Dear Parents/Guardians,
Further to the brief update sent yesterday afternoon, I want to provide a more detailed update on the provincial government’s unprecedented decision to close all publicly-funded schools in Ontario, including those at the Toronto District School Board, from March 14 to April 5, 2020 amid the growing concerns over the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Through this Ministerial Order from the Minister of Education, the Ontario government is ordering school boards to close schools to minimize contact between people, especially children, in order to contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). For this reason, all childcare centres located inside TDSB schools will also be closed and all TDSB Extended Day Programs will be cancelled from March 14 through to April 5, 2020. We recognize that these closures and cancellations will be challenging for many families, especially those with limited childcare options and/or work flexibility. However, this approach is to ensure the health and wellbeing of all families and is consistent with the Ministerial Order to close schools and the decisions of many other school boards.
As all TDSB schools and sites will be closed, the following programs and services will also be closed/cancelled from March 14 to April 5, 2020:
• All Continuing Education and Night School Courses
• All permits
• All Authorized Recreation Programs
• All EarlyON Child and Family Centres
• All TDSB eLearning courses
• All field trips, athletic events, and arts performances
• All school-based meetings and other public meetings and consultations
We know that families will, understandably, have a number of additional questions. For more information, including a complete list of impacted programs and services, please visit the TDSB website, which we will be keeping updated with the latest information. Please note that the Ministry of Education has indicated that it will be providing resources that will be available online to support student learning during the closure. Once these are provided, we will post a link on our website.
As you can appreciate, the situation is changing on a daily basis, however, we remain committed to updating parents/guardians when additional information becomes available.
Thank you for your understanding during these challenging times.
Sincerely,
John Malloy
Director of Education