August 28th, 2020

On July 30, 2020, the Ministry of Education released a list of designated school boards that would begin the 2020-21 secondary school year in an adaptive/hybrid model. Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) was selected as a designated school board.

Further direction from the Ministry of Education has resulted in some changes to our original plan and we hope that this updated information will be helpful to students and families. More details will be provided over the next week. We ask for your ongoing patience as we work through this unprecedented time.

First Day of School

The first day of school for all WRDSB secondary school students will be Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Cohort A will have their first day of school in-person on September 8, while Cohort B will be engaged in blended online learning from home.

Quadmestering

In the adaptive/hybrid model, the traditional semester is split into two quadmesters, with two credits being offered in each quadmester. From there, students will be divided into two cohorts that will attend in-person learning for five days then engage in blended online learning from home for five days. One course will be offered per day for five consecutive days to minimize student to student and student to teacher contact. Schools will be contacting families in the coming days to inform students of their cohort.

The first quadmester runs from Tuesday, September 8 to Tuesday, November 10, followed by three exam days.

The second quadmester will run from Monday, November 16 to Friday, January 29, followed by two exam days.

Further information on the details around the third and fourth quadmesters will be shared in the near future.

Overview Schedule

Below you will find a calendar to illustrate the consecutive day schedule of the first quadmester. Information about the second quadmester (November 16 – January 29) will be released soon.

Daily Schedule

Secondary school start times will remain the same as the 2019-20 school year and will vary depending on the school a student attends; however, school dismissal times have been adjusted.

Below is a sample daily schedule that illustrates what a day will look like in secondary:

Details of individual school schedules will be released by school administration. Student dismissal times will be earlier than a traditional day.

Timetables and Cohorts

Due to the extension given to families to complete our Student Confirmation of Attendance Form, specific details about timetables and cohorts are still being created and have not been determined. As soon as information is available, our students and families will be notified through School Day or your school’s website.

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