Northeastern Ontario students concerned return to class could be short-lived

Bailey Mitchell says she looks forward to returning to in-person class on Monday, but worries that change could be short-lived.

"My only concern is just being sent home again," said Mitchell, a Grade 12 student at École Secondaire Catholique Jeunesse-Nord in Blind River, Ont. 

Mitchell said she and her friends would have all preferred the return to in-person learning in Ontario be delayed by two more weeks if it meant they could safely learn in person with less risk of a COVID-19 outbreak that would have them return to online learning. 

While Mitchell said she has developed a routine for learning online, and has done well studying from home, she does miss going to school.

"In education things aren't the same online as they are in person," she said. "I would love to go do my biology dissection and put into place what I'm learning."

Last Monday the province confirmed Ontario students would return to in-person learning on Jan.17. 

Staffing shortages

In a letter sent to parents, guardians and students on Thursday, Jan. 13, the Rainbow District School Board confirmed a provincial mandate that it would only notify the health unit of COVID-19 outbreaks if absenteeism across a school rises to around 30 per cent.

The letter said the province has provided the school board with two rapid antigen tests for each student and staff member. Those are in addition to rapid tests students received before the Christmas break.

The letter also said staffing shortages could have an especially big impact on students from Kindergarten to Grade 8, who require greater supervision.

"We will do our best to replace staff with supply teachers and casual support workers, however, there is a limited pool for both," it said.

The letter said parents would be notified the same morning if they have to keep the children home due to a shortage of staff. 

Noah Rioux, a Grade 10 student at St. Charles College in Sudbury, said he has managed with online learning, but does prefer going to school.

"But the thing is with in-person is that I find it's a lot easier to learn and it's a lot more fun because you're with your friends," he said.

Rioux said he would not be surprised if the return to in-person learning was short-lived.

"This has happened before, so I assume that history will repeat itself and it will happen again," he said about the prospect of having to return to online learning. 

"So I'm not exactly afraid of a back and forth, but I do expect it to happen even though I'm not an expert."

Liana Holm, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) Rainbow Board local president, said her biggest concern with the return of in-person learning is facing a staffing shortage.

If a teacher becomes sick, they could be asked to self-isolate for up to 10 days, if they are unvaccinated, based on new protocols, Holm said.

Holm said she would have preferred a bit more caution before returning to classrooms while the Omicron variant continues to spread in Ontario.

"We want things to go back to business as usual," she said. 

"But looking at the numbers that are out there and the amount of people that are testing positive, I don't think we're there yet."

Cancelled bus routes

Renée Boucher, the executive director of the Sudbury Student Services Consortium, said parents will need to check their website every morning to find out which school bus routes are running.

The consortium manages bus routes for the region, and Boucher said they are expecting a higher level of absenteeism than normal due to the Omicron variant.

'What we're expecting is a higher number of bus routes that could be cancelled," she said.

But Boucher said bus operators are only able to inform her each morning how many of their drivers are out sick. Because of the short notice, she said there's no way for the consortium to alert parents and students directly about cancellations.

The website will remain the only way to stay up to date about bus routes.