School boards prepare to hand out devices as most students brace for more remote learning

Hamilton school boards are preparing to hand out devices so most students can begin two weeks of remote learning.

This comes after the province said on Monday schools will be closed until Jan. 17 because of a growing number of COVID-19 infections.

The province previously said school would start Wednesday, but the last-minute decision has put families, school boards and educators into a tail spin as they try to adjust in time.

In a letter to families, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) said it is figuring out which households need devices via a survey open until Tuesday at 8 p.m. and will start handing out devices on Thursday.

Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB) is asking families to contact their child's school if they need devices.

LISTEN: Parents frustrated kids are back in remote learning

Not all students are barred from learning in-person though. Students with special education needs will still be able to attend class.

In its own letter to families, HWCDSB said it will contact families of those students and provide details in the next few days.

HWDSB said in its letter, it is "reviewing" plans for those students and, for now, will learn from home starting Wednesday.

"Knowing how transmissible the Omicron variant is, we will gauge caregivers' comfort and need for service," read the letter.

It is also offering an information night on Jan. 20 for those students and families.

HWDSB shares details on 1st week back

Public high school students will start full instruction on Wednesday and said educators will be available to students to offer help in real-time (synchronous) or through pre-recorded video lessons, assignments and discussion boards (asynchronous).

Elementary students will get half a day of real-time learning on Day One. On Wednesday morning, educators will offer real-time support to establish routines for remote learning. The afternoon will be asynchronous learning.

Elementary students already in the remote learning program won't see much change, but HWDSB said educators will connect with students over the week and will post a schedule to parents and students daily.

Some child-care options available

For health-care workers and some front-line staff, the province has free emergency child-care for school-aged children. 

Jason Thorne, director of the city's emergency operations centre, said on Tuesday that Hamilton is working with the province and local licensed child-care providers, Today's Family, Wee Watch Galbraith and Wee Watch Golfwood, to provide that care. 

As for parents with younger children, the Ministry of Education told CBC Hamilton home child-care (licensed and unlicensed) and child-care centres serving non-school-aged children may continue to operate for children up to four-years-old.

"We ask that school boards continue to provide access to their on-site child care centres for children ages 0-4, and for the purposes of emergency child care for school-aged children," the ministry wrote in an email.

It said fewer than one per cent of child-care centres were closed due to COVID-19 as of Dec. 23.

HWDSB spokesperson Shawn McKillop confirmed the school board is working with municipal partners to allow child-care providers into its schools.

Public health encourages kids to get vaccinated

"Please be assured that we will continue to advocate for the return of in-person learning as soon as possible," read the letter from HWDSB chair Dawn Danko and director Manny Figueiredo.

"Remote learning is hard on students, families and staff. We have taken action to make our schools safer, through ventilation work, reduced class sizes, hosting public health vaccination clinics and more."

The city's medical officer of health, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, said during a Tuesday media briefing she "appreciates" the province's move to usher in remote learning, but also said schools should be the last to close and first to open.

She noted a recent public health analysis concluded COVID-19 spread was lower in Ottawa classrooms compared to the community.

She also said about 38 per cent of children aged five to 11 have gotten vaccinated and there's lots of space for them to get a first or second dose. They must be booked in advance, but there is "ample access," she said.