Cooperative education

For students enrolled in cooperative education courses, in-person community placements can be arranged in alignment with the relevant provincial requirements under the Reopening Ontario Act, the direction and recommendations of the local health unit, the direction of the school board, and with the safety and curriculum requirements of the Cooperative Education curriculum (PDF). If in-person placements are not possible, students should be offered virtual placements. In the event that public health guidance or direction changes during a placement and the student cannot complete their co-op placement in-person or virtually, educators should work with the student to modify their co-op learning plans that allow the student to achieve the curriculum expectations and earn the credit(s).

Music

Music programs are permitted in areas with adequate ventilation (read ventilation). Singing and the use of wind instruments will be permitted:

  • Use of wind instruments is permitted as follows:
    • As much distance as possible should be encouraged and use of large, well-ventilated spaces should be prioritized.
    • For elementary: within a cohort if a minimum distance of two metres or more can be maintained.
    • For secondary: if a minimum distance of two metres or more can be maintained between individuals.
    • Masking is required when not actively engaged in the activity.
  • Singing is permitted as follows:
    • As much distance as possible should be encouraged and use of large, well-ventilated spaces should be prioritized.
    • For elementary: masking required and within a cohort, with as much distancing as possible encouraged between individuals.
    • For secondary: masking is required and with as much distance as possible maintained between individuals.

If shared, proper sanitization of wind instruments should occur between use.

Health and physical education

In elementary and secondary health and physical education courses, the use of gymnasiums, swimming pools, change rooms, weight rooms, indoor physical education equipment and shared outdoor equipment are permitted with distancing. High and low contact activities are permitted as follows:

  • Masking is not required when playing high or low contact activities outdoors.
  • Masking is required for indoor sports when not actively engaged in the activity. Masks can be removed when actively participating in the activity if they can not be worn safely while participating.
  • Windows should be opened when feasible to increase ventilation.
  • School swimming pools are permitted, with physical distancing around the pool area encouraged to discourage congregating.

Field trips

Day trips and overnight stays are permitted and should follow the relevant provincial requirements under the Reopening Ontario Act.

For day and overnight trips, anyone entering the area must be screened upon arrival and the pick-up/drop-off of students should happen outside of the area or within a designated and isolated area. Students should be cohorted throughout the duration of the trip, with the number of students and staff to a cohort varying based on grouping arrangements.

Staggering arrival and departure times is recommended to support cohorting and physical distancing measures.

Operating programs in consistent cohorts (with assigned staff members) who stay together is recommended throughout the duration of the program.

EQAO

For the 2021-22 school year, regular EQAO assessments for grades 3 and 6 will resume in the new digital format for math, reading and writing. Students in Grade 9 math will write the Grade 9 math digital adaptive assessment and the results of the assessment may count towards up to 10% of the student's final mark. EQAO assessments are required to be done in-person at the school. Students learning remotely can choose to participate in the EQAO assessments in-person at the discretion of the school board as long as all applicable health and safety measures can be met.

Literacy and community involvement graduation requirements

The literacy graduation requirement is waived for students graduating in the 2021-22 school year. The literacy graduation requirement will be restored for students graduating in the 2022-23 school year. Students in grades 10 and 11 and non-graduating students, including those who are learning remotely, are required to work towards the literacy graduation requirement, through participation in the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), adjudication or the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC).

The community involvement graduation requirement has been reduced from 40 hours to a minimum of 20 hours of community involvement activities for students graduating in the 2021-22 school year. Temporary changes to reduce barriers students may face to earn their community involvement hours and provide greater flexibility in how they earn their hours will continue for the 2021-22 school year. The community involvement graduation requirement of 40 hours will be restored in 2022-23 and students working towards their OSSD should be supported to meet these requirements in time for their graduating year.

Adult and continuing education

Delivery options for programs offered by boards through Adult and Continuing Education such as International and Indigenous Languages, Adult Credit as well as Literacy and Numeracy, may vary in approach - in alignment with this return to school direction - to include remote and in-person models taking into account the health and safety of students.