Brief intensive individual short-term counselling available for:

• Managing anxiety
• Managing feelings
• Preparing for the coming school year
• Learning about self-care

To register for the services please email – mentalhealth@lakeheadschools.ca

The post Summer Mental Health Services appeared first on �AV.

Summer Times and Locations

The post Summer Kids Packages appeared first on �AV.

Child care centres and Extended Day Programs will remain closed until April 13, according to the province’s Declaration of Emergency, which only allows closures to be extended for one 14-day period at a time.

Are EarlyON and Child and Family Learning Centres located in Lakehead Public Schools closed?

Yes. EarlyON programs will remain closed until April 13, according to the province’s Declaration of Emergency, which only allows closures to be extended for one 14-day period at a time.

Can parents pick up their child’s belongs from the school including shoes, clothing, text books and other items?

No. The Ministry of Education has closed all schools until Monday, May 4. We are unable to open the schools for families to collect personal items.

Will students be provided with online learning opportunities during the closure?

Yes. Lakehead Public Schools staff are connecting with all students and families as we prepare to re-establish teacher-led learning during the week of Monday, April 6, 2020. Students requiring paper learning packages will receive them during the week of April 13.

Can I still get a loaned device for my child to participate in the Learning at Home Program?

Yes. Please call your child’s school and leave a message.

Can I get a paper package for my child to participate in the Learning at Home Program?

If you have not been contacted by your child’s school, please call the school and leave a message.

I am having difficulty with applying for the Support for Families Program. Where can I get help?

We have been advised by the Ministry of Education that questions or concerns with this program should be directed to the Support for Families Hotline at 888-444-3770. The hotline is open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays. TTY (for the hearing impaired) 1-800-268-7095

Are Lakehead Public Schools playgrounds and structures still available for use during the school closure?

No. All Lakehead Public Schools playgrounds and structures are closed and not available for use. We ask the public to observe this closure.

Will the school year be extended into the summer months?

The decision to extend the school year would be made by the Ministry of Education and at this time, we have not received this direction.

Will the cancellation of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) negatively impact a student’s ability to graduate?

For students who are graduating in the 2019-20 school year, the literacy graduation requirement as set out in Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements, 2016 has been waived. Students who are not graduating this school year will have the opportunity to write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) in the upcoming 2020-21 school year.

Will students be at risk of not graduating?

The Government of Ontario has made very clear that no student will have their graduation compromised by COVID-19 and the Ministry of Education continues to work with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to ensure that there will be no barriers to accessing postsecondary education.

Will Co-op placements continue during this time?

No. These placements are suspended during this time.

Will Student Discipline Hearings continue?

No. All student discipline hearings will be rescheduled.

Will Home Instruction continue?

No. All Home Instruction will be suspended.

Will special education IPRC meetings continue?

No. Special education IPRC meetings that were scheduled to take place between March 14 to April 5, 2020 are postponed.

Will Adult and Continuing Education classes and programs continue?

Yes. The Lakehead Adult Education Centre building is closed but classes are being offered online. Visit our website at /adult-education/ for online program details.

Will community use permits for be cancelled?

Yes. All permits are cancelled during the closure.

Can I still contact my child’s Vice Principal, Principal or Superintendent?

Yes. While schools are closed, Vice Principals, Principals and Superintendents will still be available by phone or email should you have any urgent questions or concerns.

Will co-op placements continue during the closure of schools?

No. Co-op placements are postponed during the closure.

Will students continue to participate in Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Programs (OYAP)?

No. OYAP programs are postponed during the closure.

Will students continue to participate in Dual Credit programs?

No. Dual Credit programs are postponed during the closure.

The post Frequently Asked Questions appeared first on �AV.

The Ministry of Education is providing financial support to parents to assist with the costs of educational resources during school and childcare closures as a result of Ontario’s declared emergency to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Parents are eligible for a one-time per child payment of:

• $200 for children aged 0-12, or
• $250 for children with special needs aged 0-21

For more information and to apply here:

The post Support for Families appeared first on �AV.

