Students attending local Catholic high schools will see a dramatically revamped class schedule based on a four-semester school year, instead of two semesters.
“You do two classes per quad,” said Joe Zerdin, chair of the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board.
“The plan, right now, based on the ministry’s recommendations, is you’re in the classroom for five hours on one subject per day for five days and then the next week you’re in the other subject five hours a day in the classroom for those five days and then you go back to your other topic in week three and it continues," Zerdin added.
So each week, high school students will do 300 minutes of class instruction on one subject.
The same students will remain in that classroom with the same students to limit interaction with other students.
In its Return to Learn Guide released this week, the board outlined its return-to-school plans with the risk of the pandemic still looming.
While its elementary school schedule will closely resemble what was used last year, the in-class approach for high schools has been altered.
In an effort to follow provincial guidelines, ensuring the number of students each student comes into contact with does not exceed 100, the board has adopted a quadmester school timetable. That means students will have two periods for one quarter of the year: the first begins Sept. 8, the second Nov. 12, the third begins Feb. 3, and the fourth starts April 16.
The Catholic board’s original plan approved July 29 to have two classes per day will be scrapped to accommodate the latest one-subject-per-week model.
“That means redoing all our scheduling,” said Zerdin, adding the goal is to provide the best quality of education in a safe manner. “Our senior leadership team they’re working around the clock now getting schedules together, working with our principals.”
Teachers, meanwhile, return next week and will have to prepare for the new schedules.
Students will start returning to school Sept. 8 with a staggered entrance, beginning with Grade 9s on the first day.
“I feel extremely confident our staff will do the work and get it done and then we’ll deliver the best product that we can,” said Zerdin.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes in the last 30 days and we try to adjust to the changes to ensure the delivery of our education is optimal and done in an extremely safe manner.”
The provincial government, meanwhile, released its COVID-19 Management Plan for Schools on Wednesday meant to prevent and minimize outbreaks to keep students and staff safe.
And the federal government says it would contribute $2 billion to schools to improve air ventilation, boost sanitation and buy protective equipment. Of that, Ontario expects $381 million in addition to the $900 million it has earmarked to support provincial back-to-school plans.
