Students not returning to class after the 2020 Christmas break due to the COVID-19 pandemic is getting the rumor mill churning, but school officials say they haven’t heard that will happen again this year.
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Memories of students not returning to class after the 2020 Christmas break are getting the rumor mill churning, but area school officials say they haven’t heard that will happen again this year, despite a similar spike in COVID-19 cases.
“We have had no notice from any official channels, or even any innuendo when talking to (Education Ministry) officials, that there will be an extension to the current holiday break,” said John Howitt, education director of Lambton-Kent District school board during a teleconference call with local media on Thursday.
Scott Johnson, the education director for the St. Clair Catholic District school board, added that officials from both boards have “heard nothing” but have fielded numerous calls from concerned parents.
Just prior to the Christmas break in December 2020, school boards received a memo from the ministry to instruct staff and students to bring home essential learning materials to be ready for all scenarios. Classes went online after the Christmas break and students didn’t return to in-class learning until February 2021.
Johnson said both he and Howitt were on a call with Nancy Naylor, the deputy education minister, Thursday morning and “there was absolutely no mention of any extension of the Christmas break that we’ve heard of.”
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A COVID-related item parents can expect to see before the Christmas break begins, however, is a home rapid antigen test kits, which are being supplied by the province to every student from kindergarten to Grade 12.
Howitt said the public board has already received its kits, which include five tests, and will distribute them to students on Thursday.
Johnson said the Catholic board is also sending home the kits with students on Thursday.
“It is specifically for students to use during the Christmas break,” Johnson said. “It’s not intended to be used for other family members.”
Johnson also added it’s not a requirement that families use the tests for their children to return to school in January.
There will be online videos available in multiple languages from the Ministry of Education to supplement the instructions on how to use the kits, Howitt noted.
There are currently five outbreaks at elementary schools in Chatham-Kent, with positive cases ranging from two to four at the schools.
Both directors acknowledged that dealing with COVID-19 cases in schools can be an arduous task for all involved.
Howitt said sending home students due to positive cases of the virus is not always well received.
“We’re seeing some of the same aggression towards our staff that is concerning to us from a staff well-being point of view,” he said.
He added the statistics are clear; there are more cases and outbreaks in elementary schools compared to secondary schools.
“I think that’s directly attributable to the vaccination rate, as those 12 and over where able to be vaccinated sooner than those five and to 11,” Howitt said. “We’re optimistic as parents continue to vaccinate their children five and older (that) those case counts will go down in the elementary panel and be a little more reasonable as they are in the high school panel.”