Between 80 and 95 per cent of students are expected back in the classroom by the end of next week on the North Shore.
Over 80 per cent of North Vancouver’s elementary school students whose families were surveyed are expected back to school for face-to-face learning this fall, while about 95 per cent of West Vancouver students are expected back.
“I’m really pleased the vast majority of families want to come back to school,” said Liz Hill, director of instruction at the West Vancouver School District.
Students in both school districts are expected to attend orientation sessions at the end of next week – on Thursday and Friday.
Full-time school starts Sept. 14.
For families who aren’t certain about a return to the classroom, both North Shore School Districts are offering a temporary transition program, geared mainly to elementary school students, which will reserve a space in the regular classroom while a child works at home and online.
Under that scenario, the teacher helping the students online during several weekly video chats will not be their regular classroom teacher.
Elementary school students can opt to return to the classroom anytime until the end of September. After that, they will be allowed back in at various set intervals later in the fall.
Families will have to choose whether they want to return to the classroom, sign up for some kind of online learning, or homeschool their kids by the end of December.
West Vancouver School District doesn’t have a regularly online learning program.
In North Vancouver, a “distributed learning” program offers a selection of courses for high school students. Several new courses are being offered this year, including math and social justice 12 and several new French immersion courses.
Not all courses are full, said Lisa Dalla Vecchia, spokeswoman for the school district, although spaces are limited in some courses.
The school district is currently working on registrations received after June 25, said Dalla Vecchia.
Online registration for distributed learning courses will re-open on Sept. 8
