General

Virtual School Enrollment 2021-2022

Apr 14, 2021

Virtual School Enrollment 2021-2022

Dear Lakehead Public Schools families,

In response to the uncertainty of pandemic, Lakehead Public Schools will be offering a virtual school option for the upcoming school year (beginning September 2021) for elementary and secondary students. The following letter contains information for parents and guardians who wish to enroll their child in Lakehead Public Schools’ Virtual School 2021-2022.

For elementary students, enrollment into Lakehead Public Schools’ Virtual School will register students for virtual learning for the full 2021-2022 school year with an opportunity to shift from virtual to in-person learning late in January 2022.

For secondary students, enrollment into Lakehead Public Schools’ Virtual School will provide them with a fully virtual school environment within a semester or quadmester system for the full 2021-2022 school year with an opportunity to shift from virtual to in-person learning late in January 2022.

Parents and guardians who wish to enroll their child in Lakehead Public Schools’ Virtual School (elementary or secondary) for September 2021 to January 2022 must complete this form between 8AM Friday, April 16th and midnight Friday, April 23rd (the form is only accessible between these dates). This will be the only opportunity for open enrollment into Lakehead Public Schools’ Virtual School. The need for a virtual school for the second half of the upcoming school year will be determined closer to 2022 and will be based on the effects of the pandemic.

Families that are not interested in the virtual school environment may disregard the following letter. Please note, this is the only virtual learning option the school Board is able to offer for the 2021-2022 school year at this time.

Please view the following letter for important information on Virtual School 2021-2022 enrollment. (A PDF printable version is available here).

Virtual School Learning 2021-2022 School Year

At Lakehead Public Schools, we believe that student learning and well-being is best supported through in-person learning. Over the past year, we have worked hard to put in place enhanced safety and cleaning protocols to keep students and staff safe in our schools. We are confident that for September of 2021, our schools will be the safe and welcoming learning environments we want for every student.

We have also heard the message that school boards should be prepared to open in the fall with pandemic protocols and enhanced safety measures in place. This includes providing a virtual learning option for families, and therefore Lakehead Public Schools will be offering a virtual school option for the upcoming school year (beginning September 2021).

Parents and guardians should carefully consider several factors when deciding if virtual learning is a good choice for their child(ren). These might include:

  • How well does my child work outside of a traditional school environment?
  • Does my child work well independently?
  • Can my child follow written and/or verbal instructions well?
  • Does my child communicate well, and ask questions when they don’t understand?
  • Does my child have the technological skills required to complete and submit tasks online?
  • Does my child have an underlying medical condition that prevents them from attending school in person at this time?

What will Virtual Learning Look Like at Elementary (Kindergarten through Grade 8)?

Students enrolled in our Virtual School will experience a combination of whole class instruction, guided instruction, and individual support.

Programming will focus on strong literacy and numeracy instruction and include additional instruction for Core French, Science, and Social Studies. There will be limited programming offered in Physical Education and The Arts in the Virtual School, and students should not expect the same level of instruction as they would in person.

French Immersion programming will be offered depending on enrollment numbers.

Self-contained Special Education classes will be taught in person but individual circumstances may be discussed with the school principal to ensure a safe learning environment for all special needs students.

Virtual elementary classes will operate from 9:00 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. daily.

In considering virtual learning, parents and guardians are reminded of the following:

  • School day parental supervision and support is fundamental for student success (particularly in Kindergarten through Grade 3)
  • Virtual class sizes are typically larger than in-person
  • Multi or split grades are more likely in virtual school
  • Students receive 180-225 minutes of online (synchronous) instruction per day with the remainder of the school day provided through offline (asynchronous) learning with educator support available during this time

What will Virtual Learning Look Like at Secondary (Grades 9 – 12)?

Students in Grades 9 to 12 will learn in a semester system that may have to be broken into quadmesters, depending on the health and safety measures in place at the time. Students who choose virtual learning will access course content and instruction virtually in a variety of ways.

Technology courses, such as welding or construction, as well as physical education classes will only be offered through in-person learning.

Self-contained Special Education classes will be taught in- person but individual circumstances may be discussed with the school principal to ensure a safe learning environment for all special needs students.

Virtual secondary classes will operate from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Virtual School Enrolment Confirmation April 16th – 23rd

All parents and guardians interested in enrolling their child(ren) in either the elementary or secondary Virtual School for the 2021-2022 school year are asked to confirm and commit by completing a form that will be available online. This form can be completed on any mobile device, tablet or computer. The form must be completed between April 16th and April 23rd .

The link to the form will be posted to the Board website and will also be available through the Board and school social media channels. Support is available through schools should families require it.

IMPORTANT: By completing the form, families are indicating their commitment to virtual learning for the full 2021-2022 school year with an opportunity to shift from virtual to in-person learning late in January 2022.

We recognize this is a difficult decision for families to make at this time, but it is necessary information to ensure that we have appropriate staff and supports in place for students.

To enroll a student to Virtual School 2021-2022, please complete the following form between 8AM Friday, April 16th and midnight Friday, April 23rd: VIRTUAL SCHOOL ENROLLMENT 2021-2022 FORM