It was thought that by the end of quadmester 2, KPDSB schools may be able to return to the semester format, however, after recent advisement from the NWHU, plans have changed.
In a recent interview, Sherri-Lynne Pharand, Director of Education for the Keewatin Patricia District School Board, confirmed that KPDSB schools will not be switching back to the semester structure for the duration of the school year at the recommendation of the Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU).
“We did reach out to the NWHU in early January and at the time, their recommendation was to either continue with the quadmester model or to have an alternating weeks semester model where students would attend two classes one week and the other two classes the next week,” said Pharand.
She continued “So we chose to continue with the quadmester model which is already familiar with our students.”
“Since so many things are unknown with the Omicron variant, we feel it is the best model at this time to support the students and staff while still ensuring a high level and continuous opportunity for learning,” she concluded.
During a weekly NWHU meeting, the Medical Officer of Health for the region, Dr. Kit Young Hoon, confirmed that they have been in communication with KPDSB.
When asked about her opinion on switching to a semester model, Dr. Young Hoon said “We did discuss this with some of the school boards and at this point, we think it is reasonable to choose either the quadmester or semester models, they both have their pros and cons that need to be considered.”
She continued “I think there is a general lack of clarity on which system is necessarily better, there isn't an evidence-based [study], we’ve not gone through the Omicron wave before to see if this would make a significant impact on the system.”
“I think one thing to point out is that you know, we are hopeful that in the spring this (Omicron) will be less of an issue. So not only is it helpful to think about what is going to occur in February, but also in April, May and June,” Dr. Young Hoon concluded.