Friday, August 14, 2020

2020

Sunday, June 19, 2022

(All pictures that are part of the articles have been removed because of limits in storage space. To see the pictures search the news source.) 

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(Please donate $20.00 to foster care with your local Children's Aid office.)

(Please donate to UNICEF, for the kids who need help.)

*CBC News, The impact of 'social malnutrition' on students' mental health and how to address it; June 18

*Globe and Mail, How should children learn how to read? June 18

*Kingston Whig-Standard, Bishop Smith Catholic High School senior drama class presents 'Back to the 80's - The Totally Awesome Musical,'; June 14

*CBC News, FDA advisors vote to authorize 2 COVID-19 vaccines for kids 5 and under in U.S.; June 15

*London Free Press, Oakridge trailblazers set to graduate with advanced learning I.B. diploma; June 16

*Peterborough Examiner, Catholic school board anticipates layoffs amid $1M-plus budget deficit, June 16

*Peterborough Examiner, With more kids working and getting hurt on the job, Quebec to review labour laws; June 16 

*Toronto Star, High school students across Canada to be trained on how to administer naloxone; June 15

*CBC News, Hidden racial slur sparks recall of hundreds of yearbooks from suburban Montreal high school; June 14

*CBC News, Quebec Ombudsman finds 'disconnect' between education services and students with learning difficulties; June 13

*CBC News, Boy, 11, found dead in river after going missing in Lindsey, Ontario; June 13

*CBC News, 'It just feels blessed': TDSB finally gets to unveil Centre of Excellence for Black students; June 13 

*Edmonton Journal, Alberta Teacher's Association votes to accept mediator's recommendation; June 13

*CBC News, From juggling to cricket: How parents and teachers can help kids kick the pandemic slump; June 13 

*Vancouver Sun, Adopt-a-School: Need for food and clothing for schoolkids greater than ever; April 15

*London Free Press, Baranyai: Suicide prevention may be key to prevent school shootings; June 13

*Toronto Star, Camp can boost everything from a child's sense of community to their own self-worth in just one short week, writes reporter Rosa Soba; June 12

*Globe and Mail, Amplify: Teaching children about the reality of being frugal; June 10

*Vancouver Sun, Vaughn Palmer, 'News to me,' says B.C. premier about school spending freeze; June 9

*CBC News, Driver hits school group in Berlin; teacher killed, 9 people injured; June 8

*London Free Press, Bennett: Ontario needs recovery plan for its students; June 6

*Windsor Star, Pride flags stolen at local schools: Board; June 6

*CBC News, Ohio set to allow teachers, other staff to carry guns at school, after 24 hours of training; June 4

*Montreal Gazette, English Montreal School Board files lawsuit challenging Bill 96; June 4

*Montreal Gazette, Quebec could act against schools offering Grade 12 option, Roberge warns; June 4

*Windsor Star, Half of local high school students need updated shots, says health unit; June 1

*London Free Press, 'Historic event': Officials cheer Black student conference for local schools; June 1

*National Post, Toronto area teens charged for burst of pellet gun incidents at schools; June 1

*Toronto Star, Oakville school lockdowns lifted after sighting of man with replica gun; June 1

*Toronto Star, The time has come for teaching 'food literacy' in schools; June 1

*Hamilton Spectator, Police investigate school shooting threat at Bishop Tonnos in Ancaster; May 31

*muskokaregion.com, School safety in challenging times; May 29

*CBC News, 2 York Region schools put in 'hold and secure' after teens made threat with fake guns, police say; May 31 

*Ottawa Citizen, Principal at Ottawa high school that held dress-code blitz leaves job; May 30

*Kingston Whig Standard, "Inaccurate"  information prompted false alarm at schools: police; May 30

*Kingston Whig Standard, Sudbury families protest Ford governments handling of autism programs; May 29  

POLITICS: HOW TO LOWER INFLATION FROM 6.8%: USE PUBLIC TRANSIT AND CABS FOR ONE MONTH. GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO FREEZE ALL SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR ONE YEAR. NO ONE BUY A HOUSE FOR ONE YEAR. ALL CORPORATE SALARIES AND BENEFITS MUST BE FROZEN FOR ONE YEAR.

*CBC News, Officials confirm 10 cases of severe, unexplained hepatitis among Canadian children; May 20

(Obviously this is very concerning. Hepatitis can destroy a liver. Hopefully doctors can identify the cause of why it is spreading and develop a strategy to protect children.)

*Belleville Intelligencer, Community editorial board: The challenge of staying motivated after a full day of school; May 22 

(The education program is not easy, especially if you are aiming for a successful career that requires academic level maths and sciences. Then if you love sports, too, and you are on a team you have a busy schedule and workload. Teens need to choose priorities and know their personal limits or they will get disappointing results and have to settle for secondary choices. The competition to get into preferred programs is very tough such as the science program. Hopefully teens can make it through successfully or learn from mistakes and not repeat them over and over.)

*CBC News, Rivals hit out at Ford's record on health care, public education during Ontario leaders' debate; May 16

(I am so angry, still, about unfair hiring in teaching in Ontario 2002-2016 that if I were in Ontario I would vote for the PC's.)

*CBC News, Arrest of teen at high school dress code protest draws ire, praise; May 16

(I support dress codes for students. Some students wear the smallest outfits and some teens are very distracted in the classroom, as a result. The classroom is not a training area for adult entertainment.)

*CBC News, Researchers investigate link between COVID-19 and severe acute hepatitis in children; May 16

(This is very serious. I understand hepatitis can destroy the liver.)

*National Post, Cops to Ottawa Catholic high school as students walk out to protest dress code; May 14

*Globe and Mail, Students call for an end to high-school dress codes after girls singled out in incident at Ottawa Catholic out; May 16

*An experienced science teacher brought these concerning and troubling reports to my attention: 

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2021/08/13/how-does-virtual-learning-impact-students-in-higher-education/

and...

https://hbr.org/2013/12/students-get-lower-grades-in-online-courses

*CBC News, Doug Ford says he supports Stephen Lecce after apology for fraternity 'slave auction'; May 13

(Not a serious mistake. "Let you who have not sinned..."

*CBC News, ADHD isn't a liability, just a differently-wired brain that comes with a different set of strengths; May 12

(Kinesthetic learning can help...?)

*Toronto Star, Doug Ford lays low after PC MPP Stephen Lecce apologizes for fraternity 'slave auction'; May 12

*CBC News, OCDSB trustees close debate on police in schools indefinitely; May 11

(It depends on the neighbourhood. How many students have been murdered in Scarborough the past two years?)

*Thames Valley celebrates record graduation in London, Ontario, London Free Press, May 11

(Impressive. Principal, please send out a memo on best practices to all schools.)

*London Free Press, Agar: Pleasant, inclusive, mediocre-the future of education in Canada; May 12

*CBC News, These high school students aren't eligible to vote. Here are the issues they wish they had say in; May 12

*London Free Press, London musical talents come together to back kids arts program; May 12

*Do you trust Fraser Institute rankings?

https://www.compareschoolrankings.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-6LrpanU9wIVLdxMAh14IQJDEAAYASAAEgIoLvD_BwE

*London Free Press, Ontario Liberals pledge to add COVID-19 vaccine to school immunization list; May 7

*Windsor Star, Race for Ontario: Parties spar over future of education post-pandemic; May 7

*Waterloo The Record, Update: Retired teacher suing Waterloo public school board, chair seeks $1.75 million in damages; May 7

*Waterloo The Record, Student hurt after two youths shoot air guns at Cambridge high school; May 8

*Ottawa Citizen, Ontario Liberals will offer Grade 13 optional; May 6

*CBC News, Ontario Liberals commit to cap class sizes for all grades at 20 students; May 5

*Toronto Sun, Lilley: Del Duca's education plan fails the test; May 6

*London Free Press, Staples: Success of new Alberta math curriculum stands on the edge of knife; May 6

*CTV News, Kids Help Phone benefits from Calgary charity walk; May 2

*CTV News, Indigenous women more likely to face violence if they were a child in care: report; May 2

*Toronto Star, Education students say they're stuck waiting for approval to work as badly needed supply teachers; April 30

*Belleville Intelligencer, Murray Centennial Public School to get 170 new student spaces; May 1 

*Globe and Mail, Ontario parents and daycare operators confused about when fees will drop; May 1

Monday, March 25, 2019

2020, Covid-19 and the Classroom

(All pictures are removed since they use up too much storage space.)
(To see the pictures that are part of an article click on the address link.)
(To read comments that people leave on the main news site click on the address link.)
(If you have a story you'd like to share email me at teachhard@gmail.com and I may copy and paste it into the blog. Give your permission to me. I will protect your identity and keep it anonymous as much as I can. Email systems have service providers who "monitor" email activity so you don't have total privacy.)
Do teachers mark assignments and tests using a 75% class average policy? A teacher told me that he was told that his class marks should average out to 75%. Too many teachers used to give away 80, 85, 90% so they looked like the greatest teacher in the world. But the marks were false. Somebody has to take a 75, a 70, or a 60 or a 55 but no one wants them. Parents, ask for an audit of your child's class marks to see if they average out to 75. Is this fair or honest? The principal tells the teacher before the marking what the class average should be?
STAY SAFE. WEAR A MASK. AVOID BEING CLOSE TO OTHERS. CLEAN YOUR HANDS EVERY HOUR.
REDUCE CLASS SIZES? OK, BUT HOW DO YOU DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS IN A FEW WEEKS? HARDLY REALISTIC. REMOTE LEARNING IS SAFER. IF WE JUST GET THROUGH THIS SCHOOL YEAR THINGS WILL SETTLE DOWN, I BELIEVE.
New quarantine home study elementary grade math resources available below as of August 13, 2020.

Link for resources:
****************************************************************** 

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/08/13/coronavirus-updates-covid-19-canada-toronto-gta-ontario-august-13-2020.html

Today’s coronavirus news: Ontario pledges $50M for improved ventilation in schools; Ontario’s top doctor warns residents not to get casual with COVID-19 rules

By Star staff

Thu., Aug. 13, 2020timer31 min. read

KEY FACTS

    10:13 a.m. Ontario is reporting 78 cases of COVID-19

    7:43 a.m. The TDSB is holding a webinar Thursday to discuss the safe re-opening of schools in September

    7 a.m. Premier Doug Ford will meet with local leaders in Windsor-Essex today

The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Thursday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.

4 p.m. The Ontario government has announced new funding for schools to cover their COVID costs, including $50 million for ventilation systems, $18 million in supports for online learning and is allowing boards to dip further into their reserves to hire extra staff.

Boards will be allowed to access about two per cent of their reserves, freeing up about $500 million, with the government filling in the gaps for the handful of boards that no longer have any reserves.

In a news conference at Queen’s Park, Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s minister of education, is expected to provide an update on the province’s plan for the 2020–21 school year. The minister is joined by Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health. The Ontario government has faced growing concerns over its current plan for students’ return to classrooms amid the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic.

Read the full story from the Star’s Kristin Rushowy: Ontario government announces extra funding for schools’ COVID costs

3:45 p.m. In a news conference at Queen’s Park, Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s minister of education, is expected to provide an update on the province’s plan for the 2020–21 school year. A livestream of the news conference is available on thestar.com.

3:30 p.m. Quebec is reporting 104 new cases of COVID-19 and six more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.

The province said today four of the new deaths occurred between Aug. 6-11, one took place before Aug. 6, and one is from an unknown date.

Quebec has now reported 5,715 deaths since the pandemic began and 60,917 total cases.

Public health officials say the number of hospitalizations dropped by two in the past 24 hours for a total of 149.

Twenty-three people hospitalized are in intensive care, an increase of three from the previous day.

The province says 15,259 COVID-19 tests were carried out on Aug. 11, the last day for which testing data is available.

3:30 p.m. The New Brunswick government says all students returning to public school this September will be required to bring a face mask to school to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but masks will not be required inside the classroom.

The new rules are spelled out in a 16-page guide that says singing, the playing of wind instruments and large assemblies will not be allowed.

Education Minister Dominic Cardy says students in Grades 6 to 12 will be required to wear face masks on the school bus and in common areas, such as washrooms and in the hallways.

However, the use of face masks in common areas will be optional for students in kindergarten to Grade 5.

