First day of school still being finalized for thousands of York Region elementary students

Iheartradio.ca
August 28, 2020
Beth Macdonell

The date for the first day of school is still up in the air for thousands of families in York Region.

“I wish they could know by now because we are taking about two weeks and that’s my concern, that we don’t know how to plan things,” said Esmeralda Newnham, whose daughter is going into Grade 2 with the York Catholic District School Board.

The school board tells CTV News Toronto that the earliest elementary students will return to school is September 9th. The board said that classes will have a staggered start, but plans are still being finalized.

On Sept. 10, York Region District School Board students in Grades 1 to 8 will return to school with a staggered start.

Classes will be placed in groups A and B and rotate attending in person for the first four days, before full regular classes resume on Sept. 16.

Senior kindergarten students will return on Sept. 10, but junior kindergarten students won’t return until the next week on Sept. 14. Again, half the class will attend in person one day, then another for the first four days of school.

“You’ll have a smaller class, the teacher can work with the students, go through the routine, see how they walk through the hall, go for recess, all of those things in a supportive way,” said Steven Reid, the associate director of education with the board.

The board said it expects groups to be created alphabetically so families with more than one child will attend school on the same day, and hopes to have principals get touch parents with specifics by early next week.