Letter to Parents and Guardians - April 1, 2020

Posted On Wednesday April 01, 2020

April 1, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your families at this time as we continue to receive direction regarding yesterday’s announcement from the Government of Ontario and Ministry of Education.

On Tuesday, March 31, 2020, the Premier of Ontario announced that the order for publicly funded schools to remain closed has been extended to the end of April 2020 with hope that students can return to the classroom on May 4, 2020. This extension is in response to the ongoing world-wide efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In support of these efforts, the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) continues to enhance teacher training, contemplate provisions for students with special needs and develop learning tools and materials for the next phase of distance learning. As we work on an implementation plan, our goal is to have educators and students engaged in teacher-led learning from home beginning the week of April 6, 2020.

As teachers are preparing to facilitate teacher-led learning, here are some things that parents and guardians can do to ensure their children are ready to engage.

Access to Technology

Thank you to families for your cooperation in completing the Access to Technology Survey. The survey is now closed. For those who indicated that they require access to technology, staff will connect with you regarding next steps. If you were unable to complete the survey and require technology support, please contact your child’s teacher or call your local school and leave a message.

If your child has access to technology and the Internet, no action is required. Families with more than one DCDSB student in their household are not required to have a device for each individual child.

Edsby

Parents and guardians who are not currently connected to Edsby, an online communication portal, should set up an account and learn more about Edsby. Some teachers have been communicating with families using this tool during the closure, and we encourage everyone to become familiar with the platform.

Next Steps 

We thank you for your patience and understanding as we develop an implementation plan that aligns with Ministry direction on distance learning. Teachers have been endeavouring to connect with their students via Edsby and student/parent email accounts. Please check to ensure that you/your child have been receiving their messages.

For more information, please see the attached letter to parents and guardians from the Minister of Education which outlines some of the guidelines and expectations for teacher-led distance learning.

Yours in faith,

Tracy Barill
Director of Education