Sudbury parents prepare for a return to the classroom
It’s not quite time for the school bell to ring yet, but parents across the region are already making the big decision – will it be back to the classroom or another year of virtual learning?
"In-person…yeah… she’s too little to continue online so she’s going to school," said Marcela Jarva, whose daughter will be attending Ecole publique Foyer-Jeunesse.
"She gets distracted all the time and she wants to do other stuff rather than sit in there and pay attention to her classes."
As of Tuesday, there are 21 active COVID-19 cases in the Public Health Sudbury and Districts' region. However, parents say with the help of their kids, the decision was made to return to in-person learning.
"She was the primary decision-maker and we fully supported her decision," said Nicole Gaspardo, whose daughter will be heading to Espanola High School this September. "Her biggest thing was she likes the social interaction and she has a very hard time with online – she did not like the virtual at all."
The first day of class is set for Sept. 7, meaning no matter the age or school, parents across the region had to make a decision when it came to their child’s education.
For the Rainbow District School Board, the deadline to make a decision was Monday at noon.
Although the COVID-19 situation is constantly changing, the website states: "there will be one opportunity to transition between remote and in-person learning in February 2022," meaning the decisions made in August are pretty concrete.
"'Pivoting,' as they called it, halfway through a year is difficult on students, it’s difficult on teachers and it’s difficult on parents," said Liana Holm, the Sudbury president for the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario. "I know the board is trying to narrow that down to create less disruption in the system. The less disruption and the more normal we can keep things the better off that is for everybody, especially from a mental health point of view."
Several safety protocols have been put in place across the province to help keep staff and students safe as they return to school, including mask-wearing, enhanced sanitization, signage, and working closely with public health units.
Parents that spoke to CTV News said these measures are helping to give some reassurance about sending their children back to school in person.
"She will wear a mask whenever it is required," Jarva said. "I know from before Grade 1 they’re not required to, but if teachers or the school says she has to wear a mask, then she will wear it.”
Gaspardo adds, "I definitely think that they’re doing the best they can with all the hurdles they have to jump through and I think the communication has been the best that they can."
Although as it stands right now, students can’t switch back and forth between in-person and virtual freely, officials say plans will change depending on the COVID-19 situation.
"We’re going to be monitoring on a day-to-day, case-by-case basis," Holm said. "I mean, we could find ourselves back where we were in the spring. That’s still not off the table as far as the numbers, you know, that we see right now. But again, that’s a situation that’s going to have to be monitored closely."
Adding, "I hope that people understand that teachers want to be back in the classroom. It’s absolutely something that they want. They want to be with their kids because they become part of their families. And, you know, we’re all hoping for that, but just with a little bit of caution."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.