Please see the following updates from the Ministry of Education and WDG Public Health on Student Vaccinations, Ministry De-streaming of Grade 9 courses, travel over Christmas Break and an upcoming Parent Webinar.
Federal Announcement Regarding Vaccinations for 5- 11 Year Old’s – On Friday, November 19, the Federal government approved the Pfizer vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds with community-based clinics beginning in the coming weeks. WDG Public Health has provided details for families on their website about registering for appointments and information about the vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. For more information, please visit:
https://wdgpublichealth.ca/your-health/covid-19-information-public/covid-19-vaccine-information/covid-19-vaccine-children-ages
WDG Public Health has noted that vaccinations will be available at participating pharmacies, doctor offices, or in public health clinics. Evening and/or weekend clinics may be scheduled in regional school hubs for families in the future. As more information is shared by WDG Public Health, we will provide updates accordingly. Families with questions about the vaccines can contact Public Health directly through their call centre at 1-800-265-7293 ext. 7006 (Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.).
WDG Public Health Virtual COVID-19 Vaccine Parent and Caregiver Information Night- Dr. Matthew Tenenbaum, the Associate Medical Officer of Health for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, will be offering a presentation for parents and caregivers to ask questions and learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 on Thursday, December 2 at 7 p.m. Register and submit your questions at wdgpublichealth.ca/parent-info-night. You will receive a link to join the day of the event, if you cannot make this time, but would like to watch the presentation there will be a recording available.
Ministry of Education De-Streaming of Grade 9 Courses – The Ministry of Education announced that they would be implementing several changes to Grade 9 courses being offered in the 2022-23 school year. As part of a November 10 communication, the Ministry noted that Grade 9 courses formerly offered at the academic and applied level will be offered in a single-stream format beginning next year. The de-streaming of Grade 9 courses aligns with Ministry of Education Equity initiatives aimed at supporting success for all students. Secondary School Guidance staff will be providing information to parents at our Grade 8 Virtual Parent Information Nights and to students through elementary school visits. For more information about Grade 8 Parent Nights, please check out our school board Webpage: https://www.wellingtoncdsb.ca/apps/news/article/823781
Travelling Over the Christmas Break - The Ministry of Education has asked school board to remind families of the federal guidelines for travel. As per the Government of Canada direction, unvaccinated students returning from travel outside of Canada must not attend school or childcare for 14 days after their return. Fully vaccinated students who have travelled outside of Canada and meet requirements to be exempt from Federal quarantine are able to attend school upon their return. Further details can be found at the Government of Canada Website. Please also review the Government of Canada’s Travel Advice and Advisories ahead of any international travel.
December Caregiver Conference - Our Mental Health Team is pleased to announce its first caregiver conference for this year is coming up! Nurturing Resilience Through Relationships with Dr. Michael Ungar will be taking place on December 1, 2021 at 6:30pm. This is the first of a 3-part series. Please follow this link to register for this event:https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ozef-YMkQnOhQ7E1J9ikNg
Thank you for your attention to these items and your continued partnership throughout this school year. We will provide further updates with respect to Ministry and Public Health information in the coming weeks.