Covid - 19 Update March 23, 2020
Dear Parents/Guardians
As you may have heard yesterday afternoon, all schools in Quebec including Kells Academy will be closed until May 1, 2020.
We would like to bring to your attention to the following important directives from the Minister of Education:
The school year will continue and, if the situation improves, the students will return to their classrooms in May 2020.
“Uniform” Ministry of Education exams will not take place this June.
Please note, we are awaiting further directives from the Ministry of Education as to how students will be evaluated for term 3 and final report cards. As such, I reiterate that the school year continues.
Given these directives and the fact that the school year is still running, we have prepared and mobilized our staff to ensure that students continue with online learning and stay abreast of the curriculum in the event that schools reopen in May. Although a challenging situation, Kells Academy will provide its students with every opportunity to maximize their learning so that they are not disadvantaged in their upcoming school year. The teachers will continue to instruct Term 3 content through e-learning classes to ensure that your child acquires the essential skills for their current grade level. We expect all of our students to participate in these classes and complete their assignments and projects with the same motivation that they brought to school each day.
Behind the scenes, the Kells administration, academic staff and the IT team have been in constant communication via Google Meet, emails and online correspondence to ensure the smooth operation of our online learning platform. We are piloting new tools and resources to coordinate e-curriculum plans, navigate technical issues, share online resources and expand our e-learning methods to best support students through this rapidly evolving situation.
As we move forward in online learning, Kells administration is also working on expanding the resources and the support available to students. These services will be wide ranging and will provide both academic support ranging from language proficiency, math problem-solving strategies, literacy skills or remedial support to maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle or sharpening individual development through enrichment opportunities. We hope to share these online resources with our parents and students in the near future.
I would like to reassure you that I will be in constant communication with you and our students via memos, email, phone and videos on our Kells Facebook page. I would also like to invite students and parents to reach out to me to stay in touch and support one another. I know this is a very challenging time, but we are here to support you and we will get through this together!
This transition from classroom to online learning has been very sudden and we recognize that students will take time to adjust and may experience feelings of isolation and a lack of personal support and guidance due to changes in their routine. Please reach out to us so we can continue to support and personally guide your child through this situation.
We are fully committed to educating our students and supporting the Kells community. I would like to acknowledge our teachers who have been working incredibly hard to facilitate student engagement and provide meaningful learning opportunities. I would also like to thank you and the students for your commitment to learning and following our e-learning platform and for your continued cooperation and collaboration.
Stay healthy and safe!
Best,
Neil Banerjee
Principal
Kells Academy