The guide also calls for reduced group sizes, enhanced cleaning, staggered meal times, hand-sanitation stations, classroom bubbles for students in kindergarten to Grade 8 and physical distancing requirements for those who take the bus to school.

As well, the province will restrict access to schools by limiting the travel of personnel between schools and requiring parents to stay outside the school unless they have an appointment or are picking up a sick child.

As for high school students, the guide says they may be "learning in a blended environment," which means attending school every other day at a minimum.

"We know students, families and educators still had many questions on what to expect when they go back into the classroom," Cardy said in a statement.

"A critical part of reopening schools while we live through this pandemic is protecting the health and safety of staff and students. However, our mandate continues to be ensuring that students have access to quality, inclusive education that positions them for long-term success."

3:15 p.m. With the deadline looming to register kids to return to school — or opt for remote learning — parents across the GTA say they are being forced to make critical decisions about their children’s educational future without sufficient information around class sizes, safety protocols, and what online learning will actually look like.

For the public school boards in Toronto, Peel and Halton, the deadline to register a decision is next Monday, while York Region District School Board’s deadline is this Friday. Parents with children in the Durham District School Board submitted their decisions earlier this week.

But the process, particularly for parents in the Toronto District School Board, has been fraught with chaos, confusion and mounting anger at how the registration is being rolled out.

With the Ford government’s plan to reopen schools in September, but doing little to limit class sizes, school boards across the province have been faced with the difficult task of giving parents direction and options without all the details at hand.

“We are worried sick about what we are going to do,” said Karen Leiva, whose son is supposed to go into senior kindergarten in September, but her husband is a transplant recipient and at high-risk for COVID-19. “He can’t go back to a regular class, it’s too much risk. And at the moment, they are asking us to make decisions based on little to no information.

Read the full story by the Star’s Noor Javed: ‘Parents are so stressed out.’ Confusion reigns as parents asked to make quick back-to-school decisions

2:50 p.m. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio held firm to plans to reopen the nation’s largest public school system within a month, despite pleas from teachers and principals to delay the return of students to classrooms.

The city is aiming for a hybrid reopening Sept. 10, with most of the 1.1 million students spending two or three days a week in physical classrooms and learning remotely the rest of the time. Parents were given the option of requesting full-time remote learning for their children.

The Democratic mayor conceded there were challenges with the plan as the city recovers from a pandemic. But he says the city has managed to lower the rate of positive cases to around 1%.

The union representing school administrators sent a letter to de Blasio and Chancellor Richard Carranza on Wednesday, saying school leaders still had questions about various issues, including staffing, personal protective equipment and ventilation system repairs.

2:50 p.m. A potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University will be produced in Mexico if its advanced trials are successful and it receives regulatory approval, the government said Thursday.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the agreement with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which also provides for production in Argentina, should result in a vaccine that the government would provide free starting in the first quarter of 2021.

Production of the vaccine in Mexico and Argentina would allow for distribution throughout Latin America, except for Brazil, which had already reached its own agreement with the drug maker.

Sylvia Varela, AstraZeneca’s president in Mexico said the cost of a dose would be around $4, but López Obrador said the government would cover that expense.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said the foundation of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim would effectively guarantee production starts on time. He said results from the Phase III clinical trials are expected in November.

2:50 p.m. Spain’s daily number of new coronavirus cases reached nearly 3,000 Thursday, up significantly from 1,690 the previous day.

That’s the highest daily number of new infections since April, as countries around Europe are concerned about a second wave of the coronavirus.

Emergency health response chief Fernando Simón says part of the increase was due to the Madrid region reporting the numbers for two days, after missing the deadline Wednesday.

Cases in Spain have been steadily increasing since the country ended a more than three-month lockdown on June 21. Simons says there is no pressure on the health system, with coronavirus patients occupying only 3% of hospital beds.

Spain is conducting around 340,000 nasal swab tests a week, he says. More than 50% of cases are asymptomatic, and the average age of infected people is 42 for women and 39 for men.

The Health Ministry says Spain has officially recorded more than 337,00 total infections and more than 28,000 deaths.

2:16 p.m. Students heading back to school in Manitoba can expect masks on buses, staggered recess times and sanitizing stations.

The province has released protocols for parents and teachers about what’s required ahead of schools opening their doors to students on Sept. 8.

Manitoba’s chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, says masks will not be mandatory but are strongly recommended for students in Grades 5 to 12.

Masks will be required, however, on buses and parents are being encouraged to drive their kids to schools as much as possible.

Parents are also being asked to screen children for symptoms every morning and keep them home if they aren’t feeling well.

The province will be providing masks as well as other personal protective equipment to school divisions.

2 p.m. Ontario’s top doctor is warning that some people are getting “casual” with pandemic public health rules, and that contributed to an outbreak at a Muskoka resort.

Dr. David Williams, the province’s chief medical officer of health, says a group of out-of-town residents who attended the resort on the August long weekend ignored physical distancing and social bubble rules.

The local public health unit confirms a group of 30 people attended the Deerhurst Resort that weekend, and 11 of them have subsequently tested positive for COVID-19

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit says none of the people had symptoms while they were on the trip, but developed them later.

Williams warned that the pandemic is not over and people across the province must continue to be vigilant.

He says in these instances, local businesses must be closed in until local public health units can investigate.

12:58 p.m. World Health Organization says the vaccine approved by Russia this week is not among the nine that it considers in the advanced stages of testing.

WHO and partners have included nine experimental COVID-19 vaccines within an investment mechanism it is encouraging countries to join, known as the Covax facility. The initiative allows countries to invest in several vaccines to obtain early access, while theoretically providing funding for developing countries.

“We don’t have sufficient information at this point to make a judgment” on the Russia vaccine, said Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior adviser to WHO’s director-general. “We’re currently in conversation with Russia to get additional information to understand the status of that product, the trials that have been undertaken and then what the next steps might be.”

This week, President Vladimir Putin announced Russia had approved a coronavirus vaccine that has yet to complete advanced trials in people and claimed, without evidence, the immunization protects people for up to two years.

12:18 p.m. A Costa Rican man in federal immigration custody has become the second detainee in Georgia to die from COVID-19 complications.

Officials say 70-year-old Jose Guillen-Vega died on Monday after being hospitalized since Aug. 1. Guillen-Vega was held at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin. He’s the fifth person to die while in an ICE detention facility nationwide.

The detention centre has reported more than 150 coronavirus cases. Guillen-Vega had diabetes and hypertension.

Advocates have been asking the agency to release at-risk detainees during the pandemic.

12:18 p.m. Greece’s foreign minister says his country will allow tourists from Israel to enter.

Nikos Dendias announced during a visit to Israel that 600 Israeli tourists will be allowed into four Greek destinations per week.

It wasn’t immediately clear under what conditions the tourists will be allowed in and whether they must quarantine upon arrival.

Dendias met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi. Israel’s Foreign Ministry says there was no decision regarding Greek tourists to Israel.

Israel is challenged by high daily coronavirus infections, adjusted for population. However, the country is taking steps to open travel for its citizens.

12:18 p.m. A court in Austria has fined a woman 10,800 euros ($12,810) for leaving her quarantine while infected with the coronavirus.

The regional court in Tyrol found the 54-year-old German woman had breached the order to stay home three times.

Police officers who checked on the woman found her shopping in a supermarket, strolling in a park and visiting a hospital to treat an injured hand.

The defendant can appeal the ruling.

12:13 p.m. Four Toronto post-secondary institutions have decided not to hold in-person convocation ceremonies this fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

York University says it made the “difficult decision” alongside Ryerson University, the University of Toronto and Seneca College.

In a statement, York’s president and vice-chancellor says the school will hold a virtual ceremony.

Rhonda Lenton says students will receive a package that includes their diploma, cap and tassel, and other celebratory items.

She says the school will hold an in-person ceremony for all graduates affected by the pandemic “when it is once again safe and permitted to do so.”

Lenton says the other institutions will have their own approach to marking the milestone.

11:59 a.m. Not two months after battling back the coronavirus, Spain’s hospitals are beginning to see patients struggling to breathe returning to their wards.

The deployment of a military emergency brigade to set up a field hospital in Zaragoza this week is a grim reminder that Spain is far from claiming victory over the coronavirus that devastated the European country in March and April.

Authorities said the field hospital is a precaution, but no one has forgotten scenes of hospitals filled to capacity and the daily death toll reaching over 900 fatalities a few months ago.

While an enhanced testing effort is revealing that a majority of the infected are asymptomatic and younger, making them less likely to need medical treatment, concern is increasing as hospitals begin to see more patients.

Experts are searching for reasons why Spain is struggling more than its neighbours after western Europe had won a degree of control over the pandemic.

11:59 a.m. The first call in early April was from the testing centre, informing the nurse she was positive for COVID-19 and should quarantine for two weeks.

The second call, less than 20 minutes later, was from her employer, as the hospital informed her she could return to her job within two days.

“I slept 20 hours a day,” said the nurse, who works at a hospital in New Jersey’s Hackensack Meridian Health system and spoke on the condition of anonymity because she is fearful of retaliation by her employer. Though she didn’t have a fever, “I was throwing up. I was coughing. I had all the G.I. symptoms you can get,” referring to gastrointestinal COVID-19 symptoms like diarrhea and nausea.

“You’re telling me, because I don’t have a fever, that you think it’s safe for me to go take care of patients?” the nurse said. “And they told me yes.”

Guidance from public health experts has evolved as they have learned more about the coronavirus, but one message has remained consistent: If you feel sick, stay home.

Yet hospitals, clinics and other health care facilities have flouted that simple guidance, pressuring workers who contract COVID-19 to return to work sooner than public health standards suggest it’s safe for them, their colleagues or their patients. Some employers have failed to provide adequate paid leave, if any at all, so employees felt they had to return to work — even with coughs and possibly infectious — rather than forfeit the paycheck they need to feed their families.

11:48 a.m. The federal government is offering $31 million to help communities find ways to adapt to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna says the money could be used for everything from making it easier to physically distance on playgrounds to building apps so people can access government services from a distance.

The new program, the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative, is aimed at non-governmental organizations that will work with municipalities and other groups to identify projects over the next two years.

The government says it is taking the $31 million from $170 million left in the Smart Cities Challenge program.

That program has been used to encourage cities to find new ways to use data and technology to help residents.

Information on how groups can apply to the new program will be announced soon.

(Updated) 11:30 a.m. WE Charity is scaling back its operations, making dozens of layoffs in Canada and the United Kingdom and looking to sell some of its real estate holdings in Toronto.

The charity has been embroiled in a political controversy since the Trudeau government chose it to run a now-abandoned youth volunteer program.

WE Charity says its financial position has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and “recent events,” prompting a need to shift programming and reduce staff.

At its global headquarters in Toronto, 16 full-time employees will be laid off and another 51 employees working on fixed-term contracts with the charity won’t have their contracts renewed when they expire at the end of the month.

WE Charity’s U.K. operations will be centralized in Canada, which means 19 full-time and contract employees in London will be laid off.

In addition, a number of buildings on a block near Moss Park in Toronto acquired by the charity as part of a 25th anniversary plan to create a youth campus will be assessed by the organization to determine which ones could be sold.

11:24 a.m. More than 12 million eggs will be redistributed via an emergency federal program designed to help farmers faced with too much food and nowhere to sell it due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced Thursday that the government has signed eight agreements worth nearly $50 million to help align the needs of food banks and other community groups with what farmers and producers can supply.

“This is a win-win,” she said in a statement.

“Not only are we helping producers who cannot sell their goods to restaurants, but we are also aiding Canadians that have had to seek help from food banks.”

The organizations receiving the money include Food Banks Canada, Second Harvest and the Quebec group La Tablee des Chefs.

Altogether, approximately 12 million kilograms of everything from fish to fowl will be redistributed under the $50-million food surplus program announced by the Liberals earlier this year.

11:24 a.m. Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting two new cases of COVID-19.

The Public Health Department said today the new cases involve temporary foreign workers who have been in self-isolation since they arrived in Moncton.

One is between 30 and 39 years old, and the other is between 50 and 59 years old.

Meanwhile, authorities said today the COVID-19 case reported Wednesday in the Fredericton area is now recovered.

New Brunswick has reported a total of 180 cases of COVID-19, 169 of which are considered recovered.

