On Tuesday (August 25), the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board (PVNC) announced a staggered start to the 2020-21 school year.
For the board’s elementary schools, the return to school will be staggered based on students’ surnames.
Students whose surnames begin with the letters A through K will attend school on Thursday, September 10th and Monday, September 14th. Students with surnames beginning with the letters L through Z will attend school on Friday, September 11th and Tuesday, September 15th.
For secondary schools, the return to school will be staggered based on students’ grade levels.
Students in Grade 9 will attend school on Thursday, September 10th and Tuesday, September 15th, students in Grade 10 will attend on Friday, September 11th and Tuesday, September 15th, and students in Grades 11 and 12 will attend on Monday, September 14th and Tuesday, September 15th.
For first-year Kindergarten students, individual schools may determine a different staggered entry schedule. The board says individual schools will communicate these dates to affected families.
All students at PVNC schools will begin full attendance on Wednesday, September 16th.
The board says elementary schools will reopen to staff on Monday, August 31st. All schools will be open to staff only on Tuesday, September 8th and Wednesday, September 9th.
“This will give our administrators and educators more time to prepare the school for enhanced safety measures, our educators much needed time to organize their classrooms, and it will allow students to re-enter the classroom gradually to get adjusted to the new school routines,” the board states on its website. “As a Board, we also require more time to reorganize transportation services and to prepare and staff the new Virtual School for remote learners.”
The board is also planning to implement virtual learning on the same staggered schedule, with more information to be communicated to parents soon. For more details, visit the PVNC website.
“We know that for some families, a staggered start creates challenges, but we do feel a gradual start to the year will benefit our staff and students greatly,” the board states.
PVNC has 36 Catholic elementary and secondary schools in Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Clarington.
The two public school boards in the Kawarthas — the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board and the Trillium Lakelands District School Board — have also announced staggered starts for the school year.
