Akwa Udoeyop, 10, Elmdale Public School I don t have to wear a mask . because I m in my home, observes 10-year-old Akwa Udoeyop.
On his desk sits a Chromebook surrounded by Lego. On the floor there s a hockey net, a shooting pad and a yoga mat.
There are upsides to learning from home, according to Udoeyop. He gets to sleep in an extra hour, and he doesn t have to worry about packing a lunch or rushing to the bus stop. I just have to log on and go to the meeting, he said. And I can grab a snack at any time.
Article content
Some Ottawa educators say they are concerned about the safety of classrooms that remain open in schools for special-education students.
Ontario elementary and secondary students have been sent home to study virtually because of the dangers posed by rising rates of COVID-19. However, special-education classes are still operating at many bricks-and-mortar schools.
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or Ottawa education workers still teaching special-ed students at schools want safety checks Back to video
The special-education classes include students with physical and developmental disabilities, autism and behaviour problems. Some don’t wear masks and require close physical care.
OTTAWA School resumes on Monday for tens of thousands of students in Ottawa and eastern Ontario, but students will not be returning to the classroom after the holiday break. As part of the Ontario government s lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19, elementary and secondary students will not return to school in person on Jan. 4 as planned. In-person classes are scheduled to resume Monday, Jan. 11 for elementary students, and the week of Jan. 25 for secondary students. Some families have kept their children in virtual learning since September. Alicia Young said she anticipated provincewide virtual learning might come back. That’s one of the reasons why I put her in the virtual school, because I thought there might be a lot of interruptions, she told CTV News Ottawa on Sunday.
Article content
Masks on faces, markers on floors to keep kids apart and a ban on singing. Endless squirts of hand sanitizer and field trips conducted on video screens.
This school year has been like no other as elementary and high school students and teachers attend classes in the shadow of a pandemic.
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or CLASSROOMS IN THE TIME OF COVID: Here s what life was really like at Ottawa schools this year Back to video
It’s been stressful and sometimes scary. Cases of COVID-19 have popped up at many schools in Ottawa.