The virus has claimed two lives in the province and there are nine active cases of COVID-19.

11 a.m. Ontario’s Minister of Education Stephen Lecce and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health, will make an education announcement at 3:45 p.m. Thursday.

10:28 a.m. Children can safely wear masks starting at age 2 — and they should be mandatory in schools to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, says the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, plans for the safe return of children to school, child care, and other group settings must include the universal use of cloth face coverings by children two years of age and older and the adults with whom they interact,” says the guidance from the prestigious academy, issued Thursday.

It comes as teacher unions across Ontario continue to push for changes so that all students — not just those from Grades 4 to 12 — wear masks when they return to class this fall.

The province has urged younger children, from junior kindergarten to Grade 3, to wear masks.

Ontario is the only jurisdiction to require masks all day when school returns, though a handful of other provinces have said teens need to wear them in the hallways, or on buses.

Read the full story from the Star’s Kristin Rushowy: Make masks mandatory for all students, urges American Academy of Pediatrics

(Updated) 10:13 a.m. Ontario is reporting 78 new cases of COVID-19 today and no new deaths from the novel coronavirus, but Health Minister Christine Elliott says today’s numbers do not include data from Toronto Public Health.

Elliott also says hospitalizations due to the virus declined over the previous 24 hours, while the number of patients in intensive care and on ventilators remained stable.

The province also announced this morning that 99 more cases were marked as resolved.

Ontario’s total case count is now 40,367, with 36,689 marked as resolved and 2,787 deaths.

The province says it processed 29,626 tests over the last 24 hours.

10 a.m. Ontario’s southern urban centres were the first and hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, while some rural regions managed to stave off the virus for nearly 10 weeks before cases were reported, data collected by the Star shows.

While the first case in the province — a man in Toronto — was recorded on Jan. 23, it took six weeks before regions outside of Toronto reported cases of the coronavirus. For one more week, the virus would stay confined to southern Ontario. Then by week 10, it had spread across the province with the GTA as the epicentre.

Health units for Porcupine, Thunder Bay and Algoma in Ontario’s north of the province were free of confirmed cases until early March, with Thunder Bay not reporting a case until week 10 of the pandemic. In the south of the province, the health units of Haldimand-Norfolk, Lambton and Southwestern were also free of reported cases. Week 10 directly followed Ontario’s March Break — March 16 to 20 — a time when it was feared returning vacationers would trigger a spike.

Read the full story from the Star’s Jenna Moon: COVID-19 hit Ontario’s cities first and hardest. Here’s how it spread to rural areas — and why they’re more vulnerable now than ever

9:55 a.m. East Carolina University police say about 20 parties, including one with nearly 400 people in attendance, were shut down during the school’s opening weekend.

Lt. Chris Sutton of the East Carolina University Police Department told McClatchy News the parties were held last week and over the weekend at the school.

Nearly 5,500 students began moving into their dorm rooms at the university last Wednesday. Sutton says most of the parties that campus authorities have shut down since then were “manageable,” with between 25 and 50 people.

Sutton says the party with 400 people was held a few blocks from the school in an area dominated by off-campus student housing. They dispersed once authorities arrived.

9:55 a.m. Rome prosecutors have formally told Premier Giuseppe Conte and other ministers they have opened an investigation into the government’s coronavirus response.

A statement Thursday from Conte’s office notes such investigations are required when complaints are received. However, prosecutors have already informed the government that it considers the claims “unfounded and worthy of being shelved.”

Conte and the ministers say they were available to provide any information “in a spirit of maximum collaboration.”

Italy was the first country in Europe to become the epicenter of COVID-19 and has a confirmed death toll of more than 35,000, now sixth highest in the world.

Conte and the health and interior ministers already had been questioned by Bergamo prosecutors investigating a delay in locking down two key towns in hard-hit Lombardy. The Bergamo prosecutors have made clear they interviewed government authorities as informed witnesses, not suspects.

9:55 a.m. An official with the Swedish Transport Administration urged people in Sweden to use public transport only if necessary this fall.

Roberto Maiorana says his agency is experiencing increased traffic.

“Travel only if you have to, and if you have to, avoid the rush hour. Bicycle or walk if you can,” he says. “Do not replace public transport with travel by car unnecessarily, as it might cause traffic jams.”

In Sweden, a total of 5,776 deaths — two more from Wednesday — have been confirmed.

Swedish chief epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell whose country has opted for a much-debated coronavirus approach of keeping large parts of the society open, says there’s a trend of only a “few deaths per day.”

In neighbouring Finland, the government recommended face masks be used on public transportation and in public places where it’s difficult to keep distance from other people. Masks are not mandatory in Sweden.

9:55 a.m. The United Nations estimates that 43% of schools around the world don’t have access to water and soap for basic hand-washing.

The new report comes as countries wrestle with when and how to safely open schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report by the World Health Organization and UNICEF says more than one-third of the 818 million children around the globe who lacked basic hand-washing facilities at their schools last year are in sub-Saharan Africa.

The report says authorities must balance health concerns with economic and social ones in deciding on opening schools, and it notes the negative effects that long closures have on children.

The report also says one in three schools around the world have limited or no drinking water service.

9:55 a.m. A Greek prosecutor has ordered an investigation into a string of infections at a retirement home in northern Greece, where 33 of the 150 residents and three staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.

Authorities say 20 people from the home at Asvestochori, a village outside the northern city of Thessaloniki, were taken to a hospital Wednesday with mild symptoms. The disease is believed to have been spread by a staff member who got it from a relative who had visited a popular holiday resort.

The investigation was ordered Thursday.

Greece has seen a rise in COVID-19 infections, which reached 262 on Wednesday, the highest since the virus outbreak.

The country of 11 million has registered about 6,200 confirmed cases, and 216 deaths.

9:55 a.m. The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has imposed its first nationwide lockdown due to a virus infection in a returning traveller who had been released from quarantine.

The government issued a stay-at-home order for its approximately 750,000 people, and all schools, offices and commercial establishments were closed.

The government’s statement says the lockdown would be enforced from five to 21 days “to identify and isolate all positive cases, immediately breaking the chain of transmission.”

The 27-year-old Bhutanese woman returning from Kuwait tested negative in mandatory quarantine for arriving travellers. But between her discharge from quarantine and her positive test result Monday, she is believed to have travelled extensively in Bhutan.

The tourism-dependent country closed its borders to foreign travellers in March after an American tourist was hospitalized with COVID-19. Bhutan’s 113 reported infections were all quarantined travellers, except for one with conflicting test results.

9:55 a.m. The coronavirus outbreak centred in Australia’s second-largest city showed a decline in new infections Thursday, though the state’s leader urged continued vigilance.

Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews says there were 278 new infections and eight new deaths, down from around 700 daily at the peak of the outbreak.

Daniels says the lower numbers indicate the lockdown restrictions in Melbourne are working but urged people to stay the course.

“We would just caution against any Victorian thinking that we aren’t in the midst of a real marathon,” Daniels said.

Meanwhile, neighbouring New South Wales state, which includes Australia’s largest city Sydney, recorded 12 new cases and one death.

9:55 a.m. The Seattle school board has voted unanimously to begin the academic year with only remote teaching.

The Seattle Times reports the state’s largest school district approved the plan Wednesday.

The remote learning plan passed with a wide-ranging amendment from school board members that directs the superintendent to explore creating outdoor classes. It also reinforces teaching of Black studies and curricula developed by Indigenous communities.

But the district’s plans are far from set because it is still bargaining with the teachers union. Those discussions will set the parameters for how teachers spend their time and for the support the district will provide in an online learning environment.

9:55 a.m. New locally transmitted cases of the coronavirus reported in China have fallen into the single digits, but Hong Kong is seeing another rise in hospitalizations and deaths.

China’s National Health Commission says eight new cases were registered in the last 24 hours in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, whose main city of Urumqi has enacted lockdown measures and travel restrictions. An additional 11 cases were brought by Chinese returning from overseas.

Hong Kong has 62 new cases, up from 33 on Wednesday, along with an additional five deaths.

The semi-autonomous southern Chinese city has required masks in all public settings and limited indoor dining, among other measures, to curb a new outbreak.

9:55 a.m. South Korea has reported 56 new cases of the coronavirus as clusters pop up in cities.

The figures announced by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday brought the caseload to 14,770 infections, including 305 deaths. Forty-three of the new cases were from the Seoul area and two were from Busan, the country’s second-largest city, where infections have been reported at schools and among foreign cargo ship workers.

South Korean authorities have employed an aggressive test-and-quarantine campaign against COVID-19, using mobile-phone location data and credit-card records to trace contacts and smartphone tracking apps to monitor tens of thousands quarantined at home.

Visitors at nightclubs, baseball stadiums and other facilities deemed as “high-risk” must register with smartphone QR codes so they can be easily located when needed.

9:46 a.m. U.S. stocks wavered Thursday after data showed fewer Americans applied for jobless benefits, potentially signaling that the pace of recovery in the labour market is starting to pick up.

The S&P 500 edged down 0.3 per cent a day after the benchmark U.S. stock index climbed to a hair’s breadth from its first record close since the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.4 per cent and the Nasdaq Composite Index moved higher 0.3 per cent. Overseas, the pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 slipped 0.6 per cent.

Initial jobless claims fell to 963,000 in the week ended Aug. 7, ending a 20-week streak of results above 1 million. This compares with the previous week’s 1.186 million applications for unemployment benefits, indicating a moderate decline and coming below economists’ estimates of 1.1 million.

9:40 a.m. An Africa-wide study of antibodies to the coronavirus has begun, while evidence from a smaller study indicates that many more people have been infected than official numbers show, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

Experts are eager to know the real number of COVID-19 cases in Africa, as confirmed cases and deaths have been relatively low on the continent of 1.3 billion people. Poor data collection, however, has complicated efforts.

But recent surveys in Mozambique found antibodies — proteins the body makes when an infection occurs — to the virus in 5 per cent of households in the city of Nampula and 2.5 per cent in the city of Pemba. That’s while Mozambique has just 2,481 confirmed virus cases. Further studies are underway in the capital, Maputo, and the city of Quelimane.

“What is important is far fewer people are coming down with the disease,” Africa CDC director John Nkengasong told reporters. “How many people are infected and asymptomatic on our continent? We don’t know that.”

Africa’s young population, with a median age of 19, has been called a possible factor.

9:16 a.m. Mexico and Argentina have reached agreements to produce the U.K. drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc’s promising COVID-19 vaccine for Latin America, the nations’ governments said.

The countries will make 150 million to 250 million initial doses of the potential COVID-19 vaccine designed by scientists at the University of Oxford after the required trials, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez and Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said in messages on Twitter on Wednesday night. Billionaire Carlos Slim’s foundation is helping finance the plan, Ebrard said.

The goal is to produce the vaccine as of the first half of next year, and there will be no profits from it during the pandemic, Fernandez said in his statement following a meeting with representatives of AstraZeneca. His health minister said Argentina will prioritize getting the vaccine to the elderly, medical professionals and people with pre-existing conditions.

8:51 a.m. An additional $305 million to support Indigenous people during the COVID-19 pandemic will top up the Indigenous Community Support Fund first announced in late March.

Indigenous Services Canada Minister Marc Miller made the announcement yesterday, stressing that Indigenous people are among the most vulnerable in Canada, and during the pandemic, face unique challenges often exacerbated by social inequalities and systemic barriers.

The fund is part of the federal government’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan.

As with previous funding, it can be used to support elders and vulnerable community members, to address food insecurity, for educational and other supports for children, for mental-health assistance and for emergency response services and preparedness measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Further, Miller said Indigenous leaders, governments and organizations best know the needs of their people and are best placed to develop community-based solutions to respond to the challenges.

“It is a testament to Indigenous leadership and indeed Indigenous Peoples that community exposure to the virus has been limited,” Miller said.

8:09 a.m. (updated) Against the backdrop of a recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and saddled with a record budget deficit, Premier Doug Ford has resumed his campaign-style tour of the province.

“It’s bright and early, 6:30 a.m., and we’re off to Windsor, I just can’t wait to see the people of Windsor,” Ford enthused as he motored down Highway 401 on Thursday.

