With less than two days notice, Simcoe County school boards are now focused on getting adequate technology out to families so students have the tools they need to actively participate in virtual school starting Jan. 5.
When the province's chief medical officer of health announced on Dec. 31 a return to the classroom would be delayed until Jan. 5, Simcoe County school boards began preparing. However, a second announcement by Premier Doug Ford on Jan. 3 included news that schools would be going completely virtual until Jan. 17, which Simcoe County school board officials say is confusing.
“I’m not surprised, but it should have been sooner,” said Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board chair Joe Zerdin. “I think that’s the disappointing (part). It’s the right decision when you look at the numbers, but to give families and boards a day and a bit notice that you’re going completely virtual... their confusion is creating havoc for everyone else.”
After Monday's announcement, "now we're preparing again, but for this," said Simcoe County District School Board chair Jodi Lloyd.
That includes getting supplies into the hands of students who need them in short order.
Before the Christmas break, not knowing what the situation would be like in the new year, both Simcoe County’s public and Catholic school boards told students to take their personal belongings home with them.
SEE MORE: Simcoe County school boards planning for in-person return in January
"That does not mean they have the technology on-hand and the equipment to work online," Lloyd said, adding that staff at the public board are reaching out to students to determine their needs and get the supplies delivered.
“We know what to do, but the challenge now is trying to get the technology out to the families in such a compressed time frame,” said Zerdin. “The script is there. It’s the time to enable it. People think it’s like a light switch but there’s more to it.”
Zerdin said teachers are hard at work adapting their lessons to the virtual format. Education workers are also busy preparing to welcome special education students, as some will still be attending in person.
“Everyone’s trying to focus on getting education starting tomorrow. Do we expect everyone to be ready? That’s hard to say,” said Zerdin.
Zerdin said any families in the Catholic board who are in need of additional technology but haven’t yet been contacted to make arrangements to contact their child’s school. Schools within that board have been working to arrange pick-ups at home schools throughout the week, some with extended hours.
The fact the latest announcement was made as late as it was is "unfortunate," said Lloyd.
"We don't get any additional information in advance. The announcement is made and then we wait for the additional information from the ministry," she said. "Parents reach out immediately to schools, and we don't have that information. It would have been so much easier if we had known this before Christmas break."
Part of the reason for the province's announcement about online learning is the projected absenteeism of staff in every industry due to illness, Lloyd noted, and that applies to schools.
"We have to have staff to run these schools and they have to be healthy," she said. "They clearly indicated that they can't control the spread, so they're trying to protect the healthcare system and address staff shortages."
Some staff will still need to be in schools, and Lloyd said the board is doing what it can to ensure their safety. N95 masks have been ordered and are expected to arrive this week.
"It's unfortunate the education workers were not prioritized for the boosters," Lloyd said. "It was a missed opportunity."
The board has also upgraded filters for better ventilation, but not every classroom has high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filters. The province announced it was providing 3,000 HEPA filters for schools, but that's for the entire province, Lloyd noted.
As far as extracurricular activities go, the public board is playing it by ear. The province has banned certain high-risk activities.
The last time students were learning online only, some school clubs organized virtual activities. This time, the board is "hoping this is short term" since online learning is expected to last only two weeks, Lloyd said.
She is asking everyone to be patient and diligent over the coming weeks.
"January is going to be a difficult month, not just in the school system. We need to focus on staying healthy," she said.
With files from Nathan Taylor.
