A Message from the Director General | Return to school for elementary students on May 19th

Updated: Saturday, May 2, 2020 - 1:46p.m.

Today the Quebec government announced plans for a partial re-opening of the province’s school system.

If all goes according plan, EMSB elementary schools will be welcoming back their students on Tuesday, May 19. Elementary schools in regions outside of Montreal will re-open the week prior. To ensure social distancing, only 15 students will be permitted per classroom, said Education Minister Jean–François Roberge. He also stipulated that this return to school is optional for elementary students. Parents are not required to send their elementary aged children back to school. Some parents may choose to keep their child at home if, for example, the child or someone else in the home has a weak immune system. Parents will be surveyed next week to see how many children will be returning to school on May 19. More information to follow.

High school buildings in the province, including those in the EMSB, will not re-open their doors until the fall, but according to the Education Minister, opportunities will be provided so that our secondary students may continue their learning at home. More information to follow.

The Quebec government will continue to offer educational and learning activities online, even when the teachers return to work.

Like universities and CEGEPS, EMSB Adult Education centres will also not re-open their doors, but distance learning will be explored. Vocational training centres in the EMSB will re-open their doors on a rotating schedule to ensure social distancing, while still allowing students to take part in hands-on / practical learning. More information to follow.

The Minister also announced that strict sanitary guidelines will be applied to our school buildings – especially at the elementary level. We intend to follow all protocols set out by the Ministry of Education and Santé Publique in order to ensure that our staff and students remain safe. More information to follow.

There will an opportunity, by invitation, for parents to pick up their child’s belongings at the school. More information to follow.

Education Minister Roberge announced that 15,000 iPads with an LTE internet connection will become available to families who do not have a device nor internet at home. This opportunity is due to a partnership between the Quebec government and Apple / Telus. The EMSB does not have any details about how this deployment will take place. More information will follow.

The Ministry of Education has made arrangements for teachers to be able to receive professional development in the area of distance teaching. More information to follow.

We are sure that you all have a lot of questions. EMSB Senior Management will have more information to share following upcoming meetings with the Ministry of Education.

Stay tuned and be well!