Windsor-Essex, which had been hit by coronavirus outbreaks among migrant farm workers, was the last region in Ontario to reopen its economy, entering Stage 3 on Wednesday, meaning restaurants and bars can offer indoor service and gyms and playgrounds can open.

That was the same day Finance Minister Rod Phillips delivered the sobering first quarterly financial results, confirming the province has been plunged into an economic recession by a virus that has killed more than 2,800 Ontarians since March.

Phillips said a deficit that had been forecast to be $20.5 billion in 2020-2021 — up from $9.2 billion last year — has jumped to $38.5 billion.

Pandemic relief efforts expected to cost $17 billion are now projected to exceed $30 billion, including a $9.6 billion contingency fund to cover things like schools reopening next month amid fears of a second wave of the virus.

Read the full story from the Star’s Robert Benzie

7:47 a.m. Fans will be allowed into MotoGP races for the first time this season, at the Misano circuit in Italy next month.

The region of Emilia Romagna has given the circuit permission to open to a maximum of 10,000 fans a day for the doubleheader of the San Marino and Emilia Romagna MotoGP rounds.

There will be strict measures in place to protect against the coronavirus, and fans will not be allowed to roam around.

The circuit has a capacity of around 110,000 including more than 40,000 in the stands and welcomed approximately 160,000 people across the three-day weekend last year.

Organizers say in a statement: “It is a decision that makes us emotional because it also represents a green light for the restart of world sport finally in front of the fans.”

The first three MotoGP rounds were held without fans and no spectators will be allowed into the upcoming doubleheader in Austria.

7:43 a.m. The TDSB is holding a webinar Thursday to discuss the safe re-opening of schools in September beginning at 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Families will learn more about the board’s “Safe Reopening of Schools.”

7:25 a.m. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday that the COVID-19 pandemic not only threatens gains in fighting global poverty and building peace but risks exacerbating existing conflicts and generating new ones.

The U.N. chief told a Security Council meeting on the challenge of sustaining peace during the pandemic that his March 23 call for an immediate cease-fire in conflicts around the world to tackle the coronavirus led a number of warring parties to take steps to de-escalate and stop fighting.

“Yet, regrettably, in many instances, the pandemic did not move the parties to suspend hostilities or agree to a permanent ceasefire,” Guterres said.

His predecessor as secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, told the council: “It is truly astonishing that in response to this pandemic, the world has placed billions of people under lock-down, closed international borders, suspended trade and migration, and temporarily shut down a whole variety of industries — but has not managed to suspend armed conflicts.”

Ban criticized the U.N. Security Council for wasting valuable months “in arguments over the details of the text” and not adopting a resolution until July 1 demanding an “immediate cessation of hostilities” in key conflicts including Syria, Yemen, Libya, South Sudan and Congo to tackle COVID-19.

“This has weakened the message that this council needs to send to all warring parties: now is the time to confront our common enemy,” Ban said.

And he said delayed council action “further aggravated the current volatile global security situations.”

7 a.m. Premier Doug Ford will meet with local leaders in Windsor-Essex today after the region entered Stage 3 of the province’s reopening plan on Wednesday.

Ford will spend the day in the city of Windsor and will meet with mayors from across the region to discuss economic recovery.

The premier is also set to tour the Ford Motor Company’s Essex Engine Plant.

A portion of the facility was retooled to produce plastic face shields for front-line workers during the pandemic.

Ford is also expected to hold his daily COVID-19 media briefing from Windsor alongside the province’s labour minister and associate transportation minister.

Windsor-Essex moved to Stage 3 on Wednesday after being held back because of COVID-19 outbreaks on local farms.

6:20 a.m. Researchers at Imperial College in London, England estimate that 6 per cent of England’s population — or 3.4 million people — have been infected by COVID-19, a figure far higher than previous findings.

The estimate is based on a study of 100,000 randomly selected volunteers who used home finger-prick tests to find antibodies for the virus that causes COVID-19.

The study, which covers infections through the end of June, found that London had the highest infection rate at 13%. Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups were two to three times more likely to have had COVID-19 than white people.

The nationwide estimate is much higher than the number of reported cases posted by Johns Hopkins University, the main reference for monitoring the disease. As of Thursday, it listed 270,971 cases throughout England.

5:22 a.m. New locally transmitted cases of the coronavirus reported in China have fallen into the single digits, but Hong Kong is seeing another rise in hospitalizations and deaths.

China’s National Health Commission said Thursday that eight new cases were registered in the last 24 hours in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, whose main city of Urumqi has enacted lockdown measures and travel restrictions. An additional 11 cases were brought by Chinese returning from overseas.

Hong Kong, meanwhile, has 62 new cases, up from 33 on Wednesday, along with an additional five deaths.

The semi-autonomous southern Chinese city has required masks be worn in all public settings and limited indoor dining among other measures to curb a new outbreak.

5:00 a.m. Toronto says it’s moved more than 1,500 homeless people into permanent housing since mid-March as it’s battled COVID-19 — a nearly 50 per cent increase over the same period last year.

But some outreach workers say that figure doesn’t fairly represent Toronto’s pandemic-specific response, since more than 40 per cent were already on waitlists before the virus hit, and the number reflects the total instead of this year’s COVID-specific increase.

While the city says it has moved 1,570 people into permanent housing since mid-March, using rent-to-geared-income (RGI) assistance and housing allowances, last year during the same time period it moved 1,050 people using the same programs, according to data provided to the Star.

Read more from reporter Victoria Gibson here.

4:45 a.m. German authorities worked through the night to clear a backlog of coronavirus tests from travellers after it emerged 900 people who were positive for COVID-19 had yet to be informed.

Bavarian Health Minister Melanie Huml said all people with positive results would be informed Thursday and that systems were being improved to prevent any further delays.

Bavaria has been offering free voluntary tests at airports, as well as specific train stations and highway rest areas, and has carried out some 85,000 since the end of July, Huml said.

Thursday 12:57 a.m. A puzzling new outbreak of the coronavirus in New Zealand’s largest city grew to 17 cases on Thursday, with officials saying the number will likely increase further.

And a lockdown in Auckland designed to extinguish the outbreak could be extended well beyond an initial three days.

It was a turnabout from Sunday, when the South Pacific nation of 5 million marked 100 days without any cases of local transmission. For most people, life had long returned to normal as they sat down in packed sports stadiums and restaurants or went to school without the fear of getting infected.

The only cases for months had been a handful of returning travellers who have been quarantined at the border. But then earlier this week, health workers discovered four infections in one Auckland household.

The source of the new infections continues to stump officials. Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said genome testing has not yet matched the new cluster with any infections that have been caught at the border, although the testing has indicated the strain of the virus may have come from Australia or Britain.

New Zealand first eliminated community transmission of the virus by imposing a strict lockdown in late March when only about 100 people had tested positive for the disease.

Read more of Wednesday’s coverage here.

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/08/10/sick-kids-covid-19-back-to-school-dry-run-draws-backlash-over-plan-to-use-private-schools.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=thestar_recommended_for_you

Sick Kids’ COVID-19 back-to-school dry run draws backlash over plan to use private schools

May Warren

By May Warren Staff Reporter

Mon., Aug. 10, 2020timer4 min. read

Before millions of students head back to school in a few weeks, experts at the Hospital for Sick Children will hold a much smaller dress rehearsal, hoping the lessons learned can help prepare for the real thing.

But the study is facing some backlash for being conducted at private schools, with some questioning whether it can replicate reality in the majority of classrooms across the province.

The COVID-19 Safe School Simulation will be held Aug. 19-20 in Toronto, by researchers who will examine mask use, as well as physical distancing and hand hygiene.

“It’s really trying to get a dry run of what schools are going to look like,” said Dr. Michelle Science, an infectious diseases specialist and co-principal investigator of the study, which is funded entirely by Sick Kids.

“We really recognize that everyone has a great deal of uncertainty about the return to school and we wanted to help reduce some of this uncertainty by generating evidence.”

The research team is particularly interested in looking at mask use, which will be mandatory for kids in Ontario starting in Grade 4. Researchers will film the students taking part in the study to see how they interact, destroying the film after the study wraps up. They will also use a harmless liquid that will only be visible under a special light to mimic how the virus might spread on surfaces across the classroom, replicate symptom screening, staggered schedules and physical distancing.

All participants will be tested for COVID-19 in the 24-48 hours before the simulation, and asked to quarantine after they get tested.

They’re hoping to get 240 students and 12 to 14 teachers to participate, from junior kindergarten through high school. The simulation will be held at The Bishop Strachan School and Upper Canada College. Branksome Hall and The Sterling Hall School will help with recruitment.

Organizers don’t yet know the ratio of teacher to students — it will depend on how many volunteers they get, Science said.

Class size has been a contentious issue in Ontario, with 30 students potentially in one classroom.

On Monday, the Toronto District School Board — the province’s largest — released its back to school plans. The board is also sending out a survey to parents this week asking if they plan to put their kids back in school with regular class sizes, or if they would consider doing so with smaller classes if there was provincial funding available for that.

It’s something Stephanie Davila, an elementary music teacher with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, is concerned about. She fears the study won’t have the kind of class sizes she will have to contend with come September.

“The reality of my teaching is not going to be reflected and it’s not going to be something that I’m going to look to or to reference,” said Davila, one of dozens of people on social media who called out Sick Kids on the study.

She’s also worried about the fact kids who need extra support in the classroom can’t participate, and that the results won’t reflect their needs.

Lara Donsky, a special education inclusion consultant at TDSB, said she worries the students in the study would skew privileged, as it’s being conducted at private schools. It is open to other students, and the researchers are recruiting through social media, “but there’s an equity issue,” she said.

Areas where there have been high concentrations of COVID-19, the northwest corner in Toronto, for example, have parents and kids with different circumstances, and it’s important that those kids are reflected in studies that will be used to make decisions about reopening, she added.

Donsky and others on social media noted that older public schools often have poor ventilation, some classrooms don’t even have windows that could be opened to help get fresh air in — a critical part of reducing transmission of COVID.

“If you want to use private schools fine, but balance it out with the public school system,” Donsky said.

Science said while recruitment for public school kids will be mainly over social media, she hopes parents and teachers will reach out through the email schoolsim.study@sickkids.ca.

“We are trying to recruit broadly,” she said.

 “The study is really open to any GTA student who is enrolled in public or other independent schools who meet the criteria, and we’re also wanting to have teachers from both private and public schools.”

The private schools were the ones that offered the space on such a tight timeline, she said, but public school teachers have been involved in helping to set up the study. The team recognizes the “important differences” between private and public schools, but this study will look more at behaviours and not physical classrooms.

“We really needed to use space that was available to us to help ensure that we can get the results out to the public as soon as possible,” she said.

“We do realize that it is a short turnaround to conduct the study and so outreach to all of the communities might be limited.”

Due to the tight timeline, the study organizers were unable to include kids with special needs but hope this limitation can be addressed in future studies, working with the public school system.

“It is a starting point and we really hope to build on it,” Science added.

May Warren

May Warren is a Toronto-based breaking news reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @maywarren11

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2020/08/13/ontario-government-announces-extra-funding-for-schools-covid-costs.html

Ontario government announces extra funding for schools’ COVID costs

Kristin Rushowy

By Kristin Rushowy Queen's Park Bureau

Thu., Aug. 13, 2020timer1 min. read

The Ontario government has announced new funding for schools to cover their COVID costs, including $50 million for ventilation systems, $18 million in supports for online learning and is allowing boards to dip further into their reserves to hire extra staff.

Boards will be allowed to access about two per cent of their reserves, freeing up about $500 million, with the government filling in the gaps for the handful of boards that no longer have any reserves.

The province is also mandating that students who opt for online learning this fall, and those who are in designated areas where teens are studying part-time at home, 75 per cent of it must be live video conferencing or “synchronous.”

The government has previously announced $309 million for staffing and personal protective equipment, among other needs, to help boards cope with COVID-19.

Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca, who was in Windsor on Thursday, said Premier Doug Ford “has already told local school boards they have to dip into their reserve funds” during the pandemic, and called on the government to hire teachers, custodians and provide proper resources so schools can safely reopen.

A growing number of groups, experts and teacher unions are calling for the province to delay the start of the school year. British Columbia recently decided to provide two days of “orientation” for teachers to prepare for their return, delaying the start of classes.

