Classes at Remote Learning School to Begin on Monday

Students enrolled in St. Clair Catholic’s new Remote Learning School will begin classes on Monday, September 14.  There are approximately 800 elementary students in the virtual school; and about 450 secondary school students.  Parents/guardians received a communication from Principal Rob Cicchelli and Vice Principal Mike Giroux this week.

Yesterday, the school’s new website went live.  Parents/guardians and students can access the website at https://rls.sccdsb.net/ where they can link to a variety of resources and supports.

Funding to Support Ventilation Upgrades in Schools

St. Clair Catholic has received $227,000 in funding from the Ontario government to improve air quality and ventilation in schools.  These funds will be expended in the following ways:

1. Upgrades to current air filters – The Board has retained Chorley & Bisset, a third party consultant, which has recommended upgrades to our current filters.  The filters will be monitored monthly and replaced as necessary, or every three months at a minimum.
   
2. Purchase portable air conditioning and HEPA air filtration units – There are currently 49 classrooms in schools which are not air conditioned.  To improve occupant comfort and assist with lowering humidity, the Board will install portable air conditioning with HEPA air purifiers.  This includes classrooms at St. Elizabeth, Wallaceburg; St. Ursula, Chatham; Monsignor Uyen, Chatham; and Ursuline College, Chatham.  The upgrades will also be extended to teacher workrooms and administration offices that are currently not air conditioned.  It is expected the air conditioning units will be installed by the end of September.
   
3. Chorley & Bisset will also conduct site assessments at all locations.  The Board will ensure all HVAC equipment is working efficiently to optimize air circulation and meet system targets.  Additional servicing and cleaning of rooftop units, unit ventilators and terminal devices will also be undertaken.

All mechanical systems at St. Clair Catholic have been designed to meet Ontario Building Code requirements and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards, applicable at the time of their construction. Throughout the duration of the closure, the Board continued to perform maintenance and regularly change filters in all Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. Mechanical HVAC systems have been checked during the summer months to ensure they are operating as designed.

Classroom Organization

For the most part, classroom organization for the 2020-2021 school year is now complete, in what has been an extraordinarily challenging year.   As is always the case in September, some reorganization and student movement may still be required.  It is even more critical this year, as we work to meet our goals for reduced class sizes.  

Thank you to our parents/guardians and staff for your patience and support, as we make these final adjustments over the next week or so. Special thanks to our Planning and School Business Support team for their tremendous work.