While the Learn at Home plan is for the duration of the extended closure, families are asked to be patient as it will take some time to ensure that all facets of the program are in place. For the week of April 6, there will not be hardcopy learning packages available for students without digital access to learning materials. Hardcopy learning packages will be available to families beginning the week of April 14th. Families will be contacted by their schools with regard to pick up times.

During this new learning and instruction process, Lakehead Public Schools staff will be guided by the following guiding principles:

• At Lakehead Public Schools, we are committed to doing our part to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus in order to flatten the curve. This requires our students to learn from home, and our educators and support staff will work with families to provide the best possible learning experience for our students.
• We are committed to doing our part to support students’ well-being and learning. At Lakehead Public Schools, all of our students belong here, including when “here” is the safety of their own homes.
• For elementary students, the main goal is to support their continued growth in literacy and numeracy through their interests, wonderings and exploration.
• For secondary students, the main goal is to support them in demonstrating the overall expectations of their Semester 2 classes in order to achieve these credits.

In addition to the guiding principles, Kindergarten to Grade 12 guidelines were developed for staff. Some of these include:

• We understand that every household is unique and educators will be flexible in how they support students and families.
• We are not expecting parents to homeschool their children.
• Educators are encouraged to plan with “quality over quantity” in mind. Our focus is Communication, Connection, Content.
• The main method of delivery will be electronic and educators will ensure that all students are able to access the learning materials and plans.
• Educators will be available on a daily basis to support students and families.
• Parents can expect their child to do a certain number of hours of schoolwork per week, as outlined by the Ministry of Education for learning from home.

Elementary Students
The total number of hours includes the time it will take students to engage in the recorded and posted individual online learning and any resulting work or activities.

Elementary Assessment

Elementary teachers will assess students by gathering evidence of how they are progressing in their learning. Teachers will also provide feedback to their students on their progress. Lakehead Public Schools will issue final report cards, including the Kindergarten Communication of Learning, for all students.

Classroom teachers will:

• provide students/family with a weekly schedule/plan by Monday of each week
• be available to correspond and support students and families throughout the week
• schedule check-ins with parents and/or students (e.g., virtually, email, phone call)

Kickstart Program

For students in the Kickstart Program, Kickstart teachers will use the Edsby platform for posting content and Microsoft teams for live interactive chats. Kick Start programs will begin the week of April 13th. Teachers will make contact with students and students will perform 1.5 hours of work per week.

Secondary Students

The total number of hours includes the time it will take students to engage in the recorded and posted individual online learning and any resulting work or activities.

Delivery of secondary program will be a combination of teacher directed content, which is posted online and teacher dedicated time to be available to support students on Microsoft team meet or by telephone.

Secondary teachers will continue to work with school staff including guidance counsellors, graduation coaches, student success teachers, attendance counsellors and support staff to create a culture of learning during this time when face to face interaction is not possible.

Secondary students will be assigned learning tasks, projects and culminating activities that will be marked by their teachers. Teachers will communicate results of these marked assignments to students. Results will be used by teachers to inform students’ final course marks. The requirement to issue mid-term marks for non-graduating secondary students is suspended for this school year.

Content will be posted on Edsby or D2L by 9:30am Monday of each week.

Senior Students

Secondary teachers will be focused on ensuring that senior students are supported in order for them to graduate. The Ministry of Education is working with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to coordinate admissions for students entering post-secondary education.

Community involvement hours and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) requirement for the 2019-20 graduating class are waived.

Co-op

Students enrolled in Cooperative Education are able to earn credits through the use of posted lessons and activities and live online instruction or conversations with their teacher.

Teachers will use EDSBY and Microsoft Teams to post lessons and connect with their students.

Dual Credits

Team taught dual credits are cancelled.

Dual credits will continue. Two of the dual credits (tech and baking) will NOT be offered and therefore these students have the option of being moved into another course at the College.

Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM)

Specialist High Skills Major requirements are paused at this time. SHSM graduating students WILL NOT be compromised due to Covid-19.

