Remote learning on snow days returns this winter in Waterloo Region

Just like last year, students in Waterloo Region will be expected to switch to asynchronous remote learning on snow days this winter.

In her report presented to the board of trustees on Monday, Waterloo Region District School Board Superintendent Pam Kaur said students and staff are still being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our ability to work from home has certainly improved since the pandemic began, so that will be very helpful,” she said.

In the event that school buses are cancelled, all schools and worksites will be closed but that day becomes a “Weather Impacted Remote Learning Day.”

Kaur pointed out that before COVID-19, schools were able to collapse classrooms and mix cohorts when buses were cancelled, but that is not possible during the pandemic.

“It is health and safety that is prioritized above anything else,” she said.

Kaur also added that the public school board’s plan is consistent with the Catholic school board’s plan.

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On snow days, students will be able to access learning materials through their Google Classroom and staff will be available virtually to students during regular school day hours.

But Kaur added that no new materials will be presented and the day will be looked at as more of a review of what has already been taught.

“Students won’t be missing new material,” associate director Lila Read said.

The board also pointed out that school closures don’t happen very often as they only happened twice last winter and once the winter before.

Just like a typical snow day, a decision on whether schools are closed will be made before 6 a.m.