of the school year so that class assignments and timetables can be set in advance. If the adaptive learning model is selected for the start of the 2020-21 school year, the decision will be re-evaluated at the end of September based on direction from the Ontario Medical Officer of Health as well as local health officials.

Over the next month, the Ministry of Education is asking all publicly funded school boards in Ontario to develop operational plans to match the three options announced today. Grand Erie District School Board staff will have operational plans and protocols in place for all three options by the end of July. The Board will share specific details on Grand Erie’s back-to-school plans with students and families in August.

“As we’ve learned over the past few months with COVID-19, there are a lot of unknowns we have to work through together,” said Brenda Blancher, Director of Education. “We appreciate the ongoing patience and understanding of our students and families as our staff works through each of the options for back-to-school in the fall. As always, our priority will be the safety and well-being of our students and staff.”

Minister Lecce also noted there will be protocols in place for personal protective equipment, enhanced cleaning, and instances where a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19. Additionally, the province outlined guidelines for transportation, including the approximate number of students allowed per standard bus (24), plus siblings.

Grand Erie’s school-year calendar for 2020-21 has not yet been approved by the Ministry of Education. Currently, the first day of school is set for Tuesday, September 8.

For the latest news and information, visit: www.granderie.ca or follow the Board on Twitter (@GEDSB). Students and families can also contact the Board via email (info@granderie.ca) or by phone (519-756-6301 or Toll Free: 1-888-548-8878).

Grand Erie District School Board represents more than 26,000 students in 58 elementary and 14 secondary schools within the City of Brantford and the Counties of Brant, Haldimand, and Norfolk as well as secondary students from Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

Important Updates:

• June 24: Director of Education Brenda Blancher sent this message to all Grand Erie families asking for feedback via a survey on the three back-to-school options for the fall.
• June 22: Minister of Education Stephen Lecce shared this message with Ontario parents after the government's announcement last week.
• June 19: Director of Education Brenda Blancher sent this message to all Grand Erie families to update them on the Province's back-to-school plan for the fall.

Good Food Adds Up to Good Learning at Courtland Pubic School

Evidence suggests that breakfast and snack programs in schools:

• Improves children’s school performance, memory and test grades
• Enhances students’ physical, emotional, social and intellectual development
• Increases attendance rates, particularly for nutritionally at risk children
• Provides additional time for children to eat and drink nutritious breakfasts and snacks
• Provides energy for students to be more physically
• Enhances nutritional status of students by replacing the consumption of foods with low nutritional value with more nutritious choices, such as more vegetables and fruit
• Promotes a sense of community by bringing people together to ensure all children are well-nourished
• Leads to better dietary habits by increasing the frequency of eating breakfast
• Reduces the prevalence of vitamin and mineral deficiencies

With the generous support of the Child Nutrition Network and the Grand Erie District School Board, the school was able to renovate a room in the school into a nutrition program kitchen. Funds provided by the Child Nutrition Network and school fundraising monies purchase the good food and materials needed to run the program.

Every morning at 8 a.m., parent volunteers and their children arrive to prepare and distribute the food for the day. This program would not happen without their enthusiastic support.

Each serving of food includes a dairy product (i.e. yogurt, cheese string), a grain product (i.e. crackers, mixed cereal, muffin, whole wheat bun) and a fruit product (i.e. apple, banana, clementine orange, grapes, juice) or a vegetable product (i.e. cucumber slices, raw carrots). A container filled with food is delivered to each classroom and as children get settled for a day of learning, staff and students are encouraged to help themselves to a delicious and nutritious start to the day.

“Nutrition programs, such as the one at Courtland Public School, are happening in many schools within the Grand Erie District School Board. It’s a huge effort supported by the Board, volunteers and community agencies. Working together, it’s amazing what can be done. We feel most grateful to have this opportunity for our Courtland school community”, says principal Deb Opersko.

Roots of Empathy

Courtland Public School offers the Roots of Empathy program in our Kindergarten A classroom. Our Early Childhood Educator, Mrs. L. Wildman is a trained Roots of Empathy instructor. Our Roots of Empathy baby and her mom are welcome visitors to the classroom.

An explanation of program, from the Roots of Empathy website is included below:

Roots of Empathy is an evidence-based classroom program that has shown significant effect in reducing levels of aggression among schoolchildren by raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy. The program reaches elementary schoolchildren from Kindergarten to Grade 8. In Canada, the program is delivered in English and French and reaches rural, urban, and remote communities including Aboriginal communities. Roots of Empathy is also delivered in New Zealand, the United States, Isle of Man, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Emotional Literacy

At the heart of the program are a neighbourhood infant and parent who visit the classroom every three weeks over the school year. A trained Roots of Empathy Instructor coaches students to observe the baby's development and to label the baby's feelings. In this experiential learning, the baby is the "Teacher" and a lever, which the instructor uses to help children identify and reflect on their own feelings and the feelings of others. This "emotional literacy" taught in the program lays the foundation for more safe and caring classrooms, where children are the "Changers". They are more competent in understanding their own feelings and the feelings of others (empathy) and are therefore less likely to physically, psychologically and emotionally hurt each other through bullying and other cruelties. In the

Roots of Empathy program children learn how to challenge cruelty and injustice. Messages of social inclusion and activities that are consensus building contribute to a culture of caring that changes the tone of the classroom. The Instructor also visits before and after each family visit to prepare and reinforce teachings using a specialized lesson plan for each visit. Research results from national and international evaluations of Roots of Empathy indicate significant reductions in aggression and increases in pro-social behaviour.