Princess Elizabeth Public School closing to in-person learning, again
As of Tuesday, Princess Elizabeth Public School in London, Ont. was closed to in-person learning.
According to a release from the board, students are transitioning from in-person to remote learning until Jan. 31.
“Administration has determined that operational concerns related to staffing issues are requiring this shift to remote learning,” reads the release.
Princess Elizabeth Principal Colin Milligan says it was tough to break the news to parents.
“I had a chance to talk to parents last night and again this morning here at the school, and there's no doubt it's a challenge for them. And, you know, we feel terrible that we're kind of in this situation.”
Donata Ashton is a parent of a student at Princess Elizabeth
“Frustrating all around, and it's the children's mental health as well. Unfortunately, you know, my son wanted to go back to school for once because he misses his friends.”
The board says classroom teachers will contact families to coordinate synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities.
Princess Elizabeth Public School also closed to in-person learning in December citing "an increased number of COVID-19 cases being reported."
President of the Thames Valley Local - Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, Craig Smith, says these staff shortages are happening at several other schools
“We would suspect there is at least three or four schools that are in a similar situation to where Princess Elizabeth is at this point. We'll see what happens in the next day or so if it leads to a similar kind of situation.”
Milligan hopes school resumes on Monday and stays open the remainder of the year.
“Well, I hope it's the last time. I think for the sake of our students, we'd really like to have them here in school. I think many of our parents and our staff want to have the students here.“
— With files from CTV News London's Kristylee Varley
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.