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Return to In-Person Learning

Return to In-Person Learning

April 8, 2021

Dear parent/guardian,

As per recent announcements, the province has implemented a provincewide stay-at-home order for four weeks in response to worsening trends in key health indicators across the province.

The mental health and well-being of children is a key school Board priority. With the current COVID-19 status in the City of Thunder Bay having recently improved significantly, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit has informed Lakehead Public Schools that the local situation has become appropriate for schools to re-open.

Lakehead Public Schools is confirming the return to in-person learning for all its schools beginning Monday, April 19^th. Elementary students will return to their pre-closure classes while secondary students will begin Quadmester 4 following the same weekly format as before – in-person learning in the morning and virtual learning in the afternoon. Spring break will continue as planned, from April 12^th to 16^th.

In light of the recently announced measures, it is now more important than ever that we continue to follow health and safety advice from the Health Unit over the spring break to do our part to keep schools open for in-person learning.

At this critical point in the pandemic, the following public health measures are crucial to help prevent and limit the spread of COVID-19:

• Socialize with your own household;
• Stay home and get tested if you feel ill;
• Screen every day, including during spring break, for COVID-19 symptoms before leaving home (https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/);
• Practice good hand hygiene habits, masking, and physical distancing.
• Refer to https://covid-19.ontario.ca/zones-and-restrictions to learn what public health measures are in place in our community;
• Refrain from travelling.

Please check the Lakehead Public School website and Facebook page frequently for more information about asymptomatic testing. We’ll update these pages as more information comes to us.

As a reminder, before coming back to school on April 19th, students and staff must screen for COVID-19 symptoms. If your child or anyone in your household is ill, stay home and follow the guidance in the school screener.

Lakehead Public Schools would like to genuinely thank all families and staff for having dedicated energy and effort to support students during the period of virtual learning, and for having followed safety guidelines to help lower the number of local COVID-19 cases. By following public health advice, we can all enjoy a safe spring break and support in-person learning in our schools.

Have a safe, fun and restful break.

The following is a message from the Ministry of Education:

For the week of April 12-18, pharmacies that currently offer testing and assessment centres across the province will accept appointments from students and education staff for asymptomatic testing. The Ministry of Education will be working with school boards to offer school-based clinics. Parents are encouraged to take advantage of this testing capacity to have their children tested to support a safe return to school on April 19. Children attending child care, and child care staff, will also be eligible to access this testing.