'It’s concerning': Class dismissals continue
Olive McMahon enjoys being back at school.
"I don't want to come home again and go online."
The seven year old echoes the general sentiment of many.
McMahon was sidelined more than once last year, which included her being sent home with the virus. Her mom says she experienced mixed emotions, "with missing work and contacting people on your own and telling them they had been exposed. Monitoring symptoms making sure everyone is doing ok. Ya, it was a lot."
It's a scenario she would prefer to avoid this year.
"I'm hoping we can find a way to not just dismiss cohorts or close schools like St. Joseph's has done. Maybe we can use rapid testing. I just wanna hope that we can keep these schools open and these kids in class."
Her husband Mike added, "What I would personally like to see is if there's something the province could provide as sort of a support network for sick days, if that could be enhanced. Families will need it."
More students will be idled Monday after Catholic Central high school announced the dismissal of three classes and a bus cohort Saturday. OSSTF District 9 president Erin Roy is concerned and feels it creates some confusion in the classes for students and teachers alike.
"It's not the easiest work environment for the classroom teacher I think the health unit is erring on the side of caution and making sure that they're trying to curb the spread as much as they can."
Roy anticipates more classes and cohorts being sent home in the coming weeks but feels much more at ease than a year ago.
"We all want this to go away but I still think we're better off than we were last year. We only had students coming in every other day and there were times the case count was much higher."
The public school board says they are doing their part informing affected students and are following the guidelines set forth by our local health unit.
Public Relations Officer Scott Scantlebury reminds parents and students the confirmed case and outbreak plan can be found on board’s website.
"We really do want to keep kids in school if at all possible but we've all got a part to play in it in following the guidelines and being as safe and careful as possible."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.