Sudbury schools prepare for virtual open houses
As students across the north continue to learn virtually, they will also have the opportunity to attend open houses online.
School principals in Sudbury said Monday while they would love to welcome people in person, virtual events in the past have seen success and they are hoping for similar results this year.
"It’s really important for them to find a home within their school," said Aaron Barry, principal of St. Charles College.
"The open houses, whether they be in person or virtual, they’re looking to relate and they’re looking for programs that resonate with them."
From creating a special website to having staff ready to answer questions live, schools across Sudbury are preparing for a second year of virtual open house events in a way that they hope will capture attention.
Pamela Potvin, Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School principal, said just getting an idea of the staff and what their school building looks like are all possible online.
"You get a chance to see our staff and our students, and also really get a sense of what the building looks like," Potvin said.
"We’ve prepared this year a little virtual tour, because a lot of times that’s something that families and students are worried about -- entering a new building and not knowing what the building looks like."
Officials said even though events can’t happen in person this year, the hope is to answer questions and concerns that may come up.
"One of the nice things about what we did last year and what we’ll do again this year is there’s an opportunity for us to connect with students and families in real-time," said Danielle Williamson, Chelmsford Valley District Composite School principal.
"That’s the really important thing about a virtual open house, so that we can answer those questions that come up based on the presentations that they see."
Despite the challenges that COVID-19 has brought, enrolment has increased.
"It’s way up," said Williamson. "We’ve really experienced a lot of growth in the Chelmsford area -- more than I have ever seen in my career, to be honest with you. I think that with a lot of people now able to work from home, we’ve seen people move from down south up into our area."
All but one school board in Sudbury will be hosting virtual open house events. The French public board has opted to provide parents with virtual tours of each school starting Jan. 17.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.