Weeks after a Waterloo, Ont. school closed its doors due to structural concerns, students are finding out where they will be spending the rest of their school year.
Last week, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) announced Elizabeth Ziegler Public School would remain closed for the rest of the year.
On Monday, some students returned to the building, not to resume their studies after March Break, but to pick up Chromebooks and iPads for remote learning. Families were asked to pick up electronic devices between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Remote learning was set to start the next day.
“Teachers will teach synchronously and will be available to students during regular school hours through their Google Classrooms,” the school board said.
Families react
Some students said they weren’t looking forward to going back to remote learning. For many, the last time they participated in virtual learning was the pandemic.
“I used to do it in my first grade, so that was like a lot. I didn’t really like it. I like to be able to be in classes,” said Grade 5 student Ella, after picking up her Chromebook.
Stella, a Grade 6 student said the last few weeks have been abnormal.
“It’s kind of crazy. Like first we got one day - then we got two days off. Then it was a week. And now we’re probably not going to be back for the rest of the year. It’s kind of weird,” she said.
Some parents said they’re frustrated with trying to keep up with the changing plans.
“Very uncomfortable and stressful. Because we don’t know how to manage our work,” said one parent.
Another parent, Taylor Avram, picked up her Chromebook with her daughter who is disappointed about the changes.
“It’s just super inconveniencing. I feel awful for her that she’s missing a good chunk of her social life, and that’s affecting her a lot right now,” said Avram.
In-person learning plan
In an update Monday afternoon, the school board announced plans for a return to in-person learning. While some students will be welcomed back to the Moore Avenue property, they won’t be going back inside the building.
The school board said the school is getting seven new portables. Two washroom and two office trailers will also be added to the location. There are already some portables on site adding up to a final total of 12 classes in 12 portables.
English speaking students in four full-day Kindergarten classes, eight classes between Grade 1 through Grade 6 and the Extended Day Program, will be moving into the portables.
The director of education said it represents about 60 per cent of over 500 students at the school.
“This allowed for minimal disruption in what was, and I want to stress, a really complex situation where we were making a number of decisions. Really what it came back to is what is best for student achievement and well-being and how can we ensure minimal disruption for our students and how do we get them back to in-person learning as quickly as possible,” said Director of Education Scott Miller in an interview Monday afternoon.
For younger students using portables, Miller assured extra help will be available if they need assistance to locate or get to the portable bathrooms.
All nine French Immersion classes, meanwhile, will be moving to Sandowne Public School in an attempt to keep students and staff together.
“If the classes had been split differently, the school timetable would have needed revising, causing changes to educator assignments. As a result, this approach is the most seamless option available,” a release from the school board said.
The release goes on to say the French Immersion classes will be operating on a ‘school within a school’ model, and students and staff will still be considered part of the Elizabeth Ziegler community. Two portables will also be added to Sandowne for students and the additional staff needed during the transition.
The school board said French Immersion students will be bused from Elizabeth Ziegler to Sandowne in the morning, and then be bused back at the end of the day.
English and French immersion students are expected to return for in-person learning on April 1.
Students in the Congregated Alternative Continuum of Education (ACE) program will be moving to JW Gerth Public School, while enrichment program students will be moving to Brigadoon Public School. Students in both those program will be bused from their homes to the new schools.
They are expected to return for in-person learning as early as March 21.
Structural concerns
Elizabeth Ziegler Public School, built in 1931, closed on March 3 due to safety concerns.
The school board then retained a structural engineering firm to investigate the damage to the façade. They determine no one should occupy any part of the building.
“This is a result of the mechanical and electrical connections that run throughout the building, as well as the large pieces of precast concrete and monuments that need to be carefully removed during the repair process,” the board explained.
While the structural assessment is not fully complete, the board thinks the engineers will uncover additional structural concerns.
What’s next?
The school board said it is starting to look into what this could mean for next year but said it won’t have answers until the final report from the engineering firm is ready.
“We are expecting a final report later this week which will help inform our decisions moving forward,” Miller said.
The board is hosting a community meeting Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at McGregor Public School. Families are encouraged to attend if they have questions or concerns.
Miller said he is grateful for the community’s flexibility during this time. “Unexpected situations where there might not have been daycare to look after their children and we’re thanking them and thank them for their patience and again, [we] are moving as quickly as we can to get things back to where students can do in-person learning,” Miller said.
