'We don’t have to be afraid': Windsor parents glad kids are back in school

Windsor, Ont. -

Many Windsor parents were expressing relief on Monday as their kids headed back into schools.

Students in Windsor-Essex and across the province have been remote learning since Jan 5., when school resumed after the holiday break. The Ontario government delayed the school reopening due to a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

“I’m glad they’re going back to school” said Coila Ortiz as she saw her kids off to the bus. “We gotta put up with this. I’m not scared. We don’t have to be afraid.”

Another parent was a bit more hesitant.

“I think it’s a little bit too early but it’s good for them because they need to be in school,” said Ed Hughes who was dropping off kids at Our Lady Of Perpetual Health.

Windsor-Essex acting medical officer of health Dr. Shanker Nesathurai said he supports the move to resume in-person learning.

The province has enhanced protocols in place and made changes to the reporting of school cases. Here’s the back-to-school plan.

“That’s particularly important for young people who are in elementary ages to get the benefit of in-person instruction,” Dr. Nesathurai. 

The return to school didn’t go without a hiccough or two.

Too many people were online between 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday morning trying to access the public board’s self-screening tool. That caused an interruption that lasted minutes and caused some delays.

“They were doing the assessment. There’s a new update with the system that they had to go back and click so I imagine looking forward it’s going to be a lot smoother,” said Matt Burkhart, principal at John A. McWilliam.

Burkhart says attendance was high but there are some who chose to continue online learning.

“Teachers are providing work to them in synchronicity on an as needed basis,” he said.

Under the provincial plan, school boards won’t regularly report a COVID case or cohort dismissal unless a 30 per cent absenteeism threshold is met.

With files from CTV Windsor's Melanie Borrelli.