We know that many of you continue to have questions and concerns and we want to assure you that the health and safety of students and staff remains a top priority for everyone at the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB). We are taking the COVID-19 very seriously and continue to work closely with our partners at York Region Public Health (YRPH) and the Ontario Ministry of Health to monitor and respond.
Daily Mass with His Eminence Cardinal Collins
June 15, 2020 - Update
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope that this communication finds you and your families in good health. It is hard to believe our school communities have been on this distance learning journey together for almost three months now. What an extraordinary journey it has been! While it has been a stressful time and there have been numerous challenges along the way, there have also been many wonderful examples of how our students, staff and families have risen to the occasion and continued to exhibit the York Catholic spirit.
As we enter the home stretch of the 2019-2020 school year; there are a number of updates we wanted to share with you.
Resource Guide to Help Combat Anti-Black Racism
Recent events in Canada and the United States have ignited discussion and action focused on the experiences of anti-Black racism. The work needed to dismantle anti-Black racism is complicated, and differentiated depending on our own identities. It will require us to be committed to supporting each other and holding each other accountable.
With this in mind, we have curated resources to assist our Catholic Education Community as we work collaboratively to address individual and systemic racism in all its forms. ABR Guiding Resources.
We will continue our commitments, which include ongoing collaboration with our Curriculum department, Religion Coordinator, our Human Rights and Equity advisor, the Human Rights and Equity advisory committee, along with continuously looking to cultivate and foster relationships with our Black student initiative groups, students, staff, and community. We also commit to examining and dismantling our own systemic racism.
We will continue to share our journey of allyship as accomplices in the work for Justice, with the inevitable ups and the downs, so that we can remain accountable and steadfast in our work to combat anti-Black racism.
Child Care Centres
Last week the Ministry of Education announced that Child Care Centres in Ontario can reopen. This is good news for many York Catholic families. As a school board, we are working with the Ministry and our child care partners to determine when the Child Care Centres in our schools can safely resume operation. Details will be shared with families shortly.
Summer Learning Programs
A few weeks ago, Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, announced provincial plans for enhanced summer learning programs that will help an increased number of students earn credits through summer school. York Catholic has responded to the need with a wide range of summer learning opportunities, including Elementary Learning Programs, Secondary Summer School and Adult ESL Classes.
Registrations are still open but spots are filling up quickly. You can visit rhe Continuing Education website for information or click on one of the links below.
Picking up student belongings from schools
By now you should have received an email from your child’s principal with details on when personal belongings can be picked up from their school. This is also the time to return any school-owned items you have at home, such as textbooks and library resources.
Technology devices and SEA technology that was borrowed to allow distance learning should not be returned during this visit – a separate process will be developed for those items. If you haven’t received an email from your school about picking up belongings, please contact the principal.
Last Day of School
As directed by the Ministry of Education, after schools closed and distance learning began, all remaining PA Days for the 2019-2020 school year were converted to instructional days. This means the PA Days originally scheduled for June 25 (secondary) and June 26 (elementary and secondary) will be instructional days. Teachers will have office hours on these days and Google Classroom/D2L Brightspace will continue to be available.
The last day of school is Friday, June 26.
Report Cards
Every student will receive a final report card. As we know, the Ministry of Education has stated that students should not be disadvantaged due to these extraordinary circumstances. As a result, final marks will reflect work completed prior to March 13, as well as any work completed after April 6 that serves to improve the student’s mark.
The final mark will not be lower than that which was earned prior to March 13. Teachers will include comments on the final report cards. Comments will focus on significant strengths demonstrated and possible next steps for the student. Information on how to access report cards will be shared soon.
Grade 12 Transcripts
Grade 12 students who need a copy of their transcript should look under the Students tab on their school website and click on the “Course Drops/Transcripts” link to submit a digital request form.
This has been a challenging time for many within our York Catholic family, and I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for your continued support. I hope that over the coming days, you can find a moment to center yourself in prayer for our YCDSB community. A link on our website you may find helpful is the one for Daily Mass with His Eminence Cardinal Collins.
Wishing your families continued health and wellbeing in the days ahead.
