Dear Parents -
I hope you and your families are continuing to stay healthy and strong as the province continues to fight against the COVID-19 virus.
It has been just over four months since I first wrote to you after the government's decision to close schools and protect the lives of students, families, and the communities where they live and work. A lot has changed in these past four months. However, the one constant is the united effort of parents, students, and families to keep our communities and province safe.
The public health situation across the province has clearly evolved, and I am very proud that in recent weeks the trend has been in a positive direction. From the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, every action we have taken has been guided by the underlying principle of keeping your children safe, and by extension the safety of yourselves and your communities as well. Clearly, we all have an important role to play.
The plan we unveiled today, following the advice of Canada's leading medical and scientific experts - including the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Hospital for Sick Children, and the COVID-19 Command Table - sets out guidelines that will allow students across the province to safely return to class in September. These include:
- The full reopening of all publicly funded elementary schools five days a week;
- Allowing most secondary schools to reopen with an adapted model, with those in lower risk communities reopening five days a week, and;
- Ensuring you have a choice for in-class or online learning, and the latitude to change that decision throughout the year.
The best available medical advice tells us that we need to get our children back in our schools. We know that COVID-19 has taken a profound toll on Ontario's students.
Earlier today, the Premier and I unveiled our plan to get your kids back into the classroom with incredible new supports and resources in place to make sure they are as safe and supported as possible.
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