SUDBURY -- On the heels of the province allowing school boards to stagger starts to the upcoming fall semester, the Rainbow District School Board (RDSB) has modified the start up dates for students:
- Tuesday, Sept. 8 - Junior Kindergarten (JK) to Grade 3, Grade 9, and all students in Intensive Support Programs
- Wednesday, Sept. 9 - JK to Grade 6, Grade 9 and 10
- Thursday, Sept. 10 - JK to Grade 11
- Friday, Sept. 11 - JK to Grade 12
Nicole Charette, corporate communications for Rainbow District School Board, sent out the finalized dates in a news release Thursday.
The staggered start times for kindergarten students remains in effect and schools will share details directly with families.
"Starting with smaller groups of students and building to full attendance as the first week progresses will enable us to be more responsive as we put our reopening health and safety protocols into practice," said RDSB Director of Education Norm Blaseg. "Staggered starts will give us an opportunity to adjust as we go along, particularly in the area of pick up and drop off and movement throughout the school, including washroom breaks and lunch periods."
The new schedule applies to all students, whether they are attending school in-person or online.
Other boards in the northeast are expected to announce start up dates shortly.
At the RDSB meeting Tuesday night, a motion to require all students, JK - Grade 12, to wear a face mask while attending in-person was deferred to the next meeting on Sept. 1 after many trustees stated they wanted input from public health before voting on the motion. The province has mandated masks for students in Grade 4 - 12.
On Aug. 11, RDSB revealed its back-to-school plan and is asking parents and guardians to confirm if their child will attend in-person or continue with online learning. An online form must be filled out by Aug. 21.
