Ontario has filled nearly all 625 public health nursing positions in schools, but is that enough?
As students return to in-person classes, the Ontario Ministry of Education says 624 of the 625 positions for public health nurses at schools have now been filled but they each have to cover multiple schools and some critics question whether that s enough to keep kids safe during the pandemic.
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CBC News ·
Posted: Feb 21, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: February 21
A Grade 4 student is screened by a teacher before entering class at Portage Trail Community School on Sept. 15, 2020. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
As students across the province return to in-person classes, the Ontario Ministry of Education says 624 of the 625 positions for public health nurses at schools have now been filled but they each have to cover multiple schools and some critics question whether that s enough to keep kids safe during the pandemic.
Local Teachers Unions Unhappy With Decision To Delay March Break
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Ontario’s decision to delay March break is not sitting well with local teacher’s unions.
Last week, the province announced it would be pushing the break back until the week of April 12-16 in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
That means students will take their week off, just four days after the Easter long weekend.
President of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) Upper Canada Local, Erin Blair feels the decision was ill timed for a wide range of reasons.
“It would be much better to have a clean break, a week off, off the grid, families interacting together, not in front of a computer, just some downtime to recharge their batteries, so they can come back and be reinvigorated,” Blair said. “But without a March break, that fatigue is going to grow and grow.”
LONDON, ONT. There is still much apprehension among parents as students in the London region head back to class for in-person learning for the first time in six weeks. “I’m very excited,” said Winston Somerville, who attends senior kindergarten. His father, Owen Somerville feels it’s for the best. “Cautiously optimistic. I think, all things considered, it’s a good thing.” The pair could be found at London’s Doidge Park Sunday, which attracted hundreds of families over the weekend for tobogganing. Elementary students are set to return to school Monday morning, while high school students return on Thursday.
Lecce: No timeline on when Ontario students in COVID-19 hotspots will return to class 680news.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from 680news.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
TORONTO Support staff concerned about the adequacy of COVID-19 safety precautions have begun a work stoppage at a downtown public school that serves students with a developmental and or physical disability. In a letter sent to parents on Monday and shared by the Toronto District School Board, the school’s principal said a work refusal process began today at Beverley School. “This process involves the TDSB and the Ministry of Labour discussing concerns with the impacted staff to come to a resolution,” Principal Danjela Malobabic said in the letter. “In this particular situation, there are concerns about COVID-19.” Teachers remain in classes while the discussions are ongoing and administrators from neighbouring schools have been brought in to ensure that there are sufficient staff onsite, Malobabic said.