The Board will apply for an override for requirements that are not achievable due to the present situation. This process is completed on a student by student basis. An example would be mandatory certification such as First Aid CPR.

Alternative Education

Day school alternative education students (SAM MISOL, Connections, College Link) will continue with course requirements to earn credit(s).

Supervised Alternative Learning (SAL) students will continue to complete course requirements to earn credits(s).

Supplementary Learning Resources

Supplementary learning resources beyond what is delivered by educators can be found at /online-learning-resources/ and .

Supporting Students with Special Education Needs in K-12 Classes

Classroom teachers will work with students and families to develop and assign appropriate tasks/activities for students, ensuring that the required accommodations and/or modifications specified in their Individual Education Plans are in place. Classroom teachers will seek support from the school Special Education Facilitator if additional support is required. Empower Reading Teachers will work with students and families to adapt the program for home delivery. Classroom teachers will collaborate with Student Support Professionals as required. Students will be provided access to SEA technology and equipment

Learn at Home Support

Schools have contacted families about their requirements for the Learning at Home program. Devices will be deployed next week to families who require them. We have had conversations with community partners to provide internet access where possible. Those families with internet access will receive learning activities and resources electronically. Some of the learning activities can be printed at home and completed by students, others will be completed online. Those without digital access will be provided with a weekly package for learning each Monday. These can be picked up at the school or in some cases they may be delivered. Schools will coordinate the distribution of these materials. For secondary students, printed work packages will come with a stamped return envelope for work to be returned to the teacher. In ALL cases where materials are provided to families, our protocols are informed and approved by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.

The response to COVID 19 is in a critical phase. We must respect the direction of municipal, provincial and federal public health agencies: stay home as much as possible, remain at least two metres away from others, do not attend gatherings of five or more people, and wash your hands often.

Throughout this process, communication will be extremely important. Parents are urged to monitor the Lakehead Public Schools website at www.lakeheadschools.ca and social media channels for updates.

This has been a challenging time for all of us. We are committed to supporting the needs of our students. Our staff are working diligently to ensure the continued success of every student.

Thank you for your ongoing support

Sincerely,

Ian MacRae, Director of Education
Lakehead Public Schools

The post Lakehead Public Schools Learning at Home Program appeared first on �AV.

If this is a mental health emergency and safety is the immediate concern and help is needed now – Call 911 or go to your hospital emergency department.

Children Centre/Thunder Bay Counselling Walk in Talk in Services

Dilico call in Services – Tuesdays 1pm-7pm

CMHA Crisis Response

If you need to talk to someone right away please call 346-8282

or

Kids Help Phone

Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7, national support service. They offer professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people in both English and French.

By phone- You can reach a Kids Help Phone counsellor 24/7 at 1-800-668-6868.

By Text – Need help now? Text CONNECT to 686868

Live Chat – Kids Help Phone’s Live Chat hours are temporarily reduced so we can provide more timely access to support through our other services. Live Chat is currently open daily from midnight to 7:00 a.m. ET. Visit

Mental Health Resources for Students and Parents

School Mental Ontario

School Mental Health Ontario supports Ontario schools to enhance the quality and consistency of mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention programming in Ontario schools. SMHO also provides resources to parents on mental health awareness in the way of activities, tip sheets, videos and important questions you might have. Check out this link for more information.

Children’s Mental Health Ontario

Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) represents Ontario’s publicly funded Child and Youth Mental Health Centres. We advocate for investments, policies, and programs for children, youth, and families seeking mental health services in Ontario. Our goal is to promote a coordinated and high-quality system of care that puts children, youth and families first.

Back-to-School Mental Health Kit

While back-to-school is hard for most children and youth in a normal year, this year our kids are facing extraordinary circumstances relating to the pandemic and infection control measures. We know parents are experiencing unprecedented stress and are worried about their kids’ mental wellness.

