ADSB elementary school parents now have until March to commit to in-class or remote learning for kids

The Algoma District School Board (ADSB) is giving parents of elementrary school children more time to decide if they want their children to return to in-class learning or stay virtual.

Previously, the board stated it would continue to offer both in-class and virtual (hybrid) options for its students with a request for parents to commit to one mode of learning by Feb. 3.

“Upon review of our current landscape and feedback from parents, we want to acknowledge that re-opening (on Jan. 17, 2022) brought many significant changes and factors that need to be considered when selecting a mode of learning,” said Lucia Reece, ADSB director of education in a letter to parents Thursday.

Reece said those changes and factors include:

• adjusting to the COVID-19 self-screening tool and following the guidance when one or more symptoms are present
• the need for all household members to isolate when there is a positive case in the household
• many younger children can access their second dose of vaccine only now
• families are monitoring provincial cases and school absenteeism now that letters advising of positive cases are no longer being sent home.

In a move to support families when students need to remain home due to symptoms (if they fail the screening) or isolation, the board now says it will not ask parents to commit to in-person or virtual/remote learning until early March.

“Families who are currently accessing virtual/remote learning can return to in-person learning at any time, given this return has less impact on our operations,” Reece said.

“You need only to advise your child’s teacher if your child wishes to return to in-person learning.”

The board says it will reach out in early March for parental commitments to a learning mode (in-person or virtual) so that it can plan for a spring transition.