The Lakehead Public School Board is working on a full and comprehensive plan on reopening this fall.
Director of Education Ian MacRae says they’ve been given the green-light to operate under a full conventional model, but with increased safety protocols.
“They’ve put us in the category of boards that will be allowed to reopen fully and that is our intention. The question is now just putting the final pieces in place for the start of school but we hope it will be as normal as possible but with enhanced safety protocols,” MacRae says.
Kindergarten to grade eight students will be in class five days a week, with one cohort for the full day.
Hammarskjold, Superior and Westgate will be allowed to open with daily attendance with cohorting in place to limit the number of student-to-student contacts.
Teachers with the board will be receiving training in the three PA days prior to the start of the school year.
The Director of Education notes they’ll be providing parents and staff with a full and comprehensive plan before reopening.
“We do not present our plan to the Ministry of Education until Wednesday of next week. We are hoping by Friday of next week we can communicate it with some detail to the public,” MacRae says.
The public school says parents will be able to decide whether they want to send their kids to school or choose to have them educated through remote learning with Lakehead Public school teachers.
“We would certainly not encourage that option, we hope that all students will return because we believe there is no substitute for being in school and in class,” MacRae adds.
