Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board

Dear Students, Parents/Guardians, Families and Staff: Happy New Year! In a year unlike any other, and one with challenges we have never faced before, it perhaps is also fitting that as the Director of Education I send a letter to all families, staff and students on New Year’s Eve day. Such has been the year as 2020, and with tomorrow, a new year full of hope and promise.

In August, Staples offered HPEDSB families a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) discount on an Acer Chromebook, this offer is still in effect for 2021. Families wanting to take advantage of the discount offer are requested to go to Staples Belleville (190 Bell Blvd.) directly, bringing with them a copy of the Staples BYOD

This is further to my letter yesterday; I apologize for sending two letters in one week. These continue to be most challenging times. As we all anticipate a much-needed winter break, we are planning ahead for the new year and what learning may look like for the return to school in January. As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in our communities, so does the possibility of individual classes, schools or all of HPEDSB moving to remote learning for a period of time. Simply put, this means we could have an extension of our holiday break. Last night, directors of education received a letter from the Ministry of Education requesting all school boards be prepared for such action.

Dear Students, Parents/Guardians, Families and Staff: As we prepare to take a break for the holidays, I want to take a moment to get in touch with a reminder about planning for Term/Semester 2 at school. Over the past several weeks, I explained that two learning models—”in-person school” and “virtual school”—will continue for the remainder of this school year. Term 2 for elementary students begins in mid-February 2021 and Semester 2 for secondary begins February 1, 2021.

Some continuity is in place around the governance table for Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board as a result of elections for the chair and vice-chair roles last evening. At its Annual Meeting on December 14, 2020, the Board of Trustees re-elected Lucille Kyle as Chair of the Board and elected Jennifer Cobb as Vice-chair of the Board.

Re: Transportation RFP and Busing Contract Renewal for Tri-Board Student Transportation Services

This letter is further to a telephone message you received earlier today about C.M.L. Snider School reopening on Monday, December 7, 2020. I am taking the unusual step of sending a letter on a Saturday due to the time sensitive information.

November 24, 2020—A new chapter in the book about Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board was written last night when the Board of Trustees approved a new visual identity for HPEDSB. The visual identity, known as the Achievement concept, represents new beginnings, growth, feeling alive and part of nature/the world around us. A swoop and the sun are prominent elements, illustrating movement and striving for success. The new colours are plum, gold and teal.

Mike Brant, Trustee, Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, recited the land acknowledgement: Let us bring our minds and hearts together as one to honour and celebrate these traditional lands as a gathering place of the Huron-Wendat, Anishinabek and Haudenosaunee people. It is with deep humility, that we acknowledge and offer our gratitude for their contributions to our community, having respect for all as we come together and walk side by side into the future to support our student of today.

October 26, 2020—Having a full belly is an important part of students being healthy and ready to learn. That is not always the case. Although nutrition programs are available at schools during the school year, ample nutrition can be missing during holiday times or the summer.

October 26, 2020—This update provides a summary of the online public meeting of the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board held October 26, 2020, livestreamed (the recorded version will be available within 24 hours). It is an unofficial summary of the meeting; official minutes will be approved at the next meeting in November 2020. Mike Brant, Trustee, Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, acknowledged the First Peoples of the territory. This evening we acknowledge that the land on which we are gathered is part of the traditional territory of the Mohawk, Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples. We conduct tonight’s business recognizing that we are all Treaty people and give respect to this territory and all its young people.

October 20, 2020—This week, the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, along with partners at the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA), is working to raise civic awareness by observing Local Government Week. School board trustees are the oldest form of elected representation in Ontario. Since 1807, generations of community-minded citizens have made decisions on behalf of local publicly funded schools, building the foundation of the education system of today.

I am sending you for the second time this week a formal letter from myself as the Director of Education to all of you. I feel that despite it being a Friday afternoon, and not admittedly the most optimal time for a system message, the circumstances and reality of our challenges require us to do so. Like all of you I continue to watch the impact of COVID-19 incident rates of virus spread around the country and Ontario. We continue to be very fortunate to not have an outbreak or a single case at this time in any one of our schools.

Overall, the return to school has been a positive experience and very successful for students, staff and families of Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board. Our schools opened on time beginning September 3, 2020 for in-person instruction and September 14, 2020 for our new K-12 Virtual School. Daily routines are now established and learning is happening. As you may have heard, the HPEDSB is experiencing some challenges that have impacted other school boards across Ontario. While the spread and transmission of the COVID-19 virus has been extremely low in our area and is in none of our schools at this point, we still face challenges around staffing shortages in most employee groups. Thank you for your vigilance and adherence to the public health protocols in getting tested for the virus, when required.

