Uncertainty about future physical distancing guidelines leads to decision
All
June graduations throughout the Trillium Lakelands District School
Board will be postponed, the director of education announced in a letter
to the community on May 1.
Without being able to easily predict
what physical distancing protocols will be in place in the next two
months, it was decided the ceremonies could not take place as usual.

 

“We
have not taken this decision lightly as we know how important the
opportunity to celebrate our graduates is for all of us,” Larry Hope,
director of education, wrote. “We have asked our schools to work with
their stakeholders to develop a plan to honour our students, and those
plans will be developed over the coming weeks.” His letter said that
TLDSB is also fielding questions about when schools will open again.
“We
continue to follow the direction provided by the province, and clearly
we are on the same page as we want to do everything as safely as
possible. At this time we do not have a return date that is assured. As
we learn more, we will certainly update our communities as quickly as
possible,” he said.

 

Hope’s letter also outlined the results of a
survey that garnered nearly 3,200 parent responses gauging satisfaction
levels with the Learning@Home program.
It showed people are satisfied, for the most part.

 

On
the question of online programs and tools, 68 per cent were satisfied,
11 per cent dissatisfied, and 20 per cent chose neither.
On the
question of communication between home and school, 79 per cent were
satisfied, seven per cent dissatisfied, and 13 per cent neither.
On the question of quantity of school work, 65 per cent were satisfied, 14 per cent dissatisfied, and 20 per cent neither.