Kristin Rushowy

Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy 

https://www.thestar.com/podcasts/thismatters/2020/08/12/schools-are-the-best-place-for-kids-mental-health-not-so-fast.html

Schools are the best place for kids’ mental health? Not so fast

By Star staff

Wed., Aug. 12, 2020timer1 min. read

Schools across Canada are set to reopen in September. What that will look like and what safety procedures are in place will differ — at times, greatly — depending on where you live. In Ontario, masks will be enforced among students Grade 4 through 12 but class sizes will not be reduced. British Columbia is taking a phased-in approach and other provinces like Saskatchewan are leaving it up to individual school boards on what their policy for masks will be.

Inevitably, in the debate over how to reopen schools, the health and safety of students is mentioned as being the biggest priority. And there are worries over possible COVID-19 outbreaks in schools, similar to the U.S. and Israel, which reopened schools quickly.

But what about the mental health of students? What kind of pressure are kids under, being indoors for hours at a time, in the middle of a pandemic? And the belief that schools are the safest place for kids is not the lived reality for many students who faced problems even before the pandemic.

Dr. Tyler Black, child and adolescent psychiatrist at the University of British Columbia talks to Adrian Cheung on the mental stress of reopening schools and why the pandemic is the moment to reshape and rethink how education works in Canada.

Listen to this episode and more at This Matters, or subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2020/08/11/ontario-teachers-unions-consider-legal-challenges-over-class-sizes.html

Ontario teachers’ unions consider legal challenges over class sizes

By Kristin Rushowy Queen's Park Bureau

Tue., Aug. 11, 2020timer4 min. read

The unions representing Ontario’s teachers are calling on the provincial government to change its back-to-school plans and are warning a legal challenge is possible.

“We are consulting with legal counsel, absolutely,” said Liz Stuart, president of the 45,000-member Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, which continues to advocate for smaller class sizes and masks for all students.

“The best thing to find out at this point is to see what we can do in order to fight to keep our members safe.”

Sam Hammond, who heads the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario — the country’s largest teachers’ union — said his members will use the next couple of weeks “to try and push those issues to get the government to step forward” and address teachers’ and parents’ concerns.

But if the government doesn’t budge, his union executive is meeting later this week and “if they continue to have the concerns that they’ve had since the plan was released, then certainly we’ll look at all of our options to take a stand to get the attention of the government to make change.”

While ETFO is not officially calling for a delay to the start of the school year, “I think the government needs to look at all the options,” Hammond said. “If we had the luxury of another month, we’d certainly be in a very different place.”

Local unions have talked about launching grievances or legal challenges, and Stuart said the labour board is a possibility.

In the United States — where cases in many states have hit record highs — one teachers’ union in Florida is seeking a court injunction to force all classes online until COVID-19 numbers have subsided.

The American Teachers’ Federation has said it supports strikes if local units don’t feel the reopening conditions are safe enough to protect members.

Ontario’s back-to-school plan includes mandatory masks for students starting in Grade 4 — the only province in Canada to require them throughout the school day — as well as improved hand hygiene and school cleaning and smaller classes for high school students in large, urban boards.

However, in elementary schools, classes sizes will remain unchanged, meaning children in kindergarten and Grades 4 through 8 could be in rooms with 30 students.

The province has said it will provide $30 million to help shrink class sizes if classes are too large. That amount would fund roughly 300 teachers.

The Toronto public board alone has said it would need at least 200 extra elementary teachers if class sizes were to be reduced to 15.

The province is also hiring 500 public health nurses, or about one for every 10 schools, to help with COVID and also random testing of high school students.

Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday that Ontario is “doing everything we can ... we have the best plan in Canada. People from other provinces want our plan, and we’re going to do everything we can and I’m not going to spare a penny and I’m not going to spare anything making sure that we have the safest classrooms in the country.”

Ontario, he added, has “the smallest classroom sizes in the entire country, bar none. We have more protocols and guidelines than any other jurisdiction” in Canada, and noted his government is so far spending more than $309 million, which is more per pupil than other provinces.

But NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, who visited Kingston on Tuesday, called the province’s announcement “a bargain basement plan that really pinches pennies on the backs of our kids” and urged the province to hire thousands of teachers.

Alexandra Adamo, spokesperson for Education Minister Stephen Lecce, said the government has “engaged in discussions with multiple unions with the singular goal of ensuring the safest and healthiest school environment for all students and staff” and is willing to continue talks.

Hammond said smaller class sizes were a key part of recommendations made by experts from Sick Kids, advice the government chose to ignore. He’s advocating for elementary classes to have about 15 students, or close to that number.

From politics to policing, hospitals to housing, we report on the issues that affect us all. We hold the powerful accountable and help create a Canada that works for every one of us.

He also said masks, proper ventilation in schools and busing remain huge safety issues.

Harvey Bischof, of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, said his union “is consulting with counsel now and have been for some time ... We just want to ensure that we are aware of, and maximize the use of, any legal strategy required to keep our members safe.”

Bischof said his union hasn’t landed on what it’s strategy will be, but added that “I’ve seen no evidence so far that this government is listening to us and our concerns.”

Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2020/08/12/as-bc-delays-start-of-school-year-ontario-is-urged-to-follow-suit.html

As B.C. delays start of school year, Ontario is urged to follow suit

By Kristin Rushowy Queen's Park Bureau

Wanyee Li Vancouver Bureau

Wed., Aug. 12, 2020timer4 min. read

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Go slow.

The Ontario government is now facing growing calls from teachers’ unions, advocacy groups and health experts to delay or phase-in the start of school this fall amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19 if all two million students return to class at once.

In British Columbia, the government has announced teachers will now have until Sept. 10 — an extra two days — to prepare their classrooms for students.

It’s part of what the B.C. government is calling an “orientation week” for students and teachers, with staff members meeting on Sept. 8 to discuss how the health guidelines will work in their school.

Experts say Ontario would be wise to follow B.C.’s lead.

Dr. Anna Banerji, a pediatrician and infectious disease expert at the University of Toronto, thinks a delay to school reopenings “would be a very good idea across the country.”

Even just a couple of days, as B.C. has done, would give teachers a chance to problem-solve and look at implementing simple but effective measures, Banerji said, such as drawing arrows on the ground to create one-direction pathways, or rearranging larger spaces like gyms and auditoriums to create more classrooms.

Some have called for an even longer delay to the start of the school year, suggesting classes begin later in the fall or even in January. Banerji says creating an orientation week, and giving teachers an extra two days before students arrive, is a smart balance.

“We could wait until a couple years until the pandemic is gone and we have a vaccine, but I think people are suffering and children are suffering,” she said. “Waiting until January makes it very difficult for a lot of families and children.”

But some education experts say a gradual return, drawn out over days or even weeks, would be the best approach.

“It is understandable that there is an urgent quest for some forms of normalcy, including the reopening of schools,” says a paper released by University of Toronto education professor Carol Campbell and Ryerson professor Beverly-Jean Daniel, Annie Kidder of People for Education, and education researcher Ruth Baumann.

“However, these are not normal times and we cannot simply return to the old status quo. We urge that as well as a safe return to school, we need a gentle return to the upcoming school year. We need to go slow.”

While each board could do this differently, and “while we all want to see children returning to attending school five days a week when it is safe and possible to do so, there is no compelling reason for having every student return on the very first day,” says the paper.

“Ontario schools have often done staggered re-entries in the past” and other countries have also used it to reopen after getting past the first wave of COVID-19, including Denmark and Germany.

The paper suggests that younger students could go in first as older students gradually return; in high schools, Grade 9 students could begin classes first since they missed out on orientation after schools were shut down in March, or start with Grade 12 students to ensure they get in as much instructional time as possible before graduation.

The province has mandated that all students wear masks, all day, starting in Grade 4, and that high school students in larger urban boards will be in classes of 15 and only attend part time. Concerns have been raised about elementary class sizes, which will remain unchanged.

The government is providing boards more than $309 million on COVID-related costs, including hiring 500 public health nurses for schools.

Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday that he’d be “flexible” when he was asked about delaying the start of the school year.

“We have to be able to sit down and listen to everyone, and that's what we're doing,” Ford said. “We have to be flexible when it comes to education and protecting the kids.”

The premier also said he wants to work with teachers’ unions, to “sit down and listen,” and put aside any differences.

But critics warn that with just a couple of weeks to go before school starts, time is running out.

“We must consider delaying the start of back to school in order to give school boards more time and more resources to deliver a safe return,” said Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca. “Most school boards need more time and more provincial investment to get class sizes down.”

In British Columbia, Education Minister Rob Fleming noted that schools are going to look different in September. “Staff, students and parents need time to get familiar with all the new health and safety procedures that are designed to keep them safe and confident in their school settings,” Fleming said.

B.C.’s teachers’ union says the two-day delay is a “reasonable” approach.

“I think a couple of days right now is a good start,” said Teri Morring, president of the B.C. Teachers Federation. “There will need to be time throughout the school year dedicated to health and safety training.”

B.C. school boards can ask students to arrive at school earlier but are required to have students in classrooms by Sept. 10, when “students will be assigned to their class, find out who is in their learning group, practise their new routines and familiarize themselves with how to safely move from the class to outdoor and common areas of the school, according to a government news release.

Kristin Rushowy

Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy

Wanyee Li

Wanyee Li is a Vancouver-based reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @wanyeelii

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2020/08/10/toronto-board-wants-to-know-what-parents-think-as-it-pushes-province-to-change-back-to-school-policies.html

Toronto board wants to know what parents think as it pushes province to change back-to-school policies

By Kristin Rushowy Queen's Park Bureau

Mon., Aug. 10, 2020timer3 min. read

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Toronto families will be asked if they intend to send their children back to school with regular-sized classes, and if they would consider doing so if classes were smaller — should the province provide funding to make that happen.

Those questions will go out to parents starting Tuesday as the Toronto District School Board pushes the provincial government to change its back-to-school plans.

School board trustees will be voting this week on a motion to ask that masks be made mandatory students in junior kindergarten to Grade 3 — not just for older students, as is currently planned — in a bid to allay concerns raised by parents and teachers.

They will also consider a proposal seeking funding from the province for more teachers, as well as money to improve ventilation in buildings and to make sure all washrooms have touchless handwashing stations, among other items.

“I am moving the mask requirement because public health agencies agree that children over two years should wear masks indoors, and when social distancing is not available,” said Beaches-East York Trustee Michelle Aarts, noting that Toronto bylaws mandate masks in indoor spaces.

“We want to start from a position of ‘an abundance of caution,’ with proper education, training, options, and flexibility for different age groups, and then revise protocols as needed,” she said.

Aarts added that her youngest child is seven years old, and attends “an overcapacity school of over 1,000 students,” while another child has health issues.

“Masks in schools are a minimum requirement for me to choose to send my youngest back to school,” she said.

Like boards across the province, the TDSB is now trying to gauge parents’ interest in having their children return to the classroom as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Families must decide if they want to send their children to school full-time, or prefer remote learning at home. All boards are warning that if parents change their minds after choosing the online option, their children could be put on a wait-list.

High school students in large, urban boards will have the chance to switch from in-person to at-home learning between “quadmesters.”

The government has mandated masks for students starting in Grade 4, and also set high school class sizes at 15 students in the larger boards. Elementary class sizes will remain as they were, which had meant up to 30 students in a classroom.

The province is providing about $30 million to the Ontario’s 72 boards to hire additional teachers. It is also hiring 500 public health nurses, in part to assist with random COVID-19 testing in high schools.

The government is spending more than $309 million on education costs related to COVID-19, which Premier Doug Ford has said will result in the highest per-student expenditure of any province.

Experts at Sick Kids and other children’s hospitals, however, have said that smaller classes are critical to the safe return, along with physical distancing and good hand hygiene.

On Monday, Ford said he’s confident about the fall restart, “but to say I’m confident no one’s going to catch the virus — it’s just not realistic with two million (students) going back into the system, 160,000 teachers. But I do believe we have the best plan in the entire country.”

Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the government is doing everything it can to “de-risk” the return to classrooms. “We’re doing everything we can to follow the evidence, the science and the emerging advice of our public health agencies, to put in layers of prevention,” Lecce said.

In a letter to Ford, Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca called on the premier to keep class sizes small. His party has calculated that the government needs to spend $3.2 billion to hire enough teachers, caretakers and to ensure student and staff safety.

