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Update for families about online learning

Wed, 2 Sep, 2020

We know some of you are waiting for information about your child's online learning and haven't heard from your teacher or school yet. Family choice is an important piece of the return to school for our Division, and we have been working through the incredibly complex task of organizing students and teachers into online learning groups.

Although we initially planned to have information ready to send to all parents and students by September 3, it has become clear that we need more time. Our work is still in progress, so we can take the care we need to make sure our staff and students are placed in groups that will most benefit students and their learning. 

Over the coming days, students who have not already heard from their online teachers can expect to receive information. By Friday, we anticipate at least 90 per cent of families will have connected with their child’s teacher and many students will have joined an online meet. Similar to in-person learning, we are taking a staggered-entry approach to online learning for back to school. For all students, this week focuses on connecting them with their teachers and getting familiar with new expectations and routines. The first full day of online learning will be Tuesday, September 8. 

Our work to finalize the remaining learning groups and assign teachers will continue over the weekend, and by Monday, September 7, all students will know who their teacher is and the time of their first class on Tuesday. 

If your child hasn’t been contacted by their teacher, they can expect to receive an invite in their Google Classroom account or their @share.epsb.ca email account. This will include a start time for their class on Tuesday. Teachers will set out the learning schedules that students will follow. Learn more about how to access online learning. If your child does not have access to Google Classroom or SchoolZone, please contact your school.

We want to thank you for the patience and understanding you have shown during this process. Around 30 per cent of our families chose to learn online this fall, which means we are organizing over 28,000 students and more than 800 teachers into online learning groups. This is work that we have never done before and we take very seriously. We recognize this is a stressful time for families and students, but want to assure you that we care deeply about our online learning environment and the success of our students.

Our online teachers are eager to meet their new students over the coming days. Thank you again for your patience.