Peel District School Board provides update on when and how Mississauga students will return to school

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Published August 26, 2020 at 8:08 pm

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The Peel District School Board (PDSB), which operates schools in Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon, recently shared more information on what parents and students can expect on the first day of school–including when it will be and what it will look like.


Students attending school in person

In a letter to families, the board said that rather than all students returning on one day, students will gradually return to school by attending orientation sessions during the weeks of Sept. 8 and 14.

“A gradual return to school means that fewer people will be in the school building, so students and staff can focus on learning and adopting new routines and safety practices before all students return,” the board wrote. 

“This new return-to-school process is grounded in our guiding principles for the safe and equitable reopening of schools.”


Elementary – Kindergarten to Grade 8

The board said that elementary students who will be attending school in person will be assigned two orientation days between Sept. 9 and 15, based on the first letter of their last name, and will fully return to school on Sept. 16. 

Schools will adjust orientation attendance to accommodate for special circumstances, such as siblings with different last names.​


Secondary students in the adaptive learning model (mix of in-person and at-home learning) – Grades 9 to 12:

The board said that secondary students who will attend the adaptive learning model will join a morning orientation session at their school between Sept. 8 and 11, with a full return to school routines on Sept. 14. 

Schools will contact students and families directly by Sept. 1 with orientation dates and details.

The board said special education classes will follow a different model and that schools will reach out to families by Sept. 1.


Students who will be learning at home only

The board says the 40,000 students who have opted for at-home learning only through the board’s PDSB Online School will officially begin class on Sept. 14, with orientation opportunities during the week of Sept. 8.


​​​Gradual return to school for PDSB Online School Students ​

Over the next two weeks, the board will be staffing the PDSB Online School with educators, principals and vice-principals, and other supports.

“Given the significant number of students learning remotely, we will be dividing the PDSB Online School into multiple online school communities that will remain linked to their physical school communities as much as possible,” the board wrote. 

“While your child will not have the same teacher online as they would in person, they will be able to connect with support at the school, such as guidance counsellors, and ESL and In-School Support Program (ISSP) supports.


The board said families are encouraged to remain in the learning model (either in-person or online) that they have already selected and to contact their or their child’s principal directly by Sept. 10 if they wish to make a change.

The PDSB says board-provided transportation routes will begin to run on Sept. 8, 2020. Families can access bus routes and information on Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR)’s website beginning Aug. 31, 2020. 

The board says that anyone who needs a board-provided device to support online learning should contact the school, adding that families who can afford their own device(s) should leave school-owned machines for lower-income families. 

For more information, click here.

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