Yours in Catholic Education,
Ab Falconi
Director of Education
May 19, 2020 - Update
Today, Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced that all publicly-funded schools will remain closed until the end of the school year. This extension was based on expert advice from the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health and health officials on the COVID-19 Command Table, and is part of the government’s ongoing effort to stop the spread of the virus.
As a result, we will continue with our current distance learning model for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year. I know that these times will be challenging for some families, and would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for your continued support as we strive to educate and inspire all students to reach their full potential, especially during these extraordinary times.
Student health and wellbeing remains a top priority at YCDSB. Today, Minister Lecce said that the province will be focusing even more on student mental health and wellbeing in this next phase of distance learning; a move that we wholeheartedly support. These provincial measures will augment the robust mental health resources already available to YCDSB students and families.
Minister Lecce also announced provincial plans for enhanced summer learning programs that will help an increased number of students earn credits through summer school. We expect to receive additional information about this from the Ministry of Education later this week. We will determine what this means for YCDSB and will update you as soon as we can.
Some parents have started asking about when you can pick up student belongings from schools. We are waiting on information from the Ministry of Education that will allow us to organize a process for this to happen safely, and will communicate more on this in the coming weeks.
Here are a few reminders:
- All YCDSB events and activities have been cancelled for the rest of the school year
- As long as it is permissible with public health officials, it is our plan to organize Grade 12 and Grade 8 graduation ceremonies in the fall
- The Ministry of Education has confirmed that final marks for all students (elementary and secondary) will not be lower than the mark they had prior to school closures (March 13)
- We believe that through our distance learning plan students have the opportunity to improve their marks, which continues to shape our approach to teaching during this time
- All students will receive a final report card
- Remaining PA days and examination days have been converted to instructional days with lessons and learning provided
- Final assessments for high school students will take the form of culminating assignments/tasks instead of examinations
- Teachers will inform students directly regarding the culminating assignments/tasks for their courses in the coming weeks
YCDSB website updated regularly
We will continue to communicate with you through emails during the COVID-19 school closure period. You will also hear from your child’s principal and teachers on a regular basis. As well, our website is being kept up-to-date with useful information and resources for parents, students and families. You can also follow us on Twitter @YCDSB.
Provincial government supports for families
The Ontario government has a website where parents can learn about funding that families can apply for if they have children who are not in school or child care because of coronavirus (COVID-19). Visit Get Support for Families to find out if you are eligible and how to apply.
As many in our community are directly or indirectly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, I request that you take a moment this week to center yourself in prayer for our YCDSB community. A link on our website you may find helpful is the one for Daily Mass with His Eminence Cardinal Collins.
Wishing your families continued health and wellbeing in the days ahead.
Yours in Catholic Education,
Ab Falconi
Director of Education
April 26, 2020 - Update
As we enter the fourth week of distance learning I want to share my appreciation for everything that you and your children are doing to make learning happen in your home. It is certainly a different experience for everyone – including our teachers – and your support and understanding are key to our shared success.
Today, Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced that all publicly-funded schools will remain closed until at least May 31, 2020, as part of an effort to keep students, staff and families safe from COVID-19.
The extension was based on expert advice from the Chief Medical Officer of Health and health officials on the COVID-19 Command Table, and is part of the government’s ongoing effort to stop the spread of the virus. The advice was to extend school closures for an additional period of time to permit updated modelling and data to inform next steps.
This means that we will continue with our current distance learning model for the next five weeks, and potentially longer.
Here are some other updates for this week.
June Events
At this point it is important to note that we have made the decision to cancel June events and activities. Even if students return to the classroom in June, events and activities will not take place. We will need to focus on learning and readjusting to being back together in person.
Regarding Grade 8 and Grade 12 graduations, as long as it is permissible with public health officials, it is our plan to organize graduation ceremonies in the fall. We recognize the importance and significance of these milestone events and will do our best to organize them for our students and families. As the celebration of our academic success takes priority, we will not be organizing proms.
Final Marks
Many of you have expressed concern about assessment during distance learning and the impact it may have on final grades. Please be reassured that the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) and the Ministry of Education are working to ensure that no student is unfairly impacted by the school closures.
