LONDON, ONT. The director of the Thames Valley District School Board says it’s a good idea for parents to prepare themselves and their children for a long period of remote learning. “Certainly we’d prefer to bring everyone back together, face-to-face, but the reality is we may be in a remote learning environment up to the end of the school year,” says Mark Fisher. Fisher’s comments come as the delayed spring break is about to conclude. Elementary and high school students will return to online study Monday, after the province announced it would halt in-class learning for at least two weeks following the break.
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The board has distributed about 25,000 internet-enabled devices to students during the pandemic, Fisher said. Families can contact their home schools from Monday to Wednesday next week if they need a device.
Financial aid is available through the Thames Valley Education Foundation, Fisher said.
“I know some families are struggling with school supplies because they can’t afford to purchase them during the lockdown,” he said. “We’re encouraging families to reach out to their teachers and their principals to make sure we can distribute them.”
Learning materials will be posted on the digital platforms Brightspace or Google Classroom so that students can begin independent learning right away, Fisher said.