COVID-19 Newsletter #9

Welcome to the NINTH EDITION AND THE NEW FACE of our COVID-19 newsletter, where you will find information regarding the latest Ministry of Education directives and Public Health guidelines, as well as answers to some of the most frequently asked questions from parents and students.

Please click here to view PDF Version of EMSB COVID-19 Newsletter No:9

The EMSB will continue to implement COVID-19 Ministry protocols in preparation for the 2020-2021 school year.

• You have questions, we have answers! We invite you to have a look at our COVID-19/back-to-school FAQ. 
• Should you have additional questions, please contact us.

New Ministry Campaign to Recruit Tutors

To support students who are experiencing academic difficulties and psychological distress in the current context of the pandemic, the Minister of Education has launched a campaign to recruit support staff for the school network through the hiring of tutors, Allo-Prof, and Tel-Jeunes. These individuals will provide students with pedagogical, personal and social support outside of class hours. These services will primarily be provided remotely, except in the case of individual students who require in-person presence. For these students, tutoring sessions will occur at their school in compliance with the applicable health guidelines.

These services are meant to complement the support already provided by teachers and professionals and allow students to benefit from additional adult assistance.

Are you Interested in Becoming A Tutor?

The Minister of Education recently announced the launch of The Strategy to provide academic assistance and support students' well-being campaign to support the educational success of students. As part of this strategy, tutoring services to support students with learning difficulties will be enhanced across the school network.

We will be accepting applications from employees, retirees, and students with or in the process of obtaining, at minimum, a CEGEP/College degree. Should you have children who are in CEGEP/College or University, we encourage them to apply. Applicants should be comfortable working with young people of all ages, specifically elementary and secondary, and have good oral and written English and/or French. Applicants must also possess the tools necessary for telework and be technologically proficient and comfortable using a variety of platforms. In addition, candidates must be committed to being available during one or more time slots each week.

Click here to visit the Ministry’s website for the complete list of criteria and recommended qualifications as well as how to apply.

Revised Public Health Recommendations

In order to continue to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, the regional public health department (DRSP) has recently issued revised recommendations and guidelines with regards to symptoms, testing and isolation. The updates are as follows:

1. To determine if your child presents symptoms related to COVID-19 or if a situation requires special attention, please use the Revised EMSB Health Assessment tool.
2. Although testing is not mandatory, the public health authorities now recommend testing at the onset of symptoms without delay. For information on testing or to find a testing clinic, please click here
3. To find out about the recently updated self-isolation requirements (who needs to self-isolate, how long to self-isolate), please use the new Public Health tool for families by clicking here

As per the most recent recommendations on isolation, when an individual presents symptoms of COVID-19 all other household members must self-isolate. If a child has to be sent home, his siblings also must self-isolate and cannot attend school while waiting for the test results. Should parents choose to not have their child tested, please be aware that they will be required to self-isolate for 10 days and will not be able to attend school during this time. In addition, other household members will have to self-isolate as well.

To evaluate whether your child may attend school under different circumstances, please view the revised COVID-19 Exclusion Criteria and Testing/Isolation Recommendations chart by clicking here

Reimbursement or Credit of Lunch Supervisio Fees Due to Imposed Isolation

The EMSB has received many inquiries regarding the reimbursement of lunch supervision fees. Please be advised that fees for lunch supervision that have not been rendered due to the Ministry's forced isolation during the holidays, specifically the two days before the holiday break and the five days following the break, will be reimbursed or credited accordingly. In addition, any other days imposed by Santé Publique in the current context (class or group isolation period) will also be reimbursed or credited.

For students returning to the school next year, fees will be credited. For students leaving the school or the system, fees will be reimbursed. These transactions will be processed closer to the end of the school year to ensure that the most accurate number of days are reimbursed or credited to parents.

Continue to protect yourself and others from the spread of COVID-19 by avoiding large gatherings and crowded places! 

It is a collective responsibility.