The Ministry of Education has confirmed that final marks for all students (elementary and secondary) will not be lower than the mark they had prior to school closures (March 13). We believe that through distance learning students have the opportunity to improve their marks and this continues to shape our approach to teaching during this time.
Professional Activity Days
Today the Minister of Education announced that the remaining professional activity (PA) days and examination days will be replaced with instructional days. This means that days currently marked in our school year calendar as PA days and exam days will now have student lessons and learning provided.
Final Assessments for Secondary Students
Due to the unprecedented situation of school closures and given the Ministry announcement that examination days will be transitioned into instructional days, it has been decided that final assessments in the form of examinations will not take place this semester. Culminating assignments/tasks will be assigned instead.
Teachers will inform students directly regarding the culminating assignments/tasks for their courses in the coming weeks.
Summer School
The status and format of summer school classes has not yet been determined. School boards across Ontario are expecting to get direction from the Ministry of Education soon. Possible outcomes could include holding classes as usual or with fewer students in each class, converting where possible to e-learning courses, or cancelling classes altogether. We will provide updates as soon as they are available. Today, Minister Lecce said that the Ministry is working on a “more robust summer learning program to help interested students.”
Refunds for cancelled programs and activities
Recognizing that families have paid for activities, events, programs, trips, hot lunch and other items that are cancelled due to school closures, the Board will be issuing refunds, where applicable, in the coming weeks.
As much as possible, schools will issue one cheque per family with a record of what refunds are included. In some cases, more than one cheque may be issued. We anticipate that refund cheques for elementary schools will be mailed by mid-May and secondary schools by late May or early June. This is due to higher student enrolments in high schools (i.e. 1,000+) and the larger range of programs and activities offered. All refunds will be mailed via Canada Post.
If you made a payment by cheque and it has not yet been cashed by the school (i.e. lunch orders or field trips), the cheque will be voided by the school and mailed back to you.
Communicating during school closures
Just a reminder, if parents or guardians have a question or would like to discuss the instruction their child is receiving, the same process exists in the distance learning environment as during regular times. Parents should first contact their child’s teacher. This can be done via email through the Google/D2L classroom or by calling the school and leaving a voicemail for the teacher.
If further discussion is needed, you can contact the school principal via email or by leaving a voicemail at the school. (Note: links to principal emails are now located at the bottom of all school websites).
YCDSB website updated regularly
We will continue to communicate with you through emails like this during the COVID-19 school closure period. You will also hear from your child’s principal and teachers on a regular basis. As well, our website (www.ycdsb.ca) is being kept up-to-date with useful information and resources for parents, students and families.
- Misplaced a parent email like this one? All updates are posted on the website.
- Wondering about how you can help your child learn at home? Read the Family Guide to Distance Learning.
- Does your child get Special Education support? There are Special Education Resources for parents.
- Need some mental health support for you or your family? Check out this list.
- Food on your mind? We recently added links to Food Banks in York Region. Links to all this information and more can be found on the homepage of the website. You can also follow us on Twitter @YCDSB
Provincial government supports for families
The Ontario government has a website where parents can learn about funding that families can apply for if they have children who are not in school or child care because of coronavirus (COVID-19). Visit Get Support for Families to find out if you are eligible and how to apply.
I hope that your family was able to find time this weekend to reflect and honour the resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. I think that our faith and giving thanks is even more important during this time. Another link on our website you may find helpful is the one for Daily Mass with His Eminence Cardinal Collins.
As many in our community are directly, and so many more indirectly, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, I request that you take a moment to center yourself in prayer for our YCDSB community.
Wishing your families continued health and happiness in the days ahead.
Yours in Catholic Education,
Ab Falconi
Director of Education
April 9, 2020 - Update
On behalf of the York Catholic District School Board, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for your continued support and trust in our mission to educate and inspire all students to reach their full potential in a safe and caring environment, especially during these unique times.
Easter is the most important feast in our Liturgical calendar. During this time, we celebrate the resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself out of His love for us beginning with today, Holy Thursday. Pope Francis tells us today is when “Jesus gives himself to us as food and, in the washing of feet, teaches us the need to serve others.” Here, we are reminded of our role as children of God, brothers and sisters, to love, support and uplift each other through good and bad times.
