Students attending Sacred Heart Catholic High School in Newmarket will be spending their last three days before Christmas vacation at home after the York Catholic District School Board decided to switch its secondary schools to virtual classes only starting Wednesday, Dec. 16.
In-person classes will resume after the Christmas break on Jan. 4.
The decision to cancel the final days of in-person classes is because the school board is doing what is known as a "cohort flip."
Since the beginning of the academic year, pupils have been sorted into cohorts to limit the potential for COVID-19 to spread through the student body. Each cohort has been taking one class in-person at school and one class virtually at home.
Halfway through every quadmester, there is a cohort flip, and students switch courses they take in-person and online. This quadmester flip falls on Dec. 16.
"Since this cohort flip or change is taking place just days before our Christmas break, we have decided to begin the new cohort schedule entirely remotely, so that students and staff will not be exposed to additional contacts prior to Christmas," Mary Battista, interim director of education, said in a letter to parents.
"This is a proactive measure we are taking to help keep our students safe, in consultation with York Region Public Health."
The decision to switch to virtual classes only impacts Catholic secondary schools in York Region, however, Canadian Martyrs Catholic Elementary School in Newmarket has been closed today, Dec. 15, until after the new year after one confirmed student case of COVID-19.
St. Luke Catholic Learning Centre, however, will remain open as usual.
Our Lady of the Lake Catholic College School in Georgina will be sending its grades 9 to 12 students home, but in-person classes will continue for Grades 7 and 8.
Editor's Note: This article has been edited to include that St. Luke Catholic Learning Centre will remain open.