Del Duca also said the province could consider delaying the start of the school year “to ensure that we get it right. This can be done using the same regional approach that’s been used for the reopening of our economy, recognizing that a one-size-fits-all plan may not be advisable.”

The TDSB has said many of it schools are older and have small classrooms, so it will be difficult to enforce physical distancing if classes remain at their current size. 

Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-public-private-high-schools-1.5681446

Edmonton

Alberta government considers public-private partnerships for 5 high school builds

Social Sharing

School divisions say high school space urgently needed

Janet French · CBC News · Posted: Aug 11, 2020 6:00 AM MT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

Alberta Infrastructure Minister Prasad Panda's department is studying whether a group of five new high schools should be built and maintained as public-private partnerships. (Prasad Panda campaign)

Five new Alberta high schools could be built and maintained as public-private partnerships (P3s), according to the provincial infrastructure department.

Alberta Infrastructure is exploring whether it can save money by engaging a private company to assume the risks of constructing and owning a bundle of new high schools in Edmonton, Leduc, Blackfalds and Langdon.

Together, the projects would be worth more than $200 million and accommodate more than 6,000 students.

"P3s have been successfully used to deliver school projects and have demonstrated value for money when compared to traditional delivery methods," said Hadyn Place, press secretary to Infrastructure Minister Prasad Panda, in an email last month.

However, P3 construction projects can be controversial. Edmonton school boards have previously struggled with flooded and muddy school yards they were powerless to fix and boiling classrooms in which the temperature could only be controlled by calling someone in Toronto.

Some critics say P3 contracts look cheaper up front but cost more in the long run as governments make payments over decades.

Last year, the Alberta government explored building five new elementary-junior high schools as P3s. Panda later changed his mind, saying government would fund the construction to create jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Former Progressive Conservative governments built approximately 40 P3 schools in Alberta.

High school space an urgent need

Five projects that the government promised to fund in April 2020 are part of a bundle of builds that could be P3s. They include:

  • A public high school in Edmonton's Meadows area for 2,400 students, at a cost of at least $81 million.
  • A Catholic high school in Edmonton's Heritage Valley for 1,300 students, at an estimated cost of $52 million.
  • A $47-million public high school in Leduc with an opening capacity of 1,000 students and the possibility of future additions.
  • The first public high school in Blackfalds, for 970 students in Grades 9-12, at a cost of $29 million.
  • A public Grade 7-12 school for Langdon, in Rocky View school division, for 900 students. An estimated cost was unavailable.

Construction is expected to start on the schools in 2021, and they should be open for students by September 2024.

Although the infrastructure minister has not yet made a decision, several school divisions have been told to plan as if the schools will be P3s.

High schools in suburban Edmonton, as well as bedroom communities in Edmonton and Calgary, are running out of room as a demographic bulge of children approach their teen years. (Reuters/Vincent Kessler)

Spokespeople for several school divisions said the need for more space is so dire, they're less concerned with how the construction is funded.

John Fiacco, Edmonton Catholic Schools' superintendent of educational planning, said Monday that two Catholic high schools in south Edmonton are already full. A demographic bulge of students has also filled K-9 schools in the south beyond capacity. Fiacco said they'll need somewhere to go.

"Our push is to get spaces for students to learn," he said. "And whether it comes through a P3 model or driven by the province, we just want to work with whatever construct is given to us in order to make this happen."

Growth continues despite pandemic

The residents of Langdon, which is 35 kilometres east of Calgary, have been advocating for a local high school for years, said Greg Luterbach, superintendent of Rocky View Schools, last week.

High school students ride the bus about 12 km to Chestermere, where the public high school is also nearly full, he said. Both communities are growing.

Although Luterbach is happy to have the new high school on the way, he wonders how a P3 arrangement could affect the potential to partner with the local county to potentially build a shared community facility with the school.

In Leduc, 33 km south of Edmonton, the high school is bursting at 110 per cent capacity, Black Gold school division superintendent Bill Romanchuk said last week.

A long-term maintenance contract for P3 schools is what worries division leaders, he said. Simple repairs like a paint touch-up or repaired hole in the wall must all go through a third-party contractor, which is more expensive than division employees doing the repairs themselves, he said.

"We're not going to bite the hand that feeds us," he said. "We've expressed our preferences to Alberta Infrastructure and our MLA. We're getting a new school and we're happy about that."

An Amazon warehouse and supply operations coming to Leduc is expected to create at least 5,000 jobs and will likely bring an even larger influx of students, he said.

Edmonton Public School Board chair Trisha Estabrooks says growth remains the school division's biggest challenge, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. (Trevor Wilson/CBC)

Edmonton Public Schools is also "desperate" for more high schools, chair Trisha Estabrooks said Monday.

She thinks her division is best placed to manage school construction projects efficiently. Although some previous P3 builds were successful, others had "significant problems" once they were open, she said.

"I think about situations where small changes are needed within the school and there's a big hullabaloo to get it changed in the P3 contract," she said. "There's concerns about maintenance work not being done in a timely fashion."

Estabrooks acknowledged that the United Conservative Party government campaigned on more P3 infrastructure projects, and she said parents with kids in crowded schools likely care most about whether there's space for their teens.

"At the end of the day, we need schools, and we need them built as quickly as possible."

About the Author

Janet French

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-yes-your-kids-should-go-back-to-school-yes-it-can-be-done-safely/

Opinion

Yes, your kids should go back to school. Yes, it can be done safely

The Editorial Board

Published 13 hours ago

In normal times, it’s the kids who get anxious about their first day of school. Today, as September approaches, parents across the country are the ones with knots in their stomachs, worried that the return to the classroom will pose a health risk to their children, but also worried that keeping them home could be harmful to their well-being in other, possibly more serious, ways.

Closing schools as part of the country’s first response to the COVID-19 pandemic was necessary and reasonable at the time. But it has come at a price. School closings have “significant adverse health and welfare consequences for children and youth,” according to a report from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

Those adverse effects include setbacks to children’s educational, emotional, social and physical development caused by their absence from the classroom.

The downsides also include increased rates of depression and anxiety in children, as well as higher suicide rates, the SickKids report says. More than half the parents surveyed in a recent Ontario study cited by SickKids said they had seen “drastic changes in mood, behaviour and personality” in their children since schools were closed.

As well, the SickKids report said the stresses on parents caused by the economic shutdown – unemployment, financial insecurity, precarious housing – can trickle down and result in maltreatment. Bonnie Henry, the Provincial Health Officer for British Columbia, says schools are a “safe space” for some at-risk children – a front line for their health care and sometimes the only place they get a decent meal.

It’s for the sake of children’s welfare and health – and not simply because reopening schools would make life easier for working parents – that SickKids, as well as other public-health experts, support a return to the classroom this fall, as long as the necessary precautions are taken.

Parents are understandably nervous. There are no absolutes when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19 – other than self-isolation and virtual learning, that is, and those are not the best choices.

On balance, the best choice is a cautious return to school, a decision based on three critical factors.

First, the state of COVID-19 in Canada. For now, the disease is under control. Outside of clusters that occur as the result of identifiable events, such as ill-advised house parties, there is relatively little community transmission in this country.

Second, the limited effects of the disease on young people. Children, especially teens, may be able to act as vectors to spread the disease to adults and that is an area of concern. But since the start of the pandemic, only one Canadian under the age of 20 has died from COVID-19 and only 26 have been admitted to an intensive-care unit. In 2018, car accidents killed 179 young Canadians and sent nearly 1,200 to hospital.

And third, vigilance works. Physical distancing, regular hand-washing and wearing a mask can prevent the spread of COVID-19, if enough people do it.

Israel has been cited recently as an example of the dangers of reopening classes, when a large outbreak occurred 10 days after schools returned. But on closer inspection, the outbreak happened because students went to class with symptoms, the classes were large and overcrowded, with 35 students and up, and a heat wave meant wearing masks wasn’t feasible.

In other countries, such as Finland and Sweden, schools that enforce physical distancing and other measures have reopened without major incident.

In Germany and the United States, students went back to school this week in large numbers, with different rules in different states. It remains to be seen how it plays out in each country.

But for Canadians, the bottom line is twofold: Schools need to reopen for the sake of children’s long-term well-being; there’s credible evidence to believe it can be done safely, as long as the proper precautions are in place.

It will not be perfect. There will be outbreaks. But Canada has successfully reduced its rate of transmission by following the evolving science and the advice of public-health experts. This is not the time to stop. Based on everything we currently know about COVID-19 and about the effects of the lockdown on children, sending kids back to school this fall is the right thing to do.

As long as it’s done properly, of course. We’ll write more about that later this week.

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-clear-back-to-school-guidelines-are-needed-to-ease-parental-angst/

OPINION

Clear back-to-school guidelines are needed to ease parental angst

ANDRÉ PICARD

PUBLISHED AUGUST 10, 2020 UPDATED 59 MINUTES AGO

There is no perfect way to reopen schools, but there is certainly a wrong way: dithering and prevaricating about back-to-school plans and driving parents out of their minds with worry, fear and guilt.

More than 5.5 million Canadian students are slated to return to classes within weeks.

Political, educational and public-health leaders need to announce clear plans, however imperfect, for doing so as safely and smartly as possible.

Not in a week. Not in two weeks. Now.

Just as importantly, they need to assuage the concerns of parents.

Schooling has to be a priority. We can do it safely by learning from the successes and failures of other countries.

Children are not being dispatched to the fiery pits of hell. If we do this correctly, they are going be better off in school than they are now, wallowing in isolation and/or mingling in an indiscriminate manner.

In school, kids are going to learn, be with their friends, socialize and play – and they’re going to do so in a controlled environment.

What parents need to know is exactly what that environment will look like. It’s not going to be – or at least it shouldn’t be – the classrooms of yore, with 30 kids shoehorned into a room and moving about en masse.

Physical distancing is the single most important public-health measure we have to protect ourselves against the novel coronavirus. To allow children to be two metres apart, there should be no more than 15 students assigned to a typically sized classroom.

We can and should make that happen, instead of debating it ad nauseam.

Schedules should be managed so that each group limits its interactions with other groups. For example: implementing staggered lunch hours instead of having everyone eat in the cafeteria at once. Large group activities, such as high-school sports, should be kept to a minimum.

Cohorts (or bubbles if you prefer) of 15 are also practical because if there is an infection detected, you can quarantine a small group rather than an entire school.

Digital learning can supplement or replace classes for those who opt out of in-class attendance. Special attention should be paid to accommodate those with learning disabilities.

Elementary and high-school students should wear masks. Currently, the rules on this are all over the map. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends everyone 10 and up should be masked; that’s as good a cutoff as any. Teachers should wear face shields and, with older students, masks, too.

We also have to pay attention to air quality. Classes should be outdoors whenever possible. Open windows are an alternative. HVAC filters should be updated and air purifiers are helpful, too.

Book-length guidelines, such as the Harvard School of Public Health’s excellent Schools For Health publication, are useful for experts, but parents need this guidance in digestible bites: Your child will be in a class of 15, with good ventilation, wearing a mask.

Clearly stated rules such as these would provide a relatively safe learning environment and, hopefully, calm some parental angst.

Schools do not exist in a vacuum. The best way to keep kids (and everyone else) safe is to ensure the virus is circulating as little as possible.

Benchmarks can and should be set.

In parts of the United States, such as New York State, officials have determined that if the positivity rate of coronavirus tests is less than 5 per cent, in-person instruction can resume. (In Canada, the positivity rate is 2.5 per cent since the beginning of the pandemic, but currently about 0.5 per cent.)

Another benchmark to aim for is less than one case of coronavirus for every 100,000, which indicates little community transmission. Practically speaking, that would mean, for example, reporting fewer than 150 new cases a day in Ontario. (On Monday, the province reported 115 new cases.)

We also have to keep the risk of kids returning to school in perspective. Yes, the coronavirus is new and it’s scary, but it pales in comparison to other risks. The single biggest danger in a Canadian child’s life is getting into a car.

Parents cannot rationally argue, “My kid won’t go back to school because it’s too dangerous,” and then turn around and drive off on a family camping trip.

We are concerned – obsessed, even – with making schools safe, and that’s good. But we have to concern ourselves with what children will be doing if they’re not in school.

