Schools in Mississauga to stay closed until at least February

Schools in hard-hit regions such as Peel (Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon) will remain closed until at least next month. 

Yesterday (Jan. 12), the province announced that elementary and secondary (K-12) students in Peel will continue to learn remotely until Feb. 10, 2021.

School routines for students in the Online Learning Model will continue as usual.

According to a Peel District School Board (PDSB) release, students with intensive and complex special education needs may continue to attend school face-to-face during the lockdown period based on student learning needs.

The release also says if your child tests positive for COVID-19, even while they are learning remotely, you must e-mail your in-person school as soon as possible after receiving the test results.

“By doing so, health and safety precautions at the child’s school will be put into place and this will assist Peel Public Health in their investigation to limit the spread of the virus within the school communities,” the PDSB said in a statement. 

“As always, you should also follow the advice provided by Peel Public Health to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and keep you and your family safe.” 

During this time, all before- and after-school programs will also be closed, however, all child care programs serving infant, toddler and preschool-age children located inside Peel schools will be permitted to remain open during the lockdown period.

While the Peel board has distributed more than 55,000 devices to students in support of online learning, the board say that some students may still require access to a device for this extended remote learning period. As a result, schools will continue to provide technology to elementary students, beginning with those with the greatest needs.

The Ministry of Education is providing financial support for families during the temporary remote learning period through its Support for Learners program. The board says the program is providing $200 for each child or youth up to Grade 12 and $250 for each child or youth up to age 21 with special needs and applications will be open until Feb. 8, 2021.

According to the province, there are a few new health and safety measures that will be put in place for in-person learning, including mandatory masking for students in grades 1 through 3. Schools will also require that masks be worn outdoors, and will adopt enhanced screening protocols and expanded targeted testing.