Director's Message - April 17, 2020

Limestone Learning Foundation
Director's Message - April 17, 2020
Posted on 04/17/2020
Image of Director of Education update graphic

Dear Families,

Earlier this week, we learned from the Premier that schools will not return May 4 as scheduled. Given that the province’s state of emergency will continue until at least May 12, we expect details of any extended school closure will be announced by the Minister of Education in the coming days.

We are learning this information in real time, as are you, and we continue to do our best to provide accurate updates in as timely a manner as possible. For now, this further extension does not change our current path. Students and teachers will continue – as best they can – engaging with emergency remote learning.

As we near the end of our second week of learning from home, we know there continue to be many worries and wonderings from students, families and staff. There are many questions, and we have done our best to answer most of them in our frequently asked questions document.

We have said it before, but it needs repeating: we know that remote learning is not business as usual. While some will embrace and even thrive with this new style of learning, others will see it as another challenge during an already difficult time. We know some may require more traditional learning methods that do not involve technology and that is okay. We know that not everyone’s circumstances are the same. If your child(ren) are experiencing challenges with the amount of work assigned, or the level of support required for students to understand lessons and complete assignments, please share this feedback with their teachers. They, too, are familiarizing themselves with remote learning, while juggling their own family responsibilities during these extraordinary times.  

We will continue to do everything we can to support the well-being of our entire Limestone community. If you as a student, or family, need help, please reach out to your school connections – teachers, support staff, administrators. We are all in this together. Let us grant each other empathy and grace.

Our Information Technology Services team has already distributed, through the work of our school staff, more than 2,000 devices to students. Devices continue to be provided to students and families in need, supplemented by an announcement earlier today that the Minister of Education will provide school boards with additional iPads and free wireless data through an industry partnership. If your child(ren) still requires a device, please reach out directly to your teacher(s) or your school. Contact information for all schools is available on each school website.

Our priority for the next couple of weeks is to allow our students and teachers to become as comfortable as possible navigating this new learning environment. We will continue to use the feedback we receive from students, families and staff and make any tweaks or amendments as required. Again, we appreciate your patience and understanding during these extraordinary times.

Please continue to follow all public health directives to help slow the spread of the virus. The more we work together, the faster we will be together again, when the time is right.

Stay well. Stay safe.

Debra Rantz
Director of Education

April 9, 2020 Message to Families

April 2, 2020 Message to Families


March 31, 2020 Message to Families

March 31, 2020 Message from the Minister of Education to Ontario Families


March 23, 2020 Message to Families


March 13, 2020 Message to Families

Frequently Asked Questions re COVID-19

Talking with children and youth about COVID-19

The Limestone District School Board is situated on traditional territories of the Anishinaabe & Haudenosaunee.