August 25th, 2020

As we prepare to welcome our students and staff back to our schools, their health, safety and well-being are our primary focus. In support of this, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) will be using a Staggered Start to the school year for all our elementary students over the first two weeks of the school year.

We believe that this two week time period to transition gradually back to school will provide students and staff with more focused time for the necessary teaching, learning and practicing of the health and safety protocols, in smaller groups of students. Students will alternate in attendance from Tuesday, September 8 through to Thursday, September 17. All students will attend school together on Friday, September 18 and onwards.

The staggered start will mean that half of every class, from Kindergarten to Grade 8, will attend on alternate days. As a reference for you, a visual of this schedule is provided below.

Please note: in some cases, further refinements to the class groupings may be needed to ensure the groupings are equally balanced. In this case, your school principal will notify you of any changes that may be made as soon as possible.

Students with Special Education Learning Needs

Students with special education learning needs who are in our congregated settings or in specialized classrooms will attend school every day. Students with complex special education needs who are in congregated classrooms will have the option to attend every day, as will students in regular classrooms who have similar needs.

English Language Learners

Students who are English Language Learners who are in ABLE (Accelerated, Basic, Literacy Education) classrooms will attend school every day.

Students in Extended Day

All students (surname A-Z) registered for WRDSB operated and Licensed Child Care operated Before and After School Programs will attend full days starting on Wednesday, September 16, 2020. Before and After School programs will not be available before September 16.

Secondary Students

The WRDSB was designated by the Ministry of Education for an adaptive/hybrid in-person mode of learning, in which half of the students attend each day. As such, we will not be staggering the start of our secondary schools.

Thank you for your collaboration and understanding as we work towards a safe and organized return to school on Tuesday, September 8.