To help, Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) has prepared a Back-to-School Mental Health Kit. We want to empower families who are concerned about their child’s mental health and help you find further mental health supports if you need them

School Social Work Services

Elementary and High School Services

Individual Clinical Services are provided for students throughout the elementary and high schools. Our model focuses on brief, solution focused problem-solving methods to help promote resilience and coping with the goal of enhancing social emotional learning skills and success in the classroom. Our elementary social workers as well as our Westgate Highschool social worker are contracted through Children’s Centre Thunder Bay. Referred students are provided with approximately 5 sessions if individual counselling with a registered social worker at the school. If your elementary age child is interested in individual services, please contact your school principal. For high school students, visit your student success office.

Information and Resources

Three Year Mental Health Strategy

Noticing Mental Health Concerns For Your Child – Info Sheet – EN (PDF Download)

Personal Resiliency Tips for Helpers Who Support Students

My Coping Plan (PDF Download)

The post Mental Health Resources for Students, Staff and Families appeared first on �AV.

For more information and to register, go to:

Session One: The March Break is Over, Now What?
March 25, 1 PM
This first session of the series covers the top ten ways you and your children can successfully settle in to staying at home. Topics will include: establishing realistic expectations, creating a daily routine, and dealing with stress and worry

Session Two: Learning at Home is Not like Learning at School
April 1, 1 PM
This session will examine how you can support your child’s learning and development without turning your dining room into a classroom. Topics will include: what matters most when it comes to learning, capitalizing on curiosity, and dealing with opposition without detention or suspension

Session Three: Are We Having Fun Yet? Saying Positive Over the Long Haul
April 8, 1 PM
This session will focus on maintaining your own well-being so you can support the well-being of your children. Topics will include: staying motivated and positive, managing boredom and anxiety, and supporting your own well-being

Here’s a sneak preview of tomorrow’s TOP TEN TIPS FOR STAYING AT HOME WITH YOUR CHILDREN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC:

1. Create a Bubble of Physical and Psychological Safety. Practice social distancing, not just from people, but from constant exposure to the news. Try to make your home a safe and positive place for your family.
2. Establish a Routine and Start as You Intend to Go On. Work together with your children to create a reasonable and sustainable day to day routine. Try not to expect too little or too much from your children, or yourself.
3. Remember that Setbacks are Normal. During times of major transition, we tend to have a honeymoon period where we are coping well, then a letdown period where we feel in less control, and then a reset period where we get back on track. Know that there will be ups and downs.
4. Practice “Good Enough” Parenting. Maintain realistic expectations about yourself as a parent. You are stressed too, and you will likely not always be your best self. Your children don’t need you to be perfect, just good enough.
5. Know What You Can Control and What You Can’t. Remember that stress comes from events that are beyond our control. To regain some sense of control, focus on what you have influence over, like connecting with your kids or keeping your household clean.
6. Set and Maintain Limits with Your Children. Consider how much time you will allow them to be on social media; how much of your time you will give them, what chores you expect them to complete. Like a daily routine, structure and consistency helps with stress.
7. Don’t Turn Your Home into a School. Learning can happen naturally with a little prompting. Kids are curious and like to solve problems. And most don’t like to complete worksheets. Help them get started and then see where they go.
8. There is Nothing Wrong with a Little Boredom. Necessity truly is the mother of invention. When kids are bored, they often become creative. Try not to fill all of their time for them.
9. Get Outside as Much as Possible. You can still practice social distancing while outside. Break up the day by going for a walk or getting other forms of exercise.
10. Be Honest and Positive. Your children look to you for reassurance and to know how to feel. They will also sense if you are not being truthful. Remain positive and acknowledge that this is a stressful time.

The post Mental Health Webinar appeared first on �AV.

The post Concussion Diagnosis & Treatment Seminar appeared first on �AV.

Following the incidents, the school social worker has been available for students. In addition, other school social workers and the Mental Health lead have also provided support. Outside community agencies have also made themselves available and offered debriefing and support for all students and staff who were interested. Guidance Counsellors are also available to all students.

More Information

• • Information for Families and Educators
  • Easy Access Mental Health Counselling & Crisis Services
  • Helping Children Cope With Threats – Tips for Families and Educators

The post Mental Health Support for Students, Families and Educators appeared first on �AV.