Last week, the Ministry of Education announced that Ontario school boards can move to a four-course per day schedule for secondary schools, in consultation with local public health units.

We are pleased to inform you that beginning Friday, February 4, 2022 our secondary schools, Sacred Heart High School in Walkerton and St. Mary’s High School in Owen Sound, will return to a four-course per day schedule. A four-course per day schedule is referred to as a traditional Semester Model. The timing of this change will coincide with the beginning of Semester 2.

As you know, since September 2021, our secondary schools have followed the Modified Semester Model as well as offered co-curricular activities for students learning in-person. Given the high rates of vaccination among youth aged 12 to 17 and the diligence among students and staff in practising COVID-19 health and safety protocols we are now able to safely move to a Semester Model. This decision is in accordance with Ministry of Education requirements and has been made in consultation with Grey Bruce Public Health.

The schools will continue with existing prevention strategies - such as good hand hygiene, masking, daily symptom screening and directional movement throughout the hallways.

source: media release, BGCDSB