We know high school students still have lots of questions about going back to school, so OCSB Student Trustee, Nyameer Gony, sat down to answer their top questions!
When will I find out which cohort or group I am in?
Right now, schools are working to rebalance classes to change students that selected distance learning instead of in-person learning. Once that task is done, you will receive an email or message from your school prior to the first day of school to let you know if you are in Cohort A or Cohort B.
If we choose in-class learning, can we switch to full-time distance learning through the Virtual Academy at any time?
For high school students, we need to complete one full semester, which is 2 quadmesters, before we can switch to distance learning through the Virtual Academy. Depending on the number of requests, the changes may require teachers to move from in-class to distance learning and vice-versa, so there needs to be time between semesters to make this work. If you have special circumstances, talk to your school guidance counsellor and they’ll try to help you out.
The same goes for high school students who have chosen distance learning who want to switch to in-person.
If I don’t have a Chromebook, will the school provide me with one?
Yes, please contact your school Vice-Principal or Guidance Counsellor if you need a Chromebook to support you with distance learning. The school does not have enough devices for every student, but for those that need help, they’ll work this out with you.
If I already have an iPad or Macbook, would this work for me?
Yes, most of the work is web-based, so any device that connects to the Internet should work.
Will we be able to access our lockers?
Unfortunately, no, we will not have access to our lockers. We will have to keep our belongings with us, in our backpacks. The reason for this is that Public health has advised against students gathering in groups, and not being in the hallways at lockers will help keep us safer. The school board is revisiting this as winter approaches.
Will we have breaks? And where do I eat my lunch?
Yes, we’ll have breaks. Our teachers will build in breaks to give us an opportunity to stretch and move around, sometimes they may be outside too! And we’re allowed to eat in most classrooms during the day, except maybe not in a science lab. Since we will have less than half of the students at school on any day, we will also likely have access to the cafeteria but your school Principals may decide to have separate lunch breaks for each grade.
Will I have exams this year?
Yes, at the end of each quadmester, there will be two days allocated for a final exam or a rich summative task.
What about school clubs and extracurricular activities?
Unfortunately, not all extracurricular activities can be offered online. Each activity online will look different depending on the club itself, the students, and the Supervisor. Public Health has advised against students meeting together since this adds to our in-person contacts and they want to keep that limited.
Still have questions?
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions for Back to School on our website. It gets updated regularly and is divided into sections to make it easier to get through.