The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) has pushed back the start date for its elementary distance learning program.
The WRDSB issued a letter to families on Thursday night which says that the program will now begin on Sept. 18 rather than the previously announced Sept. 14.
“Establishing an online learning environment for all grade levels is a complex task, involving different areas across our entire organization,” the board’s letter said, as it went on to apologize for the change.
It continued: “Ensuring that we have qualified teachers and Early Childhood Educators in place to support a high-quality distance learning program takes time.”
The WRDSB says it needs to hire 90 teachers and 30 Designated Early Childhood Educators to teach the 9,256 students whose parents have elected to keep them at home.
Staff are expected to connect with parents prior to the new proposed start date.
It says that the program for high school students will get underway Friday as initially planned.
On Aug. 31, the board announced it was delaying the start of the school year for kids who were attending classes in schools at both levels. This news came a week after it announced a staggered start for schools.
Grade 9 students start orientation Wednesday while they were expected to be joined by other high school grades on Friday.
In elementary schools, Junior Kindergarteners had their first day on Thursday.
Beginning Monday, students will attend school on alternating days, depending on the first letter of their last name.
On Sept. 18, all elementary students who have elected to take in-class learning will be in classrooms at the same time.
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