Lambton-Kent District School Board officials haven’t decided if the school year will have to be extended because of the three week break.

The provincial government has closed all publicly-funded schools until April 5 to limit the spread of the COVID-19. In a letter sent home to parents, John Howlett, director of education, says the schools were not aware of the closure until after Education Minister Stephen Lecce made the announcement Thursday afternoon.

The board has been working on its plan which now includes a complete closure of the schools and the day cares associated with them and a full, deep cleaning of the buildings while students are away.

Also:

• Some teaching staff may use their online learning tools to support student learning (Note: This would not be part of any student assessment).
• The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test will not run as scheduled. Details have not been determined.
• There has been no decision about whether the school year would be extended.

• All field trips scheduled in March and April will be cancelled. Further communications will be provided by your school.
• All LKSSAA activities, including games, tournaments and practices, have been postponed until further notice.

The full letter is posted below.