8 June 2020
The Ministry has just produced a new document of questions and answers relating to the reopening of schools and the functioning of those that are closed. Here are some of the elements most relevant to school support staff.
Taking children’s temperatures (Q35 new)
It is not recommended to use the taking of temperatures as a sorting tool when the children are entering the school. If temperatures need to be taken, they can be done by ear, armpit, or mouth.
Access to game modules (Q57 modified)
Access to game modules is now authorized. Children must remain in subgroups of a maximum of 15 students.
Costs incurred by sharing infrastructure with eligible day camps (Q64 modified)
The Ministry is encouraging school boards to make their schools available for summer day camp activities. This sharing of infrastructure is subject to the regular activities that school boards normally carry out during the summer, including renovations and educational activities. The Ministry will cover the costs of this infrastructure sharing.
Educational camps (Q199 to Q201 new)
Insofar as human and material resources permit, educational camps could be accessible to vulnerable students who would not have had the opportunity to return to classes this year, more specifically:
-elementary school organizations in the Montreal Metropolitan Area and the metropolitan area of Joliette and the Ville de L’Épiphanie;
-secondary schools in all regions of Quebec.
These services will be based on voluntary attendance and by invitation only. Unlike summer school, no formal assessment of learning will be carried out within the framework of educational camps.
The groups that will be formed between now and June 30 must consist of a maximum of 10 students.
Summer school for Secondary 4 and 5 students only (Q202 and Q203)
Summer courses will only be offered to Secondary 4 and 5 students, due to issues related to certification or the prerequisites required to regularize their situation and continue on their academic path.
Organizing activities for Secondary 5 graduating students (Q204 new)
Graduation activities may be organized in all regions of Quebec, including the Montreal and Joliette municipal areas. Students will be able to enter their school one last time to greet their teachers and classmates, and hold the traditional graduation book signing sessions and take souvenir photos. These events must be carried out in compliance with social distancing regulations.
If applicable, schedules for both greeting teachers and signing graduation books must be established. The number of people present at the same time should be restricted as much as possible, and the following sanitary measures must be strictly observed:
-graduation books must be already arranged on spaced tables in the gymnasium;
-each student must use their own personal pen;
-the wearing of gloves;
-the wearing of masks.
This answer affects mainly teaching staff, but we shouldn’t forget the support staff and professionals who worked with these students. The question refers only to high school graduates, but the deputy minister’s letter released on June 1 included primary school graduates.
The 210 questions and answers document