COVID 19 – Update #13
Friday April 03, 2020
To: All CIC Students, Parents, and Partners,
Government Announcements
The Government of Ontario announced earlier this week that the Declaration of Provincial Emergency would be extended to April 13, 2020. This measure is based on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. Additionally, Ontario continues to reinforce social/physical distancing measures and has limited gatherings to groups of five.
The Ministry of Education has also announced that the 40 Hours of Community Service requirement for our May and June Graduates is waived.
What does this mean for CIC students?
Restrictions for our students in residence and homestay remain in place. I strongly encourage students to follow the directions of our house parents and all staff. Your cooperation to date is a testament to the fact that there are no positive cases of COVID-19 with Columbia students or staff. We are also confident that our Academic Buildings will remain closed for the foreseeable future, and remote learning via Google Classroom will continue.
For our May and June graduates, focus on your studies as the following for your graduation are no longer required:
- the OSSLT (Literacy Test) and
- the Community Service hours
Message to all Students
Our students have just now finished their second week of remote learning. There are three weeks of teaching and learning remaining and I encourage you to be diligent and continue to:
- Complete daily attendance;
- Actively participate in the Google Lessons by posting questions and answers;
- Diligently demonstrate your learning by submitting all assigned work timely, and
- Access our digital tutoring services available seven days a week.
In our remote learning setting, these important steps are critical for your success.
Additionally, I encourage all students to participate daily in our scheduled recesses. It may be rejuvenating and healthy for you to enjoy the fresh air and spring sunshine. And remember that the entire Total Care family is here to help you. If you need assistance with anything, please contact a staff member. Here are a few resources:
- For Google Assistance contact the Google Coach at help@cic.care
- For connecting to Wifi/Internet, contact helpdesk@cic-totalcare.com
- For all Guidance inquiries, contact guidancecounsellors@cic-totalcare.com
- For Tutoring via Google Meet, Please sign up via care/tutoring
- For Student Wellness support, contact wellnessclinic@cic-totalcare.com
In Closing
Dear students and parents, I want to acknowledge your continued trust in the Total Care team here at Columbia International College. Even in these unprecedented times of crisis, your commitment and cooperation have allowed us to continue to prioritize our student’s safety and, at the same time, maintain a rich learning experience for our students. In closing, please join me in also acknowledging our talented teaching faculty and all of our dedicated Columbia staff’s commitment and motivation to rise above this crisis. Beyond the curriculum, we trust the larger lessons of rising to the challenges, and that communities work together for the greater good, even when the circumstances are formidable, are the important lessons.
As always, this correspondence reflects information that we have at this time. With the situation rapidly evolving, directives from the various levels of government may change and therefore Columbia International College may also have to alter our programs and policies accordingly. We are committed to providing up to date communication to our CIC community.
Yours in education,
Bill Ironside
Principal
Columbia International College