A Facebook live forum will be held this week with the Directors of Education for the Bruce Grey Catholic and Bluewater District School Boards and the region’s Medical Officer of Health.
The event will be hosted on the Grey Bruce Health Unit Facebook page live at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Organizers are asking anyone with questions for the participants to forward them through a Facebook message to the Grey Bruce Health Unit or to email publichealth@publichealthgreybruce.on.ca.
The Bluewater District School Board and Bruce Grey Catholic District School Board have announced staggered starts to the school year. Students in certain grades will return to class over a four-day period between Sept. 8-11.
Both school boards have been directed by the Ministry of Education to re-open under a conventional learning model, with elementary and secondary students in-class five days a week. Parents can choose to opt their children out of in-school learning this fall and instead have online instruction.
Masks are mandatory for students between Grades 4 and 12, and strongly recommended for all ages.
Grey Bruce’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ian Arra says in a statement returning to school is vital for a child’s education and for their overall well-being, but at the same time there are a number of questions to consider about their families’ health and safety.
“We have a relatively exceptional situation in Grey and Bruce. We achieved high level of prevention of transmission and optimal control over the outbreak,” explains Arra. “As we move forward, the priority for Grey Bruce Public Health and the local school community is to continue to work together to help built a safe environment for school staff and children to learn.”
The online Facebook live session featuring Dr. Arra, Bluewater District School Board Director of Education Lori Wilder and Bruce Grey Catholic District School Board Director of Education Gary O’Donnell will be recorded and made available on the health unit’s YouTube channel.