Very few of them will be bubble-wrapped in the basement. Nor should they be. But they can and should be learning and growing in social bubbles at school.

FOLLOW ANDRÉ PICARD ON TWITTER @PICARDONHEALTH

 https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/london-areas-encouraging-covid-19-caseload-a-good-springboard-as-school-nears/wcm/a787f434-c4ae-4f27-b0af-7ecdbe7add74/

London-area's encouraging COVID-19 caseload 'a good springboard' as school nears

As parents fret and teachers sweat about the return to school – just weeks away in Ontario – doctors say low COVID-19 numbers are a good signal to get London and area kids back in class.

Author of the article:

Megan Stacey

Publishing date:

Aug 10, 2020  •  Last Updated 11 hours ago  •  3 minute read

Dr. Mario Elia (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)

As parents fret and teachers sweat about the return to school – just weeks away in Ontario – doctors say low COVID-19 numbers are a good signal to get London and area kids back in class.

One new coronavirus infection was announced this weekend, bringing the total caseload so far in London and Middlesex County to 683, with 20 of those cases still active. It’s become an encouraging pattern, save for a rare day or two, for local officials to report zero or just one new case each day.

London-area's encouraging COVID-19 caseload 'a good springboard' as school nears

“Our numbers couldn’t possibly be at a better place right now,” said Dr. Mario Elia, a family physician in southwest London and an adjunct professor in Western University’s family medicine department.

He credited a strong willingness from the public to keep distance from others, wear masks, and keep up other public health recommendations, like frequent and thorough hand washing.

“My hope is that we can keep this momentum going, with low community spread . . . as long as everyone keeps doing what we’re doing, there’s no reason we shouldn’t have a good springboard to start school.”

Elia said the return to classrooms – where schoolkids, teachers, and staff will inevitably come into close contact with many other people – is the top COVID-19 question he’s hearing from patients.

Despite the anxiety, public health officials say London and Middlesex County is in a good place for back-to-school.

“The numbers are as low since we’ve seen since the start of this (pandemic),” said Dr. Alex Summers, the region’s associate medical officer of health, calling those statistics “reassuring.”

They’ve stayed low in the three weeks since London entered the third phase of re-opening, too, welcoming customers back inside restaurants, bars, fitness facilities and other indoor spaces.

Ontario has also seen promising numbers lately, with fewer than 100 new cases each day for a week.

“This is probably the best time to think about the return to school, knowing that we’ve made such wonderful progress and school is such an important part of children’s development,” Summers said, though he added that he understands parents will still “be fretful” about the transition.

The good news is that kids tend to fare well if they get COVID-19, Summers said.

Both Elia and Summers said families should think about how to limit contact with others outside school. The fall will bring cooler weather, which may put an end to the safer, outdoor gatherings people have been enjoying for months.

Now is the time to get in those hugs and kisses with grandparents, Elia said.

“I’m telling all my patients, if their kids are going back to school – which in the majority of cases I think is appropriate – that they’re careful their social bubble does not include those who are high-risk, that being seniors and those with medical conditions,” he said.

It’s best to keep two metres away from older folks and those with compromised immune systems whenever possible once kids are back in class, “an environment where their bubble is suddenly going to expand to 100 people or more,” Elia said.

He’s still hoping to see smaller class sizes, especially for the benefit of teacher and staff health, when schools re-open.

The risk hasn’t gone away, even with numbers this low. Community spread is still happening, Summers stressed.

“It’s not rampant, by any means, but it’s still out there,” he said. “We’re not at stage normal.”

mstacey@postmedia.com

twitter.com/MeganatLFPress

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-elementary-class-sizes-covid-19-1.5679764?ref=mobilerss&cmp=newsletter_CBC%20Toronto_1642_85512

Toronto

Ontario's largest school board commits to shrinking elementary class sizes in areas hit hardest by COVID-19

Social Sharing

TDSB banking on funds promised by province to hire more staff, trustee Parthi Kandavel says

Kelda Yuen, Desmond Brown · CBC News · Posted: Aug 08, 2020 8:46 PM ET | Last Updated: August 10

TDSB trustee Parthi Kandavel says certain Toronto neighborhoods have been disproportionately hit by COVID-19. (CBC)

A Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustee says the province's largest school board will prioritize shrinking elementary class sizes in neighbourhoods hit hardest by COVID-19.

On Friday, Education Minister Stephen Lecce pointed to a number of new investments and policies for school boards announced by the province — among them, $30 million to hire more staff to decrease elementary class sizes whenever possible.

TDSB trustee Parthi Kandavel said the board will be submitting an application for that funding; and while he's not sure if the funds will be distributed by population or by need, they're asking for as much as possible to be given to the Toronto District School Board.

"[Toronto] is disproportionately hit, and certain neighbourhoods … are hit the hardest," Kandavel, who represents Ward 18, Scarborough Southwest, told CBC News.  

"We need to address that to ensure the safety of our teachers and of course our students and families.

"The bulk of what we're counting on for the strategy of reducing class sizes in hardest-hit neighbourhoods, will come down to that provincial fund that's been set up," Kandavel added.

In Ontario, there are no cap sizes for kindergarten and classes in Grades 4 through 8, only a maximum average of 24.5 across each board. That means it's not uncommon for children in high enrolment school boards to find themselves in classes of 30 or more students.

Just over a week ago, Toronto Public Health released startling data showing that Black people or other people of colour made up 83 per cent of all confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city outside of long-term care homes. Previously, the city identified neighbourhoods that have been hit hardest by the novel coronavirus.

In the aftermath, city leaders have called for short-term improvements — like more targeted testing and public awareness campaigns — to better help those most at risk.

However it's unclear how the data is guiding Ontario's back-to-school plan.

"I'm hopeful [Lecce will] understand that there's such an intersection between geography and race, and who lives in these neighbourhoods; and this will hopefully inform their decision to fund Toronto appropriately to [address] these hardest-hit neighbourhoods," Kandavel said.

We are going to place those teachers in those hot spots to reduce class sizes.

- Parthi Kandavel -TDSB trustee

Kandavel pointed to Woburn — the eighth most-hit neighbourhood in Toronto — that he said would be given priority in the placement of extra teachers.

He also highlighted other areas "like the Jane and Keele corridor, and in the northwest, there's Rexdale." 

Many of these harder-hit neighbourhoods are home to higher proportions of crowded multi-unit residences and essential front-line workers. 

"The plan is — granted we are given the additional funding from the province, which I suspect will happen — we are going to place those teachers in those hot spots to reduce class sizes," Kandavel said.

Anusha Kumarasan, whose five-year-old son, Joshua, is going into senior kindergarten — lives in the Woburn area.

She agrees that funding and resources should go to hardest-hit neighbourhoods first. But even if classes are downsized, she is worried about sending her kid to school.

"I'm very nervous about it. I'm leaning more towards online learning than actually sending him because he's so young," Kumarasan told CBC News.

"What is he going to know about sanitizing and all that? So I'm very nervous about it. Even if the class was, let's say 15 students, it will still be nerve-wracking because we don't know where the kids have been."

"They're coming into a classroom and playing together, passing things to each other. It comes down to those little things. I really don't want to send him back," Kumarasan added.

Anusha Kumarasan, whose five-year-old son is going into Senior Kindergarten, says even if classes are downsized, she is nervous about sending her kid to school. (Kelda Yuen/CBC)

Ryan Bird, a TDSB spokesperson, confirmed the board is looking for solutions.

"We're aware of this issue and are discussing what may be possible with the Ministry of Education," he said in an email statement.

Last Friday, Premier Doug Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce defended the province's plan but did not give a direct answer when asked if they would spend more to lower class sizes.

"We have to be adaptable," Ford told reporters. "We have to be flexible — we have been flexible."

Kandavel said the province is expected to reveal next week how it will be allocating the $30 million funding.

"This is going to be one of those big tests for us and for the public — that we're meeting the needs of those hardest hit."

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News

https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/2020/08/07/government-plan-will-leave-elementary-students-at-risk.html

Government plan will leave elementary students at risk

SH

By Sam Hammond

Fri., Aug. 7, 2020timer2 min. read

With the government’s plan for return to school in September, it is clear that restaurants, grocery stores and gyms will have more safety restrictions in place than elementary schools.

It is also painfully clear that neither Premier Ford nor Education Minister Stephen Lecce have any sense of what a day in a classroom looks like in Ontario.

If they did, they would know that with a packed classroom of 24, or in some cases more than 30 students, it is impossible to ensure physical distancing. The premier is also oblivious to the realities of a kindergarten classroom. There may be two educators in the room but there are still upwards to 30 children in a confined space. That’s concerning. These students don’t sit in rows; they are engaged in learning through play. They are more active and have less self-regulation than older students.

It’s not uncommon that COVID-19 outbreaks have occurred involving young children. In Jaffa, Israel, 33 elementary students and five staff were infected, as were nine of 11 classmates in a Trois-Rivières elementary school. Outbreaks at two child care centres in Toronto and Montreal forced temporary closures in late spring.

The Ford government is being disingenuous when it says its plan is based on recommendations from the Sick Kids Hospital Report on Return to School. The report’s authors specifically called for smaller class sizes so that physical distancing can be maintained.

Two-metre physical distancing and mask wearing have been required for indoor activities across the province. Why not in the classroom? We know that COVID-19 does not distinguish between a grocery store and a classroom, between a coffee shop and school hallways.

The fact that students in kindergarten to Grade 3 are not being required to wear masks is also troubling, since the scientific evidence regarding young children and transmission is still evolving. Even the Sick Kids Hospital Report authors could not come to consensus on the mask issue for children younger than 10 years old. Given that school boards have a duty to take every reasonable measure to protect the safety of students and staff, why would we not practice caution? All students should be required to wear masks to protect their safety and the safety of the entire school community.

That is why the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has sent a letter to those municipalities with bylaws mandating the use of masks within indoor spaces requesting that schools be included.

The Ontario government needs to stop, rethink its severely flawed plan and put the necessary funding in place to ensure the safety and health of students, educators and staff. That includes sufficient funding for smaller classes, improved building ventilation to comply with recommended standards, rental of additional classroom space if needed and the hiring of more educators to provide instruction to both smaller classes and to those students whose parents have elected to have them participate in distance learning.

Ontarians don’t need a government that gambles on the safety of students, staff, parents and their communities. The Ford government needs to listen to parents and educators and stop trying to cut costs on a safe return to school. We need a government that will safeguard the health of children and educators as they return to school this fall.

Sam Hammond is the president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario.

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ford-lecce-school-plan-distancing-covid-19-ontario-update-1.5677727?ref=mobilerss&cmp=newsletter_CBC%20News%20Top%20Headlines%20%20%E2%80%93%20Morning_1613_83559

Toronto

Premier, education minister defend Ontario's back-to-school plan amid class size concerns

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Ontario keeping elementary class sizes at pre-COVID-19 levels

CBC News · Posted: Aug 07, 2020 9:01 AM ET | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

Watch

Parents and public health agencies concerned about back-to-school safety

  • 10 hours ago 

As Ontario parents continue to press the government for stronger safety measures when schools reopen, public health agencies are making statements that seem to reinforce the parents' arguments. 1:53

Premier Doug Ford and his education minister defended Ontario's back-to-school plan on Friday amid concerns about elementary class sizes, saying the government is "flexible" but does not intend to revisit the strategy. 

"We have to be adaptable," Ford told reporters during a morning news conference at Queen's Park. "We have to be flexible — we have been flexible."

Education Minister Stephen Lecce first revealed the province's plan for a return to class for students last week. Since then, he and the premier have faced criticism from some parents and educators, in particular over the decision to keep elementary school class sizes at pre-COVID-19 levels.

"As a dad, I get it. I have four girls who went through the system. I understand the concerns of the parents," Ford said.

In Ontario, there are no cap sizes for classes in Grades 4 through 8, only a maximum average of 24.5 across each board. That means it's not uncommon for children in high enrolment school boards to find themselves in classes of 30 or more students. 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, left, and his Education Minister Stephen Lecce repeatedly called the province's back-to-school plan the best in the country during a news conference Friday. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)

On Friday, Ford and Lecce said that the health of students is their top priority and that a combination of COVID-19 measures will keep children safe.

