The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario was excited to welcome students back to the classroom on Tuesday, September 7, for the 2021-2022 school year. To ensure a safe start-up, CDSBEO administration and the Board of Trustees reviewed and updated the School Re-entry Plan for the new school year, which was sent out to all families on Wednesday, August 25. The plan includes many details on the health and safety considerations that have been implemented, and the updates are based on current Ministry of Education and public health guidance. The plan continues to be subject to change and is guided by direction from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of
Health, the Ministry of Education, and local public health. It is based on the best available information and conditions related to COVID-19, and it will continue to evolve and be adjusted, where required, in response to public health advice and information.
Local public health has given schools permission to resume participation in interschool sports, and the board looks forward to our athletes once again having the opportunity to compete in their school sports leagues. Given the ongoing concerns of COVID-19, schools have developed a set of safety protocols in accordance with the CDSBEO School Re-Entry Plan, as well as the Return to Sport guidelines outlined by local public health. The board will continue to collaborate with public health to ensure student safety, and with this in mind, may alter sports guidelines and protocols as needed throughout the school year in response to updated recommendations.
Earlier this month, we were pleased to also highlight the many HVAC ventilation and air quality improvements in our school facilities. Director Cameron and I were pleased to have Minister Steven Clark join us in seeing some of the upgrades. The CDSBEO has worked diligently over the past year and a half to make significant improvements in optimizing air quality in classrooms and learning environments in all its facilities, with investments totaling $6.8M. These improvements are a key element in the multiple protective strategies the CDSBEO has in place to support healthy and safe learning environments for students and staff. We encourage parents to visit the CDSBEO website (www.cdsbeo.on.ca) to view the School Re-entry Plan 2021, and to learn more about the significant ventilation projects completed within the board’s facilities.
In conclusion, we wish all our students and staff a safe and happy return to another school year.
Todd Lalonde
Chair of the CDSBEO
