Thread by @shelleylaskin

Special Virtual COVID-19 @tdsb Planning & Priorities Meeting begins at 4:30 - Watch here tdsb.on.ca/stream/boardme… - Will live tweet

Meeting begins with a delegation from a school council - questions about lunch - hopefully they will be answered through @TOPublicHealth presentation

Update from @TOPublicHealth begins

Begins with key metrics - 73 average number of cases per day over the last 7 days - 3.1 average hospitalizations during the last 7 day - what is different? Vaccinations... unvaccinated are more likely to end up in hospitals

Delta variant - being fully vaccinated - gives very good protection

Important statistics re vaccinations - 84% getting Covid are unvaccinated - those are mostly through community spread or household - those vaccinated mostly through travel - 98% of people who died were unvaccinated - vaccines are effective even with Delta

In the past two weeks efforts to vaccinate have been working

Information is publicly available on @TOPublicHealth website

Youth vaccination numbers beginning to rise - targeted clinics

HIghest numbers recently confirm targeted efforts are working

Projections - sounds like a lot, but cases may be higher but number of hospitalizations lower - vaccinations make a difference

Goal is to keep children in school

Layers of public health measures support provincial guidelines

Recommendations from @TOPublicHealth go beyond the ministry - if someone is vaccinated still require masks

Recommending vaccination policies

Not recommending plexiglass in classrooms

Supports ventilation

Other recommendations include updated guidance on extracurricular and shared spaces

Testing recommendations will continue - planning additional testing initiatives

Supportive of youth vaccinations for all students born in 2009 - 2 doses can be given as early as 21 days apart

Acknowledging history and hesitancy

Listen... and personal connections can help address vaccination hesitancy

City-run vaccine clinics

Additional information -

Website continues to be updated

Questions now for @TOPublicHealth - facing the front prevents coughing in someone's face - and that is the reason for guidance; re N95/K95 masks - operational so ask staff; schools can be safe for voting stations if completely separate entrance

re testing - working with the hospitals to ensure testing at schools - should be coming soon - surveillance testing is no longer being recommended - now testing cohorts and take-home kits (including family members) - trying to use take-home tests as prime methodology

Can @TOPublicHealth put vaccination clinics in schools? Response - we are doing mobile clinics in schools until Sep 3 - the teams can be mobilized as needed - they are planning to offer clinics in the Fall - on-site vaccination clinics at end of day - equity lens

Support masking for all in the building including Kindergarten - evidence evolves - mask use over 2+ - they are effective in the Toronto setting - current context in Toronto - trying to keep kids in-person learning

Q - Is a plan being developed so we can implement vaccinations for under 12's as soon as it is approved? @TOPublicHealth anticipating as early as the Fall for 5-11 year olds - need the vaccine licensed and approved and in hand we are actively working on this

Q Vaccination policies - vaccine disclosure policy to assist with contact tracing - how would it work? A - waiting to see what the policy will look like and how it will unfold - dismissing cohort while investigation will continue - relying on Principals - logistics TBD

Any change to thinking about cohorts who missed HPV, etc - are there plans to go back to that? @TOPublicHealth is actively planning for an approach for September - Grade 7s from last year, current Grade 7's and 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 - for all required vaccines - plan public in Sep

Current guidelines - fully vaccinated - 2 doses, fully 2 weeks - can return to school if exposed; partially vaccinated students/staff will be excluded - important message; frequency of testing for unvaccinated individuals - may depend on test - TBD

There are not yet guidelines yet if everyone is fully vaccinated - that will come

Clarification re students/staff fully double-vaxxed and exposed - do they need a test? @TOPublicHealth - recommended but not required

Now we hear from @tdsb staff

Hearing from @TDSBDirector - historic opportunity and obligation to move us closer to thriving during time of uncertainty and great change - goal to return to in-person and virtual September 9 with necessary health and safety strategies in place in addition to those from EDU

Staff is also committed to addressing inequities - details in the next update along with mental health supports - using pandemic recovery plan and MYSP - will follow principles to ensure a successful school year

Guiding principles will guide our work moving forward

Selection Form Response - preliminary results - two phases - phase one - on-line email

Elementary and Secondary - 86% in-person

Highest request to be in person - JK and Grade 9

Important commitment for access to technology

More detail re device request by grade

Update on technology - schools will be distributing devices locally

Operational Guidelines - they will be revised as circumstances change

Staff reviewing all guidance documents - incorporating suggestions for improvements