As we head into the Easter weekend, I would like to say thank you for all your support and participation as we began Phase 2 of our distance learning from home this week. It has been a big adjustment for everyone and I know many of you continue to have questions. Please continue to reach out to your child’s teacher as necessary. Here are a few updates and reminders:
Distance Learning Tips
Teaching and learning online at home is new for our students, families and staff. To help you support your children through this transition to learning from home, we have developed a Parent Guide and a guide for parents of children accessing Special Education supports, both of which are available on the Resources for Parents and Students page. You will also find information about community supports and mental health resources and copies of all previous parent updates.
Report Cards
Following direction from the Ministry of Education, there will be no mid-term report cards with the exception of Mid-term marks for our graduating students. All students will receive a final report card. Elementary students will continue to be assessed throughout the remainder of the school year to support their ongoing learning. Teachers will use a variety of approaches to gather evidence of how students are progressing in their learning, and will provide feedback to students. Secondary students will continue to be assigned learning tasks, projects and culminating activities that will be assessed to inform students about progress and marked for the purposes of evaluation. Teachers will communicate results of these marked assignments to students.
Physical Education
We have made the decision not to teach Physical Education in our elementary grade during the school closure period for safety reasons. Physical Education teachers will focus on teaching Health, Family Life and Religion. Some teachers may also choose to post suggestions for ways that families can be active at home. Given that you know your individual physical space; we promote your children to be physically active in safe activities for your space. Here is a parent resource from OPHEA you might find helpful.
Civics and Careers course
For those high school students taking Civics and Careers this semester, the turnover date to switch from the first half-course to the second is April 14. This time period was mandated by the Ministry of Education to have relative consistency across the province. Marks for the first half-course will be determined based on evaluations conducted up to March 13, the day prior to the start of the March Break.
Access to Technology
We continue to work through our process to ensure all families have at least one device (computer/tablet) that students can use to learn at home. If your family has expressed a need in the second phase of our survey, you should have been contacted by your school principal to arrange a time to pick up a device at your child’s school. If you have not been contacted, please reach out to your school Principal. We are finalizing our plan to assist those who have no internet access.
Reminders:
- If your child’s teacher chooses to use Google Meet live video conferencing as part of their distance learning plan, they may be recording the sessions. If you would prefer your child’s face is not recorded, please have them turn off the camera function.
- When participating in Google Meet sessions, students must be dressed appropriately and sitting in an appropriate spot (i.e. desk/table). They should not be lying on a bed or in a shared space with other family members in the background.
- Playgrounds and fields at all YCDSB schools are closed and should not be used, even for individual activities. By-law officers in some municipalities are issuing fines to people who do not obey these closures.
- Good Friday and Easter Monday are school holidays, as usual. Teachers will not be posting lessons on these days. Please take time over the weekend to rest, relax and rejuvenate.
This will certainly be a different Easter celebration for most of us amid the necessary and life-saving physical distancing restrictions. We hope that you can take time to reflect and be thankful and celebrate mass online with your Parish.
Throughout Easter and always, we lift up our hearts and minds to honour His sacrifice. Join us as we remember to always act with love, kindness and compassion, as God does for us. We give thanks to Him as this Holy Week signifies a new beginning. As with all beginnings, we give thanks to the past and look forward to an even brighter future.
May this Easter bring you love, faith, hope and happiness. We wish you a truly blessed Easter.
Yours in Catholic Education,
Ab Falconi
Director of Education
April 3, 2020 - Update
During these ever changing times of the COVID-19 pandemic, all staff at the York Catholic District School Board are holding you and your loved ones in our hearts. As our community and our world comes together in unprecedented ways, we will all strive to support you and the community however we can.
Earlier this week the Ministry of Education announced that schools in Ontario will remain closed until May 4, 2020. As well, we let you know that our staff were developing a YCDSB Distance Learning Plan. This plan would involve direct teacher-led learning that will be delivered through either Google Classroom or D2L Brightspark.
In preparation for our new realities, YCDSB teachers have been contacting families, engaged in professional learning, and planning for our launch of the Phase 2 Continuity of Learning plan next week. Additional learning resources and mental health supports were made available and updated regularly on our website.
