The school year may be coming to an end but things are quite busy for the senior staff at HPEDSB.
The Director of Education for the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board offered another pandemic update during the public board meeting as he has since the early days of the COVID-19 crisis.
Sean Monteith said this last week has been one of the busiest as school boards across the province are being told to prepare for student re-entry in September, but how that re-entry will look, no one knows yet.
He said there are various different ways students could come back including smaller class sizes, half the number of desks in classrooms, alternating days, alternating weeks, full in class re-entry, fully remote entry or hybrid models.
Monteith said that information isn’t reassuring but it is the best information they currently have at this time, but assured the board and those watching the virtual meeting the school board was ready for the hybrid re-entry.
He stated he doesn’t believe there will be any definitive direction until the end of July or early August and families, students and staff shouldn’t be looking at a traditional restart.
Monteith spoke about how this year’s graduation is not what anyone wants it to be but the board along with schools, teachers and parents are trying to make it as real and meaningful as it can be in this surreal time.
The Board delivered 1,200 “Class of 2020” signs to be put in the front yard of those graduating Grade 12 students across the two counties.
The signs are not available for purchase.
Superintendent of Curriculum Services Tina Elliott says they have seen a record number of students signing up for summer learning this year.
She said there are 600 students enrolled and their biggest problem currently is finding all the staff to facilitate the learning, which Elliott says “is a good problem to have”.
