Bluewater District School Board is sharing details of its planning for the safe reopening of schools in September.

As directed by the Ministry of Education, Bluewater District School Board elementary and secondary students and staff will begin the 2020 – 2021 school year following a conventional full return model with enhanced public health protocols to maximize safety. The first day of school for all students will be Tuesday, September 8, 2020.

The option of remote learning will also be available for parents/guardians who choose not to physically send their children back to school at this time.

To assist parents/guardians in understanding the many health and safety protocols that schools will be implementing upon reopening, a Q and A has been posted on Bluewater District School Board’s designated web page, www.bwdsb.on.ca/Parents/Return_to_School. The Q and A is divided into two sections: “School Operations” and “Program and Instruction”. It will be a ‘living document’ with ongoing updates included as planning details emerge.

To streamline the flow of communication, a new centralized email account has also been created at [email protected] for parents/guardians who have additional questions that can be answered by a member of the board’s planning team.

As referenced in a letter to parents/guardians from Bluewater District School Board Director of Education Lori Wilder, there is an important new requirement in this year’s return to school planning. The Ministry of Education is recommending that all parents/guardians in Ontario register their children for the fall term in advance. This will be required even if students were previously registered to attend a Bluewater District School Board school.

All students, new and current, who are planning to attend Bluewater District School Board schools must be registered on or before August 19, 2020 in order to ensure they will be able to start on the first day of school, September 8, 2020.

To register, parents/guardians are to complete the student pre-registration survey at this link.

Parents/guardians who choose to keep their child(ren) at home at the beginning of the school year are also required to fill out the above student pre-registration survey, where they will indicate their preference for remote learning.

“As we prepare for the return to learning in September, our priority is the safety and well-being of our students and staff. We have involved our local Public Health Unit as part of our planning, while also following the directions of the Ministry of Education to ensure that our schools and workplaces are prepared, and our students and staff experience a successful return,” says Director Wilder.

source: media release, BWDSB