Today, I am pleased to share with you our YCDSB Distance Learning Plan at a Glance. This plan is in line with the Ministry of Education Guidance and provides guidelines on courses/subjects, schedules, assessment and evaluation.
A Parent Guide to the Distance Learning Plan has been developed which includes information on student logins, technical support, learning structures and expectations, as well as tips on how parents can help their children successfully learn at home. This is also posted on our website.
A guide for parents whose children access special education supports is also available.
Starting Monday, teachers will begin to clarify expectations with their students and will begin to implement teacher-led learning. I know they are looking forward to reconnecting with students, and that while each experience may look a little different depending on student needs, grade and area of study, they are all working diligently to deliver a learning experience that is consistent with the Ontario curriculum and the Guidance from the Ministry of Education.
Members of our team will be contacting families who have indicated they require devices and/or internet access to let you know how we will be able to provide support.
Thank you for your support as we embark on this shared journey into distance learning. We remain committed to working closely with our public health partners and the Ministry of Education as this all unfolds. And we commit to keeping you informed to the best of our abilities.
March 31, 2020 - Update
Today, the Government of Ontario announced an extended closure for all publicly funded schools in the province. The Government order means all YCDSB schools will be closed from now through to Friday, May 1, 2020, and are expected to reopen on Monday, May 4, 2020.
This means the following will continue to be closed or cancelled:
- Childcare Centres
- Before and After School Programs
- Community Use of School Permits
- Continuing Education classes
- Field trips and school activities
At the moment, students are continuing their learning through the Ministry of Education’s First Phase of the Learn at Home portal. In addition, our staff have developed a YCDSB Phase Two Distance Education Plan that will be finalized following this update from the Ministry, and will be communicated to families in the next couple of days. This plan will involve direct teacher-led learning online through a VLE (virtual learning environment) such as Google Classroom or D2L Brightspark. Watch your email for more information soon.
Although we recognize the significant impact this Provincial Government decision will have on students, families and the school community, we appreciate the measures to keep students and families safe.
We will continue to provide regular updates throughout the closure period via School Messenger email and voicemail messages. All updates, including parent communication, are also posted to this page.
The health and safety of students and staff remains a top priority for everyone at YCDSB. We continue to work closely with our public health partners to monitor and respond.
For more information on today’s Government of Ontario announcement, please view the news release from the Office of the Premier.
March 23, 2020 - Update
Today we began Phase 1 of the government-mandated school closures. During this two-week period (March 23 – April 3), the focus is on distance learning through the Ministry of Education’s Learn at Home online portal. As well, a list of additional learning resources has been put together by our senior administration and curriculum team. Additional resources for parents and students are available on the Resources for Parents and Students page and more are being added every day.
The government has been clear in its expectations that Phase 1 is not focused on assessment; it is about providing opportunities for students to continue their learning while schools are closed. In keeping with this direction, YCDSB teachers are not expected to provide formal lessons or assign work to be marked.
To help parents and students navigate their way through the Ministry of Education’s Learn at Home portal, our curriculum team has created a short, interactive presentation that you may find useful.
Phase 2
During a press conference earlier this afternoon, Premier Doug Ford made the statement that schools will not be reopening on April 6, as previously planned. We expect more details to be communicated by the government soon. However, YCDSB staff has already started planning for how we can provide more robust distance education during the extended closure period, including direct involvement of teachers and support staff. Stay tuned for more information in the coming days.
YCDSB events in April and May
In consultation with Trustees and the senior team, we’ve made the decision to postpone all Board and school events in April and May. If events and activities can’t be rescheduled they will be cancelled. I know this will be disappointing for many but the decision was made in an abundance of caution given the current situation. Postponed events include, but are not limited to:
- Parent-teacher interviews
- Field trips
- Overnight trips
- Academic, athletic and arts competitions/camps
- Kindergarten First Impression Visits
- Catholic Education Week
- Proms
Playgrounds/Schoolyards Closed
Following direction from our public health partners and the provincial government, effective immediately, all YCDSB school yards and playgrounds are closed to the public. Walking through a school yard with your dog or your family is one thing, however, we ask you not to gather or engage in activities there. Play structures and other features are not sanitized and staying away supports the government direction to avoid close-proximity activities (i.e. basketball).