Lecce pointed to a number of new investments and policies for school boards announced by the province last week. Among them, $30 million to hire more staff to decrease elementary class sizes whenever possible.

Both Lecce and Ford have already conceded that despite measures to maximize the available space for in-person learning, distancing of at least two metres — the range recommended by Canadian public health experts amid the COVID-19 pandemic — won't always be possible for students in school.

Ford said that while it's not a "perfect" plan, it is still the best "in the entire country."

He also stressed that parents who are especially concerned have the ability to opt for online learning curriculums for their children.

Boards encouraged 'to be innovative'

A mandatory mask policy for students in Grade 4 to 12, limiting the number of people students will interact with during the school day and hiring additional custodians and public health nurses will all help boost safety, Lecce said.

"When you look at it as a collective, that plan and that protocol will keep kids safe," he said.

Converting gyms and cafeterias into learning spaces will also open up space for distancing, he said.

"We've encouraged [boards] to be innovative."

Back-to-school plan draws both fear and praise from Ontario parents

Education unions in Toronto call on TDSB to rethink school restart plan

Despite assurances from elected officials, the province's plan has drawn concerns from the likes of Toronto Public Health.

In a letter sent by the organization to the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) this week, health experts raised a number of red flags and urged the board to keep class sizes down to ensure two metres between students.

The TDSB has also said publicly it alone would need $250 million from the province to hire enough additional staff to reduce elementary class sizes boardwide.

$234M for child-care services

Meanwhile, the province, along with the federal government, announced new funding to help support child-care services during Ontario's COVID-19 reopening.

Ford said the two governments have earmarked $234.6 million for childhood and early-years settings among licensed daycare facilities.

The money comes as part of the Safe Restart agreement, a deal struck between Ottawa and the provinces that will see Ontario receive $7 billion in additional funding.

Rural, northern boards grapple with Ontario's back-to-school plan

Ford says the child-care money will be used to enhance cleaning and public safety protocols for facilities, including licensed daycare providers and First Nations Child and Family programs.

The government says it will be providing face coverings to all those settings, but did not immediately offer details of other measures the money would help fund.

Ontario's daycare centres, which have been operating in a limited capacity since mid-March, are allowed to fully reopen as of Sept. 1.

88 new COVID-19 cases

The Ontario Ministry of Health reported 88 new cases of COVID-19 across the province on Friday, the fifth straight day with fewer than 100 newly confirmed infections of the novel coronavirus.

Toronto, Peel and Ottawa were the only public health units to see 10 or more additional cases.

Ontario has now reported a total of 39,897 instances of COVID-19. Of those, slightly more than 90 per cent are considered resolved by public health officials.

There are currently about 1,090 confirmed cases of the illness still active provincewide.

At 66, the number of patients in Ontario hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 cases remains at its lowest since the Ministry of Health began reporting hospitalization data on April 1. Twenty-eight people are being treated in intensive care and just 12 remain on ventilators.

Ontario's official COVID-19 death toll stayed steady at 2,783. A CBC News count based on data provided directly by public health units put the real toll at 2,821.

All of the figures used in this story are found in the Ministry of Health's daily update, which includes data from up until 4 p.m. the previous day. The number of cases for any particular region on a given day may differ from what is reported by the local public health unit, which often avoid the lag times in the provincial system.

With files from Lucas Powers and The Canadian Press

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Quarantine Math Lessons at Home, New as of August 13, 2020
 
Grade 4: Measurement

Overall Expectations

By the end of Grade 4, students will:

• estimate, measure, and record length, perimeter, area, mass, capacity, volume, and elapsed time, using a variety of strategies;

• determine the relationships among units and measurable attributes, including the area and perimeter of rectangles.

Specific Expectations

Attributes, Units, and Measurement Sense

By the end of Grade 4, students will:

– estimate, measure, and record length, height, and distance, using standard units (i.e., millimetre, centimetre, metre, kilometre) (e.g., a pencil that is 75 mm long);

https://www.education.com/resources/fourth-grade/measurement-word-problems/

https://ca.ixl.com/math/grade-4?partner=bing&adGroup=Search+-+Grade+Levels+-+Mod+Broad+-+Math+-+Int+4th+grade+math&msclkid=844106eaea6c154a1dbc59d99340cb5f&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search+-+Grade+Levels+-+Mod+Broad+-+Math+-+Int&utm_term=%2Bmath+%2Bgrade+%2B4&utm_content=4th+grade+math

https://www.k5learning.com/free-math-worksheets/fourth-grade-4

– draw items using a ruler, given specific lengths in millimetres or centimetres (Sample problem: Use estimation to draw a line that is 115 mm long. Beside it, use a ruler to draw a line that is 115 mm long. Compare the lengths of the lines.);

https://www.education.com/worksheets/math/?msclkid=e7b1a4bec2a71a416f59fb8db940c2bb&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search%20-%20Worksheets%20-%20Edu%20Terms%20-%20BMM&utm_term=%2Bmath%20%2Bworksheet&utm_content=Math%20worksheets

https://ca.ixl.com/?partner=bing&adGroup=Search+-+General+-+Phrase+-+Int+math+worksheets&msclkid=e352b08254d31d35654defb12f342382&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search+-+General+-+Phrase+-+Int&utm_term=math+worksheet&utm_content=math+worksheets

http://www.eocccmathinquiry.ca/eoccc-math-grade-4.html

– estimate, measure (i.e., using an analogue clock), and represent time intervals to the nearest minute;

https://www.education.com/worksheets/math/?msclkid=e5033b557c5d1fe54e46646600fbd320&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search%20-%20Worksheets%20-%20Edu%20Terms%20-%20BMM&utm_term=%2Bmath%20%2Bworksheet&utm_content=Math%20workshee

https://ca.ixl.com/?partner=bing&adGroup=Search+-+General+-+Phrase+-+Int+math+worksheets&msclkid=eb9fc52e088a12997b7c9a1d742c6ec4&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search+-+General+-+Phrase+-+Int&utm_term=math+worksheet&utm_content=math+worksheets

https://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/time.php

https://www.math-drills.com/timeworksheets.php

– estimate and determine elapsed time, with and without using a time line, given the durations of events expressed in five-minute intervals, hours, days, weeks, months, or years (Sample problem: If you wake up at 7:30 a.m., and it takes you 10 minutes to eat your breakfast, 5 minutes to brush your teeth, 25 minutes to wash and get dressed, 5 minutes to get your backpack ready, and 20 minutes to get to school, will you be at school by 9:00 a.m.?);

https://www.education.com/worksheets/time/

– estimate, measure using a variety of tools(e.g., centimetre grid paper, geoboard) and strategies, and record the perimeter and area of polygons;

http://www.eocccmathinquiry.ca/eoccc-math-grade-4.html

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Secret 75% Class Average Policy (Do teachers follow a 75% class average policy when they mark student work? Is this honest? Does this lead to inaccurate marks? Does this keep some students out of the program they want in college and university by lowering some marks? Can parents sue the school board and the province?)
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Lessons During the Pandemic. Parents in Ontario can check this web site and look up the topics and subjects that their children were supposed to learn this past school year. You may purchase workbooks at stores such as Chapters/Indigo to help your child to avoid falling behind. Your local branch of the public library may have activities to help children this summer if Covid-19 cooperates and goes away. Your child's teacher from last year may provide question and answer worksheets and booklets for you to print off. Use youtube to find videos on the topics your child was supposed to learn about this past year. Good luck. TH
Get your child to write a lot of fiction and non-fiction and the parent or grandparent who is the best at writing could correct the work looking for spelling errors, capital letters errors, tense errors, prefixes, suffixes, and punctuation mistakes. You could have children share their stories with each other. Comedy is often a favourite topic.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/Curriculum/elementary/grades.html
==============================================================
(A former Catholic educator told me that many years ago a very reliable source told him that not long after abortion became legal in Canada the medical community warned the supporters of abortion rights that they could only expect to have access to abortions upon demand for about twenty years. After that the technology with contraception would be so efficient that there would be very few unwanted pregnancies so the number of abortions requested would be very low. If this happened the medical community would have to de-list abortion services and offer other medical services. The former Catholic educator was told that Pro-Choice had meetings and decided to organize their supporters into getting pregnant just to have abortions so that the abortion doctors would be too busy performing operations to de-list the service. He told me that many of the abortions today and the past ten years have been political abortions, not the consequence of incest, rape, or the mother's life was at risk. Is this true? Do they teach this fact in secondary schools in Canada and the U.S.? Do they teach it in elementary schools?)
(Wikipedia:  In 2017, 94,030 abortions were reported in Canada; it is estimated that this number "represents approximately 90% of all abortions performed in Canada involving Canadian residents".)
(nbc.com, By Associated Press
The number and rate of abortions across the United States have plunged to their lowest levels since the procedure became legal nationwide in 1973, according to new figures released Wednesday.
The report from the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights, counted 862,000 abortions in the U.S. in 2017. That's down from 926,000 tallied in the group's previous report for 2014, and from just more than 1 million counted for 2011.
Guttmacher is the only entity that strives to count all abortions in the U.S., making inquiries of individual providers. Federal data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention excludes California, Maryland and New Hampshire.
The new report illustrates that abortions are decreasing in all parts of the country, whether in Republican-controlled states seeking to restrict abortion access or in Democratic-run states protecting abortion rights. Between 2011 and 2017, abortion rates increased in only five states and the District of Columbia.)
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(Do principals tell teachers to make sure that their marks average-out to 75%? I was told this helps to keep marks lower so everyone doesn't get 90% to make the teacher look good but then the best universities have difficulty choosing who gets a seat in the science program.)
(A retired teacher told me in 2013 that the board has a secret list that principals use to decide who is owed a teaching job based on the secret deal teachers have with school boards. This way family members of school boards get jobs with no arguments and grievances and sons and daughters of teachers get teaching jobs. If you don't have family with the board you can have substitute teaching or special ed, which are twice as stressful and more risk. Substitute teaching pays a third of a full-time teacher who has 10 years in.
*******************************************************************
(Is it true that there are thousands and thousands of political abortions performed in Canada and the U.S. each year that are not connected to incest, rape or the threat of the mother's life? Is this taught in secondary schools in Ontario and Canada?)
*******************************************************************
(A former Catholic teacher in Ontario said that he took Religious Education, Part 1, so that he could qualify to teach with a Catholic board in Ontario. He said that the instructor in Scripture told the group of 25 Catholics that modern theologians believed that the story underlying Christianity was basically based on myth. Do you find it strange that educators would prepare Catholic teachers by teaching them these ideas in their training?)
(A teacher told me that in university he studied Sociology 100. He said that in one lecture a professor said that religion was basically a myth. It was stories invented to answer the many questions that humans had about the world and to manipulate people into choosing good actions and morals over animal-like, mean morals and choices. Is this what they are teaching teens in high school in sociology today? Do you agree or disagree?)
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(Does your child's teacher give marks so that they average out to 75% for the class? Do you think that this practice is dishonest and unfair? Do you think a parent can sue the school board if an audit of the class marks shows a 75% class average?) 

(Parents, if you suspect that your child's teacher is inflating their marks just to avoid criticism and to make themselves look good then have your child independently tested, especially in reading, writing, math and science and just after a report card comes out. If there is a discrepancy between the independent testing mark and the teacher's marks take the independent test to the parent council and then to the principal to discuss the matter.)
(Could teachers and school boards be sued by parents if they felt that their child's marks were too low? If a parent asked for an audit of their child's class marks does the board have to comply?)

(Do teachers mark student work aiming to end up with a 75% average for every subject with their class? Who gets stuck with the 60 or the 70 to bring down the average to 75? What if a parent and their child want to get into a very competitive college or university program? Is this fair marking? Can a parent sue a board or the government for fraud if they have an official/unofficial policy of class average of 75%? Parents, ask for an audit of the teacher's marks to see if they average out to 75. This will tell you the truth.)
(Parents wanting to test if their child's teacher knows their stuff can use these guides if the grade is applicable. Some teachers get hired because they know the guides and teach them but some get hired because of who they know. Go ahead, test your child's teacher.)
http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/math/guides_effective_instruction.html
(School boards and the ministries and departments of education should not pressure teachers to mark to a policy of a 75% class average. This distorts marks. I think this is unfair. If a student's work achieves 90% of the learning objective then they have earned 90%.)