When Do the Kids Go Back to School

We are pleased to welcome students, families and staff back to another year of learning at the Durham District School Board. You can view the school year calendars for the 2021-22 school year on our website. The information on this webpage is up to date as of November 25, 2021 and incorporates recent guidance from the Ministry of Education for the 2021-22 school year.

The Durham District School Board's priority is the safety and well-being of our students and staff. We continue to consult with the Durham Region Health Department, while also following the directions of the Ministry of Education to ensure that our schools and workplaces are safe.

We are focusing on everyday mental health and well-being strategies to support educators' and students' return to school by encouraging belonging, building trust, and creating optimal conditions for learning and development.

This webpage provides important information for students, parents and guardians, including health and safety protocols, resources, and more. It also outlines information about DDSB@Home, our virtual school that offers robust and innovative programming for students who have chosen to learn from home.

Ongoing contact with families will take place throughout the school year to provide further details about specific school-level information and board-wide updates.

The Ministry of Education released their direction to school boards on August 3, 2021, which included information on what the school day will look like for the 2021-2022 school year. The information posted below is based on the most current information available and will be updated if further guidance and direction is provided by the Ministry.

Elementary Schools

Elementary students will attend school five days per week. Enhanced health and safety protocols are in place (i.e., enhanced cleaning, handwashing breaks, students eating lunch in their classroom, etc.). Our goal is to ensure physical distancing in classrooms as much as possible. Students will still receive 300 minutes of face-to-face educator instruction, and the full range of the elementary curriculum will be provided. Families should check with their school for information about staggering of bell times, entry, exit and recess. Students in Grades 1 to 12 are required to wear non-medical or cloth masks indoors in school and all students are required to wear one while on school buses. We strongly encourage Kindergarten students to also wear a mask. Staggered Starts for Kindergarten Students We will be implementing a staggered start for Kindergarten  students to help them adjust to a new learning environment. You can review what this may look like by visiting our Staggered Start PDF . M ore information will be provided to you by your school on specific dates that your child  in Kindergarten should be attending.

Secondary Schools

Full-day in-person learning five days per week is in place for secondary students who selected in-person learning for the 2021-22 school year. For the first half of the school year, secondary schools will be operating on a quadmester schedule with students taking two courses at a time for approximately 45 school days per quadmester. The Ministry has indicated that their goal is for schools to be able to return to a semestered system for the second half of the school year. Students are required to wear masks while in school, and enhanced health and safety protocols have been implemented. Secondary cafeterias are open and students will continue to have the opportunity to leave school for lunch. All secondary students are in school from 10am to 4pm daily during the 2021-22 school year. This includes those in special education classes and those learning at DDSB@Home. Sample school day from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with one hour lunch break. Sample Secondary Day Schedule without homeroom Period Secondary Day Schedule Without Homeroom START TIME END TIME 1 10:00 11:15 2 11:15 12:30 LUNCH 12:30 1:30 3 1:30 2:45 4 2:45 4:00 Period 1 is 75 minutes Lunch is 60 minutes Quadmesters 1 & 2 Calendars

Learning Preference (In-Person or Virtual Learning)

Families had two opportunities to change their child's learning preference (if desired) for the 2021-22 school year, most recently in August. The window to select between in-person or virtual learning through DDSB@Home closed on Wednesday, August 11, 2021 at 11:59pm. Please know that we will do everything within our purview to ensure that your child(ren) are supported in the learning environment you have selected for them. We encourage you to reach out to the school office and staff at your school to discuss any necessary learning supports or accommodations. Elementary School (K-8) Selections In August, we recognized that the situation for children aged 11 and under was still evolving given there was not yet a COVID-19 vaccination roll-out plan. For that reason, as circumstances have now changed regarding access to a vaccination, we are providing elementary families one opportunity to change their learning preference in January 2022. More information will be provided to families in December. Secondary School (9-12) Selections We are not offering the option to change your response after Wednesday, August 11, 2021 at 11:59pm. The staffing process for a system as large as ours is complicated and takes time to organize. Therefore, it is unlikely that changes to learning preferences can be accommodated throughout the year due to the complexity of course selections at secondary.

Welcome to the DDSB@Home virtual school.

The programming offered by DDSB@Home is similar to a physical school, and staff are prepared to coordinate with your home school to be supportive of the best interests of your child(ren).

Elementary students who are entering Junior Kindergarten or are new to DDSB can select DDSB@Home Elementary on the New Student Registration form. At this time,  DDSB@Home Secondary is no longer taking registrations for online schooling for the 2021 – 2022 school year. Please register with your designated home school. Any special requests for transfers must be made through your area System Lead in consultation with the home school Principal.

The information posted below is based on the most current information available. Please visit the Elementary@Home and Secondary@Home websites for additional information, updates and FAQs.

Minimum Requirements for Engaging Students

Students will receive 300 minutes of learning opportunities, with a combination of both RealTime (synchronous/live) and FlexTime (asynchronous/independent/not live) learning activities. Programming is based on the full Ontario curriculum and includes opportunities for guided instruction, large- and small-group learning, synchronous check-ins, and asynchronous independent work. Teachers will be available to students at all times during the teachers' assigned teaching timetables, as they would be if they were face-to-face in a classroom setting.

Minimum Requirements for RealTime Learning

The table below outlines the minimum amount of time per day that students, depending on their grade level, must be provided with synchronous learning as part of their scheduled or timetabled learning. Grade Level of Students Daily Minimum RealTime Learning Requirement Kindergarten 180 minutes Grades 1 to 8 225 minutes Grades 9 to 12 The higher of 60 minutes for each 75-minute class period or 225 minutes per day for a full course schedule. The RealTime learning time requirements outlined in the table above may be divided into shorter periods throughout the school day. For example, a child in Kindergarten may participate in an opening exercise for 10 minutes with their whole class, as well as a combination of whole-group and small-group sessions throughout the school day, and a 10-minute closing exercise with their class at the end of the school day. Educators will use their professional judgement to provide some flexibility to students on an individual basis when students are unable to participate in RealTime learning.

DDSB@Home Elementary Draft Sample Schedule

DDSB@Home Elementary Virtual Learning Draft Sample Schedule

DDSB@Home Elementary RealTime and FlexTime Learning

DDSB@Home Secondary Sample Schedule

*Note: Sample schedule was from the 2020-21 school year and may be subject to change.

Students with Special Education Needs

Students with special education needs will continue to be supported through individualized service and program plans. Educators will continue to provide accommodations, modified expectations, and alternative programming to students with special education needs, consulting with parents/caregivers in the development of their IEPs for the 2021-2022 school year. We are working to provide continued access to assistive technology, including Special Equipment Amount (SEA) equipment, where possible, to support students as they participate in remote learning. In situations where access to assistive technology is not feasible, educators are expected to work with students and parents to determine workable solutions on an individual basis.

Technology Supports

Parents of students enrolled in DDSB@Home in Grade K-6 that do not currently have a DDSB device assigned to them, can request a device by contacting their DDSB@Home campus. A request will be submitted to IT Services who in turn will contact the parent/guardian via email to book an appointment to pick up a device. Please note that a DDSB device is not required as any web-enabled device can be used to access DDSB@Home lessons and resources.

When Do the Kids Go Back to School

Source: https://www.ddsb.ca/en/whats-happening/return-to-school-2021-2022.aspx

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