OHSWEKEN — A proposed plan for how and when Six Nations elementary school students would return to the classroom was presented at Six Nations of the Grand River’s General Council meeting on Tuesday.
Federal Director of Schools Kathleen Manderville brought forward a 23 page draft plan to Council. The plan is still in draft form, has not been approved by the Six Nations council or the community. Manderville said that Six Nations schools will not reopen until the community enters Phase 3 of the pandemic restrictions. Currently Six Nations remains in Phase 2.
Out of 679 of Six Nations families with elementary students – 394 families responded to a public survey looking for feedback from parents about what a return to school should look like.
The first preference, from 37% of Six Nations parents was that students continue to stay home and learn online.
Manderville said that 22% of children in the community are without a device, and parents have identified that device sharing for multiple children in a home is not feasible for families. She said that funding would need to be in place for every student to have access to a device to access internet.
A total of 84% of students have at home, reliable working internet access.
Just 17% of parents on Six Nations wanted a traditional full time return to the classroom for students. Of that number 75% wanted students to attend in smaller cohorts on alternating weeks.
Manderville said that a reopening committee was formed of 45 principals, vice principals and parents in the community to look at what would be required for students to return to class.
The Committee identified a reopening learning plan, a wellness plan, operational plan and a policy and communications group. Manderville said the discussions began in May in order to have a suitable reopening plan in place by September.
Continuing language lessons in Cayuga and Mohawk was made a priority. The Six Nations Schools website began hosting online lessons through the summer, providing an immersion channel along with cultural teachings.
The plan includes a fully unplugged model where parents could provide paper lessons to their children. This was put in place so that parents who do not have reliable internet would not feel like the only option is to send children back to the classroom if they are not ready to.
Manderville said that if parents want to resume in-class instruction, students will be required to undergo daily screenings at home and at school, be separated in small cohorts of no more than 11 students. Sharing items will not be permitted in the classroom and students will be required to maintain physical distancing and have regular hand washing intervals throughout the day. Younger students would have supervised hand washing throughout the day. Face masks would be mandatory on school property for anyone who attends the school property and on buses.
There would be a maximum of 24 students allowed on a school bus at one time along with bus monitors.
Parents, families and visitors to schools would be required to share personal information for contact tracing in the case of an outbreak.
Additional cleaning protocols are included in the plan and commonly touched areas would need to be cleaned twice a day at a minimum.
Classrooms would be adapted for physical distancing. Drinking fountains will be shut off and plexiglass barriers installed in school offices along with portable barriers between children in the classroom.
Personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer will be available in the schools.
Elected Council is now asking for a summarized plan from Manderville and will gather feedback from the community before a decision is made.
Kawenniio-Gawenniyo Immersion School will not be reopening in September. Linda Staats, principal at the school says the decision will be revisited in December and that learning will be 100% online for the fall term.
Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation students are also not returning to the classroom for the fall term. Leadership in that community also plan to revisit the schools reopening late in the year.
