As we look forward to welcoming our students and staff back to a safe teaching and learning environment on September 8, we have been working diligently with Region of Waterloo Public Health, the Ministry of Education and their connections to the Chief Medical Officer of Health for the province — as well as other community and stakeholder colleagues — to ensure we have a School Re-opening Plan that is thoughtful and responsive.

While we all want good learning to happen, we are equally motivated to ensure that all our students and staff are feeling both safe and healthy — in mind, body and spirit.

To help ensure we succeed, we need to know your intentions for your child(ren) to return to school for face to face learning, or to opt to learn remotely instead.

So, it is very important for you to complete this SURVEY by Monday, August 10, 2020.

“The Survey is extremely important for families to complete, as it is how the school board is preparing for the safe return for all of our students.  There is still much planning that must be done in terms of creation of cohorts, individual classroom set up, assignment of seats in both the classroom and on the bus, ensuring technology needs are met, etcetera.  All of this will assist us in ensuring the most thoughtful and safest return for all our students this fall.  It is our sincere hope all families provide a response by the deadline as we need all students to respond in order to plan for each student.  That is – we need to know the status of all in order to facilitate a comprehensive and safe plan, as the well-being of our students is our top priority.”   

~~ Loretta Notten, Director of Education

If you are unable to complete the survey by the August 10^th deadline, your school will be following up with you directly to ask you to complete the survey.

We know this is a time of great anxiety for families, but we ask that you make the best decision you can based on the information in the WCDSB School Re-opening Plan, knowing that we will be doing everything possible to ensure the health and safety of all.

Dear Waterloo Catholic Community –

We hope that you are well and finding ways to enjoy the summer, albeit a very different one.  At Waterloo Catholic we have missed seeing our staff and students in our schools – and we think that you would agree.  We also know however, that all of us feel very strongly that if we are to return to our schools, we have to do so in a very safe and thoughtful manner.  In the attached package, you will find a high-level introduction to all of the factors that we have been considering as we plan for the return of students.  We know that we all want good learning to happen, but we are equally motivated to ensure that all our staff and students are feeling both safe and healthy, in mind, body and spirit.

There are some discussions that are ongoing and which may cause minor adjustments to our models or plans, but in the main, the attached document should give you a solid start in understanding our plans for the fall.  Our new collective reality under COVID has tested all of us, and we know that things are evolving daily and understanding about best practices and the disease itself also continues to grow.  Our commitment is to be informed by new knowledge and learning as it is presented.

In June we outlined that there were three possible scenarios under which a return to school might happen, and yesterday the Premier of Ontario and the Minister of Education declared that all students of the province would be returning to schools for face to face learning.    The provincial decision has been informed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, as well as the leading medical and health experts in the province.  At Waterloo Catholic we have been preparing for this announcement and have engaged in thoughtful planning to ensure that health and safety of our staff and students remains a top priority.  We are also prepared to “pivot” to any of the three scenarios, if we have to and remain confident that learning continuity will be possible.

We know that for elementary aged students the provincial announcement signaled a “conventional return”, which means attending school 5 days a week, full time.  To the extent possible, “cohorting” will be observed, which means that every effort will be made to limit the number of contacts any one staff person or student comes into contact with, in the course of their day.  Similarly – masks will be worn by students in grades 4 to 8, and remain an option for students in JK to grade 3, and to the extent possible physical distancing of 1 meter will be observed.

For secondary aged students, the province has indicated that all Waterloo Region schools will open under an “adapted return”, which means that students will attend face to face classes 50% of the time.  Waterloo Catholic has committed to a “quadmester model” which means carrying only 2 courses at a time (it is a 4 term model instead of a 2 semester model).  We have devised a model where students only see one cohort of students face to face on a given day, and access their second class remotely – from home.  We have built this model to ensure both 300 minutes of instruction per week, while still giving maximum consideration to the health and safety of our staff and students.  The attached document will provide you with more information.  https://wcdsb.ca/plan-for-re-opening-schools/

It is currently the end of July and we are all heading into a long weekend.  We still have five full weeks until the start of school and our planning will continue – at the board level and at the school level.  We want to offer our assurances that we will be prioritizing health and safety, learning continuity and equity of access for all our students.  Nonetheless, for some of our families, you may choose to have your child learn from home.  That is an option for you.  Please read the attached document carefully and then complete the survey that follows.  We need EVERY family to complete the survey for EACH child, as that is how we will prepare properly for the fall.  Please complete this SURVEY

Finally – as we have said before, we do encourage you to closely follow any and all directives from our governments and Region of Waterloo Public Health.  This has been a year and a summer unlike any other – and one we will all remember for some time to come.  Continue to enjoy a restful and rejuvenating summer, but let’s stay safe and healthy.  May our faith that grounds us as people of love and people of hope give you strength in these times.  We remain grateful for your trust in us to provide quality, faith-based, inclusive education.

Please reach out to us if you need help or guidance, and remain confident that we are here to support you, as we walk together as a hope-filled community.  #WCDSBTogether.

Sincerely,

Loretta Notten

Director of Education

Waterloo Region, ON – Trustees of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board have approved the Board’s $314.7 million 2020-21 school year budget.

The budget presentation is available beginning on page 10 via this LINK.

