Our elementary school children have now become the most vulnerable during this pandemic due to the age group of the students being not currently eligible for vaccines. Within the second week from the academic year, St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Elementary School in Orleans Ontario had faced an outbreak of COVID 19 resulting in 160+ students from grades (4-6) to be placed in 10-days isolation and undergo a PCR test for two consecutive times. Approximately, half of the school was impacted including the affected classes and their cohorts, and all the kids riding the bus with students in these grades, and their parents, not to forget the vulnerable and elder cases in these homes who were put at risk.
 
The kids must go back to school on Monday September 27, 2021. But unfortunately, those kids will not return to their classes in the same way it was left when the outbreak hit. Some of these classes will now accommodate 30 students from two different grades and their EAs and teachers. Classrooms which could safely fit 23-25 individuals two weeks ago will now hold 31-35 people without proper social distancing or additional safety measures (shields/partitions) in place. Also, the fire safety is a big alarm due to the classrooms/portables size. If a quick evacuation is required should an emergency arise, this is even more of a concern in classes with 31+ capacity, where in some of them we have Downs Syndrome and disability cases. So, putting 30+ individuals in a confined space is not the ideal welcome back to school after our first isolation situation for 160+ children (almost half of the school).
 
This new class arrangement of 34 count with a restricted room size is turning our classrooms into a bomb that can detonate in another wider outbreak at any time. All this is determined due to Ministry and School Board guidelines with regards to class size where the school was told to collapse a Grade 5 class re-distributing the students to other classes and due to budget constraint leaving our children and their educators’ security in jeopardy. Parents and Educators are now placed in a complicated situation where no reasonable solutions are offered putting our kid’s safety and well-being at risk.
 
Our children’s return to school after a Covid 19 outbreak should have been accompanied with the highest safety measures to ensure they are protected and to provide the quality instruction and attention they deserve in a healthy and safe environment.
 
We need smaller class sizes to ensure the safety of our most vulnerable group.
We need smaller class sizes so our children will receive the academic instruction they deserve.
We need smaller class sizes so educators can provide the quality instruction and attention to our children.
 
By signing this petition, you will be voicing your concerns to those who need to understand this is not acceptable in our school or any school.
 
Thank you for your support
Parents of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Elementary School