IEP Distribution
The process of updating and distributing IEPs (Individual Education Plans) was well underway before March Break. In fact, many updated IEPs were already sent home with students. If your child has an IEP and you have not already received a copy of the final draft for your review, it will be sent home when school resumes. If you have any questions about your child’s IEP, please contact your school principal.
Helpful links
Here are links to some learning and mental health resources that you may find helpful during this extraordinary time:
- Scholastic Canada (Grades K-9)
- Growing in Faith: Growing in Christ (Grades 1-6)
- bustedhalo.com – faith shared joyfully
- Student Mental Health Ontario
- Children’s Mental Health Ontario
The health and safety of students and staff remains a top priority for everyone at YCDSB. Please continue to follow the advice of our health professionals. We commit to continue to work closely with our public health partners and the Ministry of Education to monitor and respond. And we commit to keeping you informed to the best of our abilities.
March 20, 2020 Update
Earlier this afternoon, Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, launched
Learn at Home, a new online portal to provide resources for families that will help students
continue their education while schools are closed due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation.
Elementary resources are designed to help young students learn at home with interactive
activities that encourage participation through entertaining and stimulating digital content. This
can be done independently or with the help of a parent or guardian.
High school content was designed with a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics) courses and to ensure core competencies and skills are reinforced. The
government is also providing access to course content for students who want to take the
initiative to refresh and extend their learning.
Minister Lecce also stated that if, in the coming days, the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health
recommends closing schools beyond April 5, the Province will launch a second phase of Learn
at Home with more robust online learning. We continue to communicate regularly with the
Ministry of Education and Directors of Education from school boards all over Ontario. We will
keep you updated in as timely a manner as possible.
We continue to speak with the government and our educational partners to determine additional supports.
March 18, 2020 Update
We are committed to providing you with regular updates throughout this rapidly evolving situation. Here are the updates so far this week.
EQAO/OSSLT
Given the school closure period and the uncertainty beyond that point, the Ministry of Education has announced it is cancelling all EQAO assessments for the remainder of this school year.
For students who are graduating this year, the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
graduation requirement will be waived. Students who are not graduating this school year will have the opportunity to write the OSSLT next school year (2020-2021).
Online learning resources
The Ministry of Education expects to launch a site this week with a single point of access to online
learning opportunities during the closure period. We will let you know when this is operational and will post links on the YCDSB Board website.
Post-secondary admissions
The Ministry of Education has been in touch with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to make sure there are no problems with the acceptance process for graduating students. They are putting supports in place to help students through this process and we will share details once they are available.
Talking to children about COVID-19
During these extraordinary times, we need to assist children with their understanding of COVID-19. To help you have these conversations with your children, tip sheets and helpful links are available on the YCDSB Board website under the Resources for Parents and Students tab.
Beyond the closure
We continue to have discussions with the Ministry of Education around the continuity of learning
throughout the closure period and beyond. Please expect more information to be coming over the next few days. Further to this, the Ministry is considering the accommodations that students will require due to the shut down and if the school year will need to be extended.
March 13, 2020 Update
As you are aware, we have been advised by the Government of Ontario that all publicly funded schools in the province are to be closed for a period of two weeks following March Break.
The Government order means all YCDSB schools will be closed from March 14 through to April 5, 2020, and are expected to reopen on Monday, April 6, 2020.
This means the following will also be closed or cancelled:
- Childcare Centres
- Before and After School Programs
- Community Use of School Permits
- Continuing Education Classes
- March Break Camps
- Field trips and school activities
As a result, parents/guardians must make alternate child care arrangements and cannot send their children to school.
The Government of Ontario has announced that online learning resources will be available to students on their website throughout this closure period. Please continue to monitor the Ministry of Education website for these resources.
Although we recognize the significant impact this Provincial Government decision will have on students, families and the broader school community, we appreciate the measures to keep students and families safe.
We will continue to provide regular updates throughout the closure period via School Messenger email. All updates, including parent communication, are also posted to this page.
The health and safety of students and staff remains a top priority for everyone at YCDSB. We continue to work closely with our public health partners to monitor and respond.