Quick Facts

> The overall budget is as follows:

• • Total Operating: $294.3 M
  • Total Capital: $20.4 M
  • Total Operating & Capital: $314.7

> As always, budget decisions have been guided by the key priorities captured in the following plans:

• • Multi-Year Strategic Plan
  • Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement
  • Long Term Accommodation Plan
  • Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan
  • Information Technology Strategic Plan

> Budget decisions have also been guided by new and emerging considerations related to re-opening schools within the current COVID-19 reality – chief among them, health and safety considerations.

> In the spring of this past school year, the school board was able to deploy just under 3,000 Chromebooks to the WCDSB community to facilitate learning at home. The 2020-21 budget continues to invest in learning technology that will support the school system in its goal to continue as an innovation – and learning – leader.

> Also reflected in the 2020-21 budget is the change in class size at the secondary school level, from 22:1 to 23:1. There is no change to elementary school class sizes.

> Additional key budget impacts are as follows:

• • Return of funding to support special education needs and STEM learning through the “Support for Students” fund. This has allowed the restoration of most of the positions that were impacted in last year’s budget, when the Learning Priority Fund had been suspended.
  • Continued funding for the Ministry Learning Disability pilot project, which will further support the delivery of literacy programming, allowing continued service for students with special education needs.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 48 schools and five adult education facilities serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 184-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. — Monday, July 20, 2020.

As a result of the current State of Emergency resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic, this meeting will be streamed live on Youtube:

Meeting Agenda

General Information About WCDSB Board Meetings

Information About the Board of Trustees

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 48 schools and five adult education facilities serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 184-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.

Waterloo Region, ON – Trustees of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board have received the Board’s $314.7 million 2020-21 school year budget. The budget vote is scheduled for 6 p.m., Monday, July 20, 2020.

The budget presentation is available beginning on page 10 via this LINK.

Quick Facts

> The overall budget is as follows:

• • Total Operating: $294.3 M
  • Total Capital: $20.4 M
  • Total Operating & Capital: $314.7

> As always, budget decisions have been guided by the key priorities captured in the following plans:

• • Multi-Year Strategic Plan
  • Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement
  • Long Term Accommodation Plan
  • Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan
  • Information Technology Strategic Plan

> Budget decisions have also been guided by new and emerging considerations related to re-opening schools within the current COVID-19 reality – chief among them, health and safety considerations.

> In the spring of this past school year, the school board was able to deploy just under 3,000 Chromebooks to the WCDSB community to facilitate learning at home. The 2020-21 budget continues to invest in learning technology that will support the school system in its goal to continue as an innovation – and learning – leader.

> Also reflected in the 2020-21 budget is the change in class size at the secondary school level, from 22:1 to 23:1. There is no change to elementary school class sizes.

> Additional key budget impacts are as follows:

• • Return of funding to support special education needs and STEM learning through the “Support for Students” fund. This has allowed the restoration of most of the positions that were impacted in last year’s budget, when the Learning Priority Fund had been suspended.
  • Continued funding for the Ministry Learning Disability pilot project, which will further support the delivery of literacy programming, allowing continued service for students with special education needs.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 48 schools and five adult education facilities serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 184-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees (Special Board Meeting – Budget Presentation) is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. — Monday, July 13, 2020.

As a result of the current State of Emergency resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic, this meeting will be streamed live on Youtube:

Meeting Agenda

General Information About WCDSB Board Meetings

Information About the Board of Trustees

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 48 schools and five adult education facilities serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 184-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.

The Ontario government wants to hear about how the early years and child care system is meeting the needs and expectations of parents, guardians and child care stakeholders.

This information will support the review of the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA) and help improve the system to better meet the needs of families.

The government recognizes that the province’s state of emergency and its ongoing efforts to promote physical distancing to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) have had a substantial impact on both parents and the child care and early years sector.

The government also recognizes the integral role that child care plays in supporting families, especially when it comes to enabling parents to return to work, and to contribute to the economic recovery of the province.

This SURVEY asks you to comment on your experience with:

• the current child care and early years system, including its strengths and opportunities for improvement
• before-school, after-school and other children’s recreation programs
• quality of child care and early years programs and the inclusion of all children, including those with special and/or medical needs

The survey takes about 15 minutes and is open until July 21, 2020.

For information about WCDSB’s Extended Day Program, please click HERE.

To register for the 2020-21 School Year, please click HERE.

Several years ago, the WCDSB established a very easy-to-use online pre-registration portal to make the registration process as convenient as possible.

Parents of children scheduled to begin JK in September 2020, are encouraged to complete the pre-registration process as soon as possible.

There will still need to be some in-person contact with the school, but that will be handled at an appropriate time after the COVID-19 crisis has passed.

For non-Catholic families wishing to register in a WCDSB elementary school, your school Principal will reach out to you to complete the required interview process – again – at an appropriate time in in the most appropriate manner, including via phone.

Please CLICK HERE for all the information you need to start the registration process!

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees (Committee of the Whole) is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. — Monday, June 15, 2020.

As a result of the current State of Emergency resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic, this meeting will be streamed live on Youtube:

Meeting Agenda

General Information About WCDSB Board Meetings

Information About the Board of Trustees

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 48 schools and five adult education facilities serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 184-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.