Snow hampers return to in-person classes in several Ontario school boards
Many Ontario school boards were scrambling to adjust their plans for reopening schools Monday as a winter storm blanketed much of the southern and eastern areas of the province with snow.
The Toronto, York, Halton, Hamilton-Wentworth and Ottawa-Carleton district school boards were among those that cancelled the planned return to in-school learning because heavy snow forced a halt to school bus services.
Environment Canada issued a winter storm warning for the National Capital Region, cautioning that 40 centimetres of snow could fall by Monday evening.
The national weather agency is forecasting 15 to 25 centimetres for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas.
The Toronto, York and Ottawa-Carleton boards were still offering the option of remote learning, however the Hamilton-Wentworth and Halton District boards were not.
The Durham District School Board said there would be no classes for elementary students on Monday due to the snow, but secondary students would be learning online.
East of Toronto, the Kawartha Pine Ridge School Board initially said only school buses were cancelled, but later announced schools would also be closed because of the weather.
Parents and caregivers across southern and eastern Ontario are advised to check for online postings from their local school boards regarding closures and the availability of remote learning.
The snowfall in southern Ontario has added a major wrinkle to the province's already contentious school reopening plan.
The province shifted to online learning after the winter break, so schools not shuttered by snow will be reopening for the first time in nearly a month.
In that time, skyrocketing COVID-19 cases overwhelmed Ontario's testing system and led to staff shortages across the workforce, prompting policy changes that will also affect the situation in schools.
Gold-standard PCR tests are no longer available to the general public, and are now being saved for those at higher risk of serious illness, so the province is only offering them to students who develop symptoms of COVID-19 while at school.
The Ministry of Education is instead sending two rapid antigen tests home with each student, to be used if they develop symptoms outside of the classroom.
Parents will no longer be notified if someone in their child's class tests positive for the virus.
Instead, the province plans to post information about absenteeism online starting next week, and parents will be informed if 30 per cent of a school's staff and students are absent for any reason.
The province is also sending N95 masks to teachers and three-ply medical masks to students.
The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario said educators have mixed feelings about the return to the classroom.
"I have heard from members across the province who are experiencing a range of emotions as they prepare to return to in-person learning or continue to support students who cannot be accommodated through remote learning," ETFO President Karen Brown said in a written statement.
"Some members are enthusiastic and feel safe, others are cautiously optimistic, and some are anxious."
Erika Lopes, a senior kindergarten and Grade 1 teacher with the Lambton-Kent District School Board, said while she misses seeing her students in person, the idea of returning to the classroom has her stressed.
"I don't remember the last time I've actually slept through a night, just because I'm a very big stresser and worrier. So it's all playing through my mind," she said. "And when I'm lying there at nighttime, I'm thinking: Okay, how am I going to do this?"
Kindergarten students aren't required to wear masks and keeping a physical distance while teaching is hard -- particularly, she said, because her board's plan to deal with staff absences is to merge classes.
"On one side, you're telling us keep them all apart, don't let them play together yet," she said. "On the other side, they're saying, 'Yep, we have to put them together."'
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Five areas Canada's foreign interference commissioner says needs more investigation
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
Manitoba man sentenced to house arrest for keeping fishing tournament funds meant for Children's Hospital Foundation
A Manitoba man who pleaded guilty to keeping the funds raised from an ice-fishing fundraiser for the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba has been handed a sentence of 18 months house arrest.