September 28, 2020—This update provides a summary of the online public meeting of the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board held September 28, 2020, livestreamed (the recorded version will be available within 24 hours). It is an unofficial summary of the meeting; official minutes will be approved at the next meeting in October 2020. Sean Monteith, Director of Education, acknowledged the First Peoples of the territory. This evening we acknowledge that the land on which we are gathered is part of the traditional territory of the Mohawk, Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples. We conduct tonight’s business recognizing that we are all Treaty people and give respect to this territory and all its young people.

September 14, 2020—This update provides a summary of the public special meeting of the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board held September 14, 2020 in-person and livestreamed (the recorded version will be available within 24 hours). It is an unofficial summary of the meeting; official minutes will be approved at the next meeting in September 2020.

September 3, 2020—Today marks the first day of school for thousands of students in the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board. This day is even more important with the recognition that school buildings have been closed since March 13, 2020. We are excited, prepared and confident that every one of our 40 schools and classrooms are ready to welcome students and staff, safely. The HPEDSB is in the regrettable position of having to respond to the recent media statement by the local Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation District 29 president. In that public statement, HPEDSB is accused of being in non-compliance with Ministry of Education directives, creating a “negligent policy” that, in fact, doesn’t exist, and not putting in place the “necessary protections” for all students and staff. These claims are baseless and without factual merit.

Like all of you, I share your concerns and hopes for the safest, measured and student-centered reentry into our schools in September 2020. I acknowledge right from the outset that the level of concern and uncertainty that remains in our community, and for our children and families as we prepare our schools for start-up has created challenges not before faced.

The priority of Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board is the safety and well-being of students, families and staff, particularly as we prepare for the return to school in September. We know that the first day of school will be filled with a combination of excitement and anxiety due to COVID-19 combined with the length of time students have been away from school. The first day school for all students is Thursday, September 3, 2020.

The Return to School Plan for 2020-2021 is available below. Please be aware that the plan is subject to change at any time based on guidance from the Ministry of Education, provincial and/or local public health officials.

Joint news release from the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, and ETFO Hastings-Prince Edward July 8, 2020—A tentative collective agreement has been reached between the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, and the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, Hastings-Prince Edward Teacher Local. The agreement for 600 elementary teachers spans a 3-year period, from September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2022. No details will be released until it is voted on by teachers and the Board of Trustees in August/September 2020.

une 16, 2020—Positive changes will be happening at Centre Hastings Secondary School in Madoc now that the Board of Trustees has approved a contractor for the school addition and renovation. Trustees awarded a tender to Peak Engineering & Construction Ltd. in the amount of $2.7 million.

As I have with every one of my letters to you through the past two and half months, it is incumbent to begin by wishing that all of you are safe, healthy and remain hopeful. We have nothing if we do not have our health and our families; and it is both of these critical pieces of our lives that will carry us through these incredibly challenging times. As you read this important update, please remind yourself of this: health, family and loved ones, responsibility to community . . . and then education

May 13, 2020—A tentative collective agreement has been reached between the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, and CUPE Local 1022. At HPEDSB, employees who are part of CUPE work in schools, administrative offices and at other sites. They are caring and dedicated members of the HPEDSB family who support student achievement every day, and include the following:

Over these past weeks, our government has been inspired by you and your children’s eagerness and flexibility in transitioning toward remote learning. We know that this has not been easy, especially with the profound impact COVID-19 has had on your lives and livelihood. The ability to keep our students engaged in their learning journey has been remarkable.

I want to acknowledge the current reality that we all face through COVID-19, and specifically what you, as graduating students, are facing. This is quite simply a situation that nobody anticipated nor has anyone encountered before. Therefore, if you are feeling uneasy and experiencing uncertainty, you are not alone and have good reason for it; there is nothing we can compare our current challenges to.

The battle against COVID-19 has not been easy, but I continue to be incredibly inspired by the bravery and steadfastness you and your children have demonstrated in our efforts to stop the spread of this outbreak. Since Cabinet made the decision to close the public-school system on March 12, we have seen cascading steps taken by the public and private sectors to protect our most vulnerable.