September 12th, 2020

The school year will look a lot different this year and we have collected the most popular questions our families and students have sent in through social media. Here are the answers to some of your most recent questions! We hope this will clear any misinformation and ease back-to-school anxiety as we adjust to this new learning environment.

1) Can I switch from in-person learning to Distance Learning?

Families will have the option to transition between in-person and distance learning at natural transition points throughout the school year. These transition points are established to adhere to health and safety, transportation and staffing implications, so we will need to respond in a way that maintains stability and consistency in the learning environment for our students, staff, and school communities.

Families will need to contact the school to make these arrangements. More information will be provided soon.

2) I am being told my child can’t bring a backpack to school. Is this true?

This is a school-specific decision based on the size of the classroom and available space to store backpacks. If you are concerned, please contact your student’s school. Please know this is a temporary measure – much like students not using lockers. This will be revisited in the coming weeks as we work to minimize all personal belongings entering the school.

3) Are we accepting new students?

Yes, we are always accepting new students. Please visit our website for registration information. For families registering their child(ren) after August 31, 2020, those students will be placed in a Distance Learning program cohort (Cohort C or D) as quickly as possible. If a family wants their child to attend in person, this transition will occur at a natural transition point in the school year.

4) I completed the online registration last week, however, I have received no communication since on the next steps. What do I need to do?

We are processing registrations in the order in which they were submitted. Registrations submitted after August 31 will be processed after September 11, and a Board staff member will contact you to arrange a virtual appointment to review documents before the registration is completed. Please make sure you have provided accurate contact information and answer calls from the WRDSB office.

5) My school email login or password aren’t working. How can I fix this?

If your email login or password are not working, be sure to contact your teacher. Teachers can reset passwords or access additional support if required. You can also visit our Chromebook Support webpage for password support.

6) When will elementary school kids know who their teachers are?

If you are a parent using School-Day, you can view classroom information starting September 11 and throughout the weekend. Instructions on how to access this information can be found on our website.

If you do not use School-Day, staff and teachers will have class lists available on the morning of the first day of school to help determine your child’s classroom location.

7) We were told our child can only have one pair of shoes?

At this time, we do not require separate indoor and outdoor shoes.

8) Will elementary students have outdoor recesses this year?

Yes, elementary students will have outdoor time. Outdoor time will be staggered to help minimize the number of students outside at one time. For further details on what that could look like, we put together a Day in the Life guide for elementary students. If you still need clarification, we suggest reaching out to your child’s school.

9) Do students have to wear masks while outside?

Staff have been encouraged to use outdoor learning spaces where students can take off their masks – as long as physical distancing can be maintained, hands are washed/sanitized before and after, and masks are properly stored. It is important to clarify that individual students must follow physical distancing expectations and stay within their cohort.

10) What happens during the secondary school “learning block” period?

The “learning block” is assigned time for teachers to be available to students in both of their cohorts. In-person students can stay in class during this time to get support from their teacher, where students in the other cohort can also use this time to get help from their teacher, virtually.

11) I am a high school student with only one course showing up in my timetable. Who do I contact?

High school students should reach out to their guidance counsellor if they have timetable concerns.

Visit our Return to School website for frequently asked questions, program guides and so much more.

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