OCDSB changes to timetables just days before school starts: students to learn one course per week

OCDSB has made more changes to how the school weeks will roll out for students in grades 9 to 12, just about a week before schools open their doors, for the new school year following COVID-19 preparations.

Up until Friday, parents were told by the OCDSB that students will attend a mix of online and in-class learning sessions a week, switching back and forth between two courses on an A, B, A, B, A timetable. 

However, now, students are expected to learn one course per week, parents learned in a letter sent to their inboxes and posted to the OCDSB website late Friday. 

“Teaches will post at the beginning and throughout the week learning materials for all students using Google Classroom or D2L,” the plan lays out. “Students attending in person will have 225 minutes of in-class instruction, followed by approximately 75 minutes of asynchronous learning at home using posted materials and what was learned at school that day.”

For example, if a student has chosen to take math and science in the first “quadmester,” they will have an entire week to focus on math, followed by a week of focusing on science — alternating each week. 

Students will attend school on alternating days and will have two periods of in-person learning, plus independent learning.

At home, students will also work on posted materials, have opportunities for engagement with the cohort as scheduled by the teacher and will have access to a daily 75-minute virtual support period with teachers from the school.

“Students at home will have a staff ‘check in’ in the morning as scheduled by the school,” the plan says. “All students will have, over a week, a combination of in-person, online synchronous and asynchronous and independent learning that will average 300 minutes daily.”

OCDSB also adds that the school day dismissal time will be earlier than usual.

For further details on the plan, please visit the OCDSB website.