Screening Tool will be updated prior to the first day of school as will be operational guidelines - working on masking procedures for activities

Similar to last year - providing resources to schools

Again, similar to last year except for a few changes - phased-in approach

Update re Ventilation - going above ministry guidelines

Number of safety protocols similar to last year

Note - continuing with elementary cohorts outdoors

Continuing with virtual assemblies or assemblies outside

Awaiting further direction

TDSB guidelines differ from ministry for music

Developing protocols now

Working towards all students returning September 9 - two models - in person and dedicated virtual learning class - as close to the local school as possible

More details on Elementary Virtual Learning - local Principals and Superintendents will work together - virtual class with dedicated teacher - all virtual teachers will instruct from home school - will follow the schedule of the school under direction of principal

No central school but because of where numbers fall there may be larger clusters - still dedicated teacher - doing pool hiring to bolster French teachers

Committed to maintaining inclusion - resource support will continue; in ISP or congregated site with small numbers - there may be simultaneous learning

Context for secondary - key issue access to programming and establishing relationships

There may be simultaneous learning in secondary to keep programming higher percentage are choosing remote - in 9/10 for most compulsory dedicated virtual teacher - there will be approaches for differentiated staffing

#StudentVoice - feedback re virtual experience

A bit more detail - simultaneous only to ensure program options

Staff now speak to more detail on secondary - both virtual and simultaneous learning

Whether virtual with a dedicated teacher or simultaneous learning dependent on numbers - first attempts will be virtual class with dedicated teacher

Connections with home school staff will be critical

Qs and As now - more details will be shared re ventilation testing and the issue of C02; more information on staffing and numbers next meeting - trying to keep classes below 30; still working on details re music delivery etc but teachers will continue to move not students

Re - grouping of virtual students - trying to keep students in same school together - more questions on virtual and simultaneous options; more detail next week - coming with a 7 week back to school plan explicit activities integrated - K-5 plan; 6-8 plan & secondary plan

Q re specialty rooms - will they be used this year? Not to start - Q re selection forms by LC - ward by ward breakdown will be provided

Q re virtual students - can we confirm we are starting on September 9? @TDSBDirector commitment and foremost goal is that school starts on-line and in-person for everyone, together on September 9

Staff clarify host school will be responsible for instructional part of students day - still questions re home school for example school council - staff are working out details and will discuss with @TorontoPIAC

Q re masking for staff - will ensure operational guidelines are clear and guidelines will be developed in conjunction with @TOPublicHealth; re simultaneous - while it is responsive to move from in-person to on-line will develop a model to coordinate if change is requested

Q re exemptions for remote learning - staff are working on confirming PPM; re vaccinated and unvaccinated students - when class isolated they pivoted to virtual; any plan on those that have to stay home? Staff are working on developing this protocol

Staff confirm they have received ministry template - simplified information sheet for each school's ventilation systems - staff are in the process of validating information - and will generate a report that can be posted on each school's website

Can staff clarify we will match @TOPublicHealth masking policy - staff commit to instituting protocols consistent with health advice from TPH and may extend that - we will reassess throughout the Fall

Re lunch - elementary - continue cohorts in classrooms or outside - very few elementary schools have large spaces to allow for physical distancing - continuing with protocols from last year - secondary - looking at the issue school by school

Have staff started to explore creative options for sharing French teachers? Options will be put on the table to share with trustees if this becomes an issue

Q re provincial announcement - mandate to report vaccinations and testing - can we explore from a governance and legal perspective - can we explore actual mandatory vaccinations? Staff will get back to us...

Q re clarification - when do changes stop? Calls re concern for some that indicated they made the wrong selection - only mistakes/adjustments need to be looked at school level. Cut-off was August 16.

All classes will continue to have BrightSpace - in case we need to switch; phased-in approach for transportation supports reliable service - 15 minute break - back on at 7:55

Back live now

Update from @rchernoslin re Emergency Motion - pleased province following our lead but still not clear on government announcement today - hope that policy fully address the issue - asking Director to respond

Understand the importance of sharing accurate information but @TDSBDirector has no details - will provide an overview for Trustees at next meeting; @rchernoslin will wait for the overview to avoid staff doing additional work - meeting on August 25 with update

No emergency motions being presented this evening - awaiting Director update next week