For up-to-date information, please visit:
March 12, 2020 Update
We have been advised by the Government of Ontario that all publicly funded schools in the province are to be closed for a period of two weeks following the March Break.
This means all YCDSB schools will be closed from March 14 through to April 5, 2020, and are expected to reopen on Monday, April 6, 2020.
Parents must make alternate child care arrangements; you cannot send your children to school.
We recognize the significant impact the Provincial Government decision will have on students, families and the broader school community.
We will provide you with additional information related to these closures tomorrow afternoon.
Please continue to monitor the following sources for further information:
- York Region Public Health
- Public Health Ontario
- Health Canada
- World Health Organization
- www.ycdsb.ca
- @ycdsb
March 5, 2020 Update
Risk in York Region
As of March 5, 2020, York Region Public Health is reporting six positive cases of COVID-19 in York Region. However, all six cases are travel-related and there continues to be no evidence of community spread in York Region. The risk to residents remains low.
As a result of the coordinated efforts of our healthcare and public health systems, the individuals who tested positive were quickly assessed and isolated. People not in close contact with these individuals are not considered at risk of becoming infected.
Precautions to prevent infection
Members of the public are advised to take the usual measures to reduce the risk of transmitting respiratory illness such as the flu and COVID-19, including:
- avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
- wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
- cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze – use a tissue or sneeze/cough into your sleeve
- avoid sharing personal items that come into contact with saliva such as toothbrushes, eating utensils, glasses/water bottles, and towels
- if you or your family members are ill, stay home; if symptoms get worse, call your doctor
We are enhancing cleaning of high-touch surfaces such as doors and handles. As well, YCDSB is testing out a new, stronger cleaner at a few of our schools. If this proves to be effective, we will roll it out at all our schools in the coming weeks.
At this time, the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health and York Region Public Health have advised that additional protocols at schools are not necessary and that risk to Ontarians remains low.
More information
For answers to commonly asked questions about COVID-19, please read these Health Canada FAQs.
If you have questions or concerns about your health or the health of your family, please contact your healthcare practitioner or York Region Public Health at 1.800.361.5653.
For up to date information, please visit these websites:
March 1, 2020 Update
Risk in York Region
As of March 1, 2020, York Region Public Health is reporting four positive cases of COVID-19 in York Region. However, all four cases are travel-related and there continues to be no evidence of community spread in York Region. The risk to residents remains low.
As a result of the coordinated efforts of our healthcare and public health systems, the individuals who tested positive were quickly assessed and isolated. People not in close contact with these individuals are not considered at risk of becoming infected.
January 31, 2020 Update
Please read this update from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams, regarding the novel coronavirus.
We know that many of you have questions and concerns and we want to assure you that the health and safety of students and staff remains a top priority for everyone at the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB). We are taking the novel coronavirus very seriously and continue to work closely with our partners at York Region Public Health (YRPH) and the Ontario Ministry of Health to monitor and respond.
Risk in York Region
The Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMoH) and York Region Public Health have advised that there is no evidence of community spread in Canada. This means that all confirmed cases here in Canada are people who travelled to Wuhan. The risk to Ontarians remains low.
For more information on why health officials are considering this low risk, please read this FAQ document from York Region Public Health, Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) – FAQ.
Precautions to prevent infection
The CMoH says that the precautions we use to protect ourselves from common respiratory illnesses like the flu, can also be used to help protect against coronaviruses.
Members of the public are advised to do the following:
- avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
- wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
- cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze
- if you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve or arm
- if you or your family members are ill, stay home
The CMoH says there is no need for schools, workplaces or other organizations to take special measures related to novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), beyond what they usually do to protect against cold and flu season. These regular measures are in place at all YCDSB schools.
Medical Masks
Public health officials do not recommend wearing medical masks at school, work or other public places (outside of healthcare) to protect against novel coronavirus if you are feeling well.
Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public health officer of Canada, actually cautions about the risks of wearing a mask. She advises that wearing masks when you’re well is not an effective measure. Sometimes it can actually present some risks, as you’re putting your fingers up and down on your face, removing your mask and putting them next to your eyes.
As a school board, we ask that you please do not send your child to school with medical masks. If your child is ill, please keep them home.