June 23rd, 2021
We look forward to welcoming our secondary students back to learning in September 2021, and want you to know what learning in person at school or remotely at home will look like.
In Person Learning (At School)
Secondary students who are learning in person at school in September will see some changes from last year. We heard from our students and their families that it was challenging to study one course each day because of the volume of material on one subject. With this in mind, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) will plan to divide the school year into modified semesters for secondary students in September 2021.
What is a modified semester model?
Students will attend school in person every day, together with their classmates. Secondary students will be taking two courses each day, with one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Students will receive 150 minutes of instruction daily on each subject, with a 40 minute nutrition break in between. The daily schedule for a modified semester model allows students to return to school for full days and to take four courses instead of two. Students would take two courses one week and their other two courses the next week.
We believe this approach will help to address the stress and isolation students experienced. See the information below to learn more about how we are supporting student well-being all year long.
Sample Schedule
Week One Daily Schedule
| Course 1 Learning Block (AM) | 150 minutes |
| Nutrition Break | 40 minutes |
| Course 2 Learning Block (PM) | 150 minutes |
Week Two Daily Schedule
| Course 3 Learning Block (AM) | 150 minutes |
| Nutrition Break | 40 minutes |
| Course 4 Learning Block (PM) | 150 minutes |
Will students be divided into cohorts in September 2021?
We know that switching between in person and remote learning was challenging for students, and our plan aims to have students learning in person every day.
However, we want you to know that in the event that the public health situation changes and the Ministry of Education directs our board to cohort with 15 students per class, as it did this year, we would need to pivot back to a quadmester model.
If required, our approach to a quadmester model and cohorting in September 2021 would be different from the quadmester model this year. We heard from students and families that it was important for students to be in person at school more frequently, for both their well-being and their learning. Students would spend no more than three consecutive days learning in person or at home.
Remote Learning (At Home)
The WRDSB will be providing a Remote Learning Program for students who registered for Remote Learning by the June 2nd, 2021 deadline. Details about the Remote Learning Program will be shared with Remote Learning students by their home school. The Remote Learning School schedule and timetable will follow a similar schedule as the in-person schedule and timetable.
Students registered in Remote Learning will be “shared” with the Remote Learning Program but will continue to be attached to their home school and will be eligible to partake in co-curricular activities and sports at their home schools if schools are given permission by the Ministry of Education and Region of Waterloo Public Health to safely offer co-curricular activities and sports. Students who graduate from the Remote Learning Program in June 2022, will be considered graduates of their home school and will participate in home school graduation activities.
Supporting Student Mental Health and Well-being
Our support for student well-being extends beyond the school year:
- Our Stress and Anxiety Boot Camp for students and families will offer fun information sessions about stress and anxiety and how they can be managed
- Like last year, our Social Workers will be available to consult about concerns from students and families, engage in well-being check-ins and help with navigating community resources. More information will be coming soon on how to get in touch.
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