Hamilton Catholic schools will stagger school reopenings, masks now mandatory for all students

The Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB) has approved two new measures in its back to school plan amid the coronavirus pandemic.

At a special meeting on Thursday, trustees voted unanimously in favour of staggering school reopening for elementary students as well as mandating the wearing of masks or face coverings for all students from JK to Grade 12.

“Both of these recommendations are being made in support of the Board’s priority to do all it can to ensure and promote the health and safety and well-being of our staff and students,” said Pat Daly, HWCDSB chair.

He says the staggering of elementary school re-opening will occur over the first two weeks of class and will provide an opportunity for students to learn new health and safety routines.

“The evolving guidance from the Ministry of Education and the complex challenges concerning school re-opening has required flexibility and adaptability on the part of the board and all those associated with publicly funded education, including, of course, parents and staff,” Daly said.

The HWCDSB says it will share further details of its staggered re-opening plans as soon as possible.

Meantime, parents with children in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board‘s elementary schools now have until next week to declare their intentions for the upcoming school year.

The initial deadline for deciding if a child was going to school or staying home was Friday, but parents now have until Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 12 p.m. to complete the online registration form.

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However, the Parent Portal registration system has been a source of frustration for some parents.

Many people have complained on social media about glitches and errors with the online portal.

The HWDSB says parents who are having difficulty completing the online registration form can email info@hwdsb.on.ca or call 905-527-5092 for help.