Attendance and Absence Reporting
Daily, regular attendance is crucial to the academic success of every student. Attendance will be taken daily throughout the 2021 – 2022 school year for both students attending in person or remotely. Parents/guardians are to report student absences promptly, providing the reason for the absence.
Students who display symptoms of COVID-19 or are unwell should not be sent to school.
The Kenora Catholic District School Board will track student attendances and alert the Northwestern Health Unit regarding large increases in absenteeism due to illness.
As well, Principals and Board staff will continue to report absences related to COVID-19 daily to the Ministry of Education.
Cooperative Education
For students enrolled in cooperative education courses, in-person community placements can be arranged in alignment with the relevant provincial requirements under the Reopening Ontario Act, the direction and recommendations of the Northwestern Health Unit, and with the safety and curriculum requirements of the Cooperative Education curriculum.
Music
Music programs are permitted in areas with adequate ventilation and where distancing can be maintained.
If shared, proper sanitization of wind instruments will occur between use.
Physical Education
In elementary and secondary health and physical education courses, the use of gymnasiums, change rooms, weight rooms, indoor physical education equipment and shared outdoor equipment are permitted with distancing.
Field Trips
Field trips are permitted following all health and safety protocols. All field trips must be approved by the Principal and appropriate Superintendent of Instructional Services.
Overnight trips will not be permitted at this time.
EQAO
For the 2021-22 school year, regular EQAO assessments for grades 3 and 6 will resume in the new digital format for math, reading and writing. Students in Grade 9 math will write the Grade 9 math digital adaptive assessment, and the results of the assessment may count towards up to 10% of the student’s final mark. EQAO assessments are required to be done in-person, at the school.
Students learning remotely can choose to participate in the EQAO assessments in-person at the discretion of the school Principal.
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
The literacy graduation requirement is waived for students graduating in the 2021- 22 school year. The literacy graduation requirement will be restored for students graduating in the 2022-23 school year.
Students in grades 10 and 11 and non-graduating students, including those who are learning remotely, are required to work towards the literacy graduation requirement through participation in the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), adjudication or the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC).
Community Service Hours
The community involvement graduation requirement has been reduced from 40 hours to a minimum of 20 hours of community involvement activities for students graduating in the 2021-22 school year. Temporary changes to reduce barriers students may face to earn their community involvement hours and provide greater flexibility in how they earn their hours will continue for the 2021-22 school year.
The community involvement graduation requirement of 40 hours will be restored in 2022-23 and students working towards their Ontario Secondary School Diploma will be supported